Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 May 21

= May 21 =

A question about Silent Hill 4: The Room...
When I was surfing on YouTube, I came across a gameplay clip of Silent Hill 4: The Room. And then I saw that there was a huge face of Eileen in one of the rooms of some corridor. It was quite strange. How did Eileen's face get like that, and what does it suppose to mean? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sirdrink13309622 (talk • contribs) 03:17, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, it's not literally Eileen's head. If you want to inject a bit of symbolism, it could refer to how Henry has been spying on Eileen; now she's staring at him for a change. Or it could represent Henry's obsession with Eileen. Or something else. There's no clear-cut explanation for it; it's also possible that they stuck it in there just to freak people out. That has certainly been a common reaction among players. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:44, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Taking a Bicycle onto a Plane
I'm moving to Korea soon, and want to take my mountain bike with me. What is the protocol (generally) for taking a bike on a plane? I know each airline has its own rules, but generally what happens? I don't know which airline it is, because it's being booked for me, and we haven't got to that stage yet (still sorting out work visa). Does anyone know what happens here? Or would it just be cheaper to buy one when I get there? --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 04:42, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * For me, Googling carrying a bike on a plane led to this thread and this random web page and about 108,000 other search results. They seemed informative.  Tempshill (talk) 05:14, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I took a bike on a plane from Canada to Texas and back. I did it by putting it in a bike box that I borrowed from a friend.  It looked exactly like the picture at the top left of this site: .  I think it was pretty expensive new (about $400 Canadian) but I think you can rent them in some places and would probably be much cheaper used (assuming you could find one).  The airline charged me $80 extra to ship it, I don't know what it would cost for a trans-Pacific flight.  The year earlier I tried shipping the same bike Fed Ex, which didn't work out too well.  I had to spend hours wrapping it up, it still ended up taking some damage and it was more expensive than the fee the airline charged (about $120 I think).  So if it's an expensive bike you are fond of, it might be worth getting a bike box and paying the airline fee, but if its an old beater and you just want an old beater once you get there it'll probably make more sense to buy a new one there.  TastyCakes (talk) 05:40, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I should add that the bike box worked great - it was very easy to pack it and the bike seemed very protected in it. I'd recommend one for anyone that's planning on doing a lot of airplane traveling with a bike, if the price isn't prohibitive.  TastyCakes (talk) 05:45, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks for that. Good info. I'll see what happens. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 13:35, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Most airlines have baggage handling information on their website. For example, going to the United Airlines website and poking around found a "Special Items" section under "Baggage" in the "Services & Information" area. There they list bicycles, saying "Any non-motorized bicycle must be prepared for travel by the customer. United cannot provide tools. Handlebars must be turned sideways, and protruding pedals and accessories must be removed. The bicycle must be contained in a durable, protective case, bag or box. Maximum weight: 50 pounds (23 kilograms) Other information: Allow an extra 30 minutes at check-in." I would check the site for the airlines you're flying. They may impose additional restrictions, especially for international travel. If all else fails, I'd recommend calling them. They last thing you want to happen is to show up for your flight and have your bicycle refused. -- 128.104.112.117 (talk) 16:07, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Cheers. As soon as the details of my ticket come through I'll know which airline it is, then I can phone up and ask. Cheers, mate! --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 23:47, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * considering the extra-luggage charge and the hassle, would it not be easier to ship it? When moving countries, i've always taken one suitcase and had everything bulky shipped (preferably paid for by a new employer!).YobMod 09:08, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I have a friend (in the UK) who cycled across the USA. After looking at shipping costs he found out that it was cheaper to buy a mid-range bike in the USA. After his cycle trip he donated the now well-used bike to a church before flying home. Obviously if you already have a top of the range bike this won't apply, but it may be worth looking at costs of new equivalent bikes as an alternative -- Q Chris (talk) 09:32, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

If you'll be in Korea for some time, I would strongly suggest shipping the bike. Airlines charge a huge premium for you to have it when you first arrive (assuming it isn't lost!). Shipping it a few days earlier should get it there pretty soon after you arrive. DOR (HK) (talk) 10:14, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Most redirects?
Is there any way to find out which wiki page has the most redirects directed at it? Aaadddaaammm (talk) 12:12, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * --Drogonov (talk) 14:56, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I suggest you ask at the Wikipedia Help Desk, not these reference desks. BrainyBabe (talk) 16:19, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Here is a list from 2007 http://pastey.net/30373 not sure if there is any way other than a similar SQL query on the current database.  meltBanana  18:30, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Weird Car Problem
Hello again...

