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August 4

Sony

Who is Sony's mascot? Les Games (talk) 01:17, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What gives you the idea that they have a mascot? I've never known them to have one... Is this maybe part of a regional advertising campaign? Dismas|^(talk) 02:09, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

After a quick Google search, this seems to suggest that Crash Bandicoot could be seen by some as an unofficial mascot. Dismas|^(talk) 02:11, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I concur with Dismas that Crash is the closest thing Sony Entertainment (video games) has to a mascot, at least in the US. However, its been awhile since the Playstation 1 days. The most strongly relatable character for Sony right now is Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid games in my opinion. --mboverload @ 01:16, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Since the Bandicoot games are cross-platform, it's impossible for him to be Sony's videogame mascot. --70.167.58.6 (talk) 00:41, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If sony were to have a mascot, it would have to be a character synonymous with playstation, be exclusive and have several games to his or her credit, the few characters who come to mind would be Solid Snake and Ratchet. An alternative would be a console DEFINING character, for whom i have only two opinions, Cloud and Sephiroth of Final Fantasy vii.

Musical Instruments

Is it possible to make a reed instrument that slides (as in, like a trombone)? If so, what is the amximum number of reeds?

Is it possible to make a instrument with a mouthpiece like a recorder's that slides (as in, like a trombone)?68.148.164.166 (talk) 05:47, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes to both. See tromboon for the first, slide whistle for the second, and Category:Continuous pitch instruments for possible others. As for the number of reeds, I suppose the theoretical maximum number of reeds on a continuous pitch instrument is the same as the maximum number of any reed instrument. (The highest number mentioned in List of woodwind instruments is six, in the case of the hne, but other online sources seem to indicate that the hne in fact a double reed instrument). ---Sluzzelin talk 10:40, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Incidentally, I once attached an alto saxophone mouthpiece to a trumpet, using a bit of rubber hose as an interface, and was able to play it to a certain extent, but nothing like the source of inspiration for my experiment: the late musician and fabulous factotum Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who rendered a caricature of Miles's "Bye Bye Blackbird" (from the album 'Round About Midnight) using a sax mouthpiece and trumpet with harmon mute (and also caricaturing Miles's voice). It can be heard on the album The Man Who Cried Fire Another saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, Eddie Harris, performed on a "reed trumpet", a construction of his own. The same should be possible with a trombone, but don't recall any (serious) "reed trombone" recordings. ---Sluzzelin talk 11:36, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(note) I just read the article on Eddie Harris, and he actually did experiment with a reed trombone and called it the "saxobone". This page has a photograph, though I'm not sure whether it's the same design. ---Sluzzelin talk 05:55, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A recorder does not have a reed!!! Put a sax mouthpeice on a trombone. then let us know —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 14:33, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

mixed talents

I remember this presentation sometime back in the late 1970s or early 1980s in which Chuck Mangione tried his hand at keyboards and backing vocals while the host was belting out a song. The song had a similar beat to the Wonder Woman theme song. What was the presentation?72.229.139.13 (talk) 11:47, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

how did U2's early fans react to the Joshua Tree

Hi, when The Joshua Tree came out, a lot of people (like me) discovered U2 and then got into their earlier stuff, and decided it was probably better. What happened with people who had followed them from the beginning, or at least since War? Did they warm to the new sound, and the commercial success, or did it cost them a lot of fans? It's been emotional (talk) 18:35, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

These folks can probably answer this question the best. --Endless Dan 19:27, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think most hardcore fans agreed with the general consensus that The Joshua Tree was a new high point for their music. Other varied emotions came in as well: many were proud they had recognized their talent before anyone else, some were dismayed that their favorite band was now mainstream and lost its indie cachet, but almost everyone recognized that that was a great album even if some still preferred, say, War or Boy. I wonder, how did Brian Eno's fans react? —D. Monack ^talk 19:53, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm one of those earlier fans and I lost interest in U2 after the transition (but then again, maybe it was Bono's weird orange glasses that turned me off). StuRat (talk) 20:37, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I knew of their earlier work before The Unforgettable Fire came out, and I thought they were pretty reasonable, but nothing spectacular - certainly nothing that made them stand out from a host of other bands of the time. With Eno's input, however, it opened up huge new areas of sound for them and made them unique - it was only at that point that my interest was seriously piqued. mind you, I was also (and still am) a big Eno fan from way back, so that would have helped. As far as Eno's fans are concerned, they'd have already been aware of Eno'[s work as a producer (most specifically with Talking Heads, but also with everyone from Michael Nyman to Edikanfo, so it wouldn't have been much of a surprise to them. Grutness...wha? 23:27, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm with StuRat on this. U2 were never as good after War and Boy. They went from being a great indie band with something to say, to overblown stadium fillers with a more average mainstream sound. Astronaut (talk) 15:32, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, I agree about the staium stuff - they got interesting when Eno took the helm for The Unforgettable Fire, and when the quirky experimentalism fired thereafter (notably on Achtung Baby) but much of their later work tends to be overblown. I'd regard UF as a peak. Grutness...wha? 01:08, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

When I saw U2 in concert during The Joshua Tree tour, it was a major disappointment. Maybe it was just an off night, but they played for only about 50 minutes in front of a stadium audience. I was certain that when they stopped, it was just an intermission, but nope--that was it. They just phoned it in. I had to apologize to friends who came to the show with me, assuring them that the band had been much better in the past. The Joshua Tree is a wonderful album, but the bland pop tune "With or Without You" was a sign of worse things to come. I never attended another U2 concert, and lost interest in the band with the release of Rattle and Hum. You can still count on them for a good song or two per album, but the days before Joshua was a special era not to be recovered. 24.172.156.74 (talk) 07:01, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Roling Stone Magazine spinoff - 1983

Around 1982 or 1983, the publishers of Rolling Stone Magazine created a short-lived spin-off publication printed on newsprint. Do you know the name of that publication?66.92.147.236 (talk) 19:33, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That would be Record. Started in '81. Changed from newsprint to glossy in '83. Ceased publication in '85. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 23:13, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

the fallen (webcomics) - dead in the water?

