Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 May 2

= May 2 =

Any idea what is on the bottom of this plaque Bill Clinton is holding?
I'm quite puzzled by what the bottom item on the plaque could possibly be? 61.161.170.254 (talk) 00:53, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * It looks like the outline of a country or state (or some other geographic region). I don't recognise it, though. --Tango (talk) 01:01, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * It doesn't look like any of the US states. Nor does it seem to be Queens, New York where the US Open is held.  Nor the Tennis Center where it is held.  Dismas |(talk) 01:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * It could be a souvenir from the grounds. I can't think what, since the U.S. Open is played on hardcourt and not clay or grass, either of which would be easier to "take" as a souvenir.  But that's my best WAG.  -- Jayron  32  01:55, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Wouldn't matter. He still wouldn't have inhaled. -- KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 23:58, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Does the text here tell anything that could help? --Магьосник (talk) 03:52, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Not really. The only text related to the image says basically "The president met with the U.S. Open winners.  Serena Williams changed her hair for the event."  Nothing about the plaque itself.  -- Jayron  32  03:56, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * The court was green and says: The singles finals were played on Arthur Ashe Stadium court. [Joe] Favorito said Agassi and Williams will present President Clinton with "a piece of the court," during an exchange of mementos in the Oval Office. I haven't found a source connecting this more directly to the image. PrimeHunter (talk) 04:01, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Clinton hid his disappointment well, after finding out what they meant when they said an "Open piece" was his for the taking in the Oval Office. :-) StuRat (talk) 04:53, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Clinton could cure cancer since he left office, those jokes will still not get old. Prokhorovka (talk) 18:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

Persians-Mughals
I am confused as to how, almost 2000 years later, the Mughals put a distinctively Persian cultural gloss on their nascent empire. How was this culture ,the Persian, maintained for so long without a base country to nurse it? Further, it is my view that there is absolutely no connection, except for the land, between ancient Persians and the vast majority of today’s Iranians.

Arthur Finn, —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.118.52.147 (talk) 02:25, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * That may be your view, but it is unsupported by any reliable historical study. -- Jayron  32  02:27, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * To your first question, "Persia" is a term used to describe Iran at pretty much any point in history, and the Mughals were getting a Persian influence from the Persia that existed at that time, not the Achaemenid Empire which is sometimes referred to as the "Persian Empire". The term "Persian" has indeed been applied to many different cultures living in what is now called Iran, but if you check out History of Iran you'll see that while the culture of Iran has undergone many changes, there are also aspects that have held over from previous periods. Buddy431 (talk) 04:30, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * And if you think the term "Persian" is imprecise, try nailing down what makes one a "Turk". Matt Deres (talk) 13:25, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

downloading in google chrome
when u download in google chrome, there's this download page which keeps track of all the downloads you do. but, suppose, let's say, you are downloading something, and halfway through, there's a powercut. so your download gets cancelled and you have to start all over again. it happens with me very often. so, can anyone help me find some software which would resume the download when i restart my computer??

plz i seriously need help on this!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.197.236.47 (talk) 07:05, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * The Computing Reference Desk is here. Dismas |(talk) 07:12, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Yes, please ask questions to do with computers and technology at the Computing Reference Desk. Chevymontecarlo . 09:48, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

