Wikipedia:Reference desk/Entertainment

Welcome to the entertainment section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

May 20

Defining polyrhythms

Through the internet, I've come across two definitions of a polyrhythm:

1. Simultaneously played different time signatures, eg in a drumset, snare & bass drum playing in 5/4 with the hi-hat in 4/4 (and the different time signatures "resolve" after a certain number of beats, 20 fourths in this case).

2. The concept generally known as a tuplet, and the extension of this idea, e.g a triplet eighth viz. 3 notes played evenly in time taken to play 2 8th notes, similarly 5:3 tuplet, where 5 notes are played in the space of 3, etc.

I've seen lessons on the internet and also drummers such as Mike Portnoy using the term in its first sense. In an article on his website (here: [1]), Steve Vai uses the term in the second sense stating that:

"A polyrhythm is just what it says. Two rhythms, or "feels", happening at the same time. Most people reading this have a good understanding of the basic triplet. This, in essence, is a polyrhythm. It's three 8th notes being played against two 8th notes".

The article here on wikipedia is pretty confusing and poorly cited and refers to both these ideas. So, which is the correct usage? Thanks. --Leif edling (talk) 04:16, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Neither is incorrect. The definitions are compatible, but they use different scales of reference. You could view every brief occurence of a triplet (or other tuplet) as a fractal of your first definition: two "time signatures" played over the duration of one beat, for example (even if one of the rhythms is only implied, you could still see it as a polyrhythm).

Alternatively, you could break up an entire piece of music performed in complex polyrhythm (Ewe drumming, say) into fragments of eighth notes and all sorts of tiny tuplets, for example.

Both changes of perspective are a bit extreme and counterintuitive, but this is just to illustrate that it's basically the same thing. The "feel" of interwoven rhythms, as Steve Vai puts it, no matter how long that feeling persists. But you're right, it would be interesting to check and compare how various music encyclopedias delimitate the term, and I agree that the article on polyrhythm could do with some improvement and inline citations. ---Sluzzelin talk 19:09, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Odo from Star Trek: DS 9

Does Odo ever master the ability to make better human ears? If so, in what season/episode is this first seen?

209.240.240.121 (talk) 08:23, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Though I haven't seen *every* episode, not that I know of. And after a quick skim of the Odo article at Memory Alpha, it doesn't look like they mention his ears at all which would lead me to believe that they never changed. A change like that would probably be noted by MA. Dismas|^(talk) 09:18, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Unless you count alternate timelines: "In two hundred years he had grown more proficient in shapeshifting and was able to assume a more humanoid face." Though, it doesn't mention his ears specifically. Dismas|^(talk) 09:21, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

The episode is Children of Time and he has an overall more human appearance, including his ears 8I.24.07.715 ^talk 12:50, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

The Odo article states; Odo modeled his humanoid appearance on Dr. Mora, but never had the skill to duplicate humanoid features with precision, making his humanoid appearance an approximation. Originally, Odo's "unfinished" look was intended to convey that he simply chose not to bother with anything more than the most basic face necessary to communicate with humanoids, since he otherwise didn't really care what others thought of his appearance. When others of Odo's race (the Founders) are later introduced, they share a similar "unfinished" look, which they adopt mostly to make Odo feel at ease around them—they are able to replicate humanoids exactly, whereas Odo, having grown up without others of his kind, never learned to master it. They make it sound like learning to ride a bike, so perhaps he has the ability but never later put it into practice. But just a guess. I never really thought about it that much - does he ever impersonate other people? If so how did he do their ears accurately? Lanfear's Bane | t 12:43, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

No, he never learned how to impersonate a person throughout the run of the series. He was limited to animals and inanimate objects. Mike R (talk) 13:35, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

I deleted the sentence "Originally, Odo's "unfinished" look was intended to convey that he simply chose not to bother with anything more than the most basic face necessary to communicate with humanoids, since he otherwise didn't really care what others thought of his appearance" as unreferenced and dubious. Mike R (talk) 13:42, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Popular Classical Music

I need a list of "happy" popular classical music pieces like Beethoven's Ode To Joy and I need a list of "sad/ominous" popular classical music pieces like Beethoven's 7th Symphony 2nd movement. Is there a page in Wiki or a website that will have this list? --Reticuli88 (talk) 13:59, 20 May 2009 (UTC)--Reticuli88 (talk) 13:59, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Well if we post some then you'll have a list! Haydn's Symphony 104 for the happy, and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings for the sad. How's that for starters!--TammyMoet (talk) 15:20, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

