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May 10

Looking for a cartoon

When I was little, my family had a VHS taped from the US version of the Disney Channel (c. 1990) featuring mostly cartoons, and I think this is where I saw the cartoon in question, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm looking for a cartoon with the following elements:

A character is on the floor
A puddle of some light-colored liquid (milk? water?) is lying on the floor (either it comes to be there, or it was already there; I'm not sure) near the character
Small light-colored songbirds (canaries, I think, but not 100% sure) arise out of the liquid
The canaries start flying around, and the character swallows one or more of them

I'm pretty sure that these elements are in the middle of the cartoon, not at the start or at the end. The bit about the character swallowing the canary/canaries I'm particularly uncertain; there's a chance that my mind could have mingled it with the hungriness of Donald's Ostrich, which was also on this video. Nyttend (talk) 02:10, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It's not from Fantasia, is it? The Sorcerer's Apprentice part? --TammyMoet (talk) 17:43, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Are the birds indicating the character has been hit on the head (perhaps after slipping on the liquid on the floor)? If so, swallowing them sounds like the kind of thing Donald Duck might do. Indeed, I might have seen the very same cartoon, but it would have been a long time ago and I don't remember the title. Astronaut (talk) 18:17, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Never seen any of the Fantasia series as far as I know, and pretty sure not the Sorcerer's Apprentice. I think that the birds are "real", not figments of Donald's imagination. Nyttend (talk) 18:48, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

"No late admissions" in theaters at present

The film Psycho was notorious for having a policy where no one would be allowed to enter the cinema once the film had started. This was an order from Alfred Hitchcock himself because he didn't want people to not enjoy the film's plot twists. Although it was not the first instance of this practice (an earlier film did it as well), it is perhaps the most famous. But do some films still do it today? Which notable post-Psycho films followed the practice, especially those from the 21st century? Did the practice catch on after Psycho, or did it die out after? The last time I went to a theater, about two or three years ago, even latecomers could come and watch the movie. Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 13:25, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't heard of this policy since Psycho, which is not to say that it hasn't been implemented. However, at the time of Psycho it was very common for moviegoers to start watching in the middle of the movie and simply stay until the same point in the next showing (hence the saying "This is where we came in," although I think the blog is wrong in suggesting that Psycho put an end to it). That is no longer a common practice, so there is less need of a policy to forbid late arrivals. John M Baker (talk) 13:54, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't heard of the policy, as such, either but have run into a few occasions where the theater will stop selling tickets for a show once it starts. The computer terminals that the ticket sellers use simply won't allow them to sell a ticket for a show time that has already passed. At least that's the explanation I have heard given. Dismas|^(talk) 14:42, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Most likely it is a business decision. Theaters want every customer they can get, so they are not about to turn anyone away. Also, with multiplexes and crowds flowing through ticket booths almost constantly, ticket sellers must keep a steady pace, not stopping to restrict someone. → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 14:47, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Even when Psycho was first released, it made no sense to me how the director of the film could apparently ordain what the admission practices of the cinemas would be, even in the country where the film was made, let alone anywhere else. Directors simply don't have that power. Films don't have policies (and neither can a TV program be "brought to you by" any particular film, but don't get me started there). Cinemas have their policies on admissions, but no way would they ever take their orders from the directors or producers of the films they're showing. The Psycho thing was simply a marketing device to ramp up the suspense factor; Hitchcock never had the power or the least intent of trying to enforce it anywhere, and I'm sure there would have been many people who were let in after the movie started. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 20:36, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Obviously a marketing gimmick. Hitchcock's mother didn't raise no dummies. In reference to the movie itself, it is important to watch it from the beginning in order to fully grasp the context. But that could be said for almost any movie, especially suspense/thriller stories. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:49, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Side question

Is it no longer a standard thing to do, coming in in the middle and staying till the same point in the next showing, because there is so much time between showings these days? If you include all the (pointless to me as a viewer) credits, the cleaning of the theater, the commercials, and previews before the film, that's quite a bit of time. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 30 - 45 minutes between the last action of the previous film and the first action of the next. That's a lot of time to sit and wait. Were theaters normally cleaned between showings back then? I know credits were shorter. Dismas|^(talk) 14:42, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Anecdote, sample size of one - I went to see The Avengers the other night and was waiting until the final post-credit scene; other patrons were coming in while the credits were still rolling. --LarryMac | Talk 15:04, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I believe buying a ticket allows you to see only the showing stated on the ticket. That seat (whether allocated on the ticket or not) will be sold to another patron for the next showing. Astronaut (talk) 18:21, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The way they did movies in the "this is where we came in" era was different. It wasn't just a single film shown. In between showings of the main film (or multiple main films) they played shorts. These ranged from animation (this was where Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse originally debuted) to news items (e.g. Movietone News). Like today, they're was probably half an hour to an hour between showings, but they were filled with short films, rather than a black screen, so it wasn't a case of "sit and wait". -- 71.217.8.17 (talk) 18:38, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Agree with John M Baker above about people arriving in the middle of a film and leaving at the same point in the next showing. My parents did this when they took me to the cinema in the 1960s and I remember thinking that it was a very unsatisfactory way of watching a film, but I suppose it meant that you didn't need to worry about what time it started. Alansplodge (talk) 23:30, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I've found that some theaters are reluctant to sell you a ticket once the film is well underway, but that could just be to avoid getting the other patrons irritated. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:51, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Well, the question arises: Why would anyone ever want to pay good money to see a movie knowing they've missed out on a good chunk of it, which may well include crucial early plot details and connections without which the rest of the movie would not make much sense? Why would anyone pay for a predictably unsatisfactory experience? Unless, maybe, their agenda is to use the theatre to get their satisfaction in other ways (wink, nudge). -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 22:30, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I have sometimes arrived at movies late, and it is certainly not the optimal way to do things. The only reason I can think of to do it deliberately is if you've already seen it and for some reason you just want to watch the second half of it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:31, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