Hi people. Does anyone know if webcomics The Fallen has been abandoned or just suspended? It has not updated in about two years now, which is a shame, as it was definitely one of the best-drawn webcomics around. The author's blog doesn't answer this question, it seems. Anyone knows anything? --OKMNJIUHB (talk) 23:43, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why not just ask the author? Algebraist 23:55, 4 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I assumed it would be inappropriate to email Ms. Ota with the question she is probably asked five times a day every day for the last two years. I expect she may have posted a definitive answer to it somewhere, but I couldn't find it with google. --OKMNJIUHB (talk) 00:18, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if she's bothered by questions like that, then she'll presumably either ignore them or post an answer somewhere where it can be easily seen so people don't have to ask her. Generally speaking, though, if someone hasn't updated their webcomic for two years and hasn't even recently commented on that hiatus in any way at the comic's site, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for them to get back to it. It doesn't strike me as an indication of a strong artistic drive in that direction. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 01:26, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 5

classics

In of newspaper actor/actress biographies there would often be a line about so-and-so being "classically-trained". What does it actually mean, and why are so so many British actors (off the top of my head: Ian McKellen, Kenneth Branagh...) like this when compared to Americans? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.240.186.7 (talk) 00:35, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It means they started out learning and performing Shakespeare and the like, not doing TV commercials for Twinkies. StuRat (talk) 03:25, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a website that touches on it: [1]. Keilana|^{Parlez ici} 03:33, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I believe the culture for actors here (UK) is very different to that of USA. From my actor friends, there seems to be a feeling of "selling out" if you actually make money from being an actor, as that's not what it's about. Rather, it's about the love of art and all that nonsense (personal opinion obviously). Anyway, it seems to be a dream of many to perform in one of Shakespeare's lead roles (like Richard III (play)) in a small theatre like one in Stratford-Upon-Avon. I might even go into the fact that one of the requirements in american acting seems to be good look... but then I'm stereotyping, and that's not really fair! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Worm That Turned (talk • contribs) 07:57, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder how they feel about Patrick Stewart then - not only making money off of it, but going from doing Shakespeare, from what I recall, to Star Trek. (Of course, if he'd become one of the doctors in Doctor Who instead, perhaps all would be forgiven for his "selling out" :-)209.244.187.155 (talk) 20:22, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

But he has kept up the classical acting as well: that might be mitigating. 79.66.32.107 (talk) 20:33, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that mitigation was what I was trying to get across. As long as the actor stays humble and lets other actors believe that his first passion is theatre, then he'll keep the respect of other actors. Patrick Steward is (I believe) a fellow of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and currently playing in Hamlet, against David Tennant - current Doctor... I personally wonder what they think of Michael Caine, who is undoubtably a fine actor, but is not classically trained and even admits doing bad films 'just for the money' (remember to sign this time....)--WORM | MЯOW 07:37, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Tennant is also a member of the RSC - he did two seasons with them earlier in his career. Exxolon (talk) 00:13, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Laurence Olivier was undoubtedly a classically-trained actor, arguably the finest ever, and his great passion was the theatre. He was the inaugural artistic director of the Royal National Theatre, so his credentials are impeccable. He also made some great movies - but he also made some absolute stinkers (The Prince and the Showgirl and The Jazz Singer come to mind), and when asked why he stooped so low, he said he needed the money. I think there's a lot of tosh spoken about humility and acting for purely altruistic reasons. Actors are humans too, and they have to feed their families etc; there's nothing wrong with accepting a very well-paid role (whether it's theatre, film, or daytime TV soaps) if it's a way of furthering one's acting skills. I can't imagine someone like Olivier taking on a project he believed would be awful, but one never knows with these things, and most aspects of a production are, or prove to be, out of the actors' hands. Respect comes from one's personal qualities as a human being, not whether one chooses to only take on low-paying work and spurn all more lucrative offers on some dubious and unrealistic principle. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:08, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Star Trek was far from Patrick Stewart's first prominent TV job! —Tamfang (talk) 05:53, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There are various ways for actors to approach their roles; in method acting they focus on an emotional identification with the character etc., in a "classical" actor's training the foundation is technique, get the accent right, where do you breath in a twenty line soliloquy, that kind of thing (of course there is a lot of overlap between the different styles). The difference is perhaps best exemplified by the famous story about Laurence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman on the set of Marathon Man; when Olivier saw how Hoffman prepared himself for the role of an exhausted long distance runner by actually running for hours before every scene, he asked: "But Dustin, why don't you just pretend?" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.171.56.13 (talk) 10:52, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You can learn more at the Classical acting article. NewzealanderA (talk) 23:08, 20 June 2012 (UTC)[reply]

baywatch

Can you please tell me where to find all seasons of baywatch on internet for free. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.37.5.171 (talk) 12:36, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'd think it unlikely they're out there in a form that's not copyright-infringing, but you might check Hulu. I don't know how extensive their back catalog has become. — Lomn 13:07, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Try Mininova or isoHunt. 20I.170.20 (talk) 17:05, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why does Chuck Lorre use Sheldon and Leonard names in his shows?

Just curious if anyone knows the relationship between Chuck Lorre and Sheldon Leonard?Pizanadu (talk) 17:51, 5 August 2008 (UTC) The reason I'm asking is because on Two and a Half Men, Judith's parents are named Sheldon and Lenora. On The Big Bang Theory, the 2 main characters are Sheldon and Leonard.[reply]

Tom Shales seems to think that he did it as an homage to Leonard, which seems plausible. Recury (talk) 20:19, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Little Gym song

At The Little Gym, they sing some songs that use melodies from other songs, with their words. My daughter wants to know what the real words are to one of their songs, and I can't remember, even though I feel like I know it. Unfortunately, I don't know how to write music, so I can't tell you what the melody is. The words are:

How do you do,
you Funny Bugs,
How do you do?
*clap* *clap*

How do you do,
you Funny Bugs,
How do you do?
*clap* *clap*

Oh, we'll get you on the run,
and we'll have lots of fun

How do you do,
you Funny Bugs,
How do you do?
*clap* *clap*

I know that's not much to go on, but I thought I'd try anyway. Mokey (talk) 18:49, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is there any chance that you could use something like this online labelled keyboard to work out some of the notes? Just to give us a lead? Perhaps if you could work out how to play a tiny bit of the tune, you could tell us which notes (by letter) you used. 79.66.32.107 (talk) 20:31, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is it If You're Happy And You Know It? -- KathrynLybarger (talk) 20:41, 5 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

O_O It fits perfectly. Obviously we'll have to wait until Mokey replies, but I'm impressed. 79.66.32.107 (talk) 15:48, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 6

Sharon Osbourne Correct Birthday

Sharon Osbourne Correct Birthday is October 9, 1952 Incorrect Birthday is March,1954 listed in box —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.157.132.193 (talk) 03:53, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your suggestion. When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the edit this page link at the top. The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills. New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). Dismas|^(talk) 07:04, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

obscure late 1970s TV special

Sometime in the late 1970s, Lisa Hartman once had her own TV special. It was called Hot Stuff. I can't seem to find it anywhere. It's not even on YouTube. What was the special all about anyway? Can anyone help?72.229.139.13 (talk) 06:58, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

According to imdb, the show was called The Lisa Hartman Show, and she sang a song called "Hot Stuff", but that's about all it says. Corvus cornix_talk 18:36, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Scooby Doo in some Music video

I remember listening to a song a few years ago when it was popular.I saw the music video in the tv.in the video Scooby doo and the other caracter in Scooby doo where running around in 2d or some computer graphic.

