Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 December 6

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December 6

Marriage

Oh my god, I love my girlfriend!!!!!

What is the best way to tell her that I want to be with her forever? Account only to be able to create redirects while drunk (talk) 00:59, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Ummm, a ring comes to mind. You know, the ones that signify to the world your intention to commit to her by the formal ceremony you link in your post here. You could also actually say something to her like "Oh my god, I love [you]... I want to be with [you] forever."--71.247.123.9 (talk) 01:07, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

You could slip off the condom, knock her up, and then say "Now your stuck with me FOREVER! YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE ME. MUHAHAHAHA". Or, you know, you can get a ring and take her out for a nice dinner and propose marriage and that sort of thing. Whatever works better for you. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:28, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Suggestion: not on Facebook, MySpace, or Wikipedia. --- OtherDave (talk) 04:31, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Yahoo! Answers would be perfect. --Fullobeans (talk) 06:35, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Also make sure your not creating redirects when you make the decision (and pop the question) Nil Einne (talk) 11:56, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

After all this excellent advice I would humbly suggest you check her feelings and commitment before bombing in at the deep end. Richard Avery (talk) 13:54, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery magazine

Some 20 years ago,I remember seeing an Indian edition of the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery magazine being sold at Indian railway stations. I tried to find out whether it is still being published or if not, about its fate. I tried googling , with no success. Can anyone help me on this? sumal (talk) 04:40, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Our article Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine lists the publisher and the website for the magazine - but that's probably not the Indian edition. However, there is a "Contact Us" and "Customer service" link there with email addresses - so if I were you, I'd email them and ask. The US edition certainly seems to be in print and thriving. According to their site, they accept both US and overseas subscriptions - so you could certainly obtain it anywhere in the world via mail. SteveBaker (talk) 15:20, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I have already written them following your advice. Thanks a million!! sumal (talk) 10:56, 11 December 2008 (UTC)

holding pages together through history

How old are three-ring binders? I was surprised to see Artemus Gordon use one in "The Night of the Falcon". —Tamfang (talk) 06:08, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

According to the Wikipedia article, a patent for a ring binder was issued in Germany in 1886. --Fullobeans (talk) 08:25, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Off by about a decade, then (it's well established that Ulysses Grant is President at the time of the series). Thanks. —Tamfang (talk) 08:48, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

Why do many free-market conservatives oppose free markets in housing and land use?

That is, why do many of them support exclusionary zoning and NIMBY policies? Even Thomas Sowell, in Markets and Minorities, has noted the upward redistributive effect of such regulations. I thought free-market conservatives oppose redistribution, so I don't understand why they would support it in these areas.

Whom have you in mind, and what's your reason for using the "free-market" label? Republicans may like to paint themselves as defenders of free markets, but for the most part such a claim is either hypocritical or clueless. — I'm curious about "even Thomas Sowell"; do you see him as less of a free-marketer than most conservatives, or what? — It's hard to say which is scarcer in politics: putting principle before interest, or willingness to follow a chain of consequences beyond the first step. To get to the point: Most people who advocate the policies you mention, if they consider anything beyond the immediate effect on themselves, probably see them as preservation rather than redistribution. —Tamfang (talk) 07:13, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Duchin Silver

I have a pair of sterling silver candlesticks with the name Duchin - weighted on the underside. They belonged to my grandmother and I would like some information on the company that made them. I have googled and all I find is eBay to buy or Peter/Eddy Duchin the musicians.

