Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2012 October 31

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October 31

Sources of entertainment

Why is the vast majority of entertainment made in the US, the UK, or Japan? --128.42.221.117 (talk) 07:04, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The premise your question is based on is faulty. Every country creates entertainment. What you are observing is that the entertainment of certain countries crosses borders ("cultural exports") more readily than others. A better question would be "Why is (some country's) entertainment popular elsewhere?" The Masked Booby (talk) 07:40, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

I guess your question really meant "why is the vast majority of entertainment I watch ..." There is a big wide world outside of Texas, for example, 1.3 billion people live in India, that's about 4 times the US population. Now check Indian culture there are film and TV sections. Richard Avery (talk) 08:32, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

According to these statistics India leads in films, with the US second. Countries like US and Japan are pretty high on films per capita though, compared to, say, China and Africa. In order to produce broadcast entertainment you first need to have your basic needs taken care of - food, shelter, clothing. Which makes more productive countries more likely to afford spending time creating luxuries like recorded entertainment. Can't have much of a movie and music industry if the population is in subsistence farming. On the other hand you may be able to hedge this if you can export your entertainment products, language and culture barriers allowing. 88.112.36.91 (talk) 12:19, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

I don't see the number of films as being a very useful measure. Total receipts is a better indicator of popularity. StuRat (talk) 18:27, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The OP is clearly wrong, but so is the answer of 88.112... There is plenty of entertainment (i.e. music, movies, tv-series, etc.) outside the US, UK and Japan, but patterns of exportation and consumption differ widely. Americans tend to consume US-produced popular culture, in the rest of the Western world US cultural exports are a heavy chunk of media consumption. To say that the degree of wealth determines media production is faulty, many third world countries have far more vibrant movie and music industries than some countries in Europe. Actually, maintaining a movie industry in northern Europe is extremely expensive (paying actors and other employees) and the movie industries like that of Sweden survive only on hefty state subsidies.

Nollywood in Nigeria on the other hand produces more than 2,000 movies per year, and is exported across Africa and to African diasporas, without (to my knowledge) a single dollar from the Nigerian state coffer (correction: the Nigerian president apparently plegded 200 million USD for development of Nollywood. However, this only in 2010 when Nollywood was well established as an international phenomenon). Moreover, these productions are exported across regional networks without passing through the US. Inspired by the Nigerian success story, there is more an more media production emerging in neighbouring countries as well (apparently there is a Ghanian version of Sex and the City...). Chinese movie industry is very heavy in Asian markets, as is Indian in South Asia and the greater Middle East. In the Arab World, Egypt is dominating in movie whilst Syria is spearheading soap opera productions in Arabic. Latin American soap operas are dubbed to a variety of languages, and find broad fan-bases in places like Russia and Africa. --Soman (talk) 15:01, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The reason for the success of the US film industry is historical. At the time when movies were first catching on, it was easier to make them in the US, since there was plenty of open land, basically any landscape you could want, and lots of money and actors available. Thomas Edison was also a major contributor to film technology, giving the US a head start. StuRat (talk) 18:27, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

A huge home market probably had a larger influence than landscapes. Very many movies were filmed mostly indoors, with props and sets. "Filmed on location" was a quality marker for more expensive movies. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 20:08, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, China has a much larger potential market, but lacked some of the other ingredients I mentioned. Another factor is English speaking people having the disposable income and spare time to watch movies. China has both multiple languages and historically a lack of disposable income. And movie studios take up quite a bit of room, even when filming inside. If you had to tear down other buildings to make room for them, that would make them quite a bit more expensive to start up. StuRat (talk) 20:12, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

China historically did not have a larger market. It had more customers, but less disposable money to be spend on movies. And indeed, during much of the early area of the movie industry, it had more-or-less continuous wars, civil and otherwise, followed by the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, both not environments prone to create stable markets. Yes, studios have large buildings, but they need not be build in premium locations, so the cost of the actual real estate is not that significant. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 20:28, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

I suppose that depends on what you call "premium". They need electricity, water, sewers, etc., so can't be built out in the middle of nowhere. They also rely on a large labor supply, so need to be near a populated area (they can afford to fly the stars and director around the world, but flying the entire crew and all the extras around starts to get prohibitively expensive). StuRat (talk) 20:31, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

International manga sales

Which countries outside Japan have the largest sales of manga? --168.7.232.13 (talk) 07:45, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