EA Cricket North America

How come EA Cricket never get to be sold in North America? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.92.148.50 (talk) 18:29, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Because the people who follow cricket in North America are a tiny, tiny number; to the point where the cost of producing the game for the North American market would be prohibitive. EA does sell the game in countries where it expects people to actually buy it in numbers that make it worth their while. If you live in North America, and wish to get it, I believe you can purchase it online. --Jayron32 19:44, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Similarly, EA's NCAA Football and Sony's MLB: The Show are, to my understanding, unavailable outside of North America. I recall the latter being a particular sore point for a UK games journalist who, despite not being a huge baseball fan, regarded a recent iteration as the best sports game ever made. Fortunately in that case the PS3 can play imports, but that's not really relevant to EA Cricket. AJ Cham 21:12, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Movie with "Stone in Focus" by Aphex Twin

I remember seeing a movie once that had the song "Stone in Focus" by Aphex Twin as part of its soundtrack, but I can't remember which movie it was. Does anyone know which movie it is? Thanks. 138.16.42.247 (talk) 19:06, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

According to the page it has been used in a video game, is that what you're thinking of? click here

Nope. Definitely not a video game. It was either a movie or a TV show. 138.16.42.247 (talk) 11:15, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

David Firth has used it in his short films before, I think. Do you remember anything about the context? Great song, btw. Recury (talk) 14:29, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

closed caption feature on TV

Does anybody check how accurate is the so called "closed caption" on TV shows? Most of the time, it does not make any sense at all. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.233.65.110 (talk) 19:28, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

From personal experience, cc is typically riddled with spelling errors and often has just the plain wrong words. Sometimes, though, it's very accurate; I think they sometimes pre-write the cc, but not for things like live TV or sports shows. I believe they typically have stenographers writing the cc in real time, but, at least in court, when stenographers write something, they pretty much always have to go back and correct errors that arise from certain shorthand words being ambiguous (usually they can easily be corrected by looking at the context) and the inherent difficulty in shorthand of trying to capture something phonetic, like a name. 138.16.42.247 (talk) 11:20, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I asked about this before. I've seen several types of errors:

1) Nothing but random characters in the captions. To me this means something got messed up in sending the signal.

2) Machine-errors, like "I'll see you tonight" becoming "All she he tone wight". These can be amusing.

3) Human-errors, like "I have the munchies", while a character grabs food from the freezer, becoming "I have the mung cheese". It still sort of makes sense.

4) Then the most interesting case is where the CC goes off the script, and the final cut deviated from the script. You can get a real insight into the creative process by seeing what the characters originally said.

5) The closely related subtitles case is also interesting, where, if you have a foreign language film dubbed in English, with English subtitles, you often get two entirely different translations between the two. You'd think this would be prohibitively expensive, but apparently not.

6) Then there's things they do which are intentional, like shortening a wordy diatribe to have it fit in the CC. StuRat (talk) 05:05, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

7) When a character briefly speaks a foreign language (which is not subtitled in the actual movie) and the CC simply reads [speaking French]. A deaf person might be bilingual and enjoy the dialogue, just as a hearing person would. → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 01:03, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

A few anecdotes about closed captioning: While on most pre-taped programs the captioning is reasonably accurate, live shows can have problems. Sometimes the captioner just doesn't recognize the word being spoken, such as during Mother Teresa's funeral, when a speaker said, "Mother gave her dal and bread," and the captions read, "Mother gave her some bread." Or they can't spell it, like when Mark McGwire was accused of taking androstenedione. The captions just called it "andro". And I've seen on Sesame Street that the dialogue is often simplified in the captions, presumably because the target audience wouldn't be able to read as fast as the performers talk. --Metropolitan90 (talk) 03:35, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

That doesn't just apply to children. Adults can also talk faster than they can type and read, especially when they all talk at once. Hence my item number 6. StuRat (talk) 04:19, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I've more than once seen the word "traduced" rendered in captioning as "reduced", presumably because it's not a word in the the captioner's vocabulary. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 23:31, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Biological hypotheses of vampirism

This website gives a nice list of biological hypotheses of the origin of vampirism, however it doesn't give any sources. And I don't think they have been made up by just some blog author because if you google them you will be get quite a number of hits. Does anyone know the origin of these "theories" -- perhaps some fictional work? (I am well aware that these "theories" are pure fiction, which is why I am asking this question on this entertainment reference desk.) Thanks in advance. --BorgQueen (talk) 21:04, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Porphyria has a bit of reading for you. --Jayron32 03:05, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but it actually is just a small part of the hypotheses. --BorgQueen (talk) 03:22, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The later parts of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Låt den rätte komma in attempts a partial biological explanation of the effects of the ficticious infectious agent responsible for vampirism. Astronaut (talk) 12:16, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 11

contacting Sabine Singh

Recently, I wrote a notecard to Sabine Singh. The address I got came from her website. But the notecard was returned to me as undeliverable, unable to forward. Is there a new contact address for her?24.90.204.234 (talk) 04:37, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Try Liebman Entertainment, 12 East 46th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Good luck!--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:36, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Ad counts?

There are times when a total count of all the ads on television, by sponsor, would seem useful. For example, you know that gas is going to get cheaper when you see FOREX ads on TV, because it's only when the rigged game that governs currency rates has all the money fleeing that they get that desperate for suckers to take over their bad investments. Is such a thing available currently? Wnt (talk) 13:42, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Best Facebook-free news forums?