Oven temperatures
What does an oven use to measure the temperature? If it uses a thermometer, is it a digital one and where would it be located? Is it actually inside the oven cooking area or recessed into the walls? Chevymontecarlo. 09:47, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * On my oven, there is a temperature probe that sticks into the oven from the back wall. It's in the upper left hand corner as you're looking in.  I've replaced it before and it was a quick 15 minute job.  Dismas |(talk) 09:51, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * On a fancy digital oven with temperature readout and such, it might be a digital thermometer - but in cheaper ovens with simple dial controls, it's just a thermostat. The design varies a lot from one oven to the next.  If you need to find/replace one, I suggest doing a Google search for the make and model number of your oven and the words "oven thermostat" or "oven thermometer".  You'll find half a dozen companies selling that part - and it's usually pretty obvious how to replace it if you look carefully inside the oven. SteveBaker (talk) 15:31, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Hang on, Steve, I don't see how that makes sense. An adjustable thermostat, as I understand it, consists of a bimetallic strip, an electrical switch, and a control affecting how the two are positioned in relation to each other (i.e. how far the strip has to bend in order to operate the switch).  How's that possible when the control is distant from the oven?  I mean, I'm sure there's a thermostat involved, but there can't be just a thermostat.  --Anonymous, 20:37 UTC, May 2, 2010.
 * Why not? Old dial ovens don't give a readout of the temperature, they just cycle on-and-off based on where you set the oven temperature dial.  No need for an actual thermometer; a calibrated thermostat is all that is needed.  -- Jayron  32  03:21, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Of course. But I don't see what the physical arrangement is, for it to be "just a thermostat".  If the thermostat is inside the oven, how does the dial control affect the way the switch is positioned in relation to the bimetallic strip?  And if it isn't inside the oven, how does it respond properly to the temperature inside?  See what I mean now?  --Anonymous, 05:20 UTC, May 3, 2010.
 * I don't see why the thermostat (bimetallic strip) couldn't be connected to the dial by means of some sort of pushrod or cable. -- Jayron  32  05:58, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Hmm. I think it would be hard to make that reliable, but it is possible.  I've just realized the other thing that's been tickling my brain about this, though.  It's my impression that what's likely to be inside the oven is a thermocouple, generating a voltage that depends on the temperature; the ones I've seen look like the thermocouple I've seen in a furnace, anyway.  The control knob would then be a simple rheostat, producing an output voltage that depends on the setting.  The electronics to compare the two signals and turn the oven on or off would likewise be very simple.  This seems a more likely construction to me, at least for an electric stove.  But some actual references would be better... --Anonymous, 08:12 UTC, May 3, 2010.

Anti-vandalism names
Where did the commonly used vandal-reverting tools Twinkle and Huggle get their names? And why are there several more that nobody seems to use? What are the differences?  2D Backfire Master  pretzels rule 13:31, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * AzaToth developed Twinkle and Gurch developed Huggle, so you may wanna ask them. As for why people don't use other anti-vandalism tools as often, there's a myriad of reasons why. Some of them you have to be an admin or obtain a certain level of rights to use them, and some of them are either outdated or not as convenient to use. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 20:23, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * I was under the impression gurch named it huggle simply because he "huggles" everyone each time he enters an IRC chat room.--92.251.185.162 (talk) 23:33, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Google was not very helpful. One source suggested these were inside jokes about gays, but I suspect they were being facetious. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:04, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

UN veto records
Is there a searchable online record of vetoed Security Council motions? I want to know if there was a Soviet veto on a French motion to send a warship to Mahe, a French occupied territory in India, in 1954 --117.204.83.105 (talk) 15:37, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

This site (http://unbisnet.un.org:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=voting&menu=search&submenu=power#focus) seems to be the voting records archive you want. ny156uk (talk) 17:36, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * I find the search options on that site utterly useless. Instead I checked this article on Jstor but I don't find anything in it about a vetoed vote on French decision to send a warship to Mahe in 1954. Can anybody help verify if there was such a veto from Soviet  Union's part?--117.204.83.13 (talk) 16:22, 3 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Annex 3 of Document A/58/47 (it's a PDF, and the link is flaky) lists all vetoes at public sessions up to 2004. For 1954 it lists:
 * {|class="wikitable"

! Date !! Draft !! Meeting No. !! Topic !! Vetoing member
 * 20-Jun-1954 || S/ 3236/Rev. 1 || 675 || Cablegram dated 19 June 1954 from Guatemala to the President of the Security Council || USSR
 * 18-Jun-1954 || S/ 3229 || 674 || Letter dated 29 May 1954 from Thailand to the President of the Security Council || USSR
 * 29-Mar-1954 || S/ 3188/Corr. 1 || 664 || The Palestine question || USSR
 * 22-Jan-1954 || S/ 3151/Rev. 2 || 656 || The Palestine question || USSR
 * }
 * No reference to Mahé anywhere in the list. jnestorius(talk) 20:47, 7 May 2010 (UTC)
 * 22-Jan-1954 || S/ 3151/Rev. 2 || 656 || The Palestine question || USSR
 * }
 * No reference to Mahé anywhere in the list. jnestorius(talk) 20:47, 7 May 2010 (UTC)
 * No reference to Mahé anywhere in the list. jnestorius(talk) 20:47, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Submarine
Why does the crews of the submarine stand on the top of it when it comes into habor? --Tyw7 (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 20:15, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * "Manning Ship - A ceremonial mark of salutation, originally as shewing your peaceful intentions, in that with all hands on deck you could have no guns manned. The present method of manning ship - along the sides of the upper deck - was introduced (to the Royal Navy) in 1873, replacing the manning of yards and rigging which by then had largely disappeared". Alansplodge (talk) 20:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Presumably at least one man stays below, to drive it? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 20:48, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * A number no doubt do stay below. The idea that it would in effect prove no malicious intent is outdated today, to be sure (especially since so much of this sort of thing is computerized). Even in the 19th century it was probably more a gesture of goodwill than a guarantee. --Mr.98 (talk) 21:01, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * It's pretty effective in the case of a submarine! At least you know it's not gonna submerge any time soon. SteveBaker (talk) 14:29, 3 May 2010 (UTC)


