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June 16

Size of a standard household match?

Hi,

Example of image with a match for scale

Pretty often, in Wikipedia or elsewhere, a match is used to help visualizing the size of an object (for example see side image), but I was unable to find the actual size of a match on the Match wiki page.

Is there a standard? If it exists what is it? And could this be added to the Match page?

Thanks,

Yannick --YannickPatois (talk) 10:12, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

The only standard I can find is the European standard EN 1783:1997 (and nationally adopted standards based on that) which says that the length of the wood shaft, not including the head, should be not less than 27mm. It also specifies some pretty wide margins (around 10%) for the variability of matches that is acceptable within a given matchbox. I don't think it specifies a maximum length or any standard lengths beyond that. In general the use of household items to give scale in Wikipedia images isn't a very wise idea, as your question illustrates. A particularly common case is where people use coins and banknotes for scale; Wikimedia Commons has info about their deprecation of that practice here; they recommend including a ruler in images where scale is relevant. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 10:34, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps it should be included in list of unusual units of measurement.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:03, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

I don't know if there's a US standard, but I just measured a stick match (as opposed to a matchbook match) at about 2 ¼ inches ( 5.5 cm ) long. This is from a box of "kitchen" matches (a large box of matches for household use), which to me look slightly longer (perhaps by ¼ inch or 0.5 cm or so) than normal matchbox matches (small boxes that a smoker may carry around), though unfortunately I don't have any of those handy for comparison. Then, of course, there are fireplace matches, which are probably about 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) long, though it's obvious in your picture that the match is not a fireplace match. -- 174.31.219.218 (talk) 16:05, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

I just measured a British Swan Vesta (a leading brand of "pocket" match) at 33mm (exposed shaft) + 4mm(head) -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 16:16, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

"Scottish Heather" 41mm overall, "Ship" 44mm overall, "Out and About" waterproof 49mm overall, Bryant and May "Extra Long" 95mm overall. DuncanHill (talk) 22:51, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Hmm! A bit of a tangent, but, when I lived in Scotland, the popular match was the "Scottish Bluebell". Is "Scottish Heather" some sort of rip-off cheap brand, or have they renamed it? Tevildo (talk) 22:13, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I am as nearly certain as I can be without actually having the matchbox in front of me that it is still "Scottish Bluebell". Angus McLellan (Talk) 22:36, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Maybe someone at Wikipedia:WikiProject Measurement can answer the questions.

—Wavelength (talk) 00:07, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Mail from the USA to Canada

If someone in Washington, USA state mailed something to Ontario, Canada, at what point would it cross the border? The way I see it, it either crosses right away into British-Columbia and goes eastwards through Canada, or it goes eastwards through the USA and crosses through Michigan/New York. Also, since the postage is paid to USPS, who pays Canada Post for delivering the mail? --The Dark Side (talk) 14:20, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Can't help with the first half of your question, but for the second, see Universal Postal Union. By the terms of this agreement, the originating country retains the postage fee. Rojomoke (talk) 14:44, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Most mail these days would go by air if travelling those sorts of distances, so the point of 'border crossing' would be far more fluid and hard to specify, granted standard flight routes, etc. The question would really only be valid for surface mail, where a specific point of border crossing could be defined. For surface mail, at a guess I'd think it would travel through the US for the major part of the trip, but with some mail routes I actually know about they're often far from sensible in a commonsense sort of way (for example if I send a letter to the next town 30 km away, it travels (surface mail) via my nearest capital city, a total trip of almost 800 km.) --jjron (talk) 15:09, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

I would guess that pragmatically, the trip across the U.S. would be faster; the most likely border crossing would be at Detroit/Windsor to minimize transit time, if you were shipping it via truck. In the U.S., there are cross-country freeway routes which have mostly 70 MPH speed limits. The Trans-Canada highway route would be longer (taking a more circuitous route around the Great Lakes) and many stretches of it is of a lower grade of road, being mostly two-lane undivided highway with lower speed limits (excepting some patches, like between Banff and Calgary). The speed limit varies from 110 km/hr (68 mph) on the freeway sections down to 90 km/hr (55 mph) for much of the rural areas in Western Ontario. Another logical border croosing may be at Sault Ste. Marie. I wouldn't think it would cross at Vancouver and go west from there; that would seem to take longer. --Jayron32 15:37, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Considering that the USPS gets to keep the postage paid on a letter to Canada, all other things being equal, it would be in the interest of the USPS to get a letter to Canada by the least expensive means that is consistent with the standard of service. As I understand it, any first-class letter in the United States that is traveling more than about 24 hour's journey by truck will be sent by air mail instead. I am guessing that the same applies in Canada and that the two have an agreement to handle letters between them the same way. That said, in this case, I would suspect that a letter from Washington would travel first to a hub near Seattle (perhaps by way of a more local hub such as Spokane for eastern Washington), then from that hub to a hub near Vancouver, then by air to Canada Post's air mail hub nearest its destination in Ontario to its destination (probably Toronto for most destinations in Ontario, perhaps Montreal for far eastern Ontario or Winnipeg for western Ontario). From that air mail hub, the letter would go to a local distribution hub within Ontario, then to the post office where the letter carrier collects mail for delivery. For parcels that go by surface mail, I still think the USPS will try to minimize its costs by getting the parcel to Canada by the least expensive means possible. Again, I think this would mean first to a hub near Seattle (perhaps via a more local hub), then by truck to Canada Post's Vancouver area hub. Then I would think that the parcel would travel by truck on the slower Trans-Canada Highway, since this would minimize the cost to the USPS. (By contrast and for the same reason, a parcel or letter sent from Ontario to Washington state would probably enter the US at the nearest border crossing to the nearest Canada Post hub, probably Niagara Falls in many cases.) Marco polo (talk) 18:39, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

i produce very litle spems when making love ,why?

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

---

I produce very little spems when making love , why? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.246.55.139 (talk) 16:41, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Semen quality. --Onorem♠Dil 16:44, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

• No medical advice i kan reed (talk) 17:26, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

• • Being single-celled organisms, all sperms are very little. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:42, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

• I don't know, this sperm is pretty big. StuRat (talk) 23:30, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

The relevant Wikipedia references are Ejaculate#Volume (illustrated) and Hypospermia. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:11, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

June 17

Cold beer

Is there any legislation that either forces or prohibits certain beer stores from keeping their beer refridgerated? I was having a conversation about this with some coworkers and some suggested that local authorities force certain types of licensed stores to sell or even stock only cold beer as a means to artificially limit the amount of alcohol at the establishment. Another guy suggested something to the opposite effect, that certain types of licensed liquor stores are not allowed to refidgerate their product, in order to reduce the ammount of beer purchased and consumed in public in the surrounding area and the associated social problems. I'm just wondering, does anyone have any concrete examples of either of these, or any other laws requiring, prohibiting, or limiting the refridgeration of alcohol sold at private beer stores anywhere? Roberto75780 (talk) 02:44, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Oxford, Mississippi (home of Ole Miss) cannot sell cold beer. Part of the weird Blue laws in this state. In a nearby community, Water Valley, believe it or not, you can buy or sell liquor, but it's illegal to sell or possess beer there. Quinn ^{❀ BEAUTIFUL DAY} 03:03, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Each state's alcohol laws are unique. Dry state and Dry county have some possibly useful information. One of the odder oddities is that the famous Jack Daniel's is manufactured in a dry county. They're allowed to make it there in Lynchburg, Tennessee, but cannot sell it there, with some exceptions. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:16, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I always liked the fact that gas stations sold cold beer, even though the person who is supposed to be using the gas station should not be drinking. Googlemeister (talk) 20:07, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Then you must love seeing drive-thru windows at beer selling gas stations. Dismas|^(talk) 20:58, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

From time to time, one will encounter automobiles that can comfortably accommodate more than one passenger. In many places, you may also be shocked to discover that individuals are capable of buying groceries and not consuming all of them before they return to their homes.... TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:12, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Generally speaking, open liquor in cars is illegal, no matter who's opening it. However, they might be about to drive someplace close enough to where the beer will still be cold when they get there. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:22, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I have never heard of laws forcing stores to sell only cold beer. However, I have heard of laws banning the sale of cold beer in stores to discourage people from buying beer for immediate consumption. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:00, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I don't think beer being cold would limit consumption. However, some mixed drinks are blended with crushed ice, and that does limit the rate at which you can consume it, since you'd get brain freeze if you tried to slam it. StuRat (talk) 23:20, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

caffeine fatality

Are there any reported cases of caffeine fatality from someone drinking a massive amount of coffee, rather than from ingesting caffeine pills? --CGPGrey (talk) 07:10, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Don't know, but this site - Death by Caffeine - claims to be able to calculate how much would kill you for a range of coffees, soft drinks, energy drinks, etc. If we assume an average bodyweight of 170 lb / 77 kg it claims it would take 203 cups of instant coffee, 108 cups of brewed coffee, or 150 espressos. I'm not entirely sure of it's basis for the calculations, and no indication of the time frame is given (so presumably this is just "drunk as quickly as you can"). This page on the site says "No one has died (as far as we know) from drinking too many soft drinks. However people have died from overdosing on caffeine pills." Hopefully someone can find something more definite. --jjron (talk) 14:25, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

My guess is even though caffeine may be a diuretic, water intoxication is going to kill you before caffeine does. This would definitely seem to be the case if you really have to drink 108 cups. Nil Einne (talk) 14:58, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

[1] suggests 100 cups is about correct but thats the estimated Median lethal dose in humans (I'm not sure how it was estimated). Obviously many people are going to die before consuming the LD50. It also has some discussion of water intoxication but that part isn't visible to me. It also mentions the case of child (age not mentioned) who died after consuming 5.5 grams of caffeine which it says is about the equivalent of 5 cups. Depending on age this sounds like it could happen even if still unlikely. Nil Einne (talk) 15:10, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm sure I've read about people killing themselves by eating coffee grounds, but I can't find a link right now. APL (talk) 02:05, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Three citizenships

I will put flagicons to make this easier. So I am currently a United States citizen . My girlfriend, who is a dual Israeli and Norwegian citizen was thinking I should get citizenship in the UK and we could move there along with her girlfriend who is a British citizen . I also want to get Israeli citizenship though at some point. Would it be possible for me to gain British citizenship , and then Israeli (through the law of return) and retain all three ()? If so, what problems could arise from having the three other than not being able to visit the majority of Muslim-majority nations (at least if I am using an Israeli passport)? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 11:34, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

You will be able to retain your US Citizenship as well as your UK Citizenship while a citizen of Israel. Please see Multiple citizenship for any scruples you may have. Schyler (one language) 12:58, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Under what criteria do you think you would qualify for UK citizenship? --TammyMoet (talk) 13:04, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Pretty sure this falls into the category of legal advice, which is not allowed i kan reed (talk) 13:57, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

British nationality law lists several ways of obtaining UK citizenship: By birth (born in the UK), by descent (parents were UK citizens), by adoption (before 18, though, as the UK doesn't do adult adoptions), by registration (need to be a British national, e.g. from a British Overseas Territory), and by naturalisation. If you're not married to a UK citizen, the requirements for naturalisation are listed as including 5 years residence in the UK, an intent to remain in the UK, being "of good character", and passing exams on language competency and knowledge of UK life. It possible, but really isn't something to undertake on a whim. -- 174.31.219.218 (talk) 15:19, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I looked into emigration to the UK at one point some years back. If you are wealthy enough to support yourself from your investment income as a retired person of independent means (not my situation), I believe you can get a renewable resident visa that would let you live in the UK the 5 years needed to apply for citizenship. Otherwise, you will need a working visa, and those are harder to obtain for non-EU nationals without British parents or close relatives living in the UK. In essence, either you have to get a company based in the UK to sponsor you by making a case that they need your services for crucial business reasons, and that no British national could offer the same qualifications as you; or else, you need to offer some set of skills that the UK border agency has determined are in high demand (a demand not being met by British workers). See this page for more information. Marco polo (talk) 16:09, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

