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October 26

HELP

I was disconnected when I sought the following help:

joined #wikipedia-en-help [02:05] <+Helpmebot> Hello kbd, welcome to #wikipedia-en-help! Please type your question about editing Wikipedia below and press Enter. A helper should be with you shortly. If your question is about a particular page please make sure your question includes the URL or name of the page in question. [02:06] My goal is to add the following: The genus fascism includes nazism, the German political ideology during WWII which produced the holocaust. Planet earth has thus come to know fascism as the essence of that ideology: arbitrary elitism. Your suggestions please. [02:09] There are two pages involved, Fascism and Nazism — Precedingunsigned comment added by 208.126.234.167 (talk) 07:27, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

You'd need a reliable source which supported your claim. And I've got to say, our Fascism page, which I keep an eye on, is a constant battleground of people trying to promote different political points of view about the movement. I'm not sure that a short, reductionist statement like yours would last long even with a source. AlexTiefling (talk) 09:18, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

It sounds like you have a mission to preach your ideas to people rather than to summarize what is in WP:reliable sources with due WP:WEIGHT and supplyWP:citations. Please see WP:5P for what Wikipedia editing is about. Dmcq (talk) 09:49, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Authority for genus, in fact for the entire first sentence, is Wikipedia's page on Nazism. Uber alles, master race, and the notion one race has a right to exterminate another race are penultimate elitism. Would you quibble for a moment that the holocaust is the icon for WWII? Do you deny that the current WP fascism page serves more to obfuscate than elucidate? Do you deny that simplicity is the essence of perfection? I respectfully suggest failing, or refusing, as the case may be, to expose fascism for exactly what it is, is a crime against humanity. You will find formal definitions of fascism as "arbitrary elitism" on the PonyTail Institute for Change website (www.pi4c.com)in the Defacto Facism section and the Daily Message for August 2, 1999 and is referred to over and over again throughout the Daily messages. I was shot through the head, at least in part, because of those writings. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.126.234.167 (talk) 17:16, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

What we think has no bearing on the text of Wikipedia articles, so asking us for our feelings or thoughts is irrelevent. What do the preponderance of reliable sources have to say on the subject? --Jayron32 17:32, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia cannot itself be used as a source for material on Wikipedia, for obvious reasons. Those sources that you have linked to on the web do not appear to be reliable. We already have extensive material about the political nature of fascism and nazism, their empowerment of elite groups, and their role in crimes against humanity. What, apart from a platform for your own idiosyncratic interpretation of these points, do you think is lacking?AlexTiefling (talk) 00:16, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

-- "Lacking" begs the point. The definitions as they now stand, for purposes of encyclopedic statements, are totally useless. They obfuscate rather than elucidate. The "unreliable" information "linked to" makes the point that WWII did not put an end to "crimes against humanity fascism", that such elitism has morphed into world fascism. It also makes the point that the tragedy of WWII is that people associate fascism/nazism with a lunatic with a funny mustache. The world must know, and appreciate the dangers of, world fascism. And yes I know, and appreciate, that those two sentences make it clear that WWII was in a significant way a fuss between their fascists and our fascists. It is time to big boys and big girls. The next "fuss" will be nuclear. My vote is to make all the material other than the two sentences footnotes. --

Nazism isn’t fascism; -- species of the genus, my friend, read Wiki's page on Fascism (also note the paragraph above which was added yesterday but somehow or other got lost in the shuffle) -- rather, it is a version, a sub-set or one possible consequence of fascism. There are others, for example Chiang Kai-shek’s pre-1949 Nationalist Party, that did not involve a master race, racial extermination or other characteristics cited above. DOR (HK) (talk) 06:22, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

TOEFT iBT score reporting help

My test is on Sunday 1000 hrs. It is 1720 hrs. on Friday right now at my place. TOEFL guidelines clearly mention that I can add up to four universities for free score reporting no later than 10:00 PM local test center time, the day before my test. However, when I start to add institutions, it starts asking me the fee 18 US dollars per university, for score reporting. Am I doing something wrong here, because right now, it shouldn't be asking me the money for those four universities? Please help me. Thanks - 202.3.77.11 (talk) 11:57, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Ok, got it. I was clicking at the wrong place. This problem can be marked as resolved. - 115.248.114.51 (talk) 12:45, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Resolved

origin of the term "rag a muffin"

