About badges for recurring visits and mobile application

Question: About the enthusiast and fanatic badges that you obtain visiting this site daily, doas anyone know if the visits made using the mobile application counts like a visit?
Answer: They do according to this meta post, but not all actions with the app count, mainly just viewing the feed/question list in the app won't be counted as a visit.
Comment: Neither does just viewing the question list on the desktop - I got my counter reset at 94 because of doing that just before a long day of driving which ended past the UTC deadline :)


What will the weather be like in Bali and Sri Lanka in November?

Question: I'm thinking of a holiday to the west of Sri Lanka, near Colombo, or Bali in November. Can anyone tell me what to expect weather wise in each place?
Comment: "Better" is subjective. Do you mean hotter? Or perhaps cooler? Less humid? More sunny days? It's difficult to answer such a question until you clarify it. It's probably better to ask for a *comparison* of the weather in the two places in that particular month.
Comment: Both the places are so different that I cannot answer this question without knowing what you are going there for.
Comment: Normally I would start with Wikipedia to see what it says about the climate for a given time of year, but neither the Bali nor the Sri Lanka page has a climate section.
Comment: You can check MSN Weather for that. By the way, I wonder why question about Bali is quite rare in StackExchange.
Comment: Great thanks Rudy for the feedback, that's exactly what I wanted to know.
Answer: BALI
In November, Bali is just barely starting to enter the rainy season. You can check it in Bali MSN Weather

The temperature is around 21-27 degrees Celcius.
Humidity is around 65%
In the month there's an average of eight rainy days.
The peak of the rainy season would be in December - March, so in November is actually quite OK compared to December or January

I was in Bali for one week in November 2010, and within 1 week, rain only happened 1 time during the daytime.
However if you are really worried about rain, you should go around April - August, when Bali is in the peak of the dry season.
COLOMBO
You can check Colombo's November weather in Colombo's MSN Weather.

Temperature 23-31 Celcius
Humidity is around 79%
In the month there's an average of six rainy days.


SharePoint 2013 deployment

Question: I recently installed SharePoint 2013 on a VM with windows server 2008 and swl 2012. But I need some direction to start configuring the SharePoint. I found microsoft tech notes too complicated. Can anyone who experienced this help me please.
Answer: That's a pretty wide-open question. Configure for what? SharePoint provides a lot of functionality, which does require some complex, and sometimes frustrating setup.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'Microsoft Tech Notes'.. Do you mean TechNet? While it may seem complicated, there is truly a wealth of information in there which you'll need to understand if you want to have a working, solid SharePoint environment.
My best advice is to start here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/fp123606. These videos and presentations will give you a very broad overview on what to expect with SharePoint 2013. I wish I could say that a deployment is as easy as 'Next--> Next--> Finish', but as with any enterprise type application, it's not.
Comment: Thanks for the answer. I wanted to start by configuring basic features, but I didn't know how to start with them.
Comment: I found a really good VM guide on Critical Path Training's site. You'll have to register for a free account, but it's a guide I've been going on for a couple of years now.
Comment: That website looks amazing. But they do not have any free courses.
Comment: It's not a course, it's actually [something you can find in the 'Members' area](http://www.criticalpathtraining.com/Members/Pages/default.aspx) once you register. They just released V1.0 yesterday, and I built up my VM environment last night using it.
Comment: That was a great guide and it helped me to check if I was doing fine. Many thanks for that.
Comment: can i have your email address to exchange ideas if you are doing the same thing?

SharePoint 2013 deployment


Fraud causes of action without reliance

Question: In a case where there is very obvious instance of fraud (e.g. producing fake document in order to get out of an obligation), but it is so obvious that the other party did not rely on it - what causes of action does this party have? fraud upon the court?
Answer: A civil action seeking money damages for fraud requires that someone was injured by the fraud. If no one believed that the fraudulent document was real, then no injury would be caused by it and there would be no cause of action for fraud. (There is a more esoteric body of law that governs situations when a person is hurt by fraud because a third party relies upon a fraudulent statement.)
There are potentially other sanctions that could exist for attempting to defraud someone but failing to do so.
For example, some criminal statutes make it a crime to attempt to defraud someone or to forge a document, attorney regulation discipline can be imposed against an attorney who engaged in fraudulent conduct without regard to harm, and many states have laws that criminalize false consumer advertising without proof of reliance.
But, without more context regarding the nature of the fraud, it is impossible to know what is appropriate. You seem to be referring to a fraudulent document presented to a court in New York State, but haven't provided enough context to know if that is indeed what is involved or to understand what you are really asking. This is not a question with a general answer that applies in all circumstances.

Fraud causes of action without reliance


Are non-US citizens elegible to sign up for TSA-Pre?

Question: My understanding is that it's a more complex process, but once you're processed, it's much faster to get through airport screenings in future.  Is it available to non US citizens as well, and if so, once approved, how long are you approved for?
Comment: It feels like I am the *only* one who never knew something like this existed. :(
Answer: Yes and No.
There are a few different ways to get TSA Pre - each with it's own restrictions.

You can get access via your airline, particularly if you're a frequent flyer. Historically you had to specifically request to gain access via this means, however many airline now will automatically submit you for access. Check with your airline to see if there's a specific process, although this is likely only for US airlines.  You do NOT need to be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident to get access this way (historically you technically did need to be, but it wasn't well enforced, and this restriction has recently been removed).
You can get access via Global Entry, SENTRI, or NEXUS.  These are programs generally designed for frequent travellers to make crossing specific borders (specifically the US/Canadian border) easier. Some non-US Citizens are able to join these programs, especially Canadian citizens. You do NOT need to be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident to get access this way, however access is only available to citizens from a very small list of countries.
You can get access via the TSA Pre Application Program, where you basically pay a fee to be screened and then given access to Pre. Currently you DO need to be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident to get access via this means.
If you are over 75 years old, or under 12 years old you will be given access. You do NOT need to be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident to get access this way.

As an Australian with high frequently flyer status with United Airlines I get Pre access the majority of times I fly (and have pretty much since the Pre program was introduced).
Comment: They might also randomly add it when in a group, I think.  I was recently travelling in a group of three (one 70, one 77, and one 35) from international to various domestic US locations, and the 70-year-old had a TSA-Pre logo on all domestic passes except the final transfer before the international departure.  No application necessary; no idea what triggered it.  None of the travellers were US residents.
Comment: Very small clarification: while you can get NEXUS as a Canadian permanent resident that does not make you eligible for TSA Pre until you get citizenship. I know this first hand, I myself am in this middle. I will go on a limb and say this is because of the problems of verifying Canadian PR status outside of Canada.
Comment: Since April 2015 you must have Known Traveler Number to enroll to TSA Pre, which means you have to be a citizen or a permanent resident - http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/06/tsa-travel-tips-frequent-flyer-profile.html
Comment: @JBaruch I am a non-US citizen/non-PR, and I do not have a KTN, yet I still get Pre for about 50% of my flights in the US (down from maybe 90% before the change you're referencing) - most recently last Saturday.
Answer: As of August 2017 there are a number of ways for foreign citizens of certain countries to access the TSA Pre✓ program. Unfortunately, the details are a bit muddy.
The TSA's website states the following:

Can foreign citizens participate in TSA Pre✓®?
To be eligible to participate in TSA Pre✓®, foreign citizens must meet specific citizenship/residency requirements. Before you apply, we recommend that you review the various DHS trusted traveler programs such as the TSA Pre✓® Application Program, Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and determine the best program for you.

Global entry provides all the TSA Pre✓ benefits plus expedited processing in airports upon arrival in the U.S. from abroad. See this comparison table by the DHS.
The U.S. Customs and Border protection's website states the following about membership in the Global Entry program:

Can I join Global Entry if I am not a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident?
Global Entry is also available to citizens of the Netherlands who are enrolled in FLUX and Korean Smart Entry Service members. Citizens of Germany, Panama, and Mexico may also apply for Global Entry. Canadian NEXUS members have Global Entry benefits, but are not eligible to join.

Unhelpfully, a different page gives a different list of countries. And yet another page on the website gives a different list again. Based on what I can piece together the actual list is:

Argentina
Canada (through NEXUS)
Colombia
Germany
India
Mexico
Netherlands (see below)
Panama
Republic of Korea (through Smart Entry Service)
Singapore
Switzerland
United Kingdom

Taiwan is also listed on the Wikipedia page, but I couldn't find any official sources that confirmed they are part of the Global Entry program.  It seems like there are plans for them to join but, as of yet, there is no concrete implementation date.
The FLUX program for Dutch citizens was discontinued as of January 2017, being replaced by the Registered Traveller Program Nederland, which is scheduled to start offering Global Entry eligibility starting in October 2017. Travellers who had previously been admitted under the FLUX program retain their benefits, but in the transition period no new members are admitted.
The information on NEXUS and SENTRI regarding access to TSA Pre✓ is a little conflicting. The DHS's comparison table suggests it is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents (and Canadian citizens but not permanent residents for NEXUS), but the sections about these programs on the CBP's website suggest TSA Pre✓ is always included.
Note that there may also be restrictions based on the visa type foreign nationals are using (see the CBP's FAQ on Global Entry).
The DHS has also published an online tool to suggest a frequent traveller program based on your nationality and travel needs.
To your other questions: once approved to any of these programs your membership is valid for five years. And yes, the application process can be more complex for foreign nationals. Just like for TSA Pre✓, an in-person interview is conducted, and a background check is done. For some countries, applicants first need to be approved by their own national authorities before applying to the US CBP. This may involve another application fee, background check, etc.
Answer: I am an Indian citizen with Canadian PR and today I got my nexus approved. Following was explained to me during the interview-
1) I get nexus card
2) I get global entry too and can use it just like American citizen. I have to use my USA visa (h1b) page through global entry kiosks to login.
3) I get TSA Pre too with no limitation.
To summarize,
You should have either Canadian PR or citizenship to get nexus which will give you both global entry and TSA Pre.
If not, then you have to apply for global entry program which supports some 10 to 20 countries, then you get TSA Pre as part of it.
Please vote this up guys as there seems to be lot of miscommunication about this one. Let me know if anyone has any questions.
Comment: If you're a Canadian citizen (or eligible permanent resident), this is definitely the way to go.
Answer: Short answer: Yes, if you're a US permanent resident or a citizen of the Canada, Netherlands, South Korea or Mexico, and apparently it's valid for five years.
TSA:

Who is eligible for TSA Pre✓™?

