Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 March 3

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March 3

international airport

When was the first international airport opened? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delvenore (talk • contribs) 02:08, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

From WP's Airport: "The first international airport to open was the Croydon Airport, in South London, although an airport at Hounslow Heath had been temporarily operating as such for nine months." It opened on 3/29/20.63.17.41.138 (talk) 03:25, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Actually it opened on 29/3/20, since it was in the UK. Please use internationally recognised forms of dates, such as "March 29, 1920", or ISO 8601 1920-03-29. --ColinFine (talk) 13:33, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Yeh, that's confusing. So what does the UK call the 29th month of the year? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:28, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

We call it the "we are not so stupid as the yanks when it comes to date formats" month. A long name, I grant you, but boy do we celebrate when it rolls around. --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:19, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I just think of it that the Brits are right 1 day per month (coincidentally, today), we are right the rest. Googlemeister (talk) 21:28, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

The "we are not so stupid as the yanks when it comes to date formats" month is also known as Vigintiseptember. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 12:22, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Wouldn't there need to be two international airports opened at the time? When planes took off from this international airport, I've got to assume they landed somewhere...? Matt Deres (talk) 14:28, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

In the 1920s, you could take off from a nice stretch of road, or a good field, so technically, it would be possible to take off from Croydon airport (technically, Croyden Aerodrome) and land in a field in Holland or whatever. Googlemeister (talk) 14:44, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Well, if you define an international airport as one with customs and immigration facilities, you technically only need those upon landing... -- Coneslayer (talk) 14:31, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

How long is a Yuga?

I'm reading the Wikipedia page on the Mahābhārata, and I don't understand how far Kakudmi and his daughter traveled. It says they traveled forward 27 catur-yugas, and then the Wikipedia page on yugas and Hindu units of measurement does not make calculating easy. From what I can glean, a catur-yuga is 4 yugas or 12,000 divine years, so if they traveled 27 of them that makes 27 X 12,000 = 324,000 divine years. And since 360 human years equal 1 divine year (it says 100 divine years = 36,000 human years so I divided), they really traveled 324000 x 360 = 116,640,000 human years? Did I do that right? Over a hundred million years? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 02:46, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Encyclopaedia of Hinduism, Volume 3, By N.K. Singh, p. 1273, states that catur-yugas are also known as Mahayugas, which are 12,000 divine years, which in turn are 360 human years each. If the source is correct, then the answer is 116,640,000 -- as you said. 63.17.41.138 (talk) 03:41, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Why don't Databases use a Google Search Algorithm?

Why don't scholarly databases like PubMed use a Google-powered search engine? Why must its users contend with very nit-picky Boolean search engines? Acceptable (talk) 04:35, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

For one thing, PageRank is patented by Google, so others would have to pay Google to use it, if Google would even license it to them. (e.g. Google has Google Scholar, so they may not want other competitor companies like Web of Science to have access to it.) It's not just access to PageRank. Google has a lot of tweaks and adjustments in their search engine, most of which fall under the category of trade secret, which they may not want competitors to have. A government-run system like PubMed might be different, but even then, it's at the whim of Google - for example, a university web director told me that even though Google was freely offering site search for internal university web pages, they were sticking with their old search engine, as the lawyers didn't like Google's terms and conditions. Additionally, places like PubMed have been around long before Google came into being, and may keep the same search system they have had under the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. -- 174.21.237.55 (talk) 06:20, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I'm afraid 174 is a bit out of the loop. Anybody can buy a Google Search Appliance. Comet Tuttle (talk) 07:11, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Scholarly database searchers frequently don't care about the popularity of articles, and are often deliberately looking for obscure articles. They may also want to exhaustively search for articles mentioning a term. So the page rank algorithm may not always be appropriate. Additionally page ranking relies on there being links between the articles, which may not be the case - or rather when it is the case, it is explicitly done through citation, which PubMed etc. already takes account of.