(after edit conflict) Classical music is sometimes used to induce moods in psychological studies of emotion and behaviour. There seems to be a standardized canon of works for inducing happy and sad moods set by E. Eich and J. Metcalfe in 1989, as far I could tell (will search for more references and examples later, when and if I get around to it):

• Classical works inducing a happy mood: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, A Musical Joke, Divertimento in D (all by Mozart), as well as certain Vivaldi Concerti (I was only able to find references to "Concerto in C Major" and "Concerto in G Major" of which several exist for both keys, see list of compositions by Antonio Vivaldi
• Classical works inducing a sad mood: Mahler's "Adagietto" in F major, the "Adagio" from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, and Barber's Adagio for Strings

No doubt, other volunteers will have their own suggestions (and I'm looking forward to seeing them), but this is what I found in "scholarly" terms. ---Sluzzelin talk 15:23, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Ok, the study seems to be Eric Eich and Janet Metcalfe (1989) "Mood dependent memory for internal versus external events", Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 15, 443-455. I couldn't access it directly, but I found another publication by Eich which specifies one of the happy Vivaldi works as "Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings in C Major" (still unsure which one that is. I suspect it is RV 425, though the wikilist only mentions mandolin and strings, but there is definitely a harpsichord in there too). Eich also gives two examples by Penderecki for "fearful music": Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima and Polymorphia. To induce a "neutral" mood for the control group, the researchers sometimes used Common Tones in Simple Time (1979) by John Adams or unspecified excerpts from Brahms' First and Third Symphony. I wonder how happy Brahms would have been to learn about this. (Ref: Cognition and Emotion, Eric Eich, Oxford University Press US, 2000, p 177, ISBN 0195113330). ---Sluzzelin talk 08:47, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

This includes some opera tho. Happy are pieces that make me smile, Sad are those that give me a melancholy feeling and Both are those that well.. do both. Generally whether a piece engenders such feelings depends on the circumstances surrounding my first hearing of it.

• "Happy" Tea for Two (from Andre Rieu's Fiesta), Pomp and Circumstances No 1 (Land of Hope and Glory), Sleeping Beauty Op. 66, (The Garland Waltz), William Tell Overture, Finlandia, String Quintet Op. 11 No. 5 in E major by Boccherini, Libiamo ne' lieti calici, Spring (Four Seasons,
• "Sad" Due Tramonti, Gymnopedie No 1, Clair De Lune, Chi Mai by Ennio Morricone, Gnossienne No 1 by Erik Satie, Fur Elise, Cavalleria Rusticana (intermezzo)
• "Both" Jupiter the bringer of Jollity, Woodbrook by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, O Fortuna (well I can't help but smile and conduct it) and Canon in D

Enjoy! Nanonic (talk) 16:14, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

I could mention many things, but the only one I will mention is the little piece played on the piano by the African American gentleman towards the end of the film Awakenings. That, to me, is the saddest piece of music ever written, even apart from the fact that it was in one of the saddest movies ever made. The composer was Randy Newman. I'd love to find the music and play it myself, but I'd have to pick the right day because otherwise I might find myself sobbing uncontrollably for hours. Not that that's a bad thing. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:18, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

(See, I said I was looking forward to reading examples!) Jack, you're full of pleasant surprises. I won't link you directly, because I don't wish to drive you to tears (and also for possible copyright violations), but googling "Dexter's Tune", gives a link to sheet music as its first link. The gentleman is played by the great Dexter Gordon whose acting talent was shown to a wider audience a couple years before Awakenings in the film Round Midnight, the title song of which has made me cry (but it's not classical). ---Sluzzelin talk 08:47, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Eeeexcelent, Sluzzelin. You've helped me fill a small but important gap in my library of Timeless Tunes for Tuneless Times. Thankzzz. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:12, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I find Sleepers Wake and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach happy (not boisterous, but pleasant). Adam Bishop (talk) 12:52, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

The Planet Suite covers a lot of different moods...88.96.226.6 (talk) 13:56, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

That's The Planets. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:48, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