None of those three countries prohibit multiple citizenship, so you should be fine. (Also, while you noted not to use your Israeli passport to enter some Muslim countries, you should also avoid using any countries' passport if it has an Israeli stamp in it. In the US, you can get a second passport that is valid for two years to visit those other countries.) ^Avic_ennasis @ 16:12, 15 Sivan 5771 / 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Ah neat, thanks. I checked out the multiple citizenship article before and wasn't 100% sure. =p For British citship, we are both going to be doctors, and I was thinking that made one Tier 2 or something and doctors are always in demand everywhere, right? Oh my, is it really legal advice? O_O I hadn't thought of that, sorry, I was thinking it was like a general q. I can destroy any exam, happily. Hmmm, if this is legal advice, maybe I'll ask an immigration lawyer in the UK (when I get the chance) if it is possible to have my gf as both my wife and her gf's same-sex partner (complex relationship) recognised. Very unorthodox, but it would be interesting. Yep, when I got my latest passport last year, I said, right after I entered Israel, "I just invalidated this passport in 15 different countries" (or something along those lines, I know the number is wrong). Thanks all. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 19:05, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

You may want to consult an actual lawyer before doing all this, though. From what I've read multiple citizenship can cause tax problems, and irritating paperwork hassles. If you're of draft age you'd really want to check with a lawyer before becoming a citizen of Israel. APL (talk) 22:36, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Yep yep, I know. =p This is in the future though, after med school (so in about six years, maybe seven). I'm 21, so I would have been in the military if I had the citship now. I plan on serving in the IDF as a doctor anyway so the military service isn't of concern. Taxes are a concern though, so I'd have to find a specialist for that. My mom and dad were cool with it, but they're ERISA and corporate lawyers respectively, so not much help. =p Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 23:36, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I had planned to mention something similar earlier but then noticed the OP was already a US citizen. I believe the US is the only area of concern because most other countries go by tax residence which depends on stuff like where you live (usually more than 183 days in year in one country means you're a tax resident there) and potentially other things if that doesn't resolve it like whether and where you have a home, where your family lives etc but usually with only limited consideration of citizenship (if any). Definitely that's the case for the UK [2] and Israel [3]. The US is one of the few countries which taxes their citizens regardless of where they live, although double taxation agreements and exemptions under US law may help. In other words, the primary issue of concern is likely to be where the OP resides not what citizenship they have and taking up the other citizenships are not going to significantly change that. I presume of course the OPs plans are likely independent of what citizenship they take up and the OP is not likely to renounce their US citizenship. I do agree that OP needs to seek professional advice, e.g. [4] (which mentions the person's cat) shows these things can be complicated even when not involving citizenship. Nil Einne (talk) 05:02, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

piped link?

I sometimes see "piped link" mentioned on various wikipedia pages, what are those? 69.154.180.133 (talk) 17:25, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

See the page hot munchkin insanity -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 17:30, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Well cool Finlay! ;)) Richard Avery (talk) 18:07, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

"Pipe" is a nickname for "vertical bar", which is what it really is. :| You can make the link look similar to what you're linking to, or not, depending on whether you want to parallel a pipe edit. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:41, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

It's useful for linking to articles where the name would look out of place in the text [[articlename:cat|texttodisplay:kitty]] result: kitty, as well as smart remarks on Talk pages. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 23:40, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Mountains

Right. This's been bugging me for long enough to finally merit a proper answer, even though it sounds kinda dumb. Can ANYONE explain why mountains are colder? Especially when convection currents make HOT air rise UP, and cold air go down. Shouldn't plain land be colder in that case? And, aren't mountains physically "nearer" the sun? o_O 110.225.189.251 (talk) 19:44, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

The short answer is that the atmosphere is heated by the ground, not by the sun directly, because the atmosphere is transparent and doesn't absorb (much) solar radiation (in the infra-red and visible). Troposphere#Temperature goes into some mathematical detail. Tevildo (talk) 20:01, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Also, at best, the top of mount everest would be something like 1/160,000th of a percent closer to the sun then sea level, so that impact would be negligible. Googlemeister (talk) 20:04, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

But even then, the air heated by the ground will rise up, and the mountains should be getting droughts of hot air from below, right? 110.225.189.251 (talk) 20:07, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Droughts of hot air? - not really. Maybe you're thinking of draughts (but not the board game). -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 21:23, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Hot air rises, but it doesn't "stay hot". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:20, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

In particular, it expands since the pressure is lower. This expansion cools it. We have, of course, an article at (Adiabatic) Lapse rate. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 21:31, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Lower air pressure corresponds to "thinner" air, right? And obviously the air gets thinner as you ascend, especially about 20,000 feet or so, hence the need for oxygen bottles when climbing high mountains. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:37, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

If the OP thinks that the air temperature must increase monotonically from the surface of the Earth all the way to the Sun, then think about aircraft flying at 10,000 ft. They'd be flying through super-hot air. And think about skydivers - they'd be jumping into super-hot air, getting fried in the process. But we all know this isn't so. The further you get above the Earth, the colder - not hotter - it gets, and iy only starts to get warmer when we get close to the Sun. By "close", I mean it would take an Earth spaceship travelling at supersonic speed many years to get there. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 22:06, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Actually, that's not quite true. The temperature tends to rise and fall in different layers; in fact its the changes of temperature that generally define the layers. The temeperature falls as you move up though the troposphere and reaches a minimum at the tropopause and increases as you move up though the stratosphere; reaching a local maximum at the stratopause. When you get to the thermosphere temperatures can reach 2500K, yet if you were sitting uninsulated in the thermosphere, you would freeze to death. That's because the air is so sparse, you would cool off radiatively faster than the the 2500K air could heat you up; that is though the air molecules have 2500K worth of kinetic energy, there are so few of them that they don't transfer enough energy to you to keep you warm. This of course has nothing to do with the proximity to the sun, given that moving from the earth's surface to the thermosphere you pass through the equivalent of the skin on an apple; if the apple was in say New York and the sun was in Los Angeles. In other words, you have not moved significantly closer to the sun (and you'd only be close to the sun for 1/2 the day, for the other half you'd be the same distance but now farther from the sun; so on average through the course of the day, floating in the thermosphere, you'd be the same average distance from the sun.) Also, since the tallest mountains still lie within the troposphere, it is still colder at the top than at the bottom... --Jayron32 22:49, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the nuances I omitted (because I was totally unaware of them). -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 02:48, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

See Thermosphere.—Wavelength (talk) 22:38, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

Another factor to consider is that the sunlight which is delivered to the Earth also radiates back into space, as infrared, mainly. The tops of mountains, being closer to space, with less air between to absorb the heat, radiate that energy back out more efficiently. StuRat (talk) 23:27, 17 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm surprise no one mention orographic lifting (from the article: As the (hot) air mass gain altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically). When hot air rise up the gas expand due to lower pressure (the lower pressure is cause by 1) higher altitude and 2) removal of water vapor in the form of rain) and the temperature drop (see adiabatic cooling). Royor (talk) 07:31, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Meteorologist jumping in here; the explanations offered above are partially right, but not entirely. This question is actually quite difficult to answer to a lay person, but I'll give it my best.

The notion that "warm air rises", while true in basic principle, is an immense over-simplification. In reality, whether or not a given blob of air will rise has to do with and the fact that the atmosphere must always be in a stable arrangement, with air density higher the closer you are to the ground, which is dependent on the vertical temperature profile, or lapse rate. As some have mentioned above, the reason air is warmer at the surface is because that is where solar heating occurs; light passes through the (mostly) transparent atmosphere on the way down, strikes the earth, and is partially absorbed, heating the ground or whatever surface it happens to strike. This heat is then transferred by conduction (and other, more complicated processes) to the lowest few meters of the air near the ground, and then turbulence will cause the warmer air to mix upwards. However, as a given blob of air rises, its pressure decreases, and, by the ideal gas law, its temperature will also decrease. This decrease is constant for Earth's atmosphere, and is approximately 9.8 °C (17.6 °F) per kilometer (0.62 miles); this is known as the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Due to the competing effects of warming at the surface and cooling as areas of air rise, the lapse rate in the atmosphere is typically around 4-6 degrees Celsius per kilometer (12-17 degrees Fahrenheit per mile), so on a typical day, if the temperature at the surface were 70 °F (21 °C) at the surface, it would be about 60 °F (16 °C) at the top of a nearby 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) tall mountain. However, this is highly changeable on a daily basis; meteorologists release weather balloons twice a day around the world to determine the temperature (among other things) throughout the atmosphere vertically, which allows the calculation of this lapse rate at different levels each day.

A blob of air will rise if it is less dense than the surrounding air. Left on its own, density will always decrease with increasing height, since gravity pulls harder on denser air; this is a stable arrangement, which is what you are hearing when TV meteorologists talk about the "stability" of the atmosphere on a given day. However, heating the air at the surface decreases its density, which in turn decreases the stability. If you heat the air at the surface enough, you can reach a critical point where the air at the surface is less dense than the air just above it, and convection will occur; air will rise at the surface and be replaced by relatively cooler air from surrounding areas. It turns out that if you heated the air to the point where the surface air was exactly as dense as the air above it, the lapse rate would be 9.8 °C (17.6 °F) per kilometer (0.62 miles); the same dry adiabatic lapse rate I mentioned before! This is the absolute limit to how quickly the air can cool with height in our atmosphere, since if this lapse rate is exceeded, convection will instantly begin, and the sun can not heat the surface fast enough to sustain this sort of dry convection. This also determines the rate at which a given blob of air which rises (sinks) will cool (warm), assuming that it happens fast enough that there is no conduction with the surrounding air. I hope this is a helpful and understandable explanation!-RunningOnBrains^(talk) 07:06, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

June 18

hallmark 777 on jewellery, does anyone know what this indicates?

