Welcome to the miscellaneous section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

Select a section:

WP:RD/M

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

How can I get my question answered?

Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
Note:
- We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
- We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
- We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
- We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

April 22

Sending home kidnapped kids

Recently here in the US, there has been a story that hit the national news about a teenager from Tennessee being abducted by her teacher. She was found with the teacher in California. In cases such as this, who pays to get the kid home? And how do they travel? I imagine that for such a distance, she would go by plane but whose plane? And who foots the bill for that plane ride? For shorter transports, they'd likely just have an officer drive a social worker over in a state vehicle of some sort and pick them up. But TN to CA is 2/3 of a wide country! Thanks for any info, †dismas†|^(talk) 00:07, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I assume you are not American? Basically, this is a state matter, and the child will probably be taken custody by child services in the state where they are found. They will make a perfunctory judgment as to the soundness of the situation, and the child will be "extradited" back to the home state under the auspices of child services in the home state, then released to the parents. (Of course there are all sorts of possible permutations, including the parents taking direct custody and transporting the child at their own expense. Otherwise there are at least 50X49 possible scenarios. And there's really no way for us to tell you ahead of time how any single case will work out. There may be a federal law that covers this, but I have never heard of one.) Given the FBI handles most cross-state crimes, they will most likely handle the transfer, especially if they find the child, as they would be the one looking for the child across state lines. I see no way to predict this ahead of time, since it may be fought out in state and federal court. It's a nice hot mess. μηδείς (talk) 01:19, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

"Recently here in the US, ..." . -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 05:16, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, Jack. I also mention where I live on my user page. But it seems Medeis was leaving the research for Bugs. :) --†dismas†|^(talk) 01:57, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I am sorry, we do have a lot of editors from overseas who are not familiar with our federal system and its complexities when more than one state is involved, for which see the perennial questions about the electoral college. μηδείς (talk) 03:21, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

According to this,[1] "The teen was transported home on an aircraft owned by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The agency sent the plane to northern California after Elizabeth was found on Thursday." That would suggest the state paid for it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:30, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That's a nice succinct answer Bugs, with no speculation and refs. Richard Avery (talk) 07:27, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, Baseball Bugs. Although it would be dangerous to extrapolate from just this one example, it makes sense that it would be the home state's "police" forces, i.e. state bureau of investigation or state police, that would bring the kidnapped child home. †dismas†|^(talk) 01:57, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Yet that does not follow. The purpose of the FBI is to handle crimes across state boundaries. And the child may contest being returned home, if they are at or near majority. You simply cannot assume there is a State Bureau of Investigation which in every case will return the waif. That is what happened in this case. But you've got 50 states times 49 plus the FBI who may have or fight over jurisdiction. Unless there's a uniform federal law, the broader question is entirely undecided. μηδείς (talk) 04:56, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The agencies might quarrel over which one should have custody of the perp, who's already locked up anyway. But I wouldn't think they would fight over who has "custody" of the victim. There could be a question of who absorbs the cost of transferring the victim, but that shouldn't delay getting the victim back home, as it would be horrific P.R. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:51, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is that different states have different ages of consent and majority. Back in the 80's, NJ's consent law allowed sexual relations between two individuals of less than two years' age difference. Now I understand that 16 is an absolute age of consent. So while it had been illegal for a 20-year old to date a 17-year old, it is now legal, as 16 is the absolute age of consent. Plus, there is the issue of minor emancipation. So the answers here are terribly oversimplified. μηδείς (talk) 14:14, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know that there's been any suggestion she would be charged with anything. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:44, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I did not mean that the child would be charged with anything, but that he/she might fight being returned to her parents. A child near majority can sue for emancipation, and thus not be subject to her biological parents' fiat. In that case, if she is declared of age, she might choose not to return "home" to her parents. There may be a default situation, but if the child petitions the court it may not apply. Otherwise minor emancipation would be a meaningless concept. It is rare, but it is not non-existent. μηδείς (talk) 17:01, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I think I see what you're hinting at. On the face of it, it would likely depend on the laws of her home state. But it may turn out to be more complicated than a simple abduction. In a situation where an underage abduction victim was actually wanting to "run away from home", then there could indeed be a "custody" battle of sorts. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:06, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I won't discuss it further, but this item is still in the news, turns out to be quite complex, and is the subject of further litigation, although not regarding the extradition itself. μηδείς (talk) 03:08, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:42, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