A personal favourite: Badinerie by JSB from his orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor for flute and strings, BWV 1067, which I find cheerful and which makes me happy. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 15:43, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Violin solo (or lead) - Most difficult to perform

What classical musical piece has the most difficult violin solo (or lead) in it? When I say difficult, I mean when only the most proficient, experienced violinist can perform.--Reticuli88 (talk) 19:07, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

This forum of violinists considered the most difficult violin concerto and came up with many answers. It also mentions some solo pieces. Interesting reading. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:14, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

UK release date for The Limits of Control

My Google-fu has failed me. Can anyone tell me when this film is due to be released in the United Kingdom? Thanks,  Skomorokh  22:25, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Don't despair. I think your fu is strong; it's just that the information isn't there. I think it's likely that it has not currently been scheduled for theatrical release in the UK. The IMDB's list of release dates for the film doesn't include the UK. The IMDB is by no means infallible, of course, but they usually get things like this right. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:53, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Seconded. There's another page on the film's release dates here and the UK's not listed there either. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 05:46, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

May 21

Howard Hughes's urine

Okay, but why did Howard Hughes keep his urine in jars? I mean, 'because he was mentally ill' I understand, but do we have any insight into what he thought he was achieving? -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 00:38, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

The deal with irational people is that they are, well, not rational; i.e. they don't make no friggin sense. He could have kept his urine in jars because he thought that he was keeping the aliens from invading earth or because he thought he might need it for painting his masterpiece later or whatever. I am not sure anyone thought to ask him why, and if he never proffered a reason, then we have no way to come up with anything satisfactory. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 04:29, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Well, we can speculate. People with OCD (which Hughes suffered from) generally feel safe when they can have things and events take place in the "correct" order according to an irrational but strict system, and feel threatened and anxious when that system is disturbed or fails. The urine in the jars was probably a part of that ritual. It's probable that the urine jars themselves were meaningless; they might've been jars of water, or pieces of paper, or anything at all. As things developed, it ended up being piss. The point is, he had a system, and he had to adhere to it in order to reassure himself that he was in control. If this behavior was caused by OCD, Hughes probably knew it didn't make any sense, but he also knew that if he did it, he still felt better, and if he didn't, he felt worse. That's kind of the magic of OCD -- you end up doing idiotic things and know you're being an idiot, but that doesn't make the sensations any less powerful. Of course, we don't know if this was exactly the case; maybe some other strain of nuttiness motivated him to do it... but it would fit the parameters of OCD fairly well. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:01, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately, the only insight on this matter that we gained from Mr. Burns was when he said that the jars would come in handy. Tempshill (talk) 05:10, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Maybe he didn't want to leave the darkened screening room to go to the toilet which may have been in another room —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.54.169 (talk) 11:35, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

One book about OCD blames it on Hughes' anxiety toward seeing part of his body being wasted and flushed away. (Frederick Toates and Olga Coschug-Toates Obsessive compulsive disorder: practical, tried-and-tested strategies to overcome OCD, Class Publishing (London) Ltd, 2002, p 217, ISBN 1859590691) ---Sluzzelin talk 12:23, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

He may also have been a disciple of the lost Australian martial art known as Jarate. Coreycubed (talk) 17:58, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I apologise on behalf of all Australians for this shameful child of a deranged mind. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:44, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Possibly Hughes had plans to move on from piloting airplanes and was practicing to become an astronaut. Pepso2 (talk) 10:57, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Maybe it was a development from his unease in visiting public toilets (as was depicted in The Aviator). Astronaut (talk) 14:00, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

The limited amount I've read about it tends to classify this type of behaviour as one type of compulsive hoarding, which can occur within a number of neuropsychiatric disorders but most commonly in OCD. There's been some evidence to suggest that hoarders actually have detectable brain abnormalities associated with their condition - there's a brief summary of these findings in this article. Karenjc 22:43, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Discrepancy in Harry Potter plot?

