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June 26

Music from Stealing Beauty

Can someone identify the music in this scene from Stealing beauty [1] ? RefDeskDoppleganger (talk) 04:16, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It will be presumably be one of those listed on the film's IMDB page here. Might help narrow it down a bit. I don't think it's any of the pop songs listed on the Amazon page for the soundtrack album here. But in fact it sounds more to me like a piece that was specially composed for the film. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 11:27, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Name the movie

Sorry this is the only thing I can remember about this movie: It contained a witch who had a cabinet of different heads, she removed her head several times to replace it with one from her cabinet. If I remember correctly this also changed her personality. I think it was some childrens fanstasy adventure movie. Thanks, --217.84.175.126 (talk) 15:18, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds like Mombi in Return to Oz. 164.156.231.55 (talk) 17:14, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, that's the one... :) I was only little at the time, you see...--217.84.175.126 (talk) 19:21, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Violent acts inspired by violent media

I am looking for notable examples of violent acts inspired by violent media (such as computer games or TV shows). Statistics on violence inspired by violent media are also welcome, but I need examples more. Thanks.

Wikipedia articles you may want to start with:

From these articles, you can likely find other Wikipedia articles, or perhaps follow some of the external references (print and online) for more details. There are literally THOUSANDS of research studies on this topic; you should have no problem finding them. You would be wise also to read post hoc ergo propter hoc, which is a logical fallacy often stated as "correlation implies causality", which is a false idea. Be careful of any study that implies causation from a mere correlation of data... Over 90% of murderers drank milk as children, but that does not mean that drinking milk makes people do murder... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 18:34, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As said above. For example if it is found that 80% of perpetrators of school shootings played violent video games, that might mean that video game violence spawns real-life violence, or it might mean that those who were already pre-disposed to violence find such video games appealing, or it might mean that 80% of teen aged American males like violent video games. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 20:30, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Also be careful about agreeing with a criminal who claims his crime was "inspired" by this or that movie or TV show or computer game. He's probably just trying to avoid culpability. "The game made me do it!" Tempshill (talk) 21:05, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yesterday I watched Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, which is set in San Francisco and has a villain who calls himself Doctor Zodiac. The disc has a featurette about the Zodiac Killer, who operated thirty years later in and around San Francisco. (The link seems tenuous to me.) —Tamfang (talk) 17:07, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Dumbbell-shaped floats

At the gym pool the other day, I found these dumbbell-shaped objects, where the "weight" parts are made of foam that is very buoyant. What are these for? I couldn't figure out how to use them, and swimming float is not much help. Thanks, Beland (talk) 17:44, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Regular dumbbells are about resisting gravity. Pool dumbbells are for resisting buoyancy. For example: stand on bottom of pool and push them down with your hands -- triceps exercise. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 18:06, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
- Aha, that makes sense. -- Beland (talk) 18:35, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See Water aerobics. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 22:28, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"Hollywood English"

