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October 9

Ethics of Marvel heroes compared to DC heroes

So I will need a Marvel nerd for this I think (I am something of a DC nerd, but mostly Batman). I have noticed that some Marvel Comics heros (like Iron Man) display a greater willingness to kill the baddies than their DC counterparts. I remember that in the Countdown to Infinite Crisis there was a huge "ZOMG" when Wonder Woman broke that guy's neck (the one who made the evil hero-killer bots). In contrast, it seems some Marvel characters will kill opponents (previous example of Iron Man, I am thinking of the film when he wasted so many terrorists, though I've not read a single Iron Man comics). Is this because so many of Marvel's characters are anti-heros? This is all AFAIK by the way so please don't dogpile if I said something silly. Has Marvel's god or anyone else of importance there said anything on this matter? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 11 Tishrei 5772 07:25, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes. An issue you might want to look for is a one-off comic book called, Phoenix: the Untold Saga (there's a bit of a synopsis here. In a nutshell, the character of Jean Grey apparently went insane from developing godlike levels of power. In her deluded state, she wiped out an entire planet of aliens (and the warship that tried to avenge their deaths). As originally planned, she was going to be "made better" by an alien psycho-lobotomy type thing that would prevent her from accessing that enormous power and therefore return her to sanity. "The Powers That Be" at Marvel, particularly Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter said that that wasn't good enough - she'd done big-time evil and couldn't just be let off the hook like that (essentially denying the validity of the diminished capacity defense). The book I mentioned contains the transcript of what has become known to comic fans as "The Dark Phoenix Tapes" - a roundtable discussion by various involved parties about how and why the ending was changed to the final version (Jean realizes she will always be a menace and in fact goes wild again on the moon, then killing herself to prevent her completely running amok).

Other issues that examine the ideas you're talking about include the Daredevil:Punisher TPB, where creators Mike Baron and Ralph Macchio talk about the contrasts between the two characters: Daredevil, like Batman, refuses to kill his opponents no matter what, whereas the Punisher goes out of his way to kill his. There was also an interesting issue of Captain America (issue 321) from during Mark Gruenwald's run. At that point, Cap was usually depicted a big blue boy scout (like Superman, in a way) who also never took a life. Separated from his trademark shield, Cap is forced to gun down a terrorist that was about to open fire on a group of hostages. While nobody blames Cap in the slightest, he's wracked with guilt at what he's been forced to do and later issues have him arguing with fellow heroes about the ethics of his actions.

As you may tell, I'm a "Marvel Zombie", so if you'd like further examples or specifics, just ask. :) Matt Deres (talk) 16:38, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Frasier

I'm trying to remember an episode where someone erroneously assumes the Crane family is Jewish, and Niles does a hilarious monolouge of Yiddish expressions and Jewish humor. Anyone familiar with this one? Joefromrandb (talk) 13:27, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

It sounds like Frasier (season 6)#ep130: "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz". PrimeHunter (talk) 13:45, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

That's the one. Thanks! Joefromrandb (talk) 14:06, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Your description of Zydeco Music

Where did you get your information on Zydeco music.. cause it is mostly wrong and very disrespectful to the many men and women who perform the music and keep their herritage and culture alive and living!!! You need to contact someone with in the Zydeco musicians especially Mr. Stanley Dural, Jr. better known as Buckwheat Zydeco. He is one of the LAST living legends with in the zydeco nation. One of the forefathers of the music and culture. That is where your true description of Zydeco should have came from!!! Cajun music and Zydeco music is NOT THE SAME!!!! Stephanie Gaspard Corner — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.102.128.169 (talk) 16:35, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

We don't post phone numbers here. I suggest you discuss your concerns by going to the zydeco article and clicking "discuss" in order to add your comments to the talk page there. μηδείς (talk) 17:56, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Or, better still, if you don't like the description, go right ahead and change it yourself. You can do that, you know. --Viennese Waltz 07:44, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