I like sites where you can read the news and comment on it. But I loathe this company Facebook and its pushy, anti-privacy, pro-CISPA business model. Recently Yahoo News has become a site where you can't even read the comments without enabling Facebook's script, so that's permanently off the menu. What's the best site you can think of of this type, which does not even have their vile little script on the page? Wnt (talk) 15:01, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You might like to look at the British Guardian newspaper's website [1], in particular the 'Comment is free' section [2]. --Viennese Waltz 22:38, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The BBC is similarly Facebook-free (except for the blue "f" in the "share this page" links at the foot of many pages - though I don't know if that is relevant to yoou). You certainly don't have to sign in to Facebook to comment on the "have your say" pages, the BBC has it's own membership system. Astronaut (talk) 12:09, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Late Eighties/Early Nineies Electronic Song

Does anybody know of a Late Eighties/Early Nineies Electronic Song called 'RIP IT'?

I believe that was the actual title of the song not just lyrics although it was in the lyrics as well.

Paul McKenzie — Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulmckenzie (talk • contribs) 15:49, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Sure you don't mean Whip It? Wnt (talk) 16:14, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

No it isn't that one i'm thinking of, well i'm as sure as i can be — Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulmckenzie (talk • contribs) 16:24, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe "Push It"? --Jayron32 17:19, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

"Rip It Up" by Orange Juice? Our article Rip It! is about a song from a 2007 album, so that's probably not it. Tevildo (talk) 11:14, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Think it must have been 'Whip It' but none of them sound like what I thought it sounded like. Thanks anyway — Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulmckenzie (talk • contribs) 11:01, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe it was a cover version? At the very bottom of this page are five officially released cover versions. Vespine (talk) 02:01, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

This doesn't fit the time frame (it was released in 1982) but the Dazz Band had a song called Let It Whip. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 12:46, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe Herbie Hancock's Rockit? Not exactly late eighties but still a great electronic song. 138.16.42.247 (talk) 02:51, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Identify a Transformers character

I have recently got my hands on IDW Publishing's "prequel" issue of Regeneration One issue #80.5. Right at the first page there is a giant flashback featuring several characters dating back to the original Marvel Comics comic. I can identify every single one except the blond shirtless guy with cyborg parts, at the left edge between the Decepticon Powermasters and the text "COUNTERPOINT". Who the heck is he supposed to be? JIP | Talk 22:35, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't seen the issue yet, but I have the entire run of the original Marvel title. I don't believe that Buster Witwicky ever had any cyborg parts, but he was often depicted as blonde. His older brother, Spike, came into the title in time to become the head for Cerebro, so he had cyborg parts, but I believe he was always depicted with brown hair. It could be him with an incorrect hair color. I do not believe any of the Neo-Knights were blonde men with cyborg parts. Dynamo was a brown-haired, latin man. Thunderpunch (if I'm remembering his name right) was also shown with brown hair, and he was very large. Circuit Breaker was a woman, albeit blonde with an exoskeleton that could resemble cyborg parts. Medleystudios72 (talk) 13:19, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I can mostly concur with your theories. If it's supposed to be a character we've seen before, it's probably Spike Witwicky with an incorrect hair colour. Buster Witwicky was never binary-bonded to anything, but his older brother Spike was. Of the four Neo-Knights, the only one who had cyborg parts was Circuit Breaker, and she is a woman. On the other hand, it could be some male Nebulan who was binary-bonded to a Transformer, but I have no idea who. Unlike the TV series, the comic showed Nebulans looking pretty much exactly like humans. JIP | Talk 18:37, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, I've seen it now and I'm stumped. He doesn't even look like the Spike they once drew. Of course, the inside cover says we would see nods to the old UK comic too, and I don't have all of those. So perhaps he's a UK comics character. Medleystudios72 (talk) 22:57, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 12

Is Chopin's Nocturne Op.9 No.2 a waltz?

113.190.102.74 (talk) 16:05, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Our article Nocturnes, Op. 9 (Chopin) describes it as having a "waltz like accompaniment", and it's in 12/8 rather than 3/4 time, so the answer is probably "no". Tevildo (talk) 16:46, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Even if it were in 3/4, that in itself would not make it a waltz. Chopin did write a pile of Waltzes (Chopin), but this nocturne was not one of them. Similarly, a piece is not a march just because it's in 2/4 or 4/4 time. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 21:33, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Although it is in 12/8, you can instead count 1 2 3 1 2 3, it matches. 113.190.102.74 (talk) 23:47, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Not every song in three time (or compound 3 time) is a waltz. Waltzes are a specific type of dance-song which is in 3/4 time, but merely because you can count the time off in threes doesn't automatically make a song a waltz. --Jayron32 04:17, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Flintstones question

Bedrock City in Custer, South Dakota has a Mount Rushmore parody... not sure who other than Fred, Barney, and Dino is on the sculpture. Tried various fan sites, to no avail. Here's a link to the image. -- Zanimum (talk) 18:19, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The article says its Mr Grantitebilt. That might be Fred's boss at the quarry? RudolfRed (talk) 18:54, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) Our article says the 4th figure is Mr. Granitebilt, apparently a parody of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Not sure why they would carve such a minor character, though. (Fred's boss was Mr. Slate, unless they changed it over the run of the show.) StuRat (talk) 18:58, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

And who, you may ask, is Mr. Granitebilt? He’s the founder of the city of Bedrock, says Flintstones Bedrock City’s manager, Greg Gunderson. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 19:05, 12 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 13

Japanese singers singing Chinese songs

I currently know of one Japanese singer who has sung Chinese-language songs: Noriko Sakai. Does anyone know of others who would fit in this category? 98.116.69.250 (talk) 07:07, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Which movie is this please?