Last night my car was running the heater on FULL BLAST. But that's not the weird part. The key was NOT IN THE IGNITION, NOR WAS THE IGNITION TURNED TO "ON" OR "ACC" AND THE HEATER CONTROLS WERE ALL SET TO OFF. Turning the car to "ACC" turned off the heater, but I don't want this to happen while I'm not home and kill my battery. OnStar said that nothing was wrong. Obviously something is wrong and would like someone to tell me what was wrong.

PS DON'T give me answers like "It was a Ghost."

Thanks. Buffered Input Output 13:06, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Not to sound rude, but maybe it'd be best to not turn to OnStar for this, and maybe take it into a shop to get it checked out..? Yes, it might cost a bit, but at least it'd be cheaper than buying a whole new car, right? ^^ Gothrokkprincess (talk) 15:47, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Are you sure it wasn't the cooling fan running after the car is switched off? The fan can often run for quite a while after the car is switched off to bring the engine down to a reasonable temperature. Dmcq (talk) 17:42, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * That would have been my first guess too - but the OP says it went off when the key was turned to ACC - so that can't be it. The most obvious thing is that there is an electrical short somewhere - but that doesn't explain why it went off when you turned the key to ACC either.  I suppose, if your radiator fan broke and if the car's computer could detect that - it might maybe be smart enough to put the heater on full as a last-ditch effort to save the engine block...but that would be surprising - and it still doesn't really explain why it would turn off again when the ignition switch was set to ACC.  What kind of car is it?  How old is it? SteveBaker (talk) 19:58, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I'm legally blind, so I dont' even know what the ACC part means, but my mom had a small creature, a raccoon or something, get inside her engine once. Could some animal have gotten inside and accidentallyy triggered something that tripped the heater switch, then scurried out? (And, that concludes my knowledge of cars :-) Somebody or his brother (talk) 23:25, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure what "ACC" is short for, but I believe they are referring to the position you can turn the key to short of actually starting the engine that just turns on the electrics. --Tango (talk) 23:29, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Since it apparently only happened once, there is the possibility that turning the key and the heater stopping were unrelated and just happened at the same time by coincidence. It doesn't seem likely at first glance, but if no-one can think of another explanation then perhaps we should take a lesson from a certain Mr. Holmes. --Tango (talk) 23:29, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * "ACC" is short for "Accessories". This position will enable you to power things like the windows and radio, without powering the ignition system. Bunthorne (talk) 04:42, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * On my Honda ACC stands for 'Assisted Cruise Control'--81.170.40.155 (talk) 05:22, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Could it have been condensation or a leak? You can get strange effects if water creates contacts where it shouldn't go. (OR We had a car start once because water dripped onto the ignition. Spooky!)  Powering up the system might have given the current a path of less resistance and evaporated the water drop. 71.236.24.129 (talk) 10:51, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I have a Volvo and occasionally the fan comes on when the car ignition is off and car locked; I asked the dealer about it at the time and they *said* it keeps the car cooler if stood and the computer takes into account the state of the battery before doing so. Not ever been a problem and it only happens on hot days. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.115.52.180 (talk) 15:25, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

V sign for survival
I watched on a survival video somewhere that people should make a V sign out of fire, to attract airplanes' attention in the desert. Why "V"? --Jackofclubs (talk) 13:17, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

It is the simplist way of indicating that the fire is man made.86.219.162.216 (talk) 13:25, 21 May 2009 (UTC)DT


 * Distress signals are generally based around the number three (or sometimes six, eg. the Alpine distress signal). Three blows on a whistle, three flashes of light, triangles of reflective material, etc. A V kind of makes a triangle but is a little easier to make (being 2/3 the size), so I guess that is why it is used. --Tango (talk) 17:10, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

