Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 May 18

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May 18

1902 edwardvs quarter

I recently found an edwardvs vii dei gratta rex imperator 1902 quarter... does anyone know how much it is worth? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rileymygolden (talk • contribs) 00:16, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Have a look here. Marco polo (talk) 01:22, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

It's very hard to judge the value of coins without inspecting them up-close. The problem is that the condition of the coin is critical to the value - it can sometimes make a difference of a factor of 100 in the price! Coin collectors grade coins very carefully - and it's virtually impossible to do that accurately with a photo. SteveBaker (talk) 01:36, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

As long as the photo is of good quality, you can at least get in the ballpark for coins that are not in mint condition. You could try a google search for a coin collectors forum, since they would be more likely to have more specific knowledge. Googlemeister (talk) 13:37, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

(Tip : As with all antique coins be sure not to try to clean it. That will usually reduce their value. ) APL (talk) 03:14, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Author of the legendary (for its stupidity) Pro-Tip?

Has an author ever been identified for, or confessed to, authoring that legendary Pro-Tip which says (paraphrasing) to shoot the monster until it's dead? 218.25.32.210 (talk) 05:30, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Can someone, possibly the OP, explain what this is referring to? A Google search didn't turn up much at all for me except maybe this blog. I think I'm on the right track considering Protip redirects to GamePro. Dismas|^(talk) 05:39, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Company firewalls prevent me from linking directly, but Googling "protip to defeat the cyberdemon" will take you right to it... 218.25.32.210 (talk) 08:57, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

`Perhaps you could explain what it is about instead? --Saddhiyama (talk) 09:00, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Are you referring to this? Googling those words doesn't take me "right to" anything. The first result is to UrbanDictionary.com. Dismas|^(talk) 09:05, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

It's obviously a famous Protip, as indicated by the Encyclopedia Dramatica entry http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Protip (can't link: spam filter gets it). It appears that it did originate with Gamepro, which gives "Protips" on how to beat video games. This particular "helpful" tip appears to reference Doom (video game). The full text appears to be "To defeat the Cyberdemon, shoot at it until it dies". I am only relating what I'm finding on the internet; I was too young to remember Doom. Buddy431 (talk) 14:12, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Notre dam des apotre --------> correct to Notre Dame Des Apotres and its abbreviation is (NDA)

Copy/paste of the full text of Rod El Farag

Rod El Farag From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to:navigation, search Rod El Farag (Arabic: روض الفرج‎, also spelled Road El Farag, Road Elfarag or Road Alfarag) is currently an administrative region forming about one third of Shobra in Cairo, Egypt. Rod Elfarag neighbours the River Nile to the west, Boulaq to the south, Shobra (administrative region) to the east and Elsahel to the north.

Historically Road Elfarag has been a residential area for centuries and was known in the early twentieth century for its Night clubs.

For many years Road El Farag was home to Cairo's biggest fruit and vegetable market,and the world famous El-nozah candy shop, started in 1940. This candy shop is home of the world famous homemade icecream. If you live in Egypt, stop by today and try some of the icecream or candy. [1] until it was relocated to and area on outskirts of Greater Cairo, like its neighbours it is generally overcrowded (170,000 residents per square kilometre).[2]

The Road el Farag market used to be the largest in all of Egypt and was the reason why many regional farmers and traders settled in Road El Farag area[3] The area were the market used to stand now hosts Road El-Farag Cultural Palace, which stands where the old market used to be.[4]

This district also contains good infrastructure such as the French school Notre dam des apotre and on its cornich there is Arkadia mall that contains famous stores such as Mobcco and Trianon confectionary and cafe.