Can someone tell me what name of this song is.It was not made for the show —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.149.7.174 (talk) 10:18, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm at work right now, so I can't access any of the popular video-sharing websites to confirm this, but could it be "Don't Wanna Think About You" by Simple Plan? Laenir (talk) 20:26, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No this is not the song it's older like from 2001 - 2003.Also it was not a rock song.There was all the group in the video not only scooby doo and shaggy but thank you very much if i find the song it was my favorite song of all time —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.149.7.174 (talk) 10:21, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Was it in an episode of the show or movie, or a fan made video like on youtube? If it was on the show, could you specify which series? Many real life bands have guest stared on the show, usually as fictional characters. Examples include the Hex Girls and the Mystery Kids. 20I.170.20 (talk) 15:13, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

NO nothing of these just an music video and btw they were cartoons not the real ones —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.220.107.122 (talk) 17:50, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

adventure quest

My brother plays adventure quest and he was wondering if theres any way that he can get rid of is starting wepon and starting armor so it dosnt take up a spot in his armor or wepon inventory. And it wont let him sell it like he does for other normal weapons and armor.thanks --76.235.210.66 (talk) 16:25, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I could be wrong, but I think the starting equipment is no-drop and you have to upgrade to a Guardian account to change that. You may be able to get a more definitive answer at the Adventure Quest forums. Laenir (talk) 20:31, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, and you can also change your temp armor and weapons by going to the Inn in BattleOn, clicking on Yulgar, and then clicking on the Starting Gear button. The choices are all rather low-end, however. For better temp weapons, here are a few suggestions:

1) From BattleOn pick the Ballyhoo and Upgrades button, then pick the Ballyhoo button. At the end of the sequence you may choose weapons; I usually pick the Great Forest Axe (earth weapon).

2) From BattleOn pick the Rip in the Sky, from which you can get the Toilet Plunger (water weapon) or (if high enough of a level), the Fangmaw Axe (fire weapon). I won't give away the details on how you get each.

3) The current event often supplies you with temporary items, too.

4) Defeating an enemy sometimes gives you a weapon if you click on it after the enemy dies. For example, the current battle with the Nightmare Queen in the Frostvale in July quest found at Zorbak's Hideout will yeild a good temp darkness weapon.

Temp armor is much harder to find than temp weapons, outside of the Inn or Guardian Tower (for Guardians). StuRat (talk) 01:52, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Using peer-to-peer networks to download music

My friend and I were arguing about this the other day. He's downloaded thousands of music tracks, including dozens of entire albums, from peer-to-peer networks such as Limewire and Frostwire. I cautioned him about using such networks in light of the recent efforts of the FBI and the music industry to crack down on copyright violations. I'm afraid he could find himself getting arrested. He says there's no real risk involved because the way the networks are set up makes it almost impossible to track an individual user no matter how much downloading he does, and anyway, there are so many users and there have been so few cases brought to court that the chance that they would happen to pick on him is miniscule. Am I right, or is he right and I'm worrying too much? - Jim —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.215.227.218 (talk) 23:20, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I would recommend you tell your friend to stop. Any kind of downloading music is illegal and he could be in big trouble. But like you said, the RIAA (the people that crack down on this kinda thing) can't get everyone. So he may never get caught. But its still illegal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tri-Edge99 (talk • contribs) 00:41, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Your friend is completely and utterly wrong about the privacy thing - using P2P is completely unsecure in any fashion. Thats what makes it P2P - anyone can come in and download/track anything and anyone. Otherwise how would complete strangers share files? High-bandwidth downloaders, especially those going after popular music or new movies, are targetted the hardest.

However, you are wrong about the arrested part. Unless he is in a high volume and large profit piracy group he will not be arrested. It is purely a civil matter, in which case he will loose large amounts of money in fines to the music industry and paying for a laywer.

I used to be heavily into P2P. After awhile I got sick of the low quality rips and other crap. I got tired of sifting. Now I just buy CDs from SecondSpin.com for DIRT cheap and get CD quality audio.

It is best that he stops but it is up to him to decide the amount of risk he wants to take on his pocketbook and your friendship. It is truely admirable of you to be concerned for him. I hope he will understand that. --mboverload @ 01:05, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also, if you don't mind may I ask your friend's age? --mboverload @ 01:10, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, so he won't be arrested, but he will face a civil suit. You're right - I think I knew that and I chose the wrong word to refer to legal troubles. My question is, what are the chances he will face some kind of legal repercussions from his actions, as opposed to slipping under the radar altogether? (By the way, he's 22.) - Jim —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.215.227.218 (talk) 03:13, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, this is now getting into the realm of legal advice, which we can not give per the rules. Nothing against you, its just the rules here. Refer to my above posts. --mboverload @ 04:58, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

My advice to your friend would be to use your local library, internet cafe or public computers. These usually route all their connections through a single proxy server, meaning that without a massive amount of effort on the part of the MPAA, ISP or Internet Vigilante, your download cannot be singled down to a specific computer out of the many there. NEVER download from peer-to-peer networks or torrent from your home ISP; you might as well stick a sign on your head saying so if you do. 20I.170.20 (talk) 12:51, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How Many Venevision Internationals There Are In Florida

Mooved from the misc desk by request from the OP =) Julia Rossi (talk) 23:54, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How many Venevisión Internationals are there going to be in Florida? Ericthebrainiac (talk) 00:46, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Previously...

One. Eric, you've been doing better about avoiding nonsensical questions at the Ref Desk; please don't start backsliding. — Lomn 01:52, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

and Eric, you're even on the wrong desk! Julia Rossi (talk) 10:00, 6 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 7

Re: Record labels

Currently, I'm attempting to build up the record label Key Sounds Label to possibly a Good Article, but I haven't found any record label articles that are at least GA quality. Do any exist so that I can use one as an example?--十八 03:02, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't see any in the lists at WP:FA and WP:GA, which is weird considering there are like 10 about the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the KLF each, so you'd think they would at least get one of their labels up to GA. Recury (talk) 14:02, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

comicbook: dogs in space

Trying to remember the title of an Eighties comicbook. The title character is a Canidan, from a planet of Sirius(?), humanoid but with a doglike head. There was a supporting character named Kneedham who was infamous for causing a wreck while drunk (by no fault of his own). It's not Dagobah or Dagorlad, but I'll bet that the first letter is D. Any bells? —Tamfang (talk) 05:46, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Dalgoda! —Tamfang (talk) 06:41, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Numb3rs - Series 3 Episode 'The Mole' - Question

I watched this episode the other night and a reference was made to one of the characters (a counter intelligence agent) being identified because he wore his sunglasses on the back of his neck - apparently this was significant because it was something that people in the army/fbi/services are taught to do...My question is why? They never explained it in the episode. I've tried looking online without success. ny156uk (talk) 11:55, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Have you seen the ghost of Tom?

