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August 16

Am I hearing this correctly?

I've been watching Spooks lately (streaming and therefore no subtitles) and occasionally they use a term that I'm not quite sure I'm hearing correctly with my US American ears. They refer to a team of guys dressed in SWAT gear by a name that sounds like "CO9 team". It almost sounds like "SEAL team" but then that's American. I've poked around and found articles on SO10 but I can't find a reference to CO anything. (and SO-9 searches bring up results about HIV/AIDS research) So, what am I mis-hearing? Dismas|^(talk) 02:28, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Does it have anything to do with Spooks: Code 9? --Jayron32 02:46, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

I doubt it since Code 9 seems to be about a group in training while these guys are trained SWAT-like teams who are called in to break down doors, storm houses, and other such things. Dismas|^(talk) 03:24, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Just a hunch, but could it be "senior team" (assuming they don't have a senile team).--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:43, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

The Met's Specialist Firearms Command is also known as CO 19. CS Miller (talk) 08:02, 16 August 2011 (UTC

It may well be CO9. There's nothing very strange about scriptwriters coining a descriptor like this, matching the pattern of more familiar units such as MI5. Think CI5 from The Professionals (TV series). --Tagishsimon (talk) 08:05, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

I would guess CO19 as well - I think that's a pretty well-known term in the UK. See also Central Operations and Specialist Operations. 130.88.73.71 (talk) 09:20, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

And the mishearing in that sense would be "teen" with "team" ("nineteen" vs. "nine team"). --Mr.98 (talk) 14:14, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks everyone! I'm also in agreement with the "CO19"... version. (better word escapes me as I just woke up) Thanks again! Dismas|^(talk) 19:44, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

It is worth noting that the reason Spooks mentions CO 19 so casually is that after the 7/7 bombings and shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes the media made CO 19 very well known. Spooks never mentions them before 7/7, but assumes you know what they are afterwards. Prokhorovka (talk) 13:06, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

tristan benjamin

My name is ian benjamin, i used to be a pro footballer and i was wondering why my brother who used to be a pro footballer is not on wikipedia like me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.173.95.171 (talk) 15:14, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Two ways to answer your question:

• No one is in charge here. That is, the reason why the article doesn't exist is because no one has written it. I know that sounds rather simple, but it is basically true; there are many potential subjects for articles which just haven't been written yet, for the only reason that no one has yet done it. There isn't any deeper reason than that, unless...
• It wasn't written because your brother isn't an appropriate subject for a Wikipedia article. He may be, or he may not be, I don't really know one way or another. However, Wikipedia does not include articles about every human to have ever lived. In order to be taken seriously, Wikipedia needs to ensure that material written in articles is verifiable; and for many people there just isn't a whole lot of publicly availible information about them which is written in reliable sources. That is, sometimes people have information about them which is availible, but not terribly reliable; and other times people just aren't well documented at all. This could very well be the case with your brother. This has nothing to do with his job title; there is no activity one does for a pay check which automatically guarantees that many people will have written about you. You may want to read Wikipedia:Notability for more on this. And again, your brother may be notable; I have no idea if he is or isn't. If he isn't, he doesn't have an article about him for that reason. If he is notable, he doesn't have an article because no one bothered to write it yet.

--Jayron32 16:04, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Ian, Wikipedia articles are created by volunteers whom find the subject to be significant. If you feel an article about your brother might be useful to others, try suggesting it either on the talk page of the article about you or the Project Football talk page. TheGrimme (talk) 16:07, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

if it's the Tristan Benjamin who played for Notts County[1] he would be notable according to Wikipedia:Notability_(sports)#Association_football, so there's no reason he couldn't have an Wikipedia page if you have some newspaper articles about him. However, there are a lot of professional footballers in the UK and it's a while since he played, so it's unsurprising nobody has written anything. The likeliest candidate to write an article would be a fan of a team he played for, and Notts County don't have many fans left. --Colapeninsula (talk) 16:34, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Ian, you could post the request on the Wikipedia:Requested articles page. Although you could become one of us and write it yourself — see Wikipedia:Your First Article — you are not supposed to do so because of our Wikipedia:Conflict of Interest guideline. Comet Tuttle (talk) 21:03, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

@Colapeninsula despite the cheeky comment, I have written an article with sources, I am ONE of those few County fans and in no way related to TB other than a fan of him as a player for my team. Toxicparty (talk) 16:52, 16 November 2011 (UTC)

Copyright tags

Wikipedia uses a set of image copyright tags to indicate the license status of the image, so I have added a tag under as apache which seemed to me as suitable. But, then also, in any way, the red line about the tag being missing doesn't dissapear. Please Help. You may see my contribution for reference to my querry. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Minakshi boruah (talk • contribs) 15:40, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

It looks like you figured this out on your own... --Jayron32 15:56, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

The image in question is File:Star-bestseller.jpg. The best place to ask these questions is Wikipedia:Media_copyright_questions. However, I suspect that the license you used is wrong. Only the copy-right holder can state what licence the image is released under. Thus is likely to be either be a public-domain, or fair-use. You should also provide a link to where the image was obtained from. CS Miller (talk) 15:59, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Milwaukee Jeweler's from 1920's

I am looking for info for a jeweler that was in the Milwaukee area around the depression era. The name is B.W. Thien. I have a pendant watch I want appraised for sale.

Thank you, Darlene — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tym2fly525 (talk • contribs) 18:52, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

I googled "b.w. thien" watch and four hits popped up, to my surprise. Two of them say that his address appears to have been 3401 North Avenue, and that first hit, from a 1921 "Jeweler's Circular" on Google Books, mentions he was spending his vacation with his family at a cottage on Phantom Lake, along with another watchmaker's family. Lucky fellow. I hope they were all able to avoid the Phantom Lake monster that was active there at the time. Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:59, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Novel questions

Hey guys. So, I'm currently co-writing a supernatural/mystery/adventure-type teenage novel that's still in progress. I wish to publish my book through HarperCollins and I understand that they require a literary agent for them to look at the novel, of course that will all happen once the novel is finished.

So, two questions:

1. Is there an upfront fee for them printing and binding a certain amount of actual novels or does that fee come out of the percent of profit the book gets?
2. Approximately how much percent of profits do the four parties (HarperCollins, me, co-author and literary agent) get?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! 64.229.205.242 (talk) 23:00, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

The answer to the first question is a very important one—No, a reputable publisher will never charge an author to print his book. The publishers who will charge you up front (generally for the entire print cost, plus 'editing fees', 'promotional fees', and various other sorts of add-ons) are the so-called vanity presses. Vanity presses have virtually no real editorial oversight, and will print books for anyone who is willing to give them money. They have no interest in selling your books to anyone else, because they will have already sold them to you. See also author mill, for a variation on the theme.

A real publisher, in contrast, will actually pay you an advance up front, based on their anticipated sales of your book. (The advance will come out of the subsequent royalties—but if the book doesn't sell, you don't generally have to give the advance back.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 23:19, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

This article quotes a variety of percentages — from 4% at the low to 8% at the high. As for how you divide it with your co-author and agent, that's up to you to decide with them. The agent will no doubt make it clear to you up front what they're expecting of the royalties. My understanding though is that you don't usually get to pick your publisher ahead of time; the whole reason you get an agent is that they shop you around, hype you up, try to get you the best offer from whomever will offer. --Mr.98 (talk) 00:03, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes. Don't pin your hopes and dreams on a particular publisher. It is usually regarded as a near-miracle to even get an agent to represent you. Comet Tuttle (talk) 07:40, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

That's an important point, you can't just hire an agent. You submit your work and they choose writers who they think will be profitable and offer them a contract. (Although there are plenty of Con artists pretending to be agents who will be happy to take your money.)

I think that when/if you do finally find an agent who is willing to represent you, they will be pretty irritated if you turn down deals with other publishers. They're likely to tell you "Look, I know this business, let me do my job and find you the best possible deal for this book."