Canadian citizens who are members of NEXUS.
Foreign citizens who are members of Global Entry (see Global
  Entry eligibility) and not registered as a U.S. lawful permanent
  resident.

And while their link is broken, the trail of breadcrumbs leads to the CBP:

Global Entry is open to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents,
  Dutch citizens, South Korean citizens and Mexican nationals.
Answer: From the FAQ of Global Entry:
http://www.cbp.gov/faqs/can-i-join-global-entry-if-i-am-not-us-citizen-or-us-lawful-permanent-resident
Global Entry is also available to citizens of the Netherlands who are enrolled in FLUX and Korean Smart Entry Service members. Citizens of Germany, Panama, and Mexico may also apply for Global Entry. Canadian NEXUS members have Global Entry benefits, but are not eligible to join.
Comment: Some more countries have been added since then, it would be good if you could update your answer to include them


How do I apply major scale on the guitar?

Question: How do I apply major scales while I am playing on the guitar? I am totally confused because all I see are videos of people pressing on single strings.
Comment: Hi Austin. A scale is a sequence of individual notes played one after another, in pitch order - so if someone is playing a scale on a guitar, you'd expect them to press on single strings at positions corresponding to a major scale. Can you add a bit more detail about what's confusing you?
Comment: You should not be watching videos. You should be getting lessons, or at the very least "Guitar for Dummies" or equivalent so you learn the correct fingering patterns.
Answer: As topo says, the major scale is purely a set of notes played in order - ascending and/or descending. Somewhat like the alphabet - ordered letters.
Those letters can be mixed to make what we know as words, and the same happens to notes from a set. The nice difference is that the letters don't often make sense unless they make a word we're familiar with - but - notes can be played in pretty well any order to make what we know as tunes. Sometimes known ones, often 'new' tunes.
So, once the notes in a set are known, they can be tagged together in some order, with longer and shorter ones, to produce tunes. That's how to apply those notes!
Answer: Like others have said a scale is just a series of notes in order. For example a c major scale would be C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, which is starting on the root, then whole step, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half back to the root an octave up. (remember there is a natural half step between b and c and between e and f)
This can be played on one string, for example the 2nd string (b string, second thinnest string) starting on the 1st fret which is C. Then frets 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13.
On a piano you could think of this as all white keys from c to c.
On a piano things are all very linear but not so much on a guitar once you move beyond one string.
You could also start this down an octave on the 3rd fret of the 5th string (A string), and then play 3rd fret 5th string, open 4th string, 2nd fret 4th string, 3rd fret 4th string, open 3rd string (g string) etc. This would be an open position C major scale starting on the 5th string, 3rd fret.

You can start a C major scale on any C anywhere on the fret board if you know where the next notes lie. A good book or perhaps some private lessons might help you. But until then maybe google how to spell a major scale if you don't know how, then get a good fingering chart to learn where at least the open position notes are on the fretboard, and then try to figure out how to play the scale you learned how to play using your newly found knowledge of the notes on the fretboard. This may also help:
Answer:
This is the simplest version. I'd suggest Andres Segovia scales for classical guitar.


What is a Bamboo shoot called in Hindi?

Question: I haven't seen these things in the markets here. How do I ask for them in the local market?
Comment: This question appears to be off-topic because it is about language issues. I think this can be solved with Google Translate or even Wikipedia.
Comment: @Mien For what is the "translation" tag then for?
Comment: To be deleted? :P No idea, I didn't see your other questions till now, and I don't know if they are on-topic... I think this tag is meant if you have a very specific term in a language. To me, 'bamboo shoot' is rather universal. But I'll let the mods decide.
Comment: @Mien - This is a question of cuisine, and not necessarily language! Culinary terms are fair game here, and this is a question about regional culinary terms, as a simple translation, "baans", may not give the questioner an edible ingredient from a local market in India.
Comment: Especially in light of your answer, @RISwampYankee, I certainly would *not* vote to close.
Answer: "Baans" (बांस) is the Hindi word for bamboo - there does not appear to be one for the edible shoot. Instead, there are a number of words used in Indian cuisine for bamboo shoots, depending on region.

In Mizoram, they are called 'Mau Tuai/Raw Tuai'. In Manipur, the fresh
  bamboo shoots are called 'Uusoi' and the fermented bamboo shoots are
  known as "Soibum". In Nagaland they are called bas-tanga. In Assam,
  they are referred to as gaz and in Nepal as tama (Nepali: तामा). In
  western orissa region of India, people call it kardi and it is the
  most famous dish there. In Jharkhand, they are known as sandhna

Wikipedia article on Bamboo Shoots.

Bamboo shoot tips are called salad or simply sunjian in Chinese and
  juk sun in Korean, mang in Vietnamese, take no ko in Japanese, gaz in
  Assam, tama in Nepal and kardi in western orissa. Bamboo shoots are
  eaten in Goa usually during the monsoon season and are commonly known
  as Kill. Bamboo shoots are used in preparing curries and pickle in the
  state of Jharkhand, India. In Western Orissa or the Kosal region of
  India, it is a common ingredient. Since this region is dominated by
  the tribal population, bamboo shoots (or "kardi" as it is known), is
  believed to have been in use for hundred of years. In this region,
  "kardi achar" (pickled bamboo shoots) and "kardi baja" (fried bamboo
  shoot strands) are also popular.

"Bamboo Shoots" - by Sanjay Summa on the Vah Reh Vah site.

Keerl (bamboo shoots) is something you will either love or hate.

"Keerl Ani Moog Sukho" - by Shireen Sequeira on her Ruchik Randhap blog, devoted to Mangalorean cuisine.
Kalale and Kanile are the names given by the Bhakshya Bhojana blog.
Comment: thankful to you, but you haven;t told me what does it get called in north india. Moreover if I ask for "baans" in the grocery shop, they might think I am crazy!

What is a Bamboo shoot called in Hindi?


Keyboard type for loading VSTs?

Question: I have a MIDI keyboard linked to my laptop with Reaper software. There, I can access all of my VST collection. The question is: what kind of keyboard must I have to play live and get my VST list on it?
Comment: Are you wondering if keyboards exist that will load VSTs in the keyboard so you don't have to have a computer and host application with you? If that's your question, I've never heard of such a thing. There was a rack unit several years ago that would run VSTs but it was very expensive and I think they went out of business. Cheaper to have the computer with you.
Answer: The usual setup is a laptop plus keyboard with MIDI.
I've never heard of a keyboard that runs VST instruments natively, but there were some external rack units and pedals (for guitar players) that either existed or were announced. I don't think any of them really caught on, though. The problem is that it basically needs to be a computer itself. But they need to design it themselves to fit in a little box, stay cool, and be at least as reliable as a laptop. This inevitably results in it being more expensive than a laptop and with a worse interface (small screen, no trackpad). In other words the concept was pretty much destined to fail.
So you already have the cheapest and most usable setup. If it were me I'd probably want some kind of stage keyboard that also has a MIDI out so that in case your computer dies in the middle the of gig you could switch to the onboard sounds. Also in terms of reliability maybe have a laptop dedicated to stage/studio use that only gets updated periodically and won't get bricked by normal day-to-day usage. That can get expensive though.
Answer: It doesn't appear that there are any keyboards that will let you directly load VSTs into them. The most common way to use VSTs live is to simply use a laptop with a small USB audio interface that you can plug into the soundboard.
EDIT: it appears the standalone hardware VST host company SM Pro Audio is out of business. Even though you can still get them on Amazon. It's probably best not to.
Comment: But be aware that that company is out of business and it can be hard to install your own VSTs on these things. Also, even if you could get it load, imagine a computer that size circa 2010 and then imagine how well it would run your favorite 2018 VST.
Comment: Yeah, I just read the comments on that. So I removed the link to it. :)

Keyboard type for loading VSTs?


How many diseases can be linked to disruption in the microbiome of a human?

