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July 2

Contre-jour vs. silhouettes

What (if any) boundary is there between silhouettes and contre-jour in photography? I'm not at all sure how to categorise File:Laughery Creek Bridge silhouetted against sunset.jpg. Nyttend (talk) 00:14, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

The article Silhouette defines it as the image of a person, an object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single color. The image shows the bridge structure in shadow but not reduced to a pure silhouette, although it could be made so by increasing the contrast in an image editor. DriveByWire (talk) 00:50, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

So what's the boundary, if any? Nyttend (talk) 14:31, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

The word single. DriveByWire (talk) 16:15, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Contre-jour can produce silhouettes, but a silhouette can be made in many different ways, including drawing something in outline and filling it in black. It does not necessarily require photographing it in front of the sun. --Nicknack009 (talk) 07:57, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

last name etymology

Moved to WP:RD/L. Nyttend (talk) 14:31, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Causing Armageddon

What are the easiest ways to:

a) overthrow the U.S. government?

b) acquire 30 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium, a tonne of C4, and twenty slapper detonators?

c) cause World War III?

--Whoop whoop pull up ^{Bitching Betty | Averted crashes} 19:58, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

a) Become president

b) Become Military higher-up

c) See a or b

--Jac16888 ^Talk 20:28, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

(edit conflict - glad to see we're on the same wavelength!)

a) Run for president

b) See (a)

c) See (a)

Democracies tend not to get overthrown, since it is usually easier to just get elected. Even if you have to cheat, that's still easier than leading a revolution against the biggest military power on the planet (or second biggest by some metrics). The US president doesn't have absolute power, but could seize absolute power a lot more easily than anyone else could. Once you've done that, (b) and (c) are easy.

To turn this rather silly question into a more interesting one, can anyone think of a counterexample where a country with genuine elections (with universal suffrage, or at least a decent proportion of the adult population having the vote) was overthrown? There are plenty of examples of elected leaders seizing absolute power (Hitler is probably the most famous), but has anyone ever skipped the election phase and just seized power directly? If so, has anyone other than a military leader done so? --Tango (talk) 20:35, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

The CIA was involved in many coups and revolutions against socialist governments in the mid 20th century, some of which were democratically elected. One example with a non-military leader was the 1953 Iranian coup d'état - at the time the Shah was a constitutional monarch without any real power, but he managed (with a bit of help from his British and American friends) to overthrow the government and make himself an absolute monarch. For an example without American involvement, the last King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, had instituted universal sufferage before being overthrown by his cousin Mohammed Daoud Khan, who declared himself president in 1973 - Mohammad Musa Shafiq was the prime minister at the time. Daoud himself was assassinated 5 years later in a Soviet-backed coup. 59.108.42.46 (talk) 03:21, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Here is a thinkable counterexample of such an overthrow.

Date: Between 1700 and 1882 [1]

Government overthrown: United Kingdom

Form of government: A unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system.

Constitution: uncodified

Power holders and their mandates

• Monarch, hereditary
• House of Lords, appointed
• House of Commons, elected

Suffrage: A decent (because male) proportion of the adult population has the vote.

Insurrectionists: A force of peris

Leading figure: Strephon, an arcadian shepherd. Son of the Lord Chancellor.

Contemporary reports from reliable sources: [2] [3] DriveByWire (talk) 22:14, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Coup d'etats are not uncommon and come in about any flavor. Rmhermen (talk) 20:50, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

that's coups d'etat, you cretin. μηδείς (talk) 22:18, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Oy! That's uncalled for! If you're in a nit-picking mood, you can start with capitalising "that's" and sticking an acute on "etat". What was that about motes in eyes? -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 22:30, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

On the question of acquiring plutonium (which seems quite separate from the other questions to me — one poorly-designed atomic bomb will not allow one to overthrow the US government, and even without Jack Ryan probably wouldn't lead to an all-out World War), the things that the academic wonks are concerned with are:

1. Poorly protected stockpiles in the former Soviet Union. But these have gotten a lot more protected than they used to be, so that angle is probably not super straightforward anymore, unless you have some hardcore connections to the Russian mob.
2. The arsenal of Pakistan, under the control of a notoriously problematic/corrupt military/ISI. I wouldn't know how to make inroads there, though, and even they don't seem that interested in distributing this sort of thing.
3. Material unaccounted for in big reprocessing plants, like Rokkasho. These discrepancies, which are inherent to reprocessing, make it so that a clever insider could steal (reactor grade) plutonium undetected. It would take a long time, though, and you'd have to find a complicit insider.

I might also note that 30kg of plutonium is kind of a lot — about three bombs worth. It's a non-trivial amount to come by, or to handle. Frankly, the odds of getting caught or having your scheme detected in any of the above scenarios is pretty high. Personally I think the risk of nuclear terrorism is a bit overblown — it's not something your average joe on the street can do, from the standpoint of getting the materials, much less putting them together in a way which doesn't spoil the materials or kill the person trying to put them together. Most dedicated and successful terrorists have found far more low-tech ways of sowing death and mayhem. --Mr.98 (talk) 21:31, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

And there I was getting excited...and then I find out a slapper detonator is not at all what I thought it would be :( Lemon martini (talk) 09:38, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Chile is another country that had a democratically elected government that was overthrown by a coup. thx1138 (talk) 15:30, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

I imagine deliberately causing World War III would not be all that easy, even with 30kg of plutonium. World War I and II were part of a massively complex geopolitical story stretching back into the 19th century. It's hard to imagine such a sustained, widespread conflict could be caused by any one person or any one event, no matter how catastrophic. FiggyBee (talk) 07:34, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I would condition that to say purposefully caused. It's possible that one person can be the catalyst; e.g. the guy who killeded Archduke Ferdinand, or Adolf Hitler. But it's not possible, I don't think, that anyone could have such a view of the landscape to see how everything will fall into place, and to put it into effect. Hitler is probably one of the few people who had that vision, will, and ability to pull it off. But fortunately he was a rare one. The guy who killed Ferdinand had none of those things; he was just the right catalyst at the right time, in a world of existing circumstances well beyond his ken. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:44, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Do veterinarians have to deal with a lot of feces and vomit?

I've always loved animals and am very passionate about animal rights, and for a long while now I've wanted to have a career helping them. I'm pretty sure I want to have a job that would best be able to actively help eliminate companion animal homelessness, and being a vet with an excellent non-profit that does just that seems like a good option. I've grown up around animals and have a lot of experience with them, and most things about them don't bother me: saliva, mucus, urine, blood, etc. The only thing holding me back is the possibility of having to deal with a lot of feces and vomit; even with my babies I usually can't clean that up, or, if I have to, at least not without a mask with filters because it just really gets to me. I guess I can always try another career in that same vein if I wouldn't be able to handle it, but being a vet is my first choice.--96.60.175.237 (talk) 23:08, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

They have to deal with every aspect of living creatures. If you're squeamish about bodily functions, any kind of medical profession is really not for you. Consider a career change to something totally sanitary, such as accounting. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:12, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

I'd also suggest that if you're very passionate about animal rights the being a vet may not be ideal. Some vets can work purely within that culture, but most cannot. You will have clients wanting to do different things with their animals than you think best, and those clients pay your way. HiLo48 (talk) 23:18, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

I don't mean working in private practice though.--96.60.175.237 (talk) 01:08, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

The answer to your question is, 'Yes. If you become a veterinarian, you will have to become very comfortable with poo and puke.' Heck, even if you just own a couple of pets you have to have a pretty relaxed attitude about poo and puke. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 01:15, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

As with most medical things, the nasty stuff is generally dealt with by low-paid technicians while the high-paid veterinarians stand by and oversee. Looie496 (talk) 01:17, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Have you thought about being a vet tech in a no-kill animal shelter? There's still some poop and puke but you'd be helping animals quite a bit. Dismas|^(talk) 01:27, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

How about if you take pics of animals up for adoption and post them to their web site ? Hopefully somebody else would hold them and clean up after them. StuRat (talk) 01:34, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

My wife does that for a local shelter. I help her with it. There is no clean up. The animals have already gone through the check in process and are clean. Only the animals who are going up for adoption get photographed. It's not like they get them in off the street and immediately get their photo taken. (though with some shelters it can appear that way). Dismas|^(talk) 01:41, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Good. Sounds like the ideal job for somebody who loves animals but hates their messes. StuRat (talk) 02:36, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

My partner also photographs animals for a shelter, but because it is such a nice job for an animal lover it's typically a volunteer role, rather than a paid job. FiggyBee (talk) 07:25, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

If you work with farm animals, the feces are less disgusting than with meat-eating animals like humans. But there is a lot of feces coming out of most grazing beasts. Also, animals vary in the amount they vomit - rats never vomit[4], and their poop is of managable size. But realistically, you'll have to deal with mess, certainly during training, even if you want to specialise in amoebas. --Colapeninsula (talk) 12:53, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

