Miscellaneous desk
< March 4	<< Feb \| March \| Apr >>	March 6 >

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.

March 5[edit]

What are all the films made in Germany about defeat to the Western allies in WW2?[edit]

Even though Der Untergang showed surrender, it was to the Soviets.

Besides possibly Die Brucke, what German-made films show surrender to the Western forces? (American, British, French?) So far, they seem pretty sparsely-found. Thanks. --129.130.18.100 (talk) 00:00, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

This question was asked at 08:35 on March 4th on the Humanities desk. If you look there you'll find a good answer, with some suggestions about where to find some. 46.30.55.66 (talk) 15:19, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Sinkholes[edit]

The recent case of the man who died when he fell into a sinkhole that opened up in his bedroom in Florida made me ask this, perhaps obvious question. What's at the bottom of a sinkhole? Rock, water, mud? What would the guy actually have landed on (other than the debris of his house)? --Viennese Waltz 09:06, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Could be any of those, depending on the sinkhole. StuRat (talk) 17:00, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Possibly the vast Florida Aquifer ? 77.99.122.161 (talk) 09:27, 7 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Building in brick and metal[edit]

There have been several new factories built in the Midlands (UK) recently, and these all seem to be built using a big metal frame, with brick walls to about 2m high, and then a 2m or so high metal shed placed on top of the walls. The gym at the school where I used to work was built this way too. Why do this? I understand building in solid brick would be expensive, take longer and probably tricky owing to the height of the walls, but why not just all metal construction? Are they advantages to the combined materials? Thanks! --TrogWoolley (talk) 09:10, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

In the case of steel frame construction (or even in light-frame construction), the exterior walls aren't actually load-bearing walls. As such, there is no structural advantage to what material (or combination of materials) you use. The decision to use a brick base with metal above will be a combination of aesthetics and, perhaps, environmental wearing considerations (maybe metal near ground level would discolor faster than brick, for instance). — Lomn 16:18, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, brick walls are very seldom load-bearing in the modern age. In addition to advantages in aesthetics and wear, they are also easier to maintain by (replacing small patches), and (depending on the brick and wall type) can be more insulating. SemanticMantis (talk) 16:23, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Steel near the ground would be more likely to be scratched (through the protective coating) and have salt-water splashed on it, if near a sidewalk or driveway where salt is applied in winter. Those would both promote rust. Higher up, steel is less likely to be scratched and more likely to be rinsed clean in the rain (although acid rain could still be a problem). StuRat (talk) 17:05, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

As others have noted, masonry holds up better, both in terms of weathering and impact, but it only needs to go up 2m or so. After that, it's more economical to go with steel panels. It also tends to look better to have a substantial base to the building, and it's a lot more secure (as in harder to break in). Acroterion (talk) 02:27, 6 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

How to go about posting a book?[edit]

I have a 432-page, paperback, perfect-bound, 5" x 7.5", 431-gram copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude on my shelf. Why am I telling you this? Well, I wish to mail said book to a friend, using first-class delivery, preferably. I live in the United Kingdom, where we have the Royal Mail postal service. Does anyone have any recommendations as to whether I should pre-package the book, or can I get get the Post Office to package it for me? Can I just stick the book, packaged, in a letter box, with a stamp or label attached? How much will this cost? I have little experience with this sort of thing, so I do apologise. --Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 18:00, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It is generally a good idea to mail a book in a padded envelope or box. Such can usually be bought in a post office or in an office supplies store. Not sure if RM will insure books, but it's also a good idea to do so, in case of loss, damage en-route, or theft. Mailing from the post office is a good thing, since you can be sure if you attached the correct postage or not.

Hope this helps. --Auric talk 18:24, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Padded seems unnecessary, to me, unless the book is rather fragile and/or valuable. Books in good condition are quite tough. It's not like a Fabergé egg. Of course, if your box is too big for the book, then you do need to add padding to keep it from sliding about. You might also want to place the book in a plastic bag and tape that shut, before placing it in the box. This is to protect the book from getting wet, say if a careless postal worker drop it in a puddle. StuRat (talk) 18:27, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

First take a piece of blank white paper and wrap it around the book (use multiple if size requires it). Then make a piece of corrugated cardboard long enough to wrap around the book and wide enough to extend an inch over the two open, remaining sides. Tape the piece so it is taught around the book, and squeeze the centres of the open ends together and tape them shut. Stick this in a plastic bag (or, what is nicer, use plastic wrap), and then into an envelope. This is a very cheap and effective way of packaging a book. The cardboard prevents any mechanical damage, the plastic prevents any water damage, and the white paper prevents the cardboard (which I assume is unbleached) from staining the binding. If you have bleached corrugated cardboard, no need for the white paper. Many books have bindings that are easily cleanable with a damp cloth too, so you can forgo precautions with those as well.

The Royal Mail Price Finder can help you determine prices beforehand, or even buy the postage.--Atethnekos (Discussion, Contributions) 20:08, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

You might get cheaper rates if its declared as 'printed papers' (books, magazines, catalogues etc), but the royal mail website isn't being helpful on when it is cheaper. BTW prices are going up at the start of April. CS Miller (talk) 20:24, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I would follow Miller and Atethnekos' advice. However your friend can probably get that book used at almost any shop, or in good condition for a penny at Amazon. Even if this is a gift, it's likely to be cheeper to buy him an as new copy from a US seller and pay the much lower shipping. μηδείς (talk) 20:32, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks so much for all your help. I shall take your advice into consideration.

Resolved

--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 22:17, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

UDL Universal Design for Learning Creator[edit]

Is there a UDL ( universal design for learning ) creator on the internet? I am looking for an actual creator tool, meaning I can type in the lesson topic, Common Core standards, a students IEP needs, and the creator will give me a drop down menu or checklist that will give me ideas on AT and also what some, most, and all students will learn? This may be according to standards that I have chosen as well. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.251.117.203 (talk) 18:33, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

For ease of reference, this is about Universal Design for Learning. Looie496 (talk) 23:12, 5 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]