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November 14

WPA project completed in 1939

Am searching for information on a particular project that WPA conducted in 1939, at the General Vallejo Home, located at 363 Third St. West, in Sonoma, California, 95476. This address is presently a Ca. State Park, but I am sure the work was done for the Sonoma Valley Irrigation and Water Company. Both the WPA(Works Progress Administration) and the Sonoma Valley Irrigation and Water Co. no longer exist. Any information on this project would be extremely helpful in the restoration of an historical site.

Thank you, Lynn Luzzi — Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.186.100.251 (talk) 00:09, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

Heya Lynn, I did find This database of New Deal era projects at the Roosevelt Library's website. It may give you a start for your research. --Jayron32 01:42, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

There's a brief description of the WPA restoration of the house in 1936–1938 (which doesn't seem to be quite what you're asking about) here. I only mention it because it gives a reference to a 1976 MA thesis by Paulene Goddard called "The Impact of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) in Sonoma County", which might be worth tracking down. If after all the 1936–1938 restoration is interesting to you then you might also try to find some kind of government document or book called “Accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration – Northern California (1935-1938).” Works Progress Administration, San Francisco, CA, 1938, which I find cited here and there. --Antiquary (talk) 10:55, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

Turning up late for formal dinner

Hi!

This weekend I am going on a conference with a formal dinner on Saturday evening. However, I have an important appointment elsewhere that I booked long before this conference. This means that I will most likely turn up at the hotel about an hour after the formal dinner had started. I wonder what it is acceptable to do in such a situation, whether I should ask for a seat to be reserved and turn up in the middle of the dinner, or if I should stay in my hotel room until the dinner is over?

Thanks in advance for your replies :) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.150.37.142 (talk) 07:22, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

In my case it would depend how hungry I was. Seriously though, this is clearly a request for opinions, something we should reject. So, sorry, no help coming from me. HiLo48 (talk) 07:33, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

Taking this question in good faith and not making references to careless double booking, arriving an hour late for a formal dinner will cause problems for you, the other guests and the kitchen (who should not reasonably be expected to hold a meal in table condition for an hour). In this situation you should make an apology to the host and join the dinner after the consumption of the final course. Richard Avery (talk) 07:44, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

I would suggest asking the organisers how they would like you to handle it. They may give Richard's suggestion, but they may be willing to make some special provision for you. --ColinFine (talk) 12:59, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

Quite. The organisers or host may (almost certainly) have found themselves in a similar situation before and thus understand the issue with previously made plans. A good host would (I hope) announce to the assembly right from the start, that a Mr X will be arriving mid course due to prior engagements. Thus you will not arrive 'late' but at the earliest opportunity. You host will (should) understand and reassure you that they would be glad of your attendance even if miss the silly speeches and hors d'oeuvre. On your arrival the other guest will be more inclined to say Oh good you made it. This should suffice for most occasions, other than one's wedding anniversary.--Aspro (talk) 15:14, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

I disagree with the previous two posters, and agree with Richard Avery. Turning up partway through a formal dinner is pointless – the whole point of such an event is that those who attend do so from start to finish. In fact I would go further than Richard and say that you shouldn't turn up at all to the dinner, even after the consumption of the final course. Either stay in your hotel room (as you suggest) or, better, go somewhere else for dinner on your own. --Viennese Waltz 16:40, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

• Sources that support not arriving at all (4): This source and this one (both admittedly old) generally supports Viennese Waltz's position: either arrive on time or not at all. This source, when read in the light of the first one, generally supports the idea that only the guest of honor is allowed to be late. This source, on arriving late to a formal dinner says only one thing: "Don't."
• Sources that support arriving late (3): This one supports contacting the host(/ess). This source says that the guest should apologize to the host upon arriving late and ask to be started from the current course (rather than from the beginning). It's supported (really repeated) by this source.

The sources that support arriving late are ultimately derived from Emily Post, so it's really possible to argue that only one source supports arriving late. These sources are concerned with England and America, however. I can't really guess what the standard is in Norway. Ian.thomson (talk) 17:04, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

In England, turning up late is the done thing, at least in the sense that it is sometimes done. But then again, I've also once seen someone turn up to a black tie dinner wearing jeans and a shirt and apologetically proceed to partake of the meal (they'd not noticed the dress code, apparently). So anything goes really! As others have said, you will be served starting with dessert if that's the stage the meal has reached when you arrive, unless it's otherwise convenient for the serving staff. (Given how these things proceed though, you might be there in time for the main course.)

If the meal is not at a venue using circular tables, then the advantage of your early apology (and request for permission) to the host(ess), is that your initial absence won't leave anyone short of a conversation partner, as you can be seated in the place of least honour, i.e. furthest from the host/high table/whatever. (This also reduces the embarassment of wandering past all the guests while they're eating.)

I don't imagine anyone will be offended or think it is bad manners. Personally I would be in two minds about attending a dinner in these circumstances, unless it was one I especially wanted to attend. (Next month I'm turning up to an event over an hour later than I normally would, the delay is unavoidable and I want to be there and am somewhat in demand although certainly not the guest of honour.)

The London Evening Standard had something the other week about really important and really busy people turning up to dinners and giving the opening speech and then leaving without eating anything, apparently also the done thing now. I think a previous topic at this refdesk, or else a media source (my memory is poor) had mention of how in some continental European country the populace are shocked at anyone eating any food, even a cheese sandwich, without using knife and fork - so expectations do vary a lot. At a rather less formal "banquet" in the USA for high school students and their parents (also my introduction to the great enthusiasm at such events for drinking iced tea in huge quantities - I'd never tasted it before), cold desserts were laid out on the tables in advance, and I was somewhat surprised when mein host got bored during the opening speeches and ate his dessert a few courses too early. OK I'm out of anecdotes now. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 19:02, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

This depends hugely on what is the done thing in your field. In my field (academic, mathematics), nobody would bat an eyelid. The organisers would find it quite odd if I contacted them beforehand. Academics are busy people and usually have plenty of other things to do and for many of my colleagues things like finishing of a paper and continuing an interesting mathematical discussion would rate much higher than a social function. Turn up whenever. If you are on the guest list, there will be a place at a table for you somewhere. The kitchen will do their best to give you food, depending on how this is organised you may have missed a course or two of course, so don't expect that you still get the whole meal. I have been to formal dinners where there is at least an hour of other entertainment before people even take seats. Some are buffets where it doesn't really matter when you arrive. But then Mathematicians are a bunch of anarchists anyhow, other fields may make more fuss about social conventions. 86.175.169.103 (talk) 00:02, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

