Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 April 25

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April 25

Modern US army, going home, then back to war again

Hey guys,

I'm currently planning out a short story that works under the premise that a U.S. soldier in the Iraq War is sent home to the United States for a while, but will be returning to the war at a later date: A "holiday" of sorts. Are there any real-life situations in which this type of arrangement can occur? What would such an arrangement be called? Ideally such a situation will be brought about so the soldier can recover from their injuries.

On a similar note, how is the Medal of Honor awarded to soldiers who are still in active service? Do they fly home, receive the award then fly back? Is it awarded on discharge?

Thanks, ~fl 04:10, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

You might be thinking of Furlough. I don't know the answer to your second question. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:22, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

You might also be thinking of Stop-loss policy? Adam Bishop (talk) 05:50, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Suggest the publicity value of the Medal of Honor would bring the soldier back for a prestige presentation. Unlikely thereafter that he would return to active front line service.Froggie34 (talk) 10:05, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes. All soldiers get leave to return home at some point, and they have to come back when that's over.--92.251.245.188 (talk) 12:25, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I think medals are usually awarded at the end of a tour of duty. The Medal of Honor is probably no different in that respect. Soldiers will almost always get some leave between tours of duty. They will also spend some time training before being sent on another tour. --Tango (talk) 13:41, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Also note that a given military unit may have multiple deployments into the same theater of war. The 3rd Infantry Division (United States) has now been deployed 3 times to Iraq, with stints at home, in between. StuRat (talk) 17:45, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I have not seen evidence that a medal is a ticket out of the war. In the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the National Guard and Reserves have been repeatedly deployed in the combat zone, along with the regular professional military. In the Vietnam War, I believe it was regular forces that were deployed, and the National Guard was left home. Of course they had draftees back then. In WW2, the US Army forces in Europe did not get any furlough back home. Edison (talk) 19:29, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

The Medal of Honor is normally pinned on by the President personally. The recipient would almost certainly travel to Washington DC for the ceremony. Zoonoses (talk) 17:23, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

A few separate questions in one from 62.172.58.82

Split into separate questions, how's that? FiggyBee (talk) 03:30, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Eurovision song

1, There is a song that won the eurovisions ong contest a few years ago, it was a youtube hit with some fat guy mimeing it, I heard this version in some eauropean language, the I heard it again but in polish in poland, I heard the same song a 3rd time in south africa, but in Afrikaans, what was this song, the afrikaans lyrics where, Jy's nie die een vir my is it common for songs to be reused like this in different languages? Please provide more info concerning how songs get sold, rewritten into different languages, and who gets the credit? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

You are probably thinking of "Dragostea din Tei" by O-Zone, originally in Romanian. I know there was a fat guy who mimed it (Numa Numa), and that an Afrikaans version exists. There might also be a Polish one. It never won the Eurovision song contest, though. Rimush (talk) 17:38, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Non-mythical animals

2, Have there been any animals like the griffin for instance, where everyone knows it does not exist, but then a specimen was found, and the mythical animal was proved to be real. if so, can you please give me examples of these, thanks and... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I seriously doubt it. Some people do believe they exist but I don't think there's been any fossils or specimens found of them - they're just mythical creatures. Chevymontecarlo. 10:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

there is the story of Black swans, or more specifically Black swan theory) - not sure how accurate the story is but the idea is basically people didn't think Black swans existed - they thought all swans were white, but then they discovered black-swans. ny156uk (talk) 11:16, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Not exactly mythical, but the coelacanth was believed to be extinct for a long time, until one was caught in the waters off South Africa in 1938. That said, I also doubt it was ever known (extinct or otherwise) by "everyone". The story of Ebu Gogo and the speculated connection to Homo floresiensis is also interesting. See Cryptid for more info on mythical creatures. Astronaut (talk) 11:55, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I thought that gorillas were fairly recently known as a myth, but the article gorilla doesn't mention this. I googled "mythical gorilla" and found a list of 10 such formerly mythical animals [1], although the facts stated in this list may themselves be myths. 213.122.43.218 (talk) 15:33, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Zebras, giraffes, Giant squids... and on and on... Aaronite (talk) 17:46, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Giant squid is a good one.