It's a bit out of date now, but the blog of Miss Snark, Literary Agent is a wealth of information on how the novel publishing industry works. APL (talk) 10:11, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

August 17

Supernatural

I've been watching Supernatural (TV series). It's actually a pretty good show but I'm baffled by the music on the show. You almost never hear really famous contemporary music on television because it's far too expensive. This is almost always reserved for big budget movies. Yet, this show has incredibly famous classic rock songs in almost every episode. I am not complaining but I don't understand it.--108.46.97.251 (talk) 04:59, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Really? Because there is gobs of famous contemporary music on many modern shows. Though it is a few years old, Scrubs made extensive use of music from well-known artists, as does Grey's Anatomy, and most obviously Glee (TV series). You actually here very little original music written specifically for TV shows anymore, even theme songs (the CSI franchise has extensively mined the music of The Who for example). It seems that it may actually be cheaper and/or better for the shows to license well-known, or at least existing, music than to hire or commission someone to write it for them. --Jayron32 05:04, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

I watched every episode of Scrubs ever. Yes, they has some contemporary music but not the type of rarefied music I'm talking about. Jimi Hendrix for example. This stuff is vastly expensive. Glew is of course a special example. And CSI; not the same. It's their theme song, and while I'm sure it was expensive, it is not comparable to a different famous song (sometimes even more than one) in each episode. I've read that top flight songs can cost $500,000 per use.--108.46.97.251 (talk) 06:21, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

You're overestimating the cost to license songs for TV shows. Here's a website that helps you estimate the costs for this. It's a few thousand dollars US per song, because of supply and demand. Incidentally, this page is where you can license Foxy Lady for your own TV show. Comet Tuttle (talk) 07:37, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

It's been claimed that one of the reasons Cold Case (TV series) wasn't released on DVD is because the relatively high cost of licencing the music for DVD has made it not worthwhile. As our article mentions, each episode tends to make use of a fair amount of music appropriate to the episode. Our Music licensing article mentions that most licencing nowadays includes the rights for releasing the episode on DVD. Cold Case is of course relatively recent, if the licences didn't include the rights to release it on DVD I guess the decision was made to do so to save cost concious of the fact it would likely mean it wasn't going to be release on DVD. Incidentally the article also gives other cases where the cost of licencing allegedly prevented a DVD release (well one of them is sourced). In some cases the music is replaced in a DVD release, this is mentioned in the earlier article and [2]. That article also mentions Ally McBeal as a show which encountered licencing issues. All these examples would seem to illustrate the point that many TV shows do use plenty of famous contempory music. Nil Einne (talk) 08:45, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Following up on the point about songs being replaced on DVD releases... This happened with an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. In fact, the article goes over a number of such instances in some detail at WKRP in Cincinnati#Music changes for late 1990s syndicated airings and DVD releases. This has always stuck with me as I'm an avid Pink Floyd fan and one such instance involves their Animals album. Dismas|^(talk) 10:15, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

EastEnders, a British soap opera, routinely features contemporary chart hits including number one records - La Roux, Miley Cyrus, Dido, Slade, ... - playing on the radios in cafes and market stalls. It's become something of a badge of real fame for an artist: "I want to hear my song played in the caff on EastEnders", but I doubt it can cost very much. --Colapeninsula (talk) 11:57, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

PRS seem to do a lot of music licensing in the UK. They have a handy list of prices here [3]. Incidentally, the BBC is always able to have such good music because as the national broadcaster, it has a blanket license for all music in the UK, with prior approval from the bands generally only being required in these circumstances here [4]. Causes havoc with licensing programmes such as QI abroad and doing DVDs --iamajpeg (talk) 21:58, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

For the particular show Supernatural, the use of classic rock is something of a selling point and defining charateristic of the show. When the budget shrunk in Season 3, you'll notice the use of 'big-name' classic rock was reduced compared the the first two seasons, with more use of in-house background music which gave a very different feel to the show (along with the mandated 'brighter' look). This caused enough complaints that they do seem to have tried to set aside more budget for the music after that, although it still doesn't use it quite as much as the first two seasons did. *insert 'first two seasons are only true seasons' soapboxing here* 86.163.214.39 (talk) 16:28, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

manish sisodia

Hi there is no information on Manish Sisodia RTI Activist. Can you please add information about him? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.205.16.54 (talk) 06:23, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

You may add a request to Wikipedia:Requested Articles, but do know that we have a notability guideline that requires that a person be "sufficiently notable" before they merit a whole article on Wikipedia. Comet Tuttle (talk) 07:38, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia is entirely written by volunteers - like you and me - who write what they are interested in writing. If you want to see a particular article, how about beginning it yourself? But read WP:Your first article first, because it is not easy. --ColinFine (talk) 20:55, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Details of Rape

Am a movie writer,Director and Producer from India. In my forthcoming movie story about rape and revenge.I need details of Rape...How many Rapes doing per day,per minute...per hour around the globe ? Kindly give the details in the earliest Thanking you, Best, CSRaju. My email id (email address redacted) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 14.96.70.53 (talk) 09:13, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Unfortunately, rape is poorly recorded, as out article Rape statistics explains. It says that "A United Nations statistical report compiled from government sources showed that more than 250,000 cases of male-female rape or attempted rape were recorded by police annually. The reported data covered 65 countries" which are probably those with a better grip on the number and thus probably where there are fewest. But perhaps it's a start. That's about 650 rapes per day, 30 per hour. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 09:55, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Which?

Which looks better (nicer)? Moon or lunar eclipse? 125.235.107.41 (talk) 10:08, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Well, depends on what you're looking for in an eclipse. The solar eclipse is definitely more spectacular. --Ouro (blah blah) 12:07, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes, but the lunar eclipse has the advantage of not burning out your retinas when you look at it... --Jayron32 12:35, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Define your terms: "better", "nicer". On second thought, don't. We can't possibly answer this type of question because it's asking for personal opinions, and we don't do that here. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 13:53, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

I agree with that. What I don't understand is why Ouro and Jayron introduced the solar aspect to this; the OP asked about the moon versus a lunar eclipse. Not that it's any more answerable that way. Matt Deres (talk) 14:46, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Oh, I know why I did that, it just occurred to me! I misread the question, I don't know why, but I got the idea that the poster was comparing a solar and a lunar eclipse. Strike that. Now, to answer really: the Moon itself is incredible as it is even without an eclipse. But true, this is asking for personal opinions. Again, sorry for my error. --Ouro (blah blah) 18:14, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Is the question which article is prettier? μηδείς (talk) 02:47, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Trying to make sense of this image

This image is related to the Republican party's nominees and their issues. I can't make out some of the words in this image ([5]). Can you help? --Melab±1 ☎ 14:27, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Akrabbim's table
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Candidate Plans 15 August 2011 marriage civil unions domestic partnerships foreign spouse citizenship Repeal of Defense-of-Marriage Act adoption by LGBT couples federal civilian workers private civilian workers open service equal pay & benefits on-base chapel weddings appoint LGBT-aware judges Fred Karger (R) Barack Obama (D) Gary Johnson (R) Ron Paul (R) Buddy Roemer (R) Jon Huntsman (R) Herman Cain (R) Mitt Romney (R) Michele Bachmann (R) Rick Santorum (R) Rick Perry (R) Newt Gingrich (R) Thaddeus McCotter (R)

How is this? —Akrabbim^talk 14:43, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

http://www.lgbtpov.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Candidates-Positions-15-Aug-2011.jpg -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 14:44, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks. --Melab±1 ☎ 12:23, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Listing

How do I go about listing the item for sale? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.40.32.214 (talk) 17:23, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Not on Wikipedia. There are other places on the Internet for advertising. -- Scray (talk) 17:46, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps the OP has mistaken Wikipedia for some online auction site that is mentioned in a Wikipedia article? JIP | Talk 18:53, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

GAFFA TAPE

WHY WILL GAFFA TAPE NOT STICK TO CAR INTERIOR PLASTIC IT SIMPLY ROLLS OFF AGAIN ? WHAT TAPE CAN I USE — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.97.254.139 (talk) 20:40, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

According to our article, gaffa tape uses a special kind of adhesive. Looie496 (talk) 01:51, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

The deal with Gaffer's tape is that it is really designed to be removable; it is designed to be used by stagehands in theatre, film, and television. It's main use is to tape down electrical cable (hence "Gaffer's tape", named after the Gaffer, who is basically the person on a production who is in charge of running wires everywhere). Because such wires have to be moved constantly, they need a special tape which will hold, but not so well that it doesn't remove cleanly. You'll want to get a different kind of tape which has more adhesive power; like duct tape, however be aware that what you trade for in adhesion you tend to lose in removability; you may have to take some effort to clean any residual glue after you remove the tape. Unless this is intended to be a semi-permanent fix, in which case duct tape would be fine. --Jayron32 03:04, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Please don't post every letter in CAPITALS because its (not "it's") effect on readers is like SHOUTING. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 07:16, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Also, make sure you are apply the tape to a clean surface. Dust and grime, if present, stick to the tape instead of something solid. Googlemeister (talk) 13:23, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Also, I have found that if you have used Armor All or a similar product recently tape will not stick to the treated surface. Beeblebrox (talk) 22:40, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

August 18

Book publishers

What is up with them producing more then one book on a particular subject (human body and etc along those lines)? Then doing one complete book? Here is my review for DK Complete Human Body Book and Pregnant Book.