Have been given a gold coloured bracelet stamped "777", can anyone help me to understand this stamp? Many thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by Freya123 (talk • contribs) 00:20, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

777 (number) is a good article to start with. Schyler (one language) 04:17, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

I don't see anything in that article that could possibly be helpful. Staecker (talk) 11:38, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Possibly it is the millesimal fineness of the metal (although that number is not explicitly listed in the article). Mitch Ames (talk) 06:27, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

If it is, that would indicate approx. 18-1/16 carat gold, which seems a strange figure - but certainly a possibility. -- PhantomSteve.alt/talk\^{[alternative account of Phantomsteve]} 18:24, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

There is a jewelry company that (apparently) operates under the name 777 Jewelry and (definitely) has a website at 777jewelry.com - so it might be their branding rather than a hallmark, which I would have expected to have additional symbols rather than a bare 3-figure number. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.201.110.145 (talk) 11:07, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

The first thought that came to my mind, and why I linked to the article, is the Biblical importance of 3 7's. Like 3 6's, which means complete imperfection, 3 7's symbolizes complete, heavenly perfection. Indeed, many believe the circle to be a reflection of the Most Perfect. Schyler (one language) 13:05, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

The 777 symbol is mentioned at various jewelry sites on the web, but if there is any valid information, it is mixed up with so much misinformation and bogosity that it would take an expert to parse -- it looks like jewelry draws a major share of web parasites. I don't think I would trust anybody except a professional jeweler for an answer. Looie496 (talk) 18:02, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

I can find no independent reliable sources for information - have you looked at WikiProject Gemology and Jewelry to see if there are any useful links there - or perhaps contact one of the named participants there. If you contact one of them, please refer to this discussion and explain that no one who responded here could give a definitive answer. Regards, -- PhantomSteve.alt/talk\^{[alternative account of Phantomsteve]} 18:19, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

brown bayley steels apprenticeship records

I served my apprenticeship at brown bayleys between 1970 &1974 i have lost my papers and am trying to find any way to get a copy of them178.105.111.108 (talk) 08:40, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

No one here has copies of your papers. You will need to contact brown bayleys.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:49, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

We have a (poorly referenced and incomplete) article about this company under the title Brown Bayley Steels which is mostly written in the past tense, suggesting that the company is defunct but giving no explicit information. Other websites found by googling 'Brown Bayleys' (aka Brown, Bayleys) give a similar impression that it no longer exists.

The existing company Sheffield Forgemasters International is the culmination of many mergers/takovers between British steel companies, but the company history presented on their website here suggests that Brown Bayleys was not one of them (the 'John Brown & Co' component of 'Firth Brown Steels' aka Brown Firth, which was absorbed into SFI's 'industrial ancestry' seems to be a different firm, connected only by the prominent engineer Harry Brearley who apparently left Brown Firth to join Brown Bayleys at one point.)

However, if you were to contact Sheffield Forgemasters via their website, someone there might be able to give you more information about Brown, Bayleys' eventual fate, and whether any existing company might have inherited their records. {The poster formerly known as 97.91.230.195} 90.201.110.145 (talk) 11:55, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

They appear to have deposited their papers in Sheffield Archives when they went out of business in 1981. I would suggest contacting them, but they are closed for refurbishment at the moment - there should be a way of getting in touch via the Library in Sheffield. The other place you can try is Cutlers Hall, but that's a bit of a long shot. Here is a link to the National Archives record for their deposit. It also contains a link to Sheffield Archives records. --TammyMoet (talk) 12:34, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

According to this somewhat incidental mention (see p. 5), by the mid-1970s they were a subsidiary of Dunford & Elliott, which was then bought by Lonrho. The papers here are presumably deposited when the original owners sold out in 1973, and I'd guess that any employee files would have been carried over to the new owners (especially since the OP says he worked there until 1974, so it'd have been an active file.) However, Lonrho (now Lonmin) sold off everything but the mining parts of the business in the past decade. You could try contacting them to ask for advice - they may be able to tell you who ended up with the remaining Brown Bayleys papers. Shimgray | talk | 21:51, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

SUMMONSES IN IRELAND

Can anyone tell me if an independant public body has authority to issue criminal proceedings in ireland ? i have always thought that is was only the DPP/ gardai who could so, but civil summons is open to all ? private criminal summons-independant bodie's would this be correct because if so the any independant body can issue criminal proceedings--making the role of DPP/ gardai dyseunctional ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Britvic55 (talk • contribs) 09:45, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

The Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851, according to the Irish Citizens Information Board, is "usually used in private prosecutions where, for example, individuals are having difficulties with neighbours. It is rarely used by the Gardaí. The complainant goes before a District Court judge and makes the complaint either orally or in writing, with or without an oath, as the judge decides. The information the complainant provides should contain brief particulars of: Name and address of the alleged offender; Name and address of the complaintant; The basic facts of the alleged offence, including when it is alleged to have been committed; if possible the piece of legislation which applies to the offence. When the information has been put before the judge, he/she must decide whether it justifies a summons. If the judge issues a summons it will require the alleged offender to appear at a sitting of the court." So private individuals combined with a District Court judge may issue summons.

The separate procedure commonly used by government authorities to initiate criminal cases is the Courts (No. 3) Act 1986. Under this law, "the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, a member of the Garda Siochana or any other person statutorily authorised to prosecute offences" may commence judicial proceedings.

There is a separate procedure for civil summons used to commence proceedings in the District Court. For these, typically a plaintiff's solicitor will draw up a summons and pay a stamp duty on it, the District Court Office will write on it a date, time and place for the court hearing, and the civil summons is served on the Defendant. Neutrality^talk 09:36, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

lizard lunch

Supposing hypothetically someone found a baby lizard, one that had become separated from the nest and its mother and had hatched out there instead, rather than abandoning it to fend for itself, they might try looking after it by themselves. However, not knowing what it is, what sorts of different things might they try feeding it, to see which it likes? How might they try to identify it as well, seeing as it isn't anything found wild in that area, it would presumably be some sort of escaped pet.

85.210.123.180 (talk) 15:11, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

I note that your IP geolocates to England. There are only three species of lizard native to England, and two of them are rare, so it is most likely that you have found a common lizard. Our article tells you what they eat: bugs, mostly. (If that doesn't match, you are probably right that it is an escaped pet, and it will be hard to identify without a photo.) Looie496 (talk) 17:57, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

A pet shop might be able to identify it or, if it's more exotic, a zoo. Wikipedia Refdeskers will give it a go if provided with a photo, though. Only once it is identified can we know what it eats (although insects is a pretty good guess for most of the lizards it's likely to be). --Tango (talk) 00:35, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Also note that a lot of reptile species do not get much in the way of parental care like we mammals do, so it being separated from its mother might not have been an abnormal or bad thing. Googlemeister (talk) 16:01, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Danger on your website

I used your site on June 16 via Google. I was looking for information about the president of Argentina. When I clicked on a picture of her featured in your site I was imediatly attacked by a company called who claim to be able to clean my system for a fee. They contine to forward filth pop up sites in a random fashion. The only way to get rid of it appears to be to pay the fee. Please look into this, You should be responsible for keeping your pages free from this kind of blackmail. Please reply!!! Dave D. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.231.245.45 (talk) 17:03, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

File:Mensaje de fin de año de la Presidenta (cropped).jpg is fine. -- SGBailey (talk) 17:41, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

There is no way Wikipedia can cause that problem. Your system is infected, and you should remove the villain as quickly as possible. If you search Google for "Mac Shield", you will find a bunch of sites telling you how to remove it -- I won't direct you to one in particular, because I am not familiar with this problem. To repeat: the danger is not on this website, it is inside your computer, and it did not get there from here. Looie496 (talk) 17:50, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Unfortunately, "Mac Shield" is only relevant if the OP has an Apple Macintosh. In the more likely event that the OP has a computer running Windows, there is a whole group of malware that issues fake virus warnings in an effort to get you to buy a product; this is called scareware and is probably one (or more) of the malware programs mentioned in the list of rogue security software. Do not, under any circumstances, buy the product; it will almost certainly open your computer to more infections and your name will be added to a "list of suckers". The result will be a deluge of spam, more malware on your computer, and numerous fraudulant transactions against your credit-card and bank account. Astronaut (talk) 10:02, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps you made a false assumption about where the picture was. If I do a Google search on "Cristina Fernández de Kirchner" then the first hit is the Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristina_Fern%C3%A1ndez_de_Kirchner. Below that is a heading saying Images for "Cristina Fernández de Kirchner" with images from various websites. Only one of them is from Wikipedia. I don't want to click the others if they can cause infections. PrimeHunter (talk) 21:59, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Also be aware that there are numerous rip off websites that are basically copies of Wikipedia with added spam or malware content. Make sure the Wikipedia you are visiting adheres to the "[language].wikipedia.org"-name. --Saddhiyama (talk) 08:32, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Details of a well known Business man in Srilanka is not avalable in WIKI

Hi,

Im writing this to bring to your notice that a well known businessman, former Chairman of the BOARD OF INVESTMENT OF SRILANKA & the present Secretary to the TRANSPORT MINISTRY Mr. K.D.Dammika Perera's details are not there in Wiki base. If you can find and keep these updated that will be great.

Thanks & regards,

A WIKI FAN & READER

Y Suganthan from Srilanka — Preceding unsigned comment added by 175.157.6.235 (talk) 17:07, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

If this person is notable, then you can probably find biographical details from a reliable source. Feel free to be bold and create an article yourself :) SemanticMantis (talk) 17:37, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

He's mentioned in the article List of Sri Lankan non-career Permanent Secretaries#Businessmen. Is he related to the cricketer: Liyanage Dammika Indrajith Perera? Dbfirs 07:19, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

That's a fair question, but I must advise you that there are over 50 pages of Pereras and Pereiras in the Colombo phone book. Pere(i)ra is one of the most common names in Sri Lanka, even more common than Smith is in Anglo countries. Picking two Pereras at random is unlikely to find any common genealogy. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 12:53, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, that possibility occurred to me after I had asked the question. Is Dammika also a common forename? Dbfirs 16:19, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it seems to be. I've been doing some googling, and am getting some anomalous results:

* Dammika gets 190,000 ghits. But Dammika Sri Lanka gets 251,000. Work that one out, if you can.

* Dhammika gets 374,000 ghits, and Dhammika Sri Lanka 247,000. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 08:53, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the stats. I tried some arithmetic: If Perera is more common in Sri Lanka than Smith in the UK (1 in 120) then perhaps 1 in every 100 people there have that surname. Assuming also that 1 in every 100 Sri Lankans have Dammika as one of their forenames, and that these names are independent, then about 1 in 10,000 Sri Lankans will match what I thought was an interesting coincidence. With a population of 20 million, that means that about two thousand people in Sri Lanka are called Dammika Perera, so I agree, not a high probability that they are related. K.D.Dammika Perera sometimes has Dhammika spelt with the "h", and he gets quite a few mentions. I'm not sure whether there is enough detail available on the web to justify an article. Dbfirs 12:26, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

I still don't get how Dammika Sri Lanka gets about 40% more hits than just Dammika. Mathematics tells me it cannot possibly get any more hits, and logic and sense tell me it will almost certainly get fewer. Can anyone explain this to me? -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 13:07, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

There's been some discussion on this before on the RD and it also matters when people try to use the number of hits to determine something like notability or common usage. (See Wikipedia:Search engine test#Google unique page count issues.) Basically the number of hits is an estimate [5] and often not a very good one at that. It can vary depending on many factors. Also Google cannot even show results past 1000. In your particular case, one thing to be aware of is Google by default doesn't require the exact word appear on the exact page, particularly important when you have multiple search terms. +Dammika +Sri +Lanka gets 67,500 results. Nil Einne (talk) 15:24, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Dogs And psoriasis

I have a small dog and he has lost all his hair and has sores that scab up and flake off just like when a human that has psoriasis.

Can dogs get psoriasis like humans and what can one do to treat it.

I have tried many types of remedies and it seams to start to go away but then comes back.

Each time it comes back it seams to get worse what can i do to get rid of this skin irritation.

Thank You

Tim D. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.200.247.17 (talk) 19:13, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

I suggest you take your dog to the vet. --Tango (talk) 20:02, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

We cannot offer medical advice. Please see the medical disclaimer. Contact a Veterinarian.

