Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 June 2

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June 2

"N/A" ZIP code

I live in Canada. Is there a standard U.S. ZIP code to use in poorly-designed online forms that demand one even when I specify that I'm in Canada? NeonMerlin 02:44, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

A gift company that I occaisionally work at uses five zeros for a foreign zip code. Dismas|^(talk) 02:58, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

The backup for most US citizens is 90210, although if you want something shipped to you that might not be a good idea. There's 60062, from The Breakfast Club. Five of a single number is probably best though-- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 04:08, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

90120? For those of a certain age it might be 02134. —Tamfang 07:56, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

That sucks–that's just poor design on their part. The problem is that often times your zip code will be fed through a zip code list (such as the US Postal Service one), and it runs the risk of either getting rejected for an invalid zip code or will actually be a valid zip code, and then your address might either be rejected as nonexistent in the zip code, or get auto-corrected to something else. You can try 00000; the prefix is not currently assigned anywhere. Something else--even if invalid!--runs the risk of getting sent to a postal facility somewhere in that zone for someone to try to figure out where it goes. –Pakman044 20:46, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

Restaurant business

I am keen to open a vegetarian restaurant specializing in South Indian delicacies( Only three items)in Delhi. However, I am a novice as far as restaurant business is concerned. I would like the guidance of readers to achieve my dream?

Some factors to consider:

1) Do you know of a location which needs that type of restaurant ? That is, is there a shortage of such restaurants in that area ?

2) Is there a location you can rent or buy there ? An existing restaurant would be ideal, as it would have most of the equipment you will need. However, be sure to ask why they are renting it out or selling it instead of operating a restaurant themselves.

3) Will you need to hire employees ? If so, how much will you need to pay them ?

4) How much money do you have saved up ? Will you need a loan to get your business started ?

5) Do you plan to do any advertising ? If so, factor that cost in.

6) Are there any legal requirements (licenses, permits) required ?

7) Should you form a corporation for tax and liability purposes ?

StuRat 07:20, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

If you are serious about this dream, you will probably set yourself up for abject failure if you fail to do one of two things: 1) go work for a restaurant in the same or similar segment in your geographic area and learn as much as you can from the inside out; or 2) hire someone very experienced to mentor you in, or talk you out of, this particular endeavor. dr.ef.tymac 21:47, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

If you want to start a restraunt, you would need to have a passion for the food to start with as well as some business sense. You don't say where you are but in the UK, you can get govt advice on starting a business, ask someone like the Citzens Advice Bureau to point you in the right direction.

In answer to some of your specfic points...

Buying your permesis is expensive but it does give you a free reign in what you can do, Remember to check the local planning/zoning rules though either way. Not all premesis can be used for resteraunt use.

You will need to consider hiring at the very least a chef,some kitchen hands, people to take orders and handle the takings. Rates of pay vary (and a good chef will attract a premium). You should be aware that although you could only pay minimum wage to kitchen and service staff, they are unlikley to stay at such rates.

Starting a Bussiness is expensive, although in some areas you can get bank finance (provided your rap-sheet's clean, and you don't have a bad credit rating). In the UK you can in some areas get business grants from the Government. Some areas will have business advisers to explain some of the legal and financial side. You WILL need a business plan though, work that out first.

yes, you do need to consider advertising.

On the legal side., I cant say for Delhi, but in the UK you would at the very least need to bear in min the public health code (if you get PH code compliance wrong you are potentialy ,excuse the pun in the shit, both legally and physically). You may depending on local circusmstance need to register with local authorities and be subject to inspections at regular intervals.

If you have more than 2-3 employees forming a company would be a good idea, but you have additional requirements if you do, such as ensuring the firm submits accurate accounts and doesn't trade whilst insolvent (ie bankrupt).

Hope that helps, anyone care to add stuff? 00:11, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

boarding pass question

For those of you who printed out your boarding passes for united airlines flights you may have taken. I am wondering what the big black numbers on the bottom left of the boarding pass stub mean.Thanks--logger 07:18, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Depending on the company you're going through, it could be a confirmation number, just to make sure that you are the person who printed the ticket at the time of purchase. Usually it is logged in the airline's system with your name, and your identification will complete this check. V-Man - ^T/_C 17:45, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Stellarium

pl. help me to download the above software. i couldn't find the correct link to download. thank you124.43.243.233 08:01, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Go to http://www.stellarium.org/ and then click on the OS of your choice in the upper right of the screen. For me, I just clicked on the Mac OS X version and it started downloading automatically. Dismas|^(talk) 09:43, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Daily Death Rate in Iraq

Approximately - what is the daily death rate OF CHILDREN under 16 years of age, in Iraq, excluding those caused by natural causes?

None, of course, death is natural. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 22:41, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

While death itself may be natural the cause of death is rarely natural. Joneleth 02:57, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

The short answer is that that exact statistic is not likely to be known, though you may be able to estimate it from other known statistics. Here is what is reported:

• The United Nations reports that 34,452 violent deaths occurred in Iraq in 2006. The Iraq Body Count project reports approximately 24,000 violent civilian deaths in 2006. The Lancet calculates approximately 370,000 deaths in 2006 (an excess mortality rate of 14.2 deaths/1000/year.)
• A 2004 door-to-door survey of 988 Iraqi households, containing 7,868 people in 33 neighborhoods estimates that 46% of the violent deaths involving coalition forces in Iraq "were children younger than 15" [1]
• In 2005 the Iraqi child mortality rate (counting under 5s) was 125 deaths/1000 live births (i.e. in that year, 122,000 Iraqi children died before age 5). [2]

Take those numbers, mix them together and pretty much whatever way you look at it, you get a lot of dead children. Rockpocket 07:28, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks Rockpocket - that's most helpful of you, and I appreciate your informative response. Phoeba Wright - you're wrong - please piss off.

WP:CIV, and no, i'm quite correct. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 06:36, 4 June 2007 (UTC)

Phoeba's silly answer reminds me of the Mad (magazine) parody of some gangster movie, which contained (more than once) the line "Around here that's natural causes." (In "Some Assembly Required (Buffy episode)", if memory serves, a road wreck was described as "natural causes".) —Tamfang 21:21, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

Bunker as in Golf

Could any of you golf experts tell me if the word "Bunker" is synonomous with "sand trap"? Are all sand traps bunkers? Is it ever proper to call a grass area a bunker? Is there any kind of a dug out area, that is not a bunker? thanks, wsc

Bunker (golf) answers a few of your questions, but in short:

• Yes,
• Yes,
• Such things that are often called "grass bunkers" are not real bunkers in the Rules of golf,
• Depends on what you mean by "dug out area", but there are ditches and other hazards on some courses that may fit your description, but are not bunkers. Rockpocket 23:10, 2 June 2007 (UTC)