How, where did then term originate and what exactly does it mean? — Precedingunsigned comment added by 207.70.5.25 (talk) 15:11, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

See here. --Jayron32 15:21, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Hand Accuracy.

wikipedia cannot offer medical diagnoses or advice. Please seek professional help.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Hi, I'm a competitive gamer and i experience on rare occasions some days where my mouse/hand accuracy is completly shot, i have to use repeated attempts to click on even the most simple things, its usually gone the next day but has anyone ever heard of this before or what reason for it there can be?Joneleth (talk) 22:07, 26 October 2012 (UTC) Early signs of RSI perhaps? HiLo48 (talk) 22:12, 26 October 2012 (UTC) [Having written that, it made me think. Does it make this a (no doubt unintended) request for medical advice?] HiLo48 (talk) 22:15, 26 October 2012 (UTC) Yes. Even if not asking "How do I fix it?", a question that seeks to identify a condition that would be treated by a relevant health professional is effectively seeking medical advice. It's not bad to ask such a question, but it would be bad for us to diagnose or offer treatment ideas other than "See a doctor". It may well be incipient RSI. Or it may not. Only a doctor would know. -- Jack of Oz [Talk] 22:22, 26 October 2012 (UTC) Yep. Joneleth, go see a doctor. (But read the RSI article anyway. Gamers should know that stuff.) HiLo48 (talk) 22:32, 26 October 2012 (UTC) I agree that you should see a doctor to ensure that there's no underlying medical condition. But, once you get the all-clear from him, you might want to look at what you eat and drink. There are things like caffeine and sugar, which can make you "jittery", and thus limit your ability to hold your hand still. I imagine in jobs where avoiding a shaky hand is critical, like a sniper of neurosurgeon, they know more about what foods to avoid for optimal performance. StuRat (talk) 22:33, 26 October 2012 (UTC) Just speaking from personal experience I have used computers that were almost impossible to move the cursor the way I wanted, partly because of mouse problems.Apteva (talk) 22:38, 26 October 2012 (UTC) I have no idea if its a medical condition or just a common occurance for everyone, regardless as a visit to the doctor costs money and it really doesnt affect me that much, I was just curious as to what it might be. Reading about RSI seems like it would be painful, what im experiencing has no pain associated with it what so ever. Joneleth (talk) 22:38, 26 October 2012 (UTC) See Compensatory tracking task. By the way, it has come to my attention that the inventor of the mouse may be a frequent contributor to WP today.Apteva (talk) 22:46, 26 October 2012 (UTC) I wonder what he thinks about the fact that the big current technology event, Windows 8, is moving us away from the mouse? (And where does that take gaming?) HiLo48 (talk) 22:59, 26 October 2012 (UTC) (WP:OR): In a completely non-medical vein: ask yourself "when are my best games/scores/achievements occurring"? For me, in any type of game, I never do my best after days of regular play. Instead, all my high scores come after I've taken a few days off, but before I've spent much time too on it again. Speaking of which, I'm going to go play spelunky :) Also, you might be interested in reading about fatigue. SemanticMantis (talk) 00:27, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

Salmond scottish?

is the surname salmond scottish and if not where does it originate from and if there is no answer to these two questions is it a made up name? — Preceding unsigned comment added by90.202.146.81 (talk) 22:34, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Read this. It is a variation of the Hebrew name "Solomon"; and probably came back to Europe as a result of the Crusades. The specific spelling you give is attested but of unknown origin and has been known in the British Isles, in various spellings, since 1212. This page from the 1881 UK census indicates that the name was much more prominent in Scotland than England: In that census there are only 2 counties among the top ten that are English (London and Yorkshire) and the rest are Scotland. --Jayron32 23:12, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

The First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmondhas the surname Salmond.Yvonnara 18:43, 31 October 2012

October 27

Solar watch

Can someone give me an advice of a good solar watch that sell under 60usd in amazon.com?

Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by Iskander HFC (talk • contribs) 03:29, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

No. I bought a Casio for about $25. But advice on purchases is outside the realm of the encyclopedia. Try Consumer Reports. Apteva (talk) 03:45, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

Or reviews on Amazon. --Mr.98 (talk) 11:41, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

If you want a solar watch for less than $60 (€50) [£40], then you should try to buy a broken one which is of inferior quality, of which there are many examples. 92.0.97.51 (talk) 17:27, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Which is the science and art....

What is the science and art of management of schools and their characteristic way of interaction of students primarily (and faculty) of schools (educational centres) with the built environment? — Preceding unsigned comment added by189.222.145.250 (talk) 10:26, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

There isn't likely one catch-all term for these things. The field of Education (as in, that which is taught and studied in Education School, not just education broadly) more or less try and cover some of these things, but the intersection with the build environment would be a form of Architecture or Environmental Design. If one were, say, trying to study these issues, it would be some intersection between these fields. --Mr.98 (talk) 11:41, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

Hungary Drafting 10,000 Militia

I have heard rumours that Hungary has drafted 10,000 militia, in case of civil unrest or even a possible civil war. I cannot find anything on the internet for this. Can anybody else? KägeTorä - (影虎)(TALK) 19:38, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

Do you really mean drafted, as in conscription, as opposed to having a 10,000 member volunteer force ? StuRat (talk) 02:32, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I believe it's a conscripted force, which are all being trained in Budapest - they are legally required to attend. I am not sure what is going on. I am getting garbled messages from people - none of whom are native English speakers, and some messages from a client (an international media organization who came to interview people about this). There seems to be a media blackout (except foreign media - which know nothing much because of the media blackout). I am just trying to find out what's going on. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 03:14, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

This all looks so implausible. What possible use would 10K untrained raw recruits be in such a situation? And why would they need a media blackout?Clarityfiend (talk) 05:13, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

But if there were a media blackout, and the internet knows nothing about it, how would we here know anything that the rest of world doesn't know? -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 06:08, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I actually don't know what's going on. When one of my colleagues comes back this afternoon, I will ask him where he got this information, and try to find something. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 09:52, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I would note per Military service#Hungary, it doesn't seem clear how this could be done in secret without breaking the law. While conscription is again possible after a recent law change, it seems the National Assembly (Hungary) needs to approve it first. It seems unlikely this would happen in secret and with a complete media blackout. Nil Einne (talk) 10:18, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

That recent law change might be the key to this. I can well imagine someone creating a rumour that takes the raw material of the law change and converts it via the filter of their mind into these concrete plans Kage's heard about it. Until such time as it's confirmed, if it ever is, it has to remain a rumour, and it should be assumed to be baseless. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 19:12, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Living in neighbouring Austria, all I can find are some reports in local media on the demonstrations last Tuesday (commemorating the revolution 1956). These had been organised both by the exparliamentary opposition (Szolidaritas und MILLA) and by the ruling centre-right party ofVictor Orban. There is no mention of any militias being drafted, nor is there any report on civil unrest. It would seem unlikely that the sizable Hungarian community in Vienna (many of them liberal intellectuals) could be oblivious to such a situation. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 12:14, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I don't know anything about this particular situation or non-situation, but I will note that it's a common conspiracy theory "newsflash" to ominously state that troops are massing here or there. A quick Google for "US is massing troops", for example, returns hits for American troops that are massing in Kuwait, at the Iranian border, at the Mexican border, at the Venezuelan border, and at the Syrian border with Iraq, among many others. Matt Deres (talk) 15:40, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

October 28

Judge Judy episode

In which Judge Judy episode did Judge Judy ask someone to spell the word "white" and he spelled it "wight"? Thank you. Futurist110 (talk) 04:14, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

That's pretty obscure. Have you tried Google? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?}carrots→ 12:42, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I've just had a go with Google, and although I can't pin down the exact episode, it appears to have screened in early August 2004, and I've found a forum where the case in question is referred to as the "Nasty Away Message" case. AlexTiefling (talk) 12:53, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

• If she asked him to spell /waɪt/ instead of /hwaɪt/, wight was the correct spelling. Given she's from NY I expect that was the case--she got it wrong, not he. μηδείς (talk) 16:09, 28 October 2012 (UTC)
  • I don't think Judge Judy talks like Elmer Fudd. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?}carrots→ 16:23, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