But do make sure you have published sources to back your edits up. The users there should hopefully provide good help on the talk page. μηδείς (talk) 04:25, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

lava channel

Is there a lava channel, or other such cable TV channel (or internet portal) which shows volcanic eruptions or any other entertaining "acts of god" like tornadoes, floods, lightning, atomic blasts, fires, tsunamis, geysers, earthquakes, or so forth, set to music, without text or narration, 24/7? μηδείς (talk) 21:14, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Try Baraka and other films by Ron Fricke and Godfrey Reggio for some such scenes, altho these films are mostly about man's impact on the environment. Pepso2 (talk) 12:18, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Thanks! I didn't care for Qoyaanisqatsi, (sp?) but Baraka looks interesting. Unfortunately I dropped my Netflix membership. Will have to see if I can stream it. μηδείς (talk) 04:24, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Do you have access to a public library? Baraka is worth seeing in the highest definition possible. – Kerαunoςcopia^◁_galaxies 06:04, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Not so much eruptions etc. as I recall, but your question made me think of "The Art Of Landscape" which I used to watch over breakfast when I was a kid- beautiful landscapes, possibly sometimes with lightning and volcanic eruptions but mainly peaceful, but with the music and no narration. Apparently it now exists as The Landscape Channel. MorganaFiolett (talk) 14:07, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Thanks. Don't know why I didn't think of the library but it turns out neither of the Universities where I have privileges nor the local public network has the movie. Damn Netflix bastards. The landscape channel is, of course, exactly what I was looking for, at least the more lambent scenes. Will have to see if I can get internet access. μηδείς (talk) 00:57, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

October 10

Hockey teams of Canada

Why are there so few NHL hockey teams from Canada? I've always heard that hockey is Canada's "national sport" (though I've never taken this to be literal) but taking a look at the NHL article, it seems that only seven of the thirty teams in the league are Canadian. Saskatchewan, PEI, and the rest of the eastern and far northern territories/provinces don't even have a team. Is it the lower population density? I'd think so for the northern areas but what about Saskatchewan and the eastern areas? Or is it that American cities throw more money at sports teams? Dismas|^(talk) 00:06, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

[OR alert]. We just don't have that many big cities that can (or want to) support a team. Charlottetown is the biggest city on PEI, with a whopping 32K people in 2006. Saskatoon is also a bit smallish with 257K in 2011. In the Maritimes, there's Saint John, New Brunswick (74K as of 2006) and Halifax, Nova Scotia (280-400K in 2010 depending on how much area you include). Plus the Toronto organization fights tooth and claw to keep a team out of Hamilton. The NHL decided to expand south for the $$$. Looking at it another way, we've only got a tenth of the population, so we're actually overrepresented in that sense (okay, I'm grasping at straws). Clarityfiend (talk) 03:44, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

No, that's pretty much it. Canada has only 10% of the population of North America, so even with the far greater interest in hockey in Canada, you can't have much more than the current 7 teams (out of 30) there. There's really no other area in Canada with the population and business community to support an NHL team -- Quebec City would be much smaller than any of the league's U.S. markets, and even Winnipeg, which is about the same size but has a somewhat larger business community, is really stretching the concept of a major sports market. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 04:20, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Even of the Original Six, only two were Canadian. Even if it's the "national sport" of Canada, hockey has historically been quite popular in the US northeast. Pfly (talk) 04:27, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Just to prevent a wrong impression - there appears to be relatively few NHL teams, but the NHL is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Canadian hockey. Just as Americans support lots of college-based sports (basketball and football being the most notable), Canadians support many different levels of hockey (see Ontario Hockey League just to get started). Also, with hockey tickets being so pricey, even devout fans go to relatively few games (compared to, say, baseball fans), so it's no great stretch for people to cheer for a team that operates from a thousand miles away - either way, they're not going to the game. As the only male Canadian with no interest in hockey, I am excluded from many casual conversations as it's not uncommon for guys here to know only hockey (and know it well!) - its predominance here cannot be overstated. Matt Deres (talk) 16:50, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Dismas might also be interested to note that the 7th NHL team is actually the former Atlanta Thrashers and only just moved to Winnipeg. There is still some debate as to whether it is financially viable in the long term. Winnipeg is the smallest NHL city with the smallest building. We might love the sport in Canada, but we just don't have the corporate presence for the level of sponsorship pro sports demand. Mingmingla (talk) 17:14, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