There is only one right answer, and that is that you need to contact the organizers of the gathering and get their opinion. Far worse than being late would be not communicating that fact when you know about it. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 02:31, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

• I agree with Bugs 100%. Except if you are the mayor of NYC, Bill de Blasio, you can even have your aids call to ask that a ceremonial bell ringing to mark the deaths of Flight 587 be delayed because you were a little groggy when you woke:

  “They asked us to delay the moment of silence to wait until the mayor got there,” Miriam Estrella said. It was an explosive charge about the mayor’s failure to show up on time for a memorial service commemorating the 13th anniversary of the crash of the American Airlines flight. Estrella, who lost five family members in the crash, refused. She rang the bell starting the moment of silence at precisely 9:16 a.m., the exact moment of the crash. “They kept telling us, ‘Wait, he’s coming. He’s coming,’ and I said, no, we’re not waiting. We’re not going to wait for him for a moment of silence. It happened at a certain time. That’s the time that we have to toll the bells,” Estrella said.

  Source: New Yorkers Blast Mayor After He Offers A Litany Of Excuses For His Tardiness. μηδείς (talk) 06:42, 15 November 2014 (UTC)
  • "*sigh* --Onorem (talk) 06:59, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

• fart*? Is there some reason we're reporting bodily functions here? μηδείς (talk) 01:21, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

No, that is certainly not the right answer. Asking the organizers what to do risks putting them in a difficult position. They would prefer you not to turn up at all rather than turn up late, but they don't want to offend you by saying so. So they say, "By all means, turn up whenever!" and this gives you a licence to do the wrong thing. Stay away altogether, it's the only polite thing to do. --Viennese Waltz 08:43, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

• Thinks this boils down to: If one is invited to an Barack Obama dinner or a Queen Elisabeth II banquet at Buckingham Palaces, complete with a wine list that would probably buy one an apartment in lower Manhattan. Then one is is the position to have ones staff to cancel all ones other engagements. But for the OP's point. Most peoples job spec does not include, being seen and reported in the press by attending formal functions. Most people are not politicians, diplomats and captains of defence industries for whom attending 'formal function' is a major part of their job and sod anything else. Instead, most guests may have real responsibilities that come first (or their country may fall behind in international economic competition) they can't delegate their problems to whole departments (which do the real work.) If a host is so out of touch with the real world, then what point is there, in going to one of their functions in the first place and so by perhaps, getting tainted by their ignorance? If the host would like the OP to attend and the OP would like to attend -then that is all that is important. Not the views of a few, who pontificate some silly made up protocol that maintains a position of one-upmanship. One does not invite a guest in order to have them Kowtow to you but because you value their presence. So do not invite me to any of your functions! I don't want to know.--Aspro (talk) 01:11, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Clearly this is a matter of opinion, and therefore out of place at RD. The very first reply was correct, and everyone else disregarded that correct assessment, ignoring the statement at the top, "We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate." I'm not sure what Richard Avery's reference to "good faith" was about; the correct assessment had nothing to do with the OP's good faith. Please. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 08:54, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

For an academic conference, at least in computer science, being late for the conference dinner is no big deal. Informing the local organisers may be a nice touch, but may also fizzle to no effect, depending on the particular people. Academics are not usually formal people, so their concept of "formal dinner" is "3+ courses, wine, and mostly eat with utensils, not fingers". It's not exactly like a dinner with the Queen - at the very first conference dinner I went to, one of the older professors showed up in surplus camouflage pants cut off at the knees, a khaki-green army shirt with rolled-up sleeves, combat boots, and carrying a large canvas backpack. He made good conversation (on parallel symbolic computation, of course ;-), so he was popular. If it's a private party, excuse yourself to the host and find out their preferences. If you need to preach on the appropriateness of answers, do so on the talk page. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 09:16, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Sorry, I don't see it that way. There is nothing ambiguous about the instructions at the top of the page, or here, so this is not "preaching" and there is no requirement to seek consensus in talk. I'm hatting this; if someone feels justified in reverting that, then we can go to WP:VPP and discuss whether that guideline is important enough to be observed even when the majority present feel inclined to ignore it. My feeling is that the Reference Desk is more important than that. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 09:23, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Unhatted by Stephan Schulz; hope to see you there. If the community wants it this way, so it shall be. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 10:40, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

If you google the subject, you will see that the right thing to do is to communicate with the organizers. That's a matter of courtesy and respect. If you have enough respect for the organizers to communicate to them that you're going to be X minutes late, then you're good. They might say yes and they might say no, but they'll appreciate it either way. If not, then you shouldn't go. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 10:42, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Link to the VPP discussion, for your convenience. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 11:03, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

• Why all the augment? The OP is requesting advice on etiquette. To quote:‘Manners’ is a term usually preceded by the word good or bad to indicate whether or not a behavior is socially acceptable. Every culture adheres to a different set of manners, although a lot of manners are cross‐culturally common. Manners are a subset of social norms which are informally enforced through self-regulation and social policing and publically performed. Even cultural anthropology recognizes this. Thus, the only way to find out for sure is to contact host or organizers. Why should Asking the organizers what to do risks putting them in a difficult position.  ? Unless of course they are completely autocentric. Princess Anne of the UK doesn't drink wine and so the host will be informed that a substitute needs to be provided, other guest may want to know if pork or other foods are on the menu etc., etc. Accommodating these issues is a sign of a good host too.) Now I'll give my opinion : just put those RSVP's in the bin. Not good etiquette I know but it tends putting them off sending you another one in the future. That is I agree, my POV based on pragmatism derived from just personal experience alone. Politer I think, than replying to say: Sorry that I am unable to attend you function to raise funds for City Bankers that have found themselves loosing their bonuses and are now facing hard times – or whatever! </personal opinion> Anyway, it is now Sunday and perhaps the OP can come back and report on how he handled it and how it went.--Aspro (talk) 16:27, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

holocaust marker for tomb stones

I heard I can buy a something that says "Holocaust Survivor" for my dad's tomb stone. Is this correct? Where can I read about this and what is the cost? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2602:304:ce29:59b9:2140:65a7:1740:19ea (talk • contribs)

If he is deceased or has bought a plot, contact the cemetery. They will both know who you should contact, and will advise if adding such a marker is allowed--certain types of additional displays are not allowed in many cemeteries--an option is having the text added to the engraving on the stone itself. μηδείς (talk) 19:02, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

