Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 September 12

= September 12 =

Batik Care
I have this interesting textile thing that I was given by my grandmother. It's a blue-white-black depiction of two birdlike things facing each other. It looks to me a bit like a batik---the outer borders, at least---but I can't tell. It's from the Malay peninsula, either Malaysia or Singapore. It's got some creasse in it from storage, and I'd like to get those out before I frame it and display it, but I don't want to use an iron for fear of what the heat and steam may do to it. any suggestions of a gentler method of crease removal? I was thinking put it between a table and some weighted books...67.180.150.78 (talk) 00:27, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Heat would probably melt the wax if it was batik, and cause further damage. Table + weighted books seems a good idea to me - I don't think there would be any damage, at least not as much as if you were to heat it. Chevy  monte  carlo  18:19, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Well, if it is a batik and has been properly dyed and finished, careful ironing should not damage it. The wax is applied to the cloth before the dye, but once the dye has taken onto the non-waxed areas, the wax is removed in a hot wash (or, where the dye is not colourfast, a hot iron over a sheet of absorbent paper may be used).  I would suggest covering the fabric with a sheet of undyed, unprinted, reasonably absorbent paper (such as cartridge paper or brown parcel paper) and ironing with a cool to medium iron, without any steam.  Start on an unobtrusive edge, and check regularly to see whether any wax or dye is being absorbed into the paper, and whether the pattern on the fabric is being affected.  Ironing through a clean, white cotton cloth in the same way may also be successful. I have made batiks myself with cold-water dye, removing the wax afterwards with a hot iron and blotting paper, and have ironed them successfully afterwards in this way for framing.  Ka renjc 19:09, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

interior dimensions of Forum of Julius Caesar
I have read the exterior dimensions of the Forum, 160m x 75; but have not been able to find the interior dimensions of the Forum. What were the dimensions of the open space plaza, and the dimensions of the two side columnades; as well as the entrance columnade and the area behind the temple. I would appreciate it if anyone could answer this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.137.83.175 (talk) 00:44, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * If you look at the book I pointed you to for your previous question, it contains a floor plan of the forum on page 98. You can view that page online using Google Books, with the link I gave you before. Looie496 (talk) 05:07, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't mean to be repetitive. The preview link you sent me ended on page 97. Pages 98-100 were omitted. Thanks for your help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.90.129.74 (talk) 19:17, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Hmm, maybe Google Books shows different sets of pages to different visitors. I've never really checked. Looie496 (talk) 21:44, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * They do, sometimes. I've gotten different sets of pages on different computers within hours, and just today I was looking at a book that let me see far fewer pages than I could look at a few weeks ago. It's kind of maddening really. Adam Bishop (talk) 22:41, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Federated Department Stores,  Macy's
I wanted to check background info of Federated Dept. Stores for some translation work, and entered Federal Dept. Stores in Wikipedia. This instantly led me to Macy's. According to the info, it said Macy was established as Federal Dept. Stores in 1929. However, when I checked Macy's, it went ot R.H. Macy's with much older history. Two information does not match and I am confused. How can I obtain correct info. re: Federal Dept. Stores? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.161.152.42 (talk) 01:39, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Macy's website agrees that it was called Federated Department Stores, Inc. at its inception. There seems to be some confusion on the web of the Federal versus Federated variety - and indeed you make the same error in your question, skipping from one form to the other. As it turns out, the history is convoluted. What is now Macy's inc was first formed as Federated Department Stores in 1929 - see the article Macy's, Inc.. However, the first Macy's store was, as you allude, founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy - see Macy's. That Macy's store was eventually merged with Federated Department Stores to form Macy's inc. The Macy's article provides a fairly full history of events leading to the grand unified Macy's inc. --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:54, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * It;s not unusual for a newer company to purchase an older one, and then to take the (usually more respected) name of the older firm as the merged company's name. It happens a lot.  Look at things like AT&T, which has little connection with Ma Bell but is instead what happened when SBC Communications purchased the older company in order to rebrand it's Cingular Wireless division.  There's the new MINI, which is a BMW nameplate that has little connection, except the styling, to the British Motor Corporation car of the same name.  The original Indian (motorcycle) company went belly up in the 1950's, but a number of other companies have kept the nameplate alive; none of these have any connection to the original company, except that they purchased the assets for the right to use the name.  -- Jayron  32  04:28, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Forgot another one, look at the history of Atari/Infogrames. That brand has gone through a very convoluted and complicated history as well.  -- Jayron  32  04:32, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Need help identifying a city
Hi, would any of you know what city this is? Thanks.

http://www.thewindypixel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DSC_6038.jpg

