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March 8

Presidential order

This question came out of a conversation with my kid. Suppose the president (I am in the US) comes visiting me at my house. Can he order me to do anything at all? I am a US citizen, but not a member of military (and never was) and not a federal employee. Anything that I have to do by law because of this presence doesn't count (e.g. if secret service tells me to put away a weapon). It has to be something that the president can choose to order or not and I have to do if he orders. If he can order something, what sort of things would they be?

For extra credit, if you don't live in the US, and your head of state and/or government comes to visit, could they order you to do anything? --Ornil (talk) 04:53, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

• consider joining this very similar discussion ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 05:03, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Indeed. Ornil (talk) 05:07, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Resolved

The same applies in most democracies (I almost claimed "all", but there might be the odd small exception). In the UK, even the Queen gives orders only to her own employees (as far as I know -- I haven't asked her family!) and I expect they are all phrased as requests. Dbfirs 09:50, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

I am sure the Queen is very polite. However, does she still legally retain power (not used, obviously) to order people to do certain things? --Ornil (talk) 16:59, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

She's Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces, and has a stack of honorary military positions. She personally exercises none of these powers. She has to obey far more commands than she ever issues. These commands come from 16 governments and are usually phrased as "(prime) ministerial advice". -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 17:12, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

See reserve powers for the things she can actually do. Most of them are only to be used if it all goes pants-up. Alansplodge (talk) 15:41, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

And see Advice (constitutional) for "(prime) ministerial advice". Queen Elizabeth's great-grandfather decreed something for a top admiral a century ago, but there weren't consequences when the admiral ignored the royal decree. Nyttend (talk) 02:44, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Onoville, NY

Where (street #,lot#, etc.) Was this church located? It was formed in 1877 and existed into the early 1900's. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Green11783 (talk • contribs) 06:20, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Have you contacted local libraries and/or historical societies? Onoville doesn't appear to exist anymore, but it is near Jamestown, New York along the line between Chautauqua County, New York and Cattaraugus County, New York. Here is the Chautauqua County historical society and here is the same for Cattaraugus County. --Jayron32 20:09, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

You may also want to read Historical Gazetteer and Biographical Memorial of Cattaraugus County, N.Y., published in 1893. I've not checked it, knowing nothing about the church, but you should check it; churches were a favorite topic of county historians writing around this time. Nyttend (talk) 02:40, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Blue hair ( without redirection)

Every time I type in the words "blue hair" in the search bar, it always redirects to an article about blue hair. I want to see more articles about blue hair when I type it in the search bar. How can I look for more articles about blue hair, without being redirected to that article?--68.186.238.19 (talk) 18:01, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

There's another search box at the top of this page, not the one at the right side you have everywhere on Wikipedia. Try that one. The button underneath it is labelled "Search Wikipedia". StuRat (talk) 18:05, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

From the search box at the top right of every page, type in Blue hair and don't hit enter. Instead use the arrow keys to scroll down to the third option which reads "containing..." That will search for articles that contain the phrase. Dismas|^(talk) 18:07, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Also, in general, if you aren't happy with a web site's own search, you can use Google, like so:

  "blue hair" site:en.Wikipedia.org

This will search through Wikipedia's English pages only. StuRat (talk) 18:09, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Not sure what version you guys are using, but I have only one search box, located on the left, and it has two options: "Go" and "Search". To look at all the articles containing a particular phrase, I press the Search option. The search for "blue hair" gives me this result. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 18:11, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Jack, go to Preferences/Appearance, and you will probably find that your "skin" is set to "MonoBook". Change it to "Vector" to see what this is about. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 18:23, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Hi, I was going through some quotes at brainy quote and I found some interesting quotes by the person named Nelson Boswell. I wanted to know about his life history but then there is no wiki page on his name. It would be nice if someone wrote a page about him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Arvindtheace (talk • contribs) 16:14, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

He was an author of self-help books in the 1970s or thereabout, with titles like Inner Peace, Inner Power and Successful Living Day by Day. The quotes seem a bit banal to me, but, well, whatever. Looie496 (talk) 18:31, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

You know, if the guy was that important and there's no current article on him, you can always request one at Request_article. _☆ JLDW^talk _☆ 22:18, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

Nelson Boswell (Sr.) was my father. He was born just before the Great Depression, served in WWII as a Navy Ensign and worked as an Ad Exec at CBS after the war. He received a BA from Notre Dame, and an MBA from Harvard. He met my mother in NYC in the 50's. They moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL in the late 50's. He was a very successful stock broker for several years. Around 1965 he and my mother started a syndicated radio program called "Challenge and Response". Shortly thereafter he wrote and my mother edited Successful Living Day by Day, a best seller in the mid 70's. Around this time he earned his Ed.D from Nova University. He was a college professor at Ft. Lauderdale University, Nova University and later after moving to Tampa, the University of Tampa. He and my mother 3 children. They were married for 45 years until his death in 2002. He also wrote, and my mother edited, TA For Busy People and Inner Peace Inner Power. ~ Nelson Boswell, Jr. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.50.78.69 (talk) 22:11, 15 June 2013 (UTC)