Thank you for any information you can provide. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.248.53.172 (talk) 07:08, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Using Google is an art...try searching for Duchin silver candlestick - I got close to a thousand appropriate-looking hits. Lots of the hits are auction sites - but you've got to expect that - people don't often write web pages about particular kinds of candlesticks unless they are trying to sell them to you! So search for Duchin silver candlestick -auction -ebay - the minus signs mean "NOT" - so that finds sites that are not auctions or ebay - and you still get 270-ish hits. Good luck! SteveBaker (talk) 15:06, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Euthanasia in Andalusia

How legal is it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.177.41.94 (talk) 13:20, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Not at all legal in my recent experience. There is still much Catholic Church influence in many of Spain's socio/criminal laws and this is a good example 86.4.188.125 (talk) 13:50, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

At the movies with The Fat Man Who Never Came Back

In the hopes of nabbing an Oscar nomination, studios release a good number of serious and high-quality movies at the end of the year. The Fat Man enjoys these sorts of movies, and his tastes tend toward the dark and gritty. In December of 2007, he enjoyed There Will Be Blood and Eastern Promises and, to a slightly lesser extent, Control and No Country for Old Men. However, this year, the Fat Man has not left his apartment except to go buy cheese and more alcohol and is unaware of what movies might be out there at this time. Besides the typically dark/sweeping film noir stuff, he also enjoys very small, intimate movies about adolescence/family drama, etc. (for example, this year's The Wackness was excellent). Over-the-top dark comedies are nice too. Recommendations please?--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 15:59, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

We seem to have compatible tastes but it has been a terrible couple of year for movies looking at the big picture. So much retread and unwillingness to bet on anything but lowest common denominator formula (which includes The Dark Knight, though I know 99% of humanity disagrees with me). The best I can think of within your parameters of recent times is Tell No One (though a foreign film) on the dark and gritty front, Hot Fuzz and Burn After Reading on the comedy front, and The Squid and the Whale on the intimate adolescence/family drama front. You asked about recent films, but given your tastes, have you ever seen Blood Simple? (in my opinion, the greatest example of gritty noir ever). I would also recommend Miller's crossing from the same directors.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 17:14, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

I've seen all Coen Brothers films, most of them many times, with the exception their last one (which you mentioned above)--was it any good? Keep in mind that right now I am only asking about 2008 films I could go see in a theater (though if, as you suggest, there are simply no good movies out there, I'll have to accept that). Your have offered some good Netflix recommendations, but that's a different question entirely.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 17:23, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Tell No One was released in the US in 2008 and is still playing near me, though I am in NYC, which offers a moviegoing selection many other locations do not. I have not seen a great deal of what is playing right now, so following your clarifiction that it must be in theaters now, I have little to offer. Everyone's raving about Slumdog Millionaire though. Burn after Reading was quite enjoyable but not anywhere in the league of, for example, The Big Lewbowski. Sorry for the general irrelevance of my post.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 17:38, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

It wasn't irrelevant; I've been meaning to see The Squid and the Whale for some years now and have now added it to my Netlfix queue, thanks to you. I need to read a couple reviews of Tell No One and Burn After Reading; they might be up my alley. Nothing in this world will ever the surpass The Big Lebowski, so I have no such expectations. My favorite lesser-appreciated Coen Brothers offerings are Barton Fink (love the surreal/nightmarish quality and the writer's block angle) and The Man Who Wasn't There (gorgeous, mundane and tragic).

Back to the topic at hand, If anyone knows anything about recent Oscar-worthy releases, please weigh in.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 17:49, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Milk (film) is in theaters. Not a lot of blood, but I hear you can see Sean Penn's donger. My town is too small for a film about an openly gay man to be shown here. The local gentry shall have none of that kind of controversy because the simple folk are not able to handle entertaining depictions of people who are different than they. I have to wait 2 more weeks I think. Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars. If you see it, read my 2-month endeavor. --Moni3 (talk) 17:44, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

That sounds like a very good idea; I love Sean Penn (the actor; not the surly RL know-it-all--was that a BLP violation?). As someone who grew up in a backwater wasteland, I sympathize with your having to wait many, many months before seeing a film of any redeeming quality. It's far too easy for city slickers like Fuhgettaboutit and me to take these luxuries for granted; since I have the world at my fingertips, I figure I should leave the apartment every now and then (even though it costs eleven bloody dollars for a ticket these days).--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 17:58, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

And as usual, beautiful work on the Featured Article, Moni3.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 17:59, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