Yes, take you dog to a vet, so it can be checked for mange. StuRat (talk) 23:48, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

West Highland Terriers are particularly prone to this sort of condition. Vets are well used to treating it, so our advice is to get your dog to a vet. --TammyMoet (talk) 07:21, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

antique cast iron foot pedal

I need to know exactly what this is.It is a cast iron foot pedal that has a cylinder attched to it that has air holes and what looks like a wick. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.31.55.86 (talk) 21:42, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

A photo might help. Based on the description alone, it might be a Foot pump (on which we don't have an article? Huh?), or some sort of Fire extinguisher. Tevildo (talk) 22:07, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Googling around, I saw that the OP has asked at another site, and included a picture. On the basis of that picture I was able to locate an item of the same type being sold on EBay, at this page, where it is described as a "sewing machine rheostat". Looie496 (talk) 22:35, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

OK, based on that info I suspect that it was used to control the speed of an early electrical sewing machine. Why a foot pedal for that ? Presumably so both hands would be free to feed the fabric into the machine. StuRat (talk) 23:45, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Non-electric sewing machines also had foot pedals. This thing is definitely a foot pedal of something, but I don't get what the cylinder is for. I'll look up rheostat and see if I can grasp it... OK, so the point would be to regulate the speed, as you say. In the mechanical sewing machines, the speed was regulated by how fast or slow you pumped the pedal. In an electric machine, it's more like a car, i.e. the farther you push the pedal down, the faster it goes. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:02, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

So presumably it's an older version of the modern foot control for a sewing machine, the more you press it down the faster the machine goes. The foot pedal leaves both hands free as StuRat suggests, older sewing machines had a hand crank but feeding and manipulating material with one hand was difficult and slower. Richard Avery (talk) 07:17, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

You would still manipulate the initial positioning by hand. Once you get it to where you want, you would use the pedal to pull the pieces of cloth through and stitch them together. The speed you would use would depend on your comfort level and skill with sewing machines. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:42, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

The Sewing machine article suggests the foot pedal (i.e. the treadle) was invented not long after the sewing machine came along ca. 1850. Electric sewing machines were invented by the 1890s, and the article says something about the motors initially being external, so that cylindrical thing in the picture might actually be the motor. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:48, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Treadle. My grandmother left me a Singer treadle sewing machine, where a cast-iron panel was pushed up and down by the feet, which had a leather belt attached, which drove the needle. The hands were used to feed the cloth through. You might find this site of use. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:10, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

If you look at the EBay page I linked, you will see wires coming out of the cylindrical thing. The OP's pictures don't clearly show wires, but the OP mentioned a "wick" at the top, which surely is a wire that has been cut. So I don't think this is a treadle. Looie496 (talk) 17:41, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Tammy, my mother has always had a Singer treadle machine as long as I've been alive, but I don't think she uses it much anymore (if only because she doesn't do much sewing anymore). -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 19:39, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

"Foot pedal"? Is there any other kind? "Pedal... A lever operated by one's foot that is used to control a machine or mechanism, such as a bicycle or piano" [6] (see also [7]). AndyTheGrump (talk) 01:11, 20 June 2011 (UTC) ... or an aircraft rudder or a little boat. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 12:28, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

The Pedal article even has an editorial comment lecturing the reader not to say "foot pedal". That seems a bit heavy-handed. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:53, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Here's a hand-pedaled bicycle (which has three wheels to boot). -- BenRG (talk) 05:07, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Which district of Berlin is this?

I last visited Berlin in early autumn 2007. I remember visiting a wealthy commercial district in the west, where there were many corporate buildings and some remnants of the Berlin wall. There was also a metro station nearby, but that hardly helps, because there's metro stations everywhere in Berlin. What district could this be? JIP | Talk 21:44, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Have you tried Google Maps? They have a lot of international information nowadays, and you might be able to locate it that way. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:59, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Potsdamer Platz? Gabbe (talk) 13:24, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

I think it could be Potsdamer Platz. I remember there were sections of the Berlin wall put on display like those on the photograph here. JIP | Talk 21:11, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Definitely Potsdammer Platz. Here is google maps at the same spot. Fribbler (talk) 15:34, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

GPS maps

Hello all. I have a Garmin 1350 GPS and I will be in Europe for a few weeks and I would like to be able to use it in EUrope. Unfortunately it is not equipped with the maps for Europe, and to buy them would cost $79 which I'd rather use an old-fashioned map than pay. However, is there anywhere where I can get free maps that I can download to my GPS (with full functionality)? I was thinking an open-source project, but I am willing to download *cough* incoherent mumbling *cough* maps if necessary, as long as it's free. THank you. 72.128.95.0 (talk) 22:53, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

OpenSteetMapThat's a redlink? How sad. (which is CC-BY-SA) has a Garmin specific section that might cover you here. ^Avic_ennasis @ 23:27, 16 Sivan 5771 / 18 June 2011 (UTC)

It wouldn't be a redlink if you could spell "street"! ;) OpenStreetMap --Tango (talk) 23:33, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Spell-checker? What's that? ^Avic_ennasis @ 07:03, 17 Sivan 5771 / 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Witch spell-checker do you mean? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:39, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

June 19

Who is the oldest English person alive

Who is the oldest English person alive? Just Curious. Neptunekh2 (talk) 00:59, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Violet Wood at 111 years. See List of oldest living people by nation. Tevildo (talk) 01:07, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

More here. Alansplodge (talk) 16:05, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Can one get tan underwater?

When swimming in an outdoor pool, is one able to get tan? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.176.253.137 (talk) 01:14, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

One is not only able to get tan, one is able to get extremely sunburned -- especially if one lives in Phoenix. Looie496 (talk) 01:46, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Water does block UV radiation, but not all of it and only at significant depths. If you are scuba diving 10m down, then you're probably safe, but swimming at the surface isn't going to reduce your UV exposure much at all. It can also wash off sun screen, so you can actually tan/burn faster than you would otherwise. --Tango (talk) 15:03, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

And water also partially reflects UV radiation, so you're also getting a larger dose than you may think (i.e. direct from the sun and also reflected upwards from the water). A great way to get a sunburned head. Matt Deres (talk) 14:29, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Citizenship of a baby born to a US citizen mother in another country

The mother is a US citizen currently resident in France, her husband is a French citizen. What is the procedure that she must follow to ensure that her baby is recognized as a US citizen? The family are planning to move to the US some time after the child is born and would like to avoid any complications upon arrival. The child has been diagnosed with a disability so they are concerned that she will be eligible for the relevant social/medical service benefits and health insurance as a US citizen. Roger (talk) 13:04, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia's Reference Desk cannot – and should not be relied upon to – give legal advice regarding the acquisition of citizenship. (Bluntly, you shouldn't trust random strangers on the internet to give advice that can change people's lives, and the volunteers who respond to questions here are not in any way specially-qualified, nor are they representatives of the Wikimedia Foundation.) The family should contact the U.S. State Department through their local embassy or consulate for official advice on the appropriate paperwork: [8]. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:21, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict) This reference desk cannot provide you with binding legal advice, per WP:NOLEGAL. If you want real advice on this, you have to consult a lawyer or a U.S. official. That being said, this page seems relevant. The "social/medical service benefits and health insurance" situation might well depend on other issues than mere citizenship. Gabbe (talk) 13:23, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm not asking for a legal answer. My question is: "What is the procedure that she must follow to ensure that her baby is recognized as a US citizen?" The rest of the information I gave merely as the rationale for the question. An answer such as "Go to the US Embassy (1234 Whatever Street, Paris) and fill out form ABC-123/X 'Registration of birth of a US citizen in a foreign country' and pay a $10 fee." would do. Roger (talk) 13:55, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

This actually happened with one of my cousins (though both parents were US citizens), who was born in London. Idk what they did, but yeah, letting the embassy know seems to be best. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:01, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

The procedure she must follow is to contact her local consulate/embassy and seek specific, current, accurate advice. The responses you've been given already contain specific links to two U.S. government web pages which touch on the issue. It's not appropriate for us to interpret the rules and regulations beyond that, and you shouldn't rely on random Internet-dwelling strangers to spoon-feed you the information — particularly when you're dealing with an issue as important and sensitive as acquiring/asserting citizenship. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:18, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Whatever, the main info given was go to the embassy. That's not exactly unreliable or untrustworthy advice. If we keep screaming no legal advice and no medical advice in the way that it is being done here, it might make some people afraid to ask certain questions for fear that it might be broadly construed as falling into that category. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:26, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

The actual address is: Embassy of the United States, 2, avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris CEDEX 08, France, also on the Internet here or ici en francais and contactable by e-mail citizeninfo@state.gov. You want their form called "Department of State: Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America". You may contact me by e-mail to see an example reply from a US embassy. (post redacted) Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:56, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

A reply which is worse than useless, as it is a decade out of date, and deals with pre-9/11 policy and regulations. Since then, all of the agencies and paperwork involved have changed (certainly in name, and likely in substance). You should not rely on such old information, and you should rely even less on individuals who think that that type of badly-dated information would be helpful to you. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:01, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Roger, see the United States Department of State official information page on birth of American citizens abroad: http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/birth/birth_593.html. Neutrality^talk 17:53, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

I'll note that that exact link was in the very first response given to the question, by me, four hours ago. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 18:22, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Note that this not-yet-born child will be a U.S. citizen at birth if the U.S. citizen parent meets a presence-in-the-U.S. requirement and a genetic requirement: "...provided the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for the time period required by the law applicable at the time of the child's birth..." [see link for details] "The U.S. citizen parent must be genetically related to the child to transmit U.S. citizenship." (Elsewhere on the State Department's site) As TenOfAllTrades points out, the U.S. citizen parent is well advised to contact the U.S. consulate and get current instructions on how to document the child's status as an American citizen. --- OtherDave (talk) 19:31, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Lloyds TSB and Halifax

My local Branch of Halifax closed down recently, but there is a branch of Lloyds TSB in the same town. As a Halifax account holder can I use my Halifax account in my local Lloyds? 86.166.11.34 (talk) 14:00, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes. From the article you linked to, "Halifax is a trading name of Bank of Scotland, itself a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group."--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:13, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

I don't see why it follows that just because Halifax is now owned by Lloyds, you can now use a Halifax account in a Lloyds branch. The Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB websites don't list each others' branches on their branch finders. I can't see any information about this on the Halifax website - you should probably call them (even if you can't use the branch now, it is possible that they are planning to merge their systems in the future). 81.98.38.48 (talk) 15:27, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Indeed, it doesn't follow. Clydesdale Bank owns Yorkshire Bank, but one cannot do banking for one in the other's branches. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 15:43, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Though just in case you didn't realise, there are some services for which you should be able to use any branch of any bank (for example withdrawing cash from an ATM), and there are plenty of things you should be able to do online, by phone, or by post. 81.98.38.48 (talk) 15:31, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Have you tried going into Lloyd's and asking? DuncanHill (talk) 13:47, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Is the Jacib Barnett story a hoax?