You haven't understood what is meant by the IPA, Bugs. Look again. It's not the distinction between wight and right, but the distinction betweenwight /waɪt/ and white /hwaɪt/, which are pronounced differently except in certain dialects. Many blacks and Southerners distinguish the two according to the IPA I gave, most white New Yorkers do not. See which-witch merger. μηδείς (talk) 16:42, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Under what conditions would someone in that show bring the actual word "wight" into the discussion? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:54, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

If she up and asked someone who distinguishes /enwiki/w/ from /hw/ to spell /waɪt/ it would be the only proper answer for him to give. You don't second guess the judge. μηδείς (talk) 17:34, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Given the typical nature of the parties at her courtroom, it seems unlikely. However, the only way to know for sure would be to find a youtube and/or a transcript of the episode, so that the context would be clear. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?}carrots→ 18:52, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Wight and White are homophones in the UK, on the Isle of Wight anyway. Alansplodge (talk) 18:55, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

not in all of the UK, in parts of Scotland they are different. -- Q Chris (talk) 18:58, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I stand corrected. Alansplodge (talk) 13:57, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

[1] -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 22:11, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Thank you very much for all of your help. I think that the woman's name in the trial was Kimberly Kulick or something like that while the man was her enstranged boyfriend. Futurist110 (talk) 18:32, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

Unknown Landscape

I found this picture in a maze of old folders on my old hard drivehttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dE5bqc5jtwI/Tpc1TXHs8_I/AAAAAAAAAKo/-DRS_u9O4mY/s1600/01698_betweenthemountains_1920x1080.jpg. Reverse searching doesn't really give me anything except for a million wallpaper sites. What's the landmark/place that it was originally taken? It's definitely been altered, but still looks quite stunning.

Thanks in advance, 27.32.104.185 (talk) 08:57, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

A bit of googling states that it's a photo by Giovanni Di Gregorio, and calls it "An old abandoned house. Behind it the mountains of Gran Sasso, in Abruzzo." Could be. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:56, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

This looks like it's the original. The caption says it's near "the road that leads from Città Sant'Angelo toElice" - Cucumber Mike (talk) 13:44, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Thank you! The original is better I think :) -27.32.104.185 (talk) 11:29, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Funnily enough, the wallpaper version appears to be in natural colour, and lacks the watermark (without having cropped it out), whereas the watermarked version is almost certainly in false colour. I wonder if both versions derive from an earlier copy? AlexTiefling (talk) 11:36, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

This looks like the original: [2] AlexTiefling (talk) 11:38, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

That includes a link to the artist's page which links to the above 500px site. I'm guessing the artist uploaded them to both sites (they commented in the interfacelift site). It seems clear neither came from the other directly since one lacks the watermark or any sign of it (well I didn't look that closely), and the otheryet it is cropped more (but not enough to cut out the watermark). The original as it were is I presume still in the artists's collection although the original of 27's is likely the interfacelift one. Nil Einne (talk) 16:35, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

BTW, if you look at the author's profile on the 500px site, most of their images have similar colours. They look fairly typical of artistic High dynamic range imaging processing to me (as our article mentions 'HDR is also commonly used to refer to display of images derived from HDR imaging in a way that exaggerates contrast for artistic effect') and in one of them HDR is even mentioned in the comments. So most likely there isn't even really one original image but multiple ones with different bracketings. Although whether the interfacelift image is one of the bracketings or is also a processed HDR of the originals but without the exaggerating effect I can't say although it does seem to have fairy good dynamic range, but given it's still 24 bit I doubt you can be sure.Nil Einne (talk) 16:44, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

New WP developments

Hello,

I'm doing a school presentation, and looking for information on new developments concerning Wikipedia. I seem to recall reading about some collaborative effort with some commercial information resources, but I'm not finding this information anywhere, can you help me?.

Thank you for your time,

AGA — Preceding unsigned comment added by24.161.61.75 (talk) 19:02, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Well recently we have had Wikipedia:Article Feedback_Tool/Version 5 introduced. Wikipedia:United States Education Program has been running for over a year and is now introduced to Canada and Egypt. Some references sites or information sources have made content available to Wikipedia users, eg Wikipedia:HighBeam Wikipedia:Credo accounts Wikipedia:Requests for JSTOR access Wikipedia:Questia. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 10:03, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

What city in the united States has the most centenarians (people over 100)?