You might like to read this, a good list of answers to questions around becoming a vet, although it doesn't directly deal with poo and wee as far as I can see. Something else you should consider is the fact that euthanasia is a significant part of a vet's role. There was a recent TV program in the UK discussing the fact that new vets, often people who grow up with a love for animals, can be surprised and dismayed about the number of animals which need to be put down. There's a study called The Caring-Killing Paradox - Euthanasia-Related Strain Among Animal-Shelter Workers which might be relevant. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 13:15, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

An episode of QI was not broadcast last year because of some dickhead's description of how heartbreaking being a vet is; you go into it because you love animals but you spend most of your career killing them (and then you kill yourself). It may have been in bad taste, but that doesn't mean he wasn't right. Also, you shouldn't base your career choice on the most glamorous or attractive possible position. For every "vet with an excellent non-profit" there are a hundred people standing in the rain with their arm up a cow's backside. FiggyBee (talk) 02:10, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

July 3

loading issues

why does wikipedia take forever to load a page? yesterday, I click my bookmark for the site and im waiting for almost half hour just refreshing for the wiki page to load. now dont tell me to clear my cookies and all that cuz i just installed firefox... i've had problems with wikipedia loading before as well but it was never this long... i could have taken a long walk and returned home only to find it blank still. what is the issue?! do you have so much data that pages wont load anymore?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.60.22.232 (talk) 02:38, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

I've noticed a bit of a delay recently, but I'm talking seconds, not minutes. Some of these Ref Desk pages do get rather large, but not that large. StuRat (talk) 04:46, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

I've recently found Wikipedia to load swiftly in Chrome, reasonably in IE and very slowly in Firefox. But that just may be the computer I was testing it on - I'm not a techie. --Dweller (talk) 10:18, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

It sounds like you may have a problem with your internet connection, rather than it being a Wikipedia issue. I would check your cookies and cache even though you don't think it is necessary. A surprising number of times that has solved a problem for me, even though there is no reason I can think of that it should (smiles) 76.31.86.97 (talk) 17:20, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Why did I-97 appear in Maryland?

I was told earlier, when AASHTO determines the interstate numbers, when you have too many x-00 in the metropolitan, and all 8 or 9 I-x00s or SR-x00s is used up you can have a eccentric interstate numbers like I-238 in California, and I-97 in Maryland. But I wonder why did I-97 appear up in Maryland. Interstate 995 is never used anywhere in the USA, I heard in Maryland you have all eight sets used up in the state, and the one left unused is the I-995, which could be I-995 instead of I-97. I-97 starts at I-595 (which is unsigned) and it ends at I-895, it can be considered as one end (first digit odd) because I-595 is not signed, so why they can't number that highway a I-995 instead of the I-97?--69.226.40.110 (talk) 02:42, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Interstate 97 was initially planned to be much more longer (with one plan extending it from Annapolis along what is now US 50 (unsigned I-595) to Washington DC, and then beyond), and there were proposals to build auxiliary routes like I-197 and I-297, but local opposition killed all further expansion. Thus I-97 remains the shortest two-digit primary interstate highway in the country, and AASHTO has no plans to renumber it to a 3-digit interstate.

The following is pure speculation on my part, but I-97 could have also been used to follow US 50 west to Ocean City, or cross into southern Delaware. But the bottom line is that I-97 was originally designed as a two-digit primary interstate, but only the segment from Baltimore to Annapolis was completed, and after further expansion plans fell through, AASHTO had no desire to renumber it and change all the signs. Zzyzx11 (talk) 05:49, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Some of these decisions are done for what could be called "political correctness". I-35 splits into I-35E and I-35W in St. Paul and Minneapolis, and I think also in Dallas and Fort Worth. Normally those branches would have been called something like I-35 and I-235. But that would give one city "precedence" over the other, so instead they go with simply East and West. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:01, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Don't forget Interstate 99 in Pennsylvania, which violates AASHTO's numbering convention. That area's local congressman included that designation in a highway act, which resulted in Congress numbering that Interstate instead of AASHTO. Zzyzx11 (talk) 03:29, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

i don't think the fallowing article fits Wiki

David Derzi. i live in Israel. this man is not "famous", not a celebrity. i don't know who wrote this article, but as for 2012, i doesn't fit, as i understand. ask others and than act as you see fit. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.64.172.90 (talk) 04:01, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia articles are based on notability, not on celebrity. Someone can be notable without being famous. Read the explanation at WP:N. After reading that, if you feel the subject of the article is not notable, you can post a request for deletion at WP:AFD. RudolfRed (talk) 04:12, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia articles need to be on verifiably notable subjects. This article currently fails that test, so I have listed it for deletion. --Dweller (talk) 10:15, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Note that the article was created by User:Mastar fx, and this is his only contribution. This makes me suspect he wrote the article about himself, or one of his friends did. StuRat (talk) 10:26, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

I second that emotion. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:06, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

I believe that's called a vanity article. StuRat (talk) 02:03, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Do tell. So, should it be deleted? Or should it just lie fallow? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:23, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

I'd normally discuss it with the editor first, but, since the fellow who created it has since lied fallow, deletion does follow, logically. StuRat (talk) 18:33, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

I prodded it 3 days ago. --Dweller (talk) 11:57, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Russian Wikipedia incorrect photograph for Christy Henrich

I did a search for a photograph of Christy Henrich (American Gymnast) and found a photo of Brandy Johnson (American Gymnast) labeled as Christy Henrich at http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85,_%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8 I can sound out some Russian and I know for sure the photo labeled "Christy Henrich" is actually Brandy Johnson.

I do not know how to let them know as I don't understand Russian, just can sound out cyrillic text. — Preceding unsigned comment added by TasCat (talk • contribs) 17:02, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

For a simple message like that, a machine translation would probably work. If you want a better translation, you might want to ask at the Language Ref Desk. StuRat (talk) 18:27, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

The Russian Wikipedia has an "embassy" where you can ask questions in English and get answers in English. Looie496 (talk) 18:32, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

You could also edit the Russian article yourself to remove the image. The proper buttons are easy to figure out in most languages. Rmhermen (talk) 19:03, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Yes, but if this action isn't explained, in Russian, in the edit summary, it might well be reverted as apparent vandalism. StuRat (talk) 20:54, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Here's a machine translation:

Неправильная фотография с надписью: "Кристи Генрих", лицо на фотографии это "Бренди Джонсон".

I suggest you delete the picture from the article and leave that as your edit summary. Here's the English version:

Wrong picture with the inscription: "Christy Henrich", person in the photo is "Brandy Johnson."

StuRat (talk) 21:57, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Checkout/Payment splitting

In this video, at 3:10, the co-op apparently has separate stations for checkout and payment (or maybe just cash payment). Little explanation is given for this other than that it is "a system that we developed many, many years ago". What sort of benefit or reason could there be for this split? 67.164.156.42 (talk) 22:41, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Casual workers can help at checkout without necessarily being trusted to handle cash. DriveByWire (talk) 01:08, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I can't view that video for geographical reasons, but I remember a similar system being used at Foyles bookshop in London, to the great inconvenience of customers. (More detail at the first reference for that article). As I understood it at the time, one of the aims was (as DriveByWire says) to limit the number of people who could deal with money. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 14:43, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I too was surprised at that system in Foyles in the 70's, and also saw it in Moscow in 1971. My understanding was that in both cases they did not trust their lower-status employees with cash, but I don't recall who gave me that explanation. --ColinFine (talk) 22:32, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

It's still done in China, especially in pharmacies for some reason 59.108.42.46 (talk) 04:15, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

The video states/shows a couple things which, I think, are relevant.

1. Members of the co-op are required to work 3 hours a month at the co-op. There are 16,000 members. (3:00 mark in the video)
2. There is a credit card swipe machine visible in the video.
3. "I like to pay cash, so I'm going to go over to the register"

Considering people only have to work 3 hours per month, that would be quite a few people who would be handling cash and would have to balance their drawers at the end of a very short shift. If you only have 20-30 employees who are working longer shifts handling money that means there is less counting out after a shift, fewer people to look at if money does start disappearing, etc. The customers can still use credit cards at the same place that they are bagging their purchases though since the employee doesn't handle any cash and has no way of ripping anyone off. Dismas|^(talk) 00:38, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

I've seen this a couple places:

Fretter Appliance stores did that, before they went bankrupt. They also would go get a box out of the back that they claimed was just like the floor model, but you never quite knew what was being shoved into the bag, until you got home. They also had the dishonest claim that they would give you "5 pounds of coffee if we can't beat your best deal", but those were tiny "Fretter pounds".

The Wayne County, Michigan government does that. There you have to go to the department of interest, wait in line to find out what you owe, then go to a cashier on another floor, in a caged-in area, wait in a line, pay them that amount and get a receipt, then take it back to the appropriate department, wait in a line again, to have the payment applied to your taxes. Quite the exercise in wasting taxpayer's time. Clearly, a business would go bankrupt if they tried such a method. StuRat (talk) 01:59, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

That makes good sense. Thanks everybody. 67.164.156.42 (talk) 08:01, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

You're welcome. I'll mark this Q resolved. StuRat (talk) 08:34, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Resolved

July 4

Google's July 4th picture for Americans?