Same as the heading. --Melab±1 ☎ 14:37, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

If you mean the Jacob Barnet affair, Wikipedia has a sourced article about it. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:49, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

I expect this refers to Jacob Barnett, a 12-year-old from Indiana who apparently has an IQ rated at 170, is currently a college student, and has worked on advanced topics in physics. The story was extensively reported in newspapers, and there are youtube videos -- I'm kind of surprised that we don't have an article. Looie496 (talk) 20:37, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Jacob Barnett: here yesterday, gone today. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:37, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Another snack for the deletionist wolves. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:10, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

About as strong a consensus to delete as you're ever going to find. Anyway, not a hoax. Just not yet notable. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 09:53, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Whenever someone says "wikipedia has an article on everything", I feel like I should show them a list of articles the deletionists have sent to the phantom zone. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:52, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

"We have an article on everything" is funny and all, but it shouldn't be literally true. There is tons of other garbage that should be deleted too, but "inclusionists" prevent it from happening. Ugh, and AfD pages like that one just make me realize how bad it's gotten. Anyway, deletionists drive like this, etc. Adam Bishop (talk) 20:55, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

I don't know whether it's a hoax (probably not), but if you ignore his age, there's nothing unusual about him. He learned some big bang cosmology and is confused about some aspects of it. Nothing wrong with that, unless he stops learning at that point and spends the rest of his life convinced that he's found the fatal flaw in modern science that was missed by all those dumb PhDs.

The stupidest part of the reporting of this story is the claim that he has an IQ of 170 and that this makes him "smarter than Einstein". There is no truth to the seemingly common belief that there is an integer quantity measuring people's "smartness" and that we know how to measure its value and have measured it in various famous people. There are a lot of aptitude tests whose scores are normalized to 100 and such scores are sometimes called IQs. They aren't interchangeable. IQ scores were originally supposed to be a ratio of "mental age" to chronological age in children, so a score of 170 in a 12-year-old, if you took it seriously as a ratio, would just mean that he had the mental age of a typical 20-year-old, which isn't very smart in absolute terms. Some Googling turned up this text, apparently from his Wikipedia article before it was deleted, which says that he scored 170 in math on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, and that this is the highest possible score. So, I gather that he correctly answered all of the questions on a math test designed for children. Again, this is impressive for a 12-year-old but doesn't make him smarter than a typical mathematically minded 20-year-old.

Einstein was 70 years old when the WISC was introduced. I'm pretty sure Einstein never took any "IQ test", and certainly not any modern one, and if he did you couldn't compare his score on that to a score on the WISC. This page suggests that the commonly quoted fake IQ score for Einstein (160) was invented by Catherine Cox Miles, for what that's worth. -- BenRG (talk) 04:55, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Getting from Paris/Orly to Paris/Charles de Gaulle

The National Library of France (http://www.bnf.fr) answered my question about getting from Paris/Orly to Paris/Charles de Gaulle. They estimate the trip itself will take 1.5 hours. I imagine the crucial part will be waiting for my luggage at Paris/Orly and checking in to my connecting flight at Paris/Charles de Gaulle. I understand it's self-evident that my luggage won't be automatically transported throughout the entire central Paris, I will have to carry it myself. Do I need to go through the entire check-in process when I get to Charles de Gaulle? Are there self-check-in machines there so I won't have to wait in line to have an actual person check me in? I've used such machines in Helsinki-Vantaa airport and found them very convenient. There seem to be two metro stations at Charles de Gaulle. How do I know which one I'm supposed to get off at? JIP | Talk 19:33, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

There are self check-in machines at CDG. Can you ask your airline co. which station? Itsmejudith (talk) 20:30, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

But perhaps the self check-in machines can only be used if you have only hand luggage? Can't remember. I'm sure you can find out from your airline or from the airport. Itsmejudith (talk) 20:38, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

The self check-in machines can be also be used if you have cargo luggage, you just have to leave the cargo luggage at the airline desk. The self check-in machine replaces all other steps that have to be taken before reaching the security check. JIP | Talk 20:41, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Whether you have to go through the entire check-in process again depends on whether you already have a boarding pass for the second flight; a distinct possibility if you are staying with the same airline, but maybe not as you have to transfer to a different airport. You should check these details with the airline(s). If I remember correctly, there are self check-in machines and "fast bag drop" counters at CDG. Alternatively, you could probably check-in online for your second flight (if you can get online within 24 hours of your 2nd departure) and then go straight to the "fast bag drop" counters.

CDG is served by RER Line B stopping first for Terminals 1 & 3 then terminating at Terminal 2. Make sure you get on the right train and don't end up at one of the other three ends of Line B. Travel time is 75 mins from Anthony station plus another 8 mins on the ORLYVAL from Orly to Anthony; even so, I really think 1.5 hours is hugely over optimistic considering you have to retrieve your luggage, find the right terminal at CDG amd maybe check-in again. Linking the terminals, the RER stations, and the parking is CDGVAL, an automated tram - I've not used the tram but I believe it is an improvement over the buses that used to do the same job. You might find Aéroports de Paris's website useful, particularly this guide to connections (though it doesn't say how long it will take), but you will need to know which terminals you will be using. Astronaut (talk) 15:45, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Come to think of it, minimum check-in time at CDG is about an hour before departure. If you do have to check-in again, you will have to go really, really fast to get your baggage at Orly and make it to CDG in just 2 hours (you have just 3 hours between flights, right?). At this stage, I would now be really worried about missing my connection and would be asking about changing my flight plans - perhaps so I can land at CDG or looking up the price of helicopter transfers. Astronaut (talk) 16:03, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I am staying with the same airline, it's Air France. The flight to Helsinki leaves from Terminal 2D, so I guess I have to go to the terminus of the RER line. I will try to contact the airline to ask if I can get a boarding pass straight away on the first flight. JIP | Talk 19:08, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

JIP, as I indicated last time, you are really unlikely to make it from the gate, collect your luggage, make it to ground transportation, then get yourself from ground transportation through check-in and security at CDG and then from security to your departure gate, all in just 3 hours. If at all possible, I would try to arrange a different connection: either an earlier flight from Nice, a later flight to Helsinki (perhaps an overnight in Paris), or else try connecting through a different airport served by planes from both Nice and Helsinki, such as Copenhagen or Stockholm. Marco polo (talk) 20:40, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I am quite confident it's possible to switch to an earlier flight from Nice or to a later flight to Helsinki, or even to buy a new flight to Helsinki when I reach Charles de Gaulle. The only problem is that it will probably cost me over 200 €, on top of the 250 € that I have already paid for the flights from Helsinki to Nice and back. I didn't even notice to include a "cancel without cause" option, I can only cancel the flights and get a refund if I get sick or there's a death in my family. JIP | Talk 20:56, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Luggage on the EN 301 train

The Swedish railways finally answered my question about safe boxes on the EN 301 train. There are apparently no such boxes on the train. So now I have two options: either try to get a private sleeping cabin at Stockholm railway station (I asked at Helsinki railway station, but they could only reserve a first-class cabin, which was way too expensive), or try to manage in a couchette car. I just tried to put my camera bag, with the camera inside, in my backpack, and it fit, with just a tiny bit of trouble getting it through the opening. I might be overly paranoid here, but I've never travelled in a couchette car before, and I wouldn't want my camera stolen. Should I just put the camera bag in the backpack and store the backpack in a luggage compartment? JIP | Talk 19:39, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Try this. Take a long length of string, and attach it securely and firmly to the camera. Tie a noose around the other and, and feed the string up your pants leg and attach the noose around your testicles. Instant security alarm; as soon as someone tries to filch your camera, you will be awakened rather abruptly... --Jayron32 20:13, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

This actually gave me a laugh, thanks. JIP | Talk 20:19, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

Or if the attacker is particularly vigorous, the guy will find himself in the unhappy situation of being without either his camera or his testicles :( Lemon martini (talk) 12:06, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Thieves on trains have been known to throw stolen articles out of a window to be collected later. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:09, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

We gave you a lot of advice on this subject last time you asked. --Tango (talk) 20:22, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

OK, I will have to go by that advice then. The trip is only one and a half weeks away now. I guess I'll just have to go on the train and not worry about things beforehand. Putting the camera bag in the backpack should be precaution enough. I guess I'm just being overly paranoid here. JIP | Talk 20:28, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

At the end of the day, there are lots of other people on the train possibly carrying more valuables than you will be, so everyone is in the same boat (or train, in this case). --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 02:52, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Also notice that this is Sweden. Crime is not unheard off, but mostly used in fiction. There is always a risk, of course, but it's not a big one. I've been travelling through Europe by train for 25 years, including bi-weekly commutes from Munich to Italy for two years, and I've never been witness or victim of a theft. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 07:16, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

I have travelled by train in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Russia, and never been the victim of theft. All those trips have either been day trips or had private cabins however. The only time I have been victim of theft was in a crowded bar here in my home city in Finland, not on a train or any other moving vehicle. I guess I'll just have to relax and not worry so much. The precautions I listed above should be enough. JIP | Talk 18:28, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Vehicle problem

We've got an old 1986 Suzuki Samurai/Jimny. When we first start the thing there isn't a problem. However, once we turn it off it refuses to start. If we leave it for a while, about 15 minutes, then it will start again. Turning the key produces nothing at all, no sounds that would indicate a broken starter (that's only 8 months old) or dead battery, but all the electrical comes on. Fortunately it's light and easy to push start or we would have a worse problem. Anybody got any ideas why? CambridgeBayWeather (talk) 22:46, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

IIRC, from listening to a lot of Car Talk, this is usually a problem caused by a bad electrical connection in the starter motor or something where heating-induced expansion causes some connection to break; when the car cools down things contract to where the connection gets made again. Then again, I know literally jack shit about cars, so you may want to take this to an actual mechanic rather than listen to me, or indeed any other stranger on the interwebz. Again, the best advice is don't ask for or take advice from anybody about anything for any reason on the internet, get a live human being to look at it. --Jayron32 00:30, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

That's exactly the same theory I came up with. Check the electrical connections around the starter. StuRat (talk) 02:22, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks. The thing is the vehicle cost $1200 and I really don't fell like paying $200 - $400 to get it fixed or waiting a couple of weeks until the mechanic has the time. I figured that some answer is good because then at least there is a starting point to look at. Your answer is something I had already wondered about, in that the heat was part of the problem. We changed the starter ourselves so it would make sense that the problem could be located there. Mind you if we get it fixed I'll miss the sight of my 120 lb daughter-in-law pushing the thing so we can jump start it, she can't figure out how to get her foot off the clutch correctly yet. CambridgeBayWeather (talk) 01:11, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

My first car was a 1986 Ford EXP which I had to park on the top of a hill wherever I went; if I couldn't find a hill (like a store with a flat parking lot) I just left the thing running while I went in. Oddly enough, no one ever stole it... So I feel your pain. --Jayron32 01:46, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

If you are competent enough to fit your own starter, then I suggest trying what I did many years ago when I had similar problems on my first car. I just dismantled the starter motor (but not the windings), greased everything, put it back together, refitted it, and it worked perfectly for years afterwards. Dbfirs 12:12, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Could be a fuel issue. I used to have a similar problem with an old lawnmower - it was pull cord start, so not an electrical issue; wouldn't start when hot, but leave it ten minutes and it was no problem to get going. Because the engine temp continues to rise for a short while when you turn it off (since the cooling system is no longer running) the fuel apparently can boil inside the carburettor or fuel lines and create a vapor lock, stopping the flow of fuel. When the engine cools a bit, the fuel liquefies again, and the engine can run. You may be able to insulate the fuel system to help cure it. Apparently there can also be seasonal issues in places where the fuel blend is changed between summer and winter (not an issue where I live, so I'm not familiar with it); this site give a start to more info. --jjron (talk) 14:25, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

How did you fix your lawnmower? Mine started doing this exact thing yesterday! Googlemeister (talk) 15:52, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

I'd think you'd either leave it on until the lawn is finished or let it sit long enough to cool down a bit (while you grab an iced tea). StuRat (talk) 21:44, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, Stu's pretty much on the money there. In terms of how I fixed it longer term - I eventually bought a new mower. :) --jjron (talk) 02:50, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Ah, the problem with that is mine happens to die once it has run for 5-10 minutes (until it gets hot I guess). Googlemeister (talk) 18:33, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Definitely not a fuel issue for the car, judging by the symptoms, but I would have expected to hear a click if the contactor relay was working correctly. Perhaps this should be checked if there is no audible click when the key is turned. Dbfirs 18:30, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for all the replies. I doubt that it's a fuel issue as the vehicle can be jump started easily. By the way we get our gasoline delivered in September for the year so there wouldn't be a different blend until then. Given our usual temperatures I suspect that it is always a winter blend. If the contactor relay was the problem would that not be permanent? Or would it be intermittent? I think I'll wait until my son gets back as I really don't want to see his reaction after I tell him I took the starter apart. CambridgeBayWeather (talk) 22:12, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Electrical tests: check the main (thick cable) connections from battery +ve to the starter motor and the return via the chassis which is often a problem on older cars that rust. Check with a test light that +12V is sent to the starter relay when the ignition key is turned. Turn on an interior light and watch it as you try to start; it is normal for it to dim slightly when the battery is loaded by the starter motor. Mechanical tests: does the starter motor turn and engage the flywheel? If not, and it is receiving normal voltage, then you probably have a broken starter, or there is a fault in the one you have fitted. Consider the possibility that you took out a perfectly good starter.