What city in the united States has the most centenarians (people over 100)? Neptunekh94 (talk) 19:11, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Unless there's any reason to believe the age distribution is skewed in certain places, the answer would be the city that has the most people (of all ages), which I assume to be New York, depending on your definition of city. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 19:18, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

We do have a List of the verified oldest people, (unfortunately not sortable). List of supercentenarians from the United States may be of help, as it gives the state of residence (but no city). This article on the 1990 census (centenarians) has 10.1% in CAL and 8.4% in NY. Again, there are no figures based on cities of residence.

I can not find a city based listing which would give an answer to your query. Age distribution DOES seem to be skewed, as evidenced by the example of Florida. The last reference by the US Census says that whilst lots of "the younger old" move to FLA, the "older old" seem to return to their state of birth. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:04, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

To get you started, Philadelphia has "more than 400".[3] Clarityfiend (talk) 20:58, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Electronic fund transfer in the 1960s

Dear Sir / Madam, I am researching a book and need to understand how electronic fund transfers were made in the early 1960s. Money is being moved from a US bank account to the UK and the transfer is being made at the UK end. Both accounts belong to the same person. I would appreciate it if you could help me with some of the details i.e. Could this have been achieved with a phone call to the US by the client with the instruction to wire the funds or would it have been arranged with the aid of the receiving bank through a call or telegram? How would ID have been proven at that time? How long would the transfer have taken?86.146.226.146 (talk) 20:02, 28 October 2012 (UTC) I would much appreciate if you could find someone to help me with this as I'm having great difficulty finding out through the web. Kind Regards, Janine

see Telex--Aspro (talk) 22:54, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

You might start with our article on Western Union, mainly because the Telegraphic transfer and Wire transfer articles are pretty poor, even though they are still options today. The basis is that a person identifies himself or herself to an agent or bank in Place A who then accepts the funds. The agent or banker then contacts (by telegraph, telex, cable or telephone) the agent or corresponding bank in Place B (hence, the term "correspondence banking") and on the basis of an established reputation, instructs the agent or bank in Place B to release the funds as per instructions (e.g., deposit in an account, pay to an individual). An exchange rate is agreed, and for larger sums there might have been capital controls paperwork to complete. After many such transactions by thousands of people, the two banks net out the difference between what they have sent and what they have received and at some suitable accounting point, one pays the other the difference. DOR (HK) (talk) 06:35, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Many thanks DOR. I have my scene! Cheers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by86.138.87.251 (talk) 10:00, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

spinach salad with warm bacon dressing

Where did spinich salad with warm or hot bacon dressing originate? — Precedingunsigned comment added by 99.123.44.84 (talk) 23:41, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

From Pennsylvania Dutch (meaning German) cuisine, and ultimately, from Germany. Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 00:05, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Alton Brown explains the history and provenance of the bacon-and-spinach salad in[this episode] of his show Good Eats. --Jayron32 03:20, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

October 29

Mary Rice Hopkins and Puppets With A Heart

Is it possible to bring Mary Rice Hopkins and Puppets With A Heart to your network? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.140.82.162 (talk) 01:16, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Do you mean is it possible to have articles on those subjects? We already have an article on Mary Rice Hopkins. If it can be established that Puppets With a Heart is sufficiently notable in its own right, rather than just being part of Ms Hopkins' activities, then it could also have an article. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 02:50, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Or did you perhaps mean to address your question to a television station? This is the reference desk for Wikipedia, the encyclopaedia that anyone can edit. --ColinFine (talk) 13:04, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

What license this image should be?

[this image] I've put all the necessary information including where I found the image and who is the author?Hope you could help me about this problem, thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by NalizAS91 (talk • contribs) 03:23, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

It should be deleted unless you have the author's permission--unless you have something notable to say about her acute and apparently morbid lordosis. . μηδείς (talk) 07:44, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Travel from India to England in 1888

If someone were travelling by ship from India to England in 1888, how long would they expect the voyage take? If it makes any difference, assume they'd be wealthy enough to travel in reasonable comfort, probably first class. --Dweller (talk) 14:46, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

This site says that the P&O voyage from London to Bombay took 12½ days in the 1890s, if that's close enough. The steamers left London every Saturday for India and fortnightly for Australia and China. Fares were £55 first class to India; £35 - £37 10s for second class. - Karenjc 20:30, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Excellent, thanks. --Dweller (talk) 20:47, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Iceland - the height of the Aldeyjarfoss waterfall

Good afternoon !!!