It is a giant arrow pointing at you. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 20:36, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Is that a guess or do you have a reason for thinking that? I don't recall being taught to stand at the tip of the V. --Tango (talk) 21:07, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Yeah, I find that kind of dubious. I mean, what are the odds of someone coming along, looking around and deciding that since there isn't anyone standing at the tip, it must be a false alarm? -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:18, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Annex 12 (Search and Rescue) of the Convention on International Civil Aviation establishes internationally-recognized ground-to-air visual signals. A "V" indicates "require assistance" while an arrow indicates "proceeding in this direction". 152.16.16.75 (talk) 23:55, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Is Popeye Banned in China?
Question as title. Cheers! --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 13:34, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * The cartoon or the chicken? Recury (talk) 16:58, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * If they are smart, it is the chicken. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 20:35, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * What chicken? I mean the cartoon, anyway. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 21:55, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * There's a chicken franchise called Popeye's that I believe is in California and points around there, we've never had any where I am. Somebody or his brother (talk) 23:20, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Ha! Right. I've never heard of it. I'm from the UK. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 23:45, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Popeye's chicken places are very common here in Texas - they do "Louisiana-style" fried chicken with side dishes like 'dirty rice' and 'red beans and rice' that are typical of that part of the world. Overall, they are like KFC but spicier. They appear to have no connection whatever to the cartoon character...I can't imagine this is what the OP is discussing. SteveBaker (talk) 16:53, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

No. He's called 大力水手 in Chinese (um, the big-strengthed sailor?). The cartoons used to be broadcast on TV, and it's still a well-known cartoon character.

Popeye was the cause of a prominent political imprisonment case in Taiwan: see Bo Yang. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 00:35, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Where's this from?
Me and a friend were talking about Wonderland, and making references from it, and he brought something up, that I'm unsure where it's from, or what it's supposed to mean.

"I live in your heart and die in your eyes." Gothrokkprincess (talk) 15:44, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * You'll have to specify whether by "Wonderland" you mean the movie about filthy, sleazy porn or the 28th worst song ever or something else. Tempshill (talk) 17:07, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * ... Alice In Wonderland. Gothrokkprincess (talk) 18:12, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Are you asking whether that line is in the book? I don't think so; it doesn't have the right feel at all and sure doesn't sound familiar to me. Matt Deres (talk) 19:52, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Agreed, that doesn't sound anything like the book. Tempshill (talk) 22:40, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * The closest quote I could find was "I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes", from William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (text). -- Tcncv (talk) 00:00, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Reaction effect
In this game, is it possible to create an infinite loop? Nadando (talk) 19:28, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I do not think so. It appears that continuous activity would eventually need to involve cells beyond the defined limits.  Assume we have an infinite loop involving a finite set of cells.  One or more of those cells can be categorized as an upper-left cell, defined as one with no participating cells above or to its left.  Eventually, one of those cells will rotate so that the connections are oriented up and left to the non-participating cells.  That cell will then be "out of the game" not participating in further activity, thus reducing the set of participating cells.  As this situation repeats, the number of participating cells will eventually reach zero.  Only action by a cell outside the original set would get things moving again, which implies that the set cannot be finite.  That doesn't mean it could run for a very long time though. The 16×16 collection shown has 416×16 = 2512 ≈ 10154 states.


 * I'm not sure if this constitutes a proof. Perhaps those on the mathematics desk might like to take a crack at it.  -- Tcncv (talk) 23:41, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * It sounds rigorous enough to me. --Tango (talk) 16:51, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

black "g $" stamp on 100 bill
i got a $100 bill (US0 on on the top right corner (reverse side) there is a black stamp "G $" is all it is. what is it? a bank stamp? is it from the printer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.98.64.15 (talk) 19:59, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