I'm also an admirer of The Man Who Wasn't There—another reason I'm glad I supported you for ArbCom. Unfortunately, I, like you, very rarely make it to the cinema these days, so I have no recommendations whatever for you. Deor (talk) 22:14, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

It's not exactly in the line you mentioned, but I'm really looking forward to seeing the current release Synecdoche, New York, which is directed by Charlie Kaufman, who wrote my favorite-movie-ever, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. --Sean 23:40, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

I'm a big Charlie Kaufman fan; that one is going at the top of my list.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 21:58, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Let us not forget Australia (2008 film), Frost/Nixon (film), Doubt (film), Seven Pounds, The Wrestler (2008 film), and Revolutionary Road (film) . Little Red Riding Hoodtalk 04:44, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Please add Wanted to the list of movies worth seeing this year, I'd also recommend American Gangster although our article says it's a 2007 film. Apart from this I'd also say that in recent years nothing special was to be seen - with the exception of (IMHO that is) Crash. --Ouro (blah blah) 08:16, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Wow, those all sound promising (I especially like the idea of a tragic story of a professional wrestler, treated seriously); I wasn't even aware of most of those films. Also, during Milk, which I saw yesterday at Moni3's recommendation, I saw a preview of Sunshine Cleaning, which intrigues.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 21:58, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

May I recommend Let the Right One In —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.109.250.62 (talk) 09:42, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

I agree on Let the Right One In. Very interesting. Vancouver dreaming (talk) 15:11, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

After re-reading the OPs question, I'm putting forward... Let Them Chirp Awhile, Adoration and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.109.250.62 (talk) 20:48, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

Fur coat terminology

Is there a special term for the kind of fur coat which has the heads(and sometimes the paws) of one or more animals still attached to the collar? 69.224.113.5 (talk) 17:15, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

"Fur protestor baiting coat"? ~ mazca ^t|c 18:52, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

I think the term is "full pelt". Marco polo (talk) 03:28, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

If the article Pelage is more than live animals, perhaps the distinction can be included there. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:28, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

How about "Trophy coat" ? DOR (HK) (talk) 09:40, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

Food stamps a hurdle to unemployment compensation

If i were to be approved for food stamp benefits after already getting unemployment would i no longer be eligible for UC. What i want to know is if i have to report any food stamp funds when filing UC claims. This relates to the SNAP federal food stamp program.--logger (talk) 22:06, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

We are not able or qualified to provide legal advice, but my understanding is that your eligibility for unemployment compensation in the United States is not affected by other benefits or sources of income such as food stamps. As I understand it (and I may be wrong, so you might want to check with a professional, such as a social worker), your eligibility for unemployment depends only on whether you were laid off or fired for a reason (you get benefits only if you were laid off), and the conditions of your employment (how many months you worked for your employer, how many hours you worked per week). The exact eligibility conditions, I think, vary from state to state. You might do a Google search on the terms "unemployment compensation eligibility <name_of_your_state>", e.g. "unemployment compensation eligibility California". Marco polo (talk) 23:04, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

I found what i was looking for in my state UC is considered unearned income when determining eligibility for food stamps.--logger (talk) 23:46, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Point of information: Earned income is given a preference in food stamp calculations. For example, in my state (not sure whether there is a uniform national standard), only 80 percent of earned income is counted when calculating food stamp benefits. Also, disabled individuals are allowed to count medical expenses (thereby effectively reducing their income counted for food stamps)```` —Preceding unsigned comment added by Boomerpdx (talk • contribs) 00:14, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Unemployment compensation may indeed affect eligibility for food stamps. I thought that the question was whether getting food stamps affected eligibility for unemployment compensation, which I'm fairly sure it doesn't. The scenario Logger gave was that food stamp benefits were approved after getting unemployment comp. So obviously the unemployment comp did not disqualify this person for food stamps. Nor should food stamps affect eligibility for unemployment comp, since food stamps are not employment. Marco polo (talk) 03:21, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

I just want to be sure that getting food stamps will not stop me from being eligible for UC. I decided to go for food stamps after being determined eligible for UC.--logger (talk) 05:53, 7 December 2008 (UTC)