Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 May 6

= May 6 =

Payment Security Mechanism in power sector
Hi, I would like to know what kind of payment security mechanism that can be built in the agreement between the generating utilities, distribution companies, state government etc. (especially in countries where power sector market has not been completely deregulated), to ensure that generating companies can receive full payment from the state distribution companies. One example would be that of tripartite agreement between central utilities, RBI and state government. Can you share some other nation experiences with this regard?

Thanks Rashmi Ranjan Sethi — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rashmis12 (talk • contribs) 03:54, 6 May 2014 (UTC)

Alliteration
Is there a precise definition of what counts and what doesn't count as alliteration? Also, is there a Guinness record for a poem containing the highest number of alliterations, and if so, who holds it at this time? (For an epic poem, I'd expect it to be Pushkin with his poem about the Battle of Poltava, while for a short poem, I think it would probably be Robert Service with something like "The Man from Athabasca", although I might have a fair shot with my C&W song "The Plane that Never Returned"; but I'd welcome a correction on both counts if my stats are incorrect.) 24.5.122.13 (talk) 05:15, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * This fine feathered fellow wrote 100 alliterative blog titles in a row. That's...something. All that RecordSetter.com has. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:54, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * I would never accept "Eyecolor Is Important" as an alliterative sentence, and can't imagine any definition that would. The opening syllables share neither the same sound nor the same letter, except for the latter two. --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  06:16, 6 May 2014 (UTC)
 * I tend to agree, Jack, but it's worth noting that in Old English poetry, in which alliteration is used as a structural principle, any initial vowel sound alliterates with any other. In the second line of the poem about me, for instance—"anhýdig eorl, earfoþa dréag"—anhýdig, eorl, and earfoþa alliterate. Deor (talk) 14:45, 6 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks, Deor. It seems that at least one of the principles of Old English poetry has gone the way of, er, Old English.  The only saving grace is that the word-element "eye" is pronounced the same as the letter "i", which commences the other words.  But so what! (so it's not a saving grace after all). This is like suggesting that "You Utterly Useless Urchins" is alliterative simply because the letter "u" is spoken the same way as the word "you".  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  21:30, 6 May 2014 (UTC)
 * That used to bug me, too. But it's since grown on me. Maybe you'll also see the value in your urchins one day, now that the seed's been planted. In a way, "your urchins" also rhymes (like trailing inglets.) InedibleHulk (talk) 09:02, 8 May 2014 (UTC)


 * Sorry, I may be confusing things here. If I saw the sentence "you utterly useless urchins" in a text, I would immediately recognise the obviously intended alliteration of the last 3 words.  But if this was presented as an example of an entirely alliterative sentence, I would take issue (the last 3 words, despite varying pronunciations of their first syllables, at least share the same initial letter, while "you" is an outrider).  But a sentence like "you uniquely useless university" would qualify, because all the words start with the "you" sound, despite not all sharing the same initial letter.  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  20:59, 8 May 2014 (UTC)
 * That's what makes these things artsy. Plenty of room for interpretation, and even where something isn't intended, it can be appreciated and compared. To my ears, "you" has enough of a dominant U to trail/slur through to "utterly" and that makes the difference. Wouldn't work with "youth's" or something else with a consonant jarring it. "You uniquely" is too sharp. Might be an Australian/Canadian difference in ears, too. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:53, 10 May 2014 (UTC)
 * "You utterly useless urchins unite" would be best, as far as the beat goes. Hard, soft, hard soft. Nice and symmetrical. InedibleHulk (talk) 03:13, 10 May 2014 (UTC)


 * See "Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den".—Wavelength (talk) 15:00, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * See http://www.onelook.com/?w=alliteration&ls=a.
 * —Wavelength (talk) 17:01, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * Thanks, everyone! What I wanted to ask about are 4 specific matters related to alliterations: (1) How close do the alliterated words have to be in a poem in order to count as an alliteration -- do they have to be in the same line ("So I brag of bear and beaver while the batteries are roaring"), or can they be in adjacent lines ("Oh the wife she tried to tell me it was nothing but the thrumming / Of woodpecker a-rapping on a hollow willow tree"), or can they be anywhere within the same verse?  (2) If the words start with the same letter but not the same sound ("And she thought that I was fooling when I said it was the drumming / Of mustering of legions that was calling unto me"), or with the same sound but not the same letter ("And they listen to my stories, seven poilu in a row / Seven lean and lousy poilu with their cigarettes aglow"), does that still count as an alliteration?  (3) If there are n>2 words alliterated with the same starting letter or sound (see the first example -- there's more on the next line about the fellows on the firing step a-blazing at the foe), does that count as n-1 alliterations, or as only 1?  (4) Is there an official world record for the number of alliterations, and if so, who holds it? 24.5.122.13 (talk) 06:02, 7 May 2014 (UTC)