In the Harry Potter novels, Rowling maintains that if a wizard/witch dies, his/her magic ends with his/her death. Like, when Dumbledore died, his Body-Bind curse on Harry lifted automatically. So, logically the Permanent-Sticking charm put by Mrs. Black on her portrait in Grimmauld Place should have lifted when she died. But this does't happen, and even years after her death, the members of the Order are unable to take the portrait off the wall. Why does this happen? Is this a loop-hole in the plot that went unnoticed by Rowling (and the rest of the Potter fans)?? 117.194.224.178 (talk) 06:02, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I feel its a inconstancy (one of the many and has not went unnoticed to me), but a rationale could be, "different rules for different spells", when it comes to something like a permanent sticking charm it is what it actually is, permanent. chandler ♠ 06:06, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Since magical rules are often ill-defined, it would not be hard to come up with a plot-point to explain something like this. Perhaps the magic merely caused something to happen which was not in itself inherently magical (fusing the picture to the wall, or something). Thus, you wouldn't need to maintain the magic to keep it stuck there because, well, it's physically stuck there. Vimescarrot (talk) 10:13, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

There was a clear division of spells between those that require maintained concentration and those that do not. Also, there are those spells that are cast (ie: using words and/or a wand flick) and those that are created (ie: a potion). So, it is very easy to state that one type of spell follows certain rules and another spell follows other rules. -- kainaw™ 12:07, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I guess this is one case where saying "a wizard did it" doesn't really help. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:36, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Broomsticks don't fall out of the sky when their creator dies either. I think it is clear that some spells are intended to be permanent and are done in such a way that they don't end upon death. --Tango (talk) 14:01, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Sugar Plum Fairy Rework?

There is a music track that's appears to be featuring on virtually every home show program in the UK. Heavily featured on the show 'country house rescue' it sounds like a reworking of Dance of the Sugar plum Fairy. Does anyone have any idea what this song is? Kirk UK —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.82.79.175 (talk) 20:56, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Doris Bauer a/ka "Doris From Rego Park"

I am looking to find anything and everything written about a woman named Doris Bauer who died in 2003 and was known as "Doris From Rego Park" as a frequent caller on the New York City sports radio station WFAN. Can anyone help? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.61.164.82 (talk) 21:29, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

May 22

Which members of The Band on such albums as Music From Big Pink who sing the songs are dead?

Just wondering. On a song-per-song basis. It's rather unclear.--Cicely of Sicily (talk) 02:11, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

So, basically, you're asking which members of The Band are dead? There were only nine members, according to the article, so why don't you just read their articles? It's nine... not nine-hundred... Or am I not following? Dismas|^(talk) 03:38, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

I think the OP is also asking which member sings which song on their albums, which is something I used to wonder about myself, until I found this excellent webpage, from a site which tells you more about The Band than you could ever want to know. Of the five core members of The Band, Manuel and Danko are now dead. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 05:55, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

This. Thanks--Cicely of Sicily (talk) 19:36, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Harry Potter

Reading a Harry Potter question above, I'll ask a Harry Potter question too ... before Harry moved into Dudley's second bedroom, did Dudley sometimes sleep in that room? 143.238.237.25 (talk) 13:33, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

It was made clear that Dudley got to do anything that he wanted to do. If he wanted to sleep under the stairs, he would be allowed to do so. -- kainaw™ 13:46, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

It is never suggested that he slept there. It was used for storing his many belongings - primarily those he had broken. --Tango (talk) 13:53, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

I think there was a part that mentioned that though Dudley never used it, he was reluctant to give it to Harry, which threw light on the kind of person he was. 117.194.224.237 (talk) 05:19, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

NHL stats for Penguins vs Red Wings?

Where can I see the game stats (won, loss, tie) of Penguins vs Red Wing for this season? I guess it's the best predictor of who is likely to win the cup, eh?--Sonjaaa (talk) 15:13, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

NHL.com has game stats, but apparently not for a specific team vs. another specific team; you can look at Philadelphia's stats for each game and pick out the ones against Detroit, though. Adam Bishop (talk) 15:25, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Or indeed, look at Pittsburgh's stats against Detroit. --LarryMac | Talk 18:15, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Blah...yes, that is of course what I meant :) Adam Bishop (talk) 21:23, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Try this: Pittsburgh Penguins Statistics vs. Detroit - 2008-09. —D. Monack ^talk 23:31, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

I just noticed that those are individual player stats. The teams only played twice this season. Pittsburgh won a 7-6 OT game in Detroit and Detroit won 3-0 in Pittsburgh. —D. Monack ^talk 23:33, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Trance music