WP:WHAAOE. The article suggests the US, Canada, France and Germany are the key export markets for Manga. And the link to 'Manga outside Japan' there has a fairly comprehensive list of everywhere there is a noticeable presence. 86.163.43.112 (talk) 08:18, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

I don't think those articles give a very good overview of the overall situation; they just focus on the countries editors are more familiar with. Japanese manga is hugely popular in East Asian markets like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea etc - definitely more than the US or most parts of Europe - but they're hardly mentioned in either of those articles. In terms of total units sold, I'd be surprised if the country with the most sales wasn't China, just because it's population is so much bigger than the other main candidates 59.108.42.46 (talk) 06:57, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps this will help. EEng (talk) 06:17, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

fees & charges for different courses in NUJS, Salt Lake, West Bengal

please provide information regarding the fees & other charges required for different courses in the National University of Juridical Sciences, Salt Lake, West BengalSnigthakur (talk) 08:08, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Wouldn't you do better to contact them directly ? Here's their contact page: [1]. If, for some reason, they refuse to disclose their fee structure, they also have a page dealing with Freedom of Information Act requests, here: [2]. You can also look through their website to find prices for various courses of study, like this: [3]. StuRat (talk) 18:15, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Paramount Theatre Brooklyn

> Re: The information below from Wikipedia about the "Paramount" Theater in Brooklyn. > > I am wondering whether any information goes back earlier than what is in the presented information. The reason I ask is, for many years as I grew up, I was told that my grandfather opened the first theater in Brooklyn. My relative owned a bar, a package liquor store, a shoe store, several multi-family apartment buildings, opened a theater (about which my father spoke-he was a young man at the time), and other interests before his (grandfather's) empire collapsed. > > Let me know whether any of this jibes with the Paramount History. > > Regards, > > Mike Dalton > (family came from Brooklyn) > Florida — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.228.238.172 (talk) 12:30, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Wood Stove

I have an older wood stove . Tha name stamped on the door is ( Seven Valley Stove Works ) Old Number 7---I would like to learn more about it. Thanks Bob — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.186.171.244 (talk) 13:42, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

If that's the Seven Valley Stove Works that was based in Missouri, it looks like they closed down in 1978. Did you want to know something specific?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 14:26, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

This may be the source of Shantavira's information. It says that the company was in operation for 35 years and 9 months, which would give a start date of April 1947, if I've done the maths right. Alansplodge (talk) 17:46, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

However, this directory page says it was formed in 1978. If so, that would give an end date of October 2003. This makes a bit more sense, as a small company dissolved in the 1970s is unlikely to have an entry on an internet business directory. Alansplodge (talk) 18:00, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

How do I top up New York City metrocards if the subways are closed?

I need to use a metrocard to get the free transfers on busses. Where can I top up my metrocard? Do the stores that sell them top them up also? 128.143.174.127 (talk) 15:28, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Normally, this information (locations of MetroCard machines and how to add money to them) is availible at http://www.mta.info/metrocard/ However, every page at that website has been replaced by storm-related news, and I can't find any other information right now. Keep checking back with that website, perhaps they'll soon put the old site back up. --Jayron32 17:36, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Our article on the MetroCard seems to indicate that private merchants only sell pre-loaded Metrocards in set denominations; I don't think they can reload a card for you. That said, is there any reason why you wouldn't be able to buy one of those pre-loaded cards and use it for your bus trips (including any necessary transfers) until the floodwaters recede? Once the subway stations reopen, you can consolidate any leftover value on to a single card at any token both: [4]. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 17:52, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The only reason you'd need to top up a card is if it's empty. Just buy a new card instead from a private merchant. Or am I missing something? If the concern is recycling you can hold onto the card or slip it in the recycling slot at a station later. Some bus route stops like those along Fordham Avenue and at the 207th St Bus stop on the A Train line also have external card vendors available, but I don't know if they will recharge an old card or not. μηδείς (talk) 18:55, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Why would you buy a card from a private merchant? Is the MTA giving away cards for less than they sell them in the subway? Seems like an opportunity to be scammed, but maybe I'm ignorant of some private sellers of MTA cards. While on the topic, you can actually combine old MTA cards together if you find a friendly person in the booth who's willing to do it, or alternatively, you can calculate exactly the right amount to put onto a card to make it divisible by the $2.25 (right?) subway fare so you don't have a few cents left over on a card. Shadowjams (talk) 20:53, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