As far as the relationships between states are concerned, there are several agreements between the states that are relevant. We need an article about the Interstate Commission for Juveniles [2]; we have one on the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆 𝄐𝄇} 20:09, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Starting a business selling my sperm?

Either trolling, or indistinguishable from trolling, and there's no real way anyone can answer this anyway. --Floquenbeam (talk) 22:25, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

I want to put that hard working pair 'below the belt' to start a business, so to speak. My idea is to sell pots of my samen to women on dating sites, FB etc etc. I've got a pretty good business plan in the tubes.

Anyway, I've moved on to the forecasting stage of my business plan. So my question is, assuming I'm reasonably healthy and take care of myself what would be the most I could produce? I'm concerned that there might be a huge demand and I won't be able to keep up. Having said that, I can manage a good few intromissions each day. But what's a realistic. One vial a day, or a couple?

Thanks

Pierre — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.12.124.210 (talk) 13:42, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Your sperm value: $1.25/gallon. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 13:48, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Citation? That seems awfully expensive. Ian.thomson (talk) 14:23, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

if you want to go this alone rather than anonymously donating to a sperm bank then you business idea needs a Unique selling proposition. At the very minimum, you prospective clients (whom you hope to pay for your services) will expect that your genetics will enable their children to gain a either a professorship/ top league sportsmanship/ statesmanship/ etc. Paying good money to some geek that has a bright idea may not fill them with confidence. Women can get plenty of anybody's sperm anywhere, whether or not they are on a dating site. Aspro (talk) 14:20, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

One word. Nuts. Actually, in my country the economy is in a desperate state. Is there a demand for this in the USA right now?200.90.109.120 (talk) 14:25, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

No. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:04, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Note, this hatting may have been inappropriate. It is currently being discussed on the Ref Desk talk page: Wikipedia_talk:Reference_desk#.22Business_advice.22. StuRat (talk) 22:24, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Smart Android Mobile Phone

Specification:

Camera: 13mp back. Any mp at front...

Video: 1080p HD.

Screen resolution: 1280*720 pixel (342ppi).

Speed: 2 GHz.

RAM: 2GB.

Battery: 5000mAh.

External memory insertion desirable.

Trying to buy a phone, desired specifications are above. So far to the closest I found after my research is "Symphony i20". Could you refer me to a better one with[in] the same price or so, with better specification please. Regards. 27.147.226.140 (talk) 20:58, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Symphony i20 specifications with links to competing phones. Blooteuth (talk) 18:51, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

We do not offer product endorsements.--WaltCip (talk) 14:22, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

My Google Chrome blocks the guided website. Could you refer to something else please? I would like to know. 116.58.204.152 (talk) 19:25, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I don’t have that issue in any of my browsers, including Chrome. Maybe it’s your firewall? Try accessing the site from a different network. —67.14.236.50 (talk) 23:57, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

April 23

Unusual symbol

This upcoming Picture of the Day shows a series of old US bills (paper money). There are 7 denominations; the above link will give you one or another at random, and there are links for you to click to see the others. On all 7 denominations, the serial number is followed by a symbol that I've never seen before. It looks something like a Greek letter Σ, but with the top and bottom strokes truncated. It's rendered slightly differently in different denominations, with the top and bottom strokes smaller on the $20 and more like fat triangles on most or all of the higher ones.

I presume the purpose of the symbol is to make it clear that this is the end of the serial number and there isn't another digit, but is there a name for the thing? Have people seen it used in other places? --76.71.6.254 (talk) 21:11, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You can search for it at http://www.symbols.com, in the category "Currency signs".