 * You seem to be approaching this as if there's a World Poetry Commission overseeing poetry construction around the world and holding it to certain standards. I'm pretty sure that's not happening. If you repeat the same letter/phoneme a bunch of times over three lines or four lines or a whole poem, I expect most people would consider that alliterative, but there's no authority to verify that they're right or wrong. The same goes for your second point (but see eye rhyme for a similar concept); is it alliterative to write "this thistle"? Not according to me, or to most people who read/write poetry, but if you filled a poem with such "eye alliterations", I think most readers would grasp that something was being done for effect. But nobody is keeping track or making those judgment calls. Matt Deres (talk) 16:38, 7 May 2014 (UTC)


 * Thanks! Yes, for the record (pun intended), I was hoping to get on the board with "The Plane that Never Returned" (although now that I've gone over "The Man from Athabasca" in my head, I'm not so sure anymore that I'd be able to beat it) -- but from what you're saying, nobody's even keeping score, right?  :-( 24.5.122.13 (talk) 04:30, 9 May 2014 (UTC)

I'm not sure where this clothing belongs to
Here is the picture: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fairy-Tail-Natsu-Dragneel-Cosplay-Costume-/221085622975

I've seen design like that before, but I'm not sure where it belongs to. The closest thing is sleeveless shirt, but this doesn't look like it.

So, what is this? 118.137.229.230 (talk) 09:19, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * For the top, two things come to mind: bolero, or jerkin. Or maybe an edge-to-edge waistcoat. Not sure about the skirt. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:33, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * The garment worn by Aladdin. Sleigh (talk) 10:20, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * See http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Natsu_Dragneel, which describes the costume under "Appearance". (This is Japanese anime stuff, which is a world of its own.) Looie496 (talk) 14:14, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * Both the FT wiki link and first poster say that this belongs to a waistcoat, so its resolved? But waistcoat says that this is commonly worn over another clothing, so this thing belongs to the uncommon variation??? 118.137.229.230 (talk) 11:17, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Waistcoats can be worn on their own, and it's not uncommon so I wouldn't worry. --TammyMoet (talk) 12:33, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Proof: http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-young-handsome-male-waistcoat-image22445491 And could you please point me to your source that this is not uncommon? Now this is 100% resolved, how do I put the resolved sign? 118.137.229.230 (talk) 14:25, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
 * You can put it by using . Oda Mari (talk) 15:18, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm pretty sure this outfit ("skirt" + "waistcoat") is intended to resemble a medieval Japanese coat of body armor, but modified to give it a "cool modern" look. That sort of thing is common in anime.  In the original, the "skirt" and waistcoat would not have been separate, they would have been parts of a single coat that extended below the waist. Looie496 (talk) 16:14, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Sorry I can't offhand, I've done a quick Google and can't find any images but my Google-fu isn't that good. --TammyMoet (talk) 18:36, 7 May 2014 (UTC)

Serious plans of renovation
Are there any serious plans to renovate the Stockwell Garage? 112.198.90.135 (talk) 13:54, 6 May 2014 (UTC)
 * The on-line database of English Heritage (the UK government's statutory advisor on the historic environment) shows Stockwell Bus Garage as a Grade II* Listed building defined as "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". It may not be demolished, extended, or altered without special permission from the local planning authority. As recently as 2013 the 1950s structure was celebrated in a photographic exhibition and even nominated as London's most important building. 84.209.89.214 (talk) 15:03, 6 May 2014 (UTC)


 * Out of interest, the listing citation is at here at British Listed Buildings. See also WILL SELF PROPOSES STOCKWELL BUS GARAGE AS LONDON’S MOST IMPORTANT BUILDING. Alansplodge (talk) 18:56, 7 May 2014 (UTC)