Question: I was listing to the radio and heard recent research found a link between children and higher cases of asthma when certain bacteria are missing from the microbiome. How many other diseases can be linked to a disrupted microbiome and are there ways in repopulating missing bacteria?
Answer: It is an open question and an active area of research. You will not be able to get a definitive answer to your question of number, as each new discovery will add to the total.
As for repopulating, we have not even determined all of the strains of microbes that populate us, many are very difficult to culture in vitro, and we do not know of all the functions for each species, so we do not have a clear picture of which need to be there, which don't, and whether or not some species work together to provide us with a benefit. For certain conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, one of the treatments that has been tried is fecal transplant.
Do a literature search for recent reviews. Nature Reviews tend to do detailed reviews, especially on topics as in the news as the Human Microbiome. That is probably the best first place to start. Then you can start to drill down into the reference papers that are cited in the review. That will generally give you a good state of play in the field.
Comment: Thanks for the reply I will definitely take a look at some of the literature out there, I was very surprised to find out how many bacteria live on and inside of us. And I was told all this time growing up that "germs" are the enemy!
Comment: @DanTerry They are actually a very important part of the innate immune system. One aspect of immunity is keeping pathogens out. One way we do that is mucus. Another way is to provide a favorable living environment for microorganisms that don't harm us. The term for these is Commensals. Basically commensals, yeast, bacteria, etc, that are non-pathogenic to us, grow on our exposed surfaces, i.e. skin, respiratory tract and our gastric tract. The are there to basically just take up space that would otherwise be populated by pathogens. There are 10x more microbes than human cells making up a human


Reducing stress on servo axle

Question: I am designing an articulated robot arm that will not need to hold essentially any weight at its end, but that will need to perform thousands of repetitions (currently using MG 996R servos, but might switch if those aren't durable enough). I am a design newbie, and as I've designed it currently, the only point of contact between each joint is the servo axle, meaning the weight of the arm is resting on that servo axle at each joint. I know this will produce undue stress on the axles over time, and I want to design the arm in such a way that the weight of the arm will not be placed on the servo axles. Can anyone point me in the right direction on how I can avoid that? Perhaps examples or principles of how joints can be designed such that the weight of the arm parts below it go through the frame of the arm rather than through the axle. Thanks!
Answer: This is commonly done by putting a bearing or two on the axis of servo rotation and making those bearing support the load. Try looking at parts like the Lynxmotion Aluminum "C" Servo Brackets. You can also look at products made by Trossen Robotics to see how they do it. And, search thingiverse.com for "servo joint", you'll see lots of ideas there.
Best of luck!

Reducing stress on servo axle


Guitar intonation problem

Question: I just felt a serious need for lowering my guitar action as I think I was unable to play faster because of higher action... Thus I lowered the string saddle a bit..and then tightened the truss rod because the string were buzzing at high frets...Bt I ain't helped much so I loosened it as before... Then when I checked my string intonation it was messed up...changing saddle position I.e.bringing them back or forth is not helping at all..I don't want to raise the strings as I am preferring as low as the action can go..looking forward for solutions.. Thanx n pardon for English(if there are mistakes)..
Comment: Normally fret buzz would incline one to *loosen* a truss rod. Perhaps you might take it to a shop and ask for a setup with low action and check of the intonation? Also, playing in a relaxed manner and using the minimum finger pressure will be helpful in being able to play faster.
Answer: The truss rod is there to counter the bowing (just like a bow and arrow) of the neck. Generally, there should be just a tiny bit of bowing, barely perceptible. If you were to lay a straight flat object along the frets, you could just about slide a piece of paper under the middle of it. The easiest way to get intonation correct that I know of (and not necessarily the best) is to use a tuner. first of all get the open string to correct pitch as precisely as possible, then play the 12th fret. If it is sharp, the string is too short and you need to move the saddle towards the bridge a little bit, if flat do the opposite. retune again and try the 12th fret and slowly adjust. Changing the intonation on one string may affect other strings, so you may have to repeat the process many times. It's good to learn this yourself on an inexpensive instrument.
If you have an expensive guitar and you don't really feel confident doing this, I would recommend taking it to luthier or instore guitar tech. A good setup is a good investment. At face value it might not seem as exciting as a new pedal but a cheap guitar well set up can feel and sound better than a badly set up expensive guitar.
Finally, action and string gauge can be a trade off. You can have a low action with heavier strings because they buzz less, or a slightly higher action with lighter gauge strings. You may find a change of string gauge more to you liking than the lowest action possible.
Edited to correct the mistake mentioned in comment below.
Comment: Changing saddle position by shifting it towards bridge or away for bridge is not working at all..the intonation remains the same...
Comment: What kind of bridge do you have? Fixed or tremelo?
Comment: Can you get on at least one string the open and 12th fret to harmonise or is it always flat /always sharp at maximum ans minimum string length?
Comment: The only string that is intonated is the high E..I guess because I didn't touched it..rest all the strings are messed up..moving the saddle is not working at all..what should be the reason??..is it because I touched the truss rod
Comment: The bridge is fixed type...
Comment: The truss rod would be more likely to cause problems with strings choking than intonation. Is there not enough play in the saddles to get the intonation? If you can get the string to be the right length, the intonation should be correct. in other words can you not make the strings long enough/short enough to get it intonated?

Guitar intonation problem


If I use a diffuser will I be able to use a pressure cooker to can food on my glass top stove?

Question: I have a glass top stove and just purchased an All American pressure cooker/canner. It's very heavy and will hold 7 quarts or 19 pints. If I use a diffuser will I be able to use my stove to can food?
Comment: Can you explain why you're asking about using a diffuser, and why you can't simply put the pressure cooker straight on your stove? Are you just worried about scratching the stove?
Comment: Or perhaps do you not have a burner as big as the canner, so you're trying to spread the heat out?
Answer: Glass stove top manufacturers sometimes recommend not using pressure canners because the weight and heat distribution can be too much for them and the glass surface can crack.
A diffuser would probably not help with that problem. The diffuser is not likely to be so much bigger than the canner that it would distribute the weight. If it was that large then it would diffuse the heat too much.
Sometimes stove or canner manuals will place restrictions on the size of the canner vs the burner size. If the canner is too large it can transfer heat out of the burner area and damage the surface.
Another common problem mentioned is that some canners have concave bottoms. Obviously, only flat bottomed canners should be used otherwise the weight distribution will be bad for the burner and the canner might not heat properly.
You should check with the manufacturer of your range and see if your range can be used with a pressure canner. If they say it can can then you can can without the diffuser. If they say it can't then you may just be out of luck.
We use a camp stove and do a lot of our pressure canning outside- especially in the summer to save AC bills.
Anecdotally- My mother once, 20 years ago, had a glass surface crack while canning. I have been canning on a glass surface for two years without incident.
Comment: I wasn't going to post an answer but I just had to type "can can".
Comment: Or you could put a harness on the handles of the pot, rope it over a pulley, and balance out 2/3 of the weight.
Answer: A diffuser is used to spread heat from a source around a wider surface area. You don't need to use a diffuser with a pressure cooker/canner, as it doesn't need any sort of protection, and you'll lose some heat due to the inefficiency. In other words you probably could, but you don't want to.
Answer: Not sure why you would use a diffuser to can food.  As far as a glass top stove, it is no different for canning than gas or a electric coil top burner.  As long as you have water in the pot (sufficient to water bath the jars, usually to the rim) and obtain an internal temperature of 180F. inside the jar, your there.  1/2 pint needs 45 minutes after starting to boil to reach the 180F.  1 pint needs 1 hour.  1 quart needs 1 1/2 hours after starting to boil to reach a 180F safe level.  Of course pressure cookers are a whole different animal and the pot should always come with the numbers.  Mike
Comment: The whole point of pressure canning is that it reaches higher temperatures than boiling water canning, so I'm not sure why you're talking about this 180F temperature. And even for boiling water canning, I have no idea where you're getting these processing times - even for raw pack you don't generally need that long. I'm refraining from deleting this, because I think you're attempting to answer the question, but you're providing incorrect extraneous information, so -1.
Comment: ... and, the question *explicitly* says OP is using a pressure cooker/canner.


Any evidence for a KBO fly by from one of the Voyagers or Pioneers?

Question: Pioneer 10 was about 80 AU when contact was lost in 2003 and both Voyager 1 and 2 traveled more than 100 AU and they are still operating. This put those 3 probes for years in the range of Kuiper belt and even close to orbital aphelion on an SDO. I know that those 2 zones are pretty rarefied, the possibility of a close encounter is minimal and no gravitational deviations beside the Pioneer anomaly were observed. My question: one of the instruments on board of these probes could have detect an object, in case of a distant encounter?
Answer: The list you linked to, shows that the instruments that are still active, are meant for the detection of solar wind and cosmic rays. The magnetometer could be useful, but a planet needs a liquid core to generate a magnetic field. It is unlikely that any KBO is warm enough to have a liquid core (or we'd be able to detect it using IR telescopes).
What's left is optical detection using the camera system. This has been switched off for years. It's unlikely the probe has enough power available to use it. Even if it did, the camera probably broke when its heaters were switched off.
Also, the camera system was built for imaging nearby planets. It's 1970s technology that probably doesn't have enough resolution and sensitivity to search for dark, far-away objects. Another problem would be data transmission: to do a thorough search, you need lots of images. To transmit these at high speed (115 kbit/s), NASA needs to allocate a 70 m DSN antenna.
There is one way these spacecraft could contribute to KBO detection: a big enough course deviation due to gravity of a nearby KBO would be detectable from Earth.
There is some evidence this already happened once. With only the course deviation to go on, they haven't been able to define the size or orbit of this KBO, though.
Comment: I thought the Pioneer 10 trajectory anomaly was recently explained by photon pressure from the RTG's thermal emissions?
http://arxiv.org/abs/1107.2886
Comment: You're correct, the Pioneer Anomaly was due to photon pressure, but the course deviation I mentioned is separate from the Pioneer Anomaly. The linked article mentions this.
Comment: Thanks.  These two papers appear to be relevant but I wasn't able to find full text for either of them.
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999DPS....31.2604G
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995AAS...187.4207A
Comment: It looks like the data rates need some update. It's 160 bit/s with a 34m antenna and 2800 bit/s with the 70m antenna.


Adding Parent Keyword into existing keyword

Question: I have a keyword list that is getting quite large, is there an easy way to add a parent to an existing keyword so I can nest the keywords?
Answer: To add a parent to existing keyword, follow the steps given below in CME:

Create new parent keyword
Cut the existing keywords that you want to assign to new parent
Now go to parent keyword and paste the
keyword

Hope this helps.
Comment: perfect! i didn't realize you could cut/paste the keywords, this should help immensely!


Has anyone else noticed the new review queue?