The Okapi is often given as an example in this context. Prior to 1901 it was often considered to be either mytical or long-extinct. It was sometimes called "The African Unicorn". Nowadays they're in zoos. APL (talk) 04:04, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Oh. Check out List of megafauna discovered in modern times. APL (talk) 04:05, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Also Cryptozoology. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gadget850 (talk • contribs) 12:01, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Actors editing their own articles

3, There are many articles on actors and actresses on wiki, but many of them are not very good, why do famous people not improve their own articles, for instance, Mel gibson corrects and improves his own article, he wioll be able to ensure that all the info is correct, and it will still be a notable article as he is famous, the only article that I can see where it would appear this has been done is crowbar, a very good band by the way. This will also be a service to their fans, so why do they not do this? It will also help to boost their fame. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

They do not have to do this, and many celebrities do not want to. In fact I think there are many good biographical articles of actors/actresses on Wikipedia, and there are whole WikiProjects (groups of Wikipedia editors) dedicated to actor/actress articles. Chevymontecarlo. 10:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia typically discourages people from editing articles about themselves, due to conflict of interest. It's not outright forbidden, but it's strongly discouraged. You can improve any of the articles you feel is wrong, as long as you have reliable sources to back up whatever you plan to add in the articles. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 10:15, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Nataniel

4, There was a South African singer a few years ago called Nataniel, he was a bald, gay guy with a lovely voice, do we have an article on him or does anyone know where I can download his music. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

he has a website (http://www.nataniel.co.za/cd.htm) and it has some MP3 samples you can download. His music is available on the (Uk at least) iTunes Music Store. ny156uk (talk) 11:18, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Type of knot

Resolved

My wife asked me to put a pendant on a chain to use as a necklace but the narrowness of the loop on the pendant would not allow me to slip the chain into the hole because the first link on the chain is large to accomodate the clasp. So I folded the chain in half and slipped the chain (doubled) through the narrow pendant loop and then put the other end thorugh this loop I created. In case there's difficulty in imagining what I'm saying, the pendant is now nearly fixed in the middle of the chain and won't slide because of the friction of the catch-type loop. Anyway, I was wondering if there was a name for this type of tying modality. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 13:07, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

If I followed what you said correctly, the knot that you tied is often called a cow hitch which I've just learned I've been incorrectly calling a cat's paw. Dismas|^(talk) 13:31, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it's a cow hitch, also called a lark's head. You'd use a cat's paw to attach a sling to a hook. DuncanHill (talk) 17:03, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Wow...just wonderful. Thanx! DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 00:58, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Song of an unknown name

Resolved

There's a wordless jazz song -- I say that because the primary instrument is a saxophone -- that I find interesting, and I want to get the name of it. I heard it played while waiting on the phone for some corporate office, and I think it's a popular piece used in movies, but I can't read music and can't describe the song in any way other than humming it, and even that doesn't even properly produce the song enough for anyone to tell me what it is, because the notes are so complex that I end up not even making it sound close enough to the real song for even myself to identify it based on my humming. Anybody have any suggestions on how to find out the name of the piece so that I can YouTube it or something to listen to it at will? DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 13:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Googling 'find tune' gave me Search for Music Using Your Voice by Singing or Humming as the second entry. No idea how good it is. --ColinFine (talk) 14:01, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I wonder if it's "Take Five"? Here's an early kinescope of it:[2] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

(ec)The song that comes to mind immediately is Take Five. Could that be it ? I suggest you use the names of the movies containing the music as a method for searching. That is, look through the list of tracks in each, until you find the common tune. StuRat (talk) 14:13, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

BTW, this would have been an excellent Q for the Entertainment Desk. StuRat (talk) 14:13, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

HA!...that's it!!! I was totally asking this question without any hopes of getting an answer -- how in the world did you know what I was talking about? DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 01:02, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Wow...these guys take it to a whole new level. Weird! DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 01:07, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then. :) Although this number goes back 50 years, I only really became aware of it when it was used in a series of TV ads for a luxury car called an "Infiniti" (probably referring to the payment schedule), with spokesman Jonathan Pryce. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:09, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Hey, we're good ! Two of us got it, independently, within 5 minutes of each other (ironically, based on the name), due to your description. We have JAZZ, COMMON, SAX, COMPLEX; which really narrowed it down. (The complex part probably relates to the unusual 5/4 time signature used in the piece.) StuRat (talk) 01:09, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Design ideas for an 'alien queens' wardrobe?

I was wondering if anyone on the reference desk had some suggestions on what an 'alien' or 'robot' costume for a 'female impersonator' should look like?

The 'act' involves a number of fairly energetic dance routines which rules out certain designs, and a 'modest' design would be preferable because the performer concerned is also going to be involved in doing external promotion events.