Silly car anecdote #1: It was a tradition in Poland to pack a hammer and a piece of wire when setting out on a motoring trip. The car will be too intimidated by this to dare to fail. Silly car anecdote #2: A couple brought their car to a workshop because it always started for the wife but never started for the man. The workshop could find nothing wrong with the car but the couple were adamant about the strange fault. The cause was eventually found: the wife had her ignition key on a small keyring while her husband kept a number of keys on a big keyring. The extra weight of the man's keys was enough to prevent the ignition switch working. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:02, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

June 20

Does Wikipedia pay for advertisement in films, etc.

I recently saw two trailers for movies that both mentioned Wikipedia. I want to know, is Wikimedia paying to be mentioned in films, TV shows, etc.? Or is it like simply mentioning "Coke" for a soda? SwisterTwister talk 05:53, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

I highly doubt that Wikipedia would pay for product placement. That's not normally something a non-profit would do. (A non-profit might engage in other forms of advertising, though, particularly free forms, like interviews for TV.) StuRat (talk) 06:34, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

No they don't. It merely shows how ingrained WP is in our society. - 194.60.106.17 (talk) 06:52, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Which movies was it, OP? --Saddhiyama (talk) 08:12, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

There has been paid-for advertising by the chapters. As I recall, there were billboards with Jimbo on in either Germany or East Europe, I don't recall. The latter I think. But I don't think this stretches to this, though, and I think the aim was to establish the local-language Wikipedia, a task not (really) needed by en. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 09:50, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Those lucky Eastern Europeans. One minute,you have huge pictures of Lenin and Stalin adorning the place, now you get Jimbo Wales' giant sized mug grinning down on you whenever you go out. If that isn't an incentive to up the revolution,I don't know what is! Lemon martini (talk) 12:06, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

@Lemon: Wrong decade I think. :p As 194 said, it's probably an instance of people just having it be a big part of society like Google. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:31, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

It must surely be the most sincere form of appreciation when people accept you as an integral part of everyday life without thinking twice about it, rather than specifically trying to notice you. JIP | Talk 18:33, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

New Applebee's commercial

I saw a new commercial for Applebee's, and I thought one of the diners was Michael Richards. I only saw him for about a quarter of a second as he turned his head. Am I seeing things? Hemoroid Agastordoff (talk) 07:40, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Probably. Michael Richards' image is tainted enough at this point that it's unlikely that a general-audience restaurant like Applebee's would risk the backlash from using him in an advertisement, especially just for a quarter second throw-away shot. It's more likely the person you saw was an extra who simply looks like Micheal Richards. It happens somewhat regularly that there are a number of people who bear an uncanny resemblance to another famous person. Helen Hunt and Leelee Sobieski come to mind. If you saw Sobieski in a commercial during the early part of her career, you could have easily mistaken her for Hunt (although you might have been able to tell the difference by the age discrepancy). -- 174.31.219.218 (talk) 14:26, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

author?

Who wrote the lines: Water, water everywhere and ne'er a drop to drink, Water, water everywhere and 'er the boards did shrink — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.5.111.122 (talk) 19:47, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his epic poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" --Jayron32 19:48, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Those lines are more correctly: "Water, water, every where,/ And all the boards did shrink; /Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink." (in particular the order). Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 20:31, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Most people who do get the words right, still spell "every where" as one word. Coleridge didn't. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 20:34, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Which was standard practice at the time? In all honesty, it doesn't make much difference. Few people read Shakespeare exactly how he wrote it, because it's edited slightly. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 21:34, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Actually, Coleridge didn't write all that long ago. However, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner was deliberately written in archaic language to give it a "old" feel. Coleridge specifically chose archaic spellings and phrases when he wrote the piece; standard English would have been very similar to today. I'm not sure what the standard was for "everywhere" vs. "every where" in Coleridge's time, but you shouldn't look to Coleridge himself for the answer, since he deliberately didn't write in a style that was contemporary for him. --Jayron32 02:38, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

The first "everywhere" quoted by OED is from the 1590s (Marlowe), last "every where" in 1692 and "every-where" in 1749. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 04:14, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Not surprising, English being what it is. The American national pastime went from "base ball" to "base-ball" to "baseball", with considerable crossover time of usage, before it finally settle on the single word. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:49, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Yeah. And I wish people would finally accept "email" instead of "e-mail". – b_jonas 11:34, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Google Ngram viewer (which is really the most amazing tool for resolving linguistic usage disputes) points to 1840 as the year when "everywhere" began to definitively outpace "every where" in terms of usage. (As for "baseball", I don't see "base-ball" as ever being a major usage. If you limit it to "American English," there was a struggle between "baseball" and "base ball" from 1860 until about 1890, when "baseball" definitively started to win out.) --Mr.98 (talk) 12:05, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

This item includes a couple of illustrations showing "base ball" as the original usage, while "base-ball" was being used as early as 1857.[9] The famous photo from the 1903 World Series shows that "base ball" was still in use at the time.[10] In fact, the traditional baseball guides, Spalding and Reach, maintained the "base ball" usage clear into the 1930s.[11] 18:19, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Fire Extinguishers and their extinguishing agents

I was in a discussion with someone while researching fire safety measures... the place im doing this research for has lithium at its facility, and the person i was talking to claimed that CO2 extinguishers were suitable for putting out lithium fires. This was according to [[12]] . However, in the same article [[13]], it says specifically that CO2 is not for use on metals.

The idea behind using CO2 makes sense in that you arent trying to extinguish with water, which would cause a bad reaction, as happens with lithium, sodium, potassium, etc. However, it is unclear if this is a good thing to use on lithium due to conflicting information. I do know there are some copper based agents which are best suited specifically for lithium, but we are looking for a cheaper alternative, and figure CO2 would be the answer.

So is CO2 extinguishing agent useful against lithium/lithium battery fire?

216.173.144.164 (talk) 20:14, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

This lithium data sheet is adamant that CO2 is inappropriate; the "Extinguishing Media" section lists several appropriate extinguishing agents. The supplier of the lithium or (lithium-containing objects) will be able to provide such a datasheet, with appropriate advice (it may be that what's considered appropriate is also a function of your specific location's materials- and fire-safety laws) -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 20:24, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

You could also seek advice from your local fire department. There may also be requirements to register with them, or the local government, facilities that keep more than a given amount of an unusual and hazardous material like lithium. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 20:26, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Nickelodeon Studios Picture Request

Hi, I'm looking for someone who can take an actual picture of the Nickelodeon Studios on the Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. I would be very grateful if there will be a picture of it on Commons. Thanks for any help. --Simon.hess (talk) 21:12, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

You might try asking on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject California/Los Angeles task force -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 21:20, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the link. Asked the question there. --Simon.hess (talk) 21:28, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Maybe also on the talk page of Nickolodeon Studios. ÙÙÙÙ (~~EBE123~~ ^talk_Contribs 21:46, 20 June 2011 (UTC))

If the OP is looking for a photo he could use in wikipedia, that would likely rule out asking the studio itself. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:48, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I think EBE123 means the talk page of the article, with the idea that somebody who has edited it in the past will be interested in providing a photo. --Mr.98 (talk) 12:11, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

June 21

Cell-phone cameras vs. normal cameras

How far are technical capabilities of cell-phone cameras to normal cameras? What technical finesses do you find only in normal one-purpose cameras? 88.8.78.155 (talk) 00:24, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm yet to see a camera phone to which you can attach different camera lenses - see that article for why that's significant. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 02:26, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

On the contrary, you can get fisheye, macro, and wide angle lenses for cell phone cameras. Dismas|^(talk) 04:52, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

The main difference is going to be smaller sensor size and lens quality, which in turn leads to lower image fidelity and potential final image size. Most point and shoot digital cameras (which I assume the OP is referring to when he/she says "normal" as they are by far the most common these days) do not have interchangeable lenses. Camera phones are generally designed to allow pictures to be taken, sent and viewed on the small screen of a phone, not make prints like single purpose cameras. The iPhone 3GS which is marketed as having a high definition camera still has only a 3 megapixel sensor which is less than just about any new non phone camera you can buy, but just fine to make images to be viewed on other iPhones or posted on facebook with that awful app that makes them look like Poleriods . The main exception to this rule would be the Nokia N8 which has a 12 megapixel sensor so it can probably take pretty decent pictures, I don't know for sure, but the specs are pretty similar to a Canon G11, which I know takes great images, that can be printed at sizes up to about 8x10 inches. Additionally most camera phones lack advanced settings and mode operations found on decent single purpose cameras. --Daniel 03:14, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

... and a "normal" camera that has only a 3 megapixel sensor is still capable of producing much better pictures than the tiny lens on most mobile phones. I'm amazed at the quality obtainable from tiny cheap lenses, but it cannot match that of the quality lenses in higher-end compact cameras, and they cannot match that of professional lenses. The number of megapixels is usually a red-herring. Lens quality and the skill of the photographer are usually the limiting factors. Dbfirs 06:06, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

(EC) One thing the Nokia N8 still lacks is any sort of optical zoom. There have been a few phones with optical zoom, some of the Nokias and Samsung. The Samsungs at least have often only been sold in South Korea and other parts of Asia.

There has also been a few Chinese and Taiwanese phones with optical zoom, notably from K-touch/Beijing Tianyu (who make phones primarily for the Chinese and other developing world markets) and Altek (who make digital cameras often I think as ODM for some of the more popular brands and may have actually helped K-touch make their camera phones with optical zoom). From what I've seen, many of these have had okay cameras although still not comparable to e.g. an ultracompact like an IXUS or even an older compact digital le alone an SLR (e.g. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]) the biggest issue probably being the optics (not the sensor although I'm not sure how the sensor size compares to an IXUS or similar). The phone portion has been not much to crow about (usually using the cheap MTK chipsets very common in Chinese phones). In fact some of the early K-touch models were basically a phone combined with a camera, with seperate memory cards for each portion and the inability for the phone to access stuff on the camera memory card. Also because of their target markets they've generally lacked 3G. (On the flipside they've been relatively cheap, the K-touch models dropped to about 800 Chinese Yuan within about 1 year after launch.)

