Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 August 4

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August 4

Heatwave sets off Tropical storm

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2008 Southern Heatwave

A high pressure that has formed over the South Central US has Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, now Colorado, Mississippi has caused and will cause temperatures to climb to record breaking levels for the next several days. It has also caused the formation of a tropical storm that will hit Port O'Connor, Texas and/or the Port Lavaca area of Texas in the next few days. Several electrical companies have suspended all "disconnect orders"("You don't pay your bill, you get disconnected") for the duration of this emergency. The heat wave has also caused the formation of servere thunderstorms that have struck places such as Marshall, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana. These storms had 60 mph winds and penny sized hail. The high pressure cell has formed in the indicated areas since the middle of July and is the cause of the hellishly high temperatures, the servere weather and the tropical storm currently located near New Orleans, Louisiana. A front that was comming southward was also blocked by this high pressure cell. Heat advisories and heat warnings continue to be posted. The Weather Service has recommended that people stay out of the sun, drink plenty of fluids(NOT alcoholic ones), get to a air conditioned place, such as a library, mall.

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• External links

• • http://www.noaa.gov - Heatwave, servere storms, tropical storm
  • http://www.weather.com - Heatwave, servere storms, tropical storm

• Two of the electrical companies that suspended "Disconnect orders" for non payment of bills

• • http://www.entergy.com - Suspension of disconnect orders during heatwave
  • http://www.swepco.com - Suspension of disconnect orders during heatwave

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I'm new here. I have seen articles here (long time reader, first time contributor) about then current (like the 2006 heat wave for instance)heat wave articles on here. I am also in the area affected by the heat wave. I've even tried to place this on "Wiki News" but there may be a glitch.65.173.105.133 (talk) 01:30, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

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• Needs to be rewriten at the least. Avnas Ishtaroth _{drop me a line} 06:15, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

I think that heatwave → water evaporation → clouds → storms is a normal function of the weather. Local weather advisories are not really notable, though a 2008 Southern USA heatwave article might be if there is something particularly unusual about it (long lasting, or record highs, or multiple deaths from heatstroke, or ...) Astronaut (talk) 18:18, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Latest reports indicate that this heat wave is expanding into all areas of the Southern US. See Weather.com right now.65.173.105.133 (talk) 20:58, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

A better place to go to ask about this would be Wikipedia:Articles for creation. The reference desk is really intended for finding out information about non-wikipedia subjects - WP:AfC is specificially intended for new users to propose new articles like this. Grutness...wha? 23:40, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

I suppose it should be noted that 65.173 is not "new here". He's been trying to get us to add stuff like this for months. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:01, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

I don't understand the "changing username" section

My username is Slater79. Last night, I made a request that I change my username to Runt. The answer came in the Username Changing section with all this complicated gobildeegoo, with language that only an experienced computer person would or could understand. There was all this language. I don't understand that stuff! I'm basically computer illiterate. Then I went and looked at the section tonight, and any mention of my request was GONE! I am completely confused! Why do they exclude and alienate and turn off the common person by using these terms and stuff; why not use language that's used by a layman, which is what I am? Anyway, I don't understand what the heck is going on. Why was my request taken away? I just need a friendly response on this, not some robot language that's inconcievable and non-understandable. It's easy to get downright flustered when this stuff happens. Could someone who is reading this, a FRIENDLY PERSON, a HUMAN BEING who can relate to OTHER HUMAN BEINGS, please explain to me WHY my request (a simple request) disappeared??? And stuff like that???? What is going on, and stuff like that? I don't have a background in computers. I don't understand. Can someone who is versed in computer and specifically Wikipedia stuff please explain it to me in LAYMAN TERMS, terms that a COMMON HUMAN BEING can understand? I am not a genius, but I AM a bright person, and with all of the editing and contributing that I have helped Wikipedia with for so long that has improved articles, I feel that I should at least get a simple explanation that's not in gobbledeegook language from some robot, or whatever it is! And why did my request seem to disappear? Am I asking for too much to get a friendy response from a REAL HUMAN BEING???? If you are a friendly human being out there who can explain this stuff to me in layman terms, I would certainly greatly appreciate it! Thank you! Slater79 (talk) 03:57, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

