Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 September 23

Miscellaneous desk
< September 22 << Aug | September | Oct >> September 24 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


September 23 edit

John Maynard Keynes's videos or color pictures edit

Do John Maynard Keynes's videos or color pictures exist? --百楽兎 (talk) 01:21, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

And his voice records.--百楽兎 (talk) 01:23, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Google returns a few. He was on the cover of Time magazine. Likewise Google video. DJ Clayworth (talk) 13:26, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

bread loaves' twist ties edit

The twist ties on almost all loaves of bread are the reverse of the normal "righty tighty, lefty loosy" principle. To put it another way: nuts, bolts, screws, jar lids, dials etc. tighten by turning clockwise and loosen by turning counter clockwise. Is there a logical reason for bread twist ties to be the reverse?

I know there is logic to some tire lug nuts being reversed, so the tire action will not loosen them. And I am told that propane tankes are reversed to prevent idiots from making home made contraptions using the tanks. But I can not think of any reason why bread twist ties are reversed.

Napper48 (talk) 06:30, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've noticed some that are "double twisted", meaning they twist the first bit one way, then grip the twisted part tightly and twist the rest the other way. This makes it exceedingly unlikely to untwist accidentally, but also makes it quite difficult to untwist when you want some bread. StuRat (talk) 13:42, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The solution to this problem is to move to a place where the other kind of bag closer is used, a flat square piece of plastic with a central hole and a slit connecting this to the edge. No twisting or untwisting required, you just push the end of the bag through the slit into or out of the hole. This is standard here (Toronto) on both bread and milk bags. I see that WP has no article on bag closers; I wonder if they have another name and there is an article under that. --Anonymous, 20:40 UTC, September 23, 2009.
Bread clip. Mitch Ames (talk) 03:00, 28 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! --Anon, 10:00 UTC, September 29, 2009.
Of course, once the bag is open, everyone I just do the "Twist and flip it under" close method. --Jayron32 20:44, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Same here. StuRat (talk) 14:44, 25 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What's a milk bag? —Tamfang (talk) 23:38, 2 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I would guess it's to do with the machinery in the factory.I use these for re-sealing all bags,most effective. http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Bag-clip/p/sm/1017721839.htm hotclaws 15:42, 26 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Lady Liberty Lost edit

i sent a message yesterdaY bout a lady liberty icon/symbol that i couldnt find...i have found it so ne need to assist... thankyou --120.16.247.191 (talk) 07:28, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(Added header.) Here it is. There's a list of posts in the 'contents' box towards the top of the page. 94.168.184.16 (talk) 10:36, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Simple book binding with glue edit

Hi, I'm making a series of small books from printed paper (thick paper, but not as thick as card), and I was looking online for a guide to making a paperback book without resorting to folding and printing the pages in sections (i.e. just gluing the spine), and I came across this: page. It recommends gorilla glue, which unfortunately I can't get in my country, so I'm wondering if there's a more generic solution to this? I've tried using a type of cement glue especially made for paper, and while it works pretty well, I don't think the book could take nearly as much wear and tear as the book in that tutorial.