We're getting away from the original question, but foreseeably one might wish to buy a Metrocard from a private merchant just for convenience. Instead of queuing up twice, and having to deal with two separate transactions, and possibly having to pay two separate transaction fees, you can buy a Metrocard and a jug of milk at the same time at the convenience store. You also don't have to worry about finding one of the large Metrocard vending machines if you want to pay with cash instead of using credit/debit (and you don't have to worry about having a perfectly pristine, uncreased, mint-condition banknote to feed to the vending machine). And of course it does provide a way for MTA users to get hold of Metrocards even when the subway system is closed.... TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:36, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Cards are usually available in small licensed magazine stands and convenience stores. They are sold pre-packaged, not loose. I have never heard of any "scam". μηδείς (talk) 22:43, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

I don't know anything about the MTA card system but it sounds like Shadowjams may be confused about how private merchant sales of MTA cards work. I presume as with most similar systems throughout the world (both prepay systems for transport and prepay systems for other things like phones or even gift cards), the operator sells them to the vendor at a slightly lower price then the face value. The vendor is contractually obliged to sell them at the face value (or at least not above the face value). The vendor may not make much of a profit, but it's still a profit and it's something that's low overhead, small and low risk and also encourages patronage so many vendors are willing to sell them. This means there's usually no difference between whether you buy them at a private merchant or direct in terms of the direct cost to you (obviously there's a difference in where the profit goes to). I think Shadowjams is confused on this point and believes if you buy them from a private merchant you're likely to be paying more then if you buy them direct. (Occasionally with some systems you may get free reloads when dealing direct but not with private merchants but usually not for any prepaid card purchases themselves.) Nil Einne (talk) 11:44, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

I'm not confused, and seeing that you know nothing about the MTA system, I find that statement interesting; you can pay cash, credit, debit, whatever you want at all the kiosks in the subway. The lines are almost always non existent, and even during rush hour they're really short. I don't know if the MTA offers private sales... I guess they might? Seems strangely unnecessary though, unless they offer discounts. You've apparently said nothing specific to the MTA system, but correct me if I'm wrong. If they do things differently in New Zealand that's fine, but we're talking about a specific system here. Shadowjams (talk) 04:43, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

MTA / NYCTA Buses (including express routes) are free until further notice. Per http://www.mta.info/, "All bus and subway service will operate on a fare-free basis Thursday and Friday." Nricardo (talk) 02:23, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Gasoline into a Diesel engine or vice versa?

There's a new phone operator advertisement campaign going on here in Finland, depicting humorous text message exchanges in the advertisements. One of them goes:

• Which kind of gasoline does our car take?
• It's a Diesel!
• I wasn't asking about its brand but what kind of gasoline it takes. Anyway I put in 98-octane just to be sure.
• No! Don't start it!

Now I'm not very technical when it comes to cars. What happens if you put gasoline into a Diesel engine or vice versa? JIP | Talk 19:40, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The most important difference is that diesel fuel is a lot thicker, and a fuel supply system designed for one won't handle the other. Also the fuels won't ignite at the right time. The result is that in either case the engine will quickly stop running and is likely to do serious damage to sensitive parts such as fuel injectors. Looie496 (talk) 20:27, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Apart from the viscosity, diesel is an oil and a lubricant whereas Gasoline (petrol) is a solvent. Diesel engines are designed to make use of the lubricant properties of diesel, and they ignite the fuel using compression. Petrol engines ignite their fuel vapour using a spark from a spark plug, and are lubricated with engine oil. Running a diesel engine on petrol will damage parts like the fuel pump because the solvent removes the lubricant. Metal debris from the damage then circulates with the fuel and causes further damage. The different ignition systems mean that neither fuel will burn correctly in the wrong engine, potentially causing damage to the engine itself and to elements like the catalytic converter in modern cars. In a petrol engine, the unburned diesel may get past the piston rings into the petrol engine's oil system, contaminating and overloading it. Seals and gaskets may also be damaged in both engines if exposed to substances they are not designed to resist. To sum up: the wrong fuel will cause the engine to run very badly or not at all and may cause mechanical damage. There's a little information here from the UK's AA motoring association, but there's plenty more out there to read. - Karenjc 20:39, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

