Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 July 27

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July 27

What are some business awards?

What are some major business awards for individuals, such as lifetime achievement awards or prestigious honors? Is there a list somewhere for this? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.223.76.123 (talk) 03:51, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Capital accumulation :) --Dr Dima (talk) 04:35, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

IBM Fellow? Dismas|^(talk) 05:14, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The Deming Prize? —— Shakescene (talk) 06:20, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The Better Business Bureau has a couple: Torch, Eclipse and Integrity. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 07:13, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

In the UK, I believe you can get an OBE for services to making yourself filthy rich. ;-) AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:12, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Category:Business and industry awards --Boris straight (talk) 14:33, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Would this one qualify X Prize Foundation (The prizes not the foundation.) Never heard about this one before, but here it is: [1] -- 71.236.26.74 (talk) 21:40, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Protests listed

Is there any site online which lists protests, demonstrations, marches, lie-ins, etc. around the world categorized by location and cause? Thanks, --S.dedalus (talk) 03:57, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

http://protest.net/ ? Nanonic (talk) 08:01, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Thanks! That site is quite poorly updated though. Are there some others? --S.dedalus (talk) 08:51, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

How about Wikipedia? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, OH WAIT! I just found Category: Protests. 152.16.16.75 (talk) 09:21, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

From the reply, I think the OP might be wanting info on protests that haven't happened yet and shouldn't be in wikipedia. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:34, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

questions

1. is it ever ok for a teacher to call you a "dickwad" becuase I got an email from my teacher and he starts the email "hi dickwad" - TBH he's a good guy and we have a laughs a laugh and a joke's a joke but that might be a step too far, and if I reply saying "hi cocksmoker" he might just slap me in detention?

2. also what is louder a whale or a field full of crickets?

3. also is it possible that a piece of fruit could be put in the ass after death?? because in the case of michael barrymore and the man in the pool they say that the apple was put there in the mortuary and that barrymore is not guilty but WHY WOULD TYHEY PUT IT THERE THEN?? doesnt make any sense —Preceding unsigned comment added by Questionabout"theman" adolf (talk • contribs) 12:50, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The Blue Whale is the loudest animal in the world[2], with a volume underwater of over 180 dB. As to your other questions, I don't think the reference desk can give a definite answer. It's certainly possible to put a piece of fruit in somebody's ass after death; morticians often stick a cotton wool plug up there[3]. --Boris straight (talk) 14:44, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

If I were the student in question and got an e-mail like that from a teacher (I'm assuming were talking high school here), I would first take it to my parents and say, "Is this appropriate?" Because a complaint from a parent is going to carry a lot more weight than a complaint from a student. Regarding the Barrymore case, there's nothing in the article about it, so even bringing up such a rumor here might be a BLP violation. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 15:05, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

It's not appropriate (and quite stupid) for a teacher to call you a name like that. If you were so inclined you could easily get him in a lot of trouble. It's very dumb on his part (says a fellow teacher), showing very poor judgment. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 15:26, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Actually, in my opinion the teacher should be fired for a comment like that, unless that's the normal way that teacher and that student communicate - which it sounds like it's not, or he wouldn't have raised the question. And even if it were, it shouldn't be, as it's unprofessional. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 15:30, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

I think the Reference Desk needs some kind of training session to recognize trolls. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:58, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

I disagree. Some questions, no matter who asks them, have legitimate value.--WaltCip (talk) 18:28, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

On part 1. Your teacher is not keeping an appropriate level of professional detachment - and would surely get into horribly deep trouble if the school (or worse still, the local press) were to catch wind of it. Familiarity and friendliness with pupils is OK - but this is WAY overstepping the mark. IMHO - if the teacher is otherwise a good one - you should ignore it and continue to speak and email to him in a suitable deferential manner. If the guy is useless - then maybe you just found some ammunition - let your parents know and let them deal with it.

On part 2. Whales are indeed pretty amazingly loud - but there is a question of distance. Because the whale's vocal chords are effectively a point source - but the field full of crickets covers a few dozen acres - might it not be the case that when you are standing at one corner of the field, you're really comparing just a few crickets that are extremely close to you - to a whale that's hundreds of feet away. Given that the volume of the sound drops off as the square of the distance - might not a cricket that's (say) 5 feet away be louder than the whale at a few hundred feet? If the whale can produce 150db at a distance of (say) 5 feet - then at 500 feet, it's 10,000 times quieter. How loud is a handful or crickets at 5 feet?