March 10

Unleashed "Death Metal no compromise" hoodie

This is probably a long shot, but maybe someone on the reference desk can help me out: I remember about 5 years ago on an Unleashed concert they sold a hoodie that had the band logo printed on the back and the words "Death Metal No Compromise" in bold white font on the sleeves, and I'd really love to have one of those hoodies. They are no longer available on the band's official merchandising site, and I haven't been able to find one by googling around or by checking ebay or any of the metal t-shirt sites I know. This may well be a stupid idea and probably not exactly a proper use of the reference desk, but does anybody by chance know some online store that still has that hoodie available for a reasonable price? "Reasonable" (as in the amount I'd be willing to pay) would be about 40€ for the hoodie and no more than 10€ for shipping to Germany. Thanks in advance, Ferkelparade π 04:19, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

A lot of merchandise like that sold at concerts is made by small vendors with concessions (or by bootleggers) who simply buy cheap shirts/jackets, run off some decals, and sell off a very limited stock with no overhead. There's most likely no factory anywhere with a stock of these. Your best shots are: go to or find a new concert and have someone buy you what you want, look on sites like ebay, or, buy a hoodie and make the decals yourself. μηδείς (talk) 12:37, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

GPS tracking shoes - also available for children?

GPS Tracking Shoes Give Dementia Sufferers Freedom - See, it'll keep tabs on dementia patients.

However, wouldn't paranoid parents want these for their kids so that when they're not within sight of one another, they can relax in knowing that their child will not become another Etan Patz thanks to shoes that track their whereabouts?

Anyway, what stores will sell such shoes for kids? How reliable is the GPS tracking service? If evaluations have already been made, what are the reviews, results, etc. like about them?

And if your spouse gave you shoes as a present that you later found out tracked you, how would you respond upon that discovery? --70.179.161.230 (talk) 04:45, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

You might be interested in this article from The Economist. Royor (talk) 09:01, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

March 11

Car keys

Read this story, starting with "I turned and headed back to the truck." What's the point of making a key that gets you in the car but doesn't turn it on? Car key says that such keys exist, but doesn't explain the point of requiring one key to get in and another to turn it on — imagine how annoying it would be to have the on-key but lose the get-in-key. Nyttend (talk) 02:36, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

This was standard through the mid 1980's at least--I was surprised the first time I drove a car with only one key. One benefit would be you could leave the engine running and the car locked, which makes a lot of sense anywhere it snows. But my guess is it was simply a matter of two mechanisms meaning two locks. μηδείς (talk) 02:48, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

I've read through that several times but I still can't see where it says he used a key to open the truck, either truck. We have a work truck that has two ignition keys and eight door keys. One ignition key is in the truck at all times and the other is kept in the garage. The six people who drive the truck have a door key each with two spares, one at the bosses and one at my place, only to be used in an emergency. Doing it this way means we don't have to send the ignition keys south to be specially cut, which saves money. CambridgeBayWeather (talk) 07:30, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

It's quite common these days to have a dual lock system, where you have to have a key in the lock and do something else to start the car. My Honda Civic does that. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:13, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

... but doesn't your door key also have a transponder that allows you to start the car? Is it sufficient to have your key somewhere in the car? I drive a different Honda model, and was annoyed to find that I couldn't purchase a non-transponder door key, and that mechanical copies set off the alarm. Dbfirs 10:52, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

My door key is a key, it also has two buttons for lock and unlock, and in order to start the car I have to insert the key in the ignition and press a button. --TammyMoet (talk) 13:33, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

It sounds like mine (with a transponder). If you made a physical copy, you could put it in the ignition and press the button, but nothing would happen because the copy would not have replied to the on-board computer. I think the OP was asking about a much older system, so our replies are probably not relevant. Dbfirs 18:14, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

The point is that modern transponder ignition-enabling keys cost ten or twenty times as much as a simple door key. Dbfirs 11:04, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Same goes for stupid GPS devices, which, as far as I can tell, are far more expensive and far less reliable than a good old road map (remember them?). -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 22:27, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

... still use them! ( ... though I admit I also have a cheap GPS in my car. It is occasionally useful but often just annoys me!) Dbfirs 09:22, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I don't know the rationale, but GM cars were like this for a long time. It was rare to lose one and not the other because people kept them both on the same ring. thx1138 (talk) 15:17, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