—Wavelength (talk) 22:34, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It's clearly not a currency sign. --76.71.6.254 (talk) 06:03, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This site says "On many early notes, decorative symbols were used instead of letters at the beginning and/or end of a serial number." This gold certificate on eBay has a cross-like symbol at the end. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:16, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Two other such symbols can be seen at Gold certificate#Complete United States Gold Certificate type set—one in the row "$100, 2nd and 3rd" and one in the row "$10, 7th". Loraof (talk) 23:43, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, good responses, thanks. And the sentence that Clarity quoted links to this page where 21 such symbols are tabulated (and there's even a note about how the shape of the Σ-like symbol varied). The only thing it doesn't say is whether the specific symbols used had names. It would seem as though people would want to be able to talk about them. --76.71.6.254 (talk) 06:03, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The symbols may have been an early form of error checking or counterfeit detection; if the character was purpose-made by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to be unique for that bill series, its uniqueness may have been a way to detect a counterfeit bill, as the symbol would not have been part of a standard typeface and would have thus been easier to detect and harder to fake. --Jayron 32 12:16, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That's my understanding based on the sources already cited, yes. But I still think people would want to be able to talk about them by name so they could say things like "this is supposed to be the 1930 series; it should have the squigglemorph after the serial number, not the bodjickey." Oh well. --76.71.6.254 (talk) 20:10, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Something is amiss here where the $1,000 banknote image is displayed with texts:

Shown here is a $5,000 specimen banknote...

Shown here is a $10,000 specimen banknote... Blooteuth (talk) 10:09, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Oh! I thought I'd clicked on the wrong denomination when I was looking at those two. Thanks for spotting that. I see it was already reported on the POTD maintainer's talk page a few hours ago. --76.71.6.254 (talk) 20:14, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

And it's been fixed. --76.71.6.254 (talk) 04:44, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

April 25

Three Chess Variants

I was wondering whether the following three chess variants already exist or have been previously studied, since I was not able to find them either listed in the linked article, nor using Google:

chess variant(s) lacking both kings.
chess variant(s) where the queen can, at first, move either only as a rook, or only as a bishop, and can start moving as s regular queen only after it captures its first enemy piece.
restricted or symmetric versions of shuffle chess, where the left side either mirrors or repeats the right side; or exhibits some other nice symmetrical pattern, like dragonfly (chess variant), for instance.

— 79.113.220.209 (talk) 07:32, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This discussion notes some possible games lacking a King, or where the King has been swapped out for another piece. Not much, but a start. --Jayron 32 14:20, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
There's a variant called "Knightmate" where the King is replaced by a knight, while the knight is replaced by a fairy chess piece called a Mann. --Jayron 32 14:24, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Indian woman has a fit when handed CD (gif)

This gif appears to show an Indian woman being handed a CD and then having a fit. Presumably the CD is believed to have some kind of special properties. What is going on here? --Viennese Waltz 08:12, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It was an inheritance. — O Fortuna^{semper crescis, aut decrescis} 08:24, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Is that a joke? --Viennese Waltz 08:31, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I do not make many jokes. But: 'We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.' Cheers. — O Fortuna^{semper crescis, aut decrescis} 08:48, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It was not a request for opinion, prediction or debate. I am looking for factual answers from someone who is knowledgeable about this actual event. Thanks for nothing, --Viennese Waltz 08:52, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You would need the sound to be sure, but throwing yourself to the ground and rolling about could well indicate mourning - so if the CD came from someone who had died that could well be a reasonable explanation. Wymspen (talk) 08:46, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect this woman suffered an epileptic fit. 79.73.128.211 (talk) 10:57, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You might try asking at Know Your Meme. Carbon Caryatid (talk) 11:18, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Leak-sealing car A/C coolant a good idea ?