On part 3. Well, of course it's possible. Is it likely? No.

SteveBaker (talk) 18:51, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Where in Barrymore's ass was the apple found? Edison (talk) 20:15, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Not Barrymore, the guy who died at his house. As to where, I dunno, but I'm guessing it was put there in order to feed the gerbil. Or am I getting my urban legends mixed up? Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 08:56, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Why not just e-mail your teacher back and start off "A bit over the limit weren't you?" or "Hi inappropriate." It would serve as a warning shot, probably cool down the relationship somewhat without totally sending things up the creek. The "official" view of "the teacher should be fired" ignores the fragile social situation of school life. If the teacher actually does get laid off (very likely once parents get involved) and gets replaced by a more distant applicant, not only is there a chance that student motivation and teaching effects are going to suffer (thus hurting all fellow students) it's also very likely that OP will be handed the "dork of the year award" and enjoying school from an underdog position tends to be an unpleasant experience. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 21:55, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Just how likely is it that this teacher would call you "dickwad"? Perhaps their email account has been compromised or the mail headers are faked and it is in fact from someone else. I would check the mail out very carefully before making a complete fool of yourself and destroying the good professional realtionship you seem to have with this teacher. Astronaut (talk) 23:13, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Growing Mushrooms

Of late im really into mushrooms, How hard does the reference desk suppose it would be to grow them or should i just stick to the sore brought kind (ive looked through instructables but it all seems either expensive or dangerous..) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.180.244.92 (talk) 13:47, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Have you done a google search for "Mushroom Logs"? They are not expensive (about 40 euro) and will keep producing mushrooms with very little work on your part. Fribbler (talk) 14:47, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Sometimes the Garden departments of large supermarkets or hardware stores sell "mushroom farms" - a plastic lined cardboard box containing all you need, including instructions. If you let them go to full open cup size, you can get 10 or 12 lbs from one box, in several flushes. I used to cut the box in half and only use half at a time, to keep the crop to a manageable level for 2 people.

They need a coolish dark place. The closet under the stairs is fine, or a corner of laundry, in an apartment. Once you get the hang of it, next season you can prepare your own bed for them, and send away for little vials of more exotic varieties. - KoolerStill (talk) 15:54, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Horse manure is very good for edible mushrooms if you can get it. As for 'seeds' I think they are called spores - so search the web for 'edible mushroom spores' if you can't get them at the supermarket. If you are lucky and you can get the manure, you maybe lucky enough for the mushrooms to already be in it. see http://www.nifg.org.uk/edible_fungi.htm Agaricus arvensis - it's like the standard white mushrooms in the shops but it grows massive (12"). They are as good as the articles say.83.100.250.79 (talk) 20:52, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

What you want is Mycelium instead of spores. I hope we are talking food source edible mushrooms here. Depending on where you live a bale of straw kept moist and in a dark place works best. [4], [5] --71.236.26.74 (talk) 22:31, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Origins of the brand name 'Dr Pepper'

Does anyone know if Dr Pepper was actually someone's name? He could have been the guy who invented it... Chevymontecarlo (talk) 16:46, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Our article Dr Pepper has some rather speculative information. Algebraist 16:49, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Related question: Their ad jingle for a long time said "Be a Pepper". Did this have any meaning whatsoever in the broader culture when it was introduced? Was it a play on words of some kind? I never understood the appeal of the phrase. The article only says, tersely and matter-of-factly, that the jingle referred to consumers of the beverage as "Peppers". Tempshill (talk) 16:54, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

I assumed it had something to do with "pep". Adam Bishop (talk) 16:56, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

I believe so - 'pep' is a shortening of 'pepper' - and according to Wiktionary it's meaning is: "To inject with energy and enthusiasm."...pretty much what a caffienated sugary drink is supposed to do. Where the heck the "Dr" part comes from? Well, perhaps they wanted to imply that this "pepping up" effect had some kind of medicinal basis? It's hard to know over such a long separation in time and culture. SteveBaker (talk) 18:36, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Thanks — I guess this makes sense; though, as full of caffeinated energy as I may be, the slogan does not cause me to want to describe myself as a "Pepper" under any circumstances. Tempshill (talk) 00:13, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