Which film has a posh guy and his friend,(I Think), end up in jail together and his friend starts to set up the posh guy to make him stay longer in jail ,(I Think), inc getting him beat up by Nazis and Coloureds. In Jail the posh guy ends up with a gay black guy and he becomes the posh guys minder ,(I Think). When they leave jail they have to dig the poorer guy out of a grave and then the posh guy has a wine business and they all work there and make an awful wine but by using threats it gets a good write up, so they're a success. At the end of the film they're all seen in a car driving away and gradually they all start singing together?

Sorry the questions is a bit hit and miss but saw it a few times on Sky (UK) last year (2011) but can't rmember the title and haven't seen it since.

Only person I can remember what he looked like is the black guy and he was fattish and tall but can't remember his name even though i've seen him in other films but as a criminal or hard man.

Thanks

Paul — Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulmckenzie (talk • contribs) 10:59, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds like Let's Go to Prison. Deor (talk) 11:31, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Has anyone ever won a F1 race from last on the grid?

So Lewis Hamilton won pole at the Spanish GP yesterday and was considered the favourite to win the race, then he was disqualified and sent to the back of the grid. Has anyone ever managed to win from there, or would he literally be the first if he pulled it off? 130.88.172.34 (talk) 11:57, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

List of Formula One driver records#Wins from farthest back on the start grid suggests that no one has won after starting dead last. (The Long Beach race that Watson won from 22nd position had 26 racers in the grid, for instance.) Deor (talk) 12:46, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

This place really does have a page on everything, including WP:WPHAAOE indeed. Thanks! 130.88.172.34 (talk) 12:48, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

All in the Family

You guys have helped me out with nothing more to go on than a one-liner in the past; I'm trying to remember the episode where Archie, speaking about Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden, says: "God got sore, He said get your clothes on and get the hell out of here". Joefromrandb (talk) 18:03, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Wikiquote says it's season 3, episode 24: The Battle Of The Month - Cucumber Mike (talk) 18:11, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

...about which, more info here. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 18:13, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I know most of them virtually from memory; had that one on the tip of my tounge for ages. Thanks a lot! Joefromrandb (talk) 18:49, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There's been a plaque of people with rouge tounges lately, leaving their faces rogue. It's hard to guage how many. Anyone who can come up with the answer should get a plague. :) -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 19:27, 13 May 2012 (UTC) [reply]

Why must you plauge us so? —Tamfang (talk) 18:13, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Because I'm in leauge with the devil. I gaurantee it. Thats not to hard too understand, is it? :) -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 03:03, 16 May 2012 (UTC) [reply]

Futsal World Cup

Where can I find anything (reports, news, videos) outside of this page regarding the 2008 Futsal World Cup semifinal match between Spain and Italy? I remembered accidentally once watching an insanely exciting and controversial indoor football game and I think this was it, but I can't find any information about it. It was shown live on ESPN3, which was where I watched it, but I can't find any replays from so long ago. Any ideas? Bzweebl (talk • contribs) 21:24, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Have you not tried the FIFA website? They have some videos, news etc archived here. Nanonic (talk) 22:19, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

With all of their bits and bobs relating to the game here.Nanonic (talk) 22:24, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you so much, and sorry to spend your time. After seeing that the match report was dead, I gave up on the FIFA website. Bzweebl (talk • contribs) 23:29, 13 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

No worries, FIFA are one of those sporting bodies who love to shuffle their website around with no notice. It's been infuriating Wikipedia editors for years. Nanonic (talk) 06:50, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 14

American Idol auditions

I have three questions about American Idol auditions:

According to our article on American Idol, there are three stages in an audition - first, with a group of selectors, then with the producers, and finally with the judges. If this is the case, then why do the selectors and producers let, to quote the article, "woefully inadequate contestants" go all the way to the judges? Is it for the show, or do they have a low standard? (which is unlikely, since they are the ones who make the the thousands of auditioners go down to just around a hundred.) But then again, if they turned away "woefully inadequate contestants", we would have never heard of people like William Hung.

Why does it seem that during auditions, sometimes the "woefully inadequate contestants" are the ones who take the rejection quite badly (example: Getting mad at the judges, crying, being upset, or trying to hit the cameraman [as seen in an audition episode from last season]), while those that are, according to the judges, "not ready yet" seem to take it well and not become upset about it? (example: The contestant seems to be in good spirits and does not have any regrets.)

Last season, during the Nashville auditions, there was an auditioner who was entirely covered in a purple suit, whose name was not known even to the judges. Wouldn't auditioning on Idol require disclosing their identities or something?

Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 06:21, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Here's my cynical answer: As with any U.S. reality show, they take tons and tons of footage, but would like to only show stuff that would generate the most viewers and ratings. And one of those things that seems to attract many American viewers is seeing others make fools of themselves on national TV. And featuring "woefully inadequate contestants" and "uniquely dressed" individuals would fit into that category. Thus, I was not at all surprised that a person like William Hung would get "popular" and have a cult following. Zzyzx11 (talk) 06:58, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

My guess is that contestants like William Hung, or Larry Platt of "Pants on the Ground" fame, are brought to the judges not because the producers think they have a chance of advancing in the competition, but to provide entertainment for the television audience. (Platt was more than twice as old as the show's age limit.) The idea is probably to provide humor both from the unusual performances and the judges' reactions. As to the purple-suited contestant, he presumably had to fill out a form with his name, address, date of birth, etc. before being allowed to audition, so the producers would have known his name, but they could have kept his name a secret from Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler. --Metropolitan90 (talk) 07:06, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, that's also my feeling. They only want to show footage that will entertain and attract viewers. Footage of those contestants who take rejection well does not really entertain enough viewers, and so that is left on the cutting room floor. Zzyzx11 (talk) 07:15, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

