Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 September 2

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September 2

Argument

How does one avoid an argument in face of grave provocation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.206.8.118 (talk) 04:58, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

You are maddeningly vague, but if you were to explain the circumstances, whatever they are, many people would argue that if provoked severely, an argument can be preferable to the alternative. Anyway, one obvious answer without any details is "turn and walk away". Tempshill (talk) 05:47, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Tempshill to call someone "maddening" can cause arguments!

Smile and thank the person for being frank. But don't make the mistake of being like them. I think he shows it can be done.Cuddlyable3 (talk) 07:40, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

I fixed your broken link, Cuddly. Hope you don't mind. Vimescarrot (talk) 13:18, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

I prefer behaving wildly inappropriate to the provocation. For example, if someone is trying deliberately to start an arguement, it can be wonderfully entertaining if you wink at them; the goal should be to send them into an uncontrollable apoplexy, while keeping your own temper nonexistant. It can be quite fun to watch someone, who is trying to get you upset, instead lose their mind while you remain calm and happy. Think of it as an opportunity for entertainment... --Jayron32 12:00, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Just keep repeating "I know you are, but what am I?" Edison (talk) 15:52, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

What you want to do is be an adult. If they're being angry and provocative, they're being a child. So you want to bring them back to the adult phase somehow. Businesses conduct classes on this kind of thing: active listening, conflict resolution, that kind of thing. One technique is to echo back what they're saying, in calm terms. Like, "I hear you saying that this-this-and-this..." Of course, it all depends on what the confrontation is about. Can you give us any clues? I'm assuming we're talking a conversation here, and not a holdup man putting a gun in your back. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 17:26, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Symbol of Omotesenke

Urasenke's symbol is the ginko leaf; does Omotesenke have a symbol, and if so what is it? Exploding Boy (talk) 06:14, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

what is blue water navy?

what does blue water navy mean? as compared to what other types of navy, yellow, brown etc? isnt all water blue? this confuses me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.202.43.53 (talk) 08:38, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Blue-water navy, Brown-water navy, Green-water navy. -Arch dude (talk) 09:07, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

And, for completeness, Color of water. -- Coneslayer (talk) 12:09, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

A blue water navy is one that goes well out to sea. As compared to coastal forces, etc.86.202.24.149 (talk) 14:31, 2 September 2009 (UTC)DT

Why don't people at least search for the topic before asking? DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 05:04, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Search me!86.202.31.28 (talk) 08:33, 3 September 2009 (UTC)DT

Admittedly, since the introduction of the very blatant "search" box in the Ref Desk header, the number of questions which could be solved by a simple Wikipedia search have gone down (at least, in my impression :) ). — QuantumEleven 12:55, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

bicylce race

Do you know where the race takes place in which the cyclists are trying to go the least distance from the starting point while continuing to pedal their bikes? I think it is some place in India —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jaxman (talk • contribs) 13:27, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Venpalakara? It sounds like a "slow race". AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 14:29, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

It sounds exactly like a "slow bicycle race", which used to be a feature of sports days when I was a kid. I never heard of one being run on a larger scale than that, though. I doubt it would be much fun, since a professional cyclist can usually balance their bike while stopped. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:59, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

It sounds boring as hell. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 07:37, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Tell that to people who take part in walking races several Km long, better yet, tell it to the spectators. 91.85.182.217 (talk) 08:47, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

At least in those walking races, people are moving, not sitting still. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 16:56, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Walking races are mostly about who gets away with the most cheating. There are three basic rules:

1. Keep one foot on the ground.
2. Don't bend your knees.
3. Look as goony as possible at all times.

There are judges all around the race course monitoring this. Cheat too many times and you lose. PhGustaf (talk) 17:14, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Model testing

Hi, I've got some empirical data gathered (the frequency of some events happening), and a model that I suspect is responsible. How do I test whether this model is an accurate fit for the data? Would a simple test of significance for correlation suffice, or do I need to do a more sophisticated test? 79.72.212.113 (talk) 18:21, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

I recommend asking this on the mathematics page. DOR (HK) (talk) 06:19, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

impact force from braking

Question relocated to the Science Desk. --Anon, 22:58 UTC, Sept. 2/009.

Road Construction Worker sign: what is the part in the lower right?

I've never been able to make sense of the lower right portion of this orange sign, which is commonly seen at road construction zones in the US. What do the two black shapes (one angular, one rounded) at the end of the worker's pole (in the lower right part of the sign) represent? --Lph (talk) 21:12, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Probably either a shovel and a pile of dirt or some other non-descript earth-moving tool. It may be intentionally vague. --Jayron32 21:15, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

It's a guy shoveling a pile of dirt. APL (talk) 21:18, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

The normal "Men at work" sign is a fella shovelling earth, but that one looks like a man using a crowbar to lift a rock as in: [1]. Fribbler (talk) 21:31, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Just generic shapes being modified by a generic tool. Keep in mind these signs are only intended to suggest, not to be specific. I'm surprised no one asked about the guy's head being severed. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 21:36, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

He's a priest, Bugs. Keep it together man. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:49, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Verily, his is holy work. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 21:50, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

I think the angular part is supposed to be a hole, the rounded part a shovelfull of earth that he's removing from the hole. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 21:49, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

In this version we see angular man with feet sunk in mud and basketball head at work prodding a recalcitrant shark from a mud puddle. Bus stop (talk) 22:22, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

You guys are relentless. :) hydnjo (talk) 22:46, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Indeed. I used to have several relents, but I donated them to charity. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 13:14, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Caution: Men opening umbrellas. Adam Bishop (talk) 23:40, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

The British version of the sign has a simple black triangle at the end of the workman's stick. At times it resembles a guy struggling with an umbrella, but I'm sure the intention is that it represents a guy shovelling a pile of dirt/sand. Astronaut (talk) 01:51, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Archimedes shows you don't need that big a lever to move earth. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:33, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Caution: Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead. --ColinFine (talk) 07:50, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

OK, here we go: I always felt that the rounded part was a mound of dirt, but it seemed to be leaning over strangely. Perhaps it started like this: but they had to lean the mound over to fit it on the sign. It would be interesting to hear from the designer(s) of the sign; anyone know who that might have been? --Lph (talk) 13:19, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Anyone else remember the scene in Jurassic Park where Dr. Grant is in a tree offering a giant tree branch to a large dinosaur? APL (talk) 16:42, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Clearly one should expect "Stingray Wrestling Ahead" 218.25.32.210 (talk) 09:02, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

Such very simple road signs are a fairly recent development, apparently intended to be quickly taken in and unambiguous, with chunky graphics. I have seen picture of much older U.S. road signs which were far more detailed, but idiosyncratic to a particular state or town, and unclear in their meaning. For instance, a detailed picture of a snail was posted, not to advertise escargot, but to caution drivers to "drive slowly." In the U.S. the pictures were simplified around the time the highly reflective "retroreflective"signs were introduced, in the 1960's. Here are some more detailed 1950 signs The "man digging" is far more realistic. The one of the gas pump looks like a man staring into a hose. Edison (talk) 15:45, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

I always thought that guy was brushing the teeth of an orca. Pfly (talk) 08:37, 8 September 2009 (UTC)