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October 3

ISIS on the Philippines / Las Vegas Massacre

As ISIS has claimed right away responsibility right after, and the 100.000 USDollars Paddock wired to the Philippines, i was wondering that after the Philippines Security and armed Forces have recently battled against a ISIS Stronghold at some Island (???), if the Terror Org. has been successfully beaten, or do they still exist there, as that News has internationally came out of Focus ? Thanks therefor if someone can shed some light upon that. --2001:7E8:D206:4501:FCF0:6491:B312:87B4 (talk) 18:28, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

See Moro_conflict#Duterte (2016–present). StuRat (talk) 18:44, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Thank you. But there stands nothing about ISIS ?? --2001:7E8:D206:4501:FCF0:6491:B312:87B4 (talk) 19:20, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

How about...

• Solomon, Ben C.; Villamor, Felipe (1 September 2017). "In City of Ruins, Philippines' Battle Against ISIS Rages On". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 October 2017.

2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 22:57, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

One thing to understand is that the Philippines' terrorist groups were never truly a part of ISIS. They found it convenient to claim that they were, when ISIS was successful, but now that ISIS is in retreat, they may no longer find it convenient to claim so. Any actual cooperation between them was always quite minimal. And note that ISIS did the same, and claimed to be a part of al-Qaeda, back when it was the predominant terrorist org. StuRat (talk) 15:03, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

However, ISIS "central command" is providing support to the Philippine branch:

• Emont, Jon; Villamor, Felipe (20 July 2017). "ISIS' Core Helps Fund Militants in Philippines, Report Says". The New York Times.

—2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 19:55, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

According to that source: "The Islamic State’s ability to financially support its Philippine offshoots appears limited mainly to periodic Western Union transfers of tens of thousands of dollars, the report found, suggesting that direct support from Syria was a relatively minor factor in the Maute Group’s ability to seize Marawi. The report argues that local recruiting and fund-raising among pious Muslims who resented the Philippines’ central government have probably played a more significant role in the insurgents’ successes." Tens of thousands of dollars isn't much on the scale of money ISIS once possessed, in the billions, and certainly not enough to overthrow the government of the Philippines. StuRat (talk) 21:09, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, but it does indicate direct contact and coordination, as well as providing "international recruits to help local militants seize territory in the Philippines for the caliphate." 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 21:35, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

October 4

Fluff

Is it legal to burn your fluff with a blowtorch?. Also what precautions must one take? !149.254.235.11 (talk) 00:39, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

What type of fluff? Like marshmallow fluff? If so this may be helpful.--Jayron32 01:20, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

If you keep it in a silo, don't burn it as soon as you get it, or you might explode. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:08, October 4, 2017 (UTC)

The ip geolocates to the UK, where fluff may be a polite euphemism for flatulence, as it is in NZ. Akld guy (talk) 02:23, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

Well then, you might explode. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:33, October 4, 2017 (UTC)

The user could try it and see how it works out. And whether he reports back or not, we'll know. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 03:35, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

Exploding isn't always fatal. And curious online fluff torchers aren't always male. But yeah, they're pretty safe bets. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:24, October 4, 2017 (UTC)

I 'geolocate' to the UK as well and never in my 7 decades have I heard anybody refer to a fart as fluff. Trump, yes, but not fluff. Richard Avery (talk) 08:01, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

reference. I've heard several elderly ladies use the term that way. Akld guy (talk) 09:48, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

It was one of the standard term used in my family during my childhood (at least, in my presence): "pump" was also commonly used (which amusingly clashed with the term for a gymnasium shoe used in certain areas (e.g. Yorkshire) but not others (e.g. Kent)). That was, of course, half a century ago. On the other hand, I never heard "trump" being used in this context until the election campaign of the current POTUS. I suspect these and other terms are highly dependent on region and family culture: I wonder if anyone has included them in a linguistic study of regional vocabularies? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 2.217.210.199 (talk) 16:09, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

I've never heard fluff used here in northern England in that sense, but the OED has "A puff; a quick, short blast, a whiff; a slight explosion. lit. and fig." as Scottish and northern English dialect, and I assume this is the source of the usage. Dbfirs 13:01, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

If you are talking about belly button fluff then I wouldn't recommend burning it. http://gawker.com/5672240/this-is-officially-the-largest-collection-of-belly-button-lint-in-the-world (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 21:02, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