Glad to see that DK also finally did a book and CD-DVD ROM on this subject (Pregnant Body Book, 2011) as well. At the same time wish they covered this in their previous book and CD-DVD ROM . It also goes for their competitors as well. Instead of doing three separate (Body, `07, Brain, `09, Complete Human Body, `10) books and CDs-DVDs ROMs on all of this. As for me went ahead, got this book because I found its way easier to keep track of and etc along those then the other way around. As for the separate books I donated them to one of the local hospitals in my area medical library. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mybodymyself (talk • contribs) 00:28, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

I gather that your question is why publishers sometimes publish more than one book on the same topic. The answer, I think, is because they believe, for one reason or another, that they can sell them. Looie496 (talk) 01:49, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Companies that produce book series rarely have one set project manager for the entire series or one continuous philosophy over time. The company's interest is profit, not consistency. Books which sell get reprinted, popular books of yesteryear get second editions or different versions, books with little demand demand go out of print or with little projected demand are never printed. DK is a great publisher for the affordability of its books, if nothing else. A friend who worked for Time Life said that series like the Time Life Mysteries of the Unknown where a new book was to be shipped every other month might be sold to subscribers when only two or three of the volumes had actually been written. Time Life stopped printing book series, disappointing people who didn't have a whole set once the Aol, merger went through. The bottom line is that if you want a complete consistent series buy one whose volumes have all already been printed. μηδείς (talk) 02:45, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Thank you for both of your answers to my question. Yup, you got it right, looie.--Jessica A Bruno 05:12, 18 August 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mybodymyself (talk • contribs)

Seeing the above review gets me thinking that there should be reviews of reviews, on the principle of Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?. Such secondary reviews could usefully point out, for example, substandard English written by a book reviewer. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 07:11, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Diesel cash vs. credit payment

Driving down the interstate from time to time I notice that some gas stations (but not all) sell diesel gasoline (and diesel only) for $0.05 cheaper if you pay with cash instead of credit. Why is this? --Ks1stm (talk) ^{[alternative account of Ks0stm]} 02:12, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Because when you pay with a credit card, part of the money goes to the credit card company (typically 3%, if I remember correctly). See credit card#costs to merchants.Looie496 (talk) 02:22, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict)It likely has to do with the amount of diesel that a semi truck can hold in its tanks and the credit card companies charging a percentage of the total sale as a processing fee. For example, if you pull in with your VW Jetta and fill up, it's maybe $50. The processing fee for the transaction, which the gas station has to pay, is maybe a few cents. But if you pull in with a semi truck and their much larger tanks, that same processing fee could go into the dollars if not tens of dollars. So a customer who pays with cash saves them real money. Dismas|^(talk) 02:26, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

This fee is called an "interchange" fee. The money actually doesn't go the credit card company itself, but to the issuing bank. --Daniel 02:29, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Some stations, especially those in poor neighborhoods, will do this for regular unleaded as well. Usually credit card companies have rules against this sort of dual pricing, but I guess those rules don't apply to fuel. APL (talk) 04:48, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Electricity Supplier on Reunion Island

Can anyone help Iam looking for the electricity supplier and tarriffs for Reunion Island — Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.210.210.238 (talk) 07:01, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Réunion is a tiny department of France, pop. 800,000 so I expect that everyone who works with electric supplies there knows one another and has the answer. This article names Pierre-Yves Ezavin of Reunion's Regional Energy Agency (ARER) and several other people. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 07:32, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

French Wikipedia has a page on Electrical energy on Reunion[6]. It says Syndicat intercommunal d'électricité du département de la Réunion (SIDELEC) is the supplier. SIDELEC's website is here (in French):[7]. I can't find any information on their tariffs. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:30, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

What Are These Things Called and What Are They For?

http://i.imgur.com/Nn1Yf.jpg --CGPGrey (talk) 07:33, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

It's a gasometer. --Viennese Waltz 07:47, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Usually more prosaically called a gas holder these days (as per the redirect). As you might guess from that, they are used for storing gas (i.e. domestic gas, not in the US sense of gasoline). AndrewWTaylor (talk) 11:20, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

What you can see in your photo is the frame that supports the huge domed tank - as the tank fills, it moves up the vertical posts until it reaches the top. The second photo down on the Wikipedia gasometer page shows a three-quarters-full one; the third photo shows an empty one like yours. "Gasometer" is a word which is still in wide use in London at any rate. Alansplodge (talk) 12:57, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Microphones

The use of microphones baffles some speakers, without proper knowledge and techniques in speaking thru a microphone sometimes create noise that is not pleasing to listeners.

What is the proper technique and how far (ideal distance) should a speaker use a microphone to create an acceptable sound and/or for a wonderful delivery

Does a different classification necessary for different voice ranges ex. alto, tenor, basso — Preceding unsigned comment added by 112.206.62.110 (talk) 13:16, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

It depends on the microphone. Different microphones optimally collect sound from different distance profiles, so a speaker would have to know the specifics for that microphone. The technician who maintains the AV equipment will know. 81.174.198.232 (talk) 13:32, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

If you're talking about that (usually) high pitched screeching whine that sometimes occurs, it's called feedback, and it's *not* the fault of the person using the microphone, but rather of the person who set up the sound system. What happens is that the room has particular resonant frequencies which means that the sound coming out of the speakers doesn't die down fast enough, and the sound from the speaker is picked up by the microphone, reamplified, and the cycle repeats. The feedback cycle will happen whenever that particular frequency hits a certain volume threshold. It normally can be fixed by geometry (putting the microphone behind the speakers), environment (more sound absorbing material in the hall) or by using an equalizer to bring down the volume of those frequencies which are causing the feedback. Distance in itself is not an issue - take a look at concerts sometimes. Singers will be screaming into a microphone which they are practically eating. The reason it's not a problem is that concerts usually have decent sound guys who know about equalizers, whereas the audio expertise of someone setting up a microphone for a talk usually ends at knowing how to turn it on (if that). Distance only becomes a problem in poorly set up sound systems because the further from the microphone, the less likely you are to cross that volume threshold (but the less likely you are to get decent amplification). The ideal distance to a microphone to optimize amplification without distortion depends heavily on what type of microphone it is, how the sound system was set up, and at what volume/amplification the microphone/speakers are currently at. There's always some setup/fiddling required to adjust a sound system to a particular venue and conditions. If you don't have access/expertise to use the mixer/equalizer/amplifier, the best you can do is adjust your distance until it matches the (possibly small) range whoever set up the sound system allowed for. -- 174.24.203.33 (talk) 16:24, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Ditto all that. Without knowing the specifics of the sound system you are using it is virtually impossible to say what the ideal setup would be. The presence of stage monitors, the size and shape of the room, the size of the audience, the shape of the stage, other amplifiers or musicians on the stage, and the design of the microphone itself are all factors. The short answer is, as stated above, get a good sound man. Or, if you have time, play with the setup in advance and try to make it produce feedback. When you can't manage it, you are probably close enough. Beeblebrox (talk) 17:38, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Point loudspeakers towards the audience, not the performer. A solo speaker should ideally speak towards the microphone at a fixed distance that is as close as possible without breathing effects intruding. Handheld microphone users such as singers need to develop their microphone technique that may involve varying the mouth-to-mic distance to compensate for changes in voice loudness. Some performers insist on using their own favourite microphone for performances. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:18, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Foldback speakers inevitably point at the performer, so advice amounting to "point loudspeakers towards the audience, not the performer" is of very limited use. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:34, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Foldback speakers are almost a recipe for feedback howls, which the article doesn't seem to worry about. I can't see them as useable with any other than fixed microphones that have been carefully set up. A headphone is a much better solution for a performer. Headphones are routinely used when recording in a studio where the artiste's appearance is unimportant. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:28, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