So I'm trying to pin down a cinematic technique which I think of as "Hollywood English". This happens when two characters speak a foreign language and there are no English speakers around. Instead of actually speaking the foreign language and filling in the audience with subtitles, the actors actually speak English, with the dramatic convention being that they are actually speaking some other language; it's just show onscreen as English for the audience's benefit. After searching around online a bit, I don't think this is the correct name for this technique; does anyone know if there is a more common name for this technique? Or for the tendency of movies to just ignore the language issue altogether? -- Beland (talk) 18:47, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Like Sean Connery and Sam Neil do in the Hunt for Red October? I'm not sure there is a formal name for it; I always call it "Like that thing Sean Connery does in the Hunt for Red October"... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 19:17, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hollywood English, you mean like Charles Dickens has French people speaking English? Or William Shakespeare -- wouldn't Romeo and Juliet have been speaking Venetian? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 20:47, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Or some dialect of it. I suspect, though that in Shakespeare's plays, it was done both because I doubt he was fluent in Italian, and even if he was, his audience would not be, and subtitles and dubbing were not an option. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 20:52, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(You mentioned the dialect before I corrected "Italian" to "Venetian".) The question of whether Shakespeare could read some Italian-ish is interesting. Several of his plays -- R&J, Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Much Ado, and All's Well -- are taken from Italian sources. Did Shakespeare, or whoever wrote the plays, read them in the original Piedmontese or whatever? (What dialect did Matteo Bandello write in, anyway?) Or did he learn the stories from the William Painter translations? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 21:06, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, the Oxfordian theory is supported by the the historical fact that Oxford went to Italy and spent time in every single one of the places he later set plays in. There are a number of allusions in the plays to specific venues Oxford is known to have visited, but which a non-traveller would be unlikely to have ever heard of. The Stratford guy never visited Italy. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:06, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't the technique here that they start out speaking whatever language they should be speaking, then switch to English? That's what happens in Hunt for Red October. Using English right away isn't really a "technique". Adam Bishop (talk) 12:03, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Same thing happens at the start of Valkyrie. Tom Cruise starts off in German (with subtitles) and very soon switches to English. I believe this is done because the Studios want a top star (like Cruise or Connery) and they think subtitles will put audiences off - particularly in the US market. Astronaut (talk) 12:36, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The term "'language transfer'" is sometimes used to describe voice-overs and dubbing, and it seems to also fit similar variations. On radio dramas, language transfer involved a slow fade-out from the original language as English faded in. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) was notable as a major mainstream Hollywood film which did not revert to English but retained the original foreign language in lengthy WWII flashback sequences with subtitles. Pepso2 (talk) 13:04, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't like seeing actors on movies pretending to be of other nationalities and using an accent like he/she would be of that nationality. But this depends on lot of stuffs, and movies. It makes the movie more authentic and more realistic if it uses the original language. I really like a scene from The 13th Warrior when a man sited around Norse people and understanding nothing, after a while the fellows around him started to use one or two English words while talking, after some more time they used more and more English words, to be fully talking English at some point. This was nice, maybe they could return to Norse back, as we understood he learned a new language, but it had not. I don't think it's bad to make movies in English only, it just makes the movie more English (and not authentic), nothing else. If you want a movie to be made by English people but to give the feeling of other nations, use other languages, use other music styles, other culture. Do and watch what you wish, I prefer variations though. --TudorTulok (talk) 13:21, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Just don't watch K-19: The Widowmaker because Harrison Fords attempt at a Russian accent is almost unbearable. Maybe he was channeling his inner Sean Connery. Livewireo (talk) 19:56, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

V vor Vendetta translation

When V goes on his long speach where like every word starts with the letter V, what does all that mean in English? It is not the most simple language to understand. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 20:41, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's an impressively crafted dialogue. There is quite some discussion of it at this blog. The comment by "X" on January 29, 2008 at 12:51 am is a good approximation of the text in plainer English. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 21:10, 26 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is in English. It's perfectly easy to understand, and I don't mean it in a bad way; I find a dictionary helps.174.3.103.39 (talk) 10:42, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

June 27

Calix

How old is Calix Milan (http://tour.jakecruise.com/tour/video.php?model=Michael_and_Calix)?174.3.103.39 (talk) 10:38, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

PS3 Hard Drive Formatting

Here's my situation. In the past I have updated my PS3 hard drive to a 320gb drive. I am now running low on space and am considering buying a larger drive, in which case I would ideally put the 320gb drive in my laptop. My question is if the PS3 has rendered the 320gb HD useless for other applications in formatting it.

--24.83.5.168 (talk) 14:53, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It will work fine. When you first turn on the laptop the contents of the hard disk will presumably be unreadable, but you'll be able to start up the laptop from a boot CD or DVD, and use its format utility to reformat the hard disk and install your OS of choice. By the way, the Computing reference desk would be a more likely place to get this kind of information. Tempshill (talk) 16:24, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