[edit] References ^ Rough guide ^ Bulaq, Shobra and Road El Farag at Rough guide ^ Aljazeera ^ Ahram weekley

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—Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.235.189.99 (talk) 06:13, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

The original poster copied the entire article, requesting a typo-fix. I have fixed the original article and hidden the post above. Anyone else who wants to take a pass at copy-editing Rod El Farag is more than welcome, the article could use some help. Nimur (talk) 09:43, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Imperial Beach CA. quality of ocean water

How clean or dirty is the water off imperial beach? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ttuna (talk • contribs) 13:15, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

That seems to depend on how recently it's rained. See this article. According to this article, beaches in Imperial Beach were closed as recently as last month. According to recent climate records, San Diego has not had any rainfall since late April. Rainfall is unusual there from May through September. So, the ocean water there is probably okay now. However, I would check with the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health if you have any concerns. Marco polo (talk) 16:37, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Lawn

I have had a lawn in my backyard for over two years. Last spring it was green and healthy but in the summer it wilted. We thought that it was just too hot but in the fall it remained brown but we thought that maybe in the spring it would come back to normal. It hasnt. We have watered and weeded and taken care of it. What can we do to help it be healthy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr toocoolman (talk • contribs) 16:43, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

I apologise if this may sound stupidly obvious, and you may have already tried this, but there is lawn feed that you can buy. They are normally in tablet/capsule or liquid form. Here in the UK there are brands like Evergreen but if you're not from here then I doubt you'll have heard of it :) Chevymontecarlo. 18:23, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

It might be completely dead from drought, even the roots. If it is still brown nearly a year later, then that is what I would conclude. To introduce living material you could either try seeds or fresh new turf. The best way would be to remove the old dead turf so that you had bare earth to put the seeds or new turf on. Rake the bare earth to loosen it. But there is a chance that scarifying the old turf and sowing seeds onto it might work. Keep it moist while the seeds are establishing. Good luck.

If it is green but not as lush as it was, then try using some fertilizer or "lawn feed" as Chevymontecarlo suggested, and you could scatter some seed as well. If the soil is hard or too wet then it may need aerating, where you repeatedly stick a fork into it or go over it with a spiked roller. Update: you may have knocked it back by cutting it too low, especially during the drought period. If it is still green then adjust your lawnmower for a longer cut. Only after it is fully established and healthy can you gradually lower the blade. In other drought periods, raise the blade again. 92.26.59.108 (talk) 20:17, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

( Well, once again my horizon has been broadened by frequent use of Wikipedia. Otherwise, it would never have occurred to me that "It's dead, stick a fork in it" also applies to lawns! DaHorsesMouth (talk) 00:38, 19 May 2010 (UTC) )

Lawns suffer badly when sown on heavy clays that bake dry in the sun. I am relatively lucky in the UK that we get more than our fair share of rain so this baking effect rarely applies. But nevertheless I would agree with 92 above about aeration. Every Spring, for about £20, I get a lawncare contractor to visit my lawn for about 30 minutes with his great big petrol driven rolling machine that punches and lifts thousands of plugs about 4 inches long by 1 inch diameter. After he leaves, I lift all the plugs and either use them for compost, or discard them. And then, I scatter a mixture of lawn sand and lawn seed across the lawn and water them in. The holes give the lawn relief from over-compaction after a typical wet winter, and allow the fertiliser and seed to wash into the plugholes, and so far, I can boast one of the best and greenest lawns in town. Best of luck. By the way, I have neighbours who save their £20 by "forking" holes into their lawns using a standard garden fork, but I think they are kidding themselves as they are not removing any material, merely further compacting the soil around the tines. 92.30.74.114 (talk) 18:19, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

I've been in lawn care for some years now and it sounds to me as if something else is going on here. Is there any animal activity on the lawn (birds digging, etc.). Have a dig around in the soil and look for grubs. Specifically Chafer Grubs or Leatherjackets. You say you have been watering and taking care of it, does this mean you have put down a lot of fertiliser? If so you may have burnt it. Grass doesn't need feeding too much to just grow normally, it gets fed to make it green up nicely and thicken. If you haven't got grass left then putting down fertliser won't make any grow, and if you seed while there is a problem underground, then the seeds/new grass will soon die. Also you might like to think about whether it could have been a fungal infection such as Red Thread or more likely Fusarium. Good Luck. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.109.194.40 (talk) 07:49, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Well we live in New Mexico so thats why we wernt scared at first but it dosent seem to be the heat and I cant find any signs of animals except for our dog and our kids. Should we just burn it and replant? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr toocoolman (talk • contribs) 18:05, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

