Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2013 July 9

= July 9 =

Canadian+international private medical insurance
My brother needs private medical insurance from mid-2013 to mid-2014. He is a US citizen but will be spending most of the time in Canada (where he won't be covered by the public plan), some time in the US, and possibly some time in the Marshall Islands. We have no idea what providers to consider, whether an international plan or separate Canadian and travel plans would be cheaper, etc. Can anyone tell us where to look? -- BenRG 01:49, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * If you google "International Medical Insurance" you get lots of links, including several from well-regarded, major, reputable U.S. Health Insurance companies like Cigna and Aetna. Without being able to recommend any of them, you could at least pull up their policies and comparison shop that way.  -- Jayron  32  03:32, 9 July 2013 (UTC)

Boxes worn on the hip of men in England during World War II


In the Educational Channel, Foyle's War series, taking place in world war II, men wore a small box near the hip held up by a shoulder strap. What was the box called and what were the usual contents and who would be likely to wear this box. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.211.248.51 (talk • contribs)
 * Haversack perhaps? I haven't watched the series you mention. StewieCartman (talk) 14:59, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * I suspect it was a box containing a gas mask. Gas masks were regularly carried during the war although neither side actually used gas. --rossb (talk) 15:02, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * This would have been part of the 1937 Pattern Web Equipment used by the British army at the time - possibly an ammunition pouch, though other equipment may also have been carried, depending on the role of the soldier.‎ An illustration of typical usage can be found here: . AndyTheGrump (talk) 15:05, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Possibly a gas mask box like this one. Gas masks were issued to the civilian population of Britain in 1938 when there was a perceived danger that there would be gas attacks at the outbreak of WWII, and they were supposed to be carried at all times. (Note that most of the characters in Foyle's War are not soldiers). Gandalf61 (talk) 15:18, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Yeah - I agree - those are gas masks. Civilians (both male and female - including children) were supposed to carry them at all times...I'm sure that not everyone did so every time they went outdoors - but that was the theory and a lot of people carried their gas masks everywhere throughout the war years. My mother (who was just a child back then) tells me of the times when they had to practice wearing them - that she found it incredibly hard to breath while wearing it, that the smell of the rubber and canvas made her sick, and that she felt horribly claustrophobic.  When you breathed out, the air would flow past the edge of the mask, making sounds like a whoopie-cushion that made the kids laugh - making breathing even more difficult.  The tiny round windows in the front narrowed your field of view to the point where you'd be tripping over and bashing into things...altogether not a great solution to the problem. SteveBaker (talk) 17:30, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * So, rather than struggle with it, she preferred to lie back, think of England ... and 9 months later, out pops Steve. Is that the story?  :)  --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  21:45, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * No, my mom was just a kid during WWII, I didn't pop out until 1955 - so the gas mask was not implicated! SteveBaker (talk) 13:41, 11 July 2013 (UTC)


 * I found you a poster - it shows the rather cheap and nasty civilian gas mask which had a flimsy plastic vision panel and a single retaining strap. The Civil Defence and military versions were both of better quality. Alansplodge (talk) 10:18, 10 July 2013 (UTC)