I assume you are a US resident based on your IP address. I suggest you also check state law for your area. Some areas no longer allow standing headstones. This article shows a bronze adornment to a gravestone that might interest you. μηδείς (talk) 01:17, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

What Violin piece is being played in this youtube video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0a6aie7pjk Venustar84 (talk) 22:53, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

You can often identify music by opening up two browsers, one with the music, such as the youtube clip, and the other at the website Midomi. Get the music cued up and the play it loud enough so that your built in mike picks it up and click on the identify music button. Midomi is pretty accurate, you can even hum the music into it if you can stay in tune. I have done it to identify classical music. μηδείς (talk) 01:21, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

youtube comments identify the music: It's Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 5 "Frühlingssonate" or "Spring Sonata" . . . wonder why Midomi requires you to download an app to use it? Raquel Baranow (talk) 01:34, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

It didn't require that of me, presumably my high-end laptop already had the necessary driver. There are several websites that do this, midomi was recommended me on the entertainment desk, and has worked the three times I've used it, twice humming and once playing a youtube video in a separate browser. μηδείς (talk) 03:47, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

I tried using it to identify Moldau from Smetana's Ma Vlast by humming it, and the result was "I'm a little teapot". :) KägeTorä - (_虎) (Chin Wag) 01:37, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I had no trouble getting Vivaldi's exquisite Guitar Concert in D, 2nd Movement identified by singing Da duh Da duh... μηδείς (talk) 18:19, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

November 15

RC watch with no controls

I'm after a radio-controlled watch with no crown and no buttons, that adjusts itself in line with time signals only. Does such a watch exist? If not, is there one with but a single button to tell the watch to synchronize with some time signal?--Leon (talk) 14:18, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

You might find something suitable from La Crosse Technology, see here . Some seem to have very few buttons, not sure if any have zero buttons. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:07, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Or perhaps there might be one with a hidden panel, so that no buttons are visible unless it is pried open. Would that be acceptable ? StuRat (talk) 23:02, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

It would!--Leon (talk) 14:33, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I think this one works like that: . StuRat (talk) 15:42, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Picture in Manila, Philippines

Does anyone know, where exactly in Manila this pic was taken? 112.198.90.141 (talk) 14:19, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

How much energy to instantly stop helicopter rotor blades?

I saw a video on YouTube showcasing an invention for a table saw that would instantaneously stop the saw once the blades detected that it made contact with a human finger. This saw used some kind of destructive arrestor mechanism that instantly stopped the saw from spinning, somewhat destroying the saw and table in the process.

How difficult would it be to employ a similar mechanism for a helicopter's main rotor blades? Let's use a UH-60 Blackhawk for example, how much energy would it take to instantly stop the main rotor blade from spinning while it was spinning at max speed? Acceptable (talk) 19:06, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

This is not the trivia desk. You'd need to provide mass distribution specs for the blades for anyone to do any sort of calculation. There's no such thing as instantaneous stopping. Anything that did so very quickly would make your blades chip and shatter. There's simply no way any system is going to prevent decapitation once a blade has struck someone's forehead. μηδείς (talk) 19:35, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

That is not an attempt at a referenced answer. Rmhermen (talk) 20:00, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Nor is your tendentious response, Rmhermen. I am telling the OP that his question can't be answered as stated, that he has some ideas wrong and has not given us enough information to provide an answer. Then he would be asking us to do highly speculative equations based on other unspecified assumptions. Dragon's flight below has said exactly what I said, and it's not our place to suggest various helicopter models to the OP, African or European. μηδείς (talk) 22:03, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Since they gave us the model of chopper, all that info is out there somewhere, if anyone cares to look it up. Perhaps you don't want to (I don't either), but there's nothing wrong with them asking. And if they said we could pick whatever model chopper we wanted, that would be fine, too. StuRat (talk) 23:00, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

This gives 5×10 J for the rotational energy in a small helicopter. As Medeis said, there is no such thing as instantly, so you would have to say how fast you want it to be, though I have trouble imagining any fast stop process that doesn't tear the blades apart and create lots of shrapnel. Dragons flight (talk) 20:11, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

how much energy would it take to instantly stop...? The answer is none, or rather a negative amount, ie, in principle it would be possible to build a device that stops the rotor blades and converts their kinetic energy into useful work (see, regenerative brake). Now there are certainly engineering questions about how quickly the blades can be stopped without damage; how efficient such a energy recovery device can be; etc but I wanted to correct the apparent premise behind your question that "the greater the energy of rotation, the greater the energy needed to stop it". Abecedare (talk) 22:24, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

Note that if you used some type of brakes affixed to the helicopter, that the helicopter itself would then start to spin (unless it was anchored to the ground at the time). So, you'd need to actually reverse spin the blades a bit, relative to the chopper, to ensure that they stopped moving forward, relative to the ground. StuRat (talk) 22:56, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

I don't know about the energy requirement, but flying your helicopter into a hard object (like a building or cliff) tends to stop the blades pretty quickly. Of course, it destroys the helicopter so it is not much use after. Astronaut (talk) 16:07, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I'm not a physicist, but I would think the stresses resulting from the stated scenario (max speed to zero instantaneously) would necessarily tear the helicopter apart, unless you had something like Abecedare suggested. That's a lot of kinetic energy and it has to go somewhere. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 19:33, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

The whole scenario is absurd. There's no practical way it could slow down quickly enough to be of any use. And just how would a blade detect such an obstacle? Clarityfiend (talk) 22:21, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

SawStop claims 5 to 10 milliseconds to decelerate a table saw blade without damaging a finger. The detection is done by electrical changes. Rmhermen (talk) 23:27, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes, which explains the impracticality of the helicopter question--the many orders of magnitude in difference between the angular momentum of a helicopter's blades and a table saw blade, and the impracticality of mounting proper sensors. μηδείς (talk) 00:46, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Wow, I'm impressed by SawStop. Based on Mandruss' comment, the numbers for SawStop don't work out. Now, where's my flying car? Clarityfiend (talk) 07:42, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