What colour is the lawn? Has it turned green after being brown last summer, or is it still brown? If its still brown, then it's dead and you need to start again. 92.28.253.142 (talk) 14:52, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

Yeah, by all means try reseeding. Break the ground up a bit and rake out any crap. Put the seed down with a bit of compost/soil mixed into it and try to keep it wet while it germinates. I'm in the south of England so my knowledge of New Mexico weather/soil is limited I'm afraid.91.109.194.40 (talk) 23:19, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Podcast paid-for features

Ok, so I'm requesting some advice from other users regarding a podcast I'm subscribed to. Recently it's spawned a paid-for version which has more episodes per week, plus some bonus content. Before this, the podcast was free and the free part of the podcast is still being updated.

My question to you is - should I subscribe to this podcast? It's American, and since I'm in England and the prices are in Dollars I'm not sure how it would work if I was going to pay. Would it be worth getting the paid podcast?

I have been a subscriber to the free podcast for many years and it's great, but I'm not so sure about paying a monthly subscription for a new part of the podcast and then getting bored of it or running out of money. What can I do and how would the currency that I pay change from GB Pounds to US Dollars? Chevymontecarlo. 18:29, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

I can't advise on whether or not you ought to subscribe (other than to say that if you get bored, be sure to unsubscribe), but credit cards are a good simple way to manage the currency conversion. Your statement will show up in pounds and you'll all-but-certainly get an exchange rate with minimal overhead. — Lomn 21:22, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

I'd imagine that it would work like the times that I've traveled to other countries. I pay with my credit card company works out the exchange rate. Although, it may appear strange in your online statement at first. When I went to Canada a few years ago, the dollar amount that was taken out of my account was in Canadian dollars. Then later in the day it was converted to American dollars and I suddenly had more money than when the sums were in Can. dollars. Dismas|^(talk) 08:14, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

property

is a living animal, such as a dog or cat, considered to be property? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.27.140.198 (talk) 19:45, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

In the UK I suggest that all animals are property. This is implicit in the legal need for all people who own animals to treat them without cruelty and to be responsible for the misdeeds of the animal. Some animals are very valuable and will have some form of medical and/or loss insurance attached to them which again implies they are someone's property. You could try stealing someone's dog or horse or even hamster and see if the "owner" or the police have an opinion. Whatever you do don't tell the cats because they are convinced the ownership is the other way round. Caesar's Daddy (talk) 20:12, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Note that it is a very particular form of "property"—in most other property, you can do what you want with it (if I want to destroy my television, that's within my rights, if it's mine). With dogs, cats, etc., there are other regulations involved—you cannot treat them as "just" property, you have certain other obligations regarding their care, treatment, control, etc. --Mr.98 (talk) 20:24, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

(Edit Conflict) This has varied by era, culture, jurisdiction, individual philosophy, whether the animal is domesticated or wild, in the latter case who owns the land it's on, and who is doing the considering, so the general question is too vague to generate anything more than the general answer of "it depends," and debate which is not what the Reference Desks are for. If you have a more specific context in mind (e.g. 21st-century downtown New York), we may be able to give specific answers for it. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 20:13, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

The OP specifically mentioned dog and cat, which are typically household pets, and of course they are owned. The owner has certain responsibilites and legal obligations with them, just as with kids. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:37, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

I'm guessing you knew this, but I don't know whether the 'kids' example is a good one, since many people are not going to consider kids the property of their parents. However in many countries there are plenty of laws which restrict what you can and cannot do with what most people would agree is property (i.e. I'm not talking about children or pets). Nil Einne (talk) 00:14, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Kids are not quite "property", but they are not "free" in the way adults are either; they are under care and responsibility of their parents. They are like "property" in some sense, just not the way a dog or cat would be. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:51, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Kids certainly aren't "free" - they're extremely expensive, in my experience. Ghmyrtle (talk) 17:03, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Regardless of laws, yes, the de facto situation is generally "this is my pet, I own him, I control him, I do what I want with him. If I want to feed my dog pig brains, you are going to stand here and watch it and not say a damn word. My dog, do you understand?!" Any ideas to the contrary would be met with hard cynicism. Vranak (talk) 13:03, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