As an example of why page ranking is not good for scholarly searches, I have frequently tried searching (Google) for scholarly articles to fill out an unreferenced Wikipedia article; however thanks to page ranking Wikipedia itself and its many clones often "pollute the google space", occupying hundreds of the top spots, and non-relevant popular pages get promoted over relevant but unpopular pages. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:25, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

The problem generally is that many of these private databases have been using their own do-it-yourself databases and engines for a long, long time. The result is that even if their pages could be easily indexed by the Google Search Appliance (which may or may not be true based on how they are currently designed), there is often institutional inertia and uncertainty that makes them go with the system they have been using for a long time. Additionally, they are probably afraid of breaking backwards compatibility for those users who have spent the requisite time learning how to use their engine. And it might also be the case that a Google-like engine won't produce the kinds of results that are specific for their usage. Lastly, they might not have the IT support they'd like, and converting your entire database to a new format is a non-trivial task when it involves things people care about. And there is something to be said for avoiding buying into dependence on another company's work... Google is great at what they do, at the moment, but one still might not want to put all their eggs in that particular basket. (Even Google can falter in its decisions, as its Buzz episode indicated quite clearly.) --Mr.98 (talk) 14:26, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

What is the highest bit rate Possible of a Youtube Video

When streaming Youtube videos, what is the highest possible audio bit rate of the videos? Does SD vs HD make a difference? Acceptable (talk) 04:44, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

1500kbps —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delvenore (talk • contribs) 11:07, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

For the audio? I doubt it Nil Einne (talk) 11:50, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

The properties of a video that I downloaded from YouTube via a 3rd party site are MP4 610kbps. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 00:00, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Business Studies

- What are the importance of business studies to junior secondary schools in Nigeria.

- Vividly explain the challenges of business studies in Nigeria.

Please do your own homework.

Welcome to Wikipedia. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:08, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

business studies is an important area of study for all countries. Try reading the business studies article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Telijelly (talk • contribs) 13:50, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

secret underground tunnles

Are there many secret underground tunnles in london? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delvenore (talk • contribs) 11:01, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

We don't know. If there are, they're secret. --Anonymous, 11:06 UTC, March 3, 2010.

What i mean was mostly secret from like the public and stuff but some people might know. You know like those ghost underground stations that they closed down years ago and sometimes film harry potter in them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delvenore (talk • contribs) 11:08, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Most of Britain's secret underground tunnels (which we know of) were a little west of London, near Corsham in Wiltshire. The Central Government War Headquarters was an entire underground city intended to provide continuity of government in case of a nuclear attack, and also housed a strategic steam reserve until the 1980s. The only part of the base still operational is the Corsham Computer Centre. FiggyBee (talk) 11:19, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

There's a bit of information on rumoured tunnels in London here. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:23, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Interesting – just checked Google Street View for one of the areas mentioned in the above link, around the Mall, Horse Guards Parade and Buckingham Palace. There are no street level views of this area, although pretty much the whole of the rest of central London is covered. Terrorism concerns, perhaps? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:41, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

"ghost underground stations that they closed down years ago and sometimes film harry potter in them": Most film work on the London Underground is done at Aldwych or the Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross, both of which were closed in the 1990s (but could be reopened in the future). FiggyBee (talk) 11:24, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Not exactly secret, but see closed London Underground stations and Post Office Railway. Gandalf61 (talk) 11:27, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Not in London (and not secret), but interesting - Williamson Tunnels. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:35, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Subterranea Britannia is your friend. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:51, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Also see Subterranean London, and a good read is "London Under London: A Subterranean Guide", Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman[1]. Alansplodge (talk) 15:03, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

• So long as you don't trust it on matters of fact. Where it covers subjects I know something about, such as the Underground, I've found quite a few errors. In the section on electrical distribution I found four errors in one sentence. --Anonymous, 17:50 UTC, March 3, 2010.

Of course, some are REALLY secret...[2]. Alansplodge (talk) 15:07, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

[3] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.242.68 (talk) 04:56, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Rush hour

Why is the time when traffic travels slowest called the rush-hour? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dendalonger (talk • contribs) 13:34, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Because it's when people are rushing (or trying to rush) to and from work. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 13:49, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Some comedian raised that question decades ago: "How come it's called rush hour when there's no moving?" It's a bit like the McDonald's "rush", i.e. lunchtime, when the lines are long and the workers have to hustle. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:25, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Dendalonger, next time you ask a question here (and you're very welcome to do so), please head it with something more meaningful than "Question". Just imagine if everyone who asks questions here called their questions "Question". Searching for a particular one would be a Kafkaesque nightmare. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:19, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