June 28

Michael Jackson's children

They appear to have no traces of black African ancestry. Surely they are not his actual biological children? He must have used a sperm donor or something.--Bored of the world (talk) 15:55, 28 June 2009 (UTC) (Removed text that has BLP ramifications: even though the man is now dead, his children are living.) // BL \\ (talk) 16:07, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Please read Race (classification of human beings) for discussions of why observations like yours are not taken seriously at the Reference Desk. It is a long article, but most of it is a worthwhile read. Tempshill (talk) 17:26, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is a perfectly reasonable question, and your attitude to the poster is patronising and fails to assume good faith. You may be jumping to conclusions that there is some element of racism behind the question , but IMHO such suspicions are excessively touchy and just unreasonable. Postlebury (talk) 19:26, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I disagree with each of your three claims about my answer, and would point out that I referred BL to an article on the subject rather than blowing him off. My answer was unimpeachable here, sir or madam. Tempshill (talk) 21:39, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In the first place, it wasn't BL you were referring to the article, it was the OP. And in the second place, the article you linked to doesn't do what you say it does. The introduction to the article contains careful formulations like "many scientists..." and "some argue...", which rightly go to show that there is no consensus on this subject, neither in the scientific community nor, a fortiori, on this Ref Desk. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 08:07, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Apologies for misreading BL, and I shouldn't overstep by speaking for the whole Reference Desk. Racial-difference questions must be the #1 category for trolls here, and I didn't WP:AGF, because AGF falls down right around the vicinity of this type of question. Tempshill (talk) 16:07, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I was wondering about the same thing. This doesn't acctualy have to be about Jackson and his kids - just how can black parent have white kids ? Skin tone is geneticly inherited, if their mother is white (I don't know, if she is) they should have lighter skin tone than their father's relatives, but not as white as their father's, which is said to be caused by skin disorder, which they couldn't have inherited (even if it is posible I doubt it would make them fully white at so early age) and they all can't be albinos (and don't appear to be). I don't see what is wrong with making such observation, an article on race should summerize general knowledge, instead of discussing such extreme cases, I don't feel like reading it all just to find out it doesn't really tell anything 95.68.96.65 (talk) 08:49, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are many genes that contribute to skin colour, and we get a mix of them from both parents. Sort of like a Punnett square with loads of genes at once. Depending on the mix the parents have (which will depend on the mix they got from their parents, from their parents, etc. back however many generations) the children can end up with a mix that gives them lighter, darker or similar skin-colour compared to their parents. This can come up when parents who consider themselves 'mixed race' have children that look 'white' or 'black', sometimes even twins with dramatically different skin tones to each other. 89.168.19.118 (talk) 15:35, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In relation to this question... Are you claiming that Michael Jackson is part white and only his white genes contributed to the color of his children's skin? This is a question specifically about the probability (and possibility) of a man as dark skinned as Michael Jackson having multiple children as light-skinned (and fair haired) as his children. -- kainaw ™ 15:45, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I was specifically answering 95's understanding of how skin colour is inherited. It is entirely possible for any 'black' person to have some pale-skin genes, and for any 'white' person to have some dark-skin genes, all of this being confused by the specific cultural meanings of calling someone 'black', 'white', 'mixed race', whatever. Skin-colour inheritance is not as simple as the children having some average of their parent's skin tone, which seemed to be 95's understanding. For example, there have been cases (google them for the news stories) of one black and one white parent having twins, one of whom was 'white' and one of whom was 'black'. 89.168.19.118 (talk) 17:52, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Debbie Rowe is white and she said Jackson is not the biological father of their children (and also that she doesn't want anything to do with them now that he's dead...nice). No one knows who Blanket's mother is, or if Jackson is his biological father. So if they don't look like him, it shouldn't be any surprise. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:19, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If You Want to Add More to the Plot Area of the Article on the telenovela Valeria

If you want to add on to the plot of Valeria, you can if you want to. Ericthebrainiac (talk) 17:17, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This is a reference desk for answering questions, not a place to advertise your favorite Wikipedia article and hope that editors will improve it. See WikiProjects for that sort of initiative. Tempshill (talk) 17:24, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What does perma-crocked mean?

To whom it may concern,

I would just like to know what does the word perma-crocked mean. It has been mentioned by football reporters on the internet probably referring to football players who are injury prone. If you search for the word 'perma-crocked' on the search engine results will come from soccer websites like goal.com. Please can someone elaborate the meaning of this word, its driving me insane for not knowing its meaning. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.49.42.136 (talk) 18:29, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

perma-crocked. Algebraist 18:33, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not a cheeseburger.

Is there some cultural reference or set phrase in America about cheeseburgers and cannibalism? I only ask because I've encountered what seemed like odd phrases in two separate programmes, and it seems like they might share a common reference.

In Supernatural: Dean: Ronald. Hey, come on, man. We were pals. Ronald: That was when I was breathing. Now I'm gonna eat you alive. Dean: Well, but I'm not a cheeseburger. Obviously, this seemed really odd. There are in-story reasons the character might be failing at quipping at that moment, but still... No cheeseburgers otherwise featured in the episode, nor last time they met.

In Ugly Betty: “Well, I’m not a cheeseburger, so I know you’re not gonna eat me.” (Character being threatened by Betty)

So, are these referencing something? I can't find anything online, but I might just be using ignorant search terms :P 89.168.19.118 (talk) 18:56, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not that I'm aware of. It could be that the writers of one show ~~stole~~ "recycled" it. Clarityfiend (talk) 06:56, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm, thanks. I'd wondered about the "recycling" idea, but it seemed such a non sequitor if it isn't referencing something. Plus, the first show it appeared in (Supernatural) doesn't seem like the sort of thing that the Ugly Betty crowd would watch, and it isn't watched enough for general cultural osmosis. 89.168.19.118 (talk) 15:20, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