There are sources saying it was named after an historical person, Dr. Charles T. Pepper [6] [7] [8] and other revisionist sources casting doubts on that story [9]. It's just like Henry Ford said in 1916, "History is bunk." (Some sources deny that Ford actually said that:[10]). Edison (talk) 20:08, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Many of the early soft drinks were produced at pharmacies, so it's natural that someone might attach "Dr." to one of them, although if you get real desperate, their official site might have an explanation. "Pep" was and is a popular term, as noted above; considered to be something good. It indicates being lively, full of energy, "vim and vigor", that sort of thing - and, by extension, something that will give you pep. Hence "Pepsi Cola", for example. And a now-defunct Kellogg's cereal called "Pep". And the smallish bands they have at college games, "pep bands", intended to "liven things up". Getting high on drugs was considered bad, but getting high on sugar and caffeine was and is considered OK, or at least it's common practice. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 00:14, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

And of course there's Pepper (baseball). All of these usages presumably connected with the spiciness of pepper plants, which "liven" your food. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 00:21, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Speaking of baseball, the Dr. Pepper slogan, 10-2-4, is the scorecard notation for a very rare sort of double play in softball. I bet that's where it came from. PhGustaf (talk) 00:30, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

That definitely sounds definitive. Could even be a triple play: 10th fielder catches fly ball; throws to catcher to get the runner from third; catcher throws to second base to get the runner from first. A little more Pepper, and the runners would have been safe. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 00:55, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Don't drink too much of it, though. Keep in mind that it turned the "Be a Pepper" guy into a werewolf. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 00:57, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

I was in the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco, TX about a decade ago. My recollection (which could be entirely faulty) was that they said the name Dr. Pepper was not based on any real person. Take that for what it is worth. Dragons flight (talk) 01:04, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Clarification that may or may not be relevant: I think that the "Pep" in Pepsi-Cola may refer not only to peppermint or "pep", but also to [eu]peptic, i.e. as an aid to digestion (as in Pepto-Bismol, not recommended as an ingredient for soft drinks or mixers.). I don't know if this has any relevance to the "Pep" in Dr. Pepper. Cf. the English soft-drink Tizer, "the appetizer". —— Shakescene (talk) 08:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

Statistics and discrimination

It is clear that some companies members of some group overrepresented. For example, much younger as the average or much more men than woman in power positions. Is it enough to accuse a company of discriminating against members of the underrepresented groups? Or must the company have an explicit rule against members of a group (like no woman need to apply) to be considered discriminating?--Quest09 (talk) 17:01, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The question of equal opportunity versus equality of outcome is very difficult to answer. Ricci v. DeStefano was a case recently decided by the US Supreme Court regarding Title VII hiring discrimination guidelines. A mere accusation of discrimination is not sufficient grounds for finding fault; however, fault is found well before an explicit rule is codified. Even your use of "overrepresented" is contentious: a group may have disproportionate representation without being overrepresented (or underrepresented), as equality of outcome is rarely a requirement. — Lomn 17:41, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

It's tough to prove - you'd need to show that (for example) the ratio of suitably-qualified women to suitably-qualified men who applied for a particular set of jobs resulted in a lower ratio of women to men actually being recruited. You can't only look at the ratio of people in jobs right now because women in their 20's and early 30's leave the workplace to bring up children disproportionately more often than men do. That's a societal matter that the company has no control over. Men generally retire at a higher age than women. Possible descrimination long ago - before it was illegal - may also result in a bias amongst older workers. Not only that - but the bias has to be statistically significant - five or even ten more men than women in a workforce of 100 people isn't going to be convincing evidence of bias because that kind of ratio could easily come about just by chance when the employer is being 100% gender-neutral in hiring and firing.

But consider the company where I work - we make computer games. We have 50 employees in the offices where I work - only three are women - and not one of those is a programmer (one is our HR person - the other two are graphic artists). Is this clear and damning evidence of bias? Well, no - it's not. We had 20 resume's for a particular programming job that recently opened up, not one single one of them was from a woman! In fact, over the past year we've recruited 35 people (yes, we're a booming company!) - and I have yet to see ANY resume's from women for computer programming positions. In fact, over my entire 30 year career in computer graphics - I've only known 3 female graphics programmers! All three were very good at their jobs - it's certainly not that women somehow can't do this work. How on earth can we hope to maintain a 50/50 ratio under those circumstances? If anything, we might be accused of reverse gender bias because if we ever did get a resume from a woman, we'd clearly be super-careful not to reject her illegally. That alone would ensure that her resume would be at least carefully examined - which is half the battle in a crowded job market. All I can guess is that any discrimination happens much earlier - in the education system perhaps - or maybe for some reason women simply don't generally find that kind of job compelling. It's hard to say - but as we like to say here: "Correlation does not imply Causation". Just because there are few women in the workplace doesn't necessarily imply that we're discriminating...and that's another reason why genuine discrimination is so hard to prove. (Incidentally - if you are a graphics programmer - either male or female and you are able to work in the Austin, Texas area - email me! We need to talk!) SteveBaker (talk) 14:17, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Any group that is not perfectly representative of the entire universe of possibilities can be accused of discrimination. It is an entirely different matter (and, one defined by law, which we don’t do here at the reference desk) as to whether that alleged discrimination is significant, illegal or just happenchance. DOR (HK) (talk) 02:19, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