pocket money

how much pocket money does an average american kid aged 15-18 get? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.141.124 (talk) 15:16, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I do not have an answer for you (Sorry), but many Americans aged 15-18 have part-time jobs, They may have incomes up to a couple of hundred dollars a week, none of it coming from their parents. APL (talk) 16:53, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I think that varies pretty widely from kid to kid, depending largely on their parents and whether or not the kid (or the parent) has a job. I know when I was sixteen I was living with my folks and working part-time at a grocery store, pulling in about a hundred fifty dollars a week. This is in no way a scientific answer, but for an unemployed high school student living at home, about twenty dollars a week sounds pretty safe. AlexHOUSE (talk) 17:05, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Here are some facts on teen spending, which I assume is similar to teen income.

*Teen Market to Surpass $200 Billion by 2011, Despite Population Decline This is a summary of a national survey by a profesional pollster agency.

*Teen Spending Survey here is a survey run by a local (to Los Alamos) branch of the YMCA.

Hope this helps. APL (talk) 17:01, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

(Edit conflict but I spent a while typing it out so I'm throwing it in here anyway) An average American kid that age would likely have a part-time/after-school job, and the kind of jobs most people can get at that age are usually not much more than minimum wage so... whatever minimum wage is in that particular state? If by pocket money you mean getting an allowance from parents, then it might be a little harder to find numbers for that, especially since by 15-18 I don't think most kids are relying on their parents anymore, so I'm not sure whether that would be an "average American kid." Then again, if they're only making minimum wage, they might still be getting a (smaller) amount of "pocket money" from their parents. So you see how this question gets more complicated than you were probably expecting. Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 17:10, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Unless things in the US are even more different to the UK than I had thought, the idea that "teen spending" = "teen income" could only have come from a non-parent. ;-} Ghmyrtle (talk) 22:32, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I can't imagine that anyone would organize a formal survey of this information, as it falls outside the purview of regular economics. You could be the first though. Subryonic compound (talk) 18:24, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

You can't imagine why anyone would study a $200 billion sector of the economy? 75.41.110.200 (talk) 19:21, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Please, prove me wrong! Anyway, there is just no money to be had in looking at how kids get their money. Getting it away from them is where the profit lies. Subryonic compound (talk) 19:24, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Not American, and I gave up long reading it closely long before it got to formula for Nash equilibria: Teenage Income, Turning 18, and Transfers within the Family 75.41.110.200 (talk) 19:39, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Our article allowance (money) indicates that "pocket money" is the UK term for what we call an allowance in the US. If this is correct, then income earned at a job should not be included. There are some allowance statistics here, but they're generally old and Canadian. -- Coneslayer (talk) 19:24, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Here is an answer. "Boyhood in America" gives historical figures. In 2000, 26% of 12 to 19 year olds in the U.S. received allowances. Boys 10-12 received an average $21.90 per week. Those 13-15 received $30.50 per week. Those 16 to 19 received $41.15 per week. They saved some (to buy big-price items). In today's economy, part time jobs can be very hard to get. I wonder if some of the money counts toward "lunch money." "Girlhood in America" has similar info for girls. In 1999, the typical allowance for a high school student was $30 to $46, with girls getting $5 more than boys. I expect that teens often had more money to fritter away on things they wanted (rather than needed) than their working parents had, week in and week out, since a parent did not want his children to feel deprived of the comforts their peers had, such as the ability to go the mall and buy snacks, go to the movies, or just buy "stuff." Edison (talk) 20:23, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Americans get $65 billion a year in pocket money, find out how many children there are in the country and it may be possible to work out an average for all of them from that. $46 seems a rather vast amount of money, I used to get £2. 148.197.114.158 (talk) 21:21, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Who gets dividends?