Just a small question,

Your article on the Aldeyjarfoss waterfall : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldeyjarfoss, mentions a height of 20m, but your River Skjálfandafljót article : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skj%C3%A1lfandaflj%C3%B3t, mentions a height of 10m !!

I'm translating a document from French into English and would like to know which height is the correct one please ???

Thanks in advance for any help. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.242.237.167 (talk) 16:32, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, a website for white-water canoeists called Icelandic River Guides says of Aldeyjarfoss ; "A large rapid is quickly followed by a 15 metre waterfall which is not for canoeing." NB This is the UK use of the word "canoeing" which includes kayaking. Most tourist and photography websites go with 20m, but maybe they got that from Wikipedia. Over at Google Books, we have Fundamentals of Physical Geography by David John Briggs, Peter Smithson, which claims a height of 40m. There is an intriguing "snippet view" of Inner- und Nordost- Island: Erinnerungen aus meiner dritten Islandfahrt (1913) which says; "Der Aldeyjarfoss (325 m ü. M.) hat zwei vertikale Fälle, von 6 resp. 19,5 m Höhe und 58 m Fall...", although a century of erosion may have changed that figure. Alansplodge (talk) 17:14, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Well thanks very much for your help ... now I've REALLY got a choice of heights !!! I think I'll go for the 20m, as you suggested.78.242.237.167 (talk) 08:15, 30 October 2012 (UTC)karangreg

Which hotel is this?

These are pictures of a hotel I visited in Berlin, Germany, three years ago. It's located rather near the exact centre, one or two kilometres away from Berlin Hauptbahnhof at the most, and only a walking distance away from Unter den Linden. It is a rather expensive hotel, with even the cheapest rooms costing over 100 € per night. I think it's part of an international hotel chain. I of course learned the hotel name when I got there, but I have since forgotten it. And I don't have the bill from the hotel any more, since I paid it three years ago. Could anyone help me remember the name and exact location of this hotel? JIP | Talk 19:55, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Not that I could even if you did, but do you have any exterior shots of the hotel? Because these rooms look like generic hotel rooms. It looks unremarkably like half of the hotel rooms I've stayed in in my life. People may be more able to identify the specific hotel with some exterior shots. --Jayron32 20:25, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Even a shot of the city scene looking out the window might help. There's a building visible through the window, but maybe not enough for identification. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:48, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

The quality isn't brilliant but the flyer on the desk looks like it has the logo of Mercure Hotels on it. Does Mercure Berlin Mitte look familiar? - Cucumber Mike (talk) 20:36, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

I think the logo on the door label and the menu on the bedside table looks more like an A with a bar over it. Two Berlin hotels with names beginning with 'A' sprang to mind, but it's clearly not the ultra-swanky Adlon Kempinski. It might be the Aldea Novum (which I've stayed at) - but that wasn't nearly as expensive as you're saying. Do you remember anything about the location? What was the nearest U-Bahn/S-Bahn stop? Was there an elevated rail line in the road outside? Were there any landmark churches nearby, or any waterways? AlexTiefling (talk) 22:06, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

That room is a dead ringer for a room pictured at the site of the Meliã Berlin. Go to http://www.meliaberlin.com/en/hotel-berlin.html and click on "Gallery" under "The Hotel" in the menu at the bottom of the page, then select the first picture. Deor (talk) 02:46, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Not only that, but the à logo on the aforementioned door hanger matches the Melia logo exactly. That's the one. Orange Suede Sofa (talk) 04:10, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Yes, I am now fairly sure this is the Meliã Berlin Hotel. Thanks! JIP | Talk 05:58, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