For me, Google.com is displaying a picture of the Hartland Bridge bridge currently (on the 4th of July). I'm not sure whether this is because I'm accessing the site from a Canadian IP address or Google.com is really showing a Canadian bridge for the 4th of July. Can someone from an American IP tell me what picture Google.com is displaying for the 4th of July? A8875 (talk) 06:24, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Is your url actually Google.ca? Mine goes there automatically (even though I'm not actually in Canada at the moment) and it has Hartland Bridge too. Google.com has no special display. Adam Bishop (talk) 06:34, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I specifically clicked on the "Switch to Google.com" link on the Google.ca page to get to Google.com. My URL is Google.com for sure.A8875 (talk) 09:31, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

US here. Google is showing a stylized "This land was made for you and me". You can see the collection at http://www.google.com/doodles/ --Dismas|^(talk) 06:42, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Yes, I checked http://www.google.com/doodles before posting the question. When I checked back then there was nothing about Hartland Bridge or This land is your land. I just checked http://www.google.com/doodles again and there is still nothing about either of them. Just to show I'm not trolling: [5]. Do you see This land is your land on the Google Doodles page? If so, then that means Doodles is country-specific as well (and that the Canadian Doodles page gets updated a few days late :( ). A8875 (talk) 09:31, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Oh, and in case you didn't notice... The Hartland Bridge article mentions the Google Doodle and the significance of it. Dismas|^(talk) 06:50, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Google Doodles are either limited to Google's country specific home pages, or they appear globally. Those Google Doodles for each country's independence day or national day usually is the former. Zzyzx11 (talk) 06:59, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Which still doesn't answer my question annoyingly enough. "it was celebrated with a Google Doodle on Google's homepage" Was it celebrated only on Google.ca? Or was it celebrated on all Google homepages? I now know it's the former thanks to Dismas' response above, but some readers of the Hartland Bridge article will come to the conclusion that it's the latter. A8875 (talk) 09:36, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Somebody had deleted the bit in the Hartland Bridge article, but I restored it. It does make it clear that it was on the Canadian Google page. StuRat (talk) 15:51, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Irrelevant diversion
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
You actually want us to answer your question annoyingly? If masochism's your thing, I know some better places than here. (Pause) On second thought, you've come to exactly the right place. Come on in, make yourself at home.  :) -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ [your turn] 11:06, 4 July 2012 (UTC) Mocking is not acceptable, whether done jokingly or in any other way. DriveByWire (talk) 15:37, 4 July 2012 (UTC) Teasing, not mocking. The OP made one of those "eats shoots and leaves" kind of mistakes, and Jack got a bang out of it. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 17:11, 4 July 2012 (UTC) I don't mind at all, seeing as how I blocked him. If he gets his ego boosts by bashing non-native English speakers, all the power to him. A8875 (talk) 21:07, 4 July 2012 (UTC) Blocked who? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:18, 4 July 2012 (UTC) Trolls. In this case, JackA8875 (talk) 00:00, 5 July 2012 (UTC). No blocks here. It never occurred to me I was conversing with a non-native speaker. Phrases like "surprisingly enough", "amazingly enough" etc. connote quite an educated knowledge of the language. Many natives would never use them, either because they generally employ a different register or simply out of sheer unfamiliarity. So, it seems an odd thing to have a knowledge of such a construction but still omit a simple comma, producing a mildly chastening effect analogous to "You've answered my question, but not well enough". If it's ok to come out with that, it's ok to pass comment on it. I'm sick to death of this PC regime whereby anybody can make whatever gross errors (your's wasn't gross) they damn well please, and it's somehow the responsibility of the rest of the world to work out what they mean and respond accordingly, and to do so without making any comments, because that might hurt the precious darling's precious feelings. What ever happened to doers of actions (that includes speakers and writers of words and sentences) taking responsibility for their own actions? If you interpret my very mild whimsy as "bashing", you're going to have a very tough time as you pass through this earthly existence. I wish you the very best, and godspeed. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ [your turn] 22:45, 4 July 2012 (UTC) I'm 12. What does "your's" mean? DriveByWire (talk) 22:50, 4 July 2012 (UTC) It's the opposite of "mine's". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 02:33, 5 July 2012 (UTC) Which still doesn't answer my question annoyingly enough. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ [your turn] 23:05, 4 July 2012 (UTC) There's that "I'm 12" business again. That was exposed as an internet cliche a day or two ago, I forget which ref desk page. Meanwhile, I'm pleased to see that you're still very much active, despite A8875's block of you. Maybe he did one of those "honor system" blocks? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:26, 5 July 2012 (UTC) Thank you. I seem to have recovered quite well from the World's Most Non-Existent Block. I've been hanging around WP for coming on 9 years and never come remotely close to a block or anything like that. Why would I - I'm a good boy who always does what his Mummy tells him. People even used to plead with me to nominate for administrator, until I finally got them to understand I'm not interested. I wouldn't know the first thing about the processes involved in blocking people and all that other stuff that's not about writing the encyclopedia, which is my primary purpose in being involved here, but I tell you what, if I am ever to be blocked, it's gonna be for something with a damn sight more moment than this monumentally inconsequential affair. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ [your turn] 02:33, 5 July 2012 (UTC) No offence jack but if you want to give people lectures can you leave it on their talk page? I don't mind the ocassional little quips from the likes of you and bugs, what I find annoying is the lengthy explanations and justifications which end up being longer then the valid replies to the question asked, even if they are in small text. Vespine (talk) 06:02, 5 July 2012 (UTC) Feel free to lecture the OP about what is required to impose a block. :) ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 11:21, 5 July 2012 (UTC) Point taken about the length. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ [your turn] 08:49, 5 July 2012 (UTC) Talk about much ado about nothing; I think we steered away from the original question a few paragraphs ago, to the annoyance of the OP, I'm sure.--WaltCip (talk) 13:06, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Flutes

Is there any practical reason why the Western concert flute is designed to be played sideways?  Card Zero  (talk) 09:52, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

There's no major reason as far as I can find. The flute is a very ancient instrument with a very simple and old design, so tradition plays a part. You could in principle blow another way, and you can have a fipple as on a recorder, allowing you to blow down, or there's the pan pipes which you hold downwards and blow across the top. Is it easier to hold it pointing sideways rather than down? Does it look cooler? Are you more likely to bang the music stand or the person next to you or the person in front of you? It might be better in some ways to hold the end up rather than blowing into your lap (as is done with the pan pipes), particularly with a quieter instrument, but you could hold an end-blown instrument up (as is commonly done with the trumpet). Flautists will probably speak about subtle differences in tone you can get by blowing across (rather than using a ducted arrangement). --Colapeninsula (talk) 11:35, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Heh, by carefully reading the article (Western concert flute#Construction and materials), I'm guessing at an answer: that "headjoint cork" is probably in the way. But then I want to know: 1) why clarinets don't have a headjoint cork and a sideways mouthpiece, and 2) whether an end blown head which is of the same shape as the transverse head (rotated 90 degrees) makes the flute sound different. I think it wouldn't.  Card Zero  (talk) 12:07, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Clarinets and other similar instruments have a reed through which the player blows, and the pitch is controlled by the keys/holes on the body of the instrument. Because you have to blow through an obstruction to produce the sound, you'd have to blow a lot harder to make the instrument sound if the reed was at 90 degrees. --TammyMoet (talk) 14:07, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I meant at 90 degrees to the body of the clarinet, which would then be held sideways in the manner of a flute. I'm not suggesting this would be useful; my hypothesis is that it would work perfectly well (saxophones have bends in them, after all, and are very similar to clarinets) but it isn't done, because it would serve no purpose. Leading to the conclusion that the transverse design of the flute serves no purpose, and if I was designing an über-rational flute (yes, that really is what's on my mind) I ought to make it straight, or at least try that out. There might be some aspect of the delicate business of flute-playing that I'm overlooking, though.  Card Zero  (talk) 15:19, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

The harmonic content of a resonating column of air, and hence its musical quality, depends on the point along its length where it is physically driven. I believe you will find Theobald Boehm's book Über den Flötenbau (On the consruction of flutes) helpful, but the only source I know is in German at Deutschen Nationalbibliothek. DriveByWire (talk) 15:30, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

It's on archive.org, in English! [6] Nice one.  Card Zero  (talk) 18:40, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

As an aside, probably : The contra-alto flute, the contrabass flute, the subcontrabass flute, and the double contrabass flute are usually blown horizontally, but fingered vertically. ---Sluzzelin talk 20:06, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

There are in fact vertical headjoints available for the standard western concert (C) flute. See vertical headjoint details (and also "swan neck - the most comfortable flute in the world" :-). ---Sluzzelin talk 20:25, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Nice finds. Those make it look more and more like there's a reason for blowing across the tube. "Some of the turbulance near the embouchure is reflected by the tight bend. Everything has been done to minimize this effect, but it cannot be avoided completely. As a result, the Vertical headjoint has a higher noise component in its tone." Why have the bend at all, I wonder? Why not have the mouthpiece join directly onto the end of the flute? Maybe that causes even more noise, somehow.  Card Zero  (talk) 20:48, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

"From the same experiments it results that the finger-holes must be considered as little tubes of the same length as the thickness of the wood, and also that the embouchure of a flute may be considered as a finger-hole, the quantity of tone remaining the same whether the flute be played at the embouchure or at the finger-hole. The portion of tube from the centre of the embouchure to the cork, when rightly pieced, must be reckoned double, because it forms a covered pipe, and counteracts the sharpening influence exercised by the embouchure on the pitch, which thus remains the same as that obtained by blowing into the orifice of the tube when without cork or embouchure". - Theobald Boehm. DriveByWire (talk) 22:45, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Please reply or recommend

Resp Sir/Ma'am,

I am new to Wikipedia and want to know if I can get information on medical topics such as Celiac Disease and so.