Altek was developing a Android phone with a decent camera for a long time, the Altek A14 Leo it was finally released in March with Android 2.1 (I think supposed to be updated to 2.2 some time in the future) but from what I've read although the camera portion isn't too bad, the phone portion is still not that great. For example it lacks Google's approval therefore does not have direct access to normal Google Apps nor the app market place. It also seems rather buggy as several apps when installed have crashed or otherwise done funny thing. [20] [21] [22].

N.B. Bear in mind I've primarily gone by pictures and translations of reviews since I can't read Chinese. Nil Einne (talk) 07:57, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Please don't fall for the Megapixel Myth, and definitely don't encourage anyone else to fall for it. The resolution of full widescreen 1080p HDTV is 1920x1080 — that's within a hair of just 2 megapixels, and it's displayed on big television screens. (Yes, moving pictures are different from photographs, but it's something to consider.) From the reviews I've read, the Nokia N8 does take excellent photographs for a phone, but if you just compare the largest numbers at the top of the spec sheet and assume that it will serve as a drop-in replacement for a camera like the G11, you're going to be very, very disappointed. Leaving aside the issues of optical quality, a 'real' camera will allow you to take longer exposures, take shorter exposures, work at higher ISO (sensitivity) settings, vary the aperture, shoot sooner after you turn the device on, shoot sooner after you press the shutter button, have direct access through dedicated, tactile, physical buttons and switches to the camera controls, and in general better control your camera and the photographs it produces. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:45, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I would actually take issue with the oft cited "megapixel myth" in this case. While it is true that a difference of a couple of megapixels (say from 10-12) makes virtually zero difference in the optimum final print size, cell phone cameras like the iPhone 3GS or the are seriously limited due to their sensors. Yes 3 megapixels can be viewed fine on a 1080p TV screen, just don't try to make a good quality print much larger than 4"x6." Resolutions required for print viewing and screen viewing are very different. It is true that if the consumer doesn't plan on making prints, megapixels don't much matter, but if they want to print anything other than snapshots the difference between 3 and 12 megapixels is significant. --Daniel 14:21, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

More megapixel do not make a better image. There is a trade-off between theoretical image resolution and thermal noise. The higher the pixel density in the CCD, the more noise will affect the image. This depends on technology and sensor size, of course (the bigger the CCD sensor, the more pixels you can fit in for a given acceptable noise level). It's been a while since I checked, but last time the sweet spot was claimed to be at around 6 MP. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 14:42, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

That is definitely true, but the sweet spot (for a 1/1.7" sensor) is now probably closer to 10 or 12 MP from what I've heard, so you will very likely get a significant improvement over a 6 MP camera. I understand how the megapixel wars have turned people off to this stat, but to write it off completely is equally wrong. --Daniel 14:54, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

This all assumes that the optics in front of the sensor are good enough not to be the limiting factor for resolution; an assumption that is going to be very shaky for an 8, 10, or 12 MP phone camera (and probably is questionable for a lot of 3 MP phones...). As well, the conditions where people tend to be taking pictures with their camera phones (indoors, low-light, bars and restaurants, moving subjects like children and pets, etc.) are among the most punishing for small sensors. When one doesn't have a lot of light to play with (due to short exposure times or limited ambient lighting), every photon counts. Putting more pixels on the same-sized sensor means less light for each pixel, and smaller pixels are inherently noisier anyway. (There's a reason why most camera phone sensors won't push past 800 ISO, while the APS-C-sized sensor in my 550D does comparably well at ISO 3200 or faster.) Even if the picture is crisply focused, it may be disappointingly and distractingly noisy—and the human eye tends to be picky about noise more than detail. I agree that one shouldn't completely ignore the number of pixels on the sensor, but the educated consumer needs to be aware of the tradeoffs associated with higher nominal resolution. The 12 MP sensor sounds better until you realize you need to bin it down to 3 MP anyway to get a tolerable level of noise under the conditions where you take most of your pictures. (And let's be honest, the people who want to rely on a pocket combination phone/camera probably aren't going to do anything but screen viewing and 4x6 prints.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:34, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

The low light performance of phone cameras is pretty dreadful. The 5 MP camera in my phone, first slows down the shutter and ramps up the gain so the image is noisy as hell. To be honest I would rather it just slowed the shutter even more to keep the noise to a minimum - I can often rest the phone on something and use the timer to remove shake. The digital zoom is pretty useless; I may as well take the photo unzoomed and do the zoom in later processing on my PC. Even in fine mode, the artefacts around edges are annoying enough to make the images useful only as small snaps (see this image for an example). Astronaut (talk) 16:33, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Ted Goodwin

What year and where did Ted Goodwin play his last game of rugby league, was it Parkes, Forbes, or Willigee — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.219.100.52 (talk) 05:05, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I am 80 years old and therefore probably considered to be old fashioned, but I do wish that people would say 'please' ! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Artjo (talk • contribs) 06:05, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Given that, a good answer to the question might be, "Yes." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:46, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

It was a statement, not a question. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Artjo (talk • contribs) 06:35, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

What does the description of this van actually mean please?

I'm getting a new van from Motability and they've sent through the agrrement letter which lists the description on it but it means nothing to me so I wonder if someone could explain what it means for me please.

It's a MERCEDES BENZ Dualiner 113CDI ELWB 6stACATMP,

I'd also like to know whether a Dualiner is a Sprinter or a Vito as well as I think it's a Vito

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Paul — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.159.240.8 (talk) 11:46, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it's based on a Vito; see http://www.eurocommercials.co.uk/motability-people-carrier/ It seems we don't have a specific article about the Dualiner variant (one has been requested here). -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 12:13, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Does PSN Code Generator Work?

Hi guys, i saw some posts and download links where you can download psn code generator. Are these stuff working? I have an example that i found in this blog: redacted just wondering if this would be of any use. Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ramonabeck2 (talk • contribs) 12:34, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

We do not link to content which is of dubious legality. I've removed the link from your post. --Tagishsimon (talk) 12:58, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I can't access this specific thing (because of some badly-written web apps that it makes one visit) but in general such code generators try to fake the format of serial and registration numbers that various programs and websites use. But it's very often the case that they make you download a .EXE program that doesn't generate valid codes, but that does infect your PC with malware and sets it up as part of a botnet. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 13:08, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

It probably works, a huge collection of codes was stolen from the playstation network in a recent hack. That said, using it would be very dumb for legal reasons(can't specify: no legal advice allowed, but you could go to jail), because it would get you banned from PSN, and because you should never trust unknown programs from the internet. It cannot be worth it for a few free games. i kan reed (talk) 16:22, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Boxers and swim trunks; women's underwear and bikinis

So this is something I have discussed with others at times, but I want to know if there has been a real discussion in an RS or RSs about it. Even though things like boxers often cover the same amount of skin as swim trunks, and women's underwear (except lingerie of course) cover the same areas as bikinis, why is it that there is a taboo on wearing your underwear in settings that are swimwear appropriate? Yes I know that we usually know the person is in their undies, by why is it really a big deal when the same amount of flesh is covered/uncovered? No "it's obvious" stuff. Why is it such a big deal for us really? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:18, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Why would there be a distinction between wearing one's pajamas in a public place—assuming the pajamas were full-length—and wearing pants and shirt covering a similar amount of the body? There just seems to be a different implication between that which social mores deem acceptable in public and those styles of dress or articles of clothing that generally-held opinion determines to be best restricted to realms where privacy is demanded by the individual—such as in one's own home. Bus stop (talk) 14:26, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Wearing pajamas in public is okay actually, at least in New York and Washington D.C. as far as a I know, and especially for women, at least those in their teens and in college. No one will give you a second look and it is sometimes thought of as being cute. If there are different implications, why are there? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:31, 21 June 2011 (UTC) Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:29, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

There seems to be a balance struck between an individual's demand for privacy in the restricted spaces of the home for instance, and the public's demand that communal areas not be populated by people in dress-styles associated with private spaces. One can be in one's private home dressed in the most publicly-presentable evening-wear and yet object to an uninvited person entering one's home. Bus stop (talk) 14:33, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Any actual studies done on this topic? :p Is the same true in most of Europe btw? Like do people have this reaction that Americans do? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:35, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

One of the reasons you don't see people in their underwear at the beach is transparency. Swimwear uses materials that stay opaque when wet, underwear will frequently turn semi transparent. _{This can cause embarrasement due to shrinkage} --Daniel 14:41, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I suspect the OP was thinking along the lines of lounging on the beach, not going for a dip. Googlemeister (talk) 14:54, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict)Hmmm, very good point for swimmers, though let's be honest, probably 70% of people who got to the beach do not actually go in the water. Also, with regard to the last point, speedos. Yep, exactly, GooglemasterSir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 14:58, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

21 June 2011 (UTC)

If your just going to be lounging, boxer shorts aren't a great choice as most aren't really designed to keep everything hidden all the time. Most swim shorts have netting and are just more substantial. --Daniel 15:05, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

There is that, but you do have boardshorts or something which don't have the netting. Substantial works for some swimtrunks, but this isn't about planning on going to the beach (I am not for some time), just about why there is a taboo. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 15:08, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

There isn't really a taboo, it is just style, wearing underwear at the beach makes it look like you can't afford swimwear or came to the beach unprepared. If you have underwear that covers you sufficiently, I doubt anyone would say anything. I have seen people in underwear at the beach many times (even in the water with the translucent issue) and I've never heard anyone complain. --Daniel 15:16, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Surely that could not have been in the US though. As my mother pointed out, Britney Spears recently when to the beach in her underwear and the tabloids were all over it (even though it is their job to report on idiotic garbage). I have never seen anyone do that at a beach. At pool parties with close friends or acquaintances, yes, but not beaches. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 15:29, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I grew up in Santa Cruz, California (admittedly on the more liberal side of the country). Again it is just fashion, when Britney goes against the grain, the tabloids jump on it. You could do the exact same thing and no one would notice. --Daniel 15:35, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

The mere fact that she's actually wearing underwear is news, where Britney is concerned. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:33, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

So there's an example in that part of the country. :p I spend my time in the North Eastern Seaboard though and have not seen it ever. Has anyone else seen people in their underwear at the beach or other swimwear appropriate settings? Does anyone know of instances where people have possibly been arrested for wearing them? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | Say Shalom! 15:47, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I would say zero chance of being arrested just for wearing underwear instead of swimwear, if it covers appropriately there is no legal difference (except for the fashion police). --Daniel 16:02, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Being outdoors in undies is considered uncouth, maybe unless you had to run outside due to a fire or something. Just like walking around your typical shopping center wearing swimwear would be considered way out of place. It's got a lot to do with "what everyone else is wearing". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:36, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I remember a cartoon strip in Mad Magazine many, many, many years ago in which some boys at a beach or swimming pool were totally uninterested in a couple of girls until they realised that they were wearing underwear rather than bikinis. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 07:14, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Curbing the dog

I saw a sign in NYC today that read, "Please leash, curb and clean up after your dog!" Was the sign being redundant, just to cover all the bases, because, from what I can tell, curb refers either to leashing/controlling the dog or cleaning up after it. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 17:00, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

I googled [curb your dog meaning] and a lot of items came up. This one seems useful.[23] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:28, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

One of the definitions that Merriam-Webster gives for the verb curb is "to lead a dog to a suitable place to defecate", so I see three distinct requirements in the sign's verbiage. Wiktionary could use an update for that meaning. --LarryMac | Talk 17:32, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Even taking the intended meaning of "curb" to be "control" (as the OP did), control is not synonymous with leashing. A dog could be on a leash - particularly one of the very long retractable ones - and still be permitted to approach people aggressively and physically attack other animals, both things I myself have witnessed. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.201.110.203 (talk) 18:17, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

See curb (road). That's the meaning I have always assumed, being the more usual meaning of the word, at least in the UK.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:00, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

As that article notes, it's usually spelt kerb in the UK, though the OED says that curb is the original form (related to "curve"). In the sense of "restrain" it's always "curb". AndrewWTaylor (talk) 07:12, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

two questions about wikipedia...