I remember back in the day, there was a kids Halloween song called 'Ghost of Tom'. It contained the lyrics 'Have you seen the Ghost of Tom?' and 'Big shiney teeth' and 'Only one (something) to keep his tongue in'. Can someone find the full lyrics to this song? If someone can find the actual song, that would be off the meat rack. Much thanks. --Endless Dan 16:39, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Never heard the song before but is this what you're looking for? Dismas|^(talk) 16:59, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No that's not it. That reads like the song I am refering to, but its not the same. The lyrics I remember are definitly in the song. This is driving me crazy!! --Endless Dan 17:23, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Someone back in 2000 was looking for the same song here, but I'm afraid that doesn't give us an artist or recording to confirm. They did provide the lyrics though (or what they thought were the lyrics) that mesh with your memory. Laenir (talk) 17:44, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Someone at this other thread in a post from 2004 attributes the song to "This is Music: Teacher's Book 7" by William Sur. Laenir (talk) 17:54, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It was a goofy song we used to sing in second or third grade music class. I know it wasn't by an actual artist. The "This is Music" book would jive. --Endless Dan 18:37, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for sports stats

Been through numerous sites. What I'm trying to find out is: - How many amateur athletes there are globally - weekend types or in organized sports - How many people participate in any sport on a global level

If anyone has a recommendation of where to look, great. I don't mind doing the research myself but I've been to ~50 sites and not finding what I need.Summerquest (talk) 17:42, 7 August 2008 (UTC)sportsquestion[reply]

You're probably not finding it because it's not sufficiently defined. If I golf weekly, I probably meet the criteria for being an "amateur athlete". But what if I golf once a month? Once a year? What if it's putt-putt? Does a line need to be drawn between jogging and walking a dog? Does athletic activity qualify you as an athlete? So yeah -- meaningful numbers for a statement that broad are going to be hard, if not impossible, to come by. I'd say "approximately six billion", were I asked to supply a number. — Lomn 17:58, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for an anime

For the love of me I can't remember what it is called. It was a comedy with some ecchi elements in it. The main girl was some sort of demon I believe, and she keeps kiling the main character with a spiked club, then bringing him back to life. Other characters included her little sister, who was taller, bustier, and had an eyepatch, and also a girl with ram's horns. Does anybody know what this anime is called? BioYu-Gi! (talk) 21:13, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Are you talking about Excel Saga? 216.135.172.188 (talk) 22:46, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (Club-To-Death Angel Dokuro-chan). What a bizzare and great anime! Here's the intro on YouTube for anyone who hasn't seen it. the wub "?!" 14:14, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Final Lines of Passions

What were the final words in the series finale of Passions and do they mention the word "Passions"? Ericthebrainiac (talk) 21:34, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Code Lyoko

When will the show Code Lyoko air in the United States again? 66.53.208.87 (talk) 23:28, 7 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Some time in 2009. Ericthebrainiac (talk) 15:54, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 8

Olympians who became famous for other things

Does anyone have a comprehensive list of people who competed at the Olympics but became famous for something other than sport?

U.S. Army General George S. Patton is one (pentathalon 1912) and author Dr. Benjamin Spock (rowing 1924) is another that I know of.

Are there any others to contribute?

205.210.170.49 (talk) 03:33, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oddjob actor Harold Sakata (weightlifting 1948, silver medal). Algebraist 03:40, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Arthur Porritt (sprinter, President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Governor-General of New Zealand) is one such individual. Johnny Weissmuller comes to mind, though his film career was to some extent a follow-on from his sport (as were those of Sonja Henie and Esther Williams). Frank Beaurepaire became a prominent businessman and local-body politician, as did Les Mills, and probably several other Olympians have as well. The likes of Sebastian Coe are famous in sport but outside the competition side of it. Grutness...wha? 09:37, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What about someone like Anne, Princess Royal who was famous for something beside sport before competing in the Olympics. Rmhermen (talk) 13:59, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If I could find these, someone who knew sports could find many others:

Bobsled athlete Albert II of Monaco.
Decathlon gold medalist Bob Mathias, later a member of Congress.
Runner Jim Ryun, later a member of Congress.
Wendell Anderson, silver medal, hockey, 1956, later governor of Minnesota.

OtherDave (talk) 15:08, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If we mention Weissmuller, we can't forget Buster Crabbe, Glenn Morris and Bruce Bennett. Eric Heiden is an orthopedic surgeon and has been the team physician for the Sacramento Kings and Sacramento Monarchs. Johann Olav Koss is a physician, a former UNICEF ambassador and is CEO of Right to Play. Norman Ross became a DJ and then a member of Jimmy Doolittle's staff. Duke Kahanamoku was sheriff of Honolulu. Alfréd Hajós becdame a famous architect. (So much for the swimmers... :) ) Corvus cornix_talk 20:26, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bruce Jenner became infamous for his appearance in Can't Stop the Music, and has done bits and pieces in TV and movies. Murray Rose became an actor, best known here for his fleeting appearance in Howard Hughes's favourite movie Ice Station Zebra. John Landy and Marjorie Jackson-Nelson became governors of Australian states. Dawn Fraser became a politician for a while. Jack Kelly was better known as Grace Kelly's father, and grandfather of Prince Albert II of Monaco (who was himself an Olympic bobsledder in 1988), and Jack's son Jack, Jr. was Grace's brother. David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, known as Lord Burghley when was an Olympian, later became Governor of Bermuda. Sir Roger Bannister became a distinguished neurologist (our article says he was knighted for his services to sport, but I'm pretty sure it was actually for his services to medicine; or maybe it was for both). -- JackofOz (talk) 00:08, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Responding to OtherDave, one or two of them - including the royals, who also include one for the Norwegian Royal family (King Olav V perhaps?), who was a very fine yachtsman - were famous for something before they went to the Olympics, which is why I didn't originally mention them. Grutness...wha? 01:51, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Another athlete who became a politician is skater Otto Jelinek. --Anonymous, 03:20 UTC, August 9, 2008.

