Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2009 July 4

For a 4th of July Parade tomorrow, I need to tune up a snare drum. The heads seem to be loose and the snares are woefully loose. I am filling in as a drummer. How would one determine when the upper and lower heads are at the proper tightness, and when the snares are properly tightened. This drum has a rotary adjustment for the snares as well as a lever to apply or loosen the snares. Normally a brass player, played snare many years ago for a bit. Thanks. Edison (talk) 02:39, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Go to your local music shop and ask for a quick demo/refresher on snare tuning? Exxolon (talk) 12:22, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I can tell you what I did a couple lifetimes ago... First, are the heads usable? If this is an old drum that has been sitting in an attic for 10 years, the heads may be shot. Assuming that they are good, start by getting the tightness down a bit. Just tighten all the lugs around until you get a somewhat proper snare sound, not a thud. Note: If the bottom is a tad looser than the top, you will get more of a classic snare sound. Once it is tight, you can tune it properly. Place your finger in the middle of the head. Tap around the head near each lug. You will hear if one is looser than another. Adjust them until they all sound the same. Repeat on the bottom. Then, try it out. If it doesn't snap enough, give each lug a little tightening and then check to see if they are all in tune with one another again. That's pretty much all there is. -- kainaw™ 14:30, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the tips. Edison (talk) 03:38, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

why aren't there parachutes in every plane so more lives could be saved. Instead of life jackets of course. Any article?. I find it interesting. Thanks. --190.50.120.109 (talk) 03:41, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The logistics really would not be too feasible except in a very small number of situations. Maybe if the landing gear is out, but everything else is working, and the plane has plenty of fuel to fly low and slow for an extended period. Otherwise, parachutes probably wouldn't do too much except for a few highly lucky people and/or highly-trained parachutists in a rather unusual and rarely-occuring situation... AnonMoos (talk) 03:50, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See this: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009_June_2#Why_don.27t_commercial_airplanes_have_parachutes.3F from last month on the miscellaneous topics page, for a rather extensive and interesting discussion. Acroterion _(talk) 04:15, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If it's a catastrophic plane failure, they're not going to have time to use the parachutes (those who bothered to listen to the pre-flight instructions). If it's something less serious, like what AnonMoos described, then the pilots would most likely try to land the plane. So either way, parachutes are pretty much useless. However, there are parachutes for entire small planes - see Ballistic Recovery Systems for an example. Clarityfiend (talk) 04:22, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I saw a newsreel film (Possible in the Popular Science series) made in the 1930's or 1940's in the U.S., showing an airplane in which each passenger had an ejection seat allowing him to parachute down when over his home. There were two rows of seats, and each had a portion of the fuselage next to the seat which could pop open and the seat would tilt outwards to eject the passenger. It was a gimmick or demonstration and not a commercial project. The plane was not pressurized. Such a plane would allow the rapid ejection of all passengers in an emergency. Edison (talk) 02:44, 7 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A Boeing 737 has say, 150 passengers. Having all the passengers, most likely inexperienced in jumping from aircraft, escape via parachute is not feasible. And what happens if a passenger is in a wheelchair or strapped to a gurney? --Blue387 (talk) 07:05, 7 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Parachutes require training to use. Few people had sad training. --_{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk} 01:11, 14 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hi everyone,

Sorry I can't give too much info.

I remember watching an interesting documentary about an artist who mainly created (I *think* prints, but could have been another medium) of bright flowers and fruits like lemons. He is alive now and fairly well known. The art created is fairly repetitive and bold, for example 5 lemons on a plain background. Can anyone help me identify him? I might be completely wrong, but his name might have been Howard something.

Many thanks

18:20, 4 July 2009 (UTC)~ Hesperus —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hesperus (talk • contribs)

Possibly Howard Hodgkin. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 18:31, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Afraid not, his seem quite a bit more complex then the ones I mean. Hesperus (talk • contribs) —Preceding undated comment added 18:44, 4 July 2009 (UTC).[reply]

Peter Max? Wayne Thiebaud? Jasper Johns? Andy Warhol? Roy Lichtenstein? Bus stop (talk) 13:56, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Several Chinese artists, including, for example, Tang Yifen, to have created "ink plums". What are "ink plums"?

They are plums drawn in ink (pen and ink); not, I think, a special type of plum. // BL \\ (talk) 22:20, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I take "ink plum" to be a literal translation of "墨梅". It means mei flowers as depicted in ink and wash paintings. Though a conflicting explanation found on the internet says that it means mei flowers with especially intense colours. I'm not so sure about this second one. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 11:42, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

We could use an article or redirect on ink plum.--_{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk} 01:12, 14 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]