Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 July 5

= July 5 =

AMC Germany Porcelain company
What details are known about AMC Germany china/porcelain company that existed in the 1930's? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.172.114.107 (talk) 04:18, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * AMC seems to have been a tradename for certain products of Arzberg Pozellan in Bavaria / Upper Franconia. The company has a website (in English) here.  --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 08:29, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

Philadelphia dogkillers
Anyone know what the hell Philadelphia dogkillers is/was ? Jon Ascton   (talk)  06:00, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * See Michael Vick. More specifically, Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation.  Dismas |(talk) 06:15, 5 July 2010 (UTC)




 * Thanks for the try. But it was far off the mark. What I'm talking about seems to be some sort black gang from mid 19th century. See reproduction of newspaper of that time→

Jon Ascton   (talk)  08:19, 5 July 2010 (UTC)


 * Ah! Well without any context, and Vick being in the news (semi-)recently, it made sense. Dismas |(talk) 09:45, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

In Europe the forerunners of dogcatchers was dogkillers. Instead of catching the dogs and taking then to pens they actually killed the dogs right on the street, usually using clubs, later also firearms. Because of the unappealing nature of the job they were usually manned by social outcasts, assistants of the hangman, garbage-collecters etc. Even though this custom seems to have started changing in numerous countries in favour of dogcatchers in Europe from around 1750-1800, perhaps this is the same thing? --Saddhiyama (talk) 08:52, 5 July 2010 (UTC)


 * That certainly appears to be it; see for instance this letter from 1841 about dog-killers in New York. Warofdreams talk 20:23, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

It's funny that that newspaper image also contains a notice about the much more famous Phineas Gage. Adam Bishop (talk) 18:24, 5 July 2010 (UTC)


 * Of course, Adam, I caught this while reading the amazing Phineas Gage article, actually. Could not find any reference to 'Philadelphia dogkillers' anywhere on net, so asked here. Gage thing seems to be total bullshit to me, by the way !  Jon Ascton    (talk)  16:16, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Oh, haha, that makes sense, and I see that the file name is "Phineas Gage" too. I don't know if what happened to Gage is bullshit, but most of the stuff written about him afterwards certainly is. Adam Bishop (talk) 12:58, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

"The camera adds ten pounds"
Why do people sometimes look a bit fatter in photos? And what photographic techniques can be used to prevent this? 68.123.238.146 (talk) 16:14, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * On a traditional 35mm (film) format camera, for example, the "normal lens" considered to give a perspective closest to the eye has a focal length of about 50mm. Lenses with shorter focal lengths are termed "wide angle" and those with longer focal lengths "telephoto." (For non-35mm film cameras and digital cameras different numbers apply but the broad principle holds.)
 * Many general purpose camera lenses are to a degree 'wide angle' which gives good results when photographing landscapes, etc but, when used to photograph someone fairly close up, exaggerate the front-to-back perspective which amongst other things make people's noses (the closest point of the face to the lens) look bigger.
 * Another factor is that we have two eyes spaced quite widely in comparison to the diameter of a typical lens, so we normally see people from two slightly converging directions (which our brains integrate), whereas a single lens has a single viewpoint that slightly diverges, making people appear slightly 'spread out.'
 * For these reasons, knowlegeable photographers generally try to photograph people with lenses that are moderately telephoto; for 35mm format the classic indoor "portrait" lens is, if I recall correctly, 85mm in focal length. Using 'longer' lenses necessitates standing further away from the subject, which flattens the perspective and reduces the 'big nose' effect, and also reduces the slight divergence of the single viewpoint, while their magnifying effect restores the desired size of the subject in the picture.
 * In summary: stand further away and use more zoom. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 17:30, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

Does anybody...
...know which construction machine this is (image on the right)? Thanks for helping. Feel free to use the Commons File talk page for discussion edit the image directly. --High Contrast (talk) 17:57, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Looks like a Gattling Gun to me.--85.211.149.175 (talk) 06:27, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * It is not a gattling gun. It looks like some sort of pipe threading machine to me.  Dismas |(talk) 06:29, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Looks an awful lot like a boring/drilling machine to me. --mboverload @ 06:46, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * See Directional boring. I could not find any images on Google which match the machine, but that is a possibility. Edison (talk) 15:34, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Boring, certainly--85.211.149.175 (talk) 15:36, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * HC, do you know any more information about the location? Was this in a basement of a skyscraper, or a near a tunnel for a road?  Googlemeister (talk) 16:35, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

Very boring, yes. 217.44.131.106 (talk) 17:15, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * this sort of thing drills horizontal holes under roads and footpaths, so that they don't have to be dug up and rebuilt. Councils have been cracking down on the shoddy reconstruction after digging up roads, so gas pipe or communication ducts under areas that are not dirt use this sort of drilling. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:56, 7 July 2010 (UTC)