I found about Celiac Disease and Hyperthyroidism but want to have dedicated article about 'Comparison of Celiac Disease and Hyperthyroidism' as the symptoms are almost same in both the diseases and it is hard to decide what one is suffering from.

I know the best answer is to consult a doctor but I just want to have an article so that I can have more trustworthy knowledge so I can go for consultancy without fear. Some times, diagnose varies from doctor to doctor so it'd be more useful if the article makes it on Wikipedia.

Thanks for your kind support and time for reading this query.

Hope I get the reply soon. :-) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.203.86.251 (talk) 14:49, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Have you read the separate articles about Coeliac disease (Wikipedia uses the British spelling of celiac) and Hyperthyroidism ? DriveByWire (talk) 15:11, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

The way I read "I found about Celiac Disease and Hyperthyroidism" is that they have read those articles but would like a third article comparing and contrasting the two conditions. If it's not linked on either of those pages, I doubt we have such an article. WebMD.com might have something though. Dismas|^(talk) 15:14, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I would also recommend a resource such as WebMD or Medline. At least the articles on these websites come from more trustworthy sources than some geeks on the Internet, like you find here. Don't rely on us. Rely on qualified doctors for the diagnosis. --TammyMoet (talk) 17:07, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Whah? The symptoms of coeliac disease are not at all like those of hyperthyroidism. It's hard to even find any symptoms that are shared. The most obvious symptom of coeliac disease is fatigue; the most obvious symptom of hyperthyroidism is overabundant energy. Looie496 (talk) 19:58, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps they meant to compare celiac disease with hypothyroidism, which also has fatigue as a symptom. StuRat (talk) 08:40, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

The ease of making such mistakes is a strong argument for not trying to self-diagnose on the internet! --Tango (talk) 11:13, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Why don't I have acrophobia in a plane?

The article Acrophobia doesn't mention it. I really dislike being at heigh altitudes in buildings, even when I'm not in a situation where I could fall or jump over the fence, etc. In a plane, however, height doesn't bother me at all. (I do hate flying, though). I guess, but haven't tested it, that I wouldn't suffer from acrophobia in an air balloon either. Introspection tells me that it's a building that can fail that causes my acrophobia (however irrational it probably is, the Eiffeltower seems pretty save but the second floor is a nightmare). Without being on a building or for instance a tree, i.e. flying, heights don't matter at all to me. Possibly, evolution helped me to distrust any structure needed to keep me from falling down and obviously didn't think about flying. Joepnl (talk) 17:53, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

My acrophobia has to do with proximity to an edge. Unless the door were open next to me I wouldn't fear falling out of a plane. (I dislike planes, but due to motion sickness, not looking out the windows.) I would, however, be quite afraid in a balloon. μηδείς (talk) 17:58, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

I agree with this. In fact our article seems to suggest that acrophobia literally translates as 'edge phobia' - "Greek: ἄκρον, ákron , meaning "peak, summit, edge" and φόβος, phóbos, "fear"". I get it most in places where there's some element of 'unprotectedness' like being near low railings around the edge of a castle keep, or walking across a bridge over the motorway with a barrier you can lean over and the wind whistling up the motorway. I think it's a combination of being able to see the height of a possible fall (to take the castle keep example, if I back away from the edge and look at my feet firmly planted on the ground it's all ok again) and being able to visualise a situation in which you would fall (on a motorway bridge I can see myself being picked up by a gust and tossed over the barrier, but if I'm there on a calm day it feels a lot safer. I also don't like those flights of stairs you get where you can see between the treads - I can see my foot slipping between them and me following swiftly behind.) On a plane, however, I can see my feet on the 'ground', and am sufficiently technical to be able to tell myself that falling out is extremely unlikely. I imagine being in the basket of a hot air balloon would be a little more taxing, but I could probably manage it if I were to take regular breaks to look down inside the basket.

Gotta go now - I'm getting sweaty palms from thinking about all this! Time for a lie down. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 18:37, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

The way I like to say it is that in an airplane you're "inside", so you have the illusion of safety. The fear of edges is probably a good way to put it - basically a fear of falling. Everyone's different of course. Steven Wright once mentioned that he would take his dog for a walk on the ledge of his tall apartment building: "Some people are afraid of heights. I'm afraid of widths." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:03, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Considering that the fear of flying is quite common, and that there are also phobias of many other unnatural things like computers, marriage and dentists, I don't think you can extrapolate an evolutionary basis for your phobia without some specific evidence. (I have a fear of heights only in wobbly or swaying man-made structures. I'm fine in tall trees, swaying in the wind. Hate ferris wheels.)  Card Zero  (talk) 19:26, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps, like me, you suffer from vertigo, which is an inability of the vestibular system to provide balance control to the brain. I therefore rely on visual cues, namely a flat plane, to determine "up" from "down". This works fine, normally, including on an airplane, but not when I'm deprived of that flat plane, like when looking over the edge of a building or hot air balloon. I then get dizzy. Now this quite logically causes a fear of such situations (since falling over the edge becomes a real concern), but this isn't true acrophobia, which, by definition, is an irrational fear of heights. StuRat (talk) 09:11, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

There's quite a lot of wisdom here. I call my own experience "fear of falling". It needn't be high (I won't go too near the edge of a station platform, or canal bank) and it needn't be my own falling (I get it vicariously when I see, for example, people sitting on a ledge with their legs dangling) and it needn't be very logical (I get it walking to my seat in a steeply-raked theatre, am fine when sitting down, even in The Gods, but experience it again if I look up at the theatre ceiling. --Dweller (talk) 11:15, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

I have all my life had the fear of falling, but never in planes. I think this is simply because I know it is not possible to fall out of a plane, unless doors and windows are open - which is never the case. I actually enjoy flying immensely (it's part of my job, and having a few free beers and flirting with the stewardesses is a good laugh), but I find it difficult to extend my body out of my 5th floor apartment, from sheer fear of falling out and saying an unexpected hello to the floor below. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 14:15, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Being next to an open door in a plane, even without a parachute, would actually feel much better, where other confined spaces don't scare me at all. The mind is a strange thing. Anyway, I've decided to get a course to handle the flying problem. I'm very curious if they just cure the symptom or are able to tell me what's actually bothering me :) Joepnl (talk) 22:12, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

But what if, as you are enjoying your alcoholic beverage / breakfast at a table on the airplane's outdoor veranda, your flask falls out over the railing (not window) , and you must leap after it? That scene from Never Give a Sucker an Even Break should either cause or cure (plane-related) acrophobia.John Z (talk) 21:27, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

I think the fear of falling from a height is a built in instinct, which humans generally suppress by being intelligent - or, to put it another way, we inherited an automatic fear of heights from our evolutionary early formers, but the higher functions of our advanced brains can turn it off. Babies placed on table tops get frightened when they crawl to the edge. I myself have always felt uncomfortable at heights, but my employment has involved climbing radio towers and multistorey building scaffolding. If I haven't climbed for a while, I feel uncomfortable going higher than 10 meters or so, but when climbing next time within the day or two I have no problem. I have been up in small helicopters, leaning out the door with a camera. Upon taking off, I feel uncomfortable as usual, harness notwithstanding, but once we get to about 100 m or so, the uncomfortable feeling suddenly dissappears. This may be because the ground is now so unnaturally far away the built-in instinct is confounded and doesn't work. Wickwack121.221.75.23 (talk) 15:19, 9 July 2012 (UTC)

Finance information concerning Mitt Romney

How much pay did Mitt Romney receive while serving as gov. of Mass.? How much was he paid while serving in the capacity for US Olympics? What was his job at the Olympics?