It totally depends on the microphone being used. With some, like large diaphragm condenser microphones (looking something like File:Microphone U87.jpg) you usually do not want to be very close (a foot or more away); while with others, like many dynamic/stage microphones, close in is often better (an inch or so). But there are many kinds of condenser and dynamic microphones, and many other types of microphone, and there is no hard and fast rule. You are talking about using microphones for speaking, presumably through some kind of PA system. There are many types of PA systems and many different kind of microphones used for public address. Ideally there would be a sound technician who could tell you how best to use the microphone. If not (or even if so!), the chance to do a "sound check" might help in getting a sense of how best to use the set up. As for different voices, alto, tenor, bass, etc, I think it usually does not matter. But with some microphones, bass frequencies are stronger the closer one is to the mic. With dynamic/stage microphones, this bassiness is accentuated when a speaker/singer wraps their hand around the ball of the mic, so that their mouth and hand are very close. You see this all the time with handheld mic singing. Done well, it can add a "good" bass oomph. But too often it is done merely because it looks cool or something, and the sound suffers, turning muddy and boomy. With many stage mics, wrapping your hand around the top of the mic like that also makes feedback more likely. As a former live sound guy, I hated it when singers did that, but one can't stop them—looking hip tends to overrule sounding good. Pfly (talk) 09:09, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I'm in a little situation...

Well, I've signed up to a Japanese video uploading site, and I got an e-mail to verify my account. I came across a page to put information in. The problem is, that there's a postcode entry that requires a Japanese postcode, and I live in the United States. Is there any way to solve this problem? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.238.151.139 (talk) 13:26, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Look up the US (or British or Canadian etc.) consulate in some city in Japan. Their website will be in English, and will have their postal address. 81.174.198.232 (talk) 13:28, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Alternatively, List of postal codes gives the format for Japanese postal codes. Put in a dummy code and see if it works. --Viennese Waltz 13:30, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Why Elizabethan_collars work?

I understand that too much scratching can be bad, but what's the problem of licking a wound? Wouldn't that be part of the healing process? 88.9.108.128 (talk) 13:39, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Wound licking covers this pretty well--Jac16888 ^Talk 13:49, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Also Hot spot (veterinary medicine). Acroterion (talk) 13:51, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

I am aware of a case where the cat opened the wound of a hysterectomy and started pulling at her intestines... --TammyMoet (talk) 14:21, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Yuk! Never had that happen, but all my female cats have inevitably removed the stitches from spaying. Vets in the UK use Superglue these days to avoid problems. One of my cats had a Thyroidectomy, and managed to remove all the stitches in a 2 inch would in the course of 36 hours (she survived the experience). --Elen of the Roads (talk) 21:46, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Superglue?! I would think that they use skin glue. Dismas|^(talk) 02:20, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Superglue and skin glue are the same cyanoacrylate in different packages. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 09:01, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I had my kitten spayed two months ago so I know whereof I speak! The vet used glue for the internal stitches, but dissolving stitches (which didn't dissolve) for the external ones. We used an Elizabethan collar for ten days after the op, until the wound had visibly healed over. The vet told me the story of the unfortunate cat I described above, who didn't survive. --TammyMoet (talk) 08:51, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Based on my original research of having a kitten who stayed in her lampshade for approximately three non-consecutive minutes.. From what my vet told me, normal licking would be okay if the cat understood that she couldn't lick too hard or bite the stitches. Which is exactly what their furry little instincts tell them to do. Foofish (talk) 00:37, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Royal Bank of Canada - Branding

Can I get a timeline for the different iterations of the name used by Royal Bank of Canada for its operations, e.g. 1) THE Royal Bank of Canada; 2) Royal bank of Canada (without the 'THE'); 3) RBC; and 4) RBC Royal Bank ??

STEPHEN NOEL McCARTHY email: <REMOVED> — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.213.137.43 (talk) 13:53, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

I've removed the questioner's email address, as per the policy for this page. All answers will be made on this page, not by email. --Colapeninsula (talk) 14:07, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

There's some information in our article: Royal Bank of Canada. --Ouro (blah blah) 18:07, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

News story of a child who was kept in a wardrobe?

I can't remember the details, but I remember a famous photograph of a federal officer or SWAT member bursting in and saving him with a gun. this image parodies it. Does anybody remember the name of this case?--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 16:25, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Elián González affair? -Mr.98 (talk) 16:32, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

And, for the record, not saving him. Scaring the sh*t out of him, more like. --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:37, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Held in a wardrobe and "saved" by SWAT? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahaha.... Reno thanks you while Orwell weeps. μηδείς (talk) 17:05, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Woops. Yep, that's it. Fuzzy memory, you know.--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 17:07, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Resolved

For the record, he wasn't kept in the closet, they just hid in there when they thought the Feds were coming for him. (to reunite him with his father BTW, although I'm sure it was quite frightening for him.) Beeblebrox (talk) 17:42, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

For the record II: the SWATs didn't have any purpose in mind - whether to save nor to scare the poor boy. They just do what they were told to do. Quest09 (talk) 10:59, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Nobody questioned the motives of the SWAT team themselves, only the outcome. And I would always be wary of issuing a defense of anyone which boils down to "They were only following orders", since it will always make them look bad, no matter how noble their intentions actually were. 86.163.214.39 (talk) 11:39, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

The outcome is not SWAT's fault. And they were not using the only following orders defense, why would they? What they did was right. The boy had to be returned. If his mother were waiting in Cuba, people won't be discussing that. Quest09 (talk) 12:43, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes, but, again, nobody was saying the outcome was the SWAT team's fault. Nobody at all, so you are arguing against something nobody is saying. But, in arguing against something nobody is saying, you chose to use an argument which is basically "They were just following orders", which introduces a negative perspective on the SWAT team which was previously completely absent from the discussion. So, in trying to defend the SWAT team from accusations nobody had made, your comment makes them look questionable by associating them with blindly following immoral orders, an idea only represented in your own comments. 86.163.214.39 (talk) 13:58, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Please 86.163: Stop accusing the SWAT of looking questionable or of blindly following orders. One thing I cannot stand are false accusations. Quest09 (talk) 15:47, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Oh I see, you're just trolling. Right you are, carry on. 86.163.214.39 (talk) 21:23, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

And to be fair to the SWAT team, the idiots holding the boy had intimated they were armed. --Tagishsimon (talk) 20:11, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I still can't understand how they believed they would get away with it. Quest09 (talk) 12:47, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

They didn't consider themselves to be holding the boy illegally. His father, and President Clinton, saw it differently and so the swat team was sent in when they wouldn't return Elian voluntarily. The Cuban-American (obviously anti-Castro) community is a powerful political force in South Florida, they seemed to honestly believe they would be allowed to keep the boy despite his father still being alive and well and happy to live in Cuba. Conservatives didn't know which way to swing, against communism or for family values... it was a real mess all around. Beeblebrox (talk) 21:36, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Receipt question

I got to think today, a receipt is proof you bought a product from a store. But the receipt is only proof you bought such a product from the store. It is not proof you bought that particular instance of the product from the store. So I thought of a scheme. First you buy a product fully legally from a store and get a receipt. Then you go back to the same store, with the receipt, and steal another instance of the same product. When the guards catch you, you show them the receipt, as proof you bought it legally. Would this work? Not that I'm going to try it or anything, mind you. I'm far too honest for it, but I can't help it if I can think of clever schemes like this. JIP | Talk 19:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Don't think it would work - the receipts (here in the UK, anyway) are generally date and time stamped. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:13, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