I assume you mean the whole metro area? Because Buffalo, NY, home of the Sabres has a city population of only 260,000 compared to 630,000 in Winnipeg. And Sunrise, FL only has 85,000, though it is a suburb of the more populous Miami, FL. Uniondale, NY, home of the New York Islanders only has 25,000 but again is just a suburb on NYC. Still, If Green Bay, WI with a total metro area of 300,000 can fill Lambeau Field, Winnipeg should be able to fill their rink which only holds 1/4 as many people. Googlemeister (talk) 19:54, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Green Bay is the exception that proves the rule, if there is such a thing. The NFL can exist in Green Bay because the NFL has no regular-season local TV contracts and plays only eight home games a year. Plus, the Packers are really the team of all of Wisconsin (except perhaps the area near Minneapolis), which has more than 5 million people. Green Bay can draw from Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, Fon du Lac, etc. There's not much in Manitoba outside of Winnipeg. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 22:46, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Green Bay is the last of the small-city NFL teams, and it came close to losing it to Milwaukee in the late 50s, until they built Lambeau Field to replace the high school stadium they were playing in... and also got very good in the 60s. Also, there are only 8 regular season NFL games, vs. 41 in the NHL. A football game is an "event". Not so for a regular season NHL game. Football can survive in cities that can't support a sport that has lots of games. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:17, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

The Green Bay Packers are in Green Bay because the team is publicly owned. It is literally owned by its fans, see Green_Bay_Packers#Public_company. It is unlikely said shareholders would vote to move to, say, Los Angeles. The Packers also used to play two regular season games per year in Milwaukee, see Milwaukee_County_Stadium#Green_Bay_Packers_.281953-1994.29 until recent renovations to Lambeau (corporate luxury boxes, basically) made it economically feasible to host all 8 games in Green Bay. The Packers also have been known to play exhibition (pre-season) games in Camp Randall Stadium in Madison as well. As Bugs hints, however, the NFL financially hasn't ever been much about ticket sales; the economics of the sport make the national TV contracts and revenue sharing the major source of income for teams; that's what allows teams like the Packers able to survive economically alongside teams in major metro areas like New York and Chicago, and why L.A. hasn't had a football team in 17 years. Hockey is very different; given the MUCH smaller national TV contract, the teams survive more on local TV contracts and stadium ticket sales. Teams from smaller cities have a harder time of it given the lower advertising revenue from local TV contracts and thus really need to put behinds in seats in order to make enough money to be economically viable. Regarding the Thrashers move to Canada; this is the second time Hockey has failed in Atlanta, only to move to Canada (see Calgary Flames); Atlanta is notoriously apathetic towards its sports teams; even when they are competitive teams, the Hawks, Braves, and Falcons have a hard time selling tickets to their games.(see for one story, there's LOTS more like this. This is more about Atlanta than it is about Hockey in the U.S. in general. For the most part, most teams find an easier economic time in the U.S. than Canada, for all of the reasons noted by others. --Jayron32 13:17, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

The NFL was threatening to forfeit the Green Bay franchise in the mid-1950s, until they got a commitment for a new stadium to be built, to replace their high school field. Obviously, a unique situation. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:20, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

• What about the Detroit–Windsor region? Since Windsor, Ontario is right across the border from Detroit, could the Red Wings be considered somewhat of a Canadian supported team? Zzyzx11 (talk) 06:50, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes, there are many Detroit fans in southwestern Ontario. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:36, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

I absolve them of their treason, as the alternative is the (ugh) Maple Leafs. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:31, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

Musical instrument of the song "Hung Up" of Madona

Hi, I would like to know which musical instrument has been played at the beginning the song "Hung Up" and along it. Thank you. Exx8 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 03:15, 10 October 2011 (UTC).

Sounds like a clock ticking and a synthesizer to me. Pfly (talk) 04:23, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

French song in Broadcast News

I'm trying to find a copy of "Edition Spećiale" by Francis Cabrel. It was in Broadcast News (film). Where can I find a copy of the song?24.90.204.234 (talk) 07:08, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

It's on his album Quelq'un de l'interieur, available here in both CD and mp3. --Viennese Waltz 07:39, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Are there any copies available in the United States of America?24.90.204.234 (talk) 19:15, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Change .co.uk to .com and, as if by magic, [1] appears. --Viennese Waltz 19:23, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Thank you so much.24.90.204.234 (talk) 22:40, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

vanishing point police car door badge

I`m trying to replicate the 1970 plymouth satellite/belvedere police car in the 1971 movie Vanishing Point. I need a clear picture of the badge on the door I can`t find it anywhere, not good w/computers don`t no where to look. I googled twentieh century fox, they made it. I ended up here, thought i`d give it a try. i know it says VISTA COUNTY on top SHERIFF`S DEPT on the bottom — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.235.130.62 (talk) 21:36, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Does it exist on DVD? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:05, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