1. is it considered sockpuppetting to use just an IP adress for a while, before switching to using an account?

2. I'e seen lots of users with funny/different signatures... can anyone direct me to a page where I can read up on stuff pertaining to signatures?

Thanks! Dubious status (talk) 20:15, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

1. See Wikipedia:Sock puppetry. It is never considered sockpuppetry to use multiple usernames and/or IP addresses, so long as the use of those multiple usernames and/or IP addresses isn't used to obscure, deceive, or obfuscate your editing history. That is, if you aren't trying to "get away" with something (like voting multiple times in a discussion, or mask bad behavior, or avoiding an active block under an old username/IP address) you shouldn't have a problem.

2. See Wikipedia:Signatures. --Jayron32 20:18, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

As far as I understand, it is only sock puppetry when you use multiple usernames and/or IP addresses to deliberately look like you are multiple people. If you have multiple usernames, you should only use one at a time, discontinuing one when you start to use another. When using IP addresses, of course the IP address changes depending on which computer you are using, so if you edit from multiple computers, multiple IP addresses really can't be avoided. The thing I find the best to remember is never to reply to your own comment using another username/IP address than you used previously, unless you explicitly state that you are the same person. This discussion reminds me of a time when I was editing the Finnish Wikipedia anonymously, and got a warning about a page I had never edited. It turned out that I was using my work computer, and the company's network servers made all outgoing communications use the same IP address, and another employee had edited the same page, so the people at the Finnish Wikipedia thought I was the same person. I of course left a reply that I had nothing to do with it. JIP | Talk 20:32, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

That's what my company does too, which is one reason why I don't edit via an IP. And it's why wikipedia doesn't generally indef IP's, unless they are proven to be proxy servers or something. One IP can have many users, and one user can have many IP's. Companies aren't typically a problem that way, most often it's junior high schools. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:22, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Ok, thanks! Dubious Status ^{How's it going?} 22:04, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

AA 96 Accident (Cargo Door Failure)

In your list of References, there was one left out (because it was a book that "named names") and showed just how 'manipulated' the FAA was and still can be when it comes to aircraft saftey. The book is called "The Rise and Fall of the DC10". It was authored about one year after the THY 'AA96' "rehersal". Apparently the Author was threatened legally and physically. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.95.178 (talk) 22:29, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Presumably you're referring to the article American Airlines Flight 96. The list of references in any Wikipedia article isn't meant to be a comprehensive list of all references that exist on the article's subject; it's a list of what references the writers of the article have used to source and support the statements in the article cross-referenced by the footnote numbers. Evidently none of the contributors to that article have used The Rise and Fall of the DC-10 by John Godson (probably not the person of that name we have a Wikipedia article on) for these purposes. There are several more likely explanations of why not than your suggestion of a deliberate cover up by those contributors:

They used the same original sources as John Godson, so citing his book would be redundant;

None of them considered the book a Reliable Source;

They do not have, or even have never heard of, the book.

Remember that all Wikipedia articles are written and modified by unpaid volunteers like you and me, who are unlikely to all be involved in some air industry corruption cover-up. No article gets written (or amended) unless somebody chooses to do so: if you think further information drawn from Godson's book should be included in the article, you're free to discuss it on the article's Discussion page (where your concerns would have been more appropriately raised in the first place - it's what Discussion pages are for) and to make the article edits yourself, provided they comply with Wikipedia guidelines, which you should perhaps read up on beforehand: if others disagree with the merits of your edits, they may well challenge and remove them unless you can make your case - this is how Wikipedia works.

(Incidentally, I see from googling in connection with this query that the John Godson in question has written at least five books about air travel and safety, and now recall that I've read another of them, Unsafe at Any Speed, which didn't strike me as particularly fringe - perhaps this author is notable enough to merit an article himself?) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.201.110.203 (talk) 00:42, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

N.B.—Unsafe at any Speed is the 1965 Ralph Nader book about automakers' reluctance to incorporate safety features in their vehicles. Godson's book was the 1970 Unsafe at Any Height, which riffs/trades on the popularity and recognition of Nader's title. No comment on the relative importance of Godson's books to the corpus of air safety writing. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:56, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Why don't we have robot tanks?

Teletanks were operating in WWII, and remote-control technology has increased substantially since then, as has AI technology. So why are tanks usually still manned locally rather than being remotely or AI controlled? 97.125.26.162 (talk) 23:34, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle and Foster-Miller TALON are in active use. Larger unmanned ground vehicles are in prototype - e.g. BAE's Black Knight. As DARPA Grand Challenge shows, driving is much harder than flying, at least for robots. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 23:43, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

That depends on the level of autonomy allowed. If you just expect it to go to the target location, and figure out how, that requires lots of machine intelligence, especially if you don't want it to flatten villager's houses on the way. If you control it like an RC car, by specifying every turn, then it doesn't need any intelligence at all, but you do need a reliable communications channel, which could be a problem if the enemy jams it. StuRat (talk) 03:22, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Because as shown to us by Hollywood the robots will rebel and attack us. Really though then hacking would become more of a concern, no one can match us militarily anyways, but some random person on the internet can hack into or jam our robots.AerobicFox (talk) 03:40, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

By using "us" and "our" I presume you are not referring to somewhere like The Duchy of Grand Fenwick? However, please remember that readers come from many places around the world. Astronaut (talk) 09:25, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Er, pretty clearly, Aerobic fox was talking about humanity, not any one nation. Home country doesn't matter much to an uncarring killing machine. i kan reed (talk) 13:16, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Robot aircraft are used in different roles to tanks. The US used main battle tanks in the invasion of Iraq, but in other conflicts (e.g. Libya) and particularly counter-insurgency operations, smaller armored carriers and supporting air power are more important (a robotic armored personnel carrier with human passengers is a slightly bizarre idea). Robot artillery and other robots have limitations: without a human guard someone might walk up and disable or steal it. If we faced a Cold War-type scenario with huge tank battles on flat ground, robot tanks might be more useful, but even so, in modern warfare tanks tend to operate with infantry support (see combined arms). Hence, a lot of work on robot vehicles concentrates on support for infantry (carrying heavy loads, reconnaissance, etc), rather than completely replacing soldiers in the field. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:06, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

I suspect that somewhere in there there's also the fear of an 'it malfunctions and starts firing indiscriminately at everything that moves' scenario when it comes to autonomous armed robots. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 10:17, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

I wouldn't restrict that risk to robots, though... ---Stephan Schulz (talk) 14:55, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Hacking into the robotank command and control and turning it against its owners would seem to be a good reason to have a human in control, coupled with its huge cost and its vast destructive capability. The US has had one major spy scandal after another, with a few persons in the FBI and the military willing to sell every national secret they can get their hands on to a foreign power, or persons handing over classified info for idealistic, nationalistic, or religious reasons. There is a strong likelihood that "secret" encryption formulae, as well as complete tech manuals would be in the hands of opponents, allowing robotanks to be neutralized or co-opted if they were used in a war against a well organized opponent. In conflicts where they are used against poorly trained and poorly equipped insurgents with AK47's and IEDs and RPGs, robotanks would be a very useful adjunct to manned vehicles, to run ahead or and parallel to the route followed by a convoy. They can be fast and lightly armored, and operated by a person in a truck in the convoy. Such remote operated devices are already in use and their use is expected to vastly increase, along with unmanned aerial vehicles, if occupation forces continue to be in such places as Afghanistan and Iraq. If the opponent is so low tech he cannot shoot down aerial drones,then he also might not be able to hack a robotank. One would expect major powers to have programs to be able to neutralize robotanks (or remote guided truck bombs) and drone bombs when opponents use them against them, but that might be expecting too much foresight. Edison (talk) 14:08, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Asimov's robot laws specifically prohibit robots from harming humans. Googlemeister (talk) 14:53, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, but that only applies to us real humans, not those slit-eyed, red-haired, black-skinned Buddhist imperialist libertarians talking foreign! --Stephan Schulz (talk) 15:49, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

June 22

Car spray paint

is there a car spray painter which can be purchased to paint a car . most of the ones i found on ebay and amazon are for minitiare or furniture painting. please suggest — Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.199.69.164 (talk) 03:13, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

If you type "automotive paint sprayer" into Google, you get lots of results. I will leave it to you to peruse them and the product reviews to find one for yourself. --Jayron32 03:18, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

The EU Times?

What's the deal with the EU Times? I was expecting a Wikipedia article on them but was disappointed that there isn't one. EUT poses as a legit news site, but picking an article at random reveals they are pretty far from mainstream, example: 'Russia Says IMF Chief Jailed for Discovering All US Gold is Gone'. (tried to link, seems EUT is blacklisted, so my hunch so far is good...) Is there someplace where I can read an objective appraisal of this "paper" -- organization history, backers, slant, etc? The Masked Booby (talk) 06:58, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm not surprised that site is blacklisted, it's a terrible site. Looks like its only purpose is to make the site owner ad revenue from people clicking on the multiple ads and popups. The "news stories" are just farmed from elsewhere. There are plenty of credible news websites such as BBC News. --Viennese Waltz 08:00, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

The above story appears to originate from [24]. A simple search reveals stuff suggesting the person behind that site isn't even genuine but making up stuff for money. (I won't link for WP:BLP reasons. Nil Einne (talk) 17:07, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

teleidoscope

I'm having a hard time trying to correct an entry. The inventor of the teleidoscope is definetely not John Lyon Burnside III. It's been around as long as the kaleidoscope has. Sir David Brewster describes it as the purest form of a kaleidoscope. Somebody is really trying to place Mr. Burnside as the inventor. He's everywhere! Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.57.19.253 (talk) 13:48, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Well, I'd be happy to help you, but you'll have to explain where you came to find out that information. Wikipedia has a verifiability policy that requires external sources for facts. If you "just know" that won't be good enough to change the article. i kan reed (talk) 14:44, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

• follow-up: the sources I'm finding suggest that it was invented by Burnside. If you have a specific source that says otherwise, please contact me. In the future, requests for help editing wikipedia should go to the Help desk not the Reference desk. i kan reed (talk) 14:46, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

You could also try the talk page of teleidoscope for assistance. Googlemeister (talk) 14:52, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Coupons

I live in LaSalle, Ontaria Canada.

Windsor, Ontario residents receive coupons, we do not, is there a reason this for this. We are in between Windsor and Amherstburg Ontario. We receive other fast food coupons in the Windsor Star paper. Thank You for your reply REDACTED PERSONAL INFO — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.27.45.118 (talk) 14:15, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

This question is better directed at your local newspaper directly, as they have their own internal policies deciding how advertisements are distributed. i kan reed (talk) 14:41, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Makeup

How do you start to wear makeup without having to ask your parents and without trying to avoid them, or having to wash it off as soon as you get back from school?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lamoflower12 (talk • contribs) 17:01, 22 June 2011 (UTC)