I suggest reading the book Race and Culture by Thomas Sowell - disproportionate representation may not be discrimination, or it might be for vastly different reasons one might think (his book focus more on race rather than age and/or sex). I personally found his argument convincing, but your opinion may differ (a quick Google search turn up this. Either way the book is certainly an interesting read. Royor (talk) 10:31, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

Cleaning a model railway

I have a Hornby model railway which I store under my bed. When not in use I cover it with a dust sheet. I was just wondering what the best ways of cleaning the layout are. Chevymontecarlo (talk) 18:36, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Try using a sable / synthetic fibre paintbrush (widely available from art material stores) to dislodge heavy coatings of dust. After that a standard museum cleaning practice is to use a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment covered with a large piece of muslin. It should be large enough and heavy enough to not actually get sucked up by the vacuum. Do not get the nozzle close enough to touch the item, or it may be sucked up and ruined! If the dust covering is very heavy u could try cleaning with those damp tissues you would use for cleaning a baby's bottom - they are designed to be very sensitive to skin and thus should be gentle enough to be used. This should not be used if there are chips or cracks, as the water based moisturiser could cause internal parts made of iron to rust. You could always contact the manufacturer directly to ask for their advice —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.167.246.122 (talk) 20:40, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The brush is a good idea. Whether a vacuum cleaner is, depends on what your setup looks like an how far you can power it down. If you have landscape with "fake grass" and "fake moss trees" even a light suction action may dislodge things to end up in a bigger mess than you started with (OR). It also depends on how much work you are willing to invest. A box of cotton swabs moistened with very little water works, but takes ages. You should also not use them on the rails or electrical parts. For storing your set under your bed try using a plastic cover made for outdoor furniture to keep dust out. e.g. [11] --71.236.26.74 (talk) 22:59, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

If the actual rails are getting corroded, you might want to wipe them down with an alcohol pad of some kind to make better contact with the wheels. Use 3in1 oil for lubricating wheels and motors - but try not to get it onto electrical contacts. Aside from that - you need to be careful with a vacuum cleaner not to suck up small, carefully modelled details - at least keep the airflow to a minimum - use one of the softer brush attachments and keep the vacuum cleaner on it's lowest setting. If you have one of those little 'dust-buster' hand vacuum cleaners - then that's even better. Gentle is good! I'd also recommend getting a bottle of "canned air" from a store that sells computers or electronics...it's an aerosol spray that's great for blowing dust and fluff out of small crevices. SteveBaker (talk) 13:48, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for all your tips, I will try them out. Chevymontecarlo (talk) 10:36, 30 July 2009 (UTC)

Incidents that need multiple emergency services

When you dial 999 in the UK, you are asked which services you require (i.e. police, ambulance, fire or lifeguard). I have never had to call when the situation obviously required more than one service, and I just wondered how that was managed. I imagine that you would ask for one service and then somebody would decide that another service had to be contacted, but who would do that? For example, if you saw somebody stabbed in the street, called and asked for the ambulance service, who decides to call the police (likewise if you asked for the police, who would decide to call the ambulance service)? I have been told that in other countries, for example Canada, you just call and tell the operator what the situation is, and then the operator decides who to route it to. How does that work and why is the UK different? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Squashed Star (talk) 19:38, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The presumption in the United States is that the caller is not trained, nor are they likely in a calm, rational state of mind. The job of the dispatcher is to interpret the situation and route the appropriate services, which may include police, ambulance, etc. Also note that in most US jurisdictions, almost all ambulances are private services, while police and firefighters are usually local government employees. Nimur (talk) 20:04, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Yes, that makes perfect sense to me, so it sounds like the dispatcher is the one who makes the decision. I wonder why the UK is different, and who makes the decision? My experience is that once you select a service you are routed to that service and then deal with its operators. I would imagine that they make the decision to call other services, but I would if there is some other system of coorination. Thanks Squashed Star (talk) 20:11, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