This is the best I could find. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:04, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

This also has a couple shots, but probably still not clear enough : [2]..10draftsdeep (talk) 19:49, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Both above links are to cars that say "HIGHWAY" on top, "PATROL" on bottom. Maybe this isn't the right car? Staecker (talk) 12:50, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

October 11

Tintin font

As most Tintin fans have noted that the new Tintin (English) books are coming without the good old typical "Tintin Font" now. I want to know that what companys that publsih English Tintin i.e. Little, Brown & Co, Egmont, Mammoth, Magnet, Eurokids still stick to good old Tintin font, or editions prior to what date are still good ?  Jon Ascton  (talk) 01:05, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

I found this thread [3] on Tintinologist.org, which gives the following information:

• The English font (actually hand-lettering) is the work of one Neil Hyslop.
• It was changed recently, under Egmont, the current publisher of the English edition. So you should be alright with Magnet and Mammoth and others.
• 2002 may be the crucial date of the change - somebody right at the end of the thread clearly thinks so, and is looking for pre-2002 editions, although I can't tell where he got that particular date from.

The main publisher Casterman seems to be responsible for this desecration.  Card Zero  (talk) 08:02, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

October 13

Donnie Brasco - malvole?

Robert De Niro's character says something like "he drives a malvole" in the movie Donnie Brasco. What does it mean? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.224.66.230 (talk) 10:32, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

I've not seen the film, but perhaps De Niro's character says "he drives like a Masshole"? The term "Masshole" is a portmanteau of "Massachusetts" and "asshole" and is a common perjorative demonym for people from Massachusetts. Massachusetts drivers are also notoriously bad, or at least perceived as so by other parts of the U.S. --Jayron32 16:47, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Was De Niro even in the movie? Hot Stop talk-contribs 17:33, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Not according to our article. The OP seems to confusing De Niro with Al Pacino or Johnny Depp. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 18:31, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Scanning the script (I have a text copy of it), the line is not there. If there is such a line in the movie, it is not in the script. -- kainaw™ 18:39, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

I haven't seen the movie either. But I googled "Donnie Brasco subtitles", downloaded an .srt and found this excerpt:

 794
 01:04:12,615 --> 01:04:16,779
 - Richie, step outside, take a look at the car.
 - Sure. Great.

 795
 01:04:19,689 --> 01:04:23,488
 What kind of a man has a Malvole?
 He won't provide for his own wife.

I don't know if this brings us any closer to knowing what it means. 67.162.90.113 (talk) 04:47, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Maybe the car is not called a "Malvole". Malvolere is Italian for "ill will" (literal translation) or some similar mental state. Perhaps what's being asked at that point in the movie is "what kind of a man has an attitude of festering misanthropy?" and the car is nothing to do with it.  Card Zero  (talk) 07:02, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

I have not seen the movie, but that was my thought. μηδείς (talk) 20:00, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Left-field thought: is the vehicle clearly seen and identifiable? If not, it might be that the film-makers didn't want to mention a real make/model in a mildly negative context so as not to upset a manufacturer, and instead made up a fictional brand that sounded plausible for an (expensive? Italian?) car. If confirmed, it'd be a candidate for addition to our article List of fictional automobiles. FWIW, the name suggests to this non-Italian speaker (though with a little Latin) something like "goes badly", which could be an inside joke. The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.168 (talk) 18:58, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Music

Does anyone know what type of music this [[4]] is? The title says techno but imo it's different. Most techno is just 1 chord progression on top of a bunch of random beats (yea this one is built on a 6 chord progression but it has a really strong melody). I find this kind of music really rare; does anyone know more like it? I prefer strong fast nice sounding melodies. I tried the suggestions on the right but none of them are good. Money is tight (talk) 10:46, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Just sounds like electronic music to me. Sorry not to be more precise than that. --TammyMoet (talk) 12:02, 13 October 2011 (UTC) If you like this sort of music, check out the music of Rick Wakeman or Yes. There is a genre called "prog rock" which you may wish to check out.--TammyMoet (talk) 12:04, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

George Lucas and film "improvements"

So, we all know George Lucas likes to make err... tweaks to his films in re-releases (The Original Trilogy in both the DVD and Blu-Ray releases) or change characters later on (Prequel Trilogy and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Has he ever given a reason why he does this? Please keep all answers within WP:BLP btw (not that I'm a big fan of these tweaks or a lot of his recent work either). Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 15 Tishrei 5772 17:00, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