Question: Recently, I was doing my question sweep and noted late posts was overdue for a review. When I opened it, it looked much different! Has a change been made on SE, or is this an opt-in the arqade SE opted into?
Answer: Yep, the redesign is part of a wider overhaul of the Review queues that the Stack Exchange team have been (and continue to) work on. See this post on Meta SE for more information: Visual design changes to the review queues.*
It's not something we had to sign up or 'opt in' for - as per the rollout plan at the top of that post, on Feb 23 the design was shipped to all network sites.

* The question is marked featured which usually means that it would be displayed in the yellow announcements widget on the right of the page, but I guess we have so many active Meta posts on Arqade at the moment that it isn't currently showing up there.
Comment: Since it's a featured meta post on Meta StackExchange, it appears under a different box than hot Arqade meta posts. So it's always been visible for me on the main site at least. Doesn't appear to be visible on Meta Arqade
Comment: Huh! I didnt see it, thanks for telling me.
I do like the new queue doe, looks more smooth


Can you be hyperthyroid even if levels are in Lab range

Question: Lab test shows normal T3 ,T4 and TSH levels but signs of hyperthyroid are present like hair shedding, increase Heart rate, irritability. Is it possible to be hyperthyroid or can there be other disease.Hyperthyroid is in remission from last 10 months. Endocrinologist said levels are fine.
Comment: There are many things besides thyroid hormone level that can cause hair loss, increased heart rate and irritability. I would say consult your doctor again and have other blood work done where they check your white blood cell count, etc...It could even be a neurological disorder like anxiety
Comment: I know many people (older women for the most part) who are bothered by thyroid symptoms and want a dosage change while their doctors insist the levels are within the desired range. So anecdotally, yes, you can be experiencing symptoms while results claim you're fine. But this is something to discuss with the doctor, whether pushing for a dosage change or for testing to see what non-thyroid explanation there is for what you are experiencing.
Answer: The personal set-point of thyroid homeostasis may differ between individuals [1, 2]. Multiple studies showed that the intra-individual variation of both TSH and peripheral thyroid hormones is smaller than the inter-individual variation [3, 4]. Therefore, for individuals the range of optimality is smaller than the width of the corresponding reference range (for TSH, free T4 and potentially free T3, too) [1]. A person with a rather low setpoint may well have symptoms of thyrotoxicosis like irregular heart rhythm, increased heart rate etc. if the FT4 concentration is higher than her or his personal set point.
The potentially harmful consequences of this association were dramatically demonstrated by the Rotterdam study, which showed a fourfold-increased risk of sudden cardiac death in persons with FT4 concentration being in the highest tertile of the normal reference range [5]. A similar association was found to atrial fibrillation [6]. Recently, the THORACAL study found an increased risk of severe cardiac arrhythmia in persons with higher FT4 concentration (of note within the reference range again) [7].
Of course, there may be other reasons for increased heart rate, hair loss etc. as well. But it may be beneficial to check the thyroid, e.g. via ultrasound or antibody determination. It is not advisable to take thyrostatic agents without a definitive diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, however.
References

Leow MK, Goede SL. The homeostatic set point of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis--maximum curvature theory for personalized euthyroid targets. Theor Biol Med Model. 2014;11:35. Published 2014 Aug 8. doi:10.1186/1742-4682-11-35 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25102854 https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4682-11-35
Dietrich JW, Landgrafe-Mende G, Wiora E, et al. Calculated Parameters of Thyroid Homeostasis: Emerging Tools for Differential Diagnosis and Clinical Research. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2016;7:57. Published 2016 Jun 9. doi:10.3389/fendo.2016.00057 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27375554 https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2016.00057
Andersen S, Pedersen KM, Bruun NH, Laurberg P. Narrow individual variations in serum T(4) and T(3) in normal subjects: a clue to the understanding of subclinical thyroid disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Mar;87(3):1068-72. doi: 10.1210/jcem.87.3.8165. PMID: 11889165. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11889165 https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.87.3.8165
Larisch R, Giacobino A, Eckl W, Wahl HG, Midgley JE, Hoermann R. Reference range for thyrotropin. Post hoc assessment. Nuklearmedizin. 2015;54(3):112-7. doi: 10.3413/Nukmed-0671-14-06. Epub 2015 Jan 8. PMID: 25567792. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25567792 https://doi.org/10.3413/nukmed-0671-14-06
Chaker L, van den Berg ME, Niemeijer MN, et al. Thyroid Function and Sudden Cardiac Death: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study. Circulation. 2016;134(10):713–722. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.020789 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27601558 https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.115.020789
Chaker L, Heeringa J, Dehghan A, et al. Normal Thyroid Function and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: the Rotterdam Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100(10):3718–3724. doi:10.1210/jc.2015-2480 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26262438 https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-2480
Patrick Müller, Johannes W. Dietrich, Tina Lin, Alexandru Bejinariu, Stephan Binnebößel, Friederike Bergen, Jan Schmidt, Sarah-Kristin Müller, Apostolos Chatzitomaris, Muhammed Kurt, Shqipe Gerguri, Lukas Clasen, Harald H. Klein, Malte Kelm, Hisaki Makimoto, Usefulness of Serum Free Thyroxine Concentration to Predict Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk in Euthyroid Patients with Structural Heart Disease. The American Journal of Cardiology, 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002914920300606 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.01.019
Comment: A recent meta-analysis showed that even slightly elevated free T4 significantly increases the risk for major cardiovascular endpoints. Although TSH shows a similar association it is more expressed for free T4.

Müller et al. Minor perturbations of thyroid homeostasis and major cardiovascular endpoints-Physiological mechanisms and clinical evidence. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Aug 15;9:942971. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.942971. PMID: 36046184; PMCID: PMC9420854. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36046184/


How to compare two DSCP ? which one of DSCP 28 and 34 (decimal) has more priority?

Question: How to compare two DSCP ? for example which one of DSCP 28 and 34 (decimal) has more priority ?
Answer: There is no way to compare two DSCP values without the specific network QoS configurations. By default, a network device ignores DSCP values, and you must configure QoS on the device. Also remember that QoS is meaningless unless there is congestion at a point where a device has been configured to use QoS.
There is an RFC that recommends some things, but even it says:

There is no intrinsic requirement that particular DSCPs, traffic
  conditioners, PHBs, and AQM be used for a certain service class, but
  as a policy and for interoperability it is useful to apply them
  consistently.

Generally, a higher DSCP value in the first digit is configured to be more preferred, but network devices can be configured to prefer any particular value. For example, EF is normally assigned to a priority queue, but it could be assigned to a queue with the lowest priority.
The second digit is normally used to give the drop priority within the first digit, but a lower value has a lower drop priority, so a higher value in the second digit is usually more likely to be dropped in congestion.
You can actually configure any DSCP value to mean whatever you want in your network devices. There is no requirement, and different people do it very differently. That is one reason that QoS does not work over the public Internet. What you think the values mean could be wildly different than what someone else thinks they should mean.
Comment: Thanks a lot for this useful information, it's more clear now. I just want to confirm, the idea is the same whatever network was for routers or for core devices ?
Comment: The idea is the same for any network device. You should search for `rfc dscp` and read the results.


I want to have my custom field use HTML, how do I do that?

Question: I want to have my custom field use HTML, how do I do that in such a way that I can use a rich text editor to view the content?
Answer: I sometimes use Custom fields Template :
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/custom-field-template/
You can attribute a type to your field (wysiwyg, list, image...)
Answer: See this example on github for an own meta boxes and add your specialy boxes for your type of content. You can also read this post for this example plugin.
Answer: You can use Advanced Custom Fields plugin.
It's pretty easy to use and very powerful, so it's the best choice right now, I guess.
Comment: Thanks for resurrecting this 2010 question! And yes indeed, Advanced Custom Fields is the way to go in 2013. :-)
Answer: http://sltaylor.co.uk/blog/control-your-own-wordpress-custom-fields/
Found this, but I can't comment on whether the approach used is good or not, but it certainly covers what you want to do and more (storing and retrieving data that is not stored as post metadata.)


Which is the most stringent bicycle helmet certification?

Question: There are numerous safety standards for bicycle helmets available, but which certification is the most stringent one in terms of safety?
Comment: In looking at the various standards, all are missing doing any real tests of how the helmet would hold up (and protect my head) during an actual crash. I consider a "crash" to be a moving event, what they test I would call a "fall".
Comment: @KenHiatt That's because no bike helmet will offer any real protection from a crash. You'd need a full-face motorbike helmet for that.
Comment: @DanHulme, I disagree. Granted a helmet will not do much good in a car-vs-bike at speed, but I've had a couple of significant crashes where I am convinced the helmet helped. One of these I received a concussion, looking at the helmet I'd probably have been leaking gray matter without it. I suspect the reason for lack of this type of testing is that it would be VERY expensive.
Comment: I fell off my bike once and tore my trousers. I'm glad I was wearing them, or I could have shredded my knees! As you've pointed out, most helmets are only tested for an impact about equivalent to dropping from waist height (some from a little over head height). Serious injuries from that kind of head impact are very rare. Just because your helmet broke doesn't mean your head would have: like my trousers and my knee.
Answer: To test a bicycle helmet you attach it to dummy head and drop it from a height onto a solid object. The acceleration experienced by the head is measured, if the acceleration is too high the helmet fails. Stringency of the impact test depends on how high you drop the helmet from and the maximum acceleration you allow for a pass.
There's a comparison of the various standards here. Snell B95 uses the largest drop (2.2m) and is the most stringent on that count, although it allows acceleration of 300g. Other tests (e.g. Canada, Europe) have a lower limit on acceleration, but the drop heights for these standards are also lower.
If you can find a helmet that is Snell certified and also Canadian or European certified then go with that. If not, then just Snell certified is probably the best bet.
Answer: From a little Googling this site has the opinion that Sneel has the toughest standards.  To elaborate some more, the Snell standard specifies higher drop heights, but the really interesting thing I found out from reading is that the Snell standard is the only one that takes helmets purchased at retail and tests those. This forces manufacturers to have good quality control standards, as they might have to recall a helmet model if it is found to be non-compliant.  Although the article states that they do not know of any such cases.
Answer: Snell is touted as having the most stringent standards, but they apparently cost the most/require the most samples for testing as well so many manufacturers simply pass.


