Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2011 January 12

= January 12 =

video ads
Do newspaper allow this type of ad: "Arab and Somali girls wearing islamic clothing like hijab and jilbab want to showcase their beautiful butt and feet on camera and earn $25.00 per hour of the video. Contact Mustafa at this phone number and this e-mail address. Thank you"? Do they or not? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.95.107.34 (talk) 02:28, 12 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Oh, hello again. Since you are still in Toronto, apparently, then yes, newspapers probably would allow that. It would be weird, surely, but not illegal. Adam Bishop (talk) 02:51, 12 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm not an expert on the Canadian press, but based on media elsewhere, some newspapers might refuse to carry the ad, as it appears it might be an offer of sexual services. Many newspapers refuse to carry advertising for certain products that might be considered immoral (e.g. sex phone lines, pornography, escort services).  But you would have to check with the policies of individual newspapers. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:02, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
 * I doubt the major metropolitan newspapers in Canada would allow that kind of ad (well, maybe the Toronto Sun), but "alternative" weeklies sometimes carry ads for that kind of "service." On the CNBC series American Greed, I saw how a guy in Connecticut tried to recruit for his wannabe personal harem with ads in The Village Voice. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:35, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Pens drying out
I notice that the caps to ball-point pens have slits or holes -- is this to benefit the pen? If it's not airtight, then it must not be that leaving a cap off will cause the pen to dry out, and click pens just disappear into the shaft, so is the cap just to prevent the pen from leaving ink marks on things? It seems that lots of old people say "put the cap back on so it doesn't dry out."  DRosenbach  ( Talk 16:10, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
 * The ball of a ball point pen can effectively act as a cap, and the amount of ink left exposed to air is fairly miniscule. I'm not sure what the ink is based on, but that may also have an effect on the way it dries out.  Felt tip pens and markers are prone to drying out due to their design and the way ink is delivered so they need airtight caps.  I remember hearing that the holes are there so small children can breathe if they swallow the caps... but I'm almost certain that's an urban legend and shouldn't be taken as fact.  Unfortunately my brief search can't find a reliable source confirming or denying it. 206.131.39.6 (talk) 16:22, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
 * First of all, to equalize the pressure inside the pen with the pressure outside the pen. Secondly the safety reason. It's not an urban legend. The reliable source is here. See "Stationery Products". Oda Mari (talk) 17:49, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
 * From my reading of the source (Thanks! I can't believe I looked over that in my search!), the holes in the caps are only for protection when swallowed. The hole to equalize pressure is on the pen itself.206.131.39.6 (talk) 18:53, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Reference for the safety aspect - http://www.bicworld.com/en/pages/faq/ Exxolon (talk) 20:52, 12 January 2011 (UTC)