The Kamov Ka-50 helicopter has an ejector seat - and uses the unusual trick of blowing explosive bolts at each rotor hinge and relying on centrifugal force to fling the rotors outwards before the seat leaves the aircraft. It's an interesting alternative to trying to stop rotation. SteveBaker (talk) 01:05, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Re SawStop, I just added this to that talk page. Feel free to comment there to avoid that tangent here. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 08:21, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I explained over on that page - but briefly, it's a misunderstanding of what the Sawstop actually does. Sure, it does stop the blade - but that's not how it works. It harvests the rotational energy of the slowing blade to pull the entire blade down under the table. The blade literally vanishes below the table in the blink of an eye. So it's rather irrelevant how fast it stops - what matters is that it pulls the blade away from you at a speed of a dozen feet per second or so. In one of their videos, you can see that only one or two teeth of the saw touch your skin before it starts to pull away. SteveBaker (talk) 20:22, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Eddy current brakes could be used in this application. If done with permanent magnets, it would require no power. Power enough magnets could slow the blades down to a fraction of their initial speed within several milliseconds, though not to a complete stop. Mechanical brakes could do the last bit. The axle or spindle would heat up extremely quickly, and that may cause damage. The blades would also be subject to large forces, which may or may not break them. It depends on the kinetic energy of the blades and the strength of the material they are made from.--79.97.222.210 (talk) 22:51, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

November 16

Anatomy in "In the Realms of the Unreal"

Has anything explained why Henry Darger gave all the girls male genitalia in In the Realms of the Unreal? 68.111.134.253 (talk) 11:14, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

According to our article (Henry Darger), "Darger biographer Jim Elledge speculates that this represents a reflection of Darger's own childhood issues with gender identity and homosexuality." I don't think any answer can be more than speculation, as Darger was, shall we say, eccentric, and didn't give his own reasons for this particular aspect of his art. Tevildo (talk) 12:08, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Chess anecdote

I remember a chess anecdote but am having trouble finding it, mainly because I forgot whom it was about, which is sort of crucial to the punchline. The anecdote is that some great chess player, while traveling by train, is approached by a stranger (who doesn't recognize the master) to play some chess. After getting beaten quickly, the stranger expresses his surprise and points out that he normally wins and is even nicknamed "little X" at home, X being the name of the master to whom he lost. For example: had it been Lasker (which it wasn't according to my googling), the stranger would have been nicknamed "little Lasker". Any clues? Thank you in advance! ---Sluzzelin talk 17:02, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

These two sites give it to Max Euwe , but I don't know whether that's the original form of the story. --Antiquary (talk) 17:31, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Actually, in this form of the story () it is Lasker. It's just forum chat again, but it does cite "a Norwegian chess book" for whatever that's worth. --Antiquary (talk) 17:56, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Thank you for that, Antiquary! The one I had heard about was definitely Euwe. I had read it in some chess book for children years ago, in German, and now googling German versions gave me this, where it is also pointed out that the stranger performed an illegal castling the first time he got in trouble, but Euwe said nothing, the game took its course, Euwe won. Later on, the stranger muttered about not only losing several times in a row, but to someone who didn't even know the rules about castling. Apocryphal perhaps, but apparently it even inspired someone to write a fictional game, see A game in the train with Euwe. Thanks again! ---Sluzzelin talk 18:26, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

US $100 bill security

In 2013 the United States one hundred-dollar bill added additional security measures. Are these security measures going to be used on lower denominations? Bubba73 18:41, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

In order to maintain the public confidence in paper money, security feature will be added pro re nata as they have been in other parts of the world. Personally, I can't think of anything better than a disc of gold or silver but that type of currency can not be devalued by the government on a whim to balance the the trade deficit by diminishing the purchasing power of Joe and Jane Doe's savings. See --Aspro (talk) 21:05, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

When was the U.S. fiat dollar devalued? Rmhermen (talk) 22:35, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Good question. Historically, coinage has often been devalued by the crown mints by adding more tin etc. so enabling the King to have more bullion. Now, the King has been replaced by the government but they still play the same tricks on their populace. This is an over simplification yet Gold_standard#Gold_bullion_replaces_gold_specie_as_standard may answer your question. If it doesn't, then ask Warren Buffet. As Imelda Marcos pointed out: Only the little people pay taxes. Your savings in the bank is not doing anything for you. Inflation (dollar devaluation) wipes out any compound interest. Move it into non dollar real estate. And if your income is high enough (sorry for those guys that are just flipping buggers – the American Dream is not for them) then you can get a big tax brakes. The physical dollar is now, is a depreciating asset. Get ride of them. --Aspro (talk) 00:44, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Sorry to nitpick but it was Leona Helmsley who said "Only the little people pay taxes". I have this compulsion to set the record straight on quotations. I am to be pitied, not blamed. --Antiquary (talk) 12:19, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

While gold and silver have some intrinsic value, and buying it for that reason may be reasonable. I strongly suspect that struck gold coins are easier to fake (e.g. gold plate over cheaper metals) or alter (e.g. shave off small amounts of gold) than a $100 bill. Hence high value coins are probably a less secure medium of exchange than other forms of currency. Of course, one could have some of both worlds if your fancy paper currency is backed by a gold standard, etc., but most countries don't do that any more. Dragons flight (talk) 23:40, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

My question is: are the security measures in the US $100 bill going to make it into $50 and $20 soon? Bubba73 00:52, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

A Google News search on "$50 bill" doesn't reveal anything about that question. Georgia guy (talk) 00:58, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Canada's paper money recently transformed into insanely slippery plastic, making a folded wad of bills almost impossible to wield. A subtle way of pressuring us to trade it to the banks for a less slippery plastic card, I think, but tear and water resistance are pretty cool.

Anyway, our $100 changed in November 2011, the $50 in March 2012, $20 in November 2012 and $10 and $5 in November 2013. Might be a rough predictor of the US timetable. InedibleHulk (talk) 06:38, November 17, 2014 (UTC)

Looking through http://www.newmoney.gov/ (the U.S government's site on U.S. currency), I cannot find anything on that site about future redesigns of the other denominations. Per the FAQ on there: "The United States government primarily redesigns U.S. currency to stay ahead of counterfeiting threats and keep counterfeiting levels low. The Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department, its Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the United States Secret Service continuously monitor the counterfeiting threats for each denomination of U.S. currency and make redesign decisions based on these threats". Thus, I assume that they feel that the current security features on the other denominations are sufficient for now. There is also this PDF file about the $1 bill posted on that site, where it explains that the $1 bill has not been redesigned since 1963 because, among others, "the $1 note is infrequently counterfeited". Zzyzx11 (talk) 06:57, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I would imagine the manufacturers of vending machines has more to do with that than anything. Most vending machines don't take bills larger than a $1.00, and frequent redesigns would require them to reprogram their bill changers just as often. Yes, there are SOME bill changers that take larger bills, but they are rare. If they never redesign the $1, they never have to redesign all the vending machines either. --Jayron32 17:22, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

The thing about dollar bill redesign is that they really want to replace it with a coin. Dollar bills cost 5.4 cents to make and last for 22 months before they wear out and need to be replaced. A dollar coin might cost 10 cents to make - but coins typically last for 30 years...so switching to coins would reduce the cost of dollar currency by a factor of ten...and make most vending machines much simpler because they wouldn't need to read paper money at all. Because there are around 9 billion dollar bills in circulation, at any given time, and they are all replaced every 22 months, we could save around $200 million a year in dollar bill replacement by switching to coins.