Do you know any artists of good native drums music that helps you to fall in trance? Maybe by American Indians or Maori? I cannot find no good music on Youtube (it's too trashy and new). Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.52.162.94 (talk) 18:19, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Jim Pathfinder Ewing sells CDs of shamanic drumming. Google him and you'll find his website, or he's on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, if you're looking to steal his music then he probably won't help. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:55, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

May 23

Fantasy Hyperinflation?

on the subject of MMORPGS, I always wanted to ask: how does the game designers deal with inflation of the ingame currency? Since all the quests are generating cash out of the ether, how does the system deal with constant increase in the amount of money in the game and not turn into the sci-fi version of Zimbabwe? i do not think a player would be pleased if he suddenly found his treasure trove suddenly becoming worthless. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.240.189.90 (talk) 05:22, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

There's talk of money sinks. Here's an article comparing money supply expansion in the real world with that of MMOGs. Tempshill (talk) 06:19, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Spending unrecoverable money on training your skills makes it vanish back into the ether. In RuneScape, the Construction skill used to build a swanky house with gold-leaf-covered furniture, opulent silk curtains and a dungeon with a dragon in it. It's is ludicrously expensive and offers little way to re-obtain your money through use of the skill itself. Vimescarrot (talk) 10:12, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Wear and tear on equipment can also be a good way of removing wealth from the game. In particular it deals with the issue of there being enormous amounts of the starting equipment in circulation. --Tango (talk) 10:37, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Merchant festivals/auctions with unique items every so often helps to remove surplus coinage as well. -- Legeres (talk) 11:18, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Oh - and don't forget death. Different MMO's handle it differently, but for many the punishment does, in some way, result in monetary loss - losing items, skills or abilities which took money to gain. Avoiding death itself may also cost money, in the form of health-recovering potions or food (especially if bought from NPC stores, where the money once again vanishes, as opposed to trading with players, where it just moves around). Vimescarrot (talk) 17:49, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Players quitting effectively removes money from the game, too, if they don't give it away. Vimescarrot (talk) 17:50, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

You can have a value sink in NPCs. Items used in quests, trades, sales to shopkeepers (who are convenient but pay below-market rates), etc. all take value out of the system. If there's a glut of a certain item, people will also tend to drop them rather than bother picking them up, so when the game disappears dropped items, value is removed from the system. -- 128.104.112.106 (talk) 18:45, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

May 24

Viola Concerti

Hi all, does anyone know of some viola concerti for an intermediate to advanced level player? As an example of music I am currently using, I have played through J.S. Bach's Cello Suite in G Major, G.P. Telemann's Viola Concerto in G Major, J.C. Bach's Concerto in C Minor (actually by Casadesus), and a little of the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia in G Minor (encountered some trouble there). I am looking for good solo pieces that, preferably, do not require an orchestra. If someone could offer their advice or personal opinions, that would be great. Duos, trios, (any instrument so long as there is one viola) or string quartets with a prominent viola part will be fine. If they are available on IMSLP or another site that offers public-domain music, that would be helpful. Finally, if recordings are available on Youtube, for example, a link would be much appreciated. Thanks, Theaura (talk) 00:18, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

A Song Title

I was watching videos online, and heard this one song I can't find anywhere else. I don't know the name to it, so if these lyrics sound familiar to you could you give me the song title? Not sure if these are the actual lyrics, so misspellings or words I got wrong is my fault. I'm not very good at hearing a song and knowing exactly what they're saying. There should at least be enough there that's right to know the song.

Take a look at my life all black Take a look at my clothes all black Like Jonny Cash all black Like the Rolling Stones when they're painted black Like the (something I can't tell) all black Like the color of your dress all black Like the seats in my Cadillac I used to see red now it's just all black

       o see red now it's just all black

As long as I could remember, I dreamed in black and white As I grew up and the sun went down, I never felt more alright My mother she used to tell me, son you'd better get to church It's a dark dark world and the (something) out there and you know it's only getting worse Yeah, never been much for weddings, or anniversaries, but I'll go to a funeral if I'm invited, any day of the week Some people say that I sound strange, some say that I'm not right, but I find beauty in this world every single night

Take a look at my life all black Take a look at my clothes all black Like Jonny Cash all black Like the Rolling Stones when they're painted black Like the (something I can't tell) all black Like the color of your dress all black Like the seats in my Cadillac I used to see red now it's just all black