 * Commons has a picture (at right) of an "Ankerbohrgeraet", or anchor boring machine, which is used to drill tie-backs into a vertical foundation excavation to secure the eventual vertical wall. It employs much the same technology as horizontal boring, but with larger-diameter holes that receive an anchor and cable or tendon, which is grouted in place to resist lateral pressure. with the free end embedded in the foundation wall. The picture in question is in a foundation excavation. Directional boring rigs can be used similarly, but drill smaller, but longer holes. The caption is "Anchor drilling equipment (anchor boring rig) with linkage magazine for boring the holes for setting of grout anchors."  Acroterion  (talk)  01:54, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

Interesting white-collar jobs for non-graduates
Are there any interesting, and hopefully well paid, white-collar jobs that a non-graduate can do? I'm an undergraduate distance learning student, so I need to work while I study, and I won't graduate until at least 2013. I've tried being a salesperson, which I am rubbish at, and I can't think of any other jobs open to me (yet) which are in any way interesting, exciting or prestigious, not to mention decently paid. I know there are lots of cool things I could do as a skilled tradesperson, but the process of becoming one (in all the disciplines I've looked at) would take longer than my degree course. Do I need to resign myself to being a minimum wage photocopier jockey, and focus on doing fun stuff outside work, or is there a better way to earn a living? Cod Lover Oil (talk) 18:09, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I know non-degreed people who are working as a bank teller and an insurance something-or-other-er, both of whom are reasonably content. I worked my way through college in data entry, which is easy, but doesn't pay that great, and also on a factory assembly line, which ended up being one of those life experiences you're ultimately glad you had. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 19:40, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I know what you mean about the factory job :-) and I've done data entry temp work too. But I literally could not face being a junior something-or-other at a bank or an insurance firm... just the thought gives me a headache. That's exactly the sort of horrible photocopier jockey job I'm trying to avoid, with a big dose of high-pressure sales work on top. Sorry if that sounds rude to your friends, and I know plenty of people must be okay with jobs like that, but I couldn't stick it. Wouldn't fancy applying to either firm even after graduation for a job with some prospects. Thanks though. Cod Lover Oil (talk) 21:46, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Probably I should give a bit more info about myself... I wrote the question in a bit of a rush after a frustrating read through some job boards. I'm a political science student aged 29, at the Open University, and I live in England. I've worked as a receptionist, a bartender, a shop cashier, a door-to-door salesman, a coffee barista, a labeller on an assembly line, and a couple of temp jobs. Because I left it quite late to start studying, my mates mostly have degree-level jobs so none of them really give me useful examples. Even if what they do is fun, a non-graduate in the same place would have a menial, depressing time. My favourite jobs out of those I've tried were the bar and coffeeshop ones, because I spent so much time talking to the customers. But those really don't pay enough to keep up with my graduate girlfriend... and more corporate types of job have a horrible overcontrolled culture and for a non-graduate, they still pay badly and have no excitement or challenges. Anyone know what my dream job should be, please? :-) Cod Lover Oil (talk) 22:00, 5 July 2010 (UTC)


 * What are your skills? --mboverload @ 22:15, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I've often sorted out damaged/neglected bikes, and set up computers for quite a few family & friends, but I'm very far from knowing everything about bicycles or computers. I really don't know if either skill is worth anything. The only skills I've ever been paid for are the ones I picked up while working, and I think I got those jobs by smiling confidently in interviews and showing a flexible attitude. Do you manage or hire staff - what skills would you look for that might make up for an incomplete education? Cod Lover Oil (talk) 22:40, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * It is certainly possible to teach yourself something like computer programming. There are lots of books out there that will help you.  Whether you can actually get the job, without the degree, is another question, but it's quite possible that you can make yourself capable of doing the job.  Maybe by volunteering in an open-source coding effort, and getting your name on some significant project, you might be able to convince an employer of your skills.
 * I don't want to suggest that this path is easy or guaranteed, particularly given that there are plenty of applicants for the same jobs who do have degrees. --Trovatore (talk) 22:07, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I would be starting from scratch - I know my way round Windows and can change computer parts, but I've never coded anything - but I will look into it. Hate to write things off without trying. Is there somewhere to give it a first try for free? Cod Lover Oil (talk) 22:46, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Hmm -- lots of places, I imagine, but I'm not sure where to point you offhand. I'll get back to you if I come across something while this thread is still open.  If you want to stick with Windows, I understand that you can download a version of Microsoft Visual C++ for free, though you probably can't sell a product off of that (e.g. because you might not have a license to redistribute certain DLL files and stuff like that).  But just to build your skills, that should be fine.
 * The open-source path I suggested tends to be kind of Linux-oriented, rather than Windows, though there is certainly FLOSS for Windows. If you like setting stuff up, another possibility is to learn systems administration for both Linux and Windows; there are lots of businesses that for one reason or another need to run both, and if you can handle both of them it could make you valuable.  I don't know what the competition is like for these jobs.
 * Then again, coding incorporates a lot of different disciplines; I don't know whether you want to go the route of languages like C++, which are for general-purpose computing. It's possible that you could focus on some more focused skill-set, such as MySQL for databases, or PHP or something for web coding.  I don't know all that much about those.
 * I don't know how helpful these remarks really are, nor how realistic the prospects would be. But it's possible in principle.  --Trovatore (talk) 23:09, 5 July 2010 (UTC)


