Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2013 May 12

= May 12 =

Are VA Medical Contracts between Doctor's and Veterans legal?
Tevildo (talk) 00:25, 12 May 2013 (UTC)

USS General Black
I came to this country on September 9, 1949, on board a ship that was known to the passengers as the "SS General Black." I was a week short of my fifth birthday. We left Bremenhaven a few weeks earlier. Our ship landed in New Orleans on September 9. I have recently tried to find information about this ship. The closest I have come is an article in Wikipedia about the USS General W. M. Black (AP-135). The ship was later renamed the USAT General W. M. Black.

The article does not mention my landfall in New Orleans, but the ship did make some trips out of Bremenhaven. And she was active in that time period. I wonder if your contributors can verify whether or not it was this ship that arrived in New Orleans with DPs from German refugee camps on or about September 9, 1949.

There is one more thing I might mention. My parents told me that someone on the ship fell seriously ill during the voyage. That person was evacuated by a seaplane in the middle of the ocean. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jhershberg (talk • contribs) 04:26, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * If you are looking for info on the ship itself, a Google search turns up lots of hits for "S. S. General Black" as the first ship to bring DPs to the USA after the war. Also be sure to run a separate search on Google Books.  If you want info on people aboard ship, try searching on Ancestry.com, which has extensive online passenger lists of ships arriving in the United States; these records usually contain the names, ages, and place of origin or destination.  Textorus (talk) 05:17, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Maybe the Port of New Orleans has records or can put you in touch with a historian. Clarityfiend (talk) 08:53, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Can anyone thing of organisations who might already have collected information such as this?

If you check with the Red Cross, they will also put you in touch with other people who may have been on the ship and have been searching for you. Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 13:25, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Resources for Small Business Owners( United States)
What are some reputable resources out there to help small business owners in the United States. I want to eventually start a small business. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.204.144.195 (talk) 05:55, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * You can probably find lots of information and resource links at the SBA web page: http://www.sba.gov/home RudolfRed (talk) 06:35, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * It might help if you told us what type of small business. Lots of professions have organizations to help out newcomers. Dismas |(talk) 19:06, 12 May 2013 (UTC)

Design of jacket lapels
The article about jacket lapels refers to the peaked lapel as the "double breasted style lapel", although this is misleading. Single breasted jackets with a peaked lapel do exist, as well as double breasted jackets with a notched lapel. Gary Allan is seen wearing a double breasted jacket with a notched lapel on the cover of his third album, Smoke Rings in the Dark. What is the reason for this? 108.0.244.168 (talk) 09:03, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Humanity. ¦ Reisio (talk) 10:58, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm not clear what the "this" is in your question. Are you asking why somebody designed a notched lapel, and other people started wearing it? Or about how the article came to have the contents it has? --ColinFine (talk) 14:54, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Referring to a peaked lapel as a "double breasted style lapel" appears to be a misnomer. I was referring to how the jacket lapel article came to have its contents.  108.0.244.168 (talk) 19:08, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Thanks for clarifying. You can look at the history of the article by picking its History tab; or you can search its versions for when particular words were introduced using the tool called WikiBlame. --ColinFine (talk) 22:30, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * As a long qualified bespoke tailor; and assuming I have understood the question correctly; what you are asking us to do is to define "fashion". All human clothing originated as a result of the need to protect the body from the elements, which explains why, say, Arabs wear mainly white loose-fitting, flowing robes with sufficient material to provide shelter from the sun, rain, and wind. Eskimos, on the other hand wear mainly fur clothing, thus utilising the available natural fabrics to provide the warmth that permits them to exist where they do. Another formative reason for clothing was (and remains) to provide for modesty. So once all of these pre-requisites have been met; protection, availability of suitable materials, and modesty; we are left with the vagaries of fashion which, apart from the necessities of military or religious or academic apparel, leaves only the desire to look different, for the purpose of display. So my double-breasted jacket with single breasted type lapels may well be more fashionable "this year" than your single breasted jacket with double-breasted type lapels - but to answer the OP, there are simply no rules - and in my experience, that disregard for conformity, is growing ever more personal and diverse. Which is great news for the designers who lead fashion victims by the nose - all the way to the bank. 77.99.122.161 (talk) 12:11, 13 May 2013 (UTC)

youtube
Since I have a wide range of different interests, I am wondering whether it would be allowed/possible to set up two or three different youtube accounts to separate my videos, and following on from that, whether there is any way of changing my username of my one current account to reflect this, rather than removing everything and starting a new account under a slightly different name.