Maybe bumfluff is more likely: "(Australia, Britain, New Zealand, derogatory) The first, sparse beard growth of an adolescent. ". Again, blowtorch removal is not recommended. Alansplodge (talk) 16:02, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

I'm not even going to mention the film industry here. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:10, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Is that an intentional mentioning something you're not going to mention? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 00:49, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

I'll never look at a Fluffernutter the same way again. StuRat (talk) 17:29, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Good Lord, do people really eat those things? Alansplodge (talk) 21:22, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Only if they're true professionals, luvvie. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:03, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Très drôle! Alansplodge (talk) 22:31, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Backwoods Farm near Barnard, Vermont

Where is the farm located? It is known because of Carl Zuckmayer who lived there in the 1940s. The article on Barnard, Vermont mentions the farmhouse built in 1783 and gives as reference. --тнояsтеn ⇔ 11:37, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

You might try contacting the Barnard historical society. They seem to know, but their website describes it as "Route 12, at the top of the ledge-cut leading down toward South Barnard". Looking at Google Maps it's not clear to me where that is.

If that fails, the people at Twin Farms resort may be able to help you. That resort was hisotically connected to Zuckmayer's social circle.

ApLundell (talk) 17:32, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

October 5

Best GU10 bulb

The environment is a room with little natural light and one 15 W LED bulb as a main light. I would like a GU10 bulb for a task lamp that is suited to reading small black-and-white text---colour rendition is not terribly important in itself. Whilst, as aforementioned, there is little natural light anyway, sometimes there is almost none as I work late at night. Given what I have said, what would be most suitable? If the question is presently unanswerable, what additional information is relevant? I am not terribly fussed about efficiency as ergonomic considerations when working take precedence over energy saving (for me, anyway, I do get eyestrain from using poor-quality lighting).--Leon (talk) 19:42, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Although "colour rendition is not terribly important", for reading, CCT (correlated color temperature) towards the warm end of the spectrum (around 2500K~3500K) is less stressful on the eyes (e.g.: 7000K CCT can lead to eye fatigue). (More info here) — 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 22:12, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Is that physiological or psychological? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 00:17, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Blue light gives you higher resolution, due to the shorter wavelength (think precision instrument) but it also impedes sleeping. Windows 10 actually has a display setting that lets you tint the screen blue during the day, and red at night, or during which hours you choose. I dim the house lights and tint the screen red about an hour before bedtime. At that point I either magnify the text or use reading glasses for printed material. Scientific American.μηδείς (talk) 00:28, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

The reference Medeis/μηδείς just gave does not support her claim that "Blue light gives you higher resolution", and in fact there are almost no blue cones at the center of the fovea. The maximum density of blue cones occurs in a ring about the fovea. Consequently, the maximum acuity for blue light is lower than that of other colors and occurs approximately 1° off center from the high-visual-acuity fovea. Also see Filling-in of the foveal blue scotoma (Vision Research journal 2001 Oct; 41(23): 2961–2967. ). --Guy Macon (talk) 01:28, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Interesting, thanks. Unfortunately I took neurology in the late 80's, then said eff it, and finished my biology major with a specialization in botany. Never studied the eye as a whole after Bio 102. In any case, the remainder is recently well-documented. μηδείς (talk) 01:58, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

References

1. Curcio, C. A.; Allen, K. A.; Sloan, K. R.; Lerea, C. L.; Hurley, J. B.; Klock, I. B.; Milam, A. H. (1991). "Distribution and morphology of human cone photoreceptors stained with anti-blue opsin". The Journal of Comparative Neurology. 312 (4): 610–624. doi:10.1002/cne.903120411. PMID 1722224.

If I get a round tuit I'll try to find sources; for now, see (maybe): Scotopic vision & Purkinje effect & Kruithof curve ...at any rate, further discussion not related to the OP's query is better done over at the science desk -- That being said, "warmer" colors (lower levels of green/blue light) have less stimulation of photoreceptors (specifically, rods). 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 02:14, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

@μηδείς: do you use, or have you tried f.lux? 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 06:16, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

The functionality built into Windows 10 has the same effect you see at the f.lux article. What the actual app is called, I know not. But in effect, yes, I use at least an analog of f.lux. For table lamps I use incandescent bulbs set on dimmer switches only. (I have looked for grey or brown bulbs, but have had trouble finding any.) For overhead/room lamps I always use non-dimmable bulbs, since the whole purpose of those lamps is to illuminate the entire room as well as possible.