That's all I remember from the song. Things I don't know are in parentheses. And they say "something", or something like that in them. If you can get me the name of this song that would be great. <(^_^)> Pokegeek42 (talk) 12:54, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

• The song is "All Black" by Good Charlotte, from their album Good Morning Revival. --Canley (talk) 13:17, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

Thank you so very much! <(^_^)> Pokegeek42 (talk) 17:57, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

A tip: the lyrics of popular music songs are often posted on the Internet. This means you can often resolve this sort of question by taking a distinctive phrase from the lyrics that you are sure of, and doing a Google phrase search on it. You might add the word "lyrics" as a second search term. For example, a search for

"look at my life all black" lyrics

will produce a whole bunch of hits confirming Canley's answer. If it doesn't seem to work, maybe you remembered the words wrongly; in that case, try another bit of the song. --Anonymous, 18:58 UTC, May 24, 2009, copyedited later.

Rock/Pop Academy Sydney

Which Pop/Rock Academies are there in Sydney? Which one is the best? --78.52.233.33 (talk) 16:24, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

Background music (again)

Cut and paste: This will be difficult but I was watching some clips on YouTube and was watching this clip. I was wondering what the background theme music? I believe it has been used before, probably in an ad. --Blue387 (talk) 21:44, 24 May 2009 (UTC)--Blue387 (talk) 01:44, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

It sounded to me like it was a custom piece that was specifically composed to sound as much like the theme to Star Trek: The Next Generation as possible, without infringing upon its copyright and requiring Family Guy to make any royalty payments. This approach is pretty common. Tempshill (talk) 00:17, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

May 25

Free the Band MP3s

Back in what I think was 2006, when the All-American Rejects released their Move Along Album, and Bionicle was doing their Toa Inika line, they did a crossover of the two, saying the Piraka had kidnapped the AAR. There was a website up that had some games, clues, and contests, and in one of the two games where you conttrol the Toa, you could collect free MP3s. I had collected them all when it came out, but was unable to get them to my new computer and forgot about them for two years. But I remembered them and finding a link to the site I gathered most of the names of the MP3s. The links to them do not work so I am going to buy them, but I know there were some I didn't get. Using my memory and the game I got these songs:

Don't Try This At Home - Punchline

Emergency - Paramore

Skip to the End - Futureheads

Rise - Todd Hanigan

Can't Look Down - Zox

Can't Stop - Love Arcade

Out Here All Night - Damone

So Far We Are - French Kicks

What's On Your Radio - The Living End

All of the Above - Big City Rock

Learn to Fly - Carbon Leaf

Gunslinger (Runnin' Outta Time) - Over It

There was also a song by a band called Undertones and a song or band that had something to do with Satellites. If anyone could tell me the names of these mystery songs or any other songs I missed I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. BioYu-Gi! (talk) 03:20, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

A late 80's/early 90's Japanese anime TV show

I don't remember much about it, but it had to do with a group of young animals searching for whatever in the wild. At the end they were killed one by one by wolves or something, when one of their stronger members died or was killed. 67.243.7.41 (talk) 14:59, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

house in Mill Valley

When "The Ted Knight Show" (part of the Too Close For Comfort package) relocated to Mill Valley, there was another Victorian house shown. Where is the exact location of that house?69.203.157.50 (talk) 04:18, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Samuel L. Jackson's first use of motherfucking or motherfucker?

What was Samuel L. Jackson's first onscreen use of a derivative word of motherfuck, for which he is now famous? Was it Pulp Fiction (and inherited from Tarantino's writing style) or did it start sooner?--Sonjaaa (talk) 20:20, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

One of his earliest speaking roles was a somewhat middle-sized part in Goodfellas. Given the nature of his character, and Scorcese's penchant for use of colorful language, I would not be surprised if the right answer was Goodfellas... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 02:33, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

I thought that might be the case as well, but the YouTube clip of his short exchange with Pesci's character before getting shot just has him saying "fuck", not "motherfucker". I can't remember if he had any major speaking roles in Goodfellas or not. Even if he did say it before Pulp Fiction, and chances are that he did, the word probably wasn't nearly as prominent as it was in PF, as in the scene with the wallet, etc. AlexiusHoratius 03:24, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Jackson's role in Goodfellas was minor, with Jackson speaking a couple of lines at most, none of them memorable. (His only important scene was him getting shot.) You may remember him as the DJ in Do the Right Thing, but of course he didn't do a lot of swearing while on the radio. His first truly memorable scene, complete with "motherfucker", was in Jungle Fever, although of course it was Tarantino's writing in Pulp Fiction a couple of years later that made Jackson's swearing iconic. —Kevin Myers 04:18, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

May 26

The Answer Man

According to an article printed in the 1940s, there were two questions that The Answer Man was unable to answer:

• How many buffalo would it take to fill Grand Canyon?
• Do birds dream?