Can anyone recommend a (generic) type of glue that might work better? Might it be better to use one of those super glue-like tubes, where you mix two containers? Thanks! 124.154.253.31 (talk) 08:22, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(For reference, 'my country' seems to be Japan.) Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane glue. I know nothing about glues, so can't say whether that's sufficiently specific to let you find a similar generic glue, but it might be a starting point. 94.168.184.16 (talk) 10:41, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I used to make a small number of books for training purposes, and we never used glue. Our books were either 3 or 5 hole punched and placed in a binder, for books we made ourselves, or were spiral-bound (meaning many small holes along the border and a spiral of metal wire that goes through them) for those made for us by a print shop. You might want to consult a local print shop, as they can tell you which solutions are cheapest for small batches (and can do it for you, too). I think glued bindings only make economic sense for large batches, as machinery needs to be set up for each book. StuRat (talk) 13:36, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
There's also plastic comb binding [1] [2]. Manual machines are quite cheap and so are the plastic combs so you may be able to find a binding service for a relatively low price (in Malaysia it was quite easy to find places, it's commonly used for school projects, reports etc, they're commonly used in NZ as well and I've seen machines at universities but never looked into the price of a commercial service). Depending on your requirements, it may even be worth it buying a machine yourself (a quick search reveals them for under NZ$100). As a plus, when you have a machine it should be relatively easy to change pages if you need to. Nil Einne (talk) 18:10, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Gorilla glue is really unlike anything else I've used. It foams up as it dries and forces itself into tiny little gaps. I could see why it would be good for this kind of book-binding activity - and I can't think of an alternative that does that. The kind that you mix from two tubes is generally an epoxy-resin and I think that would be unsuitable for this. It seems to me that you need something that penetrates between the pages for a few millimeters - but which remains flexible when it dries. Sadly, I'd recommend Gorilla glue for that - but if you can't get it (or some equivalent) locally, I'm not sure what the fallback would be. SteveBaker (talk) 16:25, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In the internet age, you should be able to get Gorilla glue, albeit at a higher price. Googlemeister (talk) 16:28, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The binding process used for most paperback books is called Perfect binding, and is a gluing process. There's a page in Wikibooks on it: [3]. Google gives some good results searching for "Perfect binding glue." Maybe you can find some of that available in your area, ideally in consumer quantities.–RHolton– 20:16, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I've seen this done successfully with RTV, but I'm not sure it would be cost-effective compared with ordering Gorilla Glue from an overseas supplier. Tevildo (talk) 20:25, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Room-temperature vulcanization, to disambiguate. Tevildo (talk) 20:27, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It sounds like perfect binding uses a molten glue eg EVA glue as found in glue guns (google search confirms this) - in fact the EVA sticks would be ok (maybe even the same) - eva remains quite flexible when set.
You can get EVA glue anywhere? - Consider using a heat gun to melt eva onto a thicker cardboad cover. Sounds easily doable.83.100.251.196 (talk) 21:49, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
According to this forum PUR glue is also used http://printplanet.com/forums/postpress-binding-finishing-discussion/19230-eva-glue-perfect-binding
PUR is "PUR Glue is an ultra fast drying polyurethane based wood adhesive" [4] -you can get it from most hardware stores - it's wood glue (paper=wood) eg [5] both EVA and PUR are readily available and cheap.83.100.251.196 (talk) 21:55, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks everyone for the info! Sending gorilla glue isn't really an option but EVA and PUR seem promising so I'll have a look at the hardware store. Thanks again! 124.154.253.31 (talk) 03:10, 24 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

VC-25 edit

Who typically pilots the American aircraft VC-25, also known as Air Force One? I would imagine that there are probably 2 or 3 flight crews to comply with flying regulations, and I think that they are USAF officers, but does anyone know specifically who they are? Googlemeister (talk) 15:21, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Air Force One is usually an aircraft operated by the 1st Airlift Squadron, part of the 89th Airlift Wing. I would think their membership is a matter of public record (some pilots are identified in photos on the site), and their public affairs address is provided. Why not ask? — Lomn 15:28, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In particular by the 89th's Presidential Airlift Group. The commander of that unit was Air Force Colonel Mark S. Donnelly until 2001, then Air Force Colonel Mark W. Tillman until sometime in early 2009 - I don't know who Col.Tillman's replacement is. This CBS News story says that Tillman himself flew almost all the presidential trips. He'll have several more junior officers rotating through as FOs for different flights, but their names don't appear to be public. -- Finlay McWalterTalk 15:41, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Tillman's replacement was USAF Col. Scott M. Turner. -- Finlay McWalterTalk 15:52, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
And indeed Tillman's resignation specifically calls Turner "the presidential pilot". -- Finlay McWalterTalk 16:02, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

History questions that I couldnt find in textbook (US road to independence) edit

Who was Burgoyne? Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 16:11, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Which one, we have articles on many Burgoynes. Nanonic (talk) 16:13, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The one that did something on the road to US independence.
Try John Burgoyne. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:08, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Also, what Is inflation?Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 16:15, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