My car A/C leaks out in about 3 months. I hate taking it in for service. I've recharged it myself. So, should I consider the version of coolant that comes with leak sealant ? Or does this ruin the A/C ? It's past the warranty end date so voiding the warranty is not a concern. Also, my car takes 2 containers of coolant, so if I do get it, should I get two with sealant or just one (and the other without) ? StuRat (talk) 17:34, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

My mechanic put UV dye [3] into the coolant, so that the leaking spot(s) will be easy to find with a black light. Could be just a cheap hose or two needs to be replaced. Or, it could be something hard to replace, in which case sure, I'd try the sealant stuff, assuming the car is old anyway. But at least with the dye you'll know where the leak is and will also be able to confirm that you've fixed it. Or, if you do go with the leak sealant stuff first, use the dye anyway, so that you'll know if it worked. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:54, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

As an aside: Take the auto to a specialist in A/C. They deal with all makes and models of every year - every day. They know A/C inside out, as opposed to your regular local mechanics. It may be less expensive in the long run. Let us know how you get on. Aspro (talk) 20:19, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Each recharge costs me only $10 if I do it myself (with the non-sealant coolant), and I only need 2 a year since A/C is only needed here about 6 months out of the year. So, that's US$20 a year. I have a hard time imagining any A/C repair costing as little as that. StuRat (talk) 21:09, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

First: Reckon it costs you more than $20 per year because you have the hassle of go getting and buying a can of referent each time. That takes time. Second: Then there is the time taken to recharging the system. Times two, that must take about nearly hour per year. Don't know what you consider an hours worth of your time is worth but we must be above a yearly cost of a $100 including cans of refrigerant. Plus you need your engine running the whole time -which doesn’t run on fresh air. Can take it, you have already looked all over for lube oil leaking out. Buy a children’s bubble blowing solution (better than washing up liquid etc.). Try it on the fill valve as it may have grit or muck in it. If that fails put the bubble solution all over the pipework. Obviously one needs to have freshly recharged the system first. Anyway this is April – why do you need A/C now? Take the driving belt off and it will improve your fuel economy. Aspro (talk) 22:49, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It's supposed to be near 80°F tomorrow here in Detroit. And after I leave it parked in the sunlight it will be far hotter. But the price I quoted is for the refrigerant. The auto mechanic will no doubt take far more than an hour. As for my shopping time, I buy it at the same place I go grocery shopping (Meijer). StuRat (talk) 22:59, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

See also externality. AC coolant isn't exactly nice stuff. R-134a is better than what they used to use, but it isn't entirely inert. --Jayron 32 10:46, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You should find out where it's leaking first. If it's leaking from a pipe fitting, fix that. If it's the evaporator, then you might be able to sealant it, but that's tenuous (evaporator leaks often get larger with time), yet it might also cost more than the car's worth to replace the evaporator (it can be a day's work just to change it, on some cars). If it's a rotating seal on the compressor though, internal sealants rarely achieve anything. Andy Dingley (talk) 10:59, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Good info. Can you give me probabilities on each ? StuRat (talk) 13:35, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Conerns/interests of children vs those of adults in Western culture

Does anyone know of a resource outlining how concerns tend to change as people become adults? And, at what ages do priorities typically change? For example, at what age to young adults generally start to care about new furniture?--Leon (talk) 18:34, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This is a staggeringly huge section of modern psychology; developmental psychology is probably the best fit and the size of that article should give you a sense of how much there is to it. Your specific example draws in even more stuff about consumer behaviour, which is enormous on its own. Matt Deres (talk) 20:28, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The most relevant consideration is at what age the youngster stops receiving financial support from the parents and moves out of the parental home. This varies historically (time) and by locale (place). Look at relevant parameters: the age limit for state compulsory public education, the age of majority (e.g. for signing contracts), age-related statutes restricting employment, minimum age for enlistment in the military (which provides employment, food, clothing and shelter for those eligible), etc. -- Deborahjay (talk) 14:02, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