Shares of publicly traded companies are constantly changing hands so who actually gets the dividends? Is it just whoever happens to have the shares when the dividends are issued? --212.120.245.17 (talk) 16:23, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Essentially yes; see ex-dividend date. -- Coneslayer (talk) 16:29, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

case study on human resource planing

Amar is a stenographer-working as P. A. to the Marketing Manager in Nitco Ltd. Re is an under graduate, of 32 years, unmarried, energetic and competent is his work. He is looking forward to get an executive position in some reputed company at a salary of about Rs. 12,000 p.m. He comes from a middle class family from a small town. At present he is staying with his elder brother who is married, has two children and lives in a two-room apartment. Both the brothers have to send financial assistance to the parents who are stilt staying in their home town with their youngest daughter. Amar's present job consists of secretarial work which requires a lot of typing and personal service to the Marketing Manager/and Amar does not enjoy it much. Yet he works very hard and, so far, the Manager is fairly satisfied with him. Two year back, one of the colleges in the city started evening courses, Amar's working hours were usually between 11.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. On some exceptional occasions, he was required to wait till late in the evening. With the encouragement of his boss, Amar joined the evening college and graduated in Commerce. He continued his studies and obtained a Law degree also. He was hoping that his education in Commerce and Law would be useful for getting an administrative job. Nitco Ltd., did not seem to provide him opportunity for advancement in an executive position. He waited for two years as the company had given him ail. the facilities and encouragement to complete his education. Later he left the organization reluctantly and joined another company where he has since become Sales Manager. Question: 1. What is the case all about? 2. Analyze the main problem in the case. 3. As a manager how would you deal the case. 4. give me the other questions that can be asked from this case study? 5. give a short summary of this case?

give the answer of all this question Prasenjitghosh (talk) 17:54, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Even if you were to ask politely, I'm afraid nobody here will do your homework for you. Karenjc 18:00, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Why the hell would he become a sales manager if he has a law degree? --Nricardo (talk) 02:28, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Errors in QI

I'm watching all episodes of QI and they sometimes make mistakes or contradict things they said in previous episodes. Is there a list anywhere of all the errors and false information QI has made over the series? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delvenore (talk • contribs) 18:11, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

If you go to Google and type qi errors then several websites are served up for you. The first link has what it calls a brief list. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:35, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

QI#Corrections.2C_mistakes_and_retractions. Vimescarrot (talk) 18:37, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

The show also has a site (no idea if it's official but it has a 'qibbles' section which is kinda like what you're after). http://www.qi.com/ 18:43, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Arizona seat belt laws

Hello! Having read through our article on seat belt legislation in the United States, I'm under the impression that in Arizona one can ride in the backseat without a seat belt on without being fined (provided they're older than fifteen). Furthermore, since it's a "secondary enforcement," you could really only be in trouble if you were stopped for some other (primary) infraction. Is this correct, or am I way off? I'm a California native who will be cramming into a van in AZ with some friends for a trip across the border, and the concept of legally going without a belt is totally foreign to me. Thanks! AlexHOUSE (talk) 18:38, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Is this question out of a desire to try it? Can't see the point myself. I'm against seatbelt laws on general liberty grounds, but personally I wouldn't be comfortable riding unbelted. --Trovatore (talk) 00:21, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

This question is out of the necessity of transporting eight people in a seven-person van for a stretch of road through Arizona. I, too, enjoy the liberating feeling of riding unbelted (when I'm feeling rebellious enough, of course). AlexHOUSE (talk) 07:08, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

In that case, regardless of whether seatbelts are legally required, you (well the driver) may still be guilty of overloading. Incidentally, I don't think Trovatore intended to suggest he felt riding unbelted gave him a liberating feeling. Nil Einne (talk) 09:14, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Right you are, Nil. My folks raised me to always buckle up, and something just wouldn't feel right if I didn't. Especially when I'm driving — the belt gives me a sense of connection to the vehicle, makes it an extension of my will, all that nonsense. --Trovatore (talk) 09:19, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

As an interesting similar example, as some may know I spent the early part of my life in Malaysia where until recently seatbelts in the back seat were neither commonly used nor compulsory. As with many/most? people, I didn't wear them in the back seat but always did in the front seat and it seemed natural. However I moved to NZ where it's compulsory to wear them in the back seats and so I always did and after only a year it felt odd and wrong when I was back in Malaysia for a holiday not to wear a seatbelt in the back seat even if my friends thought me odd. (Of a more changing mentality probably helped as well, for example on the occasions when I end up wearing a lap belt I usually feel uncomfortable given the bad things I've read about them.) Nowadays it's compulsory in Malaysia as well so things may be changing. I could tell a similar story about bicycle helmets although I didn't cycle so much in Malaysia particularlyon the roads as I do here Nil Einne (talk) 04:27, 6 March 2010 (UTC)

The death penalty

Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Transfigurations (talk • contribs) 18:48, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