All it really means is that one of the writers heard a cheeseburger joke at some point in the past and used it. There doesn't have to be anything more to it. -- kainaw ™ 15:39, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"Cheeseburger" is more clever than using plain "hamburger". Substitute another food and it's not nearly as to the point. "I'm not Lasagna" "I'm not a turkey wrap" "Im not a salad"? Yeah, not as funny. --70.167.58.6 (talk) 15:57, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are numerous comedic references to The Towering Inferno (1974) in The Simpsons and elsewhere. In one romantic interlude, Faye Dunaway is coming on to Paul Newman and says, "It's my lunch hour." He responds, "I'm not a cheeseburger." This is a clip of the scene. Pepso2 (talk) 20:36, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yay! Thank you Pepso2! That works perfectly, and now makes much more sense! :D :D :D So many exclamation marks! I've never seen the film, only gathered some of the plot from references elsewhere, so I'd never have got this :) I can now rest happy, knowing that my reference-sense is still functional and that these scenes were less nonsensical. Thank you! 89.168.19.118 (talk) 23:24, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I can think of less allusive uses of 'cheeseburger' as generic food. Lolcat: "I can haz cheeseburger?" Less famously: about thirty years ago a radio advertisement for miniature golf listed its advantages over other sports such as kung fu, including: "People who play kung fu have to live in a monastery and eat roots and berries. People who play Putt-Putt™ Golf live at home and eat cheeseburgers." —Tamfang (talk) 17:32, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Don't forget the recurring Saturday Night Live skit. Clarityfiend (talk) 18:43, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

June 29

Visual Bible

There have been some movies made that use books of the Bible word for word as the script called The Visual Bible; I know they have made Matthew, Acts, John - are there any others? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.174.131.33 (talk) 02:50, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You may find the article List of films based on the Bible an interesting starting point. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:10, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Searching for a Japanese film and a Yugloslavia/Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian[...] one

I remember seeing parts of these movies years ago, and I'm searching the titles to see them in their entirety.

The first movie I'm searching for is about a Japanese man who has a teenage girl under his care and she wants to be a masseuse, so he fabricates a fake saloon in an abandonned factory and asks his friends to attend it as customers. I saw it on the Movie Network, and it was not dubbed, only subtitles.

The second movie takes place during the modern history of Yugoslavia from World War II to the conflicts in the 90s. The main protagonists are a father and his autistic/disconnected from reality/weird looking son who carries a pet monkey around. The son later commits suicide by hanging in a war-torn chapel, while his father is fighting in the war. I'm not sure, but I think that another scene takes place where a German airplane strafes their boat in the middle of a lake. In the end, the family is seen partying during a marriage while the land detaches itself from the mainland as a metaphor of the final peaceful separation of the Balkan states. Rachmaninov Khan (talk) 03:19, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think the first movie is Happy Times (not Japanese but Chinese though). The second one sounds like Underground (film). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.171.56.13 (talk) 10:29, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

My error, but both are the right answer. Thanks! Rachmaninov Khan (talk) 13:54, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Basketball at the Shrine Auditorium

The Shrine Auditorium article says basketball was once played there, apparently on the stage. Can anyone find a picture of basketball being played at the venue? -- Mwalcoff (talk) 04:56, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Megan Fox was a guy?

I read this surprising article. http://mhuy2x.net84.net/?p=347 Is it true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.71.62.54 (talk) 11:22, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

gb2 /tv/ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.91.128 (talk) 11:36, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No. Livewireo (talk) 14:02, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How can you say? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.71.62.54 (talk) 14:56, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is incumbent on the people on random blogs who make random claims to provide evidence for those claims. Personally I'm with most people here who are not interested in chasing down the truth of unlikely rumors like this. Tempshill (talk) 15:41, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it's true... she was a man when she was a tiny little sperm. She was hot back then and she is now don't you think.207.248.235.34 (talk) 17:12, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't. Adam Bishop (talk) 19:11, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

great music

has someone composed better background score than that in the lord of the rings trilogy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.193.228.46 (talk) 15:30, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You must define what it means to be "better". This is a reference desk, not an opinion desk. As your question is currently phrased, you are merely asking for opinions. -- kainaw ™ 15:38, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Academy Award for Best Original Music Score has a list of other scores considered good. Rmhermen (talk) 16:45, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What the hell, I'll give an opinion. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score for The Adventures of Robin Hood is the best of all. Whippersnappers who are unfamilaiar with anything predating the execrable LOTR films should confine themselves to posting on fanboy sites. Deor (talk) 04:51, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I disagree, Deor. Whippersnappers who are unfamiliar with anything predating LOTR should indeed ask for advice here, where old and experienced fogies can educate them and point out wonderful composers such as Korngold (excellent choice) or other names listed under the link provided by Rmhermen. Fanboy sites will only re-confirm misguided preferences. (And I'll highlight Bernard Hermann and Nino Rota on that list, for another personal take). ---Sluzzelin talk 05:20, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