April 26

INJUSTICE

It is with my deepest regrets that I inform you that I am highly displeased with the way the articles about Muslim or Islam are written . They are mainly centred on the bad tings or the misinterpreted things they did and less about the good and contributing stuff . I hope the mattered is looked into as this is not just the concern of one person but millions out there afraid to speak up. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 49.207.157.21 (talk) 11:01, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Can you direct us to one of the articles you feel has problems? Can you identify the problems with that article? --Jayron 32 11:12, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Also, if you feel there is a problem with an article, you can always fix it yourself, although to edit some articles you might need to create an account. Also, don't forget that Wikipedia is a collection of previously published information. If you want to add something to an article, it should be taken from a reliable source. --Viennese Waltz 11:55, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

speculation about motives is not helpful --Jayron 32 18:19, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

I suspect that they are talking about articles about ISIS, etc., which really can't avoid "saying bad things about (some people who claim to be) Muslims". Instead, I suggest adding or expanding articles about positive Muslim contributions. There's the Red Crescent, zakat, etc. StuRat (talk) 15:12, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

What you "suspect" the OP to be talking about is not really here or there, especially as there must be dozens of articles on Islam-related topics. Unless and until the OP comes back with a response to Jayron's question, I advise you not to put words into his/her mouth. --Viennese Waltz 15:36, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I invite the questioner (and anyone else for that matter) to read WP:POLE. --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 15:29, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That article is very optimistic. An alternative is WP:Systemic_bias

ApLundell (talk) 16:13, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps the India-based OP will return here and give some specifics. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:06, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

vehicle “acquisition sale”

I have here a flyer announcing an "acquisition sale” where I could pay $19 and take over the payments on a car. The envelope's return address is “Dept. of Vehicle Notification” (with the seal of the U.S.Treasury surrounded by the legend “Department of Notification / 1982” in a Collegiate-style font), suggesting to me that the offer is intended for punters who won't ask awkward questions. So, what's the racket? Interest gouging? —Tamfang (talk) 19:26, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

As there are zero other ghits on “Dept. of Vehicle Notification”, it is unlikely to be a government responsibility to sell on repo vehicles and it would surely be a state matter rather than federal, I can only assume that this is a simple scam, based on a fraudulent identity for starters.

There are plenty of businesses near me who will pay me a year's free insurance etc. if I would like to "take over the payments on a car" - they're just called garages. I'm not sure what even the supposed advantage to the mark is here? Take on a lease, presumably at the original payment rate, and get a second-hand car? Andy Dingley (talk) 20:16, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, these "payments" are likely far more than the car is worth, or there may not really be a car for sale, and they just want your bank info to drain your account (they will claim they need it to set up the payment plan). StuRat (talk) 20:18, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, or a standard advance-fee fraud scam: once they get a bite, they keep telling the mark that there's just some minor issue that's come up and if they could just send over some more money for processing fees and whatnot we'll get that car to you lickety-split, we promise. --47.138.161.183 (talk) 20:45, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The host of the event is a local Nissan dealer, so I'm willing to assume that the whole thing is technically legal and the cars exist. —Tamfang (talk) 04:09, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Also, if you're feeling civic-minded, if this was sent through the U.S. mail, you can report it to the USPS. The Department of the Treasury might be interested as well in people fraudulently using their logo. --47.138.161.183 (talk) 20:47, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Does it count as fraud if it's used essentially for decoration, not in an attempt to pass as the Treasury? —Tamfang (talk) 04:09, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

[4] (Chicago Tribune, 1997) describes a similar advertisement, but the "acquisition fee" has dropped from $37 to $19 (maybe because I'm in a smaller town??). —Tamfang (talk) 04:14, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Notability and Conflict-Of-Interest Questions

I work for a fourth generation, family-owned retail chain of building supply stores, headquartered in Texas. We have 86 stores in five states and have been in business 90 years. I would like to submit content on our company for a Wikipedia page and have read all the guidelines for doing so.

How do I determine if our company is notable enough to be considered for inclusion into Wikipedia? We are listed on ranking indices of important companies in our field, but I'm not sure if those lists are notable enough or if the various independent published articles about our company would be considered important enough for consideration as well.