213.104.128.16 (talk) 18:26, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't know the answer, but googling "youtube multiple accounts" produces results that suggest it might be possible. Why not ask your question on the YouTube help forum at google.com? You should find people there who are familiar with the workings of YouTube and can point you in the direction of the answers you need. -  Ka renjc 18:40, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * That's something that would probably be covered by the terms of use. You can find a link to this at the bottom on the youtube home page  RudolfRed (talk) 18:42, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes - try asking at the YouTube forums - though I suspect that what you may need is separate channels rather than accounts. AndyTheGrump (talk) 18:43, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * my experience of asking for help with anything google related has never been good, hence why I came here first, but maybe I could have a look around those places. Though I suppose that would mean, if I created separate channels, anyone that follows one interest of mine would know about what other, potentially embarrassing, stuff I get up to under a different name? 213.104.128.16 (talk) 18:57, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I have multiple YT accounts, and I do that by having separate email addresses to login with. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 23:56, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes if you want multiple accounts, you'd need to register separate Google accounts whether with a unique non Google email for each account or a unique Google email address (i.e. unique account name). You'd need to check the Google TOS to see if this is allowed but I suspect it is provided you don't do anything dodgy e.g. upvote your own videos, report as spam multiple times etc. Speaking generally, Google seems to have been making it easy to login in and use multiple Google accounts in both browsers and much of their Android software so it would seem a bit strange if this is technically forbidden but again, you'd need to check the TOS yourself to be sure. Nil Einne (talk) 05:23, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I'll check up on that, then. Meanwhile, though, I still have the problem that my current only account is registered under my general online username, but is targeted at a single particular interest, is there any way of changing this without deleting all my videos and uploading them again to a new account under a more specific name? 213.104.128.16 (talk) 10:18, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Automobile Gasoline Storage
Everyone I asked, gave me a different answer!

In the USA, how long can you store Automobile Gasoline in approved heavy plastic containers before it goes bad?

Many thanks in advance. Bluebottle103 (talk) 20:34, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * The article at Gasoline says it stays good indefinately if stored airtight. RudolfRed (talk) 21:00, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Gasoline doesn't really "go bad" (it's been underground for 60 million years, after all) - what happens is that (a) it evaporates, and (b) it gets water in it, both of which can be prevented by storing it in airtight containers, as noted above. Tevildo (talk) 23:34, 12 May 2013 (UTC)


 * That's crude oil underground, not gasoline. Gasoline is extracted from it, with additives thrown in to make cars run better on it.  I'd expect gasoline to remain flammable indefinitely, but it's lubricating and detergent additives may lose effectiveness, with time.  This isn't likely to be a problem with one tankful, but might if your car ran on nothing but old gas for years. StuRat (talk) 06:12, 13 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Gasoline is a complicated substance - it has many fractions of different molecular weights. The problem with "old gas" or "bad gas" is that the lighter, more volatile fractions have evaporated away.  The resulting gasoline will still propel a car - but you may find that the car is harder to start and that your fuel consumption goes up - both common symptoms of "bad gas".  I agree that storing gasoline in a tightly sealed container would hypothetically prevent the lighter fractions from evaporating - but gas cans have venting systems to avoid them bloating and splitting when the weather is hot, or if they're stored in the trunk of a hot car.  Also, those very volatile fractions of the gasoline can actually evaporate THROUGH the plastic of a plastic storage tank.  So you can't actually find safe, legal gas storage tanks that are truly airtight.


 * So the advice to store gas in an airtight container would work - except that there is no such thing as a safe airtight container when it comes to gasoline. Maybe an old-style steel jerrycan might be strong enough to not need venting...but I'm not sure.  It would be dangerous to try to store gas in an unapproved container - don't do that!


 * The best advice is to keep "emergency" gasoline for only a month or so - then the next time you fill up your car, tip the contents of the can into your car's gas tank and refill it - so you never have gasoline that's more than a month old. It's harder when you're storing gasoline for lawnmowers and other 2-stroke engines because you have to mix oil in with it - you can't pour that into your car's tank, and it may sit around for months during the winter when you're not doing yard work.


 * SteveBaker (talk) 13:35, 13 May 2013 (UTC)


 * If you're interested in long-term storage of gasoline, they make additives which supposedly improve the storage characteristics. One brand I'm aware of is "Sta-bil" ) and their website says "Stored fuel [without additive] can go bad in as little as 30-60 days causing gum, varnish and corrosion to build up in the fuel lines and engine. " and "STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer will keep fuel fresh for up to 12 months, guaranteed." Granted, they are trying to sell you something, but it's one perspective. -- 205.175.124.30 (talk) 20:41, 13 May 2013 (UTC)


 * From MSDS: 95% Hydrotreated light naphthenic distillate solvent extract and 5% Trade secret additive/ingredient (which most people believe is red dye plus something to absorb water).
 * My bet is that the "light naphthenic distillate basically contains all of the stuff that would normally evaporate from the gasoline and the 'secret' ingredient absorbs water and settles to the bottom of the tank. SteveBaker (talk) 03:41, 14 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Old gasoline forms undesirable substances which can clog gas engines:. Manufacturers of engines advise against using old gasoline:, . Edison (talk) 16:43, 14 May 2013 (UTC)