You might try reading the relevant articles. μηδείς (talk) 20:01, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Which articles would you suggest, Medeis? 83.104.128.107 (talk) 11:59, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Just the relevant ones. μηδείς (talk) 16:04, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

What do you get out of giving bad, unhelpful answers? If you resent people asking you to look things up for them, why participate in a Reference Desk? If you don't want to be helpful, why not just do something else with your time? Seriously. --Mr.98 (talk) 12:32, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

If the unsigned user needed help typing Mitt Romney in the search box he should have asked for it. Given he was able to find this page and edit it to produce a well-formed question I assumed he already knew how to do so. I looked at the relevant articles, found the information he wanted was there, and reported that he should do the same. You know, teach a man to fish...spare the rod. Dalliance's response below was a little far afield, since the information is right here, at most no more than a link away. μηδείς (talk) 19:15, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

An I missing something? Mitt Romney says how much he would have earned but notes he didn't take it, for his work with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002. It also gives a decent description of what he did. I presume this may be sufficient for the OP's olympics questions. However I didn't find any mention of a salary as governor in the Mitt Romney article. Governorship of Mitt Romney which is linked from the Mitt Romney article (but not here so would have been 2 links away from here) does mention he didn't accept any salary but neither that nor Governor of Massachusetts mentions what the potentially salary would have been. While the OP didn't actually ask about that, since it seems clear the OP didn't accept it, it's not unresonable to assume they may be interested, and at least it doesn't seem there's any harm in providing the figure. That being the case, since Dalliance provided the figure but none of the articles that seem 'relevent' to me seem to, I don't really get the critism of their answer. Nil Einne (talk) 05:10, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

There's obviously nothing at all wrong with Dalliance's answer. I just meant that it was simple enough to go from Mitt Romney to Governorship of Mitt Romney (hence the "no more than a link away" comment) to find how much he did receive in compensation as gov, which is exactly what both you and I did without anybody prompting us. You may be right that the OP wanted to know how much Romney forewent, rather than how much he took. But the OP did not ask that.

The fact remains there's no reason to criticise Dalliance's answer ('little far afield') when they provided info the OP may very well have wanted to know. Particularly by making the confusing statement 'information is right here, at most no more than a link away' when in fact part of the ifo Dalliance provided is not in the any of the articles, and the info your talking about was 2 links away. Your also missing my point, I never suggested the OP wanted to know how much Romney forewent rather than how much he took. Rather I suggested that having found out that Romney didn't take the salary he was entitled to which we can presume the OP didn't know, he may the have been interested in learning how much he was entitled too, and therefore there was no reason why Dalliance shouldn't have provided that info (and I'm not saying they people had to, but rather there's no reason to criticise an answer that did) Nil Einne (talk) 17:02, 9 July 2012 (UTC)

The Governor's salary was $135k during Romney's term of office. However, he didn't claim it. Dalliance (talk) 22:58, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

http://articles.cnn.com/2002-12-31/politics/romney.salary_1_kerry-healey-mitt-romney-lieutenant-governor?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS

Family Tree Information

Dear Sir or Madam; I am working on a Family Tree and have come to a standstill because my Grand Father was born in a country that no longer exists. My Grand Father (HERMAN JACOBSON) was born in Prussia in the 1860's. I am trying to find his actual Date of Birth, Birth Place (City and State)and his Parents names. I would appreciate any help in this matter. Thank you. Fredrick Jacobson108.9.230.173 (talk) 20:33, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Someone else with more experience may be able to help, but this seems a useful page, giving a starting point for family research in pre-1871 Germany. Unfortunately it seems that centralised record-keeping didn't begin in Prussia until 1874, but it does suggest you could contact a parish registrar to see if they have any records. This would require narrowing down your grandfather's location, though. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 20:47, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Is it possible that your grandfather emigrated to Texas aged 26? If so, have you contacted Williamson County Courthouse for a copy of the naturalisation record? This may have details of his birthplace. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 20:54, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

If it is the same person, it may have details of what he said his birthplace was. --Dweller (talk) 11:11, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Prussia was absorbed into Germany, except for some parts that went to Poland. The Germans are very good at keeping records, unless they were destroyed in World War II. However, Herman Jacobson is a pretty generic Jewish name, and there were a lot of Jews in Prussia at that time, so you probably won't be able to pin this down unless you have more information. Looie496 (talk) 17:44, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

You probably already know this, but there is potential for confusion between Prussia and East Prussia, which was in the likely relevant period of 1829 to 1878 a separate country. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.109 (talk) 19:03, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Sorry 87, but I think it's you who's confused. The region has a complex history - there are separate articles on Prussia, Royal Prussia, Ducal Prussia, Province of East Prussia, West Prussia, Marienwerder (region), Posen-West Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Prussia, East Prussia and Province of East Prussia - but East and West Prussia were parts of the same entity (first the Kingdom of Prussia, and then Germany) from 1701, when Fredrik I crowned himself King of Prussia. Prior to that, in 1618, the two were joined in personal union, when the Electorate of Brandenburg inherited the Duchy of Prussia, creating Brandenburg-Prussia. The only points when the East and West Prussias were under different rules was from the time of the Polish Corridor (1920) onwards. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 21:10, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

The other thing to be aware of is that although Prussia refers principally to a geographical area in the East of Germany, many parts of western Germany such as the Rhineland and Hannover were also part of the Kingdom of Prussia in the 1860s (and continued to be part of Prussia within the German Empire and successor states up until 1945). From my own experience researching ancestors in the Rhineland, I know that records often refer to them as being Prussian, which was their legal nationality even if if they weren't "culturally Prussian". If the OP knows only that his grandfather was born somewhere in "Prussia", there may well be civil records for his birth, because, as the link Cucumber Mike gives confirms, some of the smaller kingdoms and provinces that Prussia absorbed during the 19th Century already had centralised state records of births, marriages, and deaths in the 1860s. German BMD records from before 1876 are widely and freely available on the internet for the areas where civil registration already existed - for example at familysearch.com - (after 1876 when civil registration was introduced nationally they are much less readily available due to privacy laws) and the records of churches, synagogues etc, which preceded civil registration are also widely available and may be available for areas where civil registration did not exist in the 1860s. This page at familysearch.org gives a lot of information about civil registration in Germany. There are also pages on Jewish records in Germany [7] and, as the OP didn't state what religion his grandfather was and Herman Jacobson could also be a gentile name (a quick search in the Germany Births and Baptisms at familysearch.org reveals many baptismal records for Jacobsons as well as many birth registrations with more unambiguously Jewish names) there's a page about church records too [8]. If the OP searches, he should of course also try variant spellings such as Jacobsen, and Jakobson, and note that the normal German spelling of Herman is Hermann and it's likely this was the original spelling of his grandfather's first name. Good luck in your search. Valiantis (talk) 00:17, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

July 5

AusPost Visa Load & Go Online Payment?

I know it is possible to use the Load & Go card online but I have a quick question. A particular section for the VISA payment details requires the "Name on card" to be entered. As the Load & Go doesn't come pre-inscribed with your name in the card, would I just enter the name I used to register the card with? Or is the online usage of the Load & Go voided in this situation? Thankyou so much for your help! 220.233.24.164 (talk) 02:03, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

I found this page: [9]. It says enter "Valued Cardholder" if asked for the name on the card. RudolfRed (talk) 02:35, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Thankyou so much!!!! I really appreciate your answer!!! So just to confirm, in the space provided for the section "Name on card" I simply just type "Valued Cardholder"? 220.233.24.164 (talk) 03:15, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

That's what the page says. I've never tried it. RudolfRed (talk) 03:50, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Can a adult with a disability get legal assitance in Canada for a name change?

I'm a 28 year woman living in BC Canada and I would like to get legal and financial help changing my middle and last name. I have a condition called aspergers and a mental illness hypomania. Can I get Legal and Financial help with this? thanks! Narwhalgal84 (talk) 02:36, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Legal Services Society offers legal aid in BC. Try asking them for help, or for a referral to someone who can help. RudolfRed (talk) 02:42, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Content for wikipedia

Can I add information from text books, encyclopedia? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jacquileen (talk • contribs) 14:31, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Yes, but your should paraphrase, not copy directly. And ideally you should cite your source. --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:51, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

You can get more info in Wikipedia:FAQ/Copyright#Can I add something to Wikipedia that I got from somewhere else? and Wikipedia:Copyrights. For general info on contributing to Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Your first article and WP:Tutorial. --Colapeninsula (talk) 14:55, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Air travelling

Is there an official estimate of how many non-unique passengers travelled by air worldwide in a given year (e.g., 2011)? --Theurgist (talk) 17:27, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

If I read that literally, you are asking how many passengers made more than one trip. Is that what you meant? Looie496 (talk) 17:39, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

No. Sorry for not being clear enough. English is not my first language. Feel free to revise my original post any way you like. I mean: a passenger who made one trip counts as one; a passenger who made 15 trips counts as 15; etc. --Theurgist (talk) 17:53, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

("Whether unique or not" would have expressed your meaning clearly, or better yet, how many flights or how many trips. μηδείς (talk) 18:10, 5 July 2012 (UTC))