According to the Federal Reserve, the extra security on the $5, $10, $20 and $50 just about doubles the cost of making them - and the $100 bills cost 13 cents each to make. However, numerically, there are far fewer bills in those other denominations in circulation - so the cost of using paper isn't so bad. People also tend to look after the higher denominations a lot better, so they last quite a bit longer than the $1. A $100 bill tends to get folded rather carefully and tucked into a wallet or purse - where a $1 might just get stuffed into a pocket any-old-how. SteveBaker (talk) 19:55, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

lowercase ea in price displays

I have just arrived in the US and I see this in price displays: "$4.99/ea", what do these 2 letters ea mean? --208.54.45.188 (talk) 21:17, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

each --Viennese Waltz 21:19, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes, "each", often to distinguish items that are sometimes sold by weight or volume (e.g. $4.99/lb). For examples, a fruit like apples might be priced per unit weight or per individual apple, depending on the preference of the seller. Dragons flight (talk) 23:42, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

It's worth remembering that the price displayed in the USA is not the price you will be charged - taxes are added at the checkout. DuncanHill (talk) 20:58, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

They often use both methods at the same time, to prevent the consumer from figuring out which is the better deal. They might also throw in a bushel bag full of apples, to confuse things even further. StuRat (talk) 00:10, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Your first sentence seems somewhat nonsequiturish to me, Stu. Why would they exchange a system where a customer's only question is whether they're prepared to pay the sole price on offer, for a system where a customer is so confused that they don't make the purchase they would otherwise have made, and maybe go to a competitor? That would be classic lose-lose. It would work beautifully in a scenario where the shop is interested in actively discouraging people from buying their apples, or whatever. Is that what you had in mind? Or has your (perhaps justified) cynicism caused you to temporarily abandon logic? -- Jack of Oz 06:07, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Nobody said anything about "so confused that they don't make the purchase". Stu is just saying that customers may not be readily able to figure out whether these apples at 88 cents each or those apples at $1.79 per pound are cheaper (substitute metric equivalent if you prefer), and may unintentionally buy the more expensive ones. --65.94.50.4 (talk) 08:55, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Exactly. Very few customers seem willing to switch stores to make comparison shopping easier, or to do what it takes to do the comparison at such a store (I have, though, by weighing each item on a scale). Far more just guess at which is cheaper, and often end up paying more. StuRat (talk) 17:09, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I'd be curious to see some data on that. Got a citation? --jpgordon 18:43, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Ok, I took it too far. But I'm still struggling with the concept that the only reason they would introduce a parallel pricing system for the same goods is to deliberately confuse customers. What on earth would be gained by intentionally confusing customers? By definition, a per item cost is going to be different from a per weight cost, even if only slightly. People understand that, and they have a choice. If a particular customer can't work out whether these apples are better value than those apples, are you saying the store is hoping they'll choose the more expensive ones, rather than maybe ask an assistant to help them? Also, some customers may only want/need a small number of apples and are prepared to pay a slightly higher price for them, than to have to buy a whole 5 kg (or whatever) at a lower cost per apple but risk some of them spoiling before they have a chance to be used, and thus negating the value of the bulk purchase. People's needs are different, and I think it's a good thing that people are given choices in matters like this. Can you provide a source that supports your Theory of Intentional but Pointless Confusion? -- Jack of Oz 18:47, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I think people here are over-thinking it. If I'm buying apples (eg, so my kid can take them in his lunch bag) - then when I do my shopping, I need 5 apples for the week. I have no clue how much apples weigh - so if they are offered in price per pound, I'm kinda at a loss to know how much they'll cost me until I get to the store checkout. That sucks - so a fixed price per apple makes a hell of a lot of sense. On the other hand, things like potatoes are more often chopped up (but not always) so you may not care how many actual potatoes you get - so long as there is sufficient weight to make a decent portion size. In my local 'big box' store, they sell large potatoes for baking (where the number of potatoes DOES matter because each person at the table needs one potato of whatever size) in packs of three - so the price is per-pack, not per-pound...but what appears to be the exact same potatoes are sold by the pound in the adjacent section of the display. It's just a matter of convenience. Since (at least in the USA) there appear to be no laws about whether fruit and veg are priced "each" or "per pound" or "per pack" - each store can choose which items are sold which way. In the meat aisle, steaks are sold in packs - with the price, price per lb and actual weight - all marked on the label...it would be tough to do that with apples...but that's exactly what they do with packs of three potatoes...and you can see (in that case) that the price per pound is higher than for the loose potatoes, so you have a free choice. I don't see where there is deception or anything of that sort. The terms of the purchase are made perfectly clear.

It's really no different from buying a "3 liter bottle of soda" versus buying a six pack of soda. In the first case, it's pretty clear that the price is by volume - in the second case, you may have to look in the small print to see the volume of each smaller container and do the math. It's convenience, not deception. SteveBaker (talk) 19:03, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

• The assumption here is that one entres a grocery store once in his life, gets confused by the per item or per unit pricing, and walks out bereft of his life savings. Most humans eat daily and shop for groceries at least once a week. They usually frequent the same few stores. They come to learn the prices.

I know that the heads of lettuce are cheapre per head but smallre at the fancy store than the ones at the discount store. I am smart enough to chose the largest head of lettuce, since they are sold by item, not weight. I know what it means when the same size and brand heads that cost 75c in the summre of 2013 now cost $1.38. And I still know that's cheapre than the smallre $1.19 heads at the fancy store. Fresh Philly Rye is sold by weight. So I don't worry about weight but pay attention to shape, since I dislike the smallre slices of the longre loaves. I buy the shortre, widre loaves. But the factory made white bread comes at a set price per loaf--even if the loaves all have the same labelled weight. So I pay attention to the date in that case.