People stamp money with all kinds of stuff. There is not likely any discernible reason for that particular stamp. And as a bit of trivia, it is not a $100 bill, it is a $100 Federal Reserve note. A bill is what you get in exchange for using electricity. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 20:35, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * bill, etymology 3, item 5. pedant.  -- LarryMac  | Talk  21:01, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * (ec) In US English, "bill" also means a banknote. --Tango (talk) 21:05, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * When Australian currency went decimal in 1966, the public education campaign included a cartoon character called "Dollar Bill". -- JackofOz (talk) 22:34, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * You get all kinds of thing stamped and written on banknotes. People write numbers of them to help them keep count when counting money, but I can't think what "G" would mean (I initially thought "grand", but that would only be 10 notes, hardly worth a stamp). --Tango (talk) 21:05, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I bet it is G as in Gangster. You know, OG and all that. You have some bona fide gangster money, maybe it was used to buy drugs or the services of a prostitute. Either way best not put it in your mouth. 161.222.160.8 (talk) 22:25, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * 'Gay Dollars'? I once read that some gay-rights/pride-type group were stamping money with such - some sort of 'our money is as good as anyone's' statement and possibly to annoy people who don't like gays. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 22:43, 21 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Possibly, though it's a long shot, it has to do with Wheresgeorge.com. Although, the people stamping bills for that aren't generally that enigmatic.  Dismas |(talk) 03:31, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * The top of a wad of bills usually gets marked with a mark for the register it came from or for the person who counted the money from the tray. When the money is machine counted later and there's a difference, the manager can identify where it came from.  71.236.24.129 (talk) 10:37, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Why would you put $100 notes into a register? You can't really give it as change.65.121.141.34 (talk) 13:10, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * You've got to put them somewhere. The register seems the obvious place. It's more secure than a money bag under the counter, which is the only other option I can think of. --Tango (talk) 13:54, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * If it is a customer spending them, yes they obviously would go into the register. However, the comment before was that the stack would be marked on top, and then placed into the register, which makes no sense for larger denominations, unless of course the customer is spending $2,500 in cash? 65.121.141.34 (talk) 14:36, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * No, the comment said the stack that came from the register would be stamped and then go to be counted. --Tango (talk) 14:54, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Could it be a "Where's George?" marker? Not that $100s are usually so tracked, but it has been known to happen. Go there and check the serial number to see if it's listed. — Michael J  16:14, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I didn't see the earlier comment. I'm a goof! — Michael J  16:15, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

The Good Ship Lifestyle
Does anyone know the place names that the girl speaks at the beginning (and at some point in the middle) of the song 'The Good Ship Lifestyle' by Chumbawamba? --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 23:44, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * This youtube vid's lyrics say it is "Pharohs, Bailey, Pharoh, Heppertes, Rally, Ruffle, Challen, Soh, Travelga, Fiddister, Irisy, Fiscay, Umber, Forfend, Promity forth time", but I'd correct it. They're all islands. "Faroes, Bailey, Fair Isle, Hebrides, Raleigh (Mallee?), Rockall, Channel, Sole??, Trafalgar, Finnister, Irish Sea, Biscay, Humber?, Portland??, ?? . Maybe someone can get the rest of them? Steewi (talk) 02:31, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Correction: they're not all islands, but places to take a cruise ship to. Steewi (talk)

02:32, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Oh, the ones in the middle of the song (from about 2.50) are different: I hear Viking, Thames, Dover, and at least three more. Steewi (talk) 02:37, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Sounds more like weather forecast areas to me.--81.170.40.155 (talk) 05:20, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * They're areas from the shipping forecast. Dalliance (talk) 08:25, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * So, does this mean neither KageTora nor Steewi have ever listened to the shipping forecast? That's... remarkable. 89.168.85.22 (talk) 10:55, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 * There's nothing very remarkable about people outside the UK not having listened to a UK originated & centred weather forecast. Given that it is only broadcast on a single station in the UK, there's nothing remarkable about people within the UK being unfamiliar with it. --Tagishsimon (talk) 10:59, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Indeed, except that KageTora at least is British. I misread Steewi's page :P Given the nature of the station which broadcasts the shipping forecast, and given the general reaction when they reduced the number of broadcasts over FM, I would consider it something to remark upon that someone KageTora's age had never heard it. I was hoping for some amusing story as to why (parents considered the BBC to be Satan incarnate, allergic to radios, etc), but there we go. 89.168.85.22 (talk) 11:33, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I lived in Asia (China/Japan) for most of my adult life. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 22:24, 24 May 2009 (UTC)


 * ... and now I have the Sailing By earworm. Curse this thread ! Gandalf61 (talk) 12:05, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * For the record the correct names from the lyrics are:Faeroes, Bailey, Fair Isle, Hebrides, Malin, Rockall, Shannon, Sole, Trafalgar, Finisterre, Irish Sea, Biscay, Humber, Portland, Cromarty, Tyne DJ Clayworth (talk) 13:54, 22 May 2009 (UTC)


 * You missed out Forth before Tyne. What about the second bit? She says something like 'German [something or other]'. What's all that about? --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 18:56, 23 May 2009 (UTC)
 * The song's outdated, then, since Finisterre was renamed FitzRoy in 2002. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 00:02, 23 May 2009 (UTC)
 * German Bight --ColinFine (talk) 18:33, 24 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Excellent work! And the bit in the middle is 'Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Viking, Thames, Dover, Wight'. Cheers! Got them all now! --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 22:43, 24 May 2009 (UTC)