I miss the Giuliani Administration, because at least back then you could call the local precinct and have the sunlight, temperature, or local weather changed to something more reasonable. Bloomberg's "green" reforms were a disaster. μηδείς (talk) 18:45, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Which reminds me of a joke: I phoned my local precinct; I said, "I want to report a nuisance caller", he said "not you again". —2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 21:35, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Which reminds me of this one: "Is this the complaints department ?" ... "Yes it is, and let me start by saying that you have a horrid toupee, your shirt doesn't match your pants, you have bad breath, and your shoes are cheap. Will you be needing any more today ?" StuRat (talk) 22:44, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Okay, what about halogen vs LED? At the moment I have a 35 W halogen bulb there (a) because the lamp came with it, and (b) because they're alleged to give very "white" light. But I'm not sure if it's really ideal?

The remarks about colour temperature suggest that a warm white bulb would be most suitable. Is there any downside to buying cheap LED bulbs vs more expensive, branded ones?--Leon (talk) 07:57, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

The equivalent brightness (lumens) to a 35 W halogen for a LED is about 7 W. Considering how long they last, even a semi-cheap LED costs less in the long run. I personally prefer brand-names (mostly for the reliability the electronic circuits), many are much cheaper than they used to be, . Another thing to consider is dimmable vs non-dimmable; for dimmable, cheap LEDs tend to buzz or hum. 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 08:26, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

September 11

Are any remains of the planes from September eleventh 2001 still around anywhere — Preceding unsigned comment added by SparkyHelper (talk • contribs) 22:42, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes. μηδείς (talk) 23:49, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Engines and landing gears were found several blocks away. I don't see why they'd destroy them. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 00:15, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

"Gear" in that sense is not a count noun (like cogs) but singular in form, like machinery. μηδείς (talk) 00:30, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

You know what grinds my gears? How mechanics study mechanics to work on mechanics. We need to take back "grease monkey", for clarity's sake. InedibleHulk (talk) 01:27, October 6, 2017 (UTC)

Did computers study computers to work on computers? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 01:40, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

The aircraft parts were sorted into shipping containers - New York had containers at Freshkills landfill to store plane parts. Parts of the PA plane were acquired by the National Museum of American History . Rmhermen (talk) 01:00, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

No. The planes were holograms; the "parts" were planted by invisible stealth helicopters. The "real" planes are ... uhm, ... (I forget) 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:65A7:28DA:7F79:4E50 (talk) 01:08, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Bullshit. Everyone knows holographic jet fuel can't melt steel beams. (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 08:31, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Some of them (including the landing gear mentioned above, as well as a fuselage panel from the Pentagon plane) are on exhibit at the 9/11 Museum in New York (been there, saw it myself). 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D403:68F1:A297:C74A (talk) 01:27, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Fuselage panel can be seen here: but the landing gear are not among the "on display" images. Rmhermen (talk) 01:48, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

October 6

Entrenched provisions

How exactly does one write an entrenched clause into Federal law? (Bonus points if the clause is entrenched throughout the Congressional debate process, so they can take it or leave it but cannot easily amend it.) 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D403:68F1:A297:C74A (talk) 01:31, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Haven't we just been through this? Except for the fact that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land" it is not legislation in the normal sense. The constitution is not a set of laws, but a charter of limited powers granted to or denied to the various states, congress and so forth, as wel as setting relations between the branches and the means to change the charter. What most people think of as "laws" are matters at the state level, except for a very few issues that involve matters like war, treason, the military code, and crimes crossing state lines--and NONE of those is entrenched. μηδείς (talk) 01:39, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

OK, so the answer is, there's no way to do this? Thanks for the bad news! 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D403:68F1:A297:C74A (talk) 08:46, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

In fact, since the constitution is a framework which authorizes, limits, and governs federal law, the constitution itself would have to mention the power to write entrenched laws, but it doesn't. The rule of thumb is that the states or people can do anything not forbidden them (9th & 10th amendments) and the federal government may only exercise its enumerated powers. μηδείς (talk) 15:59, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Furthermore, since per Article Five of the United States Constitution allows the Constitution to be amended, it is impossible to entrench any clause, since any change by amendment can be repealed by another. There's really nothing any government can do to prevent future governments from doing whatever they want given sufficient political will.--Jayron32 03:40, 7 October 2017 (UTC)

Is the maximum density a full pickup bed can hold still increasing?