Why did I lose my +500 bounty after a question got deleted?

Question: About two weeks ago, I answered a question and was rewarded with a +500 bounty. See, I don't really much reputation. I'm at 448 on Stack Overflow. So when that question was deleted for whatever reason, I was shocked! I had +4 upvotes, and it was marked best answer. Based on my understanding, the OP couldn't have deleted the question himself, so why did I lose my bounty? And why in the first place would anyone lose reputation for a bounty after the question got deleted? That doesn't make any sense to me.
Comment: Can you link to the question?  (It won't help those of us under 10k rep on the site, but *some* people will be able to see it and the post history might shed some light on the matter.)
Comment: @Gone It was awarded successfully roughly two weeks ago.
Comment: Ah yes, I see, then this is a bit of a mystery
Comment: @Gone I just wanted to know how this happened and why?
Comment: Fair enough too - would be interested in knowing how this could happen too
Comment: Worth to mention that if enough time pass (2-3 months, can't remember ATM) reputation is preserved even after deletion. However, two weeks are not enough.
Comment: Related feature request: http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/180140/retain-bounty-awarded-even-if-question-is-deleted.
Answer: It was a crappy question that was looking for recommendations. The bounty should have been manually removed and the question closed a long time ago. You really should never have been awarded it in the first place. Well, that's the sucky thing about having a huge backlog of flags in the queue on Stack Overflow.
Upon deletion of the posts, the reputation events got reversed, which includes the bounties.


Why didn't the guns pop up in Incredibles 2?

Question: In the The Incredibles, when EDNA takes in Elastigirl to show the suits details, the guns pop up.

But in Incredibles 2, when she takes in Bob and Jack-Jack, the guns do not show up.
Why?
Answer: No more demonstration is needed.
The suit is bulletproof, as a default, there is no need to prove it over again.
Edna..in The Incredibles

Edna: Shh! Darling! Shh! I cut it a little roomy for the free
  movement. The fabric is comfortable for sensitive skin, and can also withstand
  a temperature of over 1000 degrees. Completely bulletproof. And machine
  washable, darling. That's a new feature.
HELEN
What on earth do you think the baby will be doing?!
Edna
Well, I'm sure I don't know, darling. Luck favors the
  prepared. I didn't know the baby's powers, so I covered the basics.

It occurs to me that you might be referring to these guns...

However, we don't see the entire clip (I'm dubious about the legality of the youtube clip, but that's another matter)...but it seems likely that since the reason for the visit is to authorise Jack-Jack to the testing area the guns aren't necessary....assuming they deployed in the first place (since we don't see them). Edna's already approved him and the machines are just recording the details.
Plus, of course, he's already wearing his bulletproof onesie!


Why is it that the swordsman's attacks appear to do nothing until they click the sword back into its sheath?

Question: For example, in One Piece, Brook, and sometimes Zorro, do some big attack with their swords, but the cuts are not shown until after they return their swords to the sheaths.
Comment: I guess it is an exaggerated depiction of [Iaijutsu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaijutsu) (like the case of ninja), where a master can supposedly cut things so fast that the object being cut does not separate until a moment later.
Comment: The real question is, Why does the swordsman wait until the cuts are about to be shown before they finally click their sword into the sheath?
Comment: The attack is so fast that you can't follow it's movement. I think it's once explained in Mahou Sensei Negima as sword iai, during the Mahora Martial Arts Tournament arc.
Comment: @nhahtdh But like, they'll do the attack then they will hang around for a second or two then click their sword in. The enemy still doesn't show any reaction at all until the click.
Comment: If we are talking about Zoro, you should go back to Thriller Back Arc. Do you remember the scene which Brook watches Zoro and the Samurai to fight? He says he cannot even follow their movements. But when they strike each other with an attack they both understand what the other have done because they can read movements at  this speed. And also these are fiction.. so there is no proper real explanation!
Answer: This trope is usually attributed to Fist of The North Star, after Kenshiro attacks someone he pauses and says "You are already dead". It is only then that they realise their defeat and the attacks are applied.

Reference.
Another Reference (TVTropes)
It's similar to how in Road Runner, Wilee Coyotee often runs off of cliffs, without realising the ground below him has stopped - he only falls when this is pointed out to him.

The usual rationale is that everything happens so fast that the character cannot register what is going on - and neither does their body.
Comment: Also for dramatic emphasis. Especially when two swordsmen exchange blows and you're not sure which one got cut until a moment or two later.
Comment: I'm pretty sure I've seen the trope that the OP is about, and even though your answer has a couple of examples from elsewhere that are similar, It hasn't convinced me that the trope comes from your examples.
Answer: This slashing technique is explained in Chapter 450: General Zombie Night.  known as Hanauta Sancho: Yahazugiri (literal meaning: Three verse humming: Arrow-notch slash). The slash occurs at such a fast pace that it appears as if the swordsman simply walked past the victim. The victim feels the effects only after a certain amount of time, which is about the time to walk three metres (or ten feet) away. As Dr. Hogback points out, the victim continues to hum three verses, and only then realize that they have been cut. Further, he notes that only a "master" swordsman can use this slashing technique.
The swordsman sheathing the sword and announcing "I have already cut you", moments before the victim feels the slash is only because it looks cool. The victim would feel the effect all the same even if the swordsman just stood there doing nothing after slashing.
Answer: TV Tropes defines this as Delayed Causality. It is purposely meant for dramatic effect.
The in-universe explanations for it (if any) are often noticeably tongue-in-cheek rather than meaningful. There is nothing believable about cutting someone up with a sword and them failing to notice.
In One Piece this is more strongly associated with Brook, because his fighting style has emphasis on speed and "so fast they didn't notice" plays to it.
Answer: Did you ever experience being cut or injured and you notice it later because the cut or injury was insignificant that you fail to notice it until it's pointed out to you or you feel pain later due to a movement that depends on the place where you get injured or cut?
It is probably inspired by these kind of situations in real life but with a little exaggeration (being that the cut is critical that you can't possibly be that stupid that you can't notice and you can pretty much predict the exact moment that the victim will feel the injury every time without fail)
Answer: This trope isn't even really a trope in the sense that most tropes are. IE in being a sort of ridiculous  event that is habitually used in modern writing due to it being an expedient plot device, and it has its origins way in the past, prior to any animation or movies even existing.  It has roots in reality that go beyond movie/anime writing devices that provide dramatic effect.
It refers to becoming so proficient with your sword, your technique and human physiology that you can make a cut clean through some part of a person not only extremely quickly, but while encountering essentially zero resistance (such as from striking bone) In a technical sense, it would be because your muscle control, edge control, technique and knowledge are so perfect that - let's say in a decapitation - the edge of your blade naturally moves only in places in between the bones rather than a sloppier blow that's simply a wild chop.
If one was sufficiently proficient, they could deliver a single devastating, dismembering/fatal, blow that was delivered with such finesse and so perfectly that their opponent's reaction was vastly delayed as the lack of violence of the strike itself wasn't enough to even break their chain of thought, it's only when their eyes make contact with the wound that they realize something grievous has happened.
It's a little ridiculous here people thinking that they'd know immediately if they lost an arm or were otherwise struck with such a blow - as the body doesn't really have a discrete sense picture that goes along with dismemberment.  The body plans on never being dismembered - and as such, it doesn't doesn't have a particular nerve signal that tells you "HEY, ARM CHOPPED OFF" and as such it can't differentiate between "OMG OW MY ARM" and "OMG YOU CHOPPED MY ARM OFF".  Hence realization visually is a key component of knowing what's happened in this situation (which I point out only to be more clear regarding why this trope isn't really nearly as ridiculous as one might think at first glance).
Also, given a lifetime of experience as a human being, where every time you feel a pain in your hand, and you look down, your hand is always there.  The one time it's not is definitely a shock, and assuming its removal isn't accompanied by the simultaneous shattering of every local bone and said cut was administered with aforementioned skill, technique and a very sharp blade, an appropriate reaction to it that fully understands its seriousness would most definitely be delayed, and it would be this way for any normal human being who doesn't spend their day to day expecting a limb to be missing every time they feel a twinge.
The effect, as a result of practice and technique is described as such in The Book of the Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - a 17th century samurai most well known for having won more duels to the death than...well, likely anyone ever (something like 60 duel to death wins between ages 12 and 30.)  And a revolutionary master of the blade.  One opponent of his was waiting to ambush him along with their friends and bodyguards after challenging Musashi to a duel; Musashi spotted the ambush and then still was able to run up to the man, remove his head with a single sword stroke and then get away unscathed despite the dozen+ other men waiting there thinking only about killing him,
So his credentials are solid.  Yes it works for dramatic effect, but it's just not nearly as silly and outlandish as the answers here are making it out to be.
Answer: Long story short, the motion is so fast we can't realise what has been done. Our body also doesn't realise it has been cut until a few seconds. Similar to a scene where somebody is running to the edge of a cliff, suddenly looks down and realises that he has already crossed the cliff and after a few seconds, just falls down.


What are some fireproof alternatives to wood framing?