As for the "gobbledeebook", I have no idea, but your request for a change username was moved to the bottom of WP:USURP. This is because the username you want already exists and that's the page for taking already existing usernames. Useight (talk) 04:05, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for replying to my thing, Useight. I meant "gobbledeegook", which is American slang for describing unnececarrily difficult language that is confusing. Thanks for clearing that up for me. So "Runt" is already being used, eh? Well, that explains that. Slater79 (talk) 04:16, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

You can still take "Runt", you'll just have to wait a week or so for the usurpation to go through. Useight (talk) 05:38, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

As for the gobbledegook—the problem is that over time Wikipedia has developed, mostly spontaneously, an incredibly intricate bureaucracy with dozens and dozens of little official policies, unofficial policies, words-from-on-high, official philosophies, unofficial philosophies, etc. to coordinate in haphazard fashion the thousands and thousands of different decisions that must be made in order to keep thousands of people from all over the world in league on the same project. When you aren't well-acquainted with these terms or policies or even the general style, it looks like you have been suddenly dropped into a legal journal. It doesn't help that half of the Wikipedians (to just make up a number) seem to love to take the time to show that they really know the policy and point out every exception to any rule they're about to tell you. (Well, it's not so much that they "seem to love it"—it's how authority works around here. He/she who knows the relevant policies backwards and forwards can win basically any policy-related argument.)

The best way to approach this is to say to whomever you are talking to, calmly, "I don't really understand the policy you are mentioning—could you summarize it for me in rather simple terms, with an emphasis on what I need to do in order to get what I want, if that is possible?" If you get exasperated, then everything will fall apart. (In my experience as a one-time admin, the easiest way to get rid of trolls is to throw policy at them about trolls, then they explode and start cursing, then you throw policy at them about cursing, then they go off the rails, then you can ban them forever. I'm not at all saying you're a troll—I'm just pointing out that emotional responses are often used as excuses for considering someone officially "unreasonable", whether or not the response is really justified.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 12:33, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I get it. Thanks for the info! Slater79 (talk) 01:32, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Sorry about the Jargon from me too. Looking on the bright side, it looks pretty likely that you'll get to change to "Runt" as your username since whoever originally created it hasn't bothered to use it. Just a matter of waiting a few days. Cheers -- Derek Ross | Talk 02:24, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Fashion

Who introducted the full-skirted silhouette dubbed the "New Look" in the late 1940's? Which material is not illegal in the United States? "Hamd" means? Which woman has never been an editor of Vogue magazine? Which shoemaker began his career as a jeans buyer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.152.240.82 (talk) 11:30, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

1) No idea. 2) Many. Do you have a list that we should choose from? 3) In English? Nothing. Though you may be interested in "Hem". Also, "Hemd" is the German word for shirt. 4) Billions of women have never been an editor of anything. Again, did you have a list for us to choose from? 5) Again, no idea. Dismas|^(talk) 13:06, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

2)Denim. 4) Her Majesty the Queen

AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 14:25, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps "hamd" is a misspelling of "hand." With regard to fabric and similar materials, "hand" refers to how they feel -- a high-quality suit or silk scarf has "a fine hand." OtherDave (talk) 11:01, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

#1 is Christian Dior. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:58, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

And the jeans buyer is Manolo Blahnik. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 22:02, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

And as you might have gathered from the sarcastic responses thus far, your other two questions are unanswerable without more information. --Random832 (contribs) 16:34, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

69th Street, Upper Darby, PA F. W. Woolworth;s Store

I am trying to find out when the F. W. Woolworth's Store in 69th Street, Upper Darby, PA was opened.-Ladycat53fl (talk) 12:43, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

If you have the exact street address, you might find the building's history on zillow.com. DOR (HK) (talk) 08:14, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

How common is knowledge of basic shapes among adult, and college educated, Americans?

I know, goofy question, but here's the background and why I ask.

In a college class some years ago, a communication experiment required 2 people to sit back to back and describe a picture for the other to draw; the drawer could not ask questions. One thing I said to draw was a triangle; I'm pretty sure I said a "right triangle." When we were finished, she said that part had stumped her; I said I understood because she may not have recalled the term "right triangle" from Geometry. However, she said she didn't remember what a triangle was!