AlmostCrimes (talk) 07:55, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * That's New York City. The tall building on the right-hand side is the Empire State Building. 83.81.60.233 (talk) 08:39, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Almost certainly taken from the upper level observation deck at the GE Building. --JGGardiner (talk) 18:03, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Excellent! That article has the same view (in panorama and by night) for comparison: Top of the Rock (featured picture!) ---Sluzzelin talk  18:12, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Source, perhaps. --Sean 16:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Government benefits for British World War I widows
I would like to know if any government benefits were paid to British World War I widows. I have heard they were just given a sewing machine and expected to take in sewing to keep their families going. Is there any truth to that?Eileenmary145 (talk) 07:56, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * No, there was a War Widows' Pension. I suspect it was not terribly generous though. Alansplodge (talk) 08:36, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * I've had a quick Google for war widows' sewing machines - there were many results but all the ones I could see related to India, Sri Lanka or Afghanistan. Alansplodge (talk) 16:24, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * At the end of the First World War the standard pension for war widows was 13s 9d (68¾ new pence) a week. See these Parliamentary questions from 1976. DuncanHill (talk) 16:39, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * The statutory weekly minimum wage for a UK agricultural labourer in 1918 was 30 shillings and sixpence (or £1.52½ in decimal money); so the pension was less than half what one of the poorest workers would earn. Alansplodge (talk) 12:24, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Remember, though, that in that era and cultural milieu, a (male) agricultural labourer might be expected to support a wife and possibly children, as well as himself, on his wage, so around half of that is not necessarily unreasonable for a single adult. 87.82.229.195 (talk) 13:29, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * That's a splendid link, thanks Alan. DuncanHill (talk) 12:39, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Good searching Alansplodge.Thank you so much for this info. My grandmother kept herself and 7 children on that pension. Don't know how. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Eileenmary145 (talk • contribs) 00:27, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Film
What is the famous scifi movie from the 20th century that combines concept-of-love discussions, humanist philosophy, man's place in the cosmos, and the directors famous ability to use film as a way to echo being? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Showw44535 (talk • contribs) 13:05, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * I'm guessing Blade Runner, but I'm not sure Ridley Scott is noted for coming over all existential. David Lynch is, but Dune (film) (which I've never seen) doesn't exhibit much philosophy as far as I know. Terry Gilliam often gets pretty philosophical, but I don't think Brazil (film) has anything much to say about the cosmos. 2001: A Space Odyssey (film) is very famous and serious, and people have read all kinds of things into it, but I don't think it features any romance (unless you count Hal's intense relationship with Dave). Humanists Carl Sagan and Joss Whedon both wrote sci-fi films, which touch on man's place in the cosmos and the concept of love, respectively, but not both at once in the same film. (Firefly/Serenity discusses the concept of love to some extent, anyway - Inara is a kind of walking discussion of the concept of love, and Kaylee has a refreshingly futuristic attitude.) 81.131.46.171 (talk) 13:50, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Serenity isn't from the 20th century though. In any case this sounds like an exam question, so the answer is "whichever one your teacher told you it was, if you were paying attention." Adam Bishop (talk) 17:40, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Solaris (1972 film) is the best I can think of to fit that particular description, though Blade Runner would be a good choice as well. It would be better if we had some idea of the films (or types of films) you'd been discussing in class.  -- Ludwigs 2  18:28, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Ha, dammit, good point. 81.131.66.179 (talk) 21:07, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Well, "to use film as a way to echo being" is nonsensical gibberish, and Google finds no hits for anything resembling it, so I don't think there is any director famous for that. Looie496 (talk) 19:11, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * not nonsensical - you just need to learn to speak pomo. -- Ludwigs 2 21:28, 13 September 2010 (UTC)


 * "Barbarella, Queen of the Galaxy"?  Wiki Dao   (talk)  22:46, 12 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Alphaville? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.10.90.72 (talk) 20:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Transformational learning
what is the four stges of transformational learning —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.19.242.26 (talk) 13:41, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * I gave your question a section header to stop it colliding with the question before. 81.131.46.171 (talk) 13:50, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

The article Transformative learning doesn't (from a quick skim read) have the four stages listed but this PDF seems to (http://www.mentoringforchange.co.uk/pdf/CtC%20-%20Trans%20Learning.pdf) they are... 'Consolidation', 'dissatisfaction, 'letting go' and 'synthesis' ny156uk (talk) 14:08, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Price
What was price of 40T flat-bed European truck in 1985? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.55.100.62 (talk) 15:51, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * I somewhat doubt the price was consistent thoroughout Europe Nil Einne (talk) 17:54, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * It would depend on exactly what make/model the truck was and what country it was in - it's a bit too general to give an accurate estimate/answer. Chevy  monte  carlo  18:18, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Perhaps the questioner means in his or her own locale? --jpgordon:==( o ) 06:58, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Perhaps, but since they didn't even tell us where that is, not sure if there's any point guessing any more Nil Einne (talk) 09:22, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Whois places the IP address service provider in Little Rock, though the OP isn't necessarily from there.   D b f i r s   12:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Er are you sure? I actually did this myself after answering the first time and doing it again, I'm still getting Ethiopia (which also still concurs with their edit history and to some extent explains their English which while perfectly understandable, sounds like it may be from a second language speaker) Nil Einne (talk) 14:20, 14 September 2010 (UTC)