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September 26

First woman swimmer in history

Who was the first proffessional woman swimmer in history? I know its impossible to know about antiquity and such - I am rather asking about the first since the modern art of swimming was introduced in the 19th-century(?). --85.226.43.165 (talk) 14:34, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

This question was also asked on the Humanities Desk, and since it has drawn some responses there, please direct all responses there. --Anonymous, 00:08 UTC, September 27, 2009.

Lyrics meaning

What do these Cobra Starship lyrics mean "the world has its shine but I would drop it on a dime for you"? --124.254.77.148 (talk) 15:40, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

The writer seems to have conflated a couple of sayings. "Drop it in a second" means to take your attention away from something in order to focus on something else without any hesitation. Someone may say "I love my house but if someone offered me the Playboy Mansion in trade for my house, I'd drop it in a second". They aren't literally dropping their own house but they would without hesitation go through with this deal. The second of the phrases is "Turn on a dime". This is a bit of hyperbole to describe how maneuverable something, like a car, is. It basically means that the car could turn in the space of a dime on the pavement. So, in my opinion, the writer/singer is saying that he would give up "the world" (meaning everything he has/his life/etc) even though it is "shiny" (is very interesting) without any hesitation to focus his attention on the other person. And in my opinion, they're bad lyrics... Dismas|^(talk) 16:02, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

Well, this is, after all, the band that wrote the theme song for Snakes on a Plane. Adam Bishop (talk) 18:46, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

That explains alot! Dismas|^(talk) 09:43, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Oh, and the OP might be interested in learning about another saying. To "drop a dime" means to call someone on the telephone. This comes from the old pay telephones that charged ten cents for a phone call. Alternatively, you could say that you're going to "drop a dime on Harry", meaning that you are going to call Harry on the phone. Dismas|^(talk) 10:11, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

In most pulp fiction, the phrase "drop a dime on Harry" means that you are going to call the police (or similar) to become an informant against Harry. -- kainaw™ 18:42, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Not surprisingly, drop a dime redirects to "Informant". —Kevin Myers 14:42, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

September 27

The Poem from the Fantastic Voyage

Pausing long enough to take the camera off Raquel Welch, there was an exchange between the late Arthur Kennedy, the late Doanld Pleasance and the late Stephen Boyd ( of Ben Hur fame ) in 20th Century Fox' " Fantastic Voyage " ( 1966 ), which goes as follows :

Dr. Duval: Yet all the suns that light the corridors of the universe shine dim before the blazing of a single thought...

Grant: - proclaiming in incandescent glory the myriad mind of Man...

Dr. Michaels: Very poetic, gentlemen. Let me know when we pass the soul.

Dr. Duval: The soul? The finite mind cannot comprehend infinity - and the soul, which comes from God, is infinite.

Dr. Michaels: Yes, well, our time isn't.

Who wrote this poem, was it someone like Robert Frost, or did the scriptwriters as Fox do a very artistic turn with their words ? I like the quote, it reminds me of the " Incredible Shrinking Man ", but does anyone know where it comes from ? The RussianChristopherlilly (talk) 06:13, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

A Google search seems to show that it was written for the film. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 19:05, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, that was the best I could find too. Although it does seem odd. It reads very well for something dreamed up by a scriptwriter, and the way that one character starts the phrase and another finishes it seems to suggest that it's a recognised poem.Popcorn II (talk) 14:35, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Not all scriptwriters are in Ed Wood's category. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 06:56, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

xkcd

To what does this comic (link will be outdated by Monday) refer? I don't see many products with "<miscelleneous-object>-free!" on them personally. Is it common in America? Vimescarrot (talk) 12:32, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Here's the permanent link. Mitch Ames (talk) 12:37, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

And yes, it is common in the US. There are sugar free, lactose free, BST free, etc. etc. If there is some sort of perceived benefit to having something not be in your food, you can find a food somewhere that claims not to have it. And for what it's worth, I thought it was pretty funny when I read it. XKCD is one of my favorites. Dismas|^(talk) 12:57, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

They've even gone so far as to rename products to fit that method. Milk without any fat in it used to be "skim milk", now it's "fat free !" (with the exclamation mark sometimes actually on the product). StuRat (talk) 15:42, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

It's not entirely unknown in the UK either, though I've mostly seen fatty products labelled low in sugar (and vice versa), rather than substances you wouldn't expect food to have at all. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 19:50, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

On candy in the US it is not uncommon for them to say "A Fat Free Product!" on things that have never contained saturated fat (but are still not good for you). --Mr.98 (talk) 20:52, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

"CFC-free" was quite common in Australia for a while. (I don't know if it still is - my wife does most of the shopping.) Mitch Ames (talk) 01:22, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