Now, I could understand if it was an abstract concept - I can see the average Joe on the street not recalling exactly what a noun or verb are, for instance. But, a triangle is a very basic shape, the kind we learn in Kindergarten - or before, on Sesame Street - when I say it, I would presume most get a mental picture, because it has been so ingrained. (And, before you ask, no, it was not early in the morning - I could *easily* see that being the problem, but it was an afternoon course.)

So, are there any studies that show that knoledge of common shapes (tires are circles, etc.)? I know she could have excused something like dyslexia but with shapes by saying it wasn't common knowledge, not wanting to just tell anyone she had it, but my main query is whether it is common knowledge.209.244.30.221 (talk) 12:45, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Certainly the shape of a triangle is common knowledge, as is a circle. A square is a bit tricky, though, as many people seem to confuse a square and a rectangle. Probably only those who have had a geometry class know what a quadrilateral is. Quite a few people know a pentagon, hexagon, and octagon, but probably not many know any other n-gons. The differences between ovals, ellipses, and slot-shapes is also lost on most people. When we go the 3 dimensions, it gets even worse, with many not even knowing what a sphere or a cube is. There is also confusion between 2- and 3-dimensional shapes, with "round" being used to mean a variety of shapes, including circles and spheres. StuRat (talk) 13:46, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

I should also note that visualization of 3D objects is one of the areas where men actually have a measurable advantage. StuRat (talk) 13:49, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

I once asked my four-year-old brother what shape a stop sign is and he told me "Octagon?". I was quite surprised. So, I'd say it varies greatly as to whether a person is going to know what trapezoids or parallelograms are. Useight (talk) 16:07, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

I would say it is pretty bizarre for an adult, college-educated American to not know what a triangle is. (Though you never can be surprised what people don't know—common ignorance can be astounding. I knew a college student, at a top US university, an American, well into her education, who failed a simple test that asked her to point out where Israel is on the map. I mean, the country's in the news like once a week, and its geography is usually part of that!) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 22:48, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Not knowing where foreign countries is located, like Israel, is a pretty common thing for Americans from my experiences. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 07:22, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

There was an entry in one of the this-really-happened humor sections of the Reader's Digest not long ago, where someone wrote in and said that they had recently overheard a father pointing out landmarks in Washington, D.C. to his child. Apparently the man had said something like, "Do you see that triangle-shaped octagon over there? That's The Pentagon." --Masamage ♫ 07:52, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

how do we know which house suits us.

my name is kaveri and my husband name is svs markendyulu his dob is 28th jan 1970 and mine is aug 3rd 1974. we saw one west facing house and we did not weather it is good for us and at present we are leaving in south facing housing is that good.

thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.205.200.220 (talk) 15:19, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

The relevance of your birthdays to house preference is highly subjective, and the house facing only slightly less so. Regarding facing, you'll likely want to consider where the sun will be relative to the house at given times of day. For instance, do you like bright sunlight when you wake up? Then east-facing windows in your bedroom are good. You may also want to consider the effects of shade on house temperature. Note, however, that these (and many other) house position criteria are independent of which direction the house as a whole faces. — Lomn 17:22, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

A south facing garden is often desirable as it will receive a high amount of sunlight throughout the day, as oppose to a north facing garden which will be in the shadow of the house. However, during summer it may become too hot to use at all. 20I.170.20 (talk) 17:34, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

That's in the northern hemisphere, of course. In the southern hemisphere it is the other way round. :) FiggyBee (talk) 19:38, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Or, if you work all day, you may want a west facing garden so it gets sun in the evenings when you're home to use it. --Tango (talk) 03:48, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Looks like dob is specified because question is asked with reference to Vaastu_Shastra. 203.129.237.147 (talk) 08:55, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