Aftre having lived in an area for a few months, unless you have servants, you should know what's a bettre deal and what's not. The only thing at issue here really seems to have been the OP's unfamiliarity with the abbreviation ea for each, not any massive conspiracy to defraud American shoppres. μηδείς (talk) 22:16, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I would also point out that, in the United States, most supermarkets have scales in the produce area. If I can't see which of two comparable items is a better value because they are priced differently, I take the item priced by the piece to a scale and calculate its price per pound. It is not so difficult and not a mystery. Also, as Medeis says, these pricing patterns tend to be consistent over time, and once you find the best value, you can generally stick to it as long as the price doesn't jump. My guess is that items tend to be priced by the piece where the merchant has paid by the piece and priced by the pound when the merchant has paid by the pound. Marco polo (talk) 19:39, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes, and not only scales, but uniform sized unit prices displayed for items of the same product in different brands and sizes. (Apparenty this varies by state law, and some national chains do it voluntarily, see blog below.) For example, not only will the tag on the shelf say Heinz Ketchup, 1 Liter, $3.99; Store Brand Ketchup, 1/2 Gallon, $5.99; it will also say the unit price of each, say, $3.50 and $3.00 per quart. You have to decide if you want to pay for the 50c extra for the Heinz. μηδείς (talk) 20:20, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

• Here's an otherwise quite interesting blog entry at lifehacker on unit pricing. Apparently only 19 states have unit pricing laws. The criticism of target for the "misleading" unit pricing of eggs is unfair. It's obvious a clerk got confused and gave the price of a dozen cases of a dozen eggs, rather than the usual per dozen eggs; it's a poor example. μηδείς (talk) 22:05, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Good grief. I gave the correct, one-word answer, two minutes after the OP posted his question. Nothing more needed to be said - not one word - and yet here we are, 1,500 words of completely pointless and unnecessary verbiage later. I'm beginning to understand why The Rambling Man gets so worked up. --Viennese Waltz 22:31, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Did you just want to land on my shoulders VW, or do you have a source to contribute? I have started a thread on the talk page to discuss this dire matter, please comment there. μηδείς (talk) 23:21, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

The problem is when the unnecessary verbiage comes two minutes after the OP, then we get a correct answer. This way's good. Someone clicking the header for a quick answer gets it, and they can choose to read further or not (I learned something new today). No sifting needed. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:03, November 21, 2014 (UTC)

What % of students are selectively chosen for British secondary schools?

In the UK, about 7-8% of students go to private schools. Some go to grammar schools. Most go to comprehensive schools, some of which select up to 10% of students for one subject. Added all together, what % are selected in some way or another? Or put the other way, what % of students just go to a school with no academic, or sporting, or musical criteria applied to them. 109.147.76.8 (talk) 22:40, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

A quick look didn't find an answer to your exact question, but a thorough reading of the UK Parliament's Grammar school statistics might help. Alansplodge (talk) 13:54, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

From those figures, about 5% of children of secondary school age go to grammar schools. (Your question only makes sense if restricted to that age group.) The selection of up to 10% in some comprehensives isn't enough to have a major impact on the percentage. Not all private schools are selective but most are, especially the largest ones, so go for about 13% in selective schools and about 87% in non-selective ones. Of those 87% by no means all are in their first-choice school, and various admission criteria have an effect in practice of selecting certain groups. The existence of single-sex schools, for example, with girls' schools being popular and boys' schools much less so; the presence of faith schools. Itsmejudith (talk) 14:16, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes, Judith's analysis sounds about right for the percentage of students admitted on the basis of academic or skill selection. Not all schools that are permitted to select actually do so.

Not many schools admit every student who applies, so if you were asking what percentage of students attend a school where there has been selection on any grounds (even proximity to the school), then the answer will be a much larger percentage because those who apply to under-subscribed schools are in the minority). Dbfirs 00:12, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

November 17

Food dispensing wheel shaving thing

I was watching Particle Fever last night. It's a movie about the discovery of the Higgs boson. They follow a few of the physicists involved and one of them, who works at CERN, is shown with his family at the dinner table. During the meal, he's seen using a rotary tool of some sort to shave off food from a wheel. What I'm wondering is what food this was and what the tool is called.

I'll try to describe it a bit better. The foodstuff was cylindrical in shape like a wheel of cheese. It was laid on its side and a post came up through the center. A blade like tool rotated on the post and shaved off thin curls of the foodstuff. The man then just picked up the shavings and the camera went to another shot of them eating and having a normal family dinner.

So, what was this? Thanks, Dismas| 00:20, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

One of these? It (probably) was cheese, and, as far as I can tell, they're just called "cheese slicers". Tevildo (talk) 00:55, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes! That's it! I thought it might be cheese but couldn't say for sure as it was a foreign contraption to me and wasn't on the screen for long. I don't think I'd call it a slicer if the naming were up to me though since it's more of a shaving situation. Thanks again! Dismas| 01:00, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

We call it girolle (usually used for Tête de Moine) ---Sluzzelin talk 07:20, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Even better! Yep, that's it as well! Thanks, Dismas| 10:42, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Homosexual Ducks?

Is it true that ducks have the highest incidence of homosexuality in the animal world? Why is this? Are the ducks living in relatively secure suburban North American ponds more prone to homosexuality than feral ducks? What about geese? What about ducks living in machismo cultures like the Muscovy Ducks of South America? Thank you. Zombiesturm (talk) 00:29, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

A good book for this would be Biological Exuberance which you can search at the link I gave you. Almost birds and mammals engage in opportunistic mounting, and some seek it out. Ducks are notoriously, aggressive, prone to gang raping females and sometimes drowning them to hold them down to mate. In that context, a lack of homosexual behavior would be surprising. Another interesting question is the shape of the duck's penis and the reason for it. μηδείς (talk) 00:38, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. And this too Article Zombiesturm (talk) 00:45, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

"Rape" is not a valid word for interactions between two non-human animals. Traumatic insemination is a little bit different, but let's at least stick to scientific language when describing animal behavior. SemanticMantis (talk) 16:10, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