By the way, I'd like to add this image to the article on Korngold (and maybe replace the one of Max Reinhardt). Does anyone know when the picture was taken, or how old he is? I couldn't find any information at this LOC link either. ---Sluzzelin talk 11:58, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's in the link Rmhermen gave - and it won an Oscar - but I award special mention to John Williams' score for Schindler's List. For a moody evocation of Jewishness, it has few peers. -- JackofOz (talk) 20:53, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The question reminds me of an award-nominated short story by George Alec Effinger: "The Aliens Who Knew, I Mean, Everything" (1984). People from the stars come to Earth and freely share their technology, but they're a bit irritating with their unshakable opinions. They make the Sahara bloom – with hollyhocks, because hollyhocks are the best flower. They mention in passing that a certain movie score (I wish I could remember which) is indisputably humanity's best music. And so on. —Tamfang (talk) 17:49, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Quantum of Solace video game

What are the differences between the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PC versions of the Quantum of Solace video game? David Pro (talk) 15:54, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Both IGN Insider and Lensoftruth.com [2] do head to head comparisons of videos on different platforms. --70.167.58.6 (talk) 16:01, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Anime based on Journey to the West

Hi. I would like to know the name of an anime that I saw when I was a kid. I'm not sure if it was a series or a movie or ova or whatever. I can only recall very few and vague information about it because it was a long time ago, this is what I remember:

-It is based in Journey to the West (no, it's not dragonball) -The main character is a kid, I think he has red hair -he flies in a cloud and has a staff that enlarges -His best friend is a fat guy -He meets a green or blue guy that looks like a super sayan trunks that has the ability to throw spikes from his body. -He meets another guy, well, they are group of four in total the main characters. -They seem to be part of a space-police unit. -The final boss is extremely powerful, I think he even transforms a couple of times. -The might be space-police unit fights several powerful aliens trough the movie/episode.

I can't recall any more details, I've searched about animes that are related with the Journey to the West story but I haven't found anyone similar.

I have allready checked this list on wikipedia List of media adaptations of Journey to the West#Comics, manga and anime, that's why I'm asking here because no one of the series listed is like the one I'm telling. Here the main character is a kid with red/brown hair in form of an onion (like those troll toys). He is indeed a kid, not a monkey, not a tall man or teenager, I don't remember if he has a tail, I remember that he has big eyes in a costume somewhat similar of Son Goku from Dragonball, I think it's even red. Maybe I'm wrong and the main characters aren't with a space police unit, maybe they are just bounty hunters, I'm not sure. The best friend of the main character is a fat small guy with a clumsy look, I think he also has a flying cloud. Another scene I remember is the suposed final boss giving electric shocks with some kind of tentacles to the main characters. Does anybody have a clue on what anime or ova could it be???????????????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.248.235.34 (talk) 17:05, 29 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Monkey Typhoon? The main character has red hair. [3]. Oda Mari (talk) 15:59, 1 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Oda Mari, thanks but that's not the anime I was looking for. I searched for more details about it and I found that it is not a series, It might be a movie or tv special. The only thing I have found so far was a question in yahoo answers asking the same thing as me and the guy that posted that said the fat guy (the friend of the main character) had a large round nose. The drawings are also old so it might have been made in the 80's, maybe I'm wrong and it's not even japanese but I remember the style of drawings of the characters and they seem like manga, and the battles resemble japanese animes not american cartoons. 207.248.235.34 (talk) 16:53, 1 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Japanese animes based on 'Journey to the west' in the '80s that I could found are [4], [5], [6], and [7]. Oda Mari (talk) 07:31, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hi there Oda Mari, sadly none of those were the anime I'm looking for, I'm sure the main character is not a monkey, he has human form and it's a movie (maybe mini series). If I could see just one image I would recognize them instantly. The main character has a red hair in form of an onion, he has big eyes (bigger than the common eyes in anime)and wears red clothes similar of son goku from dragonball. The staff that enlarges was used either by him or by his fat friend and he also rides either a kyntoun or a magic carpet. 207.248.235.34 (talk) 15:47, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

June 30

Movie where apeman eats mushroom or ethogen plant?

Movie where apeman eats mushroom or ethogen plant? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.18.99.110 (talk) 12:22, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You description is a bit vague. Perhaps Altered States? ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 12:49, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the reply. "Altered States" and "2001" kept coming up in searches. I still haven't been able to find the scene in either one of those. I was just waking up when I saw the scene, so yes it is quite vague. I remember an apeman or cave man bending down and taking something from the ground, he then eats it and appears to be enlightened. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.18.99.110 (talk) 14:31, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Was he in the jungle or the desert? Was he alone? How did he appear to be enlightened? Did he start smashing bones together?Popcorn II (talk) 18:16, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

was he nude? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.158.14.138 (talk) 19:27, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

song in Zamboni Man

I saw a short film about 5 years ago called Zamboni Man. There was a song in it by either Wilco or a solo Jeff Tweedy (I think. Maybe I'm misremembering and it's Jay Farrar), and I am trying to find out the name of the song. I haven't had much luck. Any help out there? MookieZ (talk) 13:20, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Lullaby for Rafters and Beams. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 13:34, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That's it. Thanks. MookieZ (talk) 13:58, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Can anyone help me identify this book?