There are all kinds of scams that people try involving re-using a receipt. One common one is return fraud scam, where criminals buy a good and take it away. They then re-enter the store, take another of the same good from the shelf, and "return" it, with the receipt, for cash. That's one reason shops are inclined to record your information when you return something - on the principle that the biggest risk to them is not someone doing this once, but someone doing it repeatedly. For your proposed scam, the security people can view your movements on their video recordings, which will show ample evidence of you removing the product you bought from the store and then trying to re-use the receipt in this way. If (perhaps when) shops generally adopt unique radio-frequency identification tags on all products then this and similar schemes becomes much more difficult. The checkout equipment will record not just the line of product you bought, but the individual IDs of each, data that will be recoverable from the transaction ID printed on your receipt. That way they can say for (pretty much) sure whether this is the TV you bought half an hour ago, or a different one. Part of the design of retail RFIDs is that they are integrated into the packaging of a product in such a way that removing or exchanging them is difficult and slow. Legitimate privacy concerns will probably mean that RFIDs integrated into the product itself (e.g. in the labels in clothing) will be fairly evident and removable, and I'd imagine the stores will set their return policy such that they won't refund on anything that has had its RFID destroyed or removed. Real criminals will, of course, adapt to counter this, and surely will try to develop methods of deactivating, shielding, or cloning RFIDs, or interfering with the RFID readers. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 19:23, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

The return fraud scheme you explained actually matches my scheme pretty much perfectly. But both it and my scheme seem to be defeated by the video surveillance. If the guards can see me pick up something and leave the store without paying for it on the video recording, they're going to be damn sure I'm doing it illegally, even if I have a receipt. There is no way I can get a receipt for something without actually paying for it, so the receipt I have must be for another instance of the same product. JIP | Talk 19:30, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Oh, there are plenty of ways criminals can get a receipt illegally (or find illegal uses for a legal receipt), and stores have to be on the lookout for all of them. Receipts can be manufactured, so they have to have transaction codes and cryptographically-signed MACs. Goods can be bought with illegitimate means (stolen credit-cards, forged money or cash from a bank robbery) and then returned for clean money (that's a major reason why credit-card returns are processed as credits on the card rather than cash refunds). Criminals can try to get refunds on counterfeits (buy a $600 Gucci handbag, return a $20 fake one) or exchange old or defective goods for new and working (buy a job-lot of old computers then buy a nice new computer from the supermarket; swap the guts and return the new case with the old stuff inside; repeat). -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 19:45, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Many many years ago (probably in the early 1950s), my dear old dad used to do something similar. A certain type of single use ticket on the London Underground used to be valid for a month. This ticket had a design printed on them a bit similar to the front of a Woodbine cigarette packet. So he used to cut a piece out of a Woodbine packet, write something on the blank side (a girl's name and phone number usually worked) and make his journey flashing this at the ticket collector. If the collector figured he'd been given a blind, my dad would apologise profusely and pull the valid ticket out, taking back the Woodbine packet with a sly wink and a comment about his prospects for a date. Elen of the Roads (talk) 21:56, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Most electronic goods have the serial number attached to the receipt. The store records will show who purchased it and for how much etc. Makes scams much harder to pull off. Collect (talk) 21:59, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

This is the sort of scam that seems clever, and would probably even work once, but it wouldn't be long at all before the guard notices the pattern. You can't underestimate that human factor.APL (talk) 00:03, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

There was a family in my neighbourhood growing up who were renowned for pulling of just that same scheme the OP has suggested. μηδείς (talk) 01:33, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I have a similar "scam" (or at least the stores probably consider it to be):

1) I buy an item, and either lose the receipt or don't discover that it's defective until after the exchange period has ended.

2) I buy an identical product, and use it's receipt to return the defective one.

This usually works for cheap items, but on higher-end items the receipt might also have an instance ID of some type. StuRat (talk) 01:47, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I can't find the reference now, but some years ago I recall hearing about two women who were found guilty of theft and conspiracy for stealing from a major UK supermarket. Apparently they had agreed a list of items to shop for. The first goes in and buys all the items on the list, paying at the checkout as normal. She then hands over the receipt to her friend who then steals the exact same items. If the second woman is stopped by security, she makes the excuse she had just popped back into the store for something (accounting for the small time difference). If I remember correctly, it was successful more than once, but they were caught out when the guard then checked the security tape footage. Astronaut (talk) 14:22, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

It doesn't seem like a very profitable scam. After all, they only get 2 items for the price of 1, and any good sale would get you that without the risk of being arrested. StuRat (talk) 15:06, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

There was an incident in my town a few years ago that, like many retail thefts, was an inside job. This is a fairly small town, and the return desk at the hardware and outdoor equipment store would sometimes take returns on small items without a receipt. A clerk who worked at the returns desk participated in a scam with another person who would simply come in, take something off the shelves, and proceed to "return" it. They stole over $10,000 this way before being the store management finally noticed that this one clerk was breaking records for returned items. Beeblebrox (talk) 21:48, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Films about an individual overcoming alone all odds through ingenuity

Like I Am Legend (film) or Cast away. Any more? Quest09 (talk) 23:24, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

You might want to check out some of the tropes in both films ([8], [9]) at the excellent & highly addictive TV Tropes website, to find some more examples. Central tropes include The Aloner and the Sole Survivor ... sadly I cannot find an example of the ingenuity trope. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:40, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Home Alone. The Naked Prey. Murphy's War. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:35, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

The last man in the world posted a question. There was an answer at the reference desk ... Clarityfiend (talk) 00:53, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

and you might enjoy 127 hours. ny156uk (talk) 09:32, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I don't want to be a movie spoiler, so no precise information here. I just want to say that not all examples above match the criteria: individual, alone, overcome all odds, ingenuity. 88.9.108.128 (talk) 12:38, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

How about the somewhat ridiculous TV show MacGyver?

There are the various adaptations of Robinson Crusoe (before Friday), including my personal favorite, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and the first half of The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:35, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

The following don't quite fit the criteria perfectly, but they all have elements of extreme isolation and/or ingenious survival (most of them are science fiction): Pandorum, Eden Log (in French), 2001: A Space Odyssey (film), Moon (film), The Quiet Earth (film), Sphere (film), The Abyss (1989 film), Enemy Mine (film), Red Planet (film), Stephen King's novella The Langoliers (supposedly made into a TV movie, but I haven't seen it), and Alive (1993 film). The survival horror genre is also more common in video games.-- Obsidi♠n Soul 03:07, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Since The Langoliers had a group of 10, I wouldn't call that exactly "extreme isolation". The TV movie wasn't bad, once you make peace with Balki as the evil guy. The CGI effects are quite dated, though. StuRat (talk) 05:17, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

I've never seen the TV movie but from reading the novella (<3 Stephen King), the sense of being alone is palpable imo. Especially when they first woke up and discovered that everyone else was gone. A number of the other films I've mentioned also involves groups of two or more people. The Quiet Earth also has very dated (and very weird) CGI, heh.

It depends on what the OP was looking for. I Am Legend is post-apocalyptic, and that genre, while not exactly all about the "Last Man" scenario, usually involves isolation and survivalism (my favorite of that genre would be Robert McCammon's Swan Song (novel), though it's a book not a film).

Dunno... guess not a lot of movies have been made of a lone individual surviving in a hostile environment. They almost always meet up with other people later on. Showing a lone character thinking in a film isn't very interesting, LOL, and it's usually best depicted in literature. I've read a good number of them, most of them short stories or novellas, from men who went into cryo-sleep and woke up to a civilization of cockroaches to starship pilots slowly going insane isolated in deep space. But I can't for the life of me, remember most of the titles or the authors. Those I can remember though is Book 2 of Jean Auel's Earth's Children series - The Valley of Horses (excellent, imo) and Clarke's Childhood's End (only applies to the last parts). -- Obsidi♠n Soul 00:14, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes, being completely alone in a film can be boring for the audience. That's probably because they introduced Sam, the dog or Wilson the volleyball. Quest09 (talk) 12:00, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

The CGI is the best bit. Papillon (film) fits the criteria, sort of, if you accept seven years of solitary as close enough to "alone".  Card Zero  (talk) 19:10, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Silent Running. (Langoliers was not that bad.) μηδείς (talk) 16:54, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

• You may want to try WP:Reference desk/Entertainment. (I too was going to mention Papillon btw) -- œ^™ 16:34, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

August 19

is this really a word?

recently i have noticed reporters and politicians using the word "animous" instead of animousity. is this something new? i've only ever heard this word in the past few months, maybe a year. any comments?71.74.29.123 (talk) 03:31, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

"Animous" isn't a word, however both animus and animose is. Animus is the word that is a rough synonum of animosity. --Jayron32 03:36, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Is "synonum" the long-lost synonym for "synonym"?  :) -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 11:09, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