That has been one of the criticisms of Idol and what other shows, notably The Voice, have used to differentiate themselves from it. Singers who are technically good, but don't have very interesting life stories, may well be overlooked in favor of singers who are just OK but come from a trailer park, have a sick relative, etc., because people are perceived to be more interested in a hard-luck story. --McDoob AU 93 14:46, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Remember, the sole reason TV shows exist, ever, is to get people to look at advertisements for products. There is no other purpose, at all, so the answer to why any show puts anything on the air is because the producers of the show believe that will make more people watch the advertisements. That is it, and there is no deeper purpose. If putting a substandard contestant on TV causes more people to watch the comercials, then that is exactly what they will do. --Jayron32 19:52, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

That wouldn't apply to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, for example, which is government-owned and whose legislative charter prevents it from getting involved in commercial advertising. Mind you, the adverts they broadcast for their own products, services, outlets and programs are becoming more and more endless (wink) as their range of activities becomes more kraken-like. The similarly government-owned Special Broadcasting Service was once also pristine and unsullied by tawdry advertisements, but it has now completely capitulated to the commercial world, and the quality has suffered accordingly, imo. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 20:15, 14 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

ARD and ZDF are banned from broadcasting advertising on nationally observed non-workdays. --84.61.181.19 (talk) 13:26, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Why aren't there any versions of ARD or ZDF, which contain Austrian or Swiss advertising? --84.61.181.19 (talk) 13:57, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Commercial interests may be the leading, or even sole, reason behind network decisions, but the motivations of those who write, direct, produce, or perform in them are many and varied. That said, "reality" tv shows like Pop Idol, Biggest Loser and Masterchef are unadulterated exploitation of both "talent" and audience for commercial gain, and have no redeeming features whatsoever. Why are we talking in dot points? FiggyBee (talk) 05:49, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You may be correct with some or most reality shows, but not MasterChef, which was originally a BBC show (and remains as such in the UK) and therefore not exploiting anyone. --Dweller (talk) 12:24, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Well, the Coles Australian Coles version of MasterChef Coles has moved on a Coles long way from the original then Coles. FiggyBee (talk) 13:22, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Other countries, other rules. --Dweller (talk) 13:29, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I know why I am, but I can't speak for anyone else. What's your reason? -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 11:52, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 15

Guqin music

I have been researching Chinese traditional Guqin music, but Wikipedia itself does not provide information on specific pieces. I am aware they are not traditionally recorded as written music, but what are some defining or notable Guqin music pieces? And where can I find full recordings of any of them? 75.73.226.36 (talk) 02:06, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

WDR-beta

What are WDR-beta, SWR-gamma, NDR-delta, and MDR-epsilon? --84.61.181.19 (talk) 12:01, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

WDR, SWR, NDR and MDR are four of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters, perhaps? You may need to give us more context. FiggyBee (talk) 13:34, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Akin to BR-alpha: [3] --84.61.181.19 (talk) 13:41, 15 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 16

hdmi out tvs

do there exist tvs with hdmi out on them ??? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.35.15.46 (talk) 02:03, 16 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Not that I'm aware of (and a blu-ray recorder with HDMI input seems to be equally absent from the store shelves). Maybe they are afraid you will be recording HD TV shows and distributing them on the internet for free. Astronaut (talk) 08:47, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Just curious: what would it be for? I'm not sure what the use would be, since most of the things that a TV displays are the results of other devices being sent in. (cable boxes, DVD players, Blu-Ray, cameras, etc.) Other than the light and sound being sent out for us humans to process, is there any other output originating directly from TVs? Mingmingla (talk) 00:17, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Recording is the obvious purpose, but you might also have another TV hooked in, either in another room or in the same large room (like a sports bar). StuRat (talk) 02:12, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Except that you don't record from the TV. You record from the signal that goes into the TV. The TV doesn't produce any signals of its own, so there is no need for an output, excepting as perhaps a pass-through. Sound outputs on TVs basically do this, they pass the sound signal through the TV so it can be sent to an external amplifier. I'm not sure why you would need to do that with a video signal. If you want to record what the TV is showing, split the signal and send it to a recording device. --Jayron32 02:16, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Let's say you have inputs to the TV from cable, satellite, the internet, broadcast TV and your DVD player. You want to be able to record any of that. The easiest way would be if you had an HTML output from the TV and input into the recording device. Having the ability to record from all those sources otherwise would require a rat's nest of wires and switch boxes. StuRat (talk) 05:59, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

NOFX song "the cause"

I am trying to figure out a lyric in The Cause by NOFX, a song on the album Punk in Drublic. The line begins, "It's a scheme, a dream..." but I'm not sure how it ends. All of the lyrics websites say it's either "barterine" or "baterine", but those are not words. It sounds a little like "product ring" to me, but I'm not really sure. --130.56.71.52 (talk) 02:25, 16 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Bands and songwriters are not immune to making up words. See Pompatus. --Jayron32 21:20, 16 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Searching the internet for lyrics websites is what I do when pondering song lyrics. I sometimes check out a few different sites in case they have slightly different words, but in this case they seem to be settled on "It's a scheme, a dream, a barterine" Astronaut (talk) 08:39, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

May 17

No-no-no-no?