Can these questions now be answered? Pepso2 (talk) 17:49, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

The buffalo one is a bit of a joke (and it was originally cows, not buffalo). In short, the "wrong" answer begins with "assume each cow is a perfect sphere." In other words, it makes fun of the way mathematicians tend to oversimplify real world problems. As for an answer - it is answerable if you ask a distinct question. What kind of buffalo? How big? How small? Can we purée them so they fill every crook and cranny? How do you want to declare the ends of the canyon? Do we put up a dam on each end to hold the buffalo in? Only when you precisely state the question is there an answer. Until then, it is "answerable" but no answer may be correctly given. -- kainaw™ 18:08, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

As for the cows/buffaloes, the mathematician in me says that one should suffice, given enough food and eternal life. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 18:16, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Just want to point out that Wikipedia actually has an article on the Spherical cow. --Zerozal (talk) 19:42, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

And as for the birds, this source says they do have REM sleep, which strongly suggests that they dream. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 19:22, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

What do birds dream about? Bus stop (talk) 19:30, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

The fiords. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 19:48, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

That answer deserves immortalization at Dweller's Ref Desk thread of the week award (unless Bus Stop is your sockpuppet, so that you served as your own straight man). Deor (talk) 21:22, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

No, I'm not NorwegianBlue's sockpuppet. In all honesty -- I don't even "get" the joke. I really would genuinely appreciate it if someone would explain it to me. Bus stop (talk) 22:45, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Dead Parrot. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:04, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

That is funny. I have seen that comedy routine once or twice, but I never took note of the reference to the "fjords." Thanks. Bus stop (talk) 23:29, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

The Edsel is dead. It has ceased to exist. Pepso2 (talk) 12:30, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Ah, such a lack of imagination and such hamstringing by trying to be scientific.

These questions are easy to answer using language and logic, rather than science.

Q1) One. As soon as one buffalo has been placed in Grand Canyon, regardless of size, the canyon is by definition no longer empty. It has therefore been filled. It may not be filled completely, but that's a problem for the person who set an imprecise question.

Q2) Birds definitely do dream, although they may forget the content when they wake up. NB Birds generally prefer to be called "women" in these days of political correctness.

Hope that helps. --Dweller (talk) 15:43, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Q1) One, but he would have to find a shovel he could use with his hooves? DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:37, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Nice. --Dweller (talk) 19:28, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

I'm bored

While Fishing, I get bored quite quickly. I check the Ref Desk regularly, as well as numerous webcomics that I don't want to add to, and the various offshoots of lolcats. What else can I do, sat in front of a computer, while Fishing? What do you do? Vimescarrot (talk) 19:32, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

This really isn't a question for a reference desk. We provide references and answer questions. Would you walk into a library and tell the refdesker there that you're bored? Enjoy the "doing nothing" that comes with fishing; if you're getting that bored, maybe you should go do something else. Matt Deres (talk) 20:25, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Just to make this clear, judging by his link, is fishing is Runescape fishing, Matt. Anyway, personally, I'd play a game that doesn't bore me. (By definition, that game is most definitely not Runescape, but if it works for you...) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 20:31, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

You could check out Second Life or, even better, IRC. Or find a forum for a subject that interests you. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:51, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps you need to examine your motives here. Why are you playing a game that bores you? Why not find one that is entertaining from start to finish? APL (talk) 14:52, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

When I'm bored, I like to write an encyclopedia. --Dweller (talk) 15:35, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