 * I think you will struggle to get much above the UK minimum wage - the only way to improve on that is to work unsociable hours on a shift rota, where you will get extra for the shift work (maybe £2-3K a year on top of the standard pay). Also overtime can have it's uses, but it really cuts down the non work hours. If you have a driving license, you could consider taxi / private hire (not taxi in London - different rules to rest of UK) driver, again it tends to get into unsociable hours.  Ron h jones (Talk) 22:25, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * This was basically what I feared. Driving a cab would mean buying and insuring it first, which probably requires savings I don't have. I can drive, tho I'm a bit rusty, but running a car has proved too expensive so far. Cod Lover Oil (talk) 22:49, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I think I'd try something computer-related and something you can do out of home. If the British market is anything like the Polish market, there is now a huge demand for graphics designers (for graphics like for websites, logos, designs for corporate stationery, flyers, posters and the like). I'll also second the Linux systems administrator hint. Another direction is to work in the general field of what you are studying (info on which I failed to find in the above) so as to provide yourself with experience needed in future work. This is what I did myself. --Ouro (blah blah) 05:48, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks, great idea! I did a few posters and flyers for a youth club that I helped at last year. They were no great shakes to look at, but I know how to use GIMP now. I'll look for charities or campaign groups that need some volunteer design work. Cod Lover Oil (talk) 15:21, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * May I suggest working for a charity? There are paid positions available, although volunteering is also a good way to get valuable experience. jobs.guardian.uk will give you an idea as to what's available. By the way, I'm a graduate and my husband isn't, and it never affects anything we do. Worth is not measured by letters after one's name, you know. If you enjoy talking to people, you might like fundraising, although for me it's too much like sales and marketing, but who knows? --TammyMoet (talk) 08:26, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

Air traffic control <--- Pretty sweet and prestigious gig, you don't have to relocate, they're looking for employees. Shadowjams (talk) 09:33, 6 July 2010 (UTC)


 * But, you have to have the right kind of personality for that, an ability to handle a lot of data quickly and make decisions fast. This is tested for if you apply. Worth trying, you may have the abilities they're looking for, but almost impossible to tell in advance. Mikenorton (talk) 09:39, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Market research interviewer, but only approach reputable companies in the Market Research Association because otherwise it will be sales/scam and you will hate. Or see if they are recruiting for the 2011 Census or other public surveys. Will look good on your CV with your politics degree. Itsmejudith (talk) 10:00, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * If you don't know how to do anything useful, there is always politics. Googlemeister (talk) 14:28, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * LOL :-)) Cod Lover Oil (talk) 15:22, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I can always aim for the top... :-) Newsbiscuit - Nick Clegg to play with tiny steering wheel during Prime Minister’s Questions Cod Lover Oil (talk) 15:24, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Actually, on the subject of air traffic control, it's true you have to be the right kind of person, but I know first hand of a case of my friend's fiancee, who having no real air-related background, passed the initial test (one person in 36), got sent to Italy for three months paid training, passed the test after the training and is now in effect an air traffic controller. --Ouro (blah blah) 17:55, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

If you are in the UK then I suggest joining the Civil Service or some other large quality employer such as a bank. I believe the larger the organisation, the better the pay and the better the chances for promotion. The Civil Service used to, and probably still does, internally train their staff in specialised roles, so if you have several GCSEs you are unlikely to be doing photocopying. The training can take years. Jobs are probably easiest to get in Central London since people do not like the commuting and high cost of housing. As far as I recall the infamous Nick Leeson is a non-graduate promoted by his bank into playing with millions or billions. Getting a job with the right department of the Customs could be more interesting, especially if you like crawling through bilges. I found office work unbearably boring when I did it, but I expect factory work must be a lot worse. 92.29.125.22 (talk) 11:30, 8 July 2010 (UTC)