à confirms my suspicion that à is found in Portuguese and some other languages including Vietnamese, but not in Spanish. The Meliã Hotel seems to have Spanish associations, but not Portuguese ones. Can someone explain this? -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 07:32, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I was curious about this too. The actual copy of the website names the hotel "Meliá", which is different. Looking at some of the other logos of the hotel chain (particularly "Grand Meliá"), I wonder if the tilde is a product of artistic license and represents an acute accent. Orange Suede Sofa (talk) 07:45, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I don't think à is ever found at the end of a word in Portuguese, is it? It's always part of a diphthong. Adam Bishop (talk) 10:42, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

This page reports their changing the "Meliá" in their logo to "Meliã", apparently for esthetic (?) reasons. The official name of the company, however, is Meliá Hotels International, so I shouldn't have reproduced the logo's tilde in my remarks above. Deor (talk) 12:22, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Which begs the question - how do we now pronounce it? I have stayed in many Sol Melia (lack of accent deliberate) hotels in the 70s, 80s and early 90s and the staff always pronounced it Sol Melia. With an accent on the final letter it should be rendered Sol Meliá, but how the flying Henry one is supposed to pronounce it with a tilde over the final a. I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. Richard Avery (talk) 15:56, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I think it's like the metal umlaut (and the acute accent may be, too), intended not to affect the pronunciation but to impress the viewer with the hotels' coolness. Perhaps it works on someone. I wonder whom. Deor (talk) 16:54, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Pretty sure you mean "raises the question". Begging the question is a logical fallacy. Just taking this opportunity to raise awareness :) SemanticMantis (talk) 18:41, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

More like invites the question. To raise a question is to ask it. —Tamfang (talk) 05:49, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Yup, my ignorance, I'd go for 'raises the question' Richard Avery (talk) 08:37, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The article is from June 2011. How does that explain how I found a Meliã (not a Meliá) hotel in Berlin in July 2009, almost two years earlier? JIP | Talk 17:22, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Adam Bishop, you're probably correct about à never being found at the end of a word in Portuguese. But my point is that it's at least a feature of Portuguese orthography, whereas it does not occur in Spanish at all. Or any other major European languages. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 20:20, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Does that make it a metal tilde then? --Jayron32 21:29, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Chalcatango Mixctec, a Mixtec language, has final nasal vowels such as the word k^wãã, "to buy". See A Grammar of Chalcatongo Mixtec. Mixtec has a rather exotic phonology, which my Mixteco friends used as a secret language, telling others they were speaking "Chino". Much of therir vocabulary sound straight out of the three stooges, with a word like his "nyuck-uck" /ɳãʔãʔ/ being perfectly acceptable to and typical of their phonology. μηδείς (talk) 20:22, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

October 30

COOKING

How much is a saltspoonful measurement? It is in a recipe. thank you JRW — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.24.219.86 (talk) 19:53, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

According to this blog (scroll down to the Amston Sterling salt spoon section) it is exactly 1/4 teaspoon. --Saddhiyama (talk) 20:09, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

(edit conflict) It is an archaic term for 1/4 of a teaspoon. In metric, then, a teaspoon is very close to 5 ml, so 1/4 of a teaspoon would be about 1.2 ml. See [4] and [5]. --Jayron32 20:11, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

spiritualism vs. evolution

how can i reconcile the differences between spiritualism and evolution? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.140.46.18 (talk) 20:26, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

In so far as spititualism is make-it-up-as-you-go-along bunk, and evolution is not, I'd merely make sure that your version of spiritualism incorporates the known landscape of evolution. You can, for instance, admit to evolution whilst still believing in ghosties and ghoulies, if that floats your boat. Sure, you may have to abrogate logic somewhat, but since you;ve already done that to embrace spiritualism, a further tweak should not be harmful. --Tagishsimon (talk) 20:34, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

There's no conflict between them - in as much as spiritualism doesn't even pretend to explain how human life came to be. This is apples and small furry things from Alpha Centauri. The possible deficiencies of spiritualism as a philosophy are beside the point; evolution is science, and spiritualism really, really isn't. AlexTiefling (talk) 21:10, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

The OP may be interested in reading Rocks of Ages (the book itself, not just the Wikipedia article about it), which presents one perspective on the issue. --Jayron32 21:27, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Any God not smart enough to have invented a universe with evolution in it is not worth worshipping? Most opposition I see to evolution has nothing to do with spirituality, which is mindfulness of one's highest values, just the fact that the preacher seems to find the subject personally challenging. I.e., they have a hard time imagining a God that is smarter than they are. Not sure what references one would want, but see Stephen Jay Gould's Catholic Church-inspired non-overlapping magisteria. I know plenty of Catholic scientists and engineers. μηδείς (talk) 19:02, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Maybe we ought to define our terms. There's Spiritualism but there's also these. What exactly are we talking about? -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 20:07, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