To do this correctly requires a lot of work (as it should) so I was hoping to get some direction from you before starting on this journey.

Thank you! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.90.240.98 (talk) 20:08, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

86 stores certainly sounds like it passes the notability req. However, you have to be careful to avoid making the article sound like an ad. So, don't include terms like "the best" in it.

BTW, we may already have the article, under a slightly different name. What is the name you are using for the chain ? StuRat (talk) 20:14, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! I'll be very careful to avoid anything that seems self-promoting. (I was going to approach it as an historical article and had printed out another chain in our industry's Wikipedia page to use as a guide as far as acceptable language, etc.) We operate our retail chain under the name McCoy's Building Supply (headquartered in San Marcos, Texas). Our company is McCoy Corporation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.90.240.98 (talk) 20:54, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You are strongly discouraged from editing articles relating to an organization with which you are connected. Also, if your employer is compensating or offering to compensate you for editing Wikipedia on their behalf, you must disclose this. Read this FAQ page. If you have further questions, ask here or see Help:Contents. (Questions about editing Wikipedia belong on the Help desk, but I don't blame you for not being able to find it in our labyrinth of back corridors.) --47.138.161.183 (talk) 20:55, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I do know that you have to be especially careful to remain neutral when editing articles relating to an organization you're connected to. I hope using a more detached, historical approach will help! I'll disclose my COI on the draft article. (I'll be sure to use the Help:Contents link for questions when writing. Very helpful!) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.90.240.98 (talk) 21:17, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The only current Wikipedia article I find is for McCoy Building, which seems to be unrelated. StuRat (talk) 21:45, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for researching. I also looked around and was surprised to find a Wikipedia article related to our company's founder, Emmett McCoy, which was the McCoy College of Business article (Texas State University). But otherwise, nothing related to our Building Supply chain. I appreciate your and the other editor's help on this! (I think I'll re-read the tips and guidelines one more time and work on submitting a draft article. Fingers crossed!) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.90.240.98 (talk) 21:53, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I did find McCoys.com which appears to be this company, but I cannot find hardly any independent writing about the company. Is there any extensive, independent writing about the company we can use to help fill out an encyclopedia article? --Jayron 32 10:52, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

April 27

JCB Classic

When did the JCB Classic finish? Why did the JCB Classic finish? Was the JCB Classic replaced with anything else?

JCB_Classic — Preceding unsigned comment added by 118.148.229.140 (talk) 02:26, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The last year of the JCB Classic was May 31-June 3 2007.[5] In 2008 it was not on the schedule; it appears by closely examining the schedules that it was replaced by the Pine Valley Beijing Open after shifting the dates of a few other tournaments around as well.[6] --Jayron 32 10:49, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Tormented geniuses

Hello. I am searching cases of geniuses tormented by their mental illnesses or mental instability, specially when the suffering led them to death or damaged badly their health. The most blatant example is Kurt Godel, a logician genius who was obsessed of being poisoned, refusing to eat and starving to death. Other cases (though not their cause of death) are John Nash (paranoia) and George Cantor (depression). Thanks. emijrp (talk) 15:17, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

A number of writers fit the bill, among them Friedrich Nietzsche, Guy de Maupassant and Émile Nelligan. We must have an article somewhere. --Xuxl (talk) 15:48, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Have you read this article - Creativity and mental illness? It even lists some examples. Wymspen (talk) 15:56, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Van Gogh? Or doesn't he count? — O Fortuna^{semper crescis, aut decrescis} 16:02, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Evariste Galois may be of interest. Math is a particularly rich field for this... probably not coincidental. Georg Cantor had plenty of issues too, though our article doesn't say much about it. See e.g. here [7] for some comments or see any decent library for biographies of these two. Here are some additional blurbs about mathematics and insanity that may be useful [8] [9]. SemanticMantis (talk) 16:06, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Boltzmann Asmrulz (talk) 16:15, 27 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]