Do you mean only commercial airlines, or are you including private aircraft, military airplanes, cargo planes, and helicopters ? Also, do you only count passengers, or do the crew count, as well ? StuRat (talk) 18:03, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Are there different official estimates for all that? Ideally, the data should include just everything and everyone. But I guess anything else could do as well. --Theurgist (talk) 18:13, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

If you have a budget for this question, you might want to look at http://www.oagaviation.com/Solutions/Reports-Guides/OAG-FACTS. Whilst some 'executive summaries' of the information are available, most of it seems to come at a cost, and I can't find out what the cost is. I'm guessing if you need to ask you can't afford it. It does seem that this would be a way to get a particularly accurate answer, though. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 20:51, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

To give a vague idea, I'll quote Giovanni Bisignani's (then IATA's CEO) words in 2011: "We are officially announcing our 2010-2014 forecast. According to the industry aggregate forecast, in 2014 3.3 billion people will fly. That is 800 million more travelers than in 2009, when the forecast period started." [10] IATA's 2010-2014 Airline Industry Forecast itself, with presumably quite a bit more detail, doesn't seem to be available for free either. ---Sluzzelin talk 22:54, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

prices at 99

why do prices always ends in 99? instead of $79.99, why dont they just round it off to 80.00? 203.112.82.2 (talk) 23:17, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

See our article on psychological pricing. ---Sluzzelin talk 23:19, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Lots of prices end in .95 also. The extreme case of this kind of thing would be gas stations, which always have a price ending in 9/10 of one cent, regardless of the rest of the price. So you might buy 10 gallons at 3 dollars and 51 and 9/10 cents, hence you pay 35 dollars and 19 cents, rather than 35 dollars and 20 cents. What a deal! :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:16, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I've got gas to sell you at 3.519̇ Fifelfoo (talk) 02:28, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

If you drop it to 3.14159, I've got a pie for you. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:08, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

That would go on forever. Itsmejudith (talk) 07:23, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

This is plain stupid, because it obviously doesn't work: everyone rounds up in their heads anyway. 109.97.175.158 (talk) 09:29, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

If you read Sluzzelin's link, you'll find it's not stupid, plain or otherwise, it does work, and people don't behave as you think they do. --Dweller (talk) 10:24, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

From what I gather, it's based on unverified assumptions and the research on the actual effect is inconclusive. 109.97.175.158 (talk) 12:29, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm told by a friend who specialises in fraud that there's also a drive towards awkward-but-large price endings by large companies worried about cash till fraud committed by employees in parts of businesses that largely revolve around cash/small-change. It's harder for staff to do the mental arithmetic required to commit fraud and still balance the till, if prices end in things like .78, .92 and .83 than .00 or even a uniform .99. --Dweller (talk) 10:24, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Slightly tangental, but according a former department store manager of my acquaintance, the reason why an item is discounted (damaged, returned, discontinued, etc) is encoded in the last digit of the discount price. FiggyBee (talk) 08:58, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

The explanation I've heard along those lines is that the .99's mean you have to give change, so you have to put it through the till. If prices ended in .00 then people would often pay exact change and the cashier could just pocket it. There would be stock missing, but they would have no idea who was responsible. (The main reason is the psychological pricing Sluzzelin linked to, though.) --Tango (talk) 11:12, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

That wouldn't work in America, because the sales tax on a 99 cent item will push the cost up to about 1 dollar and 5 cents. I don't know about regular retail, but in fast food joints they have or had a standard practice of whoever runs the register would be told to pocket a few dollars at the start of the shift, and at the end of the shift, when it's reconciled, the cashier returns the difference in the till - which might or might not be exactly what they pocketed earlier. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:25, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Why ? StuRat (talk) 14:46, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I'll second this question. I've never heard of that. I've worked retail (not fast food) and we never did anything like that. --Mr.98 (talk) 16:06, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

In my state (Michigan), there's no sales tax on food items, unless "prepared for immediate consumption". StuRat (talk) 14:46, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Prices also occasionally act as signifiers for cashiers or store employees, for example, a price ending in .97 might indicate that the product has been discontinued and not to order more. Alternatively, it could mean that the product is not eligible for quantity discounts, or could relate to some other supply issue. I once worked at a store that regularly priced items at .93, because with tax this would round out to an even dollar amount. Alternatively, it could have to do with retaining an exact profit margin. eldamorie (talk) 16:23, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Sorry, not wanting at all to to hijack the thread, but can I just ask - do Bugs's and Eldamorie's comments mean then that in the US, or some parts of the US, the price displayed on the item or shelf is not the price you actually pay, because sales tax will be added on at the till (register)? - Karenjc 20:59, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Yes, that is almost always the case in the U.S. -except for gasoline and maybe tobacco. Rmhermen (talk) 21:29, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Well, you learn something new every day. Thank you for the info :) - Karenjc 21:38, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

That would be totally forbidden in The Netherlands, except for B2B sales. More on topic, adding no new information at all, it's amazing that are many more reasons imaginable besides .99 sounding a lot cheaper than 1.00. Though I tend to go with that one. I would however, also expect "reverse psychological pricing". If I had the money (...) I feel that I'd buy a house at an "honest price" of $ 1,008,000 sooner than exactly the same house at $ 999,999. "You aint fooling me this time, this is a house, not a candybar so I have thought about this.". (funny, your question is immediately generalized here) Joepnl (talk) 21:56, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

UK too - B2B sales are quoted ex-VAT but displayed retail sale prices must be the price you actually pay, hence my question. The .99 (or .95) phenomenon is almost universal here and is usually anecdotally attributed to psychological pricing. Although we also have the pound shop, which also has connotations of good value. Karenjc 22:53, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

It is highly unusual for posted American prices (except in a few situations) to include sales tax. Occasionally you find restaurants than do that, and make a big deal about how their $5 whatever is "really" $5 because tax is included. But it's very rare. But everyone knows there is a tax, so it's not a surprise — though it can add up on big ticket items. Many states have sales tax holidays where people buy televisions and things like that. (I'm not sure whether the holidays apply to buying cars; those taxes add up to enough that in some regions, people make conscious choices about which states they buy them from.) --Mr.98 (talk) 16:09, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Psychological pricing is the main reason. I have done mail order sales with offers made at different prices and the $99 offers did much better than the $100 offers. μηδείς (talk) 20:54, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

July 6

Doctor's office credit card billing

Not sure if it makes sense to ask this here, but I'm hoping for help. Is it non-scammy for a doctor's office to require credit card information before letting you in to see the doctor, and then telling you they're going to bill the insurance company and then charge your credit card automatically? Is this something I can trust? A one page pdf by way of explanation is here: http://www.wilshireaesthetics.com/images/Forms%20used%20by%20Practice/Insurance%20Copays,%20CoInsurance.pdf I've never heard of anyone doing this, and I'm slightly wary. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.151.147.239 (talk) 06:31, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

That's not uncommon, but use your best judgment. It's up to you to trust them or not. RudolfRed (talk) 06:44, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Gotcha. I guess I'll decide when I go in. Didn't know it was something that was done. Anyone else with relevant perspectives, please contribute. :-) Thanks! 98.151.147.239 (talk) 06:49, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

'Not uncommon' where? This is an international project, and a significant proportion of both contributors and readers may come from places where "a doctor's office [requiring] credit card information" is more or less unknown - and since we give neither legal nor medical advice, per policy, we shouldn't be doing both at the same time. If you want advice on such matters, this isn't an appropriate place to ask. And it isn't an appropriate place to offer it. AndyTheGrump (talk) 06:58, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I think it's reasonable to assume that the OP is asking about the place of the clinic in question. It would be rather silly for them to be asking about whether the policies of a clinic in Los Angeles are common in, say, Wales — it's not an impossible question, but one would expect them to make it clear if that were the case. And it's not legal or medical advice that is solicited; it's a question about whether a given business practice is a red flag or not for the operations of the business. One does not need to be a doctor or a lawyer to know these sorts of things. --Mr.98 (talk) 12:05, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I'd be rather wary of such an office. They've taken away your right to decide what you will and won't pay for. If you are billed for items or services you did not receive, you can no longer refuse to pay, you have to convince your credit card company to give the money back. Good luck with that. StuRat (talk) 07:35, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Credit card companies are usually pretty good about that (at least in the UK). It's not unusual to give credit card details in advance as security, although I'm used to doing it with hotels rather than doctors - in the civilised world, doctors are free at the point of use! ;) --Tango (talk) 11:08, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

They're not "free", they're paid for by your higher-than-the-US's taxation. As regards the credit card thing, I've never seen that done in the US. If they try to pull that stunt, find another doctor. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:21, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

That's what 'free at the point of use' means. Try reading for comprehension. But then I suppose the disproportionately large US military is 'free at the point of use' too. AlexTiefling (talk) 11:30, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Let's stop this little tiff right here. It's not the place for it. Stick to the question. Mingmingla (talk) 17:00, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