As above, but apart from their similarity in having reciprocating pistons, they're fundamentally different engines. Gasoline engines are Otto cycle engines which uses modest compression and spark ignition, requiring a relatively light, volatile fuel. Diesel engines are compression-ignition engines that ignite a relatively heavy, non-volatile fuel purely through extreme compression. They are fundamentally incapable of using each others' fuels in any meaningful way for more than a few moments. Putting gasoline into a modern diesel engine will destroy the fuel system. Putting diesel into a gasoline engine will be marginally less destructive, but either way it'll cause expensive repairs, and isn't covered under warranty.Acroterion (talk) 21:07, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

This is correct for normal engines in consumer cars. But it is possible to build Diesel engines that can run on essentially anything that has low enough viscosity to get into the cylinder (and that includes stuff that needs to be pre-heated to flow) and will provide enough energy - see Diesel engine#Fuel_and_fluid_characteristics. I've heard claims that the engine of a Leopard II tank can run on melted margarine, although I wouldn't go quite so far. On the other extreme, some Diesel engines can run on alcohol or even wood gas. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 10:48, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Yes, in principal diesel engines are less fussy about their fuel, but in practice they're, if anything, more so in most vehicles. Acroterion (talk) 15:32, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

I recently had an old Peugeot hatchback and in a bit of a rush in a dimly lit garage, put unleaded petrol in the tank instead of diesel. Being in a hurry, I took a chance and poured a similar amount of diesel on top and hoped for the best. It ran very lumpily and was reluctant to start for the next few days but eventually returned to normal. Several friends told stories about having injectors replaced, or in the case of a Land Rover Discovery, a complete engine rebuild, after similar mistakes. A few weeks later, the head gasket failed in spectacular fashion putting it beyond economic repair - I'm not sure if this was connected to the fuel error, but I suspect that the advice given above; "Don't start it!" is almost certainly correct. Alansplodge (talk) 17:25, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Hurricane Sandy roof repairs

Hurricane Sandy roof damage to my house.

Is the missing piece called roof flashing ? And, is this the type of thing which needs to be repaired immediately, or could it wait until spring ? (I'm guessing immediate repairs are needed). StuRat (talk) 22:03, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

It's aluminum rake trim, probably not very vital, though a wind-driven rain could get behind the exposed top of the siding and go who knows where, particularly if you don't have building paper behind the siding or if the base flashing at the lower roof isn't installed right. It ought to be fixed, but it's not extremely pressing (at least until the leak announces itself). Acroterion (talk) 22:29, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Yes, according to the engineer I just called, it is called flashing and it is important to fix before the winter season for the reason noted above. I don't think putting it off is worth the hassle you'll have when it becomes a problem, which it eventually will. μηδείς (talk) 22:40, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, given the current demand for repair services, putting it off for at least a couple of weeks might be reasonable. Looie496 (talk) 15:13, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

The main issue I see is that once deprived of the support afforded by the rake trim, the top bit of siding (which is hard to fasten and usually poorly supported) will want to fall off, followed by the rest. It looks like this was a re-siding job over some other substrate, so it's anybody's guess whether the base flashing (where the gable meets the roof) is properly installed to direct leakage back out. Acroterion (talk) 15:30, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

I had assumed StuRat wanted to delay because he didn't want to get up there himself. But yes, we probably shouldn't be hit by such a big storm again soon, and certainly not without warning. Checking here regularly will help. μηδείς (talk) 16:41, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

I'm not an expert, but I'd assume snow getting in there could be an issue. Plus insurance might not cover it if you wait too long (that part is purely speculative) Hot Stop (Edits) 23:26, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

• Round 2? Forecasters predict nor'easter may hit East Coast election day μηδείς (talk) 15:57, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Not forgetting the 70 people who died in 5 Caribbean nations before it ever reached the US. We don't seem to hear much about them, or the destruction their communities have been left to repair. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 23:10, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Sadly, that's because there's nothing unusual about hurricanes doing that in the Caribbean. StuRat (talk) 23:16, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

There's nothing unusual about twisters causing (death and) destruction in the mid west every year, but we sure hear a lot about them. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 23:31, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Twisters that kill a person or two are quite rare, and only those extremely rare outbreaks that kill many more than that make it beyond local headlines, Jack. Take it from someone who's been within sight of half a dozen, had a shed blown 1,000 ft by one, and been in a car rocked near tipping by another. μηδείς (talk) 00:33, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

UST party

On my absentee ballot there was (UST) after some candidate's names where party affiliation such as (rep)republican or (dem)democrat appeared for other candidates. What does UST stand for? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Grnmtnpr (talk • contribs) 23:25, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan, assuming you're in Michigan. Marnanel (talk) 23:34, 31 October 2012 (UTC)