For perhaps the most egregious revision, see Han shot first#George Lucas' rationale. --Viennese Waltz 17:27, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

So he thought of the children. What about what he did to Alec Guiness (redubbing his lines) and making Yoda CGI rather than a puppet in the Blu-Ray release? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 15 Tishrei 5772 17:36, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

I read that he strives to make the films as good as technically possible at a given time and as such will make changes on re-releases if new technology allows to do so. Regards SoWhy 17:39, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Well certrainly shows that opinions of good varies from person to person. Errr... does anyone here own the Blu-Ray set? Is there a theatrical option or just the new version on the Blu-Ray? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 15 Tishrei 5772 17:43, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Just the new version. Staecker (talk) 01:44, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

No way I'm buying that one then. Hope they'll release an edition that has both at some point. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 16 Tishrei 5772 16:05, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

See also List of changes in Star Wars re-releases. —Akrabbim^talk 17:44, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Aside from Han shooting first, there are two major reasons that Lucas gives for changing things:

• • Usually his changes are described as fulfilling his original intentions for the film. He inserts or corrects things that he couldn't accomplish correctly at the time of the original productions. This is what he'd say about most of the "special edition" changes, notably the Jabba in ep 4 and extended traveling montages in Mos Eisley, Cloud city, and celebrations at the end of ep 6.
  • Other changes in the original trilogy are made to tie them in to the prequels more clearly. Notable changes of this type are the dubbing of all storm trooper voices by Temeura Morrison (who played Jango Fett, the "original" of the clone army), and putting Hayden Christiansen's ghost at the end of ep 6.

Sorry I don't have a good ref- these are the two most common things that Lucas says about the changes though. I assume you've seen List of changes in Star Wars re-releases- there seems to be a dispute on there, but look in the history for a fairly complete list of changes. Staecker (talk) 21:59, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

I read a few, it would be better if they had what they were changed from there as well. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 15 Tishrei 5772 22:06, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Keep in mind that Hollywood is about money, and if you can sell the same product over and over again, that's pretty good incentive to keep tinkering with it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:27, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

How well is it selling though? I have never heard anything positive said with regard to such changes. So, from what I can gather, one of the things Lucas likes to do is to make his films appeal more to children? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie | ^{Say Shalom!} 16 Tishrei 5772 16:05, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

My OR opinion, but I think that "artists" like this should lose copyright protection of their original works when they release an updated version. If the "new" Star Wars is so much better than the original, then let the original revert to the public domain. μηδείς (talk) 19:59, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

October 14

Iain Glen sings

Is that really Iain Glen singing in Vagabond Shoes? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJzy1yKO5nU The Mark of the Beast (talk) 01:47, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Seventies question

Do you recall the name of the series and the lead actor from the seventies who was living in a luggage locker on a railway station? Kittybrewster ☎ 14:23, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

The Upchat Line, written by Keith Waterhouse and starring John Alderton - no article, but more information here and here. There was a follow-up series as well, apparently, The Upchat Connection, with Robin Nedwell, as Alderton didn't want to continue with it. Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:30, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Many thanks. Kittybrewster ☎ 14:52, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Carnivore album cover

On the cover of the reissued self-titled album by Carnivore, what is the picture supposed to be? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.150.220.72 (talk) 15:08, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Looks like a closeup shot of some animal's mouth. Or possibly a chili cheese hot dog. But probably an animal, given their name. 67.185.1.213 (talk) 17:56, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

It looks very much like the mouth of a dog. Not sure which breed, as it is very close up, but those look a lot like dog teeth. --Jayron32 18:12, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Yep, close up of the side teeth (molars?) of a dog. Whenever I check my dogs' teeth, that's what they look like. Dismas|^(talk) 01:56, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

How...?