This forum discussion [1] suggests it was advertised as a security feature, but doesn't say why. Someone suggests it was done like that because there were only a limited number of types of keys so by having a different one for the ignition and for the door, you greatly reduced the chance someone would have the same two keys as you and therefore drive off with the wrong car without realising (or steal your car if they did realise). I don't know how plausible this is. (Someone else mentioned one security advantage, you can give your key to a friend to get something from the car without worrying about them driving off with it. However it doesn't seem this would be a common problem.) Nil Einne (talk) 15:43, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

I found one article from 200 about car sharing, discussing Flexcar, where "Each member has his or her own door key. The ignition key is inside the car, in a locked box requiring a numerical password." This would jive with CambridgeBayWeather's description above, and is probably an offshoot of the purpose for which two separate keys is intended. From personal experience, I'll say that older American cars that I've owned or driven (at least up to 1984 or so, Fords and GM, no experience with Chrysler to comment) had separate keys for doors and ignition, but imports did not. 1968, 1974, 1982, and 1989 VWs, a 1985 BMW, a 1984 Mercedes, and a 1986 Honda all had a single key for both door and ignition.

--some jerk on the Internet (talk) 19:48, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Relatedly, my car has a valet key, which operates the ignition and opens the doors but will not open the glove compartment. Regards, Orange Suede Sofa (talk) 20:01, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

In the case of my 1963 Mini Cooper, there are different keys for the ignition and the doors - the reason is really basic - they bought the (electrical) ignition switch from a different company (Lucas industries - who make electrical components) than the (mechanical) door switches. Evidently it was just too difficult to get their two separate suppliers to provide matching locks and to arrange for matching locks to arrive at the right point in the production line so they'd end up on the same car. On most modern cars, the door locks are electrical too...but either way, they are just better organized with computerized production lines compared to car manufacturers in the past. SteveBaker (talk) 03:41, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Can anyone tell me the font here?

Can anyone tell me what the font is for the title in this pdf? I know it looks like some standard serif, Times New Roman style font, but somehow it looks kind of gorgeous, and I want to use it, or something as close as possible. Quirky question, I know, not least because to some people, all fonts look the same, but this one caught my eye. Thanks in advance, IBE (talk) 06:48, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

If you mean the font in which "Integrating a computer-based flashcard program into academic vocabulary learning" is set, www.identifont.com suggests ITC Legacy Serif (EF), although the lower case t does not look exactly the same to me. Gandalf61 (talk) 10:28, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

The document says it has the fonts ArnoPro,Bold, Calibri, Calibri.Bold, and PMingLiU. That's a bit strange, Calibri is sans-serif - I better have a better look. Dmcq (talk) 11:06, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

ArnoPro and the Bold version see [2]. Dmcq (talk) 11:14, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Thankyou both - I didn't know the document told me what the fonts were, nor that it was so easy to click "properties" and find out. Yes, it looks like ArnoPro to me, out of the fonts listed. IBE (talk) 00:27, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Pronunciation bars.

I have a suggestion. Would Wikipedia please insert an audio bite of words that we've looked up? It would certainly help the ethnic readers or those of us who need a reminder.

For example:

I looked up the word 'Votive' candle. I would have liked to hear the pronunciation of it. Long 'o' or short 'o'?

It would help.

Thanks for reading and please pass this on. I will continue to make donations to you, by the way.

Sincerely,

Dane B. McFadhen — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.87.79.45 (talk) 18:19, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

It's like "vote". Here's a site with pronunciations:[3] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:42, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Some subjects on Wikipedia have cryptic symbols (IPA and/or Pronunciation respelling for English) indicating pronunciation, a few do have sound files. You might have better luck at Wiktionary (although they don't have a pronunciation for English votive either). Rmhermen (talk) 19:55, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

This should really have been posted to the Wikipedia:Help desk, as it's a suggestion for the better working of Wikipedia and not a question requiring a reference, which is what this Reference Desk is all about. Thanks for your interest. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 20:23, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

Pregnancy question

Can I get pregnant after getting my tubes tied? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.214.239.231 (talk) 22:17, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

We can't give an answer in your particular case (you'll need to talk to your doctor about that), but from tubal ligation, for various meanings of "can I get pregnant":

• Tubal ligation is about 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
• Surgical reversal of ligation is about 98% effective in restoring fertility.
• Tubal ligation does not prevent pregnancy via in vitro fertilization.

