Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2017 March 6

= March 6 =

Rate my librarian
Is there a website where you can rate who is the best librarian and who is the worst librarian at your public library especially here in Toronto Canada? I want to express my favourite librarian and my worst favourite librarian. Also, is there a way that you can know who are the librarians working at your public librarian? Please and thanks. Donmust90 (talk) 02:07, 6 March 2017 (UTC)Donmust90Donmust90 (talk) 02:07, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * I suppose Yelp or something like that could allow for it. But I would hope that good sense would prevail over something that could be potentially libelous. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:04, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Why would you even raise that as an issue? There are forums where people rate every professional from doctors and teachers (ratemyprofessors.com) to prostitutes. Libel has never come up with any of them. --Viennese Waltz 08:49, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * I guess I shouldn't be surprised at anything that turns up on the internet. But if a librarian sees an entry someplace that says, "This librarian sucks and should be fired", that could be grounds for a libel suit, especially if the librarian gets fired because of it. (Of course, there's still the old adage, "Never sue - they might prove it!) ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 13:05, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Yeah, you're kind of missing my point there. In the entire history of the internet, has any libel suit ever been brought against someone expressing an opinion on a professional person such as a doctor or professor? If not, then it's not an issue and you shouldn't even be posting it.  If you don't know, then you still shouldn't be raising it. --Viennese Waltz 13:57, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Yes. And also yes. -- Jayron 32 15:25, 6 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Waltz, popehat.com over the years has (iirc) mentioned many defamation suits over things like Yelp reviews. —Tamfang (talk) 10:17, 7 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Donmust, why don't you send a card of thanks to all the librarians, perhaps with a mention of the individuals who have been particularly helpful. Public libraries are a wonderful resource that we are in danger of using (in the UK, suspect it applies to most developed countries), and their staff will appreciate a pat on the back. I hppe that none of the librarians are really, really bad, but if they have done something out of order then there would be a complaints procedure. Itsmejudith (talk) 11:13, 7 March 2017 (UTC)

Can anyone decipher this sign?
Whilst on my travels, I found [url=http://imgur.com/a/zI7sk]this sign[/url] Arcanus hortus I've got as Latin for mysterious garden, but the squiggles underneath baffle me... If as I suspect it also means mysterious garden,then what language is it in-doesn't appear to be Arabic? Lemon martini (talk) 17:26, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Where did you take the picture? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 17:53, 6 March 2017 (UTC)


 * The car number plate is British, and the rubbish bins are marked South Hams District Council (in Devon) - which makes me suspect that the squiggles may be some sort of alchemical or pseudo-magical script. Wymspen (talk) 18:31, 6 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Yes, it would help to know exactly where you took it. Then you can go to google street view and look at the whole building afresh. Maybe, it is a rear entrance to a restaurant of that name or something and the frontage gives a telephone number (or a neighbouring building shows a telephone number). If so 'just' phone and ask for more info. After all, for someone to deploy such a script, they must a sense of humour and welcome WTFDTM questions. Alternatively, pop a letter into their post box (shown on the gates) containing a self-address post card (and email address) asking for an explanation to aid your further edification.   It could be a court-yard type of flat/apartment conversion. Hence the name (as it is out of sight).Say that, because the floor is not the typical cheap concrete hard standing but an expensive stone floor suggesting a Des Res behind those wrought iron gates.--Aspro (talk) 20:10, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Interestingly, this is about the only Google hit for the phrase "arcanus hortus". --jpgordon&#x1d122;&#x1d106; &#x1D110;&#x1d107; 20:22, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Des Res? "something" Residence? † dismas †|(talk) 21:36, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Desirable residence - UK expression for a posh pad. Wymspen (talk) 21:52, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Thanks. That was my leading theory. † dismas †|(talk) 21:54, 6 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Looks to me like Arabic copied out by someone ignorant of Arabic. (Reminds me of hanzismatter!) —Tamfang (talk) 10:20, 7 March 2017 (UTC)

It's South Brent in Devon-pretty much opposite the Post Office and it's just a standard residential house-that's all that's visible from the road-there's no signs or anything similar...I did wonder if it's some sort of gardening business given a.the Latin inscription and b.it's not that far from Totnes,where every other garden grows something to cure some bit of your anatomy/soul/realign your balance with Mother Earth... I used this translator[url=http://mymemory.translated.net/en/Latin/English/arcanus-hortus] which gave me the exact Latin wording. Lemon martini (talk) 00:13, 7 March 2017 (UTC)


 * The Latin might be intended to mean "secret garden", but as Tamfang said, the rest is surely pseudo-Arabic (hmm, that article is not quite relevant, but close enough). Adam Bishop (talk) 11:29, 7 March 2017 (UTC)


 * - the term in currency seems to be faux-Arabic -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 12:50, 9 March 2017 (UTC)

Posting at the languages ref desk might get a better response? --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 13:33, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * The "Arabic" appearing to include two 'alifs with dots above, I suddenly wondered if this might be disguised English. I can see the word on the left (which would be the second word if it were Arabic) as "Will", so I suspect it's a name. Unolbi? --ColinFine (talk) 18:16, 7 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Think realistically, the ball's back in the OP's court now, to deposit a letter in their post box, if he wishes for a resolution to his musings.--Aspro (talk) 23:17, 7 March 2017 (UTC)

Two fat ladies
I'm trying to understand the difference between fat and calories here. Say two women (identical twins) both weighed the same. One of them ate a diet purely of sugar (high in calories) and the other ate purely lard, fat and cheese (high in saturated fats)

Let's assume they both eat equal quantities. Which one would come out heavier. I'm confused. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 37.104.156.150 (talk) 18:04, 6 March 2017 (UTC)


 * Our article on Food energy gives some general figures, showing that fats have the highest number of calories per gram.   D b f i r s   18:27, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * This very experiment was recently shown on TV with two men, Chris van Tulleken and his identical twin brother Xand van Tulleken. I am sure it is online. --Pp.paul.4 (talk) 19:38, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * I saw that programme, but I regret to admit that I've forgotten the conclusion!   D b f i r s   20:56, 6 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Sugars and carbs make you fat. Fats clog your arteries. Which way you gonna go?213.205.192.167 (talk) 00:20, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * And sugar/carbs causes type II diabetes. You gotta die of something... -- Jayron 32 01:40, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * The causes of T2D are not fully understood, Jay. There are some known risk factors, but it certainly is not as simple as what you said. --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  09:33, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * The causes of nothing are fully understood. Acting on pure omniscience is not a luxury we have given that we live a limited lifespan anyways.  -- Jayron 32 11:37, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Everything causes cancer.--WaltCip (talk) 13:05, 7 March 2017 (UTC)
 * How would you measure equal quantities? Weight? Volume? Calories? Itsmejudith (talk) 16:19, 7 March 2017 (UTC)