I thought I'd ask here, as Wikipedia has a number of experts on 'Future Fashion from Beyond the Stars!" XD

Sfan00 IMG (talk) 14:44, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

The classic look would be glam rock (think of Ming the Merciless: [3] or Ziggy Stardust: [4]). A conical metallic bra is also a must: [5], in the case of a (would-be) female. To emphasize the robotic nature, perhaps some metallic face and body paint would be in order. StuRat (talk) 15:05, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I've also been considering reviewing specfic TV sci-fi... Any thoughts? Dr Who in the early 1980's made some intresting costume choices, as did Blakes 7 (Servelan in particular). There are also 'those' uniforms in U.F.O..

NB. I know it might be a cliche but there's Magenta's later costume in 'Rocky Horror' as well... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sfan00 IMG (talk • contribs) 15:24, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

(As the original poster, you don't need to indent). Assuming you want an "over the top" look, I'd go for Lost in Space, Flash Gordon and Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People: [6]. Also, the female Romulans in Star Trek: TNG and later had a certain "tranny" quality about them: [7], while the original series portrayed them as more feminine: [8]. Villains typically have the most outrageous costumes, but you should probably tell us whether this queen is good or evil, so we can tailor our suggestions accordingly (pun intended). StuRat (talk) 15:35, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

See also the Klingon Kleavage Sisters. PhGustaf (talk) 16:47, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Going back to the glam rock suggestion, Patti LaBelle had some costumes you might like, in the 70's: [9], [10]. StuRat (talk) 15:58, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm not as familiar with 'drag' tropes as I'd like to be in respect of this, but 'she' is out to spread "universal cosmic harmony, amongst compatible inteligences"  ;), Not an evil character, but still one that will go OTT if needed.

Someone else off wiki had suggested some kind of prop whose function was nominally like a wii-mote, so that when certain dance moves were made, 'sonic transductions' were generated :)

You mention spiders, I'd considered the idea of an 'alien' dragonfly for subsidiary performers, but not the main 'queen'.

Sfan00 IMG (talk) 16:03, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

This page has some interesting styles from Lady Gaga and others: [11]. StuRat (talk) 16:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

If she is to be good, I'd go with white and pastels, mainly. Glowing and/or flashing lights on the costume might be nice, too, say LEDs or chemical lights, but are only effective in the dark. StuRat (talk) 16:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Another way to go with a good queen is the "princess" look, as in Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz: [12]. StuRat (talk) 16:13, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

A wand or scepter is a nice touch, too, and you could hide the remote WII device in that. StuRat (talk) 01:17, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Scythe

Which side of a scythe blade is used for cutting, the outside (facing away from the wielder), or the inside (facing towards the wielder)? --71.144.122.18 (talk) 16:18, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Inside. StuRat (talk) 16:20, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

The inside. The scythe is swung from right to left in front of the mower. The blade is tilted so that it can run parallel to the ground. Therefore the <handle> has to be specially shaped to facilitate use.Froggie34 (talk) 16:26, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

And as always, Wikpedia has an article on them. Scythe--Aspro (talk) 16:58, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Just in case you feel the aptitude, we also have an article on the professional use of this lethal gadget. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 09:47, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Food forests

Can you grow a food forest in a place that gets snow in winter (eg. Germany)? Do you know of any "instructions" to set one up? Aaadddaaammm (talk) 17:01, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I would have thought these could be grown as far north as Deciduous trees can grow. Some, allowance may needed for the 'continental effect' but a few foot of snow is not going going to bring everything to a grinding halt. The Forest_gardening article could do with a bit of expanding. There are some videos on you tube about it. What you read is going to depend a bit on local climate and exactly what your aiming for, as no one book can cover it all. Personal, if I was doing it, I would arrange things so that it would support a few livestock. Look on amazon for a proper book --Aspro (talk) 17:15, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Aren't there some foods you can get out of evergreens, such as pine nuts ? Sticking with the deciduous trees idea, a sugar maple can be tapped to produce maple syrup, during the winter. I do agree with the idea of herding, though, as reindeer and other animals can turn the sparse food produced in such regions into meat for us (sorry Santa :-) ). StuRat (talk) 17:49, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Bullrushes growing round the margins of a deep carp ponds can be harvested for food in the winter too.--Aspro (talk) 18:48, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, and I imagine the Russian Nenets and Sami people find lots to eat in the forests but they also have to eat a great deal of animal protein and fats too. I am presuming that the OP is interested in doing this to reduce the size of his/her foot print on the planet, and I do not think therefore, that this excise would be worth doing north or south of the deciduous tree line (for want of a better term), ( I think northern larch is deciduous and its sap can be fermented into a potent brew but I'm just talking in lose general terms). But I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong on any of these things.--Aspro (talk) 18:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