I read a book a while back, maybe a year ago, and I can't remember the title or the author. It was pretty new back then. It had a red cover and an overall "devilish" theme. The book was about forbidden foods that the author had gone and tried (i.e. absinthe, raw cheeses). Help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!--199.253.0.131 (talk) 15:49, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is it The Devil's Picnic: Travels Through the Underworld of Food and Drink? TheLeft orium 15:59, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Or this one? --Richardrj ^talk ^email 16:01, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think so... the cover was modern and it was just red with black lettering. But thanks anyways!--199.253.0.131 (talk) 16:09, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are two editions of that book called The Devil's Picnic, perhaps you mean The Devil's Picnic: Around the World in Pursuit of Forbidden Fruit which has a cover similar to your description and mentions cheese and absinthe. meltBanana 21:24, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't know about the alternate book cover, but thank you so much! That's the book!--199.253.0.131 (talk) 19:59, 1 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yacht racing

This is a question that I posted both in the article's talk namespace and the watersports wikiproject, and now also here, hoping to get an answer the most early:

Does the article about yacht racing includes races of boats without sails? Or is this race only about types of sailed ships? I ask this because I want to know which could be the best translation into spanish:

Carrera de vela - Would be like "sail racing" or "race of sail boats"
Carrera de botes - More general, inapropiate due this
Carrera de yates - Yachts does not always use sails to thrust (could be motored)

The problem is that this article about yacht racing does not mention clearly if a yacht race is necesarily held only with sail boats or can be held with any other kind of yacht (with or without a sail). Yes, a yacht can have or not a sail, but the article only talks about sailed ships, so if it´s only about sailed boats, maybe the name in the article in english is not the adequate one. So what would be the correct addressment? - Damërung ^{...ÏìíÏ...}_{__Ξ_} . -- 18:21, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I´m going to create the article in other language, but I need to set this clear first. - Damërung ^{...ÏìíÏ...}_{__Ξ_} . -- 19:01, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The introduction clearly states it follows the Racing Rules of Sailing, and the last sentence in the intro ends with "powered by the wind." Clarityfiend (talk) 20:42, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I did notice that, and I may wrote it wrong when I posted: "...this article about yacht racing does not mention clearly if a yacht race is necesarily held only with sail boats or can be held with any other kind of yacht...". But the ambiguity is still that the name of the article is "Yacht racing", and not all the yachts are powered by the wind, so if this race is only about the wind-powered vehicles, I just wanted to be sure before creating the spanish version. If this article is really about sailed vehicles only, then shouldn´t it be renamed to something like: "Sail racing" or "Sailing race" or sowhat similar? - Damërung ^{...ÏìíÏ...}_{__Ξ_} . -- 06:25, 1 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No, we do not make up new names for things, we use the ones that already exist. Yacht racing is a term so we have an article to explain it. Rmhermen (talk) 00:21, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, it´s ambiguous. - Damërung ^{...ÏìíÏ...}_{__Ξ_} . -- 07:02, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Jean-Claude Van Damme's most sucessful film

What is Jean-Claude Van Damme's most sucessful film? David Pro (talk) 22:03, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, Timecop is his most "gross", according to the article. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:24, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I saw that one and wasn't grossed out in the least... Oh, you mean it was his highest grossing film as far as ticket sales... Got it. ;-) Dismas|^(talk) 23:32, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

July 1

name that song

Icant remember the name of this song part of the song goes he would be 16 the son she never knew it was so hard to give him up thats all I can really remember--America vega (talk) 01:11, 2 July 2009 (UTC)--America vega (talk) 01:11, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Google leads me to believe that it's probably "He Would Be Sixteen" by Michelle Wright. --Onorem ♠Dil 01:21, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