A Certain Song

I remember hearing a song a couple of months ago (actually I heard it before then but that was the latest I've heard it). The only lyrics I can remember are "come out to my window after dark" then something like "put the records on", and then something about playing The Miracles. Can anyone please tell me who sang that song or what its called? I appreciate any help and I thank everyone in advance. Americanfreedom (talk) 05:56, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's "The Motown Song" by Rod Stewart. Adam Bishop (talk) 06:03, 8 August 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.210.170.49 (talk) [reply]

Why doesn't baseball have a kickoff?

Football's an extremely popular sport. Combine the two and I'll bet you'll get the most popular sport ever! Or not. But seriously why doesn't baseball ever try anything new? Tradition? The DH rule drove away too many fans? I seriously think that if they added a football to the game (at least during the first inning) you'd have more talented/diverse players (i.e. well rounded, no substance abuse problems, etc.). Not every game, however. It would depend on a lottery type drawing, because otherwise veteran players would complain.--Hey, I'm Just Curious (talk) 06:20, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand how a football kickoff would work into a baseball game. Why doesn't football implement a "three second rule" as in basketball? − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:25, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm guessing that that's a somewhat over-the-top use of figurative language run amok =) --Badger Drink (talk) 08:56, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Part - in fact, I'd daresay most - of baseball's appeal stems from its long (relative to the history of America as a nation, at least) tradition. Thirty years later and we're still arguing whether or not the designated hitter has destroyed the game. A huge sub-culture of baseball is the stathound aspect, and baseball is virtually unique among modern American sports in that the statistics of players from decades ago can be compared to the statistics of modern players and not look too silly - compare this to football, for instance, where QB stats from before the 1980s are so different from those of today as to be wholly irrelevant. Shaking up the game too much would destroy the balance in much the same way that adding rules to protect the QB and WRs made much of the old football statistics irrelevant. So much is made of little Nielsen numbers these days that notions of aesthetics tend to be overlooked, and this is a crying shame. Baseball is not WWE, nor should it ever be. --Badger Drink (talk) 08:56, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yeees... but look at it this way. in world sport, there's probably none more traditionalist and hide-bound than cricket. Yet in the last 25 years or so cricket has taken off in a huge way in many countries because of rejigged shortened versions of the game. The "traditional" form is still played, and is still popular, but new forms like (early on) limited overs cricket and (in the last couple of years) the "wham bam thank you maam" of Twenty20 have made it so that the sport is now played in well over 100 countries. Baseball could easily come up with a similar variant and keep its traditional form alongside it, encouraging a new audience to the shortened form, some of whom would then progress onto the "real" game. Grutness...wha? 09:27, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You might as well ask why chess never tries anything new. The simplest answer is that then it would no longer be chess, and people like chess to be chess, not something else. It's not easy to change a classic without alienating the people who love it. (Not that it hasn't been done, but those versions pretty much remain curiosities when compared to the popularity of the "real" game... and that doesn't really have anything to do with how good the games are.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:47, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why doesn't chess try something new? You are obviously not a fan of chess boxing. Anyway, if you want to alter a sport, why not make golf a full-contact sport. Everyone tee off at the same time. First one to get his ball in the hole wins. No other rules. -- kainaw ™ 13:39, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why don't more Americans enlighten themselves and become fans of real football? NB: I'm an American so I reserve the right to say such things to us. I don't want to hear the clamoring of sportsfans from other countries telling us were a bit slow on the uptake, because they just don't even know about us. -LambaJan (talk) 14:53, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't it rather the other way around, LambaJan? -- JackofOz (talk) 02:23, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure you feel similarly because you're also from a sporting nation. I'm sure we've done more than our fair share of tormenting in many fields but when it comes to soccer we still have a lot to prove, so I get defensive. BTW, Oz is among the best of sporting nations. What you've accomplished with your population is very impressive. -LambaJan (talk) 14:50, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I take that as a personal compliment, LambaJan, but if you don't mind I'll pass the message on to my fellow team members when I see them around the traps. (Actually, the only sport I'd qualify for is the Wikilympics.) :) -- JackofOz (talk) 23:37, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Talk about your hidebound sports. Soccer hasn't had a significant rule change since they decided you couldn't pick up the ball. —D. Monack ^talk 01:03, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The last major change to football was making it against the rules for goalkeepers to pick the ball up from a backpass about ten years ago. It has greatly changed the way the game is played. The last equivalently large change in baseball was the designated hitter change in 1973 - still the subject of debate and not adopted by all leagues. I think the more hide-bound set of rules is pretty clear. Grutness...wha? 21:17, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Japanese lick heard in the opening of Turning Japanese

In the first few seconds of the Vapors' smash-hit Turning Japanese, a nine-note "ditty" is heard that sounds irrevocably, utterly Oriental. I'm quite sure that I've heard it in media that pre-dates the 1980 "Turning Japanese", but none of the sources I've found on the web mention this as a quotation - if in fact it's a quotation. I'm wondering if any music historians who also know the music of the 1980s might know the riff I'm referring to, and, moreover, know where this riff is from? Is it from a definite Oriental work, or is it just a "stock phrase" in a Pentatonic scale or something (much like playing something in I-vi-IV-V automatically sounds Doo-Woppy)? --Badger Drink (talk) 08:46, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There was a long thread about this at the Straight Dope Message Board a few years ago: [2]. One user put together this website. Zagalejo^^^ 09:03, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I see we have an article: Oriental Riff. Zagalejo^^^ 09:05, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hahaha! Holy smokes, good job - I guess this would have been the 1-in-100 occasion where searching for something in incredibly generic terms would have worked wonders. Thanks! --Badger Drink (talk) 09:10, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Tomorrow Never Dies

Is true that Pierce Brosnan filmed a gun barrel sequence for the Tomorrow Never Dies trailer? Where can find a pic of it? David Pro (talk) 19:59, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 9

webcomics / OEL manga recommendations based on artwork

Hi People. I am looking for webcomics ratings by artwork, rather than by content. There are several sites that rate webcomics and web-accessible OEL manga, but the ratings are non-specific, in the sense that a poorly drawn but hilarious comics gets as high a rating as a very elaborately drawn but subtly humorous one. Do you know of any sites that rate webcomics / OEL manga by artwork specifically? Alternatively, please give your suggestions which webcomics or web-accessible OEL manga, in your opinion, I should look at for the best artwork. (No ecchi please!!!) --OKMNJIUHB (talk) 01:58, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Olympics Road Race Mens