BTW, I assumed you are asking about what food can be produced in winter in climates like that of Germany and farther north. If you meant to ask what foods can be produced in summer, then the answer is "just about anything", as only tropical plants are likely to be killed by frost. StuRat (talk) 17:56, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

In Germany or farther north in Denmark you could develop a landscape like that of Normandy in France, with apple orchards and cattle grazing beneath the apple trees. This is sustainable and productive. Camembert, cider and calvados, mmmm! Further north/up mountains than apple trees like, the maple tree suggestion looks interesting. I think the kinds of pine trees that come pine nuts from only grow in southern Europe. There's always beech mast. Itsmejudith (talk) 21:16, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

“There's always beech mast.” that sounds like nuts to me! Aspro (talk) 22:11, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

You might find helpful information in the article "Orchard". -- Wavelength (talk) 15:22, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

There are people developing forest gardens (edible forests) in Massachusetts, which typically has colder winters than most of Germany. You can certainly grow fruit- and nut-bearing trees in these climates. I'm not sure what the northern limit would be to this kind of permaculture, but I am fairly certain that it would be a bit north of Stockholm or Helsinki. Walnut and apple trees, for example, can grow as far north as central Sweden and southern Finland. Marco polo (talk) 20:18, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

As Rasputin would not tire to mention, pine nuts from the Siberian pine (commonly known to Russians as the "Siberian cedar") used to be a major forest product in southwestern Siberia. Russian wikipedia even has an article about the kolot - a traditional tool used by Siberian villagers for pine nut harvesting. (It says it was sort of like a huge wooden mallet, with a 2-meter-long handle made out the trunk of a young tree; one would raise it and knock on the tree forcefully, to make the cones come down!). A lot of cedars have been cut since, but forest berries, such as blueberries and lingonberries, as well as cloudberries and cranberries in swampy areas, are still picked by locals in large amounts throughout the boreal forest belt and way into the tundra, both in Siberia and in Lapland, although the season is necessarily short (August-September) - so people would make a lot of fruit jams. Wild mushrooms are a popular food ("taiga tucker"? :-) throughout the taiga belt and even in some tundra areas (where dwarf trees still can be found), although of course you need to know your mushrooms, and you need to cook or pickle them properly. I understand that Ramsons, a sort of wild chives plant (known in Russian as cheremsha) are also a popular forest food, commonly used in a pickled/marinated form. Birch trees can also be tapped for sap in the spring (rather like maples), but instead of evaporating the sao to make syrup, the Soviets used to sell the "birch juice" as a soft drink. -- Vmenkov (talk) 12:00, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

Taking Surveys for Income

Hello all, I am from the U.S. and I was wondering if taking surveys over the internet is a good idea to make money. Is it safe and secure, or does it vary by survey? I don't know who else to ask, and I thought it might be an easy way to make money. Too easy, actually. Thank you for your help as always, The Reader who Writes (talk) 18:22, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I think it's safe and secure (just don't give out account numbers, have them send you a check). However, you won't make much of an income this way. Perhaps, if you're a kid, the money might seem good, though. StuRat (talk) 18:26, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I am a member of a panel for a large reputable polling company in Canada that pays between 1-4 dollars a survey. They send me maybe 2 surveys a month. Unless you do hundreds of surveys, it's unlikely you'd ever make enough to live off. Also, they surely have mechanisms in place to make sure you don't just churn out random responses for cash. As for safe and secure, they generally don't ask for too much personal identifying info (if they do, skip it; they're out to scam you), but they will likely bombard you with targeted advertising. Aaronite (talk) 19:22, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I've gotten some spam emails lately that promise that you can make some large amount of money (Tens of thousands) by filling out surveys at home. If those are what you're thinking of, I am 100% sure that they are scams. APL (talk) 03:35, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

No, APL, not naive enough for that. Just a small stream of income over the summer. I'm an undergrad. Just found out a friend of a friend does them for cash. She said she uses two reputable websites, one that pays through paypal and the other through giftcards.