Question: I plan to extend my bedrooms above the garage.  since I will be doing it, I want it done right.  All the construction I see uses wood framing which I don't like due to fire susceptibility.  I am considering metal studs and beams but would like to know if there are other materials that are resistant to fire but strong and durable.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Comment: Building with "fire resistant" materials is not a panacea, the *fire load* of a structure is a calculation that includes **all the materials in it**. This means floor and wall coverings, furniture, all normal home furnishings (generally, all of these things burn vigorously). The high-rise inferno in England today: made of concrete and steel. If you are really concerned, build with whatever is cheap and easy, then install a residential fire sprinkler system with the money you save.
Comment: There is framing out there that is treated with borax, a fire retarder, just a mention, worth checking out if you are wiling to pay the extra cost.
Comment: If you garage is standard wood frame construction, what would be the benefit of using especially fire resistant construction in a room added on top of the garage? Are you going to redo the garage ceiling with 5/8" thick drywall to slow down the progress of a fire which starts in the garage? (Maybe your house already has this, but mine doesn't--we've got 1/2" drywall in the ceiling and walls of our attached (really integral) garage in our 47-year-old tract house.)  If a garage has a bedroom over it, I don't think it is safe to park automobiles in the garage.
Comment: One reason to use especially fire resistant construction in an added room would be if the intended occupant of the room had habits which increased fire risk, e.g., an elderly person who smoked at all and especially smoked in bed. I had an uncle who did this and started a fire which burned down the house he shared with his sisters. (This was 1950s or 60s in south Louisiana and in that time and place one simply could not infringe on the practice of smoking.)
Answer: I agree with Jimmy Fix-it (in a comment on the question): residential sprinklers will protect best, if you have a good (dependable) water source. They are relatively inexpensive, because the sprinkler lines can be run from the nearest water line in the house provided the domestic system can supply the flows needed (13gpm to all design sprinklers and 18gpm to any single sprinkler operating). You don't need a separate waterline, riser, fire department connections, etc.  However, be aware that when your insurance salesman says you'll save money in house insurance, you should ask him how much to add "water damage" if they accidentally go off.
But, to answer your question, the Code divides construction into 5 categories:
Type I and Type II: These types are "non combustible ", which primarily refers to concrete and steel construction. The main difference between I and II is whether the exterior and interior bearing walls need to be protected longer… it's 3 hours for Type I and 1 hour for Type II.
Type III is masonry construction using combustible inner structural members, or "ordinary construction".
Type IV is "Heavy Timber" construction. This is wood (fire treated and untreated) that is primarily thick (8" diameter!) timbers for structural members with masonry for load-bearing walls.  Partitions (non-load bearing) walls can still be 2x framing.
Type V is anything or everything else… including wood framing, straw-bales, etc.
However, all these materials are divided into sub-categories of with and without fire sprinklers. There are many many requirements with each category… like everything, it's in the details. (I.e.: non-bearing wall construction, enclosed shafts, attic construction, etc.)
In addition to what you called "fire susceptibility" construction, the code identifies "flammability " of materials. All materials fall into 3 classes: Class A: 0-25 flame rating, Class B: 26-75 flame rating and Class C: 76-200 flame rating. Most often this is what kills occupants of burned buildings. Usually, victims are dead long before the building burns up and falls down on them. Fire sprinklers will protect against this too.
I'd also invest in the best fire alarm system (with battery backup)… and some come with additional horns and carbon monoxide detectors too.
Comment: I've heard that masonry is rated differently to concrete due to the way a brick & mortar wall behaves when it gets very hot - the bricks expand at a different rate to the mortar causing them to become unstuck - and the wall falls down with a gentle nudge.
Comment: Type III is masonry exterior walls with non-fire-resistive interior framing supporting them, BTW.  Brick exterior walls are also used in older type IV buildings.  Also, accidental sprinkler activations take some work -- I've only seen one, and that was when a flying shoe smacked into a sidefire head in a hallway in the dorm I was staying in.
Answer: You can use steel studs, but by the time the fire gets far enough to have ignited wood studs (in their usual gypsum cocoon), the steel studs (which are quite thin) will have failed from the heat.
Indeed, a heavy timber frame structure usually lasts longer than a steel frame structure in a fire, as the contents of the building burning cause the steel to sag and collapse long before enough of the wood frame (which is rather hard to ignite in a heavy timber frame) has burned away to cause it to collapse.
In any case, what you build the room above the garage from is almost irrelevant to the fire survivablity of such a room, in a building that's already been built with whatever materials it was built from - if "ignition from the garage" is your concern, adding two layers of type X with the seams offset to the garage walls and ceiling would do a lot more, as would removing any fuel other than that in the vehicle tank from the garage (i.e. build a shed in the yard to put the lawmower, mower gas, etc. in, and don't fill the garage up with boxes, recycling and other fuel.)


Bid/Ask when trading ETFs?

Question: Let's say it's an index-tracking ETF. Isn't the ETF price determined by the index value? Why does it have bid/ask spread then? Could someone explain the bid/ask concept when trading ETFs?
Answer:
Isn't the ETF price determined by the index value?

Technically, the price is determined by the market's view of the ETF's assets, which is supposed to track some index. It consists of numerous stocks The price does not necessarily have to match the index exactly.
Take SPY as an example. It's current value is 264.15, while the S&P 500 sits as 2647.60, so not quite a 1:10 ratio. If you compare the two on a finance site, you'll see that the normalized graphs are very close, but do have some deviation. In fact, SPY posts a tracking error of 0.05, which means that on average, the ETF price is about 0.05 above or below the actual index value.

Why does it have bid/ask spread then?

Like any other stock, the bid/ask spread is determined by the limit orders for that index, with buy limit orders filling the "bid" queue and sell limit orders filling the "ask" queue.
Comment: This answer could be strengthened by noting that the ETF is a *traded* security that is priced via *arbitrage* with its underlying assets (unlike index *mutual funds* which are priced by the fund sponsor at NAV rather than independently traded, and seem to be OP's reference point). Much of the ETF's bid and ask liquidity is provided by arbitrageurs. This is a different and creative *mechanism* that exploits market forces to construct an index-tracking product, and has only been around for 25 years or so.
Answer: The price of ETF is determined by index value. This is generally calculated after the market closes.
When the market is open if enough people holding ETF believe markets will go up, they will ask more. There are a bunch who believe it will go down or not go as high as others think and will bid low.
This results in a spread. As no one can predict the exact value the ETF will end on close of markets, the ETF behaves similar to stock, the only difference being it will not deviate too much from the actual value.
Comment: Indexes are commonly calculated throughout the trading day, not just at the close. More specifically, the *assets* underlying the ETF trade throughout the day. This answer misses that ETFs are priced in real time through arbitrage.

Bid/Ask when trading ETFs?


Any way I could use a USB monitor with my Droid?

Question: The Droid doesn't support video out but I'd like to have a bigger screen sometimes.  The Mimo would be cool but their they don't seem to have Android drivers (or even linux drivers).  Any way to do this?  (Note: I do not want to have to run it through an existing computer)
Answer: AFAIK, the original Droid is completely hardware incapable of providing video out via usb. The Droid Incredible does provide this functionality, but it has a USB port specifically designed for it (extra pins).


Speaker not working of laney lionheart

Question: I have a laney lionheart mini amp, and a fender squire bullet strat.  I connected my guitar to the amp and switched it on, but no sound came from the speaker; then I connected my headphone to the jack, and the amp was working just fine, but again, no sound is coming from my speaker, what shall I do? Any opinions?
Answer: Couple of ideas. The jack for headphones is usually a switched socket: plugging in a jack will disconnect the speaker from the circuit. It may be that the contacts on that socket are not re-connecting when the jack is removed. Switch cleaner often works to re-instate things.
I've also come across the same sort of problem with the jack sockets for send/return.
Of course, it may be that the speaker itself has died. That can be checked by disconnecting the two wires, and connecting a small battery instead. As it's connected, the cone should move in or out. Also, if there's a jack for extension speaker, that again is often a switched socket, disconnecting the internal speaker. Same remedy as previous. Or, it could be as simple as a wire has come off the speaker...

Speaker not working of laney lionheart


Geany Class member Sidebar

Question: In eclipse, when I open a file there is a sidebar which shows me all of the methods and global variables in the file. Is there a way I can get similar functionality for Geany?
Answer: Geany shows this one the sidebar as well, it's on a tab labeled "Symbols".
You can see an example here:

What I'm not sure about is which languages it supports. It has worked with every language I have tried so far (JavaScript, Java, C, Python, C++) but it doesn't seem to always work.
Answer: You can open the Symbols-sidebar by selecting "Preferences" in the Edit-menu. In the "Interface" tab, check "Show symbol list".

Geany Class member Sidebar


What's Tosefta vs. Baraita?

Question: I'm confused. I've traded corresponding Wikipedia articles, but still can't clearly tell what is what. Is one includes the other, or they parallel? What's one to another?
Answer: From JewishVirtualLibrary (with modifications):

A [Baraita] is [referring to] a legal or historical document written by Tannaim (scholars of the Mishnah) that was not integrated into the Mishnah... Amoraim (scholars of the Talmud) utilized the knowledge of baraitot for the sake of attaining additional information. The baraitot would elucidate an issue or question regarding Biblical texts.
The Tosefta, is a separate compilation of baraitot passages, organized in accordance with the order of the Mishnah. The Tosefta is much larger than the Mishnah, and contains interpretations of Judaic laws. These interpretations sometimes support the Mishnah, but may also contradict its teachings.

Ie the Tosefta is a compilation of baraitot.
(other compilations of baraitot: the Mekhilta, Sifra and Sifre)
Comment: ברייתא meaning is outsider teaching.

What’s Tosefta vs. Baraita?


Mistake in Havdala- didn't drink Havdala cup

Question: Someone made Havdala and forgot to drink the cup of wine. Did he and the listeners fulfill their obligation?
Answer: Mishnah Berurah 296 (2) [9]  makes it a requirement to drink at least a mouthful of whatever drink he uses for havdalah and if he does not drink this quantity he has not fulfilled the mitzvah.