The nanny speaketh. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:15, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• It strikes me as a good idea. If you can't trust your doctor's office with this arrangement, do you think you should trust them with your health? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 18:22, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Interesting that you say that. In the US, many citizens inherently distrust government, yet are perfectly willing to entrust them with their Social Security and healthcare... 128.227.41.167 (talk) 19:04, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Actually, it's a matter of which parts of the government different people distrust, and with what duties. The United States isn't a monolith. Ian.thomson (talk) 19:05, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Not a forum, folks. Stick to the question. Mingmingla (talk) 22:42, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

The nanny speaketh again. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:15, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

One can certainly imagine a practice being difference in its financial trust versus its actual personal care to the patient. One can also imagine finding its financial practices worrisome enough not to trust them with medical issues, either. This reasoning doesn't get you to an answer here. If I put out a shingle that said, "amputations $500, no questions asked" you might find my business model alone enough to make you distrust the quality of my medical care. --Mr.98 (talk) 16:04, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

There was a recent exposé on dental chains which prey on the elderly, by getting them to agree to high interest loans to pay for unneeded work, with the interest accruing from when they agree, not when they start their dental work. So, in this case, the companies are shady both from a medical and financial perspective. StuRat (talk) 05:15, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Mercury City Tower

Can anyone tell me if the Mercury City Tower, and the Vostok Tower mentioned in this article are one and the same. I note different heights are given for Mercury and Vostok, so perhaps not. We don't presently appear to have an article about Vostok Tower so maybe it is called something else. Cheers Paul MacDermott (talk) 11:55, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Federation Tower, specifically the East tower thereof (Vostok is Russian for East). FiggyBee (talk) 12:07, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, I'll create a redirect. Paul MacDermott (talk) 16:44, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Hot water heaters -- when do they realize they should stop?

Would anyone know offhand how long a contemporary, typical hot water heater would go, when no hot water is being used, before scaling back its operations or turning off entirely? Vranak (talk) 19:29, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

My guess (just a guess) would be a built in thermometer and pressure gauge, that starts up when it's below a certain amount and stops when it's above a certain amount. Ian.thomson (talk) 19:40, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

For sure, but I'm interested in knowing what that 'certain amount' would correspond to in chronological terms. Like if you went on a 2-month vacation, how much gas would it waste heating up water that no one ever used? Wild guesses encouraged if experienced ones aren't available. Vranak (talk) 19:45, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Why do you want to leave it on whilst going on vacation? If its to stop freezing, then frost protection heaters would be cheaper – (or change the date of your vacations).--Aspro (talk) 19:49, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Depends on the thermostatic control and the amount of water in the circuit. In large house it might go on longer due to the longer pipe runs than in a small dwelling. Weather the pipes are lagged or not would also effect it.--Aspro (talk) 19:44, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Every water heater I have seen has a vacation setting on the temperature dial. Rmhermen (talk) 20:36, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

It depends on so many factors. The ambient temperature. The temperature the water is set to heat to. How well insulated the tank is. I assume you mean an electric immersion heater and you are in the USA. If not, there is more you need to tell us. Itsmejudith (talk) 21:21, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Most hot water heaters will just go on maintaining the water at whatever temperature you've set, indefinitely. There's no reason (or for most controls, no means) to have it do anything differently than it's designed to do, short of setting it to "vacation." In vacation mode it'll just run indefinitely at a lower temperature. It's possible that a high-end unit will have a fall-back program, but that would be specific to the manufacturer. Acroterion (talk) 21:37, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I wonder if any programmable thermostats exist for water heaters, similar to for furnaces and A/C. Might be useful, as it could just make warm water most of the day, but make it hot when everyone takes their baths/showers. StuRat (talk) 02:28, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

A better system is 'instant' hot water heaters. Smaller resevoir and higher wattage I think. It would be easy to rig any timer to an electric tank power supply and probably to the control circuit on gas ones as well. The electric one would need a 'contactor control' because most are 240 volts and 20 amps = 4800 watts. Timers are usually 'control power' 120 volts and far less wattage. Most electric hot water heaters have two elements and thermostats. The top element and stat keep the top 1/4 tank or so warm and in high demand the bottom ones kick in. I know they are set different and if you get the top and bottom settings backwards it really messes up the efficiency. I think I remember them as being opposite of position though. This means the top is set to a lower temperature than the bottom. I could be wrong. If you take off the top and bottom covers you can see the difference. Turn the breaker off first though because the 240V wires are very tight and close to the stats.--Canoe1967 (talk) 18:01, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

In comparison with a natural gas water heater, the (≈3x) cost of electricity makes switching to an electrical water heater a bad idea, whether full-time or on-demand. Also, many homes will lack the electrical wiring and capacity to support them (4800 watts is probably more than my entire house uses, and certainly more than any one circuit could handle). StuRat (talk) 05:00, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• http://waterheatertimer.org/index.html seems you can get timers for them.
• http://www.globalelectricalsupply.com/Tork-1104-NC-Same-Day-ON-OFF-24-hr-Time-Switch-p/1104-nc.htm?Click=774&gclid=CLzM_NbLiLECFSQbQgodVWOUTw a low cost electric one. Mechanical means it is cheaper, reliable, and easy to program.--Canoe1967 (talk) 22:38, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

What is the name for a multi-faith temple on a ship?

There is a one-word term for a multi-denominational prayer room on a ship. Do hospitals use the same word for their chapels? 75.166.192.187 (talk) 21:13, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Interfaith refers to dialogue between diverse religions. Ecumenical refers to unity among Christian churches. Is either of these the word you want? DriveByWire (talk) 21:22, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

Thank you. I was mistaken: there is not a one word term for this. I was looking for something like "interfaith chapel cabin" (picture example.) 75.166.192.187 (talk) 23:38, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

I'd just call it a chapel, and would assume that "ecumenical" is understood unless otherwise specified. Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 23:58, 6 July 2012 (UTC)

There is an article about St. George's Interdenominational Chapel, Heathrow Airport. DriveByWire (talk) 00:56, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

I seem to remember that one of my former employers offered the use of a "multi-faith prayer room", but only ever called it that. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 00:57, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

"Faith Centre" or "Multi-Faith Centre" gets a lot of Google hits. Alansplodge (talk) 01:05, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

The hospice where I volunteer calls it a "sanctuary". It's available for use by those of all religions and none as a quiet space. --TammyMoet (talk) 07:55, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Thank you very much. 71.212.249.178 (talk) 06:54, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

July 7

Gasoline prices

Is there a standard or preferred method for writing gasoline prices in the United States, specifically because of the fractional cents that are used? (I never understood that, and our article on gasoline and diesel usage and pricing does not explain it.) Anyway, I know that $3.269 is technically correct, but to many people, three digits after a decimal point in money confuses them. I have also seen it written as $3.26.9, $3.26⁹ and $3.269⁄10. Are these incorrect? Or is it just a matter of style and taste? (And out of curiosity, do other countries use fractional secondary currency units in a similar manner?)    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 00:54, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

In the UK, fuel prices are, for example, 1.82 (UK pounds!) per litre(!) - I have never seen a smaller fraction of price specified. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 01:00, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

I don't know what part of the UK Demiurge1000 lives in, but here in England (between us, Alan & I probably cover most of it) I've never seen tenths of a penny not advertised in recent years (though I can remember when petrol was pre-decimal 3/6 per gallon [17½ pence]) Dbfirs 08:26, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Hmmm... the usual British notation would be "181.9p per litre" (p = pence).[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] I have no idea why they do that - it's really annoying. Actually, current UK fuel prices are around 132p for unleaded petrol (gasoline) and 137p for diesel fuel.[16]. GBP 1.32 per litre equals GBP 5.00 per US gallon (or USD 7.77) by my calculation. Alansplodge (talk) 01:14, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

My nearest Asda's petrol station (Hampshire, England) has for some time been advertising prices along the lines of 132.7p/litre – works out to about 8p or 0.6 mile's worth saved on a full tank, so I don't think it's worth going out of your way to fill up there, but it may enable them to top any survey of cheapest local prices. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.21.143.150 (talk) 12:18, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

That would be like writing 326.9¢ in the U.S. Very strange.    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 02:04, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

This is exactly how we do it in Canada. Mingmingla (talk) 02:26, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Google image [gasoline price signs] and you will see the most common usages in America. One is a little 9 superscript, the other is a little 9 over a little 10. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:18, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

The mill is the smallest unit of US currency. μηδείς (talk) 02:20, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Contrary to what Mingmingla says above, I've never seen a gas price sign in Canada written with a ¢ sign. My local station writes 124.9, which is to be read as $1.249 per litre. In older stations, that never expected the price to go into 5 spaces, it sometimes reads "24.9" from which you are expected to assume that the $1 at the front is missing. (Actually, I shouldn't say I have never seen a ¢ sign, because I can remember when gas was less than a dollar a gallon -and also less than a dollar a litre- at the pumps.) Bielle (talk) 02:58, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Well to be fair Mingmingla isn't wrong - The ¢ isn't explicitly written on the sign but it's implied. 124.9 IS 124.9 cent, but we just automatically convert (both in our heads and at the actual pump) that into $1.249 per litre. Example image in this article. Royor (talk) 04:15, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