Long ago on I saw on TV a certain folk dance in which ladies wearing long skirts are able to move on stage without moving their legs. How do they do it ?  Jon Ascton  (talk) 18:29, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

When I've seen such dances, I've assumed that the dancers are taking very rapid (say 6-10/s), very short (say ≤4"), gliding steps (i.e. with the soles slipping over the floor) which require minimal leg movements that the long skirts conceal. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.168 (talk) 19:19, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

A sideways glide is performed by shifting weight between the heal and toe of each foot in very small motions. It has existed for a very long time, but you can also find it "invented" by many hip-hop dancers. -- kainaw™ 19:36, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

October 15

Eurovision twice in a row

Is it permissible for a country to win the Eurovision twice in a row (if it produces another top-voted song) or the rules prohibit that?--46.205.57.85 (talk) 00:48, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

It's already happened, three times in a row for Ireland from 1992-1994. Considering that the host country automatically reaches the finals along with the Big Four/Five (if Italy is present), it would seem that there'd be nothing wrong with it, if the song were good enough. --McDoobAU93 01:09, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

"..if the song were good enough"......... ???!!! Since when did that have anything to do with it ??? Ghmyrtle (talk) 17:55, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

A movie depicting the Technological Singularity please?

It seems not to be mentioned in any sci-fi film I've seen or heard of. What would be some notable films that depict a Technological Singularity happening to the world?

And what happens after said Singularity happens? --70.179.174.63 (talk) 08:33, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

In 1973, the advent of the 16 bit microprocessor decoupled real wages from productivity.[5] How about Night of the ATM or Vending Machine Zombies? Dualus (talk) 09:42, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Another film not mentioned in our article, but mentioned in TV Tropes' article "The Singularity", is Forbidden Planet. ---Sluzzelin talk 10:09, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

The Terminator and Matrix franchises are premised on the fact that the singularity has occurred and some men have survived it. The movies Virus (1999 film) and Screamers (1995 film) (which I think is particularly good) show the first stages of the singularity. And how about A.I. Artificial Intelligence? μηδείς (talk) 17:39, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen? Clarityfiend (talk) 01:18, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Megazone 23 and Tron: Legacy (in a roundabout way, the Grid and the ISOs collectively form the Singularity) are probably closer to what many Singulitarians imagine the Singularity to be like. The problems in those stories are not the result of the singularity, but petty and smaller minds. The Terminator is more in line with the John C. Lilly's Solid State Intelligence. Outside of movies, the games Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War can both end with the singularity taking place, and Frank Herbert's novel The Jesus Incident depicts the rule of a more totalitarian Singularity. Ian.thomson (talk) 01:46, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Super Scribblenauts

It a sign of the end. Why the hell Super Scribblenauts was Rated B 12 and up in Japan when the first one was rated A all ages? I look at GamesFAQs and saw the boxart and it there the letter B. Am I curse and something bad will happen if I get a Game that have a rating higher then a A all ages. What would happen if there was a six year old Japanese child that like the first one and want this one but he or her found out that was Rated B and the child can not get it? Can a Japanese child get a B 12 and up rated game like The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess if their mom and dad let him or her? I have this game and noting bad happen to me. Is this curse all in my head?69.131.127.178 (talk) 15:17, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes.--TammyMoet (talk) 16:42, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes to what? I want answer to everything I put here.69.131.127.178 (talk) 16:58, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Your last question "Is this curse all in my head?". --TammyMoet (talk) 20:18, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

The CERO A rating of the original Scribblenauts may be a mistake, since it contains such items as a VAMPIRE, a CORPSE and a LOVER [6] and those count as horror, violence and romance [7] which are all B rated. That page also says "NOTE: The degree of content included in any category will be factored into the CERO Rating", so perhaps Super Scribblenauts, which offers the ability to create a "Scary weapon" and a "Psychotic teen", and at some point sends the player character Maxwell on a date [8], made the B rating just because it has more of these things (mainly more horror, by the look of that FAQ).  Card Zero  (talk) 02:37, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Otis Redding

hello,

what voice type did he had? For me he sounds like tenor but I need a reference. Please help :/!--♫GoP♫_T^C_{N 21:32, 15 October 2011 (UTC)}

Classic voice types (soprano/alto/tenor/baritone/bass) don't always translate well to popular music. He shows a fairly wide range, both in terms of note range AND in terms of timbre; he can go from a soft and tender tenor ((Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay) to a baritone growl (his cover version of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction) and sometimes both in the same song (Try a Little Tenderness). But its really difficult to classify him into any one of them. He's not a Smokey Robinson tenor, but he's also not a Barry White bass. He's somewhere in the middle. --Jayron32 23:48, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Thank you very much! But now I need a reference; I could write it like that, but this is original research :P. --♫GoP♫_T^CN 11:15, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

It's not perfect but this describes him as a baritone, but not in a perfectly RS way. Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 12:23, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Wut the fuck is that, lol. Can you find a better reference :/.--♫GoP♫_T^C_{N 12:32, 16 October 2011 (UTC)}

Looking for a Music Video.