How do the teams work in this event? I just saw the Australian on CBC (in Canada here) Cabel (somthing, I can't remember his last name) and his radio didn't work, and his team came in a car with a technician to fix his radio. He was holding on to the car while the technician was fixing his radio. What is the purpose of the radio, etc. etc. in this event?68.148.164.166 (talk) 03:46, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That would be Cadel Evans (a good Welsh name). A similar question was asked during the Tour de France about a month ago. basically, the team car keeps the cyclists informed of things like how far ahead any breaks in the peloton are (or how far behind the chasers are if the cyclist is in the leading group) and who is in those groups, any upcoming changes in track conditions (e.g., if it's raining further along the course), information about problems with other members of the team - things like that. It's not for coaching or anything like that (at least, not officially), but is to help the competitors in an event where - by its very nature - it's impossible to always know where other members of your team (in this case, country) or your leading rivals are. Grutness...wha? 21:23, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

He's been the runner-up in the Tour de France 2 years in a row, so you'll be hearing more of him. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:32, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Nice promo - not a countryman of yours by any chance? ;) Grutness...wha? 01:12, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, how delightfully surprising! I never knew that. :) -- JackofOz (talk) 02:54, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Song Words on BBC Radio

Some fifteen years back I used to listen to an English learning programme called Song Words on BBC Radio. Is it archived accessibly somewhere? 05:40, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

game site

where can i get the latest game news online? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.249.10 (talk) 09:03, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please clarify what you mean by "game". Board game? Sporting game? Video game? − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 10:57, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Grand Theft Venison? OtherDave (talk) 12:07, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Controversial question alert?

I hope I'm not out of line by by asking you who the tallest jockey and the shortest basketball player ever were. That's right,- political correctness be damned!......Sorry, I suffer from borderline personality disorder.Baseball and and and Popcorn Fanatic (talk) 17:53, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm guessing the tallest jockey ever is Manute Bol, a 7'7" former NBA player [3]. The shortest NBA player was Muggsy Bogues, who was 5'3", but I'm not sure who the shortest basketball player in general is. Maybe a member of a dwarf basketball team, like the L.A. Breakers [4]. Zagalejo^^^ 18:56, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Rest easy, there's nothing inappropriate in your question, BaaaPF. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:30, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Olympic Qustions

I have two questions after watching the openning ceremonies on NBC on August 8th

Why will baseball (and softball?) be missing from the Olymipics in London (and possibly the next location)?
Which country pulled out of the 2008 Olympics and has a reason been given yet?

Nice or in evil (talk) 22:08, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

1-It's pretty expensive to build a baseball diamond for two weeks in a country that doesn't normally play baseball/softball. Corvus cornix_talk 00:04, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

From the 2012 Summer Olympic Games article "London's bid featured 28 sports, in line with other recent Summer Olympics, but the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the 2012 Games two days after it selected London as the host city. The IOC reinforced its decision to drop both sports during the Turin Games after they lost votes for reconsideration. They will be Olympic sports for the last time at Beijing in 2008". Also, Brunei were disqualified from competing for failing to register their athletes and Georgia are currently considering pulling out due to the ongoing conflict/war with Russia (see 2008 Summer Olympics#Participation changes). Nanonic (talk) 00:17, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Baseball#Baseball_around_the_world has some of the details. Though this is only conjecture, a major consideration with both baseball and softball was probably the small number of countries in which they're played at a competitive level. Africa, for instance, has onlyh one counry that has ever played international baseball (see History of baseball outside the United States). The IOC sets minimum standards such as the necessity for a sport to be played in a large number of countries and on all continents. Baseball is still a very small minority sport in many countries. For someone like me, brought up in a Commonwealth country, it's natural to compare the situation with baseball to that with cricket, which hasn't been an Olympic event since 1904, despite having over 100 countries that have played it internationally. baseball - by a continuation of the comparison - has a far lower profile in countries like the UK than cricket has in the US. As such, it's not as international a sport, and that is what the Olympics is all about. As such its and similar sports dominated by a handful of countries (e.g., hurling, pelota, rugby league, Aussie rules) are unlikely to geet huge support from the IOC. Grutness...wha? 01:25, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A pessimist might say that baseball didn't pay a big enough bribe. (See Keirin, specifically the Olympic section.) Rmhermen (talk) 18:03, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There are a series of sports that are changed/alternated at each olympics - some are set as always being there (e.g. most of the track events) but some are added and removed from olympics to olympics. I'm not sure of the process but I suspect it is either a vote by the committee or is left to the host-city to decide. I'll see if I can find out the rules and add it later (my internet runs really slow unfortunately) ny156uk (talk) 21:35, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Seems I was mistaken - it looks like there are things called 'demonstration sports' which are included from some olympics, and there are also 'discontinued sports'. The article Olympic sports goes into detail about which events have been removed and also the selection process required for an event to be 'considered' for entry into the olympics. ny156uk (talk) 21:41, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Quantum of Solace

Is true that the opening credits sequence (as well as the gun barrel design) will be created by MK12? David Pro (talk) 23:07, 9 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 10

Summer Olympics

How often are the summer olympics? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.196.101.2 (talk) 01:57, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Every four years - after Beijing the next ones will be in London in 2012. In the early days of the modern games there were also smaller tournaments between them (the "intercalated" games) meaning there were basically summer olympics every two years, but that idea never took off. Grutness...wha? 02:19, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

it should also be noted that Winter Olympics happen every four years but in a timeframe so that every two years some kind of olympics is going on.the juggresurection ^IstKrieg! 02:39, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Pig Destroyer

Is there any reason why the band Pig Destroyer doesnt have a bass player? the juggresurection ^IstKrieg! 02:38, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because they don't want one. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 02:59, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You should learn to play bass (if you don't already), and offer to join them. —Keenan Pepper 03:19, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have listened to thier music and while they do not have a bass player, they have got bass in thier music. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 16:37, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Summer Olympics Swimming Question

okay, so on the 2008 swimming time tables, under notes there's this thing, "AF". it's in the column where WR (world record) and such would go. WHAT DOES IT MEAN, it is driving me nuts! 24.247.94.47 (talk) 03:15, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps Acronym Finder :) Marcus Lupus (talk) 04:23, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

African Record. See here. Fribbler (talk) 14:14, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Kellie Pickler listed as Aspie?

While I was adding Jonathan Jayne to List of people on the autistic spectrum, I saw a curious note on the talk page and corresponding edit in the edit history by 68.89.40.115 at 13 March 2006. Someone added Kellie Pickler to that page under the Asperger's header.