"Rape" seems like a perfectly apt word for non-consensual sex to me, regardless of the animal species. What purpose does it serve to come up with a parallel phrase for the same behavior in other animals ? I suppose we could come up with parallel phrases for eating, sleeping, urinating, defecating, etc., too, but to what end ? StuRat (talk) 17:23, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Well it doesn't matter what you think. You are of course allowed to talk about duck "rape", and biologists will be allowed to see it as a sign of ignorance. Consent in a duck (let alone an insect etc) is not something that we can scientifically establish. I don't recall if you have any training in behavioral biology, but rape is not a word that professionals use to describe non-human animal behavior. Your mention of eating is a red herring. The definition of eating/ingestion is not in terms of humans, the definition of rape is. The "end" is to avoid proscribing terms of human morality on to animal behavior. To do so is bad science. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:37, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Consent is easy enough to establish. Do they "present" or run away/fight ? StuRat (talk) 21:21, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

If by biologist you mean pedant, you may be right. But using the word rape here is fine. Rape would also seem a perfect description of some acts by dolphins. No one would claim that infanticide was criminal murder, but we use the same term for humans and animals. If it was at all relevant, simply telling the OP, be aware scientists might use other language would have been fine. μηδείς (talk) 18:07, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

In Misplaced Pages, see Homosexual behavior in animals, which among other things states that "Roughly 60% of all bonobo sexual activity occurs between two or more females". --65.94.50.4 (talk) 08:58, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Another good book is "Evolution's rainbow" , which is written by the highly regarded researcher Joan Roughgarden, who also happens to be transgendered. SemanticMantis (talk) 16:10, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Nobody has addressed the "why" part yet. Let me offer some theories:

1) Brain malfunction. This would mean the part of the brain that tells the male duck to mate with a female duck isn't working properly. If this were the case, I'd expect homosexual duck behavior to be rare.

2) Social bonding. This seems to be the case for bonobos, where the sex is consensual, but not for ducks, where it's often forced.

3) Dominance display. This is my theory for ducks.

4) Semen clearance. If they simply need to get rid of excess semen, to avoid painful side-effects, then any available "target" will do. This may also apply to ducks. StuRat (talk) 17:19, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Sex can be for pleasure StuRat, without any other motive. - Taketa (talk) 17:28, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes, but you have to look a little deeper. We get pleasure for evolutionary reasons. It's the way that lower bodily functions reward higher brain activity when we have a choice. Take away the 'pleasure' sensation - and we would eat less and have sex less often (if at all). That would clearly be detrimental to the survival of the species, so we've evolved to enjoy sex BECAUSE sex has evolutionary benefits in propagating genes. We enjoy foods that are high in nutrients for similar reasons. So StuRat is correct to look for evolutionary reasons for this behavior - "pleasure" is just an intermediate step. SteveBaker (talk) 20:30, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

The evolution of pleasure in sex is to propagate the species as you say. Since pleasure exists, subjects go for other means to gain pleasure with their reproductive parts beside reproduction, leading to the above. Ergo pleasure is the easiest answer to the why question from an evolutionary standpoint, and a list overlooking it, is not that great a list. Pleasure is simply so important for reproduction, that possible negative reproductive factors such as gay rape activity, do not negate the net positive effects. - Taketa (talk) 21:45, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

That would fall into the brain malfunction category, if the pleasure evolved solely to ensure reproduction, but is now being used for non-reproductive sex. That is, of course, unless there was some other reason why pleasure evolved, such as the ones I listed.

But yes, saying animals have sex because it feels good is a bit like saying the Titanic sank because it was full of water. While undoubtedly true, we should go deeper than just stopping there. StuRat (talk) 19:28, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Your theories are all silly and wrong except for 2). I have personally observed several male ducks of several species do mating displays to each other, and sometimes copulate. Both in nature and in captivity, neither male seemed subordinate to me. But I encourage the OP not to listen to any of our opinions and WP:OR, and instead look at the good books listed above. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:37, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Also, Why do fur seals have sex with penguins?. --ColinFine (talk) 17:43, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Because they can. μηδείς (talk) 18:40, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

White people in South Africa

Is the white population of South Africa shrinking or growing? --SolliGwaa (talk) 17:45, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

According to South African National Census of 2011 compared to South African National Census of 2001, the white population has gone from 4,293,640 people (9.6% of the population) in 2001 to 4,586,838 people (8.9% of the population) in 2011. Thus, in absolute numbers the White population is growing, but as a portion of the overall population, it is shrinking. --Jayron32 17:50, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

The smart answer is "Define white". One of the worst aspects of Apartheid was the arbitrary assignment of an "official" skin colour to some people of mixed background. I would like to hope that nobody is counting people by skin colour any more. HiLo48 (talk) 17:55, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Having now seen Jayron's response above, the precision of those numbers astounds me. What IS the definition of "white"? Does the term "coloured" still exist? HiLo48 (talk) 17:57, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

I've no idea how the South African numbers are arrived at, but the normal way of doing things in censuses is to ask people to classify themselves. It gives an 'exact' number, obviously, but is only valid at the time the question was asked - many people will give a different answer at different times. The 'precision' is an artefact of the data collection method. AndyTheGrump (talk) 18:06, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Even if it's self-classification, it requires that skin colour still be used as a means of labelling people. Not all countries do that. It's interesting that South Africa still does. HiLo48 (talk) 18:22, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

The UK still does, and even makes a distinction between White (British) and White (Irish). KägeTorä - (_虎) (Chin Wag) 19:48, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

In NZ, white isn't one of the current stock options. I'm fairly sure however if you tick other and call yourself "white" you'll be classified as "European, not further defined" although I couldn't find a specific reference. I think if you call yourself white British you may be defined under European as "British and Irish" (alternatively "European, not elsewhere classified"), whereas if you call yourself White Irish you may be defined as Irish. Someone who calls themselves them selves White South African, I'm not sure. Either "South African, not elsewhere classified" or "Afrikaner" I would guess. White Australian would be Australian (again all under the European category). Etc. BTW, "South African Coloured" is under other ethnicity. Nil Einne (talk) 04:20, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Edit: Realise I forgot to provide my link Also I should clarify that the list are just how Statistics NZ classified people. Only a few common ethnicities (based on previous census I think) are provided people are supposed to fill in their ethnncity. The guide gives a few more examples, but the idea is you're supposed to choose what best fits you so I'm not sure they'll give you much more help even if you call them (I'm not saying they're going to be intentionally obtuse and possibly they'll read you the list of the previous recognised categories if you really want it and can't get it yourself). See for sample forms and guides. The statisticians then decide how to fit what you said in to a category, I think they will make a new category if they feel it's useful. (They won't make stuff if they don't feel it is, e.g. the infamous Jedi case.) Probably the most controversial thing is how to deal with people who answer "New Zealander". In this past these people were treated as New Zealand European, , but this was changed IIRC after a media campaign in 2006 resulted in many people answering that although it seems to have been short lived . BTW the Callister source surprised me a bit, if it's correct it seems at least in the past "white" without qualification was interpreted to mean "New Zealand European" (although I'm not sure if the European, not further classified existed then. Nil Einne (talk) 11:27, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

