Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 April 29

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April 29

permanent

Are stretch marks permanent? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.57.155.34 (talk) 14:24, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

Google <Stretch marks removal> and you will have your answer.Froggie34 (talk) 14:27, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

See our Stretch mark article. --Kvasir (talk) 17:57, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

Or we could just tell you the answer: They can diminish over time - but not disappear completely. SteveBaker (talk) 03:15, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Air Force

How long do you have to do service in the US Air force? Homework2 ^{pass a note}sign! 17:01, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

For all US Armed Forces, DD Form 4 specifies an initial enlistment of at least 8 years (combined active and reserve service). Length of service for officers (particularly commissioned officers) may vary, but I'd expect that it doesn't drop below 8 years. — Lomn 17:49, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

This Air Force FAQ mentions the "National Call to Service" program, which is 8 years minimum as usual, but differs in a few ways from ordinary enlistment. The early news articles about this program like this one from 2003, say that at the time about 1% of recruits qualified. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:55, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

Also, it will depend on your job. Pilots need a 10 year minimum. Googlemeister (talk) 19:47, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

Yeah....I'm gonna be a pilot...10 years...long time. Thanks!Homework2 ^{pass a note}sign! 01:46, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

I had a friend who met all of the qualifications for being an Air Force officer, except that he had a maloccluded (sp?) jaw, and therefore couldn't wear a pilot's mask, so was disqualified from being an officer, period, regardless as to whether he was going to be a pilot or not. Woogee (talk) 21:50, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

uk 2010 election

what time to the polls close? and open? to i need to book the time off work to go and vote? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.59.90 (talk) 17:39, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

7.00 am to 9.00 pm. It should tell you on your poll card, if you don't have a card you may not be able to vote. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.4.186.107 (talk) 17:43, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

7am to 10pm on my poll card, not 9. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:46, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

Mine reads, "This card is for information only. You can vote without it, but it will save you time if you take it to the polling station and show it to the clerk there." --Homantin (talk) 18:07, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

Mine doesn't read at all, it's an inanimate object. I however, shall now fetch my outer level of clothing. Prokhorovka (talk) 18:19, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

I believe Homantin intends you to understand the second definition of the verb read here[1]. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:22, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, but if you don't have a card, there's a good chance you didn't register to vote. Lots of people aren't very clear on what they need to do, and whether they've done it: whether or not you received a poll card is a good simple check of whether you're going to be able to vote. If you did, you can. If you didn't, you might not be able to. 86.178.225.111 (talk) 20:47, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

I thought as part of PSHEC most sixth form schools and colleges organise 18-year-olds to register as voters. Local council sends a up-date-the-voters'-register letter to each and every household yearly. Loads of government ads via different media. It is not clear what else could have been done. --Homantin (talk) 22:07, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

What is it that we might do which we might think was registering to vote but actually wasn't? 86.21.204.137 (talk) 22:32, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

I don't know. I don't know what else could be done, I just know a lot of people I meet are extremely vague on how exactly one comes to be able to vote, and the actual process isn't always that memorable. Some people live in shared households, and so someone else might register them to vote: they don't always know, and don't always realise they need to actively do something when they move elsewhere. I've met people who think filling in the census in 2001 was enough, and people who expect the authorities to 'just know' since they pay taxes and rates. I've met people who think having valid ID is enough, a passport or drivers licence. People don't always remember which forms they've filled in. I've generally been 'the one' who filled in the form in shared households, and most people have said variations of "Go on then, might as well", acting a bit surprised.

I do know that it wasn't covering at all in my school, and a lot of people still do not attend sixth form or other colleges. I also know that most people I meet have shockingly bad recall of what they were told in school :P 86.178.225.111 (talk) 23:09, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

Can you not register to vote at the poll in the UK? I know for a fact that you can in Canada. Thus, if you're a citizen of voting age, you can just show up with your driver's license on voting day at a poll in your area and they'll let you register and vote. flagitious 07:03, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

No. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 07:41, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

Wow I thought that sort of thing was relatively universal... my bad. flagitious 07:51, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

You can't even do that in Australia, where we have compulsory voting. You have to get your name on the electoral roll first, and then and only then can you satisfy your legal obligation to vote. If you turn up at a polling booth having not registered for the electoral roll by the deadline, you'll be turned away. But you'll never be fined for not voting; that only applies to people who've registered, but failed to vote without good reason. But you may be fined for failing to register, which is a mandatory requirement separate from the requirement to vote. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 13:05, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

You can't register at the polling station? I've done that in Canada...I had just moved, so I think I had to bring two pieces of ID, and a bill or credit card statement with my new address on it. It took awhile to fill out all the forms and make it legal, but it can be done. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:31, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

Definitely not. The deadline for getting onto the electoral roll closes a few days after the election is called; it's been an issue in the past, when governments have closed the rolls without much warning, effectively disenfranchising many young people who'd turned 18 since the previous election but hadn't got around to registering yet. They would undoubtedly have some information at the polling booths for unregistered people who turn up hoping to vote; but as for filling out forms and getting registered there and then - nope, it doesn't work that way here. People who are already on the roll but change their address and fail to have their details changed by the deadline are still required to vote as living at their old address. Depending on where they're now living, that may require an absentee, pre-poll or postal vote. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:52, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

In NZ, you have to enrol before election day [2] [3] or you can't vote. Enrolment is compulsory but unenforced, voting is not. In terms of the thing above about closing the registration/enrolment early, in Malaysia it tends to close quite early, often the end of the year before the election. As young people are the least likely to be enrolled and also on average less likely to supporting the governing party ([{Barisan Nasional]], this has been fairly controversial particular in the 1999 election. Also while I too find it odd people don't know how to enrol/register, particularly in this internet age, there are probably various reasons, e.g. for some people it just doesn't matter so much so they don't pay attention or whatever. After all people can forget to vote [4] [5] (or at least they say they did). Nil Einne (talk) 04:17, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Everything you need to know about registering to vote in the UK is covered here. Basically, if you think you may not be registered, or if you need to update your details because your address has changed, then you call your local electoral registration office, they send you a form, you fill it in and send it back. You can also download the form. Gandalf61 (talk) 10:56, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

It is worth noting, however, that the deadline to register to vote on May 6th has passed. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 12:52, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

1992/93 Courage League

Who were relegated and promoted?

I think I have Saracens and West Hartlepool, London Scottish being relegated with 1 other teams, but which?

It is not clear who was promoted that year either - could you help?

thx in advx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.192.224 (talk) 23:02, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

This site has Rugby as the fourth team relegated. Dalliance (talk) 11:53, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

Newcastle-Gosforth won Division Two in 1992/93 and was promoted. They were relegated the following season. Zoonoses (talk) 14:33, 1 May 2010 (UTC)