You are responsible for the initial decision, daunting as that might sound. Once you're connected to the actual service's call handler they will take into account everything you tell them and request assistance from the other services as required. I haven't been able to find official guidance but I would suggest calling the following first under the circumstances:-

• Ambulance - Any kind of serious injury or life threatening condition - minutes are critical here. Inform them if there are people trapped in vehicles, they will then request fire service assistance. Also inform them if the injuries are due to crime, they will inform the police.
• Fire - call first when there is an actual fire - smoke/flames or a chemical spillage - call Ambulance first if serious casualties are evident and allow them to call fire service.
• Police - Crime in progress/offenders on scene but call Ambulance first if someone has been injured as a crime consequence and allow them to inform police
• Coastguard - Priority if incident at sea and immediate response required to prevent loss of life, they will request ambulance assistance if required
• Mountain/Cave Rescue - Priority in appropiate environments - they will request assistance from the other services as required.

As you can see your number one priority is the preservation of life. If you're not sure request ambulance assistance FIRST and liase with the call handler about any backup services required. E.g. if someone throws a petrol bomb at someone who gets badly burned, the first thing you need is an ambulance to save their life, followed by the fire brigade to bring the flames under control and the police to apprehend the bomber. Exxolon (talk) 22:04, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

I agree, I remember being told that you generally prioritise the ambulance. However, if I was in (or witnessed) a big car crash, say, I'd just dial 999 and when they asked "What service do you require?" I'd saying "all of them" and let them worry about it. --Tango (talk) 22:55, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

For the petrol bomb situation - in the U.S. you would need the police first because fire and ambulance crews will usually not enter such a dangerous unsecured location without police presence. Rmhermen (talk) 23:48, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

If U.S. paramedics/EMTs arrive at a scene and someone is lying not moving, maybe in a pool of blood, rather than rush to their aid many departments encourage the initial determination of "cop sign," if there is a cop on scene: 1) If the cop is crouching behind his car on the side opposite the injured, wait before proceeding to the patient; 2)If the cop is fighting with someone or exchanging gunfire with someone, wait before proceeding to the patient; 3) If the cop is lying in a pool of blood next to the patient, wait before proceeding to the patient. 4)If the cop says it is safe to treat the patient, proceed to the patient.Edison (talk) 00:30, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

In Canada, at least in my thankfully limited 911 experience which involved only medical emergencies, the police didn't come at all, but both a fire truck and ambulance came, since firefighters always have paramedics with them and might arrive faster than the ambulance. Adam Bishop (talk) 02:01, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Our boss took us to the fire and rescue call centre (UK) and we were informed that all calls are put through to the police regardless of which service you require. The police then call the other services they think are necessary. I'm not sure if this is common practise throughout call centres but it would account for the fact that not all the services seem to be fully informed until they arrive no the scene.--195.49.180.87 (talk) 10:38, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Why do firefighters in Canada always have paramedics with them? They don't in the UK. --Tango (talk) 00:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

I don't know, pretty convenient though isn't it? (It might not be all of Canada...maybe just Ontario. Or maybe even just Toronto.) Adam Bishop (talk) 08:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

Two side-comments (for what they're worth):

1. Where people have a feud with or fear of the police, directing all emergency calls through the police might have undesirable effects, e.g. discouraging people from reporting fire or medical emergencies, when residents' attitudes towards ambulances and firefighters might be more benign and less-fearful than towards the police who might arrest some of them for something like drug possession or immigration status;
2. In the United States, USA Today reported a few years ago, there's a strong competition for business between hospital-based ambulances and firehouse-based rescue trucks. The firefighters having become victims of a great though unsung success — the halving of fires through better prevention and suppression — now qualify themselves as paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians and find themselves competing for a growing but limited medical field. —— Shakescene (talk) 08:12, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

At least around here (Eastern Washington), if you've got a medical emergency, they'll dispatch both a fire truck and an ambulance. This is because the fire truck will get there faster than the ambulance (unless you're injured in front of the ambulance garage), and is capable of handling a wider range of physical situations (confined-space rescue, cutting people out of cars, etc.), while the ambulance can handle a wider range of medical situations. --Carnildo (talk) 01:17, 30 July 2009 (UTC)