Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2013 October 10

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October 10

Is this an intelligence test ?

[1] (safe for work, but plays music) contains two coupons, one for 2 chicken sandwiches for $6, and one for two chicken sandwiches for the price of one ($4.19 at my local Wendy's). And customers can print these coupons out and use them as many times as they like. So, is the 2 for $6 coupon solely included in the hope of charging stupid people more ? I can imagine that somewhere in the world the cost of one sandwich might be more than $6, but these ads are just for Michigan Wendy's, where that seems unlikely. StuRat (talk) 13:39, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Hmm... Firstly the "two for the price of one" coupon has a small typo (with purchase of a Chicken Sandwich of equal of lesser value. That aside, I think they wouldn't be so free to rack your brains a bit. Most probably one of the available sandwiches on offer costs $6, while the rest cost lesser, so they'd be expecting you to choose the $6 one, though it's the customer's prerogative to buy the cheaper sandwiches. So if there really is a $6 chicken sandwich, the two coupons in question will more or less be the same thing. Another conclusion would be that for the "Free chicken sandwich" voucher, they give you a smaller-sized second sandwich while for the "2 for $6" voucher they give you two sandwiches of same size. This sort of thing frustrates the customer sometimes. Best solution, go to McDonald's. ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 13:53, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure the offer was all that well thought out. Note that the "free chicken sandwich" coupon gives you a chicken sandwich "with purchase of a sandwich of equal of lesser value," which is probably a typo for "of equal or lesser value." So if you buy two chicken sandwiches of unequal value and have a coupon, you get the more expensive sandwich free--the opposite of the usual condition, where the free sandwich cannot be the more expensive one. If anyone is using these coupons, let us know how they're working in practice. John M Baker (talk) 14:26, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

I've used the BOGO coupon myself, and can tell you that all chicken sandwiches are $4.19 or less, at my local Wendy's, and they don't have special smaller ones to give you as the free one. So, if you use the other coupon, you just pay more for exactly the same thing. Of course, this is also true if you don't use a coupon at all, but the mystery is why they expect people to use the sub-optimal coupon. BTW, this isn't the first time I've seen this. I recall one had a deal "Buy our X burger and get free drink and fries", while another coupon said "Buy a drink and fries, and get a free X burger". Well, one way was a much better deal than the other, but this at least required a bit more math to figure it out.

So, do you think this is just a mistake, or are they doing some weird market study, to measure just how stupid their customers are ? Perhaps if enough people make the stupid choice, they will start offering coupons where the "special price" is higher than the normal price. :-) StuRat (talk) 04:58, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

three flags pins or pictures

Is there a website that allows you to conjugate three flags pin like this [[2]] and [page] allows you to conjugate two flags crossing over each other or pictures because I want to conjugate a picture or pin of three African flags: Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.89.41.6 (talk) 15:51, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Interesting question. I don't think I've ever seen three flags done like the two in the images you supplied. After all, two work so well just going, for lack of a better word, back to back. How would three be done? In some sort of circular design without the flagpoles? Dismas|^(talk) 16:25, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

That is an exciting new (to me) use of the word 'conjugate'. Google doesn't give me any reason to suppose it's a recognised or widely used term in vexillology, but our article Flag of Portugal includes: The conjugation of the new field colours, especially the use of green, was not traditional …. Wiktionary also doesn't list it as a vexillological usage, but it could reasonably fit under conjugate (v.): (rare) To join together, unite; to juxtapose or conjugation: 1. The coming together of things. Thank you for broadening my vocabulary. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 18:51, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Fields Corner Station - Boston Mass

Will be visiting this area later this month. Is it a safe neighborhood? Can you walk in this area at night without trouble? Looking for anyone with knowledge of that part of Boston. Thanks142.176.1.20 (talk) 18:20, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Fields Corner is basically the dead middle of Dorchester, the intersection of Dorchester Ave (locals call it Dot. Ave) and Adams Street. Here is a website from the local chamber of commerce. Dorchester has always been a racially mixed, lower-middle-to-working-class region of Boston, though my understanding in the 15 or so years since I have left New England is that it has become somewhat gentrified. This map shows crime rates for various Boston neighborhoods (Fields Corner is called "Dorchester Avenue and Park Street") and it is colored nearly white, which makes it a pretty low crime rate. From what I know of Dorchester in general is that it isn't a very touristy part of Boston, which can be good or bad. Most of the "sights to see" in Boston are in what some call "Boston Proper", which is to say the original Shawmut Peninsula, Back Bay and that area. Dorchester is the kind of place which doesn't get a lot of tourists. But again, that can be a good thing if it is what you are into. --Jayron32 19:08, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

I believe you've misread the linked map. "Nearly white" means that the area has a high crime rate, not a low one. An online search suggests that Fields Corner is considered a high-crime area of Boston. John M Baker (talk) 23:23, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Ah. Yes. Good catch. --Jayron32 23:47, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Hand in a balloon

Precaution: If you think this question falls within the standard of "Wikipedia is not qualified to give medical advice", please close this question and mark it as such.

This has kept me puzzled for years. Is it possible to wrap a person's whole hand inside an inflated balloon, so that the air does not escape, but yet the bind around the wrist does not cut off circulation of blood? So far I have thought that it is not possible. I have no intention of trying this out in practice, this is only for the sake of curiosity. JIP | Talk 20:19, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Apparently one can, although why anyone would want to, is another issue. Alansplodge (talk) 21:00, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

His hand is quite discolored though. Like the circulation had been cut off. Dismas|^(talk) 23:09, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

That guy now holds the world record ... for the lamest world record. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:37, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Olympic torch

What's the correct protocol for relighting an Olympic torch if it accidentally goes out? 24.23.196.85 (talk) 22:48, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Re-light it. To sum, there's more than one official flame, all taken from the source. Torches go out regularly. Mingmingla (talk) 23:43, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

...and then apologize to Hφαιστος. ^{Market St.⧏} _{⧐ Diamond Way} 02:05, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Hera and Apollo actually. Rmhermen (talk) 02:58, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

All Greek to me. Just don't quote me on it lol. ^{Market St.⧏} _{⧐ Diamond Way} 03:39, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

What I would like to know is, why hasn't the gentleman in this picture removed his shirt? μηδείς (talk) 00:11, 12 October 2013 (UTC)

I wonder if he takes requests for that sort of thing. ^{Market St.⧏} _{⧐ Diamond Way} 05:23, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Apparently when the Olympic Torch went out recently, it was relit with a cigarette lighter - [3]. RNealK (talk) 02:08, 14 October 2013 (UTC)

I'm guessing that was the inspiration for the question. But yes as others have said there are usually "backup" flames which were lit from the original flame. I recall during the London 2012 torch relay, the flame went out on at least one occasion, but was followed by a van containing some lanterns which were lit from the original, and were used to relight the torch. Organics^LRO 15:53, 14 October 2013 (UTC)