July 2

Film location

I have just watched the film Mr. Brooks. The story is set in Portland, Oregon and the scenes all looked quite authentic. However, in the credits the "thanks" went to Shreveport, Louisiana suggesting that is where it was actually filmed (IMDB also "confirms" this with several location "goofs"). I am quite puzzled by this fact because Portland had no role to play in the film, so why not simply set the story in Shreveport? I don't think this is like the story I heard many years ago, about a well known New York-set cop show (Kojack/Starsky & Hutch?) being filmed in Toronto because it was easier and cheaper than getting permits in NYC. Portland and Shreveport are both a long way from LA, and if the film had been set in Shreveport, I very much doubt it would have made any difference to the story. Astronaut (talk) 02:31, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are many reasons why one might choose one city in place of another. First of all, there are creative reasons why a story might be "set" in one city preferentially. Portland, as a city, has a certain character and flavor among its people. Characters in Portland can be expected to behave in a very different way than those in, say, Shreveport, so the setting is a key element of the story. However, there may be very good reasons for not filming primarily in Portland, one probably being that it pisses rain everyday, which can make for an unreliable filming schedule. Shreveport may have been chosen because the architecture is similar to Portland, but features a very different climate, which is more conducive to filming schedules. There may also be different labor laws in Louisiana and Oregon which make filming in Louisiana easier. Toronto is quite often used as a stand in for New York because up-close, Toronto looks like New York, and as noted, the labor costs are more conducive to filming on a budget. Another famous example of one place standing in for a very different place is the TV show Dawson's Creek, which was set on Cape Cod but filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:05, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Another reason, in a similar vein, is that of permits. Many cities require permits just to film commercially in public spaces like the street, and many film shoots require additional control over the street. You can't just have Julia Roberts walk out of a building, across the sidewalk, hail a taxi, and get in, because the road and sidewalk will be blocked with gawkers and admirers. So many shoots block streets, either to pedestrians or to all traffic (and must then run their own simulated traffic), and for this you need cops (who you have to pay for, and feed). You need permissions for prop guns, to change streetsigns, to employ children, and you have issues about noise and light and parking. New York has, for a long time, had a reputation for being difficult to film in, not least because New Yorkers (in whose city a disproportionate number of things are set) were sick of the very real disruptions that all the filming caused - so they yelled at the Mayor to limit the number of shoots and their scope. And filming in the centre of any large city has practical problems: you need places for makeup, places to keep equipment, lights, costumes and set items, places to put vehicles when you're not using them, and places for all the people on set to eat and rest and sleep. In a smaller city, where peripheral land is cheaper and nearer, it's much easier to handle that stuff. 87.113.26.43 (talk) 15:29, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Similar to permits is unions. Some states (such as South Carolina) are non-union states. So, the film union has no say in filming process. Therefore, movies that are shot in other cities often use non-union states for sets that would normally require a lot of union workers. For example, Die Hard 3 (I'm guessing, could be 2 or 4 or 15...) had a few scenes that required set builders, special camera operators, and a lot of stunt people. The movie was shot in New York. However, the scene of the subway car crashing and the jump off the bridge were shot in Charleston, SC - along with a lot of scenes that the New York permit office wouldn't allow. -- kainaw ™ 15:59, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I would bet that at least part of it had to do with audience expectation that the cast would speak with a Southern accent, and that this was not desirable because it would make it into a "Southern" picture, or that the actors' accents would be mocked. There is not really an Oregon accent, it's just standard Midwestern as far as I know (though the Language desk might disagree), so calling the setting "Portland" would be like setting the movie in neutral ground. Tempshill (talk) 19:38, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Entertain the Life

Ways to Entertain the LifeRapmaddy (talk) 12:23, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Based on your vague question, I can only direct you to our article Entertainment. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 12:36, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If you're looking for ways to entertain yourself, there are some suggestions here. The leftorium 12:46, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ross & Sargent

In the 1930's there were a pair of American entertainers called Stuart Ross & Joe Sargent.

They performed and recorded "Nellie the Nudist Queen" ([8]), "Ain't That the Way It Goes" ([9]) and "Sing Something Simple" ([10]) and "A Fairy Tale-- Seven Veils" (my father owned the disc, but it is lost).

Parlophone label for all?

Did they write their songs?

Is there a catalogue of their recordings and collaborations?

Are there transcriptions of the lyrics they sang and/or wrote?

Dates and biography?

Would recommend the posting of an "article" or "new section" on Wikipedia devoted to this duo so as to expand the database. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Georginaleaf (talk • contribs) 17:19, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The band doesn't seem very famous. The only thing I could find was this and this. It might answer some of your questions. The leftorium 17:35, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Pros from Dover

When Hawkeye and Trapper John referred to themselves as "The Pros from Dover" in the original MASH movie, where they citing a different source, e.g. Shakespeare or a popular novel, or was this an original title75.92.158.245 (talk) 19:50, 2 July 2009 (UTC)?[reply]