Two models can hold water to the brim now. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 02:06, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

I suppose so, since engines are becoming ever more powerful while remaining just as compact, and transmissions are also constantly improving (just for comparison, some of the higher-end pickup trucks of today can carry as much cargo as a deuce-and-a-half from the WW2 era). 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:D403:68F1:A297:C74A (talk) 08:49, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

They can tow much more than they can carry, engine power doesn't seem to be the limiting factor. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:38, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Engine torque and gear ratios matter, too, especially to get everything moving initially. And going uphill requires far more "oompf" than level ground. (Going downhill may not even require that the engine be running, just that the transmission is in neutral.) StuRat (talk) 16:45, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

When I drove trucks in the military, I used lower gears when going downhill to force it to slow down without using brakes. Putting it in neutral would mean that I'd have to brake and risk having the load go sideways. I'm sure good truck drivers can brake without any concern, but my training was "press the green button to turn it on." 209.149.113.5 (talk) 17:29, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, I just meant that it's possible, not advisable, to go downhill without running the engine. Losing power steering and power brakes would be other good reasons to avoid it. StuRat (talk) 17:35, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

The tires, suspension, and strength of the bed itself will also matter. And, if you were to try to drive a pick-up with the bed filled with water (presuming a cover to prevent it from sloshing out), I would expect the sloshing to make it difficult to drive. StuRat (talk) 16:25, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

This is why doubling the amount of rear wheels greatly increases the rated payload capacity. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:39, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, a "dually". StuRat (talk) 16:47, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

• Why use a pickup? Make a Jacruzzi Andy Dingley (talk) 18:50, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

UK traffic law - bus lane and emergency vehicles

I have asked a number of people this question and not found the definitive answer. If you are driving along next to a bus lane and an emergency vehicle is coming up behind you with lights or sirens should you

1. Pull over into the bus lane and stop to let it pass.
2. Pull over into the bus lane and keep going, allowing it to overtake.
3. Keep going in your lane so that the emergency vehicle can take the bus lane and undertake
4. Stop in your lane so that the emergency vehicle can pass in the bus lane.

I would go with option 1 (and have done), as this makes it clear to the emergency vehicle what you are doing, gives the most space, and seems safest. A number of people have said that this would be illegal and if you were caught by an enforcement camera you'd be fined. They tend to see 3 or 4 as the best answer. One friend said 2, reasoning that emergency drivers are used to overtaking so there would be no need to stop. I am assuming that the road is pretty empty, if there was a line of cars I would do what all the others did to give the emergency vehicle a clear run in whichever lane was free. One of the more bizarre answers was that you could move into the bus lane for the police but not fire or ambulance - because emergency police lights would count as being directed to enter the bus lane by a police officer. -- Q Chris (talk) 13:39, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

See Why you could be fined for letting an emergency vehicle past which quotes the chief executive of GEM Motoring Assist: "The key thing is that blue light drivers have certain exemptions from rules of the road which the rest of us don’t. That’s why it’s much better for us to let emergency drivers find their way around us. Leave the bus lanes and red traffic lights to them". On that basis, the option 3 above is correct. Alansplodge (talk) 13:53, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks that's an interesting (if worrying) article. In future I'll just keep driving along at the same speed. -- Q Chris (talk) 15:31, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Is that not an offence in British driving law, then? --69.159.60.147 (talk) 21:10, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

No, the advice in the Highway Code is to: "take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs". In this case, the signs will say that it is forbidden for cars to enter the bus lane and forbidden to exceed the speed limit, so the emergency vehicle will either have to stay behind or find a way round you. Alansplodge (talk) 23:01, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

3 or 4. NEVER do something illegal yourself (go into a bus lane, through a red light), no matter what type of emergency vehicle is behind you. It might feel like the right thing to do at the time, but you'll end up with three points on your license and an increase in your car insurance. Unless you have the time/effort to challenge the local authority your caught in. Lugnuts 14:03, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

There was a case in Brighton last year. The council fined a driver, on appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal the fine was overturned. Story here. DuncanHill (talk) 15:36, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

This is covered by the Highway Code, apparently , , , , . The New Zealand equivalent is apparently the "Road Code" . Some jurisdictions have specific laws , . America uses the acronym SIREN . 92.8.220.234 (talk) 17:39, 6 October 2017 (UTC)

Another reason for 3 (besides being the safe answer as you're not breaking one law to follow another) is that bus lanes are usually underused and the emergency vehicle is probably going to be coming on that lane already, and it's obviously not a good idea to pull over right into its path. 78.0.249.123 (talk) 04:32, 7 October 2017 (UTC)

October 7

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