Boundary Conditions fro Static Structural Analysis of a Turbine Rotor Using FEM

Question: I am trying to perform static structural analysis of a turbine rotor which is rotating at a given angular speed, say 1000 rad/s. I also know the pressure distribution from CFD analysis. What are the boundary conditions for static structural analysis? I can use angular velocity as inertial load, pressure distribution from CFD as applied load. Do I have to restrain the  translation/rotation of surface 1, shown in figure? If yes, why?
Answer: If your CFD analysis for the pressure loads was correct, the resultant of all the pressure loads should contain axial load and a torque on the complete assembly. If there is no torque, the turbine is useless! The axial load is not useful for the complete machine, but you can't avoid it.
Whether it is rotating or not, the turbine wheel can move in space as a rigid body. So you need to restrain it to prevent that, and create reaction forces that balance the applied axial load and torque.
The best way to do this is to restrain it at the location where it would be attached to the turbine shaft. You will then get the "correct" stress distribution in the disk. If you restrain it at some other arbitrary point or points, you will probably get an unrealistic high stress at those points.
(The turbine disk is probably not attached to the shaft at your "surface 1", unless it is a shrink fit on the shaft - for example there is no practical way that you could bolt it to the shaft through that surface.)
Actually, a much more efficient way to model this would be to model a sector of the turbine wheel containing just one blade, and derive the correct boundary conditions from the fact that the deflections of all the other sectors are identical (when measured in cylindrical polar coordinates) - but going into the details of how to do that is outside the scope of your actual question.
Comment: Assuming that the turbine is attached to the shaft at "surface 1", should I take all three displacement and all three rotations to be zeros at surface 1, or just displacements?
Comment: If your elements have rotation degrees of freedom, set them to zero as well as the translations - though in practice it probably won't make much difference, if you have a sensible mesh density in the model.


Is Io a magic energy machine?

Question: Io gets its volcanic heat from being flexed by Jupiter's gravity, and this seems to go on forever.  That sounds like a magic energy source, since Jovian gravity is perpetual and Io seems to remain in orbit perpetually.  Have we discovered magic?
Comment: @PeterA.Schneider - There's nothing wrong with astronomy questions that involve physics. Astronomy is in a sense a branch of physics nowadays, and has been since Newton. (This very much was not the case prior to Newton's time.)
Comment: This is more a physics question.
Comment: @DavidHammen true, of course -- I was just piqued by "have we discovered magic?" because the answer is purely physics, can be given with zero knowledge of the specific bodies and orbits involved and is very short. By contrast, the (hypothetical) question "*Where* does the energy which sustains  Io's vulcanism come from, and *how* is the energy transferred to it?" concerns the specific bodies and hence is on the astronomy side of this intersection. It is also quite long if answered correctly and exhaustively. (I admit that he question can also be meant as a rethorical starting point.)
Answer: The energy driving Io's volcanism is derived from its orbital energy and (to a lesser extent by the orbital energy of the other moons and the energy of Jupiter's rotation).  Similar mechanisms power the cryo-volcanism on Enceladus and the other icy moons.  The available orbital energy reservoir is huge compared to that required to drive the volcanic activity.
This does imply that the gravitational interactions on all the moons in the system are changing their orbits and rotations, albeit slowly.  Given unlimited time, the orbit of Io might decay to a point where it falls within Jupiter's Roche limit and is torn apart.
(Note: the answer to How can tidal heating lower Io's orbit describes this more precisely, and points out that tidal forces are transferring energy from Jupiter's rotation to the orbits of its moons, so Io's orbit in the long term gets larger (to the point of it leaving Jupiter orbit) rather than decaying.)
Comment: So short answer: No.
Comment: @RBarryYoung, resonant interactions with Europa and Ganymede are preventing it from settling in to tide-friendly orbit.
Comment: @RBarryYoung Io is mostly tidally locked now, but as Joshua points out, small fluctuations are enough to create the continuous volcanic activity.
Comment: I think that the more likely end point may be that Io becomes tidally-locked with Jupiter.  Like our own Moon, with the same side always facing Jupiter, there would be no more (changes in the) tidal flexing.
Comment: @zephyr ...awwww. Why does it always have to be *"no"* the answer to _"Is it magic?"_. Damn [Clarke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws) always pulling the rug under our wishful feet... :(
Comment: -1 for lying about Io not being a magical energy machine just so you can try to steal all of the energy for yourself!!!!1
Comment: Very nice! I've just asked [How can tidal heating lower Io's orbit?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/25061/7982)
Comment: More likely, it would (together with the other moons) leave Jupiter's orbit if space and time wouldn't collapse first, because it orbits prograde.
Comment: @xDaizu It just means the technology is insufficiently advanced ;-)
Answer:
And this seems to go on forever.

Not strictly true.

Io seems to remain in orbit perpetually. Have we discovered magic?

No and no.
Io's orbital speed is $v = 17.33 \mathrm{km/s}$. Its mass is $m = 8.9319 \cdot 10^{22} \mathrm{kg}$
The formula for the kinetic energy is: $E = m \cdot v^2 / 2$
Plugging the values for Io into it, its total kinetic energy is approximately $7 \cdot 10^{40}$ Joule according to Wolfram Alpha. That's a very, VERY large amount of energy. Io can afford to spend a small fraction of it to keep itself warm for a very long time without significant apparent changes.
But yeah, on a human time scale it does look like magic.
Comment: It feels like you need to take into account the heat loss to determine whether you're actually spending a "small fraction".  The [surface temperature near the volcanoes reaches 1600K](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanology_of_Io). If the whole surface (42E12 m^2) was at that temperature (it's not), by the [Stefan-Boltzmann law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan%E2%80%93Boltzmann_law) it would emit 370kW/m^2, for 1.6E19 W total. That's 5E26 J/year, so in a billion years you'd radiate 0.1% of the orbital energy, or << a tiny fraction..  Obviously you're right from the fact it's still there
Comment: There wouldn't be tidal forces if it wasn't in orbit, @zephyr. Energy is what keeps it there.
Comment: What does Io's orbital energy have to do with it's volcanism? The volcanism is powered by tidal forces from Jupiter, not Io's orbital energy.
Comment: Until it doesn't.
Comment: @Beanluc There also wouldn't be tidal forces if Io didn't have mass. Does that mean an equation calculating the total mass-energy of Io is relevant to it's volcanism? My point is that Florin is somehow equating Io's orbital energy to its volcanism which is just patently wrong.
Answer: You don't have to look that far, actually. The tides here on Earth -- ebb and flow -- are "powered" by our Moon's gravity. It's not expressed as heat and volcanic activity, but the mechanisms are the same as on Io.
That energy (which can be, and is, turned into electricity by tidal power stations) is not "free", though.  Earth used to rotate faster (making days shorter than today's 24 hours), and the moon used to be closer (it's still drifting away at ~4 cm per year)...
Answer: A worldbuilding answer:
In terms of "Magic Energy" (I hate the word magic, lets say free energy)
Lets say we have a colony far from the Sun.  Jupiter works, or, an outer planet, maybe even the theoretical Planet 9, where solar-energy panels would be pretty pointless, Uranium fuel might be scarce and 3He takes time to collect for fusion, so they need a power source.
In theory, a devise could be built using material and mass asteroids and carbon fiber cables, and some kind of structure where there was a spherical outside that stretches and squishes in an orbit, ideally, like Io, between the planet and it's large moon where some eccentricity and variation would be maintained.
The stretching back and forth and the mass of the outer shell of this object could pull pistons and make electricity.   The amount of electricity would depend on the mass and size and flexibility of the spherical construct and the energy would come from a nearly limitless source - the planet's rotational energy.
Whether such a thing is practical is another question.  I have no idea if it would be practical at all, but it's theoretically possible.
You'd also need a large moon, otherwise the orbit would circularize and energy would diminish.  But a Planet-Large Moon system, maybe it could work.  The downside is that so much energy would go into building the thing in the first place, I'm not sure it would be worth it.
Answer:
Is Io a magic energy machine?

No, it's not. The source of Io's energy is Jupiter's rotation. Think of the our Moon. It is slowly spiraling outward away from the Earth. The Moon is not a magic energy machine. It steals angular momentum and orbital energy from the Earth's rotation. While the transfer of angular momentum from the Earth to the Moon is very close to even, the transfer of energy is not. The Earth-Moon system is dissipative.
The same goes for Io and its volcanos. Io is very slowly stealing angular momentum and energy from Jupiter's rotation, and in the process, vents  some of that stolen energy into space.
Comment: @userLTK: Yes - basically the same as harnessing wave power on Earth.
Comment: But if we put something like a water wheel above those volcanoes, we'd be supplied with energy, like we get from mountain streams flowing downhill.  http://www.meldrethhistory.org.uk/images/uploaded/originals/overshot.jpg   Obviously "magic energy" doesn't exist, but long term energy source.
Comment: Io may be stealing angular momentum and energy for Jupiter's rotation, but it would have no means of transfering that into volcanic energy. It would instead change its orbital distance much like our own Moon does. The volcanism is due to tidal forces from Jupiter. I'm not sure I see how most of your answer is relevant to the question.
Comment: @zephyr I don't know, but there is some related discussion in comments below [this answer](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/25083/7982).

Is Io a magic energy machine?


Reheating no boil lentil lasagna noodles after freezing

Question: Can I use no boil lentil lasagna noodles, cook  the lasagna, then freeze and reheat without mushy noodles?
Answer: Thawing will always result in somewhat mushier texture than freshly baked pasta.
I'm not familiar with lentil pastas, but I would expect them to be mushier after thawing compared to regular wheat flour pasta.
If you intend to prepare your lasagna in advance for lunches (for example), you could undercook the pasta a little bit so that it finishes when reheating.