In the US, numerous fatty foods have starburst labels proclaiming, "Trans-fat free!" or "0g trans-fats!" Tempshill (talk) 05:40, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Thanks to all. Vimescarrot (talk) 20:29, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

UK brands also use such constructions as "95% fat free" (which, of course, means they're 5% fat) and "20% less salt", which is generally meaningless. Gwinva (talk) 02:45, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Pokémon: The First Movie

As you may or may not know, the English release of the first Pokémon movie was one of their worst screw-ups ever due to the sheer amount of bowdlerization and needless edits. Where can I find the Japanese version of the first movie with English subtitles so that I don't have to put up with 4Kids's atrocity? --71.153.41.187 (talk) 18:03, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Sale of Bjork's swan dress

There were various news reports in 2005 that Bjork's famous swan dress, which she wore to the 2001 Oscars, was to be auctioned on eBay for charity. However, I have not seen any reports confirming its sale. Did it in fact sell and, if so, what was the sale price? John M Baker (talk) 21:26, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

The closest I could find was that it reached more than £6,000 on eBay.--The lorax (talk) 21:56, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

September 28

song from The Sims: Bustin Out

there is a song that plays on the 'metal' station on The Sims: Bustin Out, it has a rather slow intro, then progresses into this Iron Maiden sound...is there any way to find this song for purchase or download? 71.223.202.26 (talk) 04:24, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Basketball five-by-five

Alright, the article here on the basketball five-by-five was started by me and I did about 95% of all work done on it so far. Now, I guess it's been merged with Double_(basketball). Any way, I find the stat interesting and want to make the page better. To find all the five-by-fives listed, I used basketball-reference.com and their game logs, which are searchable. The problem is, they only go back to 1986-87. There are 14 such five-by-fives listed on the page. The thing is, I have seen an article which said there have been 16, I believe, in NBA history. So, does any one have access to older game logs? I would love to complete the page and list all official five-by-fives. I would also like to verify that no one has ever had one in the playoffs (or I guess verify that one has happened if it has). Thanks. StatisticsMan (talk) 13:20, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

A version of "Jacob's Ladder"

I'm remembering hearing a version of the old spiritual "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" that I'd like to track down. I remember hearing it while watching a documentary--I thought at first it might be "Eyes on the Prize", but now I'm wondering if it was Ken Burns' "The Civil War", and it could easily be something else similar. It was being sung very slowly, and with great passion, by a large choir (which is never seen on screen)...as I recall, a woman's voice (or small group of women's voices) sang "we are" and the choir echoed "we are", then "climbing...climbing...Jacob's....Jacob's...ladder....ladder..." and so on. I'm hoping this rings bells for someone who can tell me, ideally, which choir sang that version and if it's available on CD somewhere. Failing that, if you can point me to the documentary it played on, I'd be most appreciative. The melody is really hauntingly beautiful in most arrangements, but I remember being particularly moved by this one. (Also, if this is the wrong desk, I apologize--I know this isn't "modern" music but thought it might be the right spot.) 128.208.51.135 (talk) 18:42, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

I wonder if it was recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? --TammyMoet (talk) 10:34, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

It's definitely on the Ken Burns Civil War CD. →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 05:09, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Youtube has this. I can't tell if it's Ken Burns' version. Amazon.com has the soundtrack for sale; it credits Bernice Johnson Reagon. Clarityfiend (talk) 05:33, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Thanks to all for your help--Clarity, that youtube link is exactly the track I remembered! I'll look into that soundtrack--hopefully the same version is there. Jwrosenzweig (talk) 21:40, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Glad...glad...to...to...be...be...of...of...help...help. Clarityfiend (talk) 05:14, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

"Today...day...I consider myself...sider myself...the luckiest man...iest man...on the face of the earth...face of the earth." →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 00:05, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

American Pie (song)

What is it about?Accdude92 (talk) (sign) 19:01, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Have you read our article American Pie (song)? As noted at the top of the page, many questions can be more easily answered with a simple search. — Lomn 19:10, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

(EC with Lomn) Did you read the article American Pie? The song's chorus is about The Day The Music Died, and the rest of the song is filled with imagery from the 1950's and 1960's. There's lots of speculation as to the symbolism in the song, such as the identies of the characters, the "Marching Band" is usually taken to be The Beatles while "The Joker" is usually taken to be Bob Dylan. The disasterous Altamont Free Concert is also in there somewhere, as well as the "Father, Son, and The Holy Ghost" possibly being John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. OR Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. (see also Abraham, Martin & John). Don McLean has been intentionally "mum" on the meanings of most of the lyrics, and there have been entire books written on the dense layers of meaning to the song. All he has confirmed beyond a doubt, as far as I know, is the actual Day the Music Died, but the rest is entirely up to speculation. --Jayron32 19:14, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean replied, "It means I never have to work again." Britmax (talk) 19:27, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