 * I moved the poster to the top to better format the thread. μηδείς (talk) 17:42, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Thank you kindly. Alansplodge (talk) 19:13, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * The civilian version was certainly made on the cheap (they had to produce millions of them in a very short period of time - and under wartime conditions). They had a filter that contained blue asbestos (which is really the last thing you want to be breathing through!)...and the flexible window at the front was made of celluloid, which is incredibly inflammable!  SteveBaker (talk) 13:41, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Whatever the shortcomings of the British civilian gas masks, we did rather better than our French allies; "...in Boulogne-Billancourt in June 1939, only 27,000 masks had been distributed to a population of 96,000". French civilians were driven to buying their own commercial gas masks, which were found to be ineffective. Alansplodge (talk) 17:09, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Lady Gaga's Telephone's cover
Have anyone seen or listened the cover of that song made by Bono and Ali Hewson for their daughter Eve's birthday? Can anyone provide a link to get to it?  Ms.Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 18:57, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Ms Bono, just so you know, it is generally frowned upon to ask the same question in multiple places. It dilutes and duplicates our effort.  Thanks,  Rojomoke (talk) 12:34, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * A separate Miss Bono page for just her questions might benefit everyone. μηδείς (talk) 17:41, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Am I bothering that much? Sorry. Won't ask again  Ms.Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 19:53, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * No, you're fine Ms.Bono. If you really want to fit in with the rest of the Reference Desk regulars, then you can do what all the rest of us do, which is to completely ignore Medeis when they say something silly, rude, or inconsequential.  Indeed, giving no credence to the ridiculous things Medeis frequently says is something of a ref desk tradition.  -- Jayron  32  23:55, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Oh, I get it now. I’ll take your advice Jayron . But he/she should be more polite. I am scared of him/her.   Ms.Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 12:40, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Medis is believed to be a "she" (although On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog) - and can indeed be ignored most of the time. I do think that it would be better to ask your series of Bono/Gaga-related questions on the entertainment desk though - and cross-posting the same question to multiple desks is kinda frowned upon.  We're a pretty forgiving bunch though - don't worry about it. SteveBaker (talk) 13:26, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Thanks, SteveBaker. I've already tried asking all my Bono/U2 related questions at the ent. desk but I am just ignored :( Thanks for the forgiveness.  Miss Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 13:33, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Figuring out who is the baby
I have a picture that shows Bono emerging from the water (I think he's naked) with a baby in his hands (like a baptism). I am not sure who the baby is and what he was doing. Can someone give me any response? Ms.Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 19:10, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Could be a baptism. Could be him playing in the water with his kid.  From your simple description, it could be literally anything.  -- Jayron  32  19:17, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * My question was, who is be the baby?. I know he's not Elijah or John Abraham because, the picture was taken in 1991 or 1992 (ZooTV period) and they both were born in 1999 and 2001 resp.  Ms.Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 19:21, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * A friend or relative's child? He knows many many people, and likely has many many close friends and/or relatives and could have been holding one of their children.  Again, your initial question did not provide enough meaningful information to provide an answer, and your followup, while providing at least a date we didn't have before, also doesn't really help anyone here provide you with any information.  If you, you know, had a link to the picture, perhaps someone would be able to dig up more.  Better yet, a link to the picture in context, such as an article it appeared along side, would also help.  -- Jayron  32  22:33, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Hi, Jayron . i dont have a full internet access that's why I am asking here for that info. If I would have Int. COnection, I will find out that. Tell me what other details do you want?? It is a black n white picture. He is wearing shades and has the mouth full opened, I think the baby (1 or 2 years old) is craying. The baby has curly hair.   Ms.Bono  (zootalk) ☆ 16:28, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

Coding and Minecraft
I have tried to view webpages and watch videos about learning to use Java, but it appears to be too difficult to remember and use. How can I learn Java online without forgetting or finding it too difficult?

Also, how do create new mobs and blocks for Minecraft, again the stuff I looked at appears to be too difficult for me?

Please assist. 92.0.111.155 (talk) 22:32, 9 July 2013 (UTC)

What is this man sniffing?
http://i.imgur.com/RIioR3M.png

It's not some kind of drug, because it's a movie (series) for kids. He frequently sniffs that little white staff throughout the movies. I never understood what it was.


 * What series is this? I assume it's just a cigarette and he smokes it after sniffing it...I don't know why people do that, but they run cigarettes and cigars under their nose before smoking them, sometimes. Adam Bishop (talk) 23:49, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * "Jönssonligan" (Swedish). It's definitely not a cigarette.Sniglarsnackar (talk) 00:53, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Without more context (like what series it is, etc), it is hard to say. But it may be a menthol inhaler to clear his sinuses.  Dismas |(talk) 23:50, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
 * That may very well be it!Sniglarsnackar (talk) 00:53, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
 * That's what I saw. InedibleHulk (talk) 03:01, 11 July 2013 (UTC)