Why did this person put Kellie Pickler on this list? Is she really really really really really into singing or something? I've searched the Internet and couldn't find any references to Pickler having Asperger's. Perhaps someone could elucidate me on this. Wiwaxia (talk) 03:36, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's a violation of WP:BLP and should be removed immediately if not sourced to a reliable source. Corvus cornix_talk 20:20, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That' true that it's a violation, but still there must be some reason why that person said Kellie Pickler had Asperger's. What is it about her? I want answers. Wiwaxia (talk) 06:04, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect that either 1)someone didn't understand what Asperger syndrome actually was, or 2)someone was just causing trouble. There are all kinds of really bizarre, random edits throughout Wikipedia. I wouldn't put too much stock into that user's comments. Zagalejo^^^ 06:17, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Toonami Cancellation

Noooooooooo, I was watching toonami tonight (8-9-08) and I didn't see any toonami bumpers, openings, or anything. Did CN finally pull the plug on this once great block?-Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.234.27.73 (talk) 04:47, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Prison break series 2

What happened to the rucksack of money in the second series? I've checked the wiki entries but to no avail and my memory is failing me. Od6600 (talk) 11:27, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Kim kicks it into the water in the last episode. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 11:38, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

ThanksOd6600 (talk) 14:59, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bagpipe tune?

Could anyone identify the tune that starts at 1:15 in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IK2ELbvKhY . (I assume it's okay to ask this type of a question here.) Thank you. Marcus Lupus (talk) 16:17, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sweet suffering Donald MacCrimmon. It's My_Country,_'Tis_of_Thee, also known as America, not a tune well suited to the pipes. You could say they're playing to the crowd. OtherDave (talk) 21:06, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I believe the tune is called "Xuanin de Mieres", an Asturian folk song. The band playing it is "Banda de Gaites de Corvera d´Asturies". I hope this answers your question.

JW..[ T..C ] 03:41, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Whoops, got my timing wrong. But the one before still has Donald MacCrimmon weeping. OtherDave (talk) 04:17, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What is the name of that cowboy song that goes "trrt trrt trr trr trr trrrrr" that is parodied after the Robin Hood theme on Deep Purple's Fireball (album)?

It's on track 13 "The Noise Abatement Society" of the 25th anniversary edition. What is the name of that theme song that was used for television shows about cowboys and injuns?--WhoopRoot (talk) 18:24, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know the track you're referring to, but could this be the signature tune for The Lone Ranger? It was an excerpt from the William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini. -- JackofOz (talk) 18:32, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You're probably right.--WhoopRoot (talk) 19:00, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Football (soccer) not in America?

What is not to like? Hours of low score game, that's your opinion! Every point counts then, doesnt it?. You should try some other culture for a change, please.--PedroEnriqueGonzalezDelRio (talk) 21:40, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As an avid football (soccer) fan I can still answer this question rather easily...Yes it is "your opinion" but what else are you going to want from someone in their liking/disliking of a sport? If people find low-scoring boring that's a valid opinion. It might not be true in the eyes of you or I but clearly it is true to the person who thinks it. Secondly there are many reasons I can consider it hasn't taken off in America - it doesn't have a history of participation like other sports do...If your father/family aren't into the sport then it lowers the likelihood the child will be (doesn't eliminate but does lower). Thirdly the sport does exist and has some interest/support but it cannot compete with the big sports such as Baseball, American Football and Basketball - all of which are imbedded in american sports culture. All of their top leagues attract the best players from all around the globe to play - that is not true of soccer, where the best names are drawn to countries where it is pretty much the 'national' sport (England, Spain, Italy). Fourthly it isn't a failing to have a nation that doesn't like soccer, it's a cultural difference of neither negative nor positive position. Finally - it isn't about not taking in other cultures, it is about a country that hasn't got a 'history' in the game, doesn't have a major financial interest in the game, doesn't have the same grass-roots system as countries that 'love' that game (at least not in the same manner) and already has massively established 'national' sports that it attracts the top players, the top money, the top international interest in. That may not always be the case and one day soccer may become a major sport in America too but it's really of no consequence whether it does or doesn't. ny156uk (talk) 21:54, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As I've pointed out many times for many sports... Any and every sport is boring if you have no interest in how it is played or who wins. For most people, an interest in who wins is the primary reason for watching a sport. For a rare few, the mechanics of the game provide enjoyment. I find soccer boring because I don't care who wins. I could care less if it was a 0-1 game or a 100-200 game. Similarly, I find basketball even more boring because I don't care who wins. All I see are a bunch of gangly guys making basket after basket after basket until they finally end the game. However, no sport, including golf, bores me more than Nascar. If I wanted to see a bunch of white guys turn left, I'd just head down to the gas station and watch people driving to work. -- kainaw ™ 02:14, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You need to look at your country. I ask your country- why beisbal (baseball?)Most countries the world over have & love football. We add more points we take away unnecessary action. We dont make you , we ask you. Please believe me.PedroEnriqueGonzalezDelRio (talk) 04:10, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As an American who happens to like soccer I ask, why is it so important to you whether or not Americans like the sport? Americans are fans of many sports: American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, NASCAR, golf, tennis, etc. Why are so many countries so narrowly focused on just soccer/football? Maybe you should look in the mirror. Why don't you like baseball/Australian rules/hurling/lacrosse/rugby union? —D. Monack ^talk 05:41, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Very strange. You say "try some other culture" but you seem to be advocating that all the world should have a single unified culture. How boring. APL (talk) 14:27, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Most people in the world are nuts about football because it's the team sport most countries are on board with. I'm not surprised this sport beat out the other sports for this position. It's continuous, there's not many rules, and basketball and volleyball (other popular team sports similar in criteria) weren't invented yet. Of the three, football also is the most accommodating of different body types and sizes, and needs the least equipment/setup for pickup games, which makes it more popular for amateur play. It's also the best to watch on TV because there's no commercial breaks for 45 min. In the USA the sport is the most played among children in the school systems, so there's a large part of the population that's attached to it, moreso than it's status in this country would show. There's also a large immigrant population in this country from Europe and the Americas who are gaga over the sport. All that said, it seems like football's natural place in the US should be near the top. The problems are competition, as mentioned above (and the NFL is very cut throat), and business decisions. The NASL collapsed because it went for a fast growth model and the franchises couldn't handle the bidding wars and costs of marquee players, but until they got to that point they did rather well. They also largely rented American Football stadiums and thereby lost a lot of revenue, and the fans didn't like it because you can't quite get those ten-yard lines completely off the field. The MLS went for a slow growth model and are smaller but stabler. Teams have a salary cap to prevent a similar collapse and I'm sure the cap'll keep getting higher as the league matures and we'll be able to compete for more and more marquee players. Perhaps they'll remove the cap entirely when the league is big enough for that very reason, but until then they've allowed each team a couple of foreign players to raise the level and visibility of the league. So I think the failure is not because of a lack of American enthusiasm, so the future looks very bright. -LambaJan (talk) 12:40, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Women behind Blond Mafia

Who are the women behind Blond Mafia? Ericthebrainiac (talk) 21:40, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How and when did wrestling get popular?