When the state deems a man unfit for survival, they want to keep everything as legitimate as possible, which means last suppers, hearing requests for clemency, and sterilizing needles. There does seem to be a severe disconnect in ethics though, I grant you that. I suppose the MO is to be as humane as possible, even when killing a man in cold blood. It's probably best not to think about at length. Subryonic compound (talk) 18:59, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Copied straight out of our very own lethal injection article:

"Cannulae are sterilized during manufacture, so using sterile ones is routine medical procedure. Secondly, there is a chance that the prisoner could receive a stay of execution after the cannulae have been inserted, as happened in the case of James Autry in October 1983 (he was eventually executed on March 14, 1984). Finally, it would be a hazard to prison personnel to use unsterilized equipment." AlexHOUSE (talk) 19:02, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I don't mean to keep plugging Cecil Adams, but he's covered a lot of topics like this with interesting, easy to read articles, (Even if they're only occasionally sourced.) When someone is executed by lethal injection, do they swab off the arm first? APL (talk) 19:09, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I would also suggest that the authorities use disposable needles. These are not commonly available unsterilised, they are packaged and sold sterile. I would be very surprised if any establishment, whether correctional or healthcare, uses re-usable needles for straightforward venous cannulation. There was a large scale trial done in the USA in the (I think) 60s or 70s, can't find any reference, which showed no difference in infection levels between injections with a prewipe and injections without. As a nurse I can tell you we did it more for the patients' distraction than infection control. Richard Avery (talk) 19:28, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

. Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:41, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

The negative reaction of most people to an execution where the victim is not treated with respect up their last moment, as in the atrocious example of Saddam Husein (video) is the answer. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:11, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

To the families of the thousands of people Saddam murdered, he got what he gave. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:10, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

_{but not everyone is a fan of retributive justice 203.217.33.23 (talk) 02:56, 4 March 2010 (UTC)}

It's easier to oppose the death penalty if you've never been a victim or known a victim. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:10, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

It's certainly difficult to oppose the death penalty if you've been murdered, yes. OTOH, there are as many anti-death-penalty family organisations out there as there are pro. FiggyBee (talk) 03:41, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Which is why the families don't get to decide. Theoretically disinterested parties decide. And keep in mind it's not exactly "punishment" - it's permanent removal. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:11, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

You just said that he "got what he gave", referring to the way a man was treated before his execution! And your earlier point is silly as well. You could just as easily say "It's easier to support the death penalty if you've never been wrongfully executed or known someone who was wrongfully executed." and it would have just as little meaning or relevance to either the point it was replying to, or the original question! More importantly, this is all an off-topic political soapbox tangent which started when Baseball Bugs replied to an on-topic post.APL (talk) 06:09, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

"The negative reaction of most people..." is a supposition. It would be interesting to take a poll and see what percentage of people actually were upset over Saddam being taunted. I suspect the average reaction to anything connected with Saddam's execution was "good widdance to bad wubbish". Read about John Wayne Gacy's execution for a vague comparison. The average citizen of Illinois would have had no sympathy for Gacy being stuck by a dirty needle. They just wanted that scumbag dead. The law decides who dies for his crimes, not the families. But that doesn't mean the families can't celebrate when a human dog is put to death via legal means. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:16, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

If that's the case, I feel sorry that the average Illinoisan still is stuck in the early middle ages. I don't think it is, however, when people are given reasonable time to reflect on the issue. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 09:39, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Given the fact that some people have been executed and later found to be innocent, there is no moral grounds for supporting the death penalty. DOR (HK) (talk) 09:29, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

No human endeavor is perfect in implementation, but that in and of itself does not automatically confer the status immoral, and it is fairly naive to make the statement that imperfect = immoral. Googlemeister (talk) 16:40, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

Reading rights to deaf people

If the police arrest a deaf person, how are their rights read to them? Do all police need to learn some sign language? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aject8886 (talk • contribs) 19:20, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

No, not all policemen know sign language. But reading of their rights (Miranda warning in the U.S.) doesn't have to happen immediately when you come into contact with police. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 19:26, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I've got a funny feeling I heard somewhere that many deaf people can read. Richard Avery (talk) 19:31, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

And I've got a funny feeling the OP is yanking our chain. "You have the right to remain silent." Yeh, sure. Like saying to a corpse, "You have the right to remain dead." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:05, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