Has there ever been an Major League Baseball game in which both pitchers pitched a no-hitter? Or one pitching a no-hitter and another pitching a perfect game? 71.146.10.213 (talk) 05:54, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

A double no-hitter - for 9 innings - occured on May 2, 1917. Fred Toney was pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, and Hippo Vaughn for the Chicago Cubs. The game went into extra innings and Vaughn allowed a run on two hits in the top of the 10th inning. Toney then pitched a hitless bottom of the 10th and is officially credited with a no-hitter. There were a couple of perfect games that were broken up in extra innings (by Harvey Haddix on May 26, 1959 and Pedro Martinez on June 3, 1995), but their opponents only pitched shutout ball through 9 innings, not a no-hitter or a perfect game. --Xuxl (talk) 09:29, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Bob Hendley pitched a 1-hitter for the Cubs against the Dodgers in 1965. The one hit he gave up did not figure in the scoring. Meanwhile, Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game for the Dodgers.[4] This remains the fewest hits by both teams for a regulation 9-inning game. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:03, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. 71.146.10.213 (talk) 03:40, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Also, what is the highest number of innings thrown by an MLB starting pitcher in a game? 71.146.10.213 (talk) 03:40, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Baseball Almanac says 26 for the NL, 24 for the AL. The really astounding things about these records is that the NL's Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger battled each other for 26 innings (nearly three complete games), only to have it end in a tie due to darkness, while the AL's Jack Coombs and Joe Harris pitched into the 24th inning before Coombs emerged victorious, and the loser threw 20 consecutive scoreless innings (the slacker)! Clarityfiend (talk) 04:27, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Another amazing thing about that 26-inning game[5] is that it ran 3 hours and 50 minutes. There are 9-inning games that run about that long now. In those days, games typically started at 3 in the afternoon. So it was approaching 7 in the evening, and they called it on account of darkness. Supposedly both pitchers asked the umpire for one more inning, and he refused - and later supposedly said that he didn't want to see either of them lose it. It was May 1, and if it had been played closer to the solstice, maybe it could have gone 30 or 35. That was a bad game to be having a slump. A couple of guys went 0-for-10 and one went 0-for-11. That'll make a serious dent in a batting average. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:26, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Is this an original track?

The trailer for 'Cool it' has some pretty nifty music. In particular a track that starts around the 0:52 mark and lasts most of the trailer. Was this written for the film or is it an existing piece of music, and in either case is there anywhere I can find a copy of it? Trailer can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtrIJDwlCs8, many thanks in advance. 130.88.172.34 (talk) 10:02, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Hertha BSC Berlin and Fortuna Düsseldorf

Will the 2012–13 Fußball-Bundesliga play with 17 or 19 clubs? --84.61.181.19 (talk) 11:04, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There will be 18 clubs, but first the German Football Federation (DFB) has to rule on Hertha Berlin's appeal of its tie game with Düsseldorf on may 15th. Either the appeal is dismissed, in which case Düsseldorf is promoted to the Bundesliga, with Berlin relegated, or the appeal is upheld, and then - most likely - the deciding game will be replayed on neutral grounds. After which only one of the two clubs will gain a spot in the Bundesliga next year. The appeal was only filed yesterday and a ruling is expected Friday according to various news sources. --Xuxl (talk) 12:52, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Return to Me by Dean Martin and covered by Bob Dylan

I'm in the process of updating all the files in my audio media collection. Bob Dylan covered a song called "Return to Me" for The Sopranos soundtrack CD Peppers & Eggs. I also have an earleir recording of Dean Martin singing it, labeled with the italian "Ritorna Mi." I'm on a hunt to find out the very original artist to have recorded this song. I want to know if Dean Martin was the first artist to record it or if he was covering it too. I include that kind of information in my media organization.

However, I am very surprised to find no article about the song. Searching for "Return to Me" connects to an article about a movie of the same name. Searching by "Return to Me (song)" turns up nothing. My other main source for finding information on song media, Allmusic, doesn't yield satisfactory results either. A broad Google search was extremely cumbersome.

My first question. Why is there no article about this song? It seems to me to be wiki-worthy, especially in light of many song articles I find that seem to be much more obscure. Was there an article that was deleted for some reason?

My second question. Can anyone locate the information I need on who the original artist was? Or suggest a search method with a finer point than Google? Thanks.

Medleystudios72 (talk) 13:44, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

This site [6] lists the composers as Danny DiMinno and Carmen Lombardo, and claims it was originally written for Martin. Allmusic mentions DiMinno as the composer. The supposed Italian title (Ritorna Mi) does not sound like correct Italian to me (and google has very few results for what should be a standard phrase), so it could be fake Italian, --Xuxl (talk) 13:56, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. I saw the composer info on Allmusic, but Allmusic doesn't necessarily contain original recording artist verification - at least not easily. It just seemed to me to be some Italian Standard that was adapted for Dean. And yes, I also think "Ritorna Mi" (or Ritorna Me, as I also see it) could be a "popularized" version of pseudo-Italian for entertainment purposes. Medleystudios72 (talk) 14:05, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

RPG

I'm wondering, can a game like Myst be considered an RPG? since you play the role of a particular character in order to complete the game. My friend argues that the only things that can be called RPGs are games that involve skill points, health bars and fighting, and whilst I accept that this is the standard definition, I countered that the name itself doesn't rule out a wide range of other games in theory, if someone wanted to make that case. I have an actual logical basis from semantics for saying that, but he refuses to accept, or even listen to, that point, simply because it isn't done in standard practice. So, which of us is right here?