To answer your question about whether animus is a new word, the answer is no. Animus and animosity are roughly synonymous, but I think animus is in a slightly higher register or has slightly more prestige than animosity. As such, animus has tended to be used more by more highly educated people than animosity, which in turn is in more common use. It may be that there is a new trend among politicians and journalists in favor of animus, but the word itself has been around for a very long time. In fact, it is a Latin word. Marco polo (talk) 12:10, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

• Actually, animous means "like or pertaining to an animé," such as, "Cartman appears particularly animous in the Trapper Keeper episode." μηδείς (talk) 01:40, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Photocopiers so simple even a woman can use them

I vaguely remember seeing a very old add for photocopiers claiming that they are "so simple even a woman can use them". Does anyone have any idea what company this was and if it's possible to find a copy of the ad? --CGPGrey (talk) 11:06, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I think you're thinking of the famous Delmonte ad for easy-open bottles. [10] "You mean a woman can open it?", clearly meant to be funny even then, a reference to the supposed need for women to have men open jars and bottles for them. It featured as the cover (and name) of a collection of old, sexist adverts in postcard form, so it's become fairly widespread and well-known. [11] 86.163.214.39 (talk) 11:27, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

There is a crucial difference between the two: Using a photocopier requires most of all that you understand how to use it; opening a bottle or a jar often requires physical strength. So it's easy to see the reasoning behind the Delmonte ad, but not all that clear why a xerox machine would be advertised as "so simple even a woman can use them". 67.169.177.176 (talk) 04:00, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

There are a couple of old copier ads showing women using them here, here and here, but not with that tagline. Ghmyrtle (talk) 06:52, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

One possible less sexist interpretation is that women prefer products which are intuitive to use, versus those which require a training course and an operating manual to master. Of course, I would think men would prefer that, too, but perhaps "rows of shiny buttons" is more important to men, making them willing to read a manual to figure out what all those buttons do. A microwave oven is a classic example of this, as all it really needs is a dial for the time, and maybe another for the power level. However, we often get digital control panels which require a thick manual to explain. StuRat (talk) 07:24, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Has anyone yet used a photocopier that was simple enough for men or women? I think we are all fed up with staring at paper jam messages that refuse to clear no matter how many casings we open and slam shut again. Sexist advertising and untrue to boot. Itsmejudith (talk) 09:22, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

1) That's not really less sexist. 2) It doesn't fit a tagline expressing surprise that women are capable of using it, not just prefer using it. 3) This is the culture that produced the car ad aimed at men with the panicky woman driving at night, reassuring men that the car was simple to use in this unfortunate circumstance. I really don't see the point of trying to propose imaginary, less-sexist interpretations of adverts that intentionally played up how miraculous it was that even women could get them to work. 86.163.214.39 (talk) 09:29, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

George Lucas, Star Wars and Copyright

Does George Lucas hold the copyright for Star Wars, or is it his company, Lucas Arts?

When will the first Star Wars movie enter the public domain?

--CGPGrey (talk) 14:44, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

For the second question, the answer is "95 years after publication date". See this page, and note that it was published in 1977 with a copyright notice. So that's 2072, assuming that the mouse doesn't extend it again. (The later movies are "70 years after the death of author. If a work of corporate authorship, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever expires first"). --Mr.98 (talk) 15:02, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

That assumes that LucasFilm owns the copyright, but does it? I've found various news articles attributing it to both him (which would be life + 70 years) and LucasArts (95 years) --CGPGrey (talk) 15:05, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

No, it doesn't. Read the link I gave. The law changed in 1977, and this comes out before the change. The law before 1977 doesn't have longer clause, just the 95 years. See the entry that reads "1964 through 1977 - Published With Notice". --Mr.98 (talk) 15:07, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

My apologies. I had read the link and re-edited my answer, but apparently forgot to save it. --CGPGrey (talk) 15:54, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

For the first question, there are a bunch of Star Wars entries in the US copyright catalog. Every song has its own copyright, for example. The main copyrights on the concepts of Star Wars seem to all be registered to "Star Wars Corporation, employer for hire of George Lucas." The Star Wars Corporation is apparently now Lucasarts, which manages licensing. So that probably means Lucasarts is the copyright owner, if you want to say there is just one. Movies are a big, complicated mess in terms of copyright, because individual performances are also technically copyrighted, and there are usually miles of contracts that negotiate exact ownership, licensing, etc. It usually takes an army of lawyers to sort out these sorts of things. --Mr.98 (talk) 15:07, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

HP spinning off its PC division

I'm not asking for a prediction or speculation. Is HP saying that it is definitely going to spin off its PC business or is it thinking about it? --Melab±1 ☎ 20:05, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

The Beeb says "Hewlett Packard has confirmed plans to stop making PCs, tablets and phones" [12]. That sounds like definitely. IIRC, IBM did this in 2005, selling out to Lenovo. --Tagishsimon (talk) 20:09, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Google news will help. μηδείς (talk) 16:46, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Citing a historical map

I have made a map containing most of the Andean civilizations circa 1438 (when Pachacuti came to power in Cuzco). My area of focus was the territory which later came under control of the Inca Empire. The problem is that I have little idea of how to reliably cite such a monumental work (I'm calling it monumental since it has about 68 different civilizations, one including the Inca). I don't have much experience citing created maps at all.

I gathered the information from a variety of sources, mainly maps and location descriptions. The problem with the maps is that they mostly came from personal blogs or unreliable websites. I'm 100% sure that the maps are legitimate and accurate, but it just so happens that people published them on their webs (Hence, I don't know the real author of the maps; and using "www.blogspot.randomperson" as a source lacks professionalism). I took other parts of the map from descriptions in books (they related the civilization with a present-day location), but I am unsure if their descriptions are really enough or if I need an actual physical map.

I really would hate to see this work go to waste. So could anyone please provide help? Best of wishes.--MarshalN20 | ^Talk 21:19, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

My view, fwiw: The map is an image. On the image page, list the sources and the locations you found those sources. Arguably when an historic map is reprinted on a blog, it is the map and not the blog that you are citing. The reader, if she is so inclined, can accept or reject the veracity of the information; you'll have done your best by proving as much info as you can. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:32, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Would this apply as well if I first publish the map outside of Wikipedia? The map is part of a research project I am currently conducting. I would like to contribute it to Wikipedia after first publishing it in the research project.

Here is an example of one of the websites I found the maps at: [13]. The one most useful to me in that page was the one on the Aymaras.--MarshalN20 | ^Talk 21:45, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia's RS rules don't apply to images, thank God -- if they did, it would be virtually impossible to find any images at all for articles. Just make sure that you describe as accurately and comprehensively as possible how you constructed the map, and you should be okay. (Until somebody disagrees with it, that is.) Looie496 (talk) 21:49, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I'll go with that pragmatic answer, too. Neither does it matter what you do with the map before donating it to wikipedia. Print it on tea-towels and t-shirts, if you wish ;) --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:54, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Thank you both!--MarshalN20 | ^Talk 22:12, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Just to come in a bit late, I think WP:RS should apply to maps as well, but it should only come up if your map is contested; i.e. if someone comes along with more reliable sources which contradict your map. --Jayron32 23:44, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I also think maps ought to cite sources. Here is an example of a map based on many sources that is well referenced: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spanish_Empire_Anachronous_0.PNG --the sources are listed and described at great length, as are a variety of points about the way the map was made, on its talk page: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File_talk:Spanish_Empire_Anachronous_0.PNG --this is an extreme example, in part because the map was challenged, both on the English and Spanish wikipedias, but it is a useful example of how one might go about referencing a map in extreme detail. Pfly (talk) 05:21, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! Yes, I will probably have to do the long-list of sources since I will first publish the map outside of Wikipedia. I'll simply re-use the same long list of sources for the Wikipedia description page when I get to post it in here. All I can say so far about the Inca Empire map I have developed is that it really is quite different to the ones currently in the Inca Empire page, both by being more descriptive of the differen civilizations circa 1438 and the terrain of the different regions (Chinchaysuyu, Antisuyu, Contisuyu, and Collasuyu). It's not a perfect map (considering the Ecuador region alone had about 48 different civilizations at the time of the Inca conquest; and my map simply includes the 14 "major" ones), but it certainly is a big improvement from the current versions available. I'll send a copy of it to each of you once I post it (it may be approximately a year from today, so stay safe until then!). Best of wishes.--MarshalN20 | ^Talk 06:06, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