The term "spiritualism" to me usually means holding seances and talking to the dead, who surprisingly almost never say, "I'm dead! Leave me in peace already!" Maybe the OP is referring to "spirituality", which is rather a different thing. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:40, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Oh yes indeed. Being spiritual is what all trendy young things claim to be, immediately after denying they're religious. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 10:10, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Yup. When someone tells me that they're "spiritual", I usually ask something like, "Meaning what?" Or at least I'm tempted to ask. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:46, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

October 31

Sources of entertainment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International manga sales

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

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

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

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

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

Wouldn't you do better to contact them directly ? Here's their contact page: [6]. If, for some reason, they refuse to disclose their fee structure, they also have a page dealing with Freedom of Information Act requests, here: [7]. You can also look through their website to find prices for various courses of study, like this: [8]. StuRat (talk) 18:15, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Paramount Theatre Brooklyn

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

Wood Stove

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our article on the MetroCard seems to indicate that private merchants only sell pre-loaded Metrocards in set denominations; I don't think they can reload a card for you. That said, is there any reason why you wouldn't be able to buy one of those pre-loaded cards and use it for your bus trips (including any necessary transfers) until the floodwaters recede? Once the subway stations reopen, you can consolidate any leftover value on to a single card at any token both: [9]. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 17:52, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

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

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

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

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

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

Gasoline into a Diesel engine or vice versa?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hurricane Sandy roof repairs

Hurricane Sandy roof damage to my house.

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

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

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

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

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

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

UST party

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

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

November 1

Lloyds bank Cambridge

I would like to describe the Lloyds bank building on Sidney St, Cambridge, England and am looking for some help with architectural terms. I understand the exterior is in the Dutch Renaissance style with Dutch gables and brick bandings in limestone. Any suggestions on how to describe the clock tower? The interior is very elaborate with cornicing and a domed roof. Does anyone know the name for this type of cornicing? How would you describe the glass which is in sections that look vaguely scalloped? I have described the panels as "coffers". Is this term appropriate? 212.183.140.24 (talk) 20:05, 1 November 2012 (UTC) If you are an expert in this type of architecture, please help. I would love to hear from you.

I don't know much about architecture, but here is an image of the bank for those who don't know what it looks like. [10] ⋘HueSatLum ? ❢⋙ 00:48, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

The description with HueSatLum's image seems to answer at least some of the OP's question. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:54, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

November 2

airline canada Saudi Arabia and Arab gulf nations

Which airline(s) should I take when I visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from Pearson International Airport? Then, which airline(s) should I take when I go to Manama, Bahrain from Riyadh? Which airline(s) should I take when I go to Kuwait, Kuwait from Manama? Which airline(s) should I take when I go to Abu Dhabi from Kuwait? Which airline(s) should I take when I go to Doha from Abu Dhabi? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.29.34.178 (talk) 00:52, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

You can check any number of travel websites to help you make those plans, or consult with a local travel agent. The options all depend on when you are going, what you are willing to pay and any other number of conditions, including the level of comfort you require when flying. Mingmingla (talk) 01:01, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Quary for airbaltic,u.k

Today itself I got an Visa as well as confirmation letter statting that I have been selected for an Air baltic,bathroad ,u.k,I would like to enquire about wheather its genuine or scam. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 27.125.202.69 (talk) 08:29, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

We cannot tell you whether this is or is not a scam. However, if you have not applied for a visa through Air Baltic, you should be very suspicious of this. If you have applied for a visa through them, consider contacting the company (see [11]). Do not reply to the letter, and especially do not provide any personal information, until you have checked that it is legitimate. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 09:04, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Alitalia and the number 18

While using Alitalia over the summer I noticed the plane's seats had no row 18, and there was no Gate 18 at whichever Milan airport we transferred through (memory fails me). Is there a special reason, for I can see no disaster etc on their wiki pages referring to a reason to cancel the use of the number?