It's also only required in cases where an interrogation is to be held. So, I'd guess they'd work around it by having the Miranda warning given to the suspect the same way they'd interrogate him (presumably with an interpreter). AlexHOUSE (talk) 19:34, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Indeed. Lots of people are arrested, and never read any rights at all, since they can be released without being interrogated. Police can even ask you questions or interrogate you without reading you your rights. Miranda warnings are only read before an interrogation when the police believe they will be asking questions which have a material bearing on a potential criminal prosecution. If they are going to be interrogating a deaf person, they would need an interpreter anyways (as with anyone who does not speak a language the police speak) and that interpreter would assisst in the reading of the rights. --Jayron32 21:59, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Aject8886, next time you ask a question here (and you're very welcome to do so), please head it with something more meaningful than "Question". Just imagine if everyone who asks questions here called their questions "Question". Searching for a particular one would be a Kafkaesque nightmare. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:18, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

...Actually, many cops carry a card with the Miranda warning text on it. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 16:52, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Clockwork mice

The the clockwork mouse been perfected since the initial concept was shown a few years ago? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 701-DENT-SSU (talk • contribs) 21:49, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Clockwork mice have been around for years; I don't know about perfected, but they work well enough. On the other hand, this article from January notes that Logitech are currently looking at the feasibility of clockwork computer mice, so it doesn't sound as though they have been perfected. Warofdreams talk 22:55, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

What is humor?

Maybe this is an extremely difficult question to answer, as I've researched and googled fruitlessly, so I'll ask it here. My question is: What is, in the most general terms, humor? What does make people laugh? Is it something that could be labelled as "surprising"? unexpected? witty? Sometimes, something can be humorous but if you changed it just a little it would be offensive. Some other thing could be funny... or simply strange. I've tried to think about it... in vain. Humor is definitely subjective, because people have different cultural backgrounds and somewhat different tastes. Also, there are very different forms of humor. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that a "general rule" could be established.

So, guys, help me, please. What do you think, in the most general terms, humor is? --Belchman (talk) 22:34, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I'm guessing you're not happy with the dictionary definitions (http://www.google.co.uk/dictionary?aq=f&langpair=en%7Cen&hl=en&q=humour) or the wikipedia article Humour? ny156uk (talk) 23:05, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Laughing Matters explained[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] (videos) Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:28, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Coincidentally, the free e-book this month from University of Chicago Press is Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters, by Ted Cohen. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:01, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

I recommend Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, specifically the part where Graham Chapman delivers a professorial lecture on The History of the Jape.Starts at about 4:00 ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:51, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

From our article on humour, I found one passage that resonates with my understanding:

Humour frequently contains an unexpected, often sudden, shift in perspective.

Basically, humour is good insomuch as it stimulates a new way of looking at things. Which is why jokes are funniest the first time. Vranak (talk) 02:17, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

If I'm not mistaken, which I very well could be, it was one of the Marx brothers who said something along the lines of "All humor is based on pain, whether physical or emotional". Dismas|^(talk) 06:48, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

For more accurate quotes on the subject, you could see Wikiquote's page on humor. Dismas|^(talk) 06:53, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Without looking at it first, I'm thinking of one from Mel Brooks: "Comedy is if you get killed. Tragedy is if I have a hangnail." Or maybe the sentences are switched, I forget now. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:13, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

They have a similar version there. Also a similar kind of comment by Will Rogers. Here's something to consider: There were lots of gruesome jokes after the Challenger disaster, most of them centered specifically on the civilian, Christa McAuliffe (sp?). Now why would that be? Maybe first because she was a civilian. And maybe also because we wanted to save her, and we couldn't, so instead we ridiculed death. "What's funny" is different for everyone, and there are many styles of humor. Whether one can laugh at a Christa McAuliffe joke is a test for that particular style. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:21, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Wow I'm surprised I'm going to be the first on this. Humour of course is an alien experiment. I offer no proof however because that will end it forever Nil Einne (talk) 09:08, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

I remember reading that story, but couldn't remember what it was called or who wrote it. Thanks for the reminder. (Of course I should have known that Wikipedia has an article on everything, and just searched for it.) Mitch Ames (talk) 10:15, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

