Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2011 July 5

= July 5 =

Hallmark Records
Hi there.I have been trying to contact Hallmark Records but unable to find e mail address. I am seeking a CD "the 60s hit box volume 3" but cannot make contact. Can you assist me please. Thank you. Ian. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.239.247.160 (talk) 12:59, 5 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Hallmark Records is now owned by Pickwick Records. I've had trouble finding up-to-date info, and Pickwick's website seems to be down, but you may be able to contact Pickwick by phone or post at one of the below:
 * Merritt House Hill Avenue
 * Amersham, Buckinghamshire
 * HP6 5BQ
 * UK
 * Telephone 01494 732 800
 * Fax 01494 732 800
 * Website www.pickwickgroup.com

Or (possibly an old address):
 * Pickwick Group
 * Unit 230 / Centennial Pk
 * Centennial Avenue
 * Borehamwood
 * Hertfordshire WD6 3SN
 * UK
 * Telephone: 0208 2362310
 * Fax: 0208 2362312
 * --Colapeninsula (talk) 15:01, 5 July 2011 (UTC)


 * On the other hand, music distributors may not be prepared to deal directly with the public, and it might be easier to simply order the CD through a website such as this. Marco polo (talk) 15:05, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * If the problem is that websites which claim to stock the CD are not able to source it, I'd suggest tracking down an independent local record shop; the surviving ones are generally very good at finding anything which is in print. Warofdreams talk 15:40, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

The Star Spangled Banner
Is there any protocol for when The Star Spangled Banner is recited rather than sung or played at a public gathering? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.213.220.227 (talk) 13:20, 5 July 2011 (UTC)


 * There is no such protocol, I'm fairly certain. It is not recited often.  The organizer of an event might choose to have it recited to draw attention to its origins in the experiences of Francis Scott Key during the Battle of Baltimore.  Marco polo (talk) 15:00, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * As Marco writes, it is not recited often - although a recitation could be a nice event, and appropriate given that the anthem was a poem by Key ("Defence of Fort McHenry") before it was set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven." Neutralitytalk 02:16, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Ah, the Roseanne Barr protocol. What, no article? Clarityfiend (talk) 03:03, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Is that a new Robert Ludlum thriller? --  Jack of Oz   [your turn]  08:42, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Dave Barry had a throwaway line where he made up a few such names, the last of which was The Prendergast Thirty-day Rental Agreement. --Trovatore (talk) 08:44, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

Writers in 1800
I'm looking for a writer in 1800 who has listed 15 dog breeds. — Preceding unsigned comment added by AilCol (talk • contribs) 16:16, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Exactly 1800, or somewhere around 1800? Buffon's System of Natural History Volume 1 lists approximately that many breeds (they are not numbered), and an English edition was published in 1800, but I believe it was a translation of an earlier French edition. Looie496 (talk) 18:52, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Memoirs of British Quadrupeds (1809) by the Rev W Bingley ( on Google Books) lists fourteen breeds of dog (page 90). I think this is the book the OP is referring to. Tevildo (talk) 22:13, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

Konfin border crossing between Montenegro & C.roatia.
I have searched info for Konfin border crossing but cannot find it on any map — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.143.100.253 (talk) 18:53, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * We have an article, Konfin, whose entire content is: Konfin is a border crossing in Croatia, located on the border with Montenegro. It is connected by the D516 highway. So it would seem that all you need to do is look for the point where that highway reaches the border. Looie496 (talk) 18:57, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * The crossing also goes by the name 'Cape Kobila' and it appears to be on the end of the peninsula south of Herceg Novi at about 42.421°N, 18.522°W, with the D516 road running from there, through Vitaljina, Durinici and Plocice before joining the main 2, 8, E65, E80 (as it is variously described on GoogleEarth) which itself crosses the border at Debeli Brijeg. Mikenorton (talk) 20:51, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

Mobile phone charges
I am in the UK, and I have some friends coming over from the USA this week. I think I am normally charged about 32p to text them UK to USA. Will I still be charged the same for texting them when we are in the same country? Si1965 (talk) 21:27, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure about your charges, but it might be very expensive for your friends. All American mobile phone companies that I know of (unlike British companies) charge for incoming texts as well, and roaming charges can be very expensive. Before you bombard your friends with texts, you may want to have them check with their phone companies to make sure they won't be paying through the nose. Calliopejen1 (talk) 21:40, 5 July 2011 (UTC);
 * That's a good point, and one I hadn't considered (shame on me). I have asked them to check. Thank you Si1965 (talk) 22:08, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Your phone doesn't know where they are -- In simplified terms, when you send the text to a US number, the message goes to the US phone company, which then figures out where your friends are, so you're billed for texting the States even if your friends are sitting on your lap in the UK. 205.238.208.224 (talk) 05:50, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Note: to call or text you American friends, you will still have to dial the full international number ('00' then '1' for the USA then their number) even though they are in the UK. And of course, your friends will still need to dial '011' then '44' in front of your number if they want to call or text you.  I'm not so sure about the situation with US phones, but in Europe you pay more to make an international call or send a text and you pay to receive a call or text, (or you can pay twice to have the phone redirect the call to your voice mail!).  Though as of last week in Europe it is a lot less than it used to be, I don't think the situation has changed for US - UK calling.  If they are in the UK for any length of time, a pay-as-you-go SIM (with a temporary UK phone number) might be advised, so long as they can find one compatible with their phone.  Astronaut (talk) 11:33, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * I live in the US, and last time I traveled to the UK, I brought an unlocked phone and purchased a prepaid UK sim card while I was there. This was infinitely cheaper than using my US sim card, which would have charged me exorbitantly, something like $5 (£3) for every text message and/or phone call that I sent or received.  Or was it $5 per minute plus $5 for every text?  Anyway, if you want to communicate with them while they are in the UK, and they aren't filthy rich, they will need a (prepaid) UK account and sim card.  Marco polo (talk) 17:42, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Since we are apparently talking about mobile phones here, the normal thing to do is to just store the phone number in international format in your phone. I.E. +44XXXXXXXX for the UK, +1XXXXXX for the US/Canada. Personally I always store my numbers in that format no matter whether they are local or not. And you will need to do this if you want to text them anyway. If you do this there is no need to worry about IDD codes. Of course as with others I agree the cost is likely to be exorbitant for both of you so it makes more sense just to buy a prepay SIM card (presuming your phone isn't locked and if it is buying a cheap phone or gettings yours unlocked would likely end up cheaper for even a fairly small amount of usage). Nil Einne (talk) 18:12, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the excellent information and advice. I will pass this info on to them. You guys are great! Si1965 (talk) 17:56, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