The Urban Dictionary entry claims it came from the book the movie was based on. Apparently, Hawkeye would pretend to be a golf pro to try to get an invitation to play for free. The phrase was then later repeated in the surgery scene, but only the second mention got into the movie. Clarityfiend (talk) 20:05, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Offhand, two Dovers in the U.S. I can think of are Dover, Delaware and Dover, New Hampshire, though I cannot find any info on either notable golf courses OR notable military hospitals at either; presumably Hawkeye used the phrase simply because it sounded like a plausible place to be a pro from, and no one would necessarily be able to check up on them. I had always assumed they meant they were from Dover Air Force Base, assuming that a large military facility like that had a specialized hospital of some sort, but I cannot find anything about that at all. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 20:40, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Pure speculation, but could it be a reference to the Royal St George's Golf Club in the Dover district of Kent, England? — Michael J 21:45, 2 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Royal St George's is not in Dover, and would not be referred to as such. It wasn't even in the Dover local government district at the time the book was written. Algebraist 02:47, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Funny coincidence. I am currently reading Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, a non-fiction book. One of the subjects of the book uses the phrase "pros from Dover" and from context, it appears to clearly refer to people who have "high falutin" attitudes, like a social-class thing. The events in the book occur in 1988; so we cannot be sure that the phrase did not originate in MASH (either the movie or the book), but based on its usage here, I am inclined to think that it existed in the culture outside of MASH, and quite possibly before it. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 20:44, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This website provides a little further info. Grutness...wha? 01:28, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

July 3

Jackson press conference

I've read suggestions that the person who appeared at the London press conference to announce the This Is It concerts wasn't really Michael Jackson, but a stand-in. Now I normally don't give any credence to this kind of rumour, but I've watched the video and I do actually think there might be something in this one. The jawline looks different and the voice sounds deeper. What do others think? --Richardrj ^talk ^email 08:09, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure that many people have many opinions about this. Unfortunately, this is a desk where we try to keep opinion to a minimum and facts to a maximum. Unless there is somewhere reputable online that we could point you to, explaining how it either was or wasn't Jackson, then we can only further the confusion by debating it. Sorry.Popcorn II (talk) 13:56, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, but I already know the terms of reference for this desk, having been a regular here for over three years. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 14:06, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It looks legit to me. Keep in mind that MJ was 50 years old at the time of this press conference. A person's voice tends to get deeper as they get older. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 14:30, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Does his jawline, or any part of his face, ever look the same twice in a row? Adam Bishop (talk) 16:54, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A ha! "Does"! You know something! Tempshill (talk) 20:43, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Cleats

List all the brands that sell cleats.174.3.103.39 (talk) 15:37, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The list would be huge. Any sports brand involved in soccer would sell 'cleats' (well Football boots) and so on. So for a starter in football you get brands such as - Nike, Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Umbro, Lotto, Mizuno, Diadora, Asics and many more besides. I can't find a list in the categories on Wikipedia but hopefully some one will be able to help. Basically I suspect that any sports footwear manufacturer will produce some form of 'cleat' like equipment. ny156uk (talk) 15:49, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Are you the same person who asked about the brand who had the least choice of cleats? If you have any more questions about cleats, please ask them now. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:46, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

tennis shirt sleeves

Why don't the men go sleeveless? They look so unwieldy, having to adjust the sleeves all the time. 98.14.223.143 (talk) 18:01, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Unwieldy? You can't get much more wieldy than a tennis player.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:14, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Wimbledon at least has a dress code (it's why the women all wear skirts instead of shorts). There may be other reasons - you may not want to bare too much skin if you are out in the sun for several hours. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:47, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Music question: what does it mean to "turn the beat around"?

Maybe drummers and percussionists might know this; what the hell does it mean to "turn the beat around"? I was listening to the song, and it never gives specifics. Does it mean to play the same beat pattern, only backwards? We're also instructed to "turn it upside down" -- does that mean anything in music-theory-type terms? Thank you. CSWarren (talk) 23:16, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In music, a Turnaround is a short bridging sequence which connects two parts of a piece; usually it is a means to bring back a prior part of the piece. It is similar to a break, except that in a turnaround, most of the instruments do not necessarily drop out. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 01:06, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

japan image, slightly not safe for work

[11]

Can someone identify this, tell me what is is from, etc etc. Thanks in advance. 83.100.250.79 (talk) 23:21, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, she's a fan of the Brazilian national soccer team. --Nricardo (talk) 01:39, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

July 4

Wimbledon finals schedule

The official Wimbledon tourny website schedule of play currently has the Williams sisters playing against each other in the singles finals on Centre Court at 2pm, and also playing with each other at the same time in the ladies doubles finals. That seems unlikely. But after 20 mins googling around, I can't find any better information. Can anyone point me to a link where we can know when the singles and doubles matches, both w/ the Williams sisters playing are going to happen? Thanks if you can help.