In terms of the census, South Africans self identify their "population group". See page 2 of the 2011 Census Questionnaire - Section A - Demographics - P-05 Population Group for how the question is presented. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 19:41, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

For the US census, people are asked to choose one or more of the following: White, Black , American Indian / Alaskan Native, Asian Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Guamanian , Other Asian, Other Pacific Islander, and generic Other. People are separately asked about Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin, which the US does not consider to be a race. Almost all Europeans would be considered generic "white". So one take away is that the US census really likes to differentiate the Asians but doesn't care about differentiating Europeans. Incidentally, the term "colored" is at least antiquated and has become borderline offensive in the US these days. Dragons flight (talk) 05:14, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

'Colored' in the United States has/had a different meaning from 'coloured' in South Africa. AndyTheGrump (talk) 05:19, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes. "Colored" in America was long used as a relatively polite description. It's now pretty much obsolete except in legacy references such as NAACP. And to call someone "colored" does smack of racism. However, I've heard more and more black Americans refer to themselves as "persons of color", which seems rather nice and positive. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 15:33, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

I await a good occasion to describe myself as a "person of pallor" and wait for the blank looks. —Tamfang (talk) 06:32, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

November 18

organizations to join

Hi,

I am a gigantic loser. I am looking for an organization to join. I don't care what they do, I just want to be a part of something. I am 46, live near Toronto Canada. Even the French Foreign Legion will not take me.

What organization will take anybody?

Big Loser - — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ibhloser (talk • contribs)

Most churches will willingly accept fresh blood. And political parties. -- Jack of Oz 21:07, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Within 5 miles of Toronto, you can meet an over 40 club or play board games today. You can go to a cultural event tomorrow, or "try new things" next week. These and many other "meetups" are open to all, and you can browse them at the Meetup_(website), here SemanticMantis (talk) 21:51, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

• Removed email, suggest someone hat, or better remove the entire post. μηδείς (talk) 23:18, 18 November 2014 (UTC)
  • Take it to the talk page, Medeis. I see no request for opinion. Dismas| 23:34, 18 November 2014 (UTC)
    • The user is now blocked, Dismas, but thanks for the suggestion. I have started a discussion here at the talk page to further discuss this. μηδείς (talk) 18:53, 19 November 2014 (UTC)
      • Very mature, Medeis. Dismas| 01:44, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

There are many organizations that accept volunteers. Soup kitchens, animal shelters, homeless shelters, etc. And each will give opportunities to meet other people. Dismas| 23:32, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

There are a large number of groups, catering for most tastes and locales, listed on sites such as meetup.com. CS Miller (talk) 12:57, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

Here is a link to a website that lists many volunteer opportunities in Toronto . SemanticMantis (talk) 15:43, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

Volunteering isn't for total losers, though. If you don't do the work, they won't want you back. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:10, November 21, 2014 (UTC)

November 19

Can someone name name me some non-software synths with MTS sysexes support?

Can someone name name me some non-software synths with MTS sysexes support?201.78.165.47 (talk) 16:43, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

Translation, please. (Has the English language evolved to such an elevated degree that even elder statespersons such as I are being left floundering pathetically in its melancholy wake? Or have I just lost the plot again?) -- Jack of Oz 19:13, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

It's plain English, just full of jargon. MTS is Midi tuning specification, MIDI is the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and "synth" is a synthesizer. Since non-software is asked for, we're looking for a chip or set of chips that is made of physical things, rather than software that runs on a computer. "Sysex" seems to be "System Exclusive", which entails something about messing with hexadecimal controls, rather than the normal user interfaces for the devices. I have no idea how to answer the OP's question, but these links might be slightly useful . SemanticMantis (talk) 20:36, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

November 20

Mystery news agency?

In this newspaper article, what is "TP"? It's in the usual place I'd expect to see AP or UPI. Clarityfiend (talk) 11:05, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

Transradio Press 209.149.113.112 (talk) 13:56, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

We have an article on Transradio Press Service; the date of the Newspaper article in question (1939) fits squarely in the heyday of said service. --Jayron32 14:29, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:05, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

An unfortunate abbreviation: "When I think of crappy reporting, I think of TP". StuRat (talk) 15:55, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

That might help explain why they "folded" in 1951. We don't make mistakes like that anymore. ‑‑Mandruss ☎ 07:58, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

How can I identify the figure in this picture?

In the first big picture here, there is only one man that wears a white hat, He is on the right side. who is he? 5.28.158.161 (talk) 00:20, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Better to ask on the Turkish Misplaced Pages. That news article is gibberish English, anyway. KägeTorä - (_虎) (Chin Wag) 00:32, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Yes, we are unlikely to be able to help here. From a quick search, the man doesn't seem to be amongst those named in the article. AndyTheGrump (talk) 00:37, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Whose behind the runtshit vandal?

Has anyone investigated who exactly might be behind the runtshit vandal?Whereismylunch (talk) 03:21, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

We don't reveal user's identities to third parties, seek elsewhere. μηδείς (talk) 04:27, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

It may well have been investigated, but checkusers are forbidden to "out" anyone. This is all that's publicly known about that user. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 16:11, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Radiators

In a house with radiators in every room, would it cost twice as much to keep one radiator on in two rooms (i.e. one each) than it would to keep just one radiator on in one room? After all, the water is already in the boiler and heated. It's not like gas fires or electric heaters, which of course would consume twice as much energy for two as for one. KägeTorä - (_虎) (Chin Wag) 12:45, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

One thing to keep in mind is that in the one-radiator on scenario, it will loose heat more quickly than the two-radiators on scenario, because of how the heat equation works. I think it will definitely cause the boiler to use more fuel per radiator if only one is on. But that's not the same as total cost. To answer your specific question: no, will not be precisely twice as much, it will be less, in part for the reasons you describe. How much less than twice as much would require either a lot of assumptions or a lot of measurements. SemanticMantis (talk) 15:18, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

(e/c)The greater the number of radiators turned on, the more heat will be lost from the system, and the cooler the water will be when it arrives back at the boiler, so it will need to be supplied with more heat. It won't be twice as much because heat is lost from the piping and other places, but obviously if you want more output you'll need more input.--Shantavira| 15:26, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

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