--Carnildo (talk) 01:18, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I'm curious - does "99% effective" mean 99% of people who have it don't get pregnant - or that 99% of intercourse acts do not result in pregnancy...I suspect the former. SteveBaker (talk) 03:32, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Indeed, if it was the latter, having sex 100 times in your life time would often result in unwanted situations. --Lgriot (talk) 09:37, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Oh to be in with a chance of having sex 100 times in my life.......... gazhiley 14:28, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

See Comparison of birth control methods, Pearl index, and Decrement table. Basically, the effectiveness rate of a birth control method is based on the chance of becoming pregnant in one year of having sex while using the method. --Carnildo (talk) 23:06, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Name of a Luxury Watch Brand

Can someone please tell me which luxury watch brand gets its name from the Spanish word for race and carrier? Thanks for the help!! Linkinfloyd (talk) 22:26, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

• You can search for yourself at Category:Watch brands. --Jayron32 22:35, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

• Is there a watch called raza portadora? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:34, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I don't know about "carrier", but TAG Heuer makes a Carrera line of watches, the name of which in Spanish denotes a race. Deor (talk) 01:04, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Aha, so the OP was looking for a single Spanish word that means both things, and carrera fits the bill. It's cognate with "career", which originally meant "to charge ahead at full speed", and which ultimately has to do with chariots and cars.[4] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:29, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Well, Sp carrera and Eng carrier are descendants of the same Indo-European root (*kers-, "run"), but as far as I know carrera doesn't mean "carrier" in Spanish. Deor (talk) 08:46, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

No, the first word listed in Google Translate is portador, i.e. "porter". There are several others, the closest to looking like a cognate being cargador, which is obviously related to "cargo". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:38, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Perhaps it's a typo and he did mean career. Ryan Vesey 01:18, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

If we tell you, will you share the prize with us? --TammyMoet (talk) 10:20, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

March 12

If civilization falls, what is the best stock of food to have?

Let's say a war, a meteor, or a storm has dirsupted trade, so that I have to feed myself for months. Ignore water. What proportions of various cheap foods are the best? Given X amounts of Euros, what percentage should I spend on rice, maize, corn, beans, beef, and/or canned meat so on? Hurriquake (talk) 04:09, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

It depends on your constraints. If you want to stay alive for the maximum time using the minimum amount of money, your focus should be on a grain (wheat flour, rice, or cornmeal are the most cost-effective), a legume such as dried beans, some vegetable oil, some salt, and a cheap multivitamin. You can stay alive and basically healthy for less than a Euro a day on that diet, but it's pretty boring. The more you are willing to spend, the more variety you can add. Looie496 (talk) 05:11, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

However, depending on the disaster, cooking may no longer be an option, if gas and electricity are out and you can no longer get propane, kerosene, gasoline, etc. In that case, you might want to go with canned foods. While canned beans aren't as good cold, they certainly are edible, and all you really need to eat them is a can opener. Canned goods might also survive some disasters which would spoil grains, like flooding. As far as negatives, canned goods are rather heavy, so not a good choice if you might have to evacuate on foot, since you couldn't carry many. Nuts, seeds, and dried fruits and meat jerky in water-proof pouches might be better for that. StuRat (talk) 06:27, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

If you don't budget for weapons/fortifications the point is pretty much moot. 196.214.78.114 (talk) 05:59, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Esther Hickey's book Passport to Survival (ISBN 9780394492285) suggests the four essential foods are whole wheat berries, milk powder, honey and salt. Also see The New Survivalist. (While you have said to disregard it, don't forget the most important thing for any civil defence emergency kit is water. Allow 3 litres a day per person.) Gwinva (talk) 08:26, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Imagine what a sailing ship in the 18th century would have taken with it. I'm sure you can find enough barrels. Shadowjams (talk) 12:49, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

However, as soon as canned food became available, sailors willingly put aside their hard tack and salted pork (you'd probably find it difficult to obtain those anyway). Franklin's lost expedition came to grief when they got lead poisoning from their prototype cans. Tinned fruit and vegetables will certainly help to keep scurvey at bay. Alansplodge (talk) 13:22, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

• Black pepper and other spices are cheap, keep well, can be used medicinally and for preservatives, and help stave off suicide. Cheap canned meats are good for occasional variety as well.

serpentine font style

I remember seeing Serpentine font style letters on titles and things. A few of the most notable areas are titles of KRON NewsCenter 4, the opening and closing credits of Silver Streak (film) and Hardcastle and McCormick. I've also seen Serpentine font style letters on the doors of Airport Super Shuttle vehicles. It would be nice if someone would do an article about the serpentine font style.142.255.103.121 (talk) 04:44, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Be that someone. Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 05:06, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure where to start. If I try, my article might get rejected.142.255.103.121 (talk) 22:47, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

First see how many other fonts have separate articles. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:30, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

There are many other Wikipedia articles on fonts and font families. (On the other hand, looking over them could offer you some tips about good places to search for more information.) Sometimes the best thing is to start a Wikipedia:stub article with the facts you do know or can find out easily, and then hope that others with more knowledge can refine, expand, and if necessary correct it. See Wikipedia:Be bold. Several of the few articles I've started have been about subjects I knew little about to begin with. So long as your stub isn't biased, defamatory, self-promotional or blatantly wrong, it should survive Wikipedia:Deletion policy with no problem — and you should certainly fear no attacks or retribution for trying. The worst that could happen is that the stub stays unseen, untouched and unimproved. Good luck. —— Shakescene (talk) 04:28, 13 March 2013 (UTC) P.S. If you mark a stub article "stub" (with or without the subject the covers it, e.g. "Politics stub", "History stub"), it may catch the eye of other editors who specialize in monitoring new stub articles in hopes of expanding or improving them. With any luck, one of them might know more, or be interested in learning more, about Serpentine.—— Shakescene (talk) 06:02, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