The map of the Aymara to which you link is labelled "Source: Adapted from Rowe 1946, p. 185". Are you able to identify or confirm that source? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:06, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

I believe the source is from John Howland Rowe ([14]), an archaeologist of Andean civilizations, but I have no idea what book it may be found in. What I have done so far is look, in google books, for the names of the individual civilization and see if something pops up which provides their relative location. So far it has worked. I will attribute "approximate areas of influence" to the difference civilizations to avoid any issues with the commitee which will evaluate the map.--MarshalN20 | ^Talk 16:47, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

This seems to be the source (Inca Culture at the Time of the Spanish Conquest by John H. Rowe. I can't find the map on page 185, but it seems that whoever made the map did it based on Rowe's description (hence the term "adapted from"). The map in page 205 is fantastic. I will probably update it in SVG or PNG format and cite Rowe.--MarshalN20 | ^Talk 16:54, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

August 20

Air traffic control

I know that air traffic over the Atlantic is controlled from several different ARTCCs: Gander, Shanwick, Reykjavik, Sondrestrom, etc. What are the corresponding ARTCCs controlling air traffic over the Pacific? Thanks! 67.169.177.176 (talk) 03:51, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Did you check List of Area Control Centers? Dismas|^(talk) 03:54, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

This page may give you some clues as to the ARTCCs controlling North Pacific airspace, though I'm not sure that every Russian center listed controls significant oceanic airspace. Marco polo (talk) 14:17, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Morphy vs. Fischer

Who would have won a chess game between Paul Morphy and Bobby Fischer? Whoop whoop pull up ^{Bitching Betty | Averted crashes} 13:43, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

The object of the game of Chess is to checkmate the opponent's king by placing it under threat of capture ("check") which cannot be avoided. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by the voluntary resignation of one's opponent, which may occur when too much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable. The players PM and BF are both dead so a chess contest between them would have to be declared a draw. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:10, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

There are several other ways a chess game can end, but none of that much matters in determining who would have won this game. The rankings of each might be relevant, if anyone can provide those. StuRat (talk) 15:00, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

What other ways are there? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:44, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

In a timed game, someone's timer can run out. A stalemate is where you can't move without putting yourself into check (you'd think that would count as a loss, but it's actually a draw). There are also draws due to insufficient material (for a checkmate), repeated board positions, and not taking any pieces for a certain number of moves, depending on the rules you're playing with. StuRat (talk) 17:10, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Why wouldn't anyone be able to provide their ratings? Whoop whoop pull up ^{Bitching Betty | Averted crashes} 15:08, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Bobby Fisher would have a better theoretical knowledge. Quest09 (talk) 16:20, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

That's right. Chess theory had advanced quite a bit since Morphy's time. It would be like asking who would be more likely to hit a target, someone armed with a musket or a rifle. Clarityfiend (talk) 20:56, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

I think you would get a better answer in the Math desk. Maybe someone there could do calculations of the two players' relative chess strength using the logistic distribution formula. Also see Elo rating system. Royor (talk) 16:42, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Ok, so after a bit of poking around I found Chessmetrics. According to this website, Bobby Fischer (Highest Rating: 2895 Best Individual Performance: 2887) would beat Paul Morphy (Highest Rating: 2743 Best Individual Performance: 2686). Royor (talk) 16:57, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

I think not. Chessmetrics are based on the average performance of other contemporary players. This is similar to IQ rating where IQ = 100 is the contemporary average. The players PM 1837 - 1884 and BF 1943 - 2008 were a century apart and Flynn effect invalidates the comparison. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 20:17, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes it is not appropriate to use Chessmetrics rating to compare players of different era, but as the question stands that’s the closest possible sourced answer I could come up with, make of that what you will. Royor (talk) 06:35, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

I just want to place on record that the question as asked is completely unanswerable, and what we've actually been answering is the unasked question: "Who would be more likely to have won a chess game between Paul Morphy and Bobby Fischer?". -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 00:35, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Pink Air

The oil company FINA (now Total) advertised "Pink Air" to keep tyres from deteriorating. What is "Pink Air" ? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:03, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

A marketing campaign. In the day (the 60s) oil companies were trying to differentiate themselves by their different additives in their fuels. Seems FINA decided to differentiate by adding an additive to their air instead. Doesn't seem like they pretended it was anything but a colour, although I guess their claims grew as the promotion stretched on. This site looks to give a good coverage. --jjron (talk) 14:28, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

An advertising gimmick.[15][16] ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 14:40, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Sounds like they were marketing to women. StuRat (talk) 14:50, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

I wonder if they actually had "pink air" or if it was all a joke. Coloring the air you put in your tires seems like the stupidest thing imaginable. --Daniel 16:01, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Surely we have a List of the stupidest things imagineable. WHAAOE, after all. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 00:29, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Do they also have red trees? JIP | Talk 18:46, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

It appears this was little more than an advertising gimmick. While nowadays it is common for mechanics to offer to fill your tyres with nitrogen (a much more temperature stable gas than air.. you can pressurize your tyres to a very high level, and they won't rise too much higher after driving on the highway/doing a burnout), I would imagine anyone advertising such a service back in the day would have sold it on the science of the 21st century N-gas! Nevard (talk) 00:46, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Platformate

A Shell advertisement(video 1:30) demonstrates improved mileage from fuel containing platformate by comparison with cars allegedly without platformate in their fuel. But is a gasoline without platformate 1) possible, 2) sold by any gasoline company anywhere? This suggests not. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:04, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

As a petroleum chemist, I second the Fiat-Barchetta page in saying that gasoline without platformate (i.e. straight-run gasoline) would have an unacceptably low octane rating (by that, I mean 50 octane or thereabouts) and therefore is not sold anywhere. Platforming is a well-known process for improving the octane number of heavy gasoline (the corresponding process for light gasoline is isomerization) and is routinely used on all gasolines before marketing them to the public. 67.169.177.176 (talk) 20:03, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

I've also noticed that the video is titled "Classic car commercials of the 50's and 60's", which means that the ad was made before platforming or isomerization were in widespread use and before the advent of modern high-compression engines that made high octane ratings an absolute necessity for all motor gasoline. So at the time that they made that ad, you certainly could use straight-run gasoline to run your jalopy. No longer the case today. 67.169.177.176 (talk) 00:06, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

New page

how can i make a whole new page of information without editing any other pages?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gokuldev1000 (talk • contribs) 14:55, 20 August 2011 (UTC) I added a title to the OP's post Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:42, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

You can request someone else create the page for you at requested articles. Or you can create a userpage draft by clicking this link: User:Gokuldev1000/MyDraftArticle. Other then that, you will have to wait 4 days and make at least 10 edits before you become autoconfirmed and can create a page in the main article space. Please take care to cite your sources and make sure your subject is notable. Read Wikipedia:Your first article for lots of helpful information. Astronaut (talk) 15:55, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Strange road signs in Germany

I've seen this kind of sign in Germany and elsewhere in Europe - the small square additions saying "U 43" and "U 49" in this example. Any idea what they might mean?

Also, there is this small round sign with a yellow background (the actual sign may differ in details from my sketch), and this oddity seen outside the city of Würzburg. Any idea what these might mean? Astronaut (talk) 15:48, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

1. Bypass/detour. The Autobahn might or is closed. It's an alternative route.

2. for military vehicles. I think it specifies load and/or speed. Whatever, I don't drive a tank.