Kitutal (talk) 17:45, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

wondering if I'd get a different answer asking under language than entertainment, since it's sort of both... Kitutal (talk) 17:47, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You can call anything you want by any name, but if you want other people to understand or agree with you, it is best to use words as other people will understand them. Most people would not consider Myst to be an RPG, but rather a graphic adventure game with strong elements of hidden object games. What makes an RPG an RPG is primarly character development, for whatever that means within the gaming system. That is, as you play the game your character develops skills and "levels" and advances throughout the game. Without the possibility of character advancement, a game is just an adventure game. In Myst, you don't have a character that acquires skills and advancements. You simply click and drag on objects on the screen to solve brain teasers, solving said brain-teasers advances the plot of the story. --Jayron32 17:48, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

A "role" means you are playing as a character other than yourself. StuRat (talk) 17:52, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I see. makes sense. so there's no actual rule that it has to involve fighting and such like? Kitutal (talk) 18:03, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Wrote this response when original question was posted at Humanities desk. Pertinent to your followup question too, I think.

I'd consider Myst to be something more like a puzzle game (despite that article's main focus on e.g. Minesweeper). The distinction between an RPG and anything else doesn't have to do with experience points, leveling up, or the presence/absence of fighting, but rather with the characterization of the game's protagonist (hence "role playing"). In an RPG, the most important factor is that the character grows and changes over the course of gameplay/the story. The player plays the role of the character and in the course of the quest that character changes significantly as a result of the player's actions. In something like Myst, by contrast, the protagonist is extremely hazily-defined, and all of the characterization is centered on the book-writer and his family. All of the problem solving is focused on the goal of solving riddles and bringing the story of the others (not the player) in the game to a close. The protagonist in Myst is there simply so the player can be in the world of the game, not as a real character. ☯.Zen Swashbuckler.☠ 18:05, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Answering the new question regarding fighting: I don't think fighting per se is part of the definition; however it is quite hard to find a single RPG which doesn't include fighting or violence of some sort, if only because fighting provides a convenient way to build skills and gain levels: kill easy baddies, get more skills, get to kill harder baddies, rinse, repeat. However, there are fighting games which are not RPGs, and there are also character driven games that are not RPGs. The deal with there not being an RPG that involves no fighting at all has less to do with fighting being an integral part of an RPG and more to do with fighting being an integral part of gaming, for the most part. You can, I suppose, create an RPG which has all of the elements of an RPG without any physical confrontation, violence, or fighting at all, but who is going to buy it. --Jayron32 18:31, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Seconding Jayron's point. Basically you could have an "RPG" that consisted entirely of making non-violent choices, but in practice it would take an extremely gifted writer to make that game not utterly boring (gifted enough to make a living writing novels and hence mostly not working for game developers, though as games become a more and more accepted form of storytelling art, I'm sure we'll see some games trend this way). Involving fighting in the game is the surest way to keep the player's interest up. Character-driven games that are any good have traditionally always involved fighting. I could see someone making a game in the Leisure Suit Larry mode, but there's only so much variation available (and skill required for gameplay!) in that format and I can't see it making the big bucks that you get from something like the Fable series (chopping heads with a sword > getting shot down at bars). And how many times are you going to play a mystery game once you already know the answer? Including violence and making its application a matter of skill ensures variation each time you play. As far as I know nobody's done this, but I see a "standard" RPG's skills sheet / strength chart as almost the kind of thing where you could make a short video of the numbers rising and put, say, Eye of the Tiger on the soundtrack and use it as a gorgeously nerdy training montage. Basically it's a dry, mathematical way to help you visualize how far your character's come since Level 1, how much he's grown since he got his ass kicked by the gang of trolls and swore revenge, and how close to ready he feels to take on the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog. ☯.Zen Swashbuckler.☠ 19:34, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

what about the Sims? Kitutal (talk) 18:57, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I never played the Sims, so correct me if I'm way off base, but that's really more of a God game I think. See also Social simulation game. While you can develop the characters/lives of the people you control, it's in very general terms and there isn't really a single main protagonist who is more important than all others (and who the player "becomes" or pretends to be in order to play the game properly (immersively). An RPG intends the player to identify strongly with the protagonist, to feel what he feels and share in his triumphs - while the Sims intends the player to play around with the lives of a bunch of different people for no pre-defined purpose. ☯.Zen Swashbuckler.☠ 19:45, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I disagree. Many of the classic early-ish computer RPGs (Wasteland, The Bard's Tale, etc.) involved playing as a party of adventurers, of which there was no clear protagonist. Regards, Orange Suede Sofa (talk) 20:00, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I think The Sims (while not SimCity or others from the genre) has RPG-elements, but you couldn't primarily describe it as an RPG. After all, characters do have character traits, they do level up and gain skills, which is an RPG element, but as noted, it is primarily a social-simulation mixed with a God-game. --Jayron32 00:23, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I can't reference this, but I don't think playing a role is enough to make an RPG. Like Jayron said, to be understood in discussions with others, you have to apply the industry understanding of what "RPG" means, even if it is pretty vague and flexible. You can't apply semantic logic, even if it technically makes sense. After all, you are playing a role outside of yourself in any game where the protagonist is named. Super Mario Bros. has you playing as Mario. Sonic has you playing as the titular hedgehog. Neither can be mistaken as RPGs. In the Sims, or simcity, or puzzle games, you aren't playing a role. You are you, explicitly controlling the little people on screen, so there is no role to be played. So while you are right, OP, that the name suggest flexibility, the truth is that for clarity's sake you should think of the term "RPG" as three letters that don't stand for anything anything other than what the standard definition says it is. Mingmingla (talk) 00:10, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Womens' chess

Ive always wondered where the outrage from feminists and others was about this. While I'll concede that it does take a certain degree of physical stamina to endure the mental rigors of top-level chess, it has to be at least 95%, if not more, mental. Chess is, for all intents and purposes, a mental sport. Yet men and women usually play in separate tournaments. Furthermore, the standards to become a Grandmaster are considerably lower for women. Doesn't this smack of sexism? Isn't this basically saying that women-generally speaking-can't play chess as well as men? Joefromrandb (talk) 20:11, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It's not the same situation as in physical sports, where men and women are prevented from competing. Female players are not forbidden or dissuaded from participating in regular chess competitions. However, there is a much smaller pool of female players, and as a result only a few women have risen to the highest levels. Women's chess gives prominence to female players, which presumably encourages more women to learn the game. As for why so few women learn chess in the first place, one can only speculate. LANTZY ^TALK 01:03, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