See this earlier query, Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2011 March 3#typeface or not, which I found by asking "Serpentine typeface" in the little box at the top right. —— Shakescene (talk) 05:56, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Home Management Software

Anyone recommend a good software for Home management? I need a software that can allow me to organize household activities. Any software you know that works well? Thank you! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 183.83.218.155 (talk) 05:33, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

You're going to need to be more specific. What activities ? For example, a calendar program can help with scheduling activities, and a spreadsheet can help with budgeting for them. StuRat (talk) 06:22, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I would use project management software like this:[5] It's pretty easy to allocate resources, set recurring events/tasks, monitor expenses, etc. The timeline will also show any resource/time conflicts. 196.214.78.114 (talk) 06:29, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

adobe flash player

hi, when trying to enter a chat room I get a small square with .... adobe flash player settings

                                                                   timewhale 123 flashchat
                                                                    request to store up to 10 kb
                                                                    currently 0

please tell me is this some kind of virus ? or what it could be to do with please

chris ..... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.29.118.218 (talk) 12:27, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

If it looks something like this then it's the Flash Player settings dialog, and it's asking you to authorise the relevant website to use up to 10kb of your computer's storage. Presumably some feature of the website needs this storage to function properly. It is unlikely to be a virus (strictly it'd be malware), although not impossible. If you trust the website, you should be OK to continue. However, if you do not trust the website (and chat rooms are high on my list of non-trust) then the safest option is either to deny permission for storage (in which case the website may not continue to function correctly), or simply to navigate away from the site and use a chat room you do trust.

By the way, we have a dedicated Computing Reference Desk - if you have further questions on this type of subject you may get better answers there. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 13:19, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Most versions of Adobe Flashplayer in most situations will let you individually adjust the amount of storage that you will let each website use on your computer. (For example, you might want to allow a trusted site to pre-load [buffer] more of a video or audio stream to reduce interruptions for reloading during play.) Just mouse over the image or box that's using Flash and right-click your mouse (or whatever the Mac/Apple equivalent is), to see a tabbed menu of options. This menu will also let you, among many other things, control whether an external Flash site can use your computer's microphone or camera, as it would in Skype or another live chat with images and voices. —— Shakescene (talk) 04:15, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

pants and legging

What do you call this type of pants or trousers where it is not loose and it fits and looks like it is so tight on that woman but it is stretchable and what do you call this type of legging? [legging]--Donmust90 (talk) 16:10, 12 March 2013 (UTC)Donmust90

I can't play the video, but, from the description, perhaps Spandex capri pants ? StuRat (talk) 16:56, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I could play the video, but it was not interesting to watch Japanese soles. It's stirrup pants or stirrup leggings. It's called トレンカ/torenka in Japan. Oda Mari (talk) 17:15, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

I assume, based on some odd conversations I've heard, that this is about yoga pants, a type of leggings worn by women because they are very comfortable (like jogging trousers) but look slightly tidier than other work-out clothes. I gather that certain communities of men on the internet have a weird, almost fetish-like opinion of these lazy gym clothes, and imagine that women wear them to look sexy. 86.164.31.236 (talk) 17:48, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Indian Head Penny

I have a penny that looks like an Indian Head Penny that says "Not One Cent For The Widows on the back. Can you tell me anything about it?

Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.75.141.5 (talk) 21:50, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Like this? It's a Civil War token. Take a look at this article. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 21:58, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Streets with similar names

Whilst having to browse the Leeds A-Z I noticed that particularly in the Harehills area,there are a load of streets all next to each other with the same name but different variations(ie Conway Street,Road,Avenue,Drive,Gardens,Terrace,Court)-the most I've found so far is about 12 different connotations-out of about 200 streets,there are only some half-dozen or so actual different names. What would be the reason for doing this-vanity for the person they're naming it after?Lack of originality?It certainly would be confusing for say postal deliveries And is this the most confusing area for this sort of thing-or are there any other places that have even more incomprehensible naming or numbering?