There used to be some humor here on the RDs. But that was stamped out a couple years ago by some grumpy strict laced admins 8-( —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.242.68 (talk) 01:08, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

staring

Is there, or has there ever been a law against intently staring at someone to make them uncomfortable? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Crockadoc (talk • contribs) 22:37, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Laws on Intimidation would almost certainly cover staring at someone with the intent of making them 'uncomfortable' if it got to be enough of a problem. ny156uk (talk) 23:07, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

(ec)Laws against threatening behaviour may cover this kind of intimidation which may include conduct which annoys, threatens, alarms, or puts a person in fear of their safety. Scientologists pay to have other scientologists do this to them and call it "auditing". Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:09, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure what you're refering to. Scientologists practice staring at eachother for hours but that's not auditing, it's TRs. Entheta (talk) 23:16, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Yes, specifically TR-0. The TRs are early stages of training to be an auditor. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:33, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

True. Although auditing isn't staring per se. :) Entheta (talk) 23:44, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Staring is apparently the 2nd-most commmonly-used tactic in workplace bullying, which is illegal. Vranak (talk) 01:27, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

What about counter-staring? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:01, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Generally a person will not engage in bullying if they believe the treatment will be returned quid pro quo. Vranak (talk) 02:12, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

I know staring back works with kids. Never had to do it with adults. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:44, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Common assault is "committed by a person who causes another person to apprehend the immediate use of unlawful violence." If a reasonable person would believe that, in the circumstances, that staring amounted to a threat of immediate violence then it might just be a crime in many common law jurisdictions (not to mention a cause of action in tort.203.217.33.23 (talk) 02:53, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

As ever with legal questions, it depends what jurisdiction you are talking about. The case of the so-called "leering professor" may serve as an example; he swam in the universiy pool with flippers and a face mask, the better to follow and observe female swimmers. 'Richard Hummel, professor of chemical engineering at the University of Toronto, said his sexual harassment case cost him and his university more than $200,000 in costs and fees. Hummel was convicted in 1989 of "prolonged and intense staring" while swimming in a university pool. Maclean's columnist Barbara Amiel called the case "the utter debasement of the genuinely serious nature of sexual harassment." ' [9] The case is referred to in Sexual harassment and sexual consent by Barry Michael Dank and Roberto Refinetti, p91-92 [10]. It is not clear, on the basis of ten minutes' light Googling, whether this was a criminal conviction, or an internal disciplinary matter. BrainyBabe (talk) 22:08, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Cuba - closed economy.

This may be a wasted question - if so - so be it. Having recently travelled to Cuba for one week on the mainland staying in several towns and villages and seeing the real poverty there; followed by one week on one of Cuba's fabulous islands and experiencing wall-to-wall luxury, fabulous food, drinks, service, accommodation and entertainment, I am drawn to discover what the real economy of Cuba looks like. As in, what is the average annual value of Cuba's exports (sugar, rum, tobacco, medical exportees etc.), as opposed to the value of foreign hard (and other) currency imports via tourism and related industries (food, roads, drinks, toilet paper etc.); and lastly, if there is a surplus of income versus expenditure, where does Cuba invest that surplus? I want to emphasise that I have no political agenda in asking this question, merely curiosity, having seen both sides of Cuba (which I enjoyed immensely BTW). 92.30.141.97 (talk) 23:54, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Our article Economy of Cuba is a good starting point, with 40 references to enjoy at the end. It says the balance of trade is currently going the other way, with US$3.2 billion of exports and US$10.8 billion of imports. I tried comparing related stats to those of other Latin American countries, with the table at Latin America#Standard of living, consumption, and the environment, but unfortunately, while that table shows a poverty index, that table doesn't have any GDP values for Cuba. Comet Tuttle (talk) 00:11, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Of course exports and imports are not the only measure of an economy. Things that are produced domestically for internal consumption (which, in the case of Cuba, probably includes nearly all food) also add to the economy. For most of history, that was the most important sector, with long-distance trading being mostly in luxury goods and tourism (except for the fire-and-sword variety, which is rarely a positive economic factor in visited lands) being essentially unknown.--Stephan Schulz (talk) 09:45, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Try reading the article Cuba, specifically the closed economy section —Preceding unsigned comment added by Telijelly (talk • contribs) 13:49, 4 March 2010 (UTC)