I remember this music video from sometime from 1995 - 2006. It was about a guy.. driving his car.. in a town. He stops at a cafe and then continues. it was either raining or snowing. it was night.. He continues and something goes in his way, a ball or a cat or something and he escapes it and continues... then there are railroads and he continues and gets hit by the train. then it repeats!!! He is driving.. stops at the cafe.. stops for a longer time or something... then the other thing happens again.. something goes in his way.. he slows down or something. Then continues and again gets hit by the train.... then the last time... He drops something in the car? (i think) and then drives to the cafe.. stops a longer time there. He drives on and sees the thing / person / animal and stops!!! and then passes on... just to stop for the train. and then thinking something before going on....

It's just so sad... please help me find it! It happened in a rainy night.. i think it was American. and it was pretty modern 1990s - 2000s. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 157.157.39.8 (talk) 22:11, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

My daughter says she can remember the video - probably around 2005 or 2006. Can't remember the song or the artiste though. So not really helpful--Elen of the Roads (talk) 00:57, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

ooh, well! Thanks anyway... this proves it does exist atleast. I hope i find it again. I can remember it ... It's probably from 2005-2006 but it might be older. Thank you. 157.157.39.8 (talk) 01:57, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

October 16

Looking for short story or novel

I'm looking for a short story or novel. I've never read it. I don't know the title or the author. I don't know the date of publication.

The plot, as it was described to me, was that it followed a small town in mid-west USA when a natural disaster occurred. Probably an asteroid strike. And this disaster caused a very fine, near invisible dust to permeate the air and cause all motorized equipment to fail. The remainder of the story involves trying to survive the winter and rebuild civilization without the use of any motorized contrivances.

My only clue is that the person who described it to me said that he read it probably in about the 60s, and he suspects it might have been serialized. Possibly in the Saturday Evening Post, or Look Magazine.

Does this ring any bells with anyone? Thanks. APL (talk) 00:21, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

The dust throws me off but what comes to mind is Earth Abides, A Canticle for Leibowitz and Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. You might try searching <"post-apocalyptic" AND dust AND meteor OR asteroid>--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 00:36, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Good guesses, but no. The crux of the story, as it was described to me, was that it was a sudden failure of technology. All the people were healthy, but they now had to somehow live without machines. APL (talk) 01:13, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Well, you should read A Canticle for Leibowitz anyway. I would ask your informant to try to remember keywords, less common words like names of characters, towns, places, diseases, etc. Something like "carolina diabetes EMP" which brings up the sci-fi novel One Second After as the second hit in a google search. That is another good book. μηδείς (talk) 17:01, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Well, obviously, but that's all I've got. Except that he found the story to be really good, (He probably would have been a teenager at the time, so who knows how good it actually was.) and a bunch of minor, predictable details like people having to heat their homes through wood stoves, and non-farmers having to learn to farm with pre-industrial techniques.

It's a long shot for sure, but this reference desk often successfully answers even more obscure questions so I thought I'd give it a try. APL (talk) 21:48, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Which is more of a best-selling game? Pac-Man (arcade) or Super Mario Bros. (NES)?

Super Mario Bros. sold over 40 million copies. And Pac-Man is the most popular arcade game of all time. Which is more of a best-selling game? 98.234.170.202 (talk) 05:07, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

If you're just counting the original arcade version of Pac-Man, then it's undoubtedly Super Mario Bros. Simply because the home market is so much larger than the arcade market. APL (talk) 05:21, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

It's hard to compare home video game sales with arcade sales, it's really apples and oranges. Arcade games are played by hundreds or thousands of different people, and are individually very expensive, so one "game" may account for more people, and more plays, than a comparable video game cartridge used in a home video game system. I'm not sure there is any meaningful way to compare the two media in terms of "sales" and have it mean anything. The article List of best-selling video games breaks up the game data by various metrics, and seperates the arcade games into units sold AND plays (or "quarters"). Pac-Man is the most played arcade game, but Space Invaders is actually the best "selling" arcade game, in terms of actual units sold. In terms of console games, Wii Sports is the best selling console game of all time; but like Super Mario Bros., it was given away free as part of a bundle. It would appear the best-selling non-bundled console game of all time might be Mario Kart Wii. --Jayron32 05:32, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