See the article Animal rights. In many jurisdictions legal authorities have power to search and seize where cruelty to animals is suspected. This is often enforced for farm animals. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:38, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Abuse of both animals and children is typically illegal. The specifics of what constitutes abuse may differ. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:52, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Another hopelessly incorrect answer from Vranak. I'm not sure what country you are in, Vranak, but in much of the world, if you abuse a dog that you own, you can go to jail. Dog fighting can land you in prison for years and with hundreds of thousands of dollars in prison fines, in the United States. --Mr.98 (talk) 22:29, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Try civility 98. Anyway, I'm talking about attitudes, not laws. Vranak (talk) 02:43, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Well, you're still hopelessly wrong, as usual. Abuse of pets is not tolerated by most people in the Western world. The laws don't get there by magic and they are enforced. When big stories come out about, say, football players who abuse dogs, it leads to huge amounts of outcry against the players, their teams, etc. I see zero evidence of toleration of animal cruelty. People identify pets with family members and are readily supportive of them in general (by contrast, they are more tolerant about treatment of livestock and food animals). --Mr.98 (talk) 14:45, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Supplementary questions
If someone's male dog/cat runs loose and impregnates my bitch/catess are they bound to take ownership of the resulting puppies/kittens? Can I sell them if they are valuable pedigree puppies/kittens? If a champion stallion similarly impregnates my filly can I keep the foal and maybe race him? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:38, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

I think, absent of a contract saying otherwise (and any planned impregnations involving valuable animals would have contracts associated with them), the owner of the female owns the offspring. Nothing else really makes sense, due to the difficulty of proving paternity - it can be done now, at a cost, but I'm not aware of any changes in the law to make use of that new ability. If you behaved dishonestly in order to get your female pregnant, there may be laws regarding fraud, etc. that are relevant. --Tango (talk) 16:46, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Anyone who allows a pedigreed animal to run around freely outside is pretty much asking for trouble. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:53, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Can you sue for puppy support? That seems to be the norm for human interactions of this type. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 21:33, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Lol - and I doubt it. The owner of the bitch is responsible for the puppies. But, if you can afford paternity testing for the puppies (and can get permission to test the other dog) it'd be interesting to try! --203.202.43.53 (talk) 08:39, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

collecting cost data from a hospital

hi,

How do I collect the cost data for calculating fixed cost and variable cost per day, for a ct scan machine for a given hospital? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Avinash madhukar (talk • contribs) 20:02, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Do you mean a CAT Scan machine? Chevymontecarlo. 05:38, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Presumably Avinash means CT scan —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.202.43.53 (talk) 07:41, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

I am no expert but in the absence of one I would suggest you think about everything you will need to operate a CT scan machine and for each item decide whether it is a fixed cost or a variable cost. You will accumulate a list that might include the cost of a machine (bought or leased?), the cost of a building to house it in (rented or purchased?), the service and maintenance of the machine. The procurement of suitable staff to operate the machine. (full time, part time?) A power source for the machine, and so the list proceeds. When you have completed your list you will then need to individually source the cost of each item. I know this sounds as though it is commissioning a new machine and service but essentially that is how you will need to approach the problem. I am concerned that if you have to ask on this desk you may have some serious problems. The only other suggestion I have is to date someone from the finance department of your local hospital! 86.4.186.107 (talk) 08:43, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Cartoon

Does anyone know where I can buy the entire collection of Thorgal cartoons? Joneleth (talk) 20:28, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Amazon.co.uk seems to offer a good selection [1]. Karenjc 20:47, 18 May 2010 (UTC)