By inflation, do you mean monetary inflation? Or inflation as a balloon? Googlemeister (talk) 16:26, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Who was Robert Morris?Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 16:18, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Who was Haym Salomon?Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 16:20, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Who was Henry Clinton? Btw yes I couldnt find alot...Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 16:21, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Have you tried Wikipedia? Wikipedia is an internet encyclopedia that has a lot of articles, I bet they have some on those persons you mention. They might even have one about the Amercian war of independence. --Saddhiyama (talk) 17:01, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed despite knowing very little about US history (I'm not an American), I answered all of these with a simple Google or wikipedia search (I tried both and yes for every question here) and a little common sense. Perhaps you go to an odd school but it's generally expected if you didn't find the answer in your textbook, you should try looking at other sources yourself and finding the answer to all these questions is exceptionally easy. Incidentally, it took me less time then I expect it took you to write out your questions Nil Einne (talk) 17:30, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Seriously Accdude92, if you figured out how to post the question here, you should have figured out how to use the search box on the left over there <-----. Just type the name in there, and voila, you get an article about that person. All of these people are major figures in American and/or British history, and so have extensive articles at Wikipedia about them. This sort of rapid fire posting of questions whose answer you could have just found out on your own VERY easily is getting a but disruptive. --Jayron32 19:02, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The search box is in the top-right on the beta. Vimescarrot (talk) 10:00, 24 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I've taken the liberty (a non-lost sort of liberty :) of wikilinking the subjects of your queries. DRosenbach (Talk | Contribs) 12:16, 24 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There's a very good short, readable history of the American Revolution and the early U.S. called The Birth of the Republic by Edmund Morgan ISBN 9780226537573 or University of Chicago Press (US$15 new, but available much more cheaply used in equally good earlier editions; also from many libraries). The whole book is now 224 pages long, but that includes some basic texts (always useful) such as the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution; the chapters on the coming of the Revolution would be less than 100 pages. It should answer almost all of your questions, but in a far more enjoyable way than ploughing through a study guide and a list of bullet points. The relevant chapters of Samuel Eliot Morison's Oxford History of the American People would be a bit more plodding but also serve the same purpose. —— Shakescene (talk) 05:02, 25 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Youtube Email edit

Does youtube has a customer support email address? I've searched their help desk and "Contact Us" section, but cant find anything. Chaosandwalls (talk) 18:46, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

On the main Contact Us page, it says "If you need help, please visit our Help Center. We've answered the most common issues our users have, and if you can't find your answer there, you'll be directed to a form where you can email Customer Service for help." Xenon54 / talk / 19:05, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I saw that, read it all, couldn't find the answer to my question, but can't find this form Chaosandwalls (talk) 19:59, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Wow, you're right. After doing a search, I found a forum post that had the same problem and a link to http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/bin/request.py, which seems to be what you're looking for. Apparently there isn't a "catch-all" public e-mail address anymore, if there ever was one in the past. Xenon54 / talk / 20:15, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Oh well. It wasnt incredibly important anyway. Thanks for your help Chaosandwalls (talk) 20:49, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
YouTube's unwanted-e-mail-from-customers aversion tactic succeeds again! Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:51, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Google Inc. own YouTube so why not start at the top? These are the folks you can try to contact. I don't find their e-mail addresses but some of them surely use gmail which Google also runs. You could make a video with your message to youtube and upload that! Cuddlyable3 (talk) 10:46, 24 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Like Wikipedia, YouTube has users of its free online service but does it have any customers ? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 10:53, 24 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Capilano edit

There are a number of places, particularly in Canada, that bear the name Capilano. Does anyone know the origin of this name, please? (I have drawn a blank with Google searches). Bridgeplayer (talk) 22:47, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Most of them in North Vancouver appear to be named after Joe Capilano. Nanonic (talk) 22:59, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
We have Capilano Honey in Australia which led me to find this great little piece of information for you: "The name ‘Capilano’ has a nostalgic connection. It means ‘rushing water’ in the language of the native American Indian tribe, the Squamish, who occupied the Capilano district near Vancouver in Canada. It was here that Tim Smith met his wife, Jill, while stationed in Canada as a RAAF flying instructor in World War II." From the capilano honey "about" website. Vespine (talk) 05:44, 24 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Splendid contributions, thx. Bridgeplayer (talk) 00:12, 25 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]