But what about my point about female Grandmasters having lower standards than their male counterparts? Is making it easier for a woman to become a GM meant to encourage more women to pick up the game? That to me seems like making women eligible for Mensa with a lower IQ score than that required of men, which I think would be insulting to most self-respecting women. Joefromrandb (talk) 01:57, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I just want to clarify one point. There is a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title that has lower requirements than the regular Grandmaster (GM) title, but some women obtain the same GM title as men do, meeting the same requirements. See FIDE titles. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 02:23, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but as I understand it, only 3 women (the Polgar sisters, and one other whom I can't remember) hold a full-fledged GM title. Of course I could be wrong. Joefromrandb (talk) 02:27, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Besides two Polgar sisters, there are Hou Yifan, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Xu Yuhua, Antoaneta Stefanova, Zhu Chen, Xie Jun, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nona Gaprindashvili, Koneru Humpy and probably more. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:20, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Gaprindashvili was the one I couldn't remember. The others must have reached this status somewhat recently. Joefromrandb (talk) 05:33, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The concept of "grandmaster" doesn't have any absolute meaning. It refers only to the relative skill of a player compared to other players at a particular moment in history. When the average skill level rises or falls, so does the threshold of being a grandmaster. Once you divide the players into different groups according to arbitrary (non-chess-related) differences, you create different sets of statistics and different criteria for grandmastership. In principle, you can divide the players into any number of demographics and determine a grandmaster for each demographic: Jewish grandmasters, Texan grandmasters, lesbian grandmasters, etc. And if you compared these various grandmasters, some would be much stronger players than others, for a variety of historical reasons. The Jewish grandmaster would almost certainly beat the Texan grandmaster. This course of events would not be "insulting" to Texans, and it wouldn't say anything about the inherent ability of Texans to play chess. LANTZY ^TALK 02:30, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know that I agree completely, but that is an interesting point. Joefromrandb (talk) 02:33, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

This isn't so much about arbitrary comparisons. What you say may be true, but if more were required for a Jew to reach full-fleged GM status than a Texan goy, I'd bet there would be outrage. Joefromrandb (talk) 02:36, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. My point is simply that the designation is arbitrary, because the average skill level of any given population is also arbitrary. There is no way of determining "absolute skill" in chess. If there were, then it might happen that no human being deserves to be called a grandmaster. It's a bit like the Oscars or the Nobel Prize. They give a prize out every year, but the skill level is different every year, so designations like "Nobellist" and "Oscar-winner" have no absolute meaning. LANTZY ^TALK 02:55, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The Nobel prizes and Oscars are awarded based on people's opinions. In chess there are objective ratings as well as direct competitions with other players. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:23, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Hence my use of the phrase "a bit like". These things are similar in that the designations are relative, based on the competition at a particular moment. The average skill level of chess players varies over time, just as the quality of films differs from one year to the next. In neither case do the honorees achieve an absolute, changeless standard of excellence. LANTZY ^TALK 04:00, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

But a GM title is nothing like a Nobel prize or an Oscar award. GM titles are based on objective critera whereas the others are subjective. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 04:10, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Buzzcocks cover

OK, with my previous question fallen on deaf ears (no offense), I ask another random musical query:

I just heard the Buzzcocks' song "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn'tve)" on the radio, and although I had never heard the Buzzcocks before I recognized it. I remember it appearing in a movie, but I'm sure the version in the movie was a cover. What movie could it have been, and what band would have covered it? Help me out!!

75.73.226.36 (talk) 02:20, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

According to the article, Ever_Fallen_in_Love_(With_Someone_You_Shouldn't've) has appeared on several soundtracks covered by different bands. If you look at the list, maybe you'll find the one you're thinking of. RudolfRed (talk) 02:38, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I know the feeling. I used to work in cornfields, and everything I said fell on deaf ears. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:20, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

That's why the corn cob married the potato. He was her eyes, and she was his ear. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 08:43, 18 May 2012 (UTC) [reply]

The Fine Young Cannibals did a cover of it that was quite successful commercially. I really liked it... until I heard the foot-stompingly brilliant original. Now I can't bear the cover. --Dweller (talk) 11:32, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I figured it out: it was Pete Yorn's version in Shrek 2. Thanks! 75.73.226.36 (talk) 11:53, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Do you know what's the name of...

this underwear model? [7]. 84.110.45.1 (talk) 11:01, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Mythbusters - Fizzy Drink Tests Episode

I recently watched a repeat of the Mythbusters episode were they are using fizzy drinks to clean stuff. When the part were they used it on the teeth, me and my friends started arguing about the test (and therefor missed the rest of the show). The argument being that when they put the teeth into the glasses with the fizzy drinks, they are left in for (I think) 24 to 48 hours, and that would be like me sitting here with a mouth full of fizzy drink for over a day.
I have seen other shows were they have done the same or similar tests, including the duration the teeth are left in the fizzy drinks. I am not agruing that fizzy drinks are bad for my teeth but my question was how accurate are these tests ? 80.254.146.140 (talk) 11:18, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

By allowing the teeth to soak longer, it would create a much more visible range of difference between the different drinks, thereby making it easier to determine the most effective. Yes, realistically you wouldn't soak your teeth for 48 hours in in soda, but for the sake of testing their method makes sense. --192.139.119.4 (talk) 12:55, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]