Software that allows to create and practice Multiple Choice Questions tests for personal use

Question: I am basically looking for a Moodle like test application for personal use, where I can create Question + Multiple Choice Answer Time Limited digital tests so I can prepare myself for similar tests by somewhat simulating testing conditions. I don't want to use Moodle because it involves setting up a personal server and other such things which is too much for basic personal use. I have contemplated using Flashcard applications like Anki or Quizlet to make cards that have a question on the front and the related answer on the back but this would not properly simulate how real tests are taken. I dual boot Windows and Linux Mint on my laptop so the application could be on either of these platforms or both. Android app is not necessary but it would be useful. Open source or Freeware applications preferred.
Answer: I would suggest making a csv file with one question and 2 or more possible answers for each question, with the first one always being the correct answer.
A couple of minutes python scripting will give you a console app that will load the csv file, select N random lines, randomise the answers for that question and assign them to options from A onward, and then present each answer in turn with the options and prompt the user for answer letters. Marking would be simple.
A little more work with pygame or curses could give a reasonably nice interface or a GUI such as wxPython could be added or possibly a web interface.
All of the above is Open Source - I know that it is not a ready rolled application but this was much too long for a comment.
Comment: I've barely learnt the basics of python as of now so I don't think I'm good enough yet for making GUI applications. But this could be a interesting side project to work on for a while.


Use of "Mounted /system" with secret key combinations in recovery;

Question: I just discovered that after pressing a secret key combination in recovery mode, the log below shows a message "Mounted /system". What's this used for? Thank you!
Comment: Which log? I can't find it
Comment: In my device, running 5.1.1, it has a log in 'the recovery start menu' under the options (reboot system now, wipe data, etc.) which shows text in yellow font. For example, when I select "reboot system now" it shows "Rebooting..." for a couple of seconds before rebooting. And when the battery level is low it shows " E:battery level is too low to perform factory reset". And after pressing the secret key combination it just shows "Mounted /system"
Answer: mount option im recovery mode allows you to mount a partition , like SYSTEM or DATA etc. Like you would do with a computer drive.  This  allows you to modify anything in that partition. Because when you boot in recovery mode, the other partitions are not mounted, you cannot see data or edit them.
The mount /system in the stock recovery allows to mount the system for some reason. I'm sure it has to do something with debugging.


Need help identifying a frame

Question: Recently bought a used bike, the guy who sold it said it was an 80s/90s Schwinn steel frame. Checked it with a magnet so I'm pretty sure it's steel but I'm not sure about the model, brand, or the year. No identifiers but it seems to have a unique fork and chain guides.
Comment: What are the stickers/labels on the top of the downtube ?  A close photo of them might help.
Comment: Registration stickers with local law enforcement
Comment: Could be worth contacting the local law office to see if they have other details on file.  It may just be the name/address/phone for the previous owner, which will need updating anyway so the call isn't wasted.   BTW - nice bike.
Answer: The frame looks like a 2011 to 2013 Schwinn Madison with many component changes.
The Madison was made in 1985, through 1987 as a lugged track bike.
In 2007 the Madison was an chromoly welded fastback frame and threadless headset.

This frame is similar to yours but it does not have bottle mounts.
In 2011 the Madison went to dual bottle mounts and threaded headset with many other component changes.

Your frame looks like this one.
This style was made until 2013 - if BikePedia is to be believed.
Further research
Schwinn has sold, and is currently selling, bikes with a "track style" frame in the "Urban" category that looks similar to the bike in the original post with a variety of names. Over the years there have been a variety of components and sometimes differences in frame angles.

I was unable to find a 2013 Schwinn catalog.
Keep in mind that the brand name "Schwinn" is owned by Dorel Industries which owns several other bicycle brand names, like Cannondale, DYNO, Pacific, Roadmaster, Mongoose, Murray to name a few. It is possible for them to use the same frame with one of their other brand names for any given year.
The variety of names and years makes a single model / year identification difficult. There are many serial number decoders for older Schwinn bikes. I didn't find one for the newer bikes.
Comment: @Criggie Good point. The Madison was a track bike when it was originally introduced "The Madison was made in 1985, through 1987 as a lugged track bike." When it was reintroduced in 2007 it became a fixed-gear/singlespeed. For greater clarity maybe I should have left off the history. I included it because the original post mentioned that he had heard the bike was an 80s or 90s bike - and I thought it was interesting.
Comment: The crankset looks similar too on the 2011-2013, so that's adding some evidence. I don't think the fork on OP's bike looks quite right, like it is too tall and pitching the front of the bike up, so possibly a replacement/aftermarket fork, which is neutral evidence. I wonder if the 11 in the serial number is anything useful or just coincidence heh
Comment: Yeah the top tube angle is different, but as @Swifty points out, could be a different fork from stock.
Comment: An observation - this Schwinn has brakes and bottle cage mounts, neither of which would be used on a track bike on a track.  Perhaps this was more for fixie riders on the street use rather than real track competition ?   I still think its a great match and an excellent find.
Answer: Sorry, can't tell you what it is/was.
How ever some observations:
It was either a track bike from new, or the rear dropouts were replaced with track ends.  Could be a modern hipster's fixed gear sold that way, or a proper track bike.
The quill stem and threadded fork suggests 80s or 90s, but the sloping top tube makes it more of a 90s bike in design.
Seems to have a square taper bottom bracket, and it looks like a cartridge because I can't see a lockring in the photo.  This could have been a modern replacement though.
That it seems to have a rear brake bridge and obviously support for rim brakes leans away from being a real track bike where brakes are banned, though its not impossible to retrofit brakes.

Need help identifying a frame


More Synonymous Tags?

Question: I think there are a couple more synonymous tags that need dealing with?  We currently have synth and synthesizer which I see as being the same?  There is then tags for synthesis and granular-synthesis which I think could be combined?
Answer: I don't think synthesis and granular synthesis should be combined. Granular synthesis is a form of synthesis. Regarding synthesizer vs synth I agree, remove synth would be my the best option in my opinion.
Comment: Do we really want a separate tag for every different type of synthesis: Additive, Subtractive, FM, Wavetable, Granular, etc. IMO one tag called Synthesis or synthesis_techniques could cover all of these.  Interested to know what others think though.
Comment: Sorry, I think you're right. Although it could make searching a bot easier, however people could still just search for FM or Wavetable. I was responding to quickly.
Answer: I think synth and synthesizer are certainly referring to the same thing, and I've proposed a synonym. owever, I'm not sure if synthesis (meaning making sounds via synthesis) and synthesizer (the instrument) are necessarily appropriate on the same questions, so I haven't touched those.
I definitely think that the different categories of synthesis (additive, subtractive, granular, frequency modulation, etc) do not need their own tags, and will work just fine within one catch-all synthesis tag. Currently there are just over 100 questions with a tag contaning the string synth so I don't think being any more specific with such tags is going to help much.
Other opinions?
Comment: IMO Synthesis would cover the principles of synthesis techniques, whereas Synthesizer would allow you to cover the implementation. As ever, just my thoughts.
Comment: Agreed synth, synthesizer (and synthesiser) should be synonyms
Answer: I think car/cars and vehicle/vehicles can be combined: even though one is a subset of the other, the majority of the questions and answers will apply to the broader category and will be of interest to people looking for information about cars or any other corner of the category.

More Synonymous Tags?


When borrowing from a 401k, is the 401k the source of the funds, or the collateral?

Question: I understand that borrowing from a 401K is not a good idea.  But I still want to be familiar with some of the mechanics.  If someone takes out a $5,000 401K loan, is the money taken from the 401K account or is it more like a lien is placed on your 401K? I don't know what terminology to use.
Comment: "borrowing from a 401K is not a good idea." This is an unsubstantiated generality. I can offer multiple scenarios where it makes perfect sense to do so. But as your question is about the mechanics of the loan, that discussion would not answer the question.
Answer: I do not know the exact nature of the transactions made by companies managing 401ks. But when money is borrowed from a 401k, the borrowed amount is treated as not being in the account and is no longer invested in securities and misses out on any gains that would have been made. As payments are made, the money returns to the 401k. The interest usually paid on the loan is also paid into the 401k. So your losses as an account holder are the loan fee (if any) and whatever gains would have been made had the money been in the 401k. Take the loan at the right time, before a market plunge, and you will come out better off.
So, money in the 401k is not collateral for a loan, but is the source of funds for the a loan.
Borrowing from a 401k not being a good idea as you said is mostly hype if you're going to borrow money anyways. One reason: better to borrow from your 401k and pocket the interest rather than pay a higher rate of interest to a third party. Borrowing for new counter-tops or a new Audi is probably a bad idea though. Long term loans should probably be avoided also.
Source: one of my old 401k plan summaries
Additional, 3rd party source:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/borrow-from-401k-loan.asp
Comment: One thing to add too is if you leave your job or your job leaves you, you have to make good on the debt immediately after.
Comment: But take the loan at the wrong time... (Edited to remove stupidity.)
Comment: Loan repayment after job separation seems to be plan dependent varying depending on employer. I do not know what is typical, just that for my two old 401k's loan repayment is not altered by separation as long as the vested balance is above $1000 (likely the case if you were allowed to take a loan) at the time of separation.
Answer: I think, in a way, it is both.
It is the source of the funds, in the sense that when you borrow, those funds are not available to invest on things; in effect, they are "invested" in the loan to yourself.
It is also kind of like collateral, because if you default on the loan, then it counts as if you made a withdrawal of that amount from your 401k (along with all of the consequences of withdrawal which may apply, like early-withdrawal penalty).