 * This salutation doesn't seem applicable for all military craft as these Russians appear  to be getting blown off before they can form an orderly line – but full marks for even trying.   Aspro (talk) 09:46, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Short list of the most important general skills
I'm looking for a short list (say top 10 or top 20) of the most important general skills a young person can learn. The skills should be learnable, be of great general applicability or practical importance, and whose mastery tends to make a significant difference in a person's life, regardless of the person's chosen field of pursuit. I understand that on a question like this, opinions differ, but I'm hoping that there is good agreement on at least the top few items. --98.114.146.58 (talk) 21:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The three Rs Graeme Bartlett (talk) 22:07, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * This question appears to make certain assumptions about "where he is". Look at the hierarchy of needs and that will tell you what's important. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:16, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * In the last decade or so, British universitites emphasis so called "transferrable skills". Many are embedded into PDP (personal development portfolio).  It is a complete waste of students and teachers time.  The pipe dream of mastery on some general skills without or little core discipline knowledge.  Get a part time would gain more life skills plus pocket money.  --Chan Tai Man 22:17, 2 May 2010 (UTC)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Chantaiman (talk • contribs)


 * If you're a Sherpa, knowledge of survival in the mountains is probably way much more important than knowing how to read the collected works of Shake-speare. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:32, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * There are plenty of skills that are useful regardless of your chosen career, but they aren't usually as useful as the ones that are specific to your career (beyond the three R's, as Graeme mentions). --Tango (talk) 22:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The three R's are not required for survival. Helpful, maybe, but not required. And they would be pretty much useless if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a foreign land where no one speaks your language. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:45, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Who said anything about the basics for survival? Read the question, it is asking about general knowledge, not "I am living in a Cormac McCarthy novel" knowledge. And I disagree that knowing how to read and write in your language (especially English) is not useful when "in the middle of a foreign land". You might not have someone nearby who can read it, but if you can communicate with people at a distance (even through old-fashioned hand mail), you'll be at an advantage to an illiterate. --Mr.98 (talk) 23:45, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The question is rather vague, so a wide range of answers is possible. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:02, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Since I'm the OP, I can provide some clarification. I think Mr.98 has the right idea about what the question is about. I have my own candidates for the list, but I'd like to hear other people's views. I was surprised that critical thinking skills didn't get mentioned more times—IMO it's one of the top generally applicable skills and is helpful whether you're a doctor, lawyer, politician, auto mechanic, or just trying to be a responsible citizen. Another skill that I consider important is the skill to learn things effectively and efficiently, on your own, making good use of all the resources available. College education cannot prepare a person to be an expert in every possible specialties within he/her field. A lot of in-depth expertise will need to be acquired on the job or as needs arise. These are the kind of general skills I had in mind when I asked the question. --98.114.146.58 (talk) 03:46, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Situational awareness. If you are oblivious to what is going on, none of the other skills can be used effectively.  Googlemeister (talk) 19:36, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -  Lazarus Long   -- Dismas |(talk) 23:21, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * If you quote Heinlein, quote it right. "Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, bathe and not make messes in the house." (ibid.) --Stephan Schulz (talk) 11:48, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Here's a few: how to cook, morse code, how to behave in a group, how to drive, how to defend yourself, how to make gunpowder (yes even today). Another would be how to live life without worrying about why you are here, how you got here, death, or the solar system dying in a few billion years time. Those thigns are depressing, and can't affect your life in any way, yet are there any of us who don't sometimes worry about crap like that for no reason?