That is what I meant. There is no ¢, but it is implied. I won't speak to how it's "meant" to be read, though, since it is measured in cents, not dollars. When they say 137.9 (as it was this morning on my way to work), they say it in cents. Mingmingla (talk) 17:49, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

These are good as signs, but how is it done in print?    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 15:28, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

This article has a photo with the standard station format, but the article does it in dollars: Gas Prices — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mingmingla (talk • contribs) 17:52, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

It's not just gas/diesel but all fuel prices. I have a bunch of fuel prices that include AVGAS and Jet A and they are the same. Heating fuel is even more exact as it's $1.1595 a L and not all of them end in a 9. CambridgeBayWeather (talk) 17:08, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

It seems that by convention, any seller can price his product however he wants providing that it is sold in the local approved units (gallons/litres/kilograms/etc.). A point about petrochemical fuel is that it is bought in bulk by weight (or units of mass for the pedantic). The reason being: It has a high coefficient of thermal expansion. Therefore, if one is buying a 10,000 gallon consignment, one could be many gallons down according to the temperature. So... When John Doe converts his fuel by weight price, into fuel by volume-pump-price it is almost impossible to achieve a perfect fraction. Added to that is that, the tax man wants to see records of exactly what has been sold vis. that has be lost through evaporation (some gas stations now have equipment to recover this evaporate). Therefore, I say blame the tax man for these fractions. --Aspro (talk) 18:02, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

This seems far-fetched to me. If the fractions were caused by tax, the thousandths digit would vary, not be constantly 9. It seems to me much more likely that this is a parallel with goods being priced at £n.99: it looks slightly cheaper than it is. Marnanel (talk) 19:34, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Disagree: The 9 results from rounding up the last significant figure To the point that it does not effect the second to last significant figure. The £n.99 is not rounding down. If you look at the wholesale price plus retailers profit margin the actual goods would often be priced at several pence less than £n.99. It is a lure to get customers into the shop who will then go onto buy other items that are a few pence more than can be bought in the retail outlet next-door. Take a little note book around and check the prices. Is £n.99 really cheaper than £n.42 ? Those half pounds quickly add up. Hope your wife does the shopping in your house :¬)--Aspro (talk) 21:24, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Lost me there. Where does £n.42 enter into it? Alansplodge (talk) 00:51, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

corbett natoinal park

i want preservatoin methods of jim corbett natoinal park — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pragyamohan (talk • contribs) 07:27, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

The Jim Corbett National Park has its own website which has a section about the management and conservation work which you can see here. Richard Avery (talk) 07:53, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Universities whose entrance exams may only be taken once

So the entrance exam of the University of the Philippines can apparently only be taken once, which means if you fail, you will not be allowed to take it again. To my knowledge, it is the only university in the Philippines or possibly even Asia to have such a policy – the entrance exams of the University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University etc. can be taken multiple times if you fail. Even Tokyo University's notoriously difficult entrance exam can at least be re-taken multiple times (this can be seen in the manga Love Hina). Aside from UP, which other universities around the world have such a policy? And if so, what are the possible reasons as to why they have such a policy? Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 14:52, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Debate

Besides God's existence, is there any other topic that has arguments thats as big? sorry for wrong grammar. 203.112.82.129 (talk) 21:04, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

To my mind: It is the question that asks is there intelligent life to be found on Earth.--Aspro (talk) 21:28, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

What do women want? Is there life after marriage? Is the Pope a Catholic? Why is there only one Monopoly Commission? -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 21:58, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Monopoly Commission? What rock have you been hiding under these last n years (for n put in what ever number you feel you can admit to). That went long ago. The answer to the first question is obvious if one has ever come into a lot of money due to an inheritance and then noticed the sudden (and suffocatingly uncomfortable) interest taken in oneself (joking of course - honestly). Discovering the answer to the second question can be mitigated by insisting on a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g engagement. It is a win-win situation -as it works both ways. After all, the longer you put it off, the richer you'll be by the time you marry her. --Aspro (talk) 23:15, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Her? -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 07:34, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Is abortion acceptable? Are using contraceptives abortion? Is divorce acceptable? Do aliens exist? Is communism good or bad? Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 22:28, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

Seconded on communism, as it's very much a debate of ideology.--WaltCip (talk) 23:18, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

'Communism is simply the exploitation of man by man; whilst Capitalism is the exact opposite.' No debate no argument!--Aspro (talk) 23:34, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

There's always the Ultimate Question. - Karenjc 00:38, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

The above are all rather easy questions. The two that puzzle me are, Why is gravitic mass the same as inertial mass? and, What is the underlying nature of qualia? μηδείς (talk) 01:24, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Those are good. How about the correct characterization of the greatest good for the greatest number and the extent to which such a pseudo-utopia can be achieved through communication? 71.212.249.178 (talk) 07:19, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Adam Bishop (talk) 07:08, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

July 8

Colusa Ca Population

2010The 2010 United States Census[3] reported that Colusa had a population of 5,971. The population density was 3,255.3 people per square mile (1,256.9/km²). The racial makeup of Colusa was 3,944 (66.1%) White, 54 (0.9%) African American, 107 (1.8%) Native American, 80 (1.3%) Asian, 28 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 1,510 (25.3%) from other races, and 248 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,128 persons (52.4%).

152%  ?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.203.131.226 (talk) 01:34, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

I followed the link to the government census page and the numbers don't match what's in the article. It says the total population was 21,419, for one thing. 13,854 (64.7%) white, 195 (0.9%) black, etc. User:Carlossuarez46 added the info; maybe he's using a different definition than what we think he is. Why not drop him a note on his talk page? Incidentally, the talk page of the article is usually the best place to bring these types of concerns. Matt Deres (talk) 03:03, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Hmm, I think my numbers are for the county rather than the city (county seat). The numbers are still off. Here's the numbers for the city:

RACE Total population 5,971 100.0 One Race 5,723 95.8 White 3,944 66.1 Black or African American 54 0.9 American Indian and Alaska Native 107 1.8 Asian 80 1.3 Asian Indian 27 0.5 Chinese 12 0.2 Filipino 18 0.3 Japanese 10 0.2 Korean 3 0.1 Vietnamese 4 0.1 Other Asian [1] 6 0.1 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 28 0.5 Native Hawaiian 3 0.1 Guamanian or Chamorro 2 0.0 Samoan 0 0.0 Other Pacific Islander [2] 23 0.4 Some Other Race 1,510 25.3 Two or More Races 248 4.2 White; American Indian and Alaska Native [3] 47 0.8 White; Asian [3] 18 0.3 White; Black or African American [3] 10 0.2 White; Some Other Race [3] 116 1.9 The number of Pacific Islanders is way out of whack. Perhaps others are as well. Matt Deres (talk) 03:09, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Actually, the numbers on race add up to 100% (or perhaps slightly more, due to rounding). The "52.4% Hispanic," however, is not factored into that, since the U.S. Census Bureau regards Hispanic as a national origin not a race. To wit, they may be of any race. Pine (talk) 05:43, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Creating a graphic image of a military unit

I'd like to create the shoulder sleeve insignia for the 30th ADA Brigade, as none exists. How do I get started?--Shovonma17 (talk) 04:19, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Brainstorm some ideas for what they might like in it. Do they have a motto or a nickname ? Where did they see action ? Maybe those might give you an idea. Then I'd sketch it out, and finally draw it on the computer. StuRat (talk) 04:35, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

If this is their website: [17], I see several symbols used there, like the fleur-de-lis, symbolizing service in France, and arrows, symbolizing their motto "Always on target". Other symbols are a lion rampant and lightning bolts. Perhaps you could expand on the "Always on target" motto by having an arrow hitting a bull's eye on a target ? StuRat (talk) 04:49, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

The three arrows on the red background is the shoulder sleeve insignia. [18] I suspect the question is actually "how do I create an svg version of this insignia for use on Wikipedia", rather than "how do I invent a new insignia". Shovonma, try WP:Graphics. FiggyBee (talk) 08:44, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

25th K.R.V Band

My husband's Great Grandfather was presented an ebony band master's baton in 1876, the inscription on the baton reads:- 'Presented by the 25th K.R.V Band to Mr.E.Sayers, 27th May 1876'. The accompanying letter shows Mr.E.Sayers' address as 3, Gibson Street, East Greenwich, London. We know that this was his address and that he was a musician, from the 1881 Census return. What we don't know is, who or what were the 25th K.R.V Band and why he received the baton. Was it a military band? Thanks for your help. P.Sayers. Patsayers (talk) 06:59, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Greetings Pat, I think your husband's great grandfather may have been part of the Kent Rifle Volunteer Corps, I have no knowledge of them but the letters and dates fit very nicely if you check this site. His particular corp isn't listed there but it looks like a good place to start. Good luck. Richard Avery (talk) 07:18, 8 July 2012 (UTC)