As a child in the 70s I vaguely remember wrestling being rerun Sunday afternoons on the lowest budget UHF station in town. Then, next thing I know Hulk Hogan is a household name. Today, only the oil companies make more money. It sure happened fast!Hey, I'm Just Curious (talk) 21:49, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In Adelaide during the late 1960's and early 1970's "World Championship Wresting" was on at the Thebarton Town Hall every week (or so it seemed) and was on the major TV station every weekend. I used to like the TV broadcasts. You could regularly hear an audience member yell "Give him one for me." --80.176.225.249 (talk) 22:45, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yeh, they were fun (of a sort, if you like hammy overacting). Btw, what ever happened to Mario Milano and Jack Little? -- JackofOz (talk) 02:23, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This is a good article to read. --Endless Dan 14:35, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ruki Vverh - Pesenka

Does someone know the name of the female singer in this song and maybe some other songs she sang? --85.178.163.76 (talk) 23:35, 10 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

English sources on the song are few and far between. You could ask one of these people to see if they can find the answer in a Russian source (link is to the Russian Wikipedia's "Embassy") Fribbler (talk) 18:05, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 11

Summer and Winter Olympic medals

This question may have been answered before but I couldnt find it. Has anyone ever won a medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics? I suspect the best chance would be someone competing in Shooting in the summer and Biathalon in the winter, but I'd be interested to know if it's actually happened. -RunningOnBrains 03:58, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Four athletes have won medals in both: Eddie Eagan, Jacob Tullin Thams, Christa Luding-Rothenburger and Clara Hughes; Eagan is the only person to win gold in both. None won shooting or biathalon events. Giants2008 (17-14) 04:05, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(EC) Eddie Eagan, USA: Gold in boxing 1920 Summer Olympics and bobsleigh 1932 Winter Olympics. Gwinva (talk) 04:09, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

IIRC there are a couple of current athletes who have competed at both speed skating and cycling, though offhand I can't bring any names to mind. Grutness...wha? 06:44, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Clara Hughes, mentioned above, is one. - Eron^Talk 11:59, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

...and, see w:Category:Dual Olympics competitors for a number of athletes who have competed (without necessarily winning medals) in both Summer and Winter events. (One interesting entry is Hayley Wickenheiser who has participated in both women's ice hockey and softball.) - Eron^Talk 17:28, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Gillis Grafström won gold medals in the summer and winter Olympics in the same sport: figure skating. That's because winter events were part of the summer games before the winter games were established. --Anonymous, 04:31 UTC, August 12, 2008.

Soccer socks

I've bought a few and they all rip after a few months. Is that what I have to live with? Brand, no brand...doesn't seem to make a difference. Thanks. 67.243.6.204 (talk) 14:54, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Cut your toe nails more often. Problem solved. --Endless Dan 15:06, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also, if you know how to sew, darning your socks is simple and can make them last much longer. —D. Monack ^talk 16:44, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Flushed Away page mystery

For a while There was an area on the flushed away (Film) page about the sequel to the movie titled flushed away again. Recently the subject has been deleted and I don't have a clue why. Can you tell me who deleted it and why? Can you also give me any information links given by the person when they created the subject?

Thank you Ritaslilsis (talk) 18:42, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Here is an older version of the article with the sequel mentioned. It had no source, so I guess that's why somebody removed it. You can check the page history if you want to hunt down the person who removed it. Fribbler (talk) 18:53, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A-side and B-side of albums

Did the concepts of A-side and B-side traditionally have significance to full albums as they did to singles and EPs? Neon Merlin 21:45, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I can't recall having heard the terms used that way. Albums had a first side and a second, or sides 1 and 2, or even A and B, but never with connotations of inferiority or obscurity as with singles. The second side was just the side that played second, and it might well contain the album's biggest hits. Algebraist 21:51, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Typically on vinyl LP albums the hit songs were first on each side. The sound quality of a record deteriorates slightly as you get closer to the center. —D. Monack ^talk 22:37, 11 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That was also related to a concern in the old days, now obsolete, about the sequencing of each side. Traditionally, you'd want a strong or catchy song beginning each side, so that no matter what side was put on the turntable, the listener would get immediately drawn in. This was not a universal rule, of course. Another concern from the days of cassette tapes, now obsolete, is that side A should be of equal or longer duration than side B, because you didn't want a long space of blank tape before the tape machine switched over to the second side. 24.172.156.74 (talk) 07:13, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

August 12

Death during Olympic competition?

I know that there have been tragedies during the course of the Olympic games in years past (and during this present Olympics), but my wife just asked me if an Olympic athlete has ever died while competing in their event, and I both had no idea and was sure someone here would remember instantly if there was an example. Thanks for any recollections or tips-- User:Jwrosenzweig editing as 71.112.42.49 (talk) 04:44, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

At least a couple. See Francisco Lázaro and Knud Enemark Jensen. Zagalejo^^^ 04:48, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a non-Wikipedia source for both. It seems like they were the only ones. Zagalejo^^^ 04:50, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks much--very speedily done, especially considering the time of night (depending on where you are, I suppose). We are in your debt. 71.112.42.49 (talk) 05:18, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

BBC radio

I understand the BBC want to protect their copyrights and so I can not view TV shows on their iplayer (because I'm in Australia). So what's different about radio? The BBC site not only lets me listen to recent/current shows but has an archive of shows, some going back 20 or 30 years. The content on the radio pages changes pretty regularly so I'd say there have been hundreds (or maybe thousands) of shows on there.

Why aren't they concerned about the copyright of these? I can buy a CD of old BBC radios show like 'dads army' or 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue' but why would I bother when its free for all on the website? Why are they happy to undermine their own audio sales? 144.137.206.217 (talk) 11:17, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Growth and Exanpasion of the FIFA WORLD CUP between the period 1950-1966

193.220.26.95 (talk) 11:26, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings

It's evident that the Harry Potter series is bigger than the LotR, but is the Harry Potter world more developed and elaborated than that of the LotR? --81.17.94.192 (talk) 11:29, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I would say not. J.R.R. Tolkein wrote a lot more than just The Lord of the Rings; there is a wide range of books and other documents detailing the history of his world from, quite literally, its creation forward. And, to the best of my knowledge, J.K. Rowling hasn't yet created a language. - Eron^Talk 11:49, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

the name of Laozhabor

What is the real name of "Laozhabor", a Singaporean actress and blogger? luuva (talk) 12:46, 12 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Tv show Big Bang Theory

there is a poster hanging by the front door - Can anyone tell what it is? It looks to be of a Science Fiction movie circa 1950's