Lemon martini (talk) 22:55, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

There's a place in Canada (? Vancouver) that was mentioned here a couple of years ago in answer to a similar question, with the most absurdly confusing set of similar names in a small area that one could possibly dream up in one's most wicked nightmare. Maybe it will make another appearance today. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 23:34, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

There's also Atlanta, Georgia, with a whole bunch of variations on Peachtree Street. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:29, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Sense of humor and/or coincidence also figure into it. The Minneapolis area has a Nathan Lane and several different Lois Lanes. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:20, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Got it. It was in Calgary, Alberta. See Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2008 August 24#Why are highways called that?, and the long link provided by Wanderer57. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 02:49, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Having scampered off to do some more research,some of the American cities with the numbered grid system and then directions after are pretty awful.Queens seems to do the same with lots of different numbers-there's loads of intersections of 60th and 60th for example.If it's logical and straightforward it works well. Hickory,NC is one of the most ghastly.2nd Ave,2nd Ave SE,2nd Ave Drive,2nd Ave Drive SE,2nd Ave St,2nd Ave St SE,2nd St SE,2nd St,2nd St Place,2nd St Place SE.... Lemon martini (talk) 00:41, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Before you pass judgment on a small town like Hickory, check out Seattle and Portland. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:02, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Housing estates and their streets were often carved out of someone's or some family's farm or grounds, so it was natural though confusing to name them, as they grew, Smith Street, Smith Road, Smith Farms Lane, Smith Alley, etc. —— Shakescene (talk) 05:47, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

There's a couple of possibilities. English road names either develop organically over time (people call a road by a particular name, and eventually that name sticks and is used officially) or are decided on (either by a site's developer or by some local authority). In the first case, roads near each other can get similar names - for instance, the road in a town which takes travellers in the direction of London might be called 'London Road'. A lane off London Road might then be called 'London Lane'. Or the roads might be named after a particular feature in the town - the road where the market was held could be 'Market Street', and then an avenue which leads one to the Market could be 'Market Avenue'. In the second case, planned developments with new roads can be named by a single person or a committee. These often take a theme - either features of the local landscape or aspects which the developers wish to promote. A '50s housing development where my grandparents lived had tree names: Oak Grove, Lime Gardens, Ash Drive and so on. It seems this was the case in the area you're looking at - which looks like rows of Victorian terraces. As to why those names were chosen, indeed a 'lack of imagination' probably comes into it. By the way, my favourite ever road name is in Rayners Lane in NW London. When the old Harrow Driving Centre (somewhere where learner drivers could practice off the public roads) was demolished, houses were built on the site. One of the roads is called 'Learner Drive'. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 08:44, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

It may be that the streets in question were named after an eminent person at the time, such as a Mayor. Maybe Leeds City Council would be best placed to answer the question. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:38, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

In Cardiff there is a Railway Street and a Runway Road. Gandalf61 (talk) 12:18, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

My favourite is Brisbane's Rode Road (aww, no link.) (Yes, I know it's named after Mr Rode: must be a Queensland thing, cf Townsville.) AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:26, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

The Bedford Estate, around Bloomsbury in London, has a lot of streets named after the various names of the Dukes of Bedford. The family has many names but not as many as the number of streets in their estate, so the names repeat. So for example you'll find Bedford Place, Bedford Square, Bedford Road, Bedford Row, Bedford Way, Bedford Avenue and (the interestingly named) Bedfordbury all in the same part of London. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 15:40, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

And on the same estate (digressing a bit), Tavistock Square and Tavistock Place after the Marquess of Tavistock, the courtesy title of the eldest son of the Dukes of Bedford, Russell Square, Great Russell Street and Little Russell Street from the Dukes' surname, and finally Woburn Square and Woburn Place after Woburn Abbey, the Bedfords' family seat. Alansplodge (talk) 20:30, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Interestingly,a search through the good old net reveals a lot of cities that are planning to change similar sounding named streets because emergency services are getting confused-in this tragic case which either has three roads with the same name or one road in three bits in different parts of town .And apparently some Japanese cities have no real street naming,but just block numbers which wander about so meaninglessly that tourists are given advice to just call the person and have them come fetch you to whatever address you're headed off to. Lemon martini (talk) 17:40, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

My (otherwise unusual) street name is replicated exactly by another 2 miles away: confusing enough, but the property at the same number as mine is a busy clinic - so I get all sorts of visitors (in various degrees of panic and stress), mail (of various degrees of confidentiality), and fascinating courier deliveries -including a couple of attempted deliveries of some very large, very expensive equipment. It seems my location is the default one for any using sat nav - including firms & departments who should know better. Gwinva (talk) 21:41, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

March 13

Decatur, Illinois - Sister Cities

How do I contribute more information on The Decatur Sister Cities and use their website as a reference (www.decatursistercities.com) to the Decatur, IL wikipedia page.

Thank you -Joel- — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.214.12.175 (talk) 02:37, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

WP:REFB explains how to cite sources. RudolfRed (talk) 02:43, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Diploma in teaching in the lifelong learning sector

Hi,

I am trying to find out if a dtlls qualification, level 5 is the equivalent of a (teaching) degree. Can you tell me if it is?