What is it about? It's about 7 minutes. N'yuk, n'yuk! It's loaded with symbolism that's fairly obvious to one of his generation. One thing is certain: "American Pie" was NOT the name of the airplane in the fatal crash. It was just a generic small plane with no name. The title, along with the phrasing in the chorus, "Bye-bye, Miss American Pie", would be a play on the old saying, "As American as apple pie", along with the beauty icon called "Miss America". →Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 06:55, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

September 29

theme to new show

I watched Trauma. It's a cool show. However, I was hoping it may have theme music or a theme song. Who knows about that type of thing?69.203.157.79 (talk) 08:11, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

It opens with "Something in the Water", by The Henry Clay People. The song that the guy is listening to on his iPod is "Berlin" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I got these just by watching the first few minutes of the pilot on Hulu, and then putting the lyrics through a Google search. You can do the same for the rest of the episode if you want to know those too. It didn't look like there was any theme song or opening credits for the pilot (at least for what few minutes I just watched), so you will have to wait until next Monday to see if they have one on the next episode. Hope this helps. —Akrabbim^talk 20:40, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

German? music video

In 2006, a friend of mine posted a google video on my myspace page which has since died (the video link, not my myspace page). The video appeared to be a music video for a German techno/pop group. I don't remember the name of the band or the name of the song, but I'll try to describe it from memory, and see if anyone knows to what in the world I'm referring. It began with a woman in a short skirt and large jacket (big shoulders) stumbling around during the intro of the song. She appeared intoxicated, and perhaps collapsed, the beat of the song kicked in and there was a very muscular, shirtless man singing, while apparently teaching an aerobics class. Then there was another scene with an older, bald, mustached man with a headset microphone singing, while selling an energy powder/juice in the form of an infomercial. I believe they kept flashing catchphrases like "power up" on the screen. The video ended with the initial woman collapsed and all those weird fitness related TV parodies juxtaposed inside of her head like a mini-town. It is bizarre to say the least. Any ideas what this was? It may not be German, which might explain why word searches haven't helped me locate it again. -Andrew c ^[talk] 15:57, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

The only German Techno style band I know that has a lead singer who isn't afraid to show off his upper body, and co-incidentally there is also a mustached band member too, is Rammstein. The fact that the woman is also wearing a short skirt makes me think it might be them as they seem to have a keen interest in the female species (if anyone wants to watch a 3:30ish porno check out their new single which has a title too explicit for me to type here...) HOWEVER your description of it being techno/pop concerns me as if this is the band you refer to I would say they are more heavy rock than pop, although the techno part is correct... Can't help with the video though as I am an ipod listener, specifically 3rd gen, so never see the vids... Gazhiley (talk) 11:07, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

I am quite familiar with Rammstien, and it was definitely not them. But yeah, not a bad guess. When I was typing up the explanation of the muscle guy, I thought of Ramstien. I have a feeling that the people singing are just actors, and not in the band in the first place, but that is just a hunch (the muscle guy is even more massive than the singer of Rammstein). -Andrew c ^[talk] 17:16, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

If anyone updates this thread, please send me a message on my talk page as I will no longer be actively monitoring here for responses. Thanks!-Andrew c ^[talk] 23:13, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Street Fighter (film)

Does M. Bison die in the 1994 Street Fighter film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme? 200.73.29.24 (talk) 18:00, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

Did you read the article you linked to? The last paragraph of the overlong plot summary in that article states:

In the home video version of the film, at the end of the closing credits we find ourselves back at the ruins of M. Bison's lair, as the main computer announces that its batteries are recharging from solar power and it begins fibrillating Bison's heart with electricity. Bison's fist suddenly smashes through the rubble, and on a computer screen the resurrected dictator selects "World Domination: Replay".

So, as with Blade Runner, the answer to the question seems to depend on which version of the movie you have watched. Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:07, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

Identify what movie

• Question moved from the Miscellaneous Reference Desk by me. --Anonymous, 22:14 UTC, September 29, 2009.

Identify what movie this from http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5450/1254258089860.jpg many thnaks for you time :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tenticles333the greateas (talk • contribs) 21:58, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

It looks like it is from The Fifth Element, with the lady in question being the actress Milla Jovovich. My memory of the film is very poor but the 'style' of this makes me think it'll be that and Milla played the lead-female I think. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 15:46, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

All the photos I've seen show Milla Jovovich's character from The Fifth Element to have distinctive red hair. DJ Clayworth (talk) 16:06, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

I've seen the movie several times; that scene is not in the movie and Milla's character did not dress or have hair that looked like that. Matt Deres (talk) 16:13, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

No it's not 5th Element. I can't find what it is though. Are you sure it's a film and not a music video or something? Do you have any onther information to go on? Where have you got this photo from?Popcorn II (talk) 18:29, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Okay, does anyone recognize the woman, or can anyone think of a movie where mathematical formulas are written on a transparent board? That's pretty distinctive. --Anonymous, 19:40 UTC, October 1, 2009.