3. recommended alternate route for vehicle x to place P. Quest09 (talk) 16:16, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Sorry but number 1 is wrong. yellow are for the state roads and blue leads you to the next nearby Autobahn. To number two: It's about the maximum weight in metric tons.TMCk (talk) 16:42, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
See also the following link [17]. TMCk (talk) 16:43, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Great link, TMCk, that cleared up a few questions for me as well. Kudos! --Ouro (blah blah) 17:40, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Why are stereotypical gay men funny

Why do people find stereotypical gay men in unconventional roles - think about a gay Santa Klaus, gay clown, gay policeman - funny, when depicted in comedies? Quest09 (talk) 16:00, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J65KHpXNek -- unsigned post by Medeis 16:46, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

There are a number of theories of humor, but exaggeration and incongruity are two oft-used techniques. The "stereotypical gay man" (or any stereotype) is an exercise in exaggeration. He doesn't just walk differently, he "sashays". He isn't just interested in fashion, he's obsessed with it. You then throw in the incongruity with a contrasting stereotype. Santa Claus is jolly, fatherly, and somewhat reserved. This contrasts with the stereotypical gay man who is sassy, flamboyant, and somewhat sex-obsessed. Likewise with policemen, who are typically thought of as solemn and "conventional", whereas the stereotypical gay man is irreverent and "deviant". Resolving the incongruity between the two stereotypes is part of where the humor lies. A third issue is the unexpected/repetition paradox of humor (unexpected things like punchlines are funny, but so too can be old standards/running gags). Taking an old "standard", like the stereotypical gay man, but putting him in a new and unexpected circumstance fulfills both sides. So I'm not beset by angry responses, let me point out that throughout the post I'm referring to the "gay man stereotype" and not any actual gay man. I realize the "gay man stereotype" is offensive - stereotypes usually are. I merely report on its existence - I don't endorse its use. -- 174.31.214.130 (talk) 16:54, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

[18] [19] Dick Emery was good at that. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:10, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Bottom line, what is and is not funny is entirely subjective. As Mel Brooks once said "Tragedy is when I stub my toe, comedy is when you fall in an open sewer and die." Beeblebrox (talk) 21:18, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Going to Slovenia or Croatia?

I have visited Prague in the Czech Republic and Kraków in Poland on my InterRail trips in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Next year I'm thinking of going further south, either to Slovenia or Croatia. Which country should I go to, and to which city? I enjoyed both Prague and Kraków, but I liked Prague better. Are there any similar cities in either Slovenia or Croatia? JIP | Talk 19:26, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Slovenia for the mountains, Croatia for the beaches, Zagreb if you want a nice city, Plitvice Lakes National Park is simply incredible. (Not that I have been to any of these places, but have considered it.) μηδείς (talk) 20:02, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Croatia for the mountains, I've been to Dalmatia, and they're wonderful and culturally interesting (abandoned buildings because of the past war). Definitely see Split and Dubrovnik, and if you have some extra time, go a bit further south of Croatia to Kotor in Montenegro. Also, remember to savour the food in Croatia! --Ouro (blah blah) 05:31, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Gold coins as investment

As a investment vehicle for small investors, where are gold coins bought and sold? I've heard that, unlike most goods, the sale of gold coins are not subject to sales tax. Is that true (in some/most/all jurisdictions in the US)? --173.49.78.74 (talk) 20:09, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

There are numerous precious metal dealers you can find on line. One on line company I've repeatedly done business with for several years with complete satisfaction is www.kitco.com. They are a large and I believe reputable dealer which does just about everything to do with precious metals. You may choose to note, however, that since gold has been racking up a string of high price records in recent weeks that this may or may not be the very best time to buy. Remember the old addage (buy low-sell high)Phalcor (talk) 21:41, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

U.S. gold dollars can still be had for one dollar with no sales tax since it is simply an exchange of paper for gold, not a sale. In order to get anything more than a dollar back out of them you would have to either melt them down when the price was very high or save them for a very long time. Beeblebrox (talk) 21:52, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

The currently printed US golden dollar coins are not made out of gold. There is the First Spouse Program which released actual gold coins, but they cost significantly more than a dollar (unsurprisingly). --Mr.98 (talk) 02:24, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

I award you a (gold) star,beeble. The M.M. award for maximum misinformation.Phalcor (talk) 23:18, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

See the article Gold dollar. The coin contains only .04837 ounces of pure gold. I don't believe any collector would part with one for $1.00. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:10, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

My googling around suggests that gold coins which are considered legal tender have no sales tax. There have been laws recently though that require gold dealers to report any transactions above $600 or something along those lines, which would suddenly make them seem taxable. But I'm not sure. There is a detailed discussion of reporting rules for selling gold coins here but I don't know how up to date it is. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:52, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

August 21

Fashion - What is the propper cuff size for flared / bell bottom pants?

these days there are straight leg, boot cut, flared cuff, bell bottoms, big bell, elephant bells, etc... How is one to know when your cuff has crossed over from one style to the next? is there a certain number of inches a cuff should be to be one style or another? 174.253.31.141 (talk) 09:10, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

As a retired tailor, I have given up on what is deemed to be proper in terms of fashion. When I was an apprentice, everyone I knew would wear a 2 or 3 piece suit, even when only going out for a pint to the pub. And that also included a shirt and tie and cufflinks. And thousands of people had respectable and relatively well-paid jobs that supported families and homes and support industries. Ahhh - happy days. And cuff sizes were almost absolutely adhered to at 16 to 18 inches. Anything less was flaunting indecency and anything more was approaching the American Zoot Suit. But nowadays, anything goes, and you can give it any name you like. I saw a young guy yesterday wearing jeans that were so low on his buttocks and so tight on his legs that he was to all intents and purposes naked. And when he walked, he had to spread his legs wide apart to stop his pants from falling down. Fashion?? Anything goes it seems nowadays. And the "victims" seem unaware of how ridiculous they look and how financially exploited they are. 94.172.117.205 (talk) 10:49, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Wear what you think is right - that is fashion, not some arbitrary style or colour dictated by the manufacturers and drip fed to us through the media. Do your own thing, this is way more likely to get you street kudos than slavishly following some expensive temporary trend that makes you look like an ersatz celebrity. (gets down off soapbox) The width of the 'cuff' of the jeans or whatever are only part of the look. You'll need to consider if you want a taper from the hips or a snug fit to the knees and then a flare. Then you'll have to think about the length. Long enough to cover the shoes or (God forbid) boots or right to the ground so they get that nice 'blotting paper' look when it rains. Ah, being a fashion victim is never going to be easy! Richard Avery (talk) 14:41, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Debt-snowball method

Does anyone have a Russian article about this term? Thanks! -212.143.128.190 (talk) 13:41, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

No idea, but for convenience our article is Debt-snowball method. Looie496 (talk) 16:58, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

It looks like you can get to a Russian page about this by choosing the top link from a Google search for "Долга снежный ком метод", which I obtained using Google translate. Note that the page is currently inaccessible due to having exceeded its bandwidth limit, but you can still access it using the Google cache. Whether the article is helpful I can't say. Looie496 (talk) 17:05, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Holy Bible

what kind of paper was the original and oldest found Bible writte on....both the New and Old Testaments? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.208.83.246 (talk) 16:31, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

There really isn't such a thing as an original and oldest Bible -- the Bible is a collection of books that were written independently and grouped in various combinations at various times. One way or another, though, the answer for both testaments is almost certainly papyrus -- in fact the word "bible" comes from Greek meaning "little papyrus books". You might benefit from looking at our Bible article. Looie496 (talk) 16:56, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Cinema center films pressbook ( A Boy Named Charlie Brown ) Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang in their First Movie. original Folder dated 08/17/1969

I bought an old house and I found in that house this original movie press folder that is in excellent condition. It has serveral pages in it as well as serveral loose pages. The attached pages contain information about the creation of the characters as well as information about its creator. It also contains information about the producer and why he produced the the film. On one page the characters are sitting in their individaul chairs with their name on the chairs and then their character is explained below the chairs. It seems that this folder could have been purchuced at one of the first showings of the film. Some one has placed on the front of the folder with masking tape the date 08/17 and then below it has 1969. I think it would be interesting to share this with everyone since it is obviously so rare but what would be the best way to do that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.81.33.38 (talk) 17:18, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

How about scanning it very carefully and including it on the Commons? We have an article about the film, it would be a great addition. Might be copyrighted or something, though, I'll let someone else handle that bit. --Ouro (blah blah) 17:55, 21 August 2011 (UTC)

Underground Railroad Notable Locations

In the Wiki for the Underground Railroad there is a heading labelled "Notable Locations" under which is Pickering, Ontario. I am doing research on black settlers in the Pickering Township and was interested to see that Pickering was a notable location along the Underground Railroad. However, an explanation as to why it was notable is not given. If you could give me any information or sources where I could find such information that would be greatly appreciated!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad#Route 99.243.27.222 (talk) 18:06, 21 August 2011 (UTC)