Thanks for your help, The Reader who Writes (talk) 04:35, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

I actually tried out Amazon Mechanical Turk for a few weeks (its basically a clearinghouse for this sort of stuff) Its got more stuff than surveys, but its on the same idea; do some tiny bit of work, get a tiny bit of cash. And a lot of it was basically surveys (there was some data entry work as well, but it was mostly "take this survey" type stuff). After doing it for a few weeks, I realized I was basically earning about 2 dollars per hour, and decided it wasn't worth my time. And that was organized. Roaming the internet looking for surveys to take for cash seems like an even less efficient way to do it. As always, "if it looks to good to be true, it probably is". --Jayron32 04:42, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Arbitrary keychain

I have a remote keyless system for my car that has buttons on it to lock and unlock my car doors. It's an oblong, about 1 inch by 1.5 inches by 0.5 inches. The oblong used to feature a plastic loop, to which one attaches a keychain; the loop has broken off. Any suggestions on how I could reattach it to a keychain? I am sure that supergluing a loop to it would fail within a day or two. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Maybe you could get another keychain with a big flat part (like these) and glue the remote onto it with all of its bottom? Might look kind of crappy... And eventually also fall off... Maybe you could attach it onto such a flap with zip ties, or maybe use zip ties and glue. I suppose that wouldn't make it look less crappy... TastyCakes (talk) 23:47, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Superglue is pretty strong; why are you so sure? Alternatively, if there's a spot in the case with no electronics behind it, you could drill a hole and put a wire through. Or you could modify some kind of soft plastic mobile phone case so it's about the right size and put the controller in that. FiggyBee (talk) 23:52, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Put the device in a Ziploc bag, just the right size, then pierce the corner of the bag and put the key chain loop through that. You don't need to take it out of the bag to use it, just hit the buttons right thru it. You may need to occasionally change the bag. StuRat (talk) 23:56, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I wouldn't glue the metal key-ring to a plastic device. But you might find another plastic eyelet you could glue to the device, then reattach the key-ring to that. (You could even use a tightened-all-the-way zip-tie.)

Alternatively, you could open the thing up and see if there's any place you could drill through without damaging any of the componants. Probably not, but maybe worth a shot. APL (talk) 03:38, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

You could order a new key. A dealership should be able to get hold of a replacement within a few days. It won't be cheap mind you - the dealership charged a little over €100 for a replacement key for a Renault Safrane. Astronaut (talk) 10:44, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

There's the option of just leaving them separate. When you put your keys in your pocket, hit the button to lock the car. When reaching in to get your keys, to eventually start the car, hit the button to unlock. Although, if yours is like mine, you'd be locking and unlocking the car while simply adjusting your position in the seat. (This happens to me all the time while I'm working in the yard with my keys in my pocket) Dismas|^(talk) 11:00, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

You're lucky — in my case, I'm usually setting off the car alarm with the stupid "I want to set off the car alarm" button. Actually your note has made me reconsider whether I want the damned thing in my pocket anymore, for just that reason. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:07, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

I purchased one on eBay for $20 and it came with programming instructions. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 11:50, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

What was required to program it ? The code ? Another working keyfob ? StuRat (talk) 16:54, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

It involves removing and inserting the ignition key, opening and closing the doors, etc.[13] —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gadget850 (talk • contribs) 17:53, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

I like the drilling idea and will try to pry this thing open and see if there's a good drilling spot. Thanks for the ideas. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:07, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

How do you change the battery ?

Resolved

I have a 7-year-old one with a fading battery, yet there's no apparent screw holding it all together. Should I just jam a knife between the two sides and twist to get at the battery ? StuRat (talk) 23:56, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Examine the edges carefully, along the join between the two halves. There may well be a little slot, just big enough for the tip of a small screwdriver. If so, insert small screwdriver in the slot, and twist. DuncanHill (talk) 00:02, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Don't forget to check under any stickers. Usually they hide the screws under those. APL (talk) 03:33, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

You could visit the dealership. They should be able to tell you how to open the keyfob and which battery to get. Astronaut (talk) 10:44, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Usually you remove the ring and there is a slot to pry the case open. The ring locks the case to keep it from opening by accident. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 11:49, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Expanding on Astronaut's point, often watch batteries are used... Chevymontecarlo. 16:34, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Thanks all. Yes, there was an indentation along the seam where I was able to insert a screwdriver blade and twist. No screws were present. It was a common CR2032 battery, which I changed, and it now works much better. Thanks again ! StuRat (talk) 16:52, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

What sea creature/oddity is this?

It was reddish-brown, roughly the size of an adult hand, and firm but yielding like soft plastic. It's a vague drawing, I know, but -- any ideas? http://imgur.com/VqjeS.png 202.10.93.229 (talk) 23:42, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Mermaid's purse perhaps? FiggyBee (talk) 23:45, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

It does look a lot like some of those pictures, actually. Mystery solved! Thanks a lot, FiggyBee. 202.10.93.229 (talk) 00:00, 26 April 2010 (UTC)