Paying in US$ over the internet with a British debit card
What am I likely to get charged for doing this? And how is the exchange rate determined? 92.24.129.119 (talk) 23:30, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * This will depend on terms associated with your particular debit card. By far the most reliable answer will be obtained by contacting the debit card's issuing bank and asking them.  If you can locate the 'cardholder's agreement' (or some similarly-titled, legalese-heavy document), it will also likely spell out the exact terms by which such foreign-currency charges are settled.  In practice, the exchange rate used will almost always be whatever the prevailing 'real' exchange rate is at the time of the transaction, tweaked a couple of percent in the bank's favour.  Additional percentage and per-transaction fees may be applied on top; check with your bank. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 00:27, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * You could try using Paypal, I'v used them for overseas transactions before. Dont remember there being more of a charge than normal.  He  iro 00:49, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Calling your bank and asking would be the best solution. I know that with my bank, the funds take a few days to sort themselves out.  My first time using my US debit card in Canada was rather strange.  The dollar figures shown on my account where the same figures that were on my bills.  So, if I paid C$20 for something, that's what showed up on my bank's web site though it showed up as US$20.  But a few days later, it was adjusted to be the actual US dollar figure that was actually taken out of my account, which at the time was somewhat lower than US$20.  As a consequence, it appeared as though I had overdrawn my account for a day or so until the exchange rate sorted everything out and I was suddenly back in the black.  Dismas |(talk) 06:49, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Here's a report from MoneySavingExpert.com. They say most cards add a fee of 3%, but some debit cards (including Lloyds TSB, Halifax, RBS, Intelligent Finance, Santander & NatWest) add an additional fee of up to 1.50 GBP per transaction! They that recommend a credit card can be cheaper than a debit card. --Colapeninsula (talk) 11:06, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Yes you will get charged. UK banks will convert the dollars to pounds, often at a rather poor exchange rate, and will then add on one or two fees - usually some percentage up to a fixed limit. Here is Nat West's page on the fees for foreign transactions which suggests you'll be charged 2 fees of 2% and 2.75%; if lucky, you might end up paying just £1.25. I'm sure other UK banks have similar pages. Astronaut (talk) 11:15, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

How many people to sustain a population?
I need help with a plot element in a story I'm writing: Let's say you want to colonize an Earth-like planet. What is the minimum number of males/females you should send to successfully start and sustain a healthy population, while avoiding inbreeding depression and genetic bottlenecks? I'd prefer to avoid things like cloning and test-tube babies, and just stick with traditional human reproduction cycles. Quinn &#10048; BEAUTIFUL DAY 23:37, 5 July 2011 (UTC)
 * See here Minimum viable population and Effective population size. They may help. Also Founder effect. And, for a case study see Genetic history of indigenous peoples of the Americas and Settlement of the Americas. It is currently thought that as few as a several hundred to several thousand people were the foundation for all of the Americas about 12000 to 20000 years ago.  He  iro 00:40, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Something else you may want to think about is whether women would be able to have children by several men or if relationships would be monogamous. Dismas |(talk) 10:13, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Some Polynesian populations were established by very small founder groups. Roger (talk) 10:54, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Sticking with traditional human reproductive cycles is a good idea, yes indeed. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:15, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * The greater the genetic variation of your founder population, the smaller that population would need to be to avoid inbreeding. So, you could probably do well with a population of as few as 100 individuals if each of them had a distinct genetic background (ancestors from different parts of the Earth).  On the other hand, if everyone came from Iceland, you would want a few thousand.  Marco polo (talk) 12:44, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Here's another thought: Traditional groups with small populations have often had requirements of clan or totem exogamy.  The exogamous totems could work matrilineally or patrilineally.  A really robust system would divide the population into 4 or more (artificial) clans and require each person to choose a spouse from a clan other than that of his/her mother or father.  With a genetically diverse founder population, you might want to organize the founder clans by genetic clusters.  Obviously, over time all clans would become more genetically diverse, but such a system would help to guard against inbreeding.  Marco polo (talk) 12:56, 6 July 2011 (UTC)