British Patriotic songs

Does anzbody know any British patriotics songs that arent subject to copyright? I wish to use one on a youtube video without getting fined! Thanks v. much! --217.227.90.214 (talk) 18:34, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean songs, or do you mean recordings? A great many well-known tunes (Rule, Britannia!, The British Grenadiers) are hundreds of years old and thus not protected by copyright. But individual recordings are protected in their own right - to find one that's out of copyright, you'll have to find a recording that was first published, publically performed or broadcast before 1958 (WP:IANAL and all that). FiggyBee (talk) 19:35, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Others are God Save The Queen, Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem (although that's only for England - would you like patriotic songs for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland too, or are you only interested in those that are patriotic towards Britain?). You could use software to play an electronic instrumental version of one of these and record it, or look at the articles here for free recordings. 79.66.32.107 (talk) 22:17, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Just found this template giving some patriotic songs. Might be useful. 79.66.32.107 (talk) 22:26, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Best idea is to choose Rule Britannia or whatever then, if you can sing or play an instrument, make your own recording. If you can't, ask someone else if you can record them. -- Derek Ross | Talk 02:30, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Depending on audience Swing Low, Sweet Chariot might do it Nil Einne (talk) 09:06, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Hmm. Not quite sure how an American negro spiritual counts as a British patriotic song ... -- JackofOz (talk) 20:37, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Well, the English rugby fans aren't bothered about the tenuous connection. Gwinva (talk) 23:37, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Who says it's a British patriotic song? It's a rugby song. Why that should be, I don't know. Algebraist 23:44, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, it's (used as) a sports anthem, not a patriotic song. --Tango (talk) 04:03, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

@Algebraist: It was a suggested answer to the question "Does anzbody know any British patriotics songs ...". -- JackofOz (talk) 22:24, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

More precisely the song for English rugby (similar to Waltzing Matilda for Australian rugby although that has wider connections, then again Swing Long seems to have moved on from rugby since I'm sure I've heard it at cricket matches before). And I think most English rugby fans will agree it is a patriotic song (if you don't agree, try telling some of them your beliefs during a game, don't worry we'll still be here several weeks later when you can type again). Of course if you want a song for the whole of Britain it won't do, but I saw various suggestions for English only patriotic songs above Nil Einne (talk) 17:29, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Various? Apart from Jerusalem, Swing Low was the first England Only song offered (although I did ask if constituent-country songs would fit), unless I've missed one. 79.66.38.215 (talk) 21:55, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Relationship and facial desfiguration

You are in a relationship with someone and someday a dog bites his or her face and there is no plastic surgery to repair the damage. What would you do: leave the person and admit that your relationship were only with his or her face ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 19:51, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Surely that depends on whether "your relationship were only with his or her face", or not? FiggyBee (talk) 19:56, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

I think it can be assumed that there is a relationship of some depth, not just a relationship of the most superficial variety. With that in mind, I feel that there is a type of inertia that tends to keep relationships going despite a setback of the nature of a facial disfigurement. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Trom503 (talk • contribs) 20:05, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Some people might be too distressed by the horrible scarring to be able to deal with it, even if they really did care about the other person as a person. Some people just have different levels of emotional capacity / squeamishness, and being capable of physical attraction to your partner is important. Also, they might have PTSD. (To answer the question for myself: even if my husband got chewed by a dog, I would stay with him.) --Masamage ♫ 20:19, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Trite I know, but physical beauty really is only skin deep - and very temporary - the true and lasting beauty of a person lies in their inner core, their soul, their heart, their wit, their sincerity, their character, oh, I could go on and on. And if the dog in question had scarred my ex-wife - I would have married the dog. 92.1.150.57 (talk) 21:30, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

This sounds like an opening for discussion such as might be found in a forum. This is not a forum, but a reference desk. There are many forums on the internet where you can have long, involved conversations about this; please help keep this reference desk reference-desky (and not-deleted) by avoiding asking and answering these sort of questions. 79.66.32.107 (talk) 22:30, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

The Simpsons episode where Bart is inventing an excuse not to meet lonely Mrs. Crabapple when he's been writing scam romantic notes to her. He suggests a crocodile bit off his face, but Marg says that wouldn't put off some women. Males are reputed to be more picky. Not to the degree you suggest, but Stephen Hawking is hardly a beauty contest winner, but seems to have married twice. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:31, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Stephen Hawking's richer than most nerds with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis though. --212.120.246.239 (talk) 03:03, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

Baseball terminology

baseball terminology - what is a two seamer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.215.18.70 (talk) 21:39, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Its a type fastball Two-seam fastball --Nick910 (talk) 22:28, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Specifically, a two-seam fastball pitch where the pitcher aligns his fingers with the seams of the ball. This allows the pitcher to slightly spin the ball as it leaves his hand, which gives a slight downward emphasis to the flight of the ball toward the batter. When done right, the result is "strike one." If thrown incorrectly, "that ball is outta here!" DOR (HK) (talk) 08:23, 5 August 2008 (UTC)