May 27

pieces of American culture

Henry Rush's "Cosmic Cow" puppet from Too Close For Comfort should be on display inside the National Museum of American History. When the National Museum of African American History and Culture is officially opened, these pieces should be on display. They're Rerun's red beret and matching suspenders from What's Happening!!, J.J.'s fisherman hat from Good Times, and Dorothy's silver shoes from The Wiz. Is there anything else that should be on display inside the two museums I've mentioned?69.203.157.50 (talk) 04:40, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Thank you for sharing your opinions on these matters, but the Reference Desk is for asking questions of the type which can be answered by refering to actual information. Open ended questions which merely seek the opinion of others regarding what "should" or "should not" be on display in a museum aren't really appropriate. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 04:55, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

I was wondering if anyone else might have any suggestions on artifacts from The Cosby Show, Family Matters, The Parkers, Girlfriends, and any other TV shows depicting African American culture, that's all. I also feel the Port Chicago disaster should be depicted, as well.69.203.157.50 (talk) 11:22, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Soliciting opinions is still not the purpose of this desk, though. There are tons of forums out there where this would be a good discussion topic, but this board is not for open-ended discussions of that kind. Please take this topic elsewhere. Matt Deres (talk) 13:38, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

NASCAR Racing vs. IndyCar Racing

What are the main differences, other than the obvious fact that NASCAR vehicles appear street legal, while Indy cars do not? Is there a reason drivers prefer one type over the other? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.241.16.82 (talk) 08:41, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

To some, NASCAR may seem tougher since the cars are allowed to physically touch each other, often without penalty. "Rubbin's racin'!" - Days of Thunder Dismas|^(talk) 10:39, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Indy cars are faster, and don't race with restrictor plates, but NASCAR is more popular and several drivers have switched from IndyCar to NASCAR for the challenge (and, I would think, the money). FWIW, more have gone from IndyCar to NASCAR than vice versa (Tony Stewart, Sam Hornish, Jr., Casey Mears, Max Papis, Robby Gordon) although a few NASCAR drivers like Gordon and John Andretti have raced in the still-very-prestigious Indianapolis 500. Recury (talk) 17:46, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Categorizing music by topic

Hi, does anyone know of a database/website that categorizes music according to topic (such as love, politics, partying, social injustice, etc) rather than genre? In the sense that you could look up some famous hit and it would return either a category or a set of "tags". Thanks, Jørgen (talk) 14:57, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Help finding a song?

I have this song, I think I heard it on an old film or something, but I can't find what it is, even with some googling, maybe you people can help?

In my head it's sung with a German accent, like Marlene Dietrich or something similar. The only words I can remember are something like "I couldn't help it" sung as a kind of one line chorus. It reminds me a bit of She's funny that way although the actual "I couldn't help it" line has a similar tune to "I did it my way".

Any ideas, from my garbled recollections? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.108.135.247 (talk) 15:30, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Dietrich sings Falling in Love Again in The Blue Angel (1930). The last refrain is "Falling in love again/Never wanted to/What am I to do?/Can't help it." Catrionak (talk) 15:37, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Thanks! That's right, I was searching for "couldn't help it", not "can't help it"! 81.108.135.247 (talk) 16:34, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Babylon 5 question

Which episode of Babylon 5 was it where Michael Garibaldi is left alone in his ex-girlfriend's and her new husband's apartment, and told not to touch anything, and then thinks "'Don't touch anything.' There, I touched that. And that. Touch, touch, touch."? JIP | Talk 21:49, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

I'm sure that is a season 4 episode, probably Conflicts of Interest or The Exercise of Vital Powers. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 00:06, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

May 28

The Beatles genres

The Beatles genres were so many because they were so creative they were Rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, Classical and Hard Rock. But here on Wikipedia they are only listed as rock and pop. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jongudni (talk • contribs) 01:25, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

The place to discuss this is not the Reference Desk, but Talk:The Beatles. However, it looks like it's been discussed before and there is some consensus for the current version; see the "Archives" section of that talk page. Talk:The Beatles/Archive 20#Pop before Rock? is the most recent page in the archives in which various editors make proposals for changing the lead and run into some resistance from other editors who have had the same discussion before. Nothing is set in stone, of course, and editors can always reach a WP:CONSENSUS on the talk page to change anything and everything. Tempshill (talk) 03:19, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

film discussion (Cheaper by the dozen)

According to the film Cheaper by the dozen I&Cheaper by the dozen II,

If you could choose, which family (Baker or Murtaugh) is you want to be a child in it?Why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dansonncf (talk • contribs) 08:04, 28 May 2009 (UTC) idiot!