Thanks

Paul — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.151.77.21 (talk) 02:40, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Equivalent for what purpose? when you say "a teaching degree" I suppose you mean a BA/BSc Hons with QTS/QTLS? I would think that the Diploma would be equally well regarded for many practical purposes, but for further academic study it is not as good because it is at L5 whereas a degree is L6. Itsmejudith (talk) 08:23, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

If you mean for teaching in state schools in Rotherham or elsewhere in the UK, then the answer is "no" it will not be regarded as equivalent, but that qualification will be appropriate for some jobs in education, especially ones for which QTS is not a legal requirement, including teaching in independent schools. You will have to ask individual employers. Dbfirs 08:48, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

It depends what you want to do with it in the end, and what you are asking. Is it the equivalent of a BEd? Well no I don't think it is. Will it enable you to teach in FE/HE institutions? Yes it will, but your career progress may be hindered unless you undertake further study. Will it enable you to teach in schools? Probably not, but it may give you an entry into school teaching, but you would have to do a conversion course. If you have an endpoint in mind (like working for an FE college) I suggest you contact the college and ask them, as it is quite possible different institutions have different views on the subject. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:34, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

SOE training

How long did SOE agents have to train before they were considered ready for deployment in Nazi-occupied territory? I'm writing a military thriller where one of the characters is an SOE agent involved in a rogue operation to help Jews escape the Holocaust, and I want to know whether her first deployment would have been to Poland or to the Netherlands (she enlisted right after the start of the war). Thanks in advance! 24.23.196.85 (talk) 02:58, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

You probably want to link directly to Special_Operations_Executive and not the dab page.  Erledigt by User:Shakescene I don't have the answer to your question, but the article says the agents went to several classes after their initial training, so if you can estimate how long each class took then you could come up with a good guestimate for the total time. The article says nothing about training centers in the Netherlands. RudolfRed (talk) 03:39, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Wait, where did I say anything about SOE training centers in the Netherlands? What I said is, my rogue agent, Margo, will at one point be deployed in the Netherlands for this operation (after having trained in England) -- and my question was, if she enlisted in September or October 1939 (right after Hitler's invasion of Poland), would she have finished training before May 1940 (in which case she'd first be deployed to Poland until 1942) or after (in which case she'd be deployed straight to the Netherlands). 24.23.196.85 (talk) 04:26, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Sorry to disappoint, but SOE did not come into being until 22nd July 1940, with Churchill's famous instruction to 'set Europe ablaze'. Prior to this, the activities that would later be undertaken by SOE were being done by three organisations: The Foreign Office's Department EH; a section of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS - later to become MI6) called Section D; and War Office department GS(R) (MI(R) from late 1939 onwards). These sections, I believe, drew their recruits from the regular services. The type of recruitment that would allow someone like Margo (who, I assume, was a civilian until the outbreak of war) would not start until later, probably late '41 or into '42. If, however, you can contrive some way to get Margo into the intelligence game, I think she would probably want to be a member of Section D. According to our article, they would 'investigate the use of sabotage, propaganda and other irregular means to weaken an enemy' - which sounds like the sort of thing you have in mind. Also, if you have a particular need for her to be somewhere in the early stages of the war, make it so. At that time, the intelligence services were nothing like the stuff of James Bond, or even as professional as the SOE would later become. They were much more of a hobby for eccentric Army officers and Foreign Office civil servants. I would guess that training was much more down to the individual agent to muddle through - so if you want Margo to be in Poland in 1940, just write her training so that she is. It will be believable because the training in those days was very much made up to fit the situation. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 08:19, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

I'm no expert either, but the Polish paragraphs in Wikipedia's SOE article (Special Operations Executive#Poland) offer a very promising possibility in Witold Pilecki, a Polish officer who actually contrived to be sent as an inmate to Auschwitz with the intention of gathering information, disseminating it, and doing what he could to organize and support the other inmates. According to the Wikipedia article, he proposed to SOE a joint plan for liberating Auschwitz that was rejected as infeasible. As a novelist, you could probably try a little counterfactual history where either the politico-military authorities, the intelligence apparatus or your fictional rogue agents make a different choice. —— Shakescene (talk) 04:00, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

In my case it will be Margo the rogue agent and her equally rogue control officer who make the decision to help liberate Jews (from the ghetto, not from the concentration camps) against strict orders from their higher-ups. In fact, I'm sure such a rogue operation could have been done without anyone else's knowledge, as long as it was kept small and tightly compartmented. Hell, they could even combine it with a legitimate intel-gathering operation for cover! 24.23.196.85 (talk) 04:31, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

I don't want to sound as preachy or condescending as the instructions at the top of the page, let alone snarky, but have you tried Googling "Special Operations Executive training" with or without the extra search terms "period" and "length"? — which can lead to pages like this: Training SOE Saboteurs in World War Two By Bernie Ross (BBC History) or this 300-page doctoral thesis on women in SOE The women agents of the Special Operations Executive F section – wartime realities and post war representations. Elizabeth Kate Vigurs (Leeds University), which has an extensive section on training (beginning on p. 38) that says it could last from as little as three weeks to as much as five months. —— Shakescene (talk) 05:41, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Side issue: if the character is British I think she is more likely to have spelt her name "Margot" ('the T is silent, as in Harlot'). AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:10, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

How many British Isles?