--92.251.185.162 (talk) 23:30, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Morse code? I've yet to find that ever useful in my life and I doubt I will. I'm not even sure exactly how relevant it is to emergency situations these days. And I would disagree that one's own mortality is worth ignoring—it can be a pretty useful tool by which to decide exactly what one really wants to do with one's life. I don't see making gunpowder as particularly useful (better to just save up bullets, in my opinion, if one is worried about surviving some kind of collapse of civilization). --Mr.98 (talk) 23:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * A very basic understanding of mathematics and statistics is quite useful for many different walks of life. Literacy is important in most countries in the world. Being able to articulate yourself clearly is useful in almost all occupations that I know of. Being able to manage one's own finances is an under-appreciated skill. Critical thinking skills are generally applicable and quite useful (though hard to define). Touch-typing is a pretty-valuable skill in most industrialized countries at the present time. --Mr.98 (talk) 23:48, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Also tae a look at soft skills. ~ A H  1 (TCU) 23:56, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * I did a Google search for "Short list of the most important general skills" and the first result was the following.
 * 10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything - Stepcase Lifehack
 * (public speaking, writing, self-management, networking, critical thinking, decision-making, math, research, relaxation, basic accounting)
 * You can do the same search to find more results. -- Wavelength (talk) 04:13, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * "You invented the wheel today, Thag? Not bad. But check out these debits and credits!" ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 05:44, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * And swim. Kittybrewster &#9742;  11:27, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * I second swimming. It's one of those things that is second-nature if you know how to do it (you never have to review it, really), but if you don't know how to do it, aside from the very real possibility of drowning (even in areas without large natural bodies of water), it seems to be something that is much harder to pick up as an adult than as a kid. My friends who don't know how to swim are pretty hampered (and I was amazed they didn't know how) and are more fearful than they ought to be of boats, docks, etc. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:10, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The skill I wish I had when I was a student and since was touch typing. It would have saved me hundreds of hours of time, and given a better product as I would have had more thinking time and less time spent doing one- or two-finger typing. More important than learning to drive. Other skills are how to file away stuff, and bookkeeping. Being experienced and relaxed about chatting up women would help for a man. If the person is going into business or self-employment then other business skills too. Learning how to cook and eat nutritiously may extend their lifetime considerably. Skills relating to exercise such as swimming, sailing, hiking, cycling, and group sports similarly. Do It Yourself and self-learning painting and decorating has saved me a lot of money. Knowing how to evaluate credit card and otrher loans are important too. People above have mentioned more abstract skills, but concrete practical skills are important too, even for intellectuals. Learning a foriegn language, as learning one makes learning others more easy, and opens up the world to you. 92.28.253.63 (talk) 11:39, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Emery board
The two sides of an emery board are very distinct from one another. What is the material used on each side? And, more importantly, for what specific purpose does a person use each side? The Wikipedia article on Emery board was not helpful for my question. I always assumed that one side was to file down the finger nail ... and that the other side was to buff it or to smooth it out, after the filing is complete. But this is only a guess. Any insights? Thanks. (64.252.65.146 (talk) 21:52, 2 May 2010 (UTC))


 * I think that's exactly right. In the common one, the brown side has rougher grains, so it's for filing down quickly, while the beige side has finer grains, for buffing.  As for the material, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that it's emery. :-) StuRat (talk) 22:06, 2 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Oh ... in other words, both sides are actually made of emery? I assumed that one side was made of emery ... but I was unsure of the other ("different") side.   Thanks.   (64.252.65.146 (talk) 23:02, 2 May 2010 (UTC))


 * I doubt it's actually emery, and I would think that the Wikipedia article is wrong when it says it's emery paper. Real emery paper is normally dark grey and is used for smoothing metal.  Sandpaper or glass paper (coo - no link or redirect) is used for smoothing things like wood and feels much more like what you get on an emery board.  It also looks clear, which ties in with the appearance of all the emery boards I've seen.  --Phil Holmes (talk) 09:25, 3 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Emery (mineral) says that, "However, demand for emery has decreased with the development of sintered carbide and oxide materials as abrasives." So maybe it is these replacement materials actually in use. Bus stop (talk) 11:46, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Great ... thanks for the responses! (64.252.65.146 (talk) 16:52, 9 May 2010 (UTC))