So, does that mean SMB has a higher gross revenue than Pac-Man? Because SMB sold over 40 million copies, and Pac-Man grossed over 1 billion quarters. And I'm assuming, at most, a mazimum of four quarters (four quarters per person.) are needed to play Pac-Man. So, 1 billion divided by 4 is 250 million. And 1 billion minus 250 million is 750,000,000 people who have played it, at the very least. So I'm assuming that if Pac-Man were originally a console game, it would have sold around 750,000,000 copies (1 copy for each person). What are your thoughts on this? 98.234.170.202 (talk) 07:04, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

First, I don't think Namco get's those quarters.

Secondly, I've never seen a classic Pac-Man machine that took anything other than a single quarter or token to play it.

Thirdly, Your math is absurd. You're assuming that every player played only four quarters? And that every player would have bought a game? That's crazy. There's no way you can estimate that, But the true number would surely be much, much lower. APL (talk) 07:27, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

You're converting in the wrong direction. From my perspective, the only way to sensibly compare the two games, given their different income models, is by gross sales. That is, take the total amount of money that Pac-Man games "sold for" (the article says $2.5 billion in quarters, which is actually 10 billion quarters) and compare it to the total amount of money that SMB games "sold for" (e.g. 40 million * (sale price)). This is complicated by at least two factors. One is that SMB was commonly sold as a package with the NES console itself. This means it's hard to figure out what someone "spent" specifically on the SMB portion of a SMB/NES package. The other issue is inflation, as four quarters in 1980 were worth slightly more than a dollar in 1985 was, although as a first approximation we can ignore it. So in order to match Pac-Man's non-inflation adjusted gross receipts, the 40 million SMB copies would need to have had, on average, a retail sales price of $62.50. I don't remember what NES cartridges typically retailed for, but that seems a little high to me, indicating that Pack-Man would be considered the more "best-selling" game, at least by gross sales. -- 174.24.217.108 (talk) 21:03, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Pac-Man was the bigger deal, although Mario Brothers may have outsold it. Pac-Man was a huge fad, played by people who didn't go on to be video game addicts. It was the first blockbuster electronic arcade game. It had a song made about it (Pac-Man Fever (album)) and it was the impetus for people to buy home games. Mario Brothers took advantage of that market. But whereas adults of that age who didn't play videogames will know to today what Pac Man is far fewer will know what super mario brothers is. μηδείς (talk) 16:55, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

song title

Isn't it Papa Roach rocking from 01:01 to 02:24? Can't identify :( 46.204.0.218 (talk) 22:22, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Question about when Dragon Ball received 815 votes in a Shonen Jump popularity poll

I read in one of the Daizenshuus that Dragon Ball was at it's height when it received 815 votes in a 1000 ballot Shonen Jump popularity poll. Does anyone know when Jump did this particular popularity poll? Was it during Goku's fight with Burter and Jeice, or was it during Goku's fight with Freeza? 98.234.170.202 (talk) 22:46, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Looking for Japanese Yodeler?

I sort of don't remember anything about him, except for a one music video which was on youtube at one point, where he was, at one point in the video, appearing as a street vender, sort of hawking various stuff to onlookers, yodeling the whole way. Other parts included I think a scene in a grocery store with him working the checkout scanner and etc, still yodeling.

I also remember something about him being treated more or less as a celebrity in Germany, and him viewing it as something of a second home, but dunno how far that info can get anyone.

I really want to remember his name, because it's like having the one songstuck in your head and you don't remember anything beyond parts of the tune and a few things about who sang it. My searches both here and across google have sort of turned up like a black hole pulled him off the face of the Earth. On a side note, I remember there used to be a page on Wikipedia aout him, but no sign of that, so...

Could somebody help, despite how ridiculously vague I'm being? 66.189.24.187 (talk) 23:19, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

October 17

Comic strip on creating an algorithm for predicting the stock market

Hi! I believe I once read a Dilbert comic where Dilbert was proposing to Dogbert that he could create an algorithm. That algorithm would predict the stock market and make him rich. In the last panel, Dogbert replies something snarky at Dilbert. I tried to find the strip on Dilbert.com but couldn't find it. Does anyone remember this? I would like to find it.

--jcmaco (talk) 01:32, 17 October 2011 (UTC)