From the Wikipedia Great Britain article: “Great Britain is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller islands and islets.”

From the Wikipedia British Isles article: “The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain, Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles.[9] “

Who reconciles such apparent discrepancies? I.e. >1,000 islands or >6,000 islands?195.11.198.1 (talk) 12:31, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

That's not necessarily a discrepancy. The logic implies that Ireland has 5,000 islands around it that aren't around also Great Britain. But I think that's unlikely. There's also the point that "over six thousand" is still "over 1,000", but that's a rubbish point. --Dweller (talk) 12:57, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

The Great Britain article has a reference to the Ordnance Survey answering the question 'How many islands are there around mainland Britain?' by 'Ordnance Survey identifies 803 islands with a coastline around mainland Britain. Thousands more smaller islands and rocks are shown as a point (dot) on the maps.' (The >6000 figure is cited from the Encylopaedia Britannica.) I think it will very much come down to 'it depends what you mean by "island"' (and "islet"). AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:04, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

• At what phase of the tide? how high above the surface and how large in area? This is an intractable question dealing with fractal scales. See How long is the coast of Britain. μηδείς (talk) 16:42, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Which is why the estimable experts at the OS stated "islands with a coastline" which I believe can be taken to mean not inundated at any stage of the normal tidal range. Alansplodge (talk) 20:16, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

That's fine, and I am sure it applies to many rocks. One still also needs to give a time period, given sea levels have been hundreds of feet higher and lower than they are now. μηδείς (talk) 20:19, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Wikivoyage/Wikitravel

If Wikitravel in merged with Wikivoyage under WMF, why the Wikitravel domain is still active? --PlanetEditor (talk) 13:49, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Wikitravel#Community fork in 2012 --Viennese Waltz 13:51, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

First Class Upgrade on US Airways

I'm flying US Airways in a few days. I recently upgraded my flight to a "choice seat" on an aisle because I didn't want to sit in a center seat. The cost was $67.

According to their website, when you check in, you have the option of upgrade to first class. Let's say when I check in I decide I want to upgrade. Let's also assume, for instance, the cost to upgrade to first class is $100. Would I be credited for the $67 I've already paid when I upgraded to a "choice seat?" In other words, if I decide to upgrade to first class, would I only pay $33 in additional money? Or is the original $67 upgrade forfeited? OR, is there a separate charge for people who already upgrade to a "choice seat" that takes this into account?? I'm flying soon so I need to know. Thanks!! Jared (t)  14:30, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

I suggest you direct these questions to the airline itself. --Viennese Waltz 14:35, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

I've sent an email but response time is 7 business days, and I don't have the ability to make a phone call right now. I figured I'd see if anyone here with past experience could help out. Jared (t)  14:47, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

I fly US Airways frequently, as they're headquartered in my city, but unfortunately I don't have a clue. Maybe it isn't a factor for you, but US Airways first class, at least on domestic flights, is nothing to write home about. The extra space is pretty pathetic and aside from a free drink or two there are few perks. Their coach accommodations are solid and at 6'1" I'm fairly comfortable in aisle or window seats even on five hour flights. --Daniel(talk) 16:33, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Gates, Jobs, Torvalds all atheists?

I read on Facebook that someone said that overly religious people shouldn't use either Microsoft Windows, Mac OS oder Linux on their computers because Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Linus Torvalds are all atheists. But is this true? JIP | Talk 20:30, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Probably not. We note in our article that Jobs was Buddhist (with a Lutheran background prior to that). "Buddhist" is not generally considered synonymous with "athiest", though I suspect that's not a universal interpretation. We note in our articles that Torvalds is decisively atheist, and that Gates is agnostic (these are all in the articles you linked). — Lomn 20:43, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Sadly for the Facebook guy, though, there aren't a lot of other options. JesOS 2.0 still hasn't committed to a release schedule. — Lomn 20:45, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Well, Gates being an agnostic and Jobs having been a Buddhist (he's dead now) are mentioned in the infobox, but Torvalds being a strict atheist isn't. It's mentioned in the article itself though. JIP | Talk 20:47, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Do atheists come in "orthodox" (i.e. "strict"), "conservative" and "reform"? Or is there only one type? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:21, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Our article covers some of the various forms. — Lomn 21:27, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Regarding the infobox, the bar for placing religious metadata in the infobox is higher than usual; see WP:BLPCAT. Regards, Orange Suede Sofa (talk) 21:34, 13 March 2013 (UTC)