It looks familiar but I can't place it. You don't have any other info on what it's from? Dismas|^(talk) 22:39, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

"Lucille" parody/sequel

A friend of mine seems to remember a song that's a sort of companion piece to Kenny Rogers's "Lucille," either as a sequel or a sort of parody. She doesn't know whether it was sung by Rogers or someone else. It features lyrics to the effect that it's good that Lucille left because the husband she abandoned found oil in the field (where the crops were awaiting harvest when Lucille ditched him) and is now living the good life with a lady who treats him right. Of course, the friend who claims this song exist is the same friend who used to think the lyrics to "Lucille" were "You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille, with four hundred children . . ." so I have to wonder. Does this song actually exist, and if so, what is it called and who sings it? - Friend of Lady Mondegreen —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.104.238.248 (talk) 23:41, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

I found two references to this version (which appears to be an extra verse to the original song). One is a blog which mentions this verse in a version of the song performed by an unnamed "yodeling Country Western singer". The second is a comment on a YouTube video of Kenny Rogers performing the song (Kenny Rogers "You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille" on YouTube) where the commenter refers to Kenny Rogers himself adding the extra verse to the song while performing "in the Astrodome over 30 years ago". --Canley (talk) 05:45, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

I wonder if the Barron Knights did a version of this? --TammyMoet (talk) 09:35, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

They certainly did. Their "Lucille" dressed up like a "New Jersey Cow" and went off into the bull's field. This site claims to have a 30 second sample, but I can't make it play. DJ Clayworth (talk) 13:57, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

September 30

Adding bands to Wikipedia: where's the line?

What qualifies a band or musical artist being included on Wikipedia? Certainly not just any guy who strums away can put himself on here. 72.219.147.187 (talk) 01:05, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

He could, but his article would be deleted if it couldn't satisfy WP:Notability (music), not to mention WP:Conflict of interest. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:33, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

I see, thank you. I was curious, having come across some totally random artists with blunt, almost trivial pages, using the Random page link. lol 72.219.147.187 (talk) 01:58, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

If you are concerned, you could tag the articles with {{db-band}} if there are absolutely no claims that the band is important in any way, or for borderline cases, you could file an Articles for Deletion discussion. --Jayron32 04:56, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

WP:BAND pretty well spells out what constitutes Wikipedia-notability. 99.166.95.142 (talk) 15:58, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Artists similiar to Type O Negative

I really like the album October Rust by the band Type O Negative.I find it great for the fall and Halloween season. However, I have been looking for similar artists for quite some time with no success. I am looking for some dark, moody mysterious metal music that is not overly fast paced and without excessive growling or screaming vocals. slow and spooky but heavy. Can anyone offer any suggestions? thanks! 10draftsdeep (talk) 15:09, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Try The Pixies or Hüsker Dü - strictly neither is "metal" (but it's not like there's an appellation contrôlée to determine what is or isn't), both are heavy and noisy and dark, and both have a weirdo vibe that makes them sound like the the house band at Arkham Asylum, and there's genuinely beautiful melody buried down in that noise. 87.115.106.169 (talk) 15:21, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestions. I am actually somewhat familiar with both of those bands and know they are quite legendary in the alt rock world. I am also open to additional suggestions for some artists who lean a little more to the darker side in overall theme and tone of their music. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 17:50, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Last FM is very good for this type of question. Have a look at their Type O Negative page for a bunch of similar artists. Also there is this fun site where you can type an artist's name in and get a bunch of similar artists floating around the screen. The nearer they are to the centre, the more similar they're likely to be. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 18:13, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

A similar service to Richardrj's suggestions is Pandora. - Akamad (talk) 03:04, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

Although Pandora is not available outside the USA (I don't know where the OP lives). The OP might also like to check out Porcupine Tree, who are prog metal. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:43, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

October 1

UK Musician

ok, I saw a guy perform on TV, thought he was great but forget his name! This is what I remember:

Solo artist, sounds a little like Mike Skinner from The Streets but more acoustic. His music had a dance, almost reggae vibe about it.

His name may have been Damian(maybe???0 but it was not Albarn or Rice.

Can anyone help with the name??!!203.41.139.85 (talk) 03:15, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

Damien Jurado? He's American though. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:37, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

Could it possibly be Damian Marley? He is from Jamaica though. Hmrox (talk) 14:13, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

October 2

Dr. John song

I was wondering if the song, "Comin' Back," by Dr. John is available on any of his albums. It was the theme from K-Ville.69.203.157.50 (talk) 03:20, 2 October 2009 (UTC)