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May 30

What is the name of the single-frame girl on countdown leader?

Film leader and this brief section here, Countdown#Film, didn't mention her. There are multiple girls, a brunette and blonde and sometimes varying other girls (I think), and from what I remember in college, there was an actual name for this girl... I don't remember it obviously. Usually after a film, there was more leader that included SMPTE bars and/or crosshairs and sometimes a flash frame of this girl. Any ideas? Btw, Lenna triggered the memory. – Kerαunoςcopia^◁_galaxies 03:15, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

She is usually four to eight frames. She's called China Girl. There are hundreds (thousands?) of them over the years. She is spliced into the Academy Leader negative each day to balance the color timing before printing from that reel. On timing sheets she's usually listed as "CG". For black-and-white printing there is just a "gray scale" spliced in. Also see Girls on Film exhibition. Pepso2 (talk) 15:16, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Comparison of Association Football and American Football

Is there an article for this? I did a search or two, but I admit my search was limited. Doc Quintana (talk) 14:51, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There may be one out there somewhere but there are so many differences that I, personally, don't see a point. About the only similarities are that they involve teams fighting over the possession of a ball that they are each moving to a goal while playing on a rectangular field. That pretty much sums up the similarities. Dismas|^(talk) 16:41, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Exactly. The sport names are very misleading. Lacrosse and Ice Hockey are more similar to each other (and to soccer) than American Football is. To be more specific, though, American football has:

several different ways to score a variety of points;
frequent stoppages of play;
permission to carry the ball;
to different goals (crossing the line at the end of the field or kicking the ball through a goal);
limited opportunity to score before teams switch possession of the ball;

and so on. Aaronite (talk) 17:17, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think that's why it's good to either start an article on it or make a graph on the football article comparing all the codes. Wasn't sure if there was already an article out there though. Doc Quintana (talk) 18:06, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see why you couldn't start such a table. Dismas|^(talk) 18:11, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There are more similarities between American Football and Rugby Football (both Union and League). --TammyMoet (talk) 09:43, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

WP:WHAAOE: Comparison of American football and rugby league, Comparison of American football and rugby union. I think a comparison with "soccer" would be essentially pointless for the reasons stated above. The two games are so different that they don't invite a comparison. I can see an overall table including all the different types of football in the world (including Aussie Rules and Gaelic football etc.) being MARGINALLY useful but then again maybe not simply due to the sheer number of football codes and the number of different concepts existent in them. For one thing, how would you illustrate the concept of "downs", something that rugby union and soccer have no concept of, or "off-side" which for union and soccer would require almost entire articles dedicated to explaining how their intricate rules work? Zunaid 19:08, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

All the games mentioned above are games involving a goal at each end of the playing surface. At a very high level, they are all "similar". There are also similar concepts such as offsides and out of bounds and penalties. Getting more detailed, the sports diverge. But to do it right, you'd need a pretty good sized grid comparing all of the "goal games" (including basketball). ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:45, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I get the feeling that the only reason American football and association football are often mentioned in the same sentence is just the fact that they are both called "football" by large proportions of the world - although particularly in the case of the American version it's a fairly misleading name. If alternate names for them were instead the norm, I doubt there'd be much interest in comparing "gridiron" and "soccer" once you remove the common name. ~ mazca ^talk 14:35, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Please explain these mysteries of modern culture

1) Football, or soccer as some call it. Why get so excited about some people kicking a ball around. Who cares, its just a ball. Why be so childish. Is it something tribal?

2) Supermodels. There are lots of pretty slim tall young women around, especially in the UK. I expect it would take about 20 minutes or less to learn to walk down a catwalk or otherwise pose. Why does anyone pay them more than say about twice the minimum wage?

3) Film stars and other celebs. Why does anyone care tuppence about film stars? There are gazzillions of competant actors who could do the same job. You have to be really dumb to be taken in by their smiles to camera and imagine that they like you, as they've no idea who you are and they would not want to meet you, in fact they have a ring of security to prevent such meetings. And they are a thousand times more wealthy than you'll ever be. 92.15.0.255 (talk) 21:29, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

To #3, why people care tuppence about celebrities is a large topic and has been of interest to academics; see Celebrity#Celebrity as a mass media phenomenon which names a book and several articles which are apparently the canonical references. Comet Tuttle (talk) 22:17, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

A non-answer to #1, why does anyone like anything that you don't understand? I don't mean this mockingly; I don't get Twilight, Justin Bieber and Baseball. They all seem like a waste of time to me, but I like stuff that others don't either. But seriously, there is an article on it: Fan Aaronite (talk) 22:59, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a serious point to those questions, or are you just trying to show off how little you care about pop culture? There are a lot of sports that make no sense to some people (e.g. curling, golf), but they obviously exist for a reason, and just because you don't get it doesn't meant that it doesn't have its purpose. Why do supermodels get paid more, I don't know, but I personally think it has largely has to do with the industry they're in. Fashion photographers get paid insane amounts too, do you want to complain that anyone can take fancy pictures as long as they have a good camera? And yeah, there probably are a ton of actors out there who are just as competent as the ones that are currently famous. You could also raise that argument for musicians. But there are also a myriad of reasons why very few choose to follow that profession and even fewer become successful at it. Luck has a lot to do with it. There are many reasons why people like celebrities, and people like them in varying degrees. Some admire them for their work, others like their looks, their personalities etc. Not everyone obsesses over them, and not everyone imagines that they somehow personally know those celebrities, or that they ever will. It all depends. Does that answer it for ya? 24.189.90.68 (talk) 23:53, 30 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Since you ask, no. I've been through your answer and removed the put-downs, repetition of the question, and where you say you do not know. This is what is left: "Sports exist for a reason. Supermodels get paid more because of the industry they're in, which is OK because fashion photographers get paid a lot too. There are very few actors and even fewer become successful at it, mostly due to luck. Some people like celebrities for their work, others for their looks or personalities etc." You have described your view of the status quo, and implied that it should be accepted without being investigated or criticised. You have not provided any causal models or description of processes or evaluation. In addition from my own knowledge I do not think the average fashion photographer earns much over a year, and there are lots and lots of unemployed actors not few. You may believe in a variation of the Just-world hypothesis, where you think most things in the world are as they should be. 92.28.254.179 (talk) 11:16, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

These are not unique to modern culture: take Oscar Wilde complaining about the shallowness of 'modern' celebrity, for example. History of football should be enough to illustrate that this, too, is not a modern phenomenon. As for models, I assume you've never seen America's Next Top Model or any of the variations? While not terribly interested in it myself, I have watched it with others to be companionable: what is interesting about it (to me) is that not everyone can do what is required of the models. As you watch the different shoots, you can see when the models do and do not perform as required, you can see the different skills involved and the different approaches. It is clearly shown as something they learn to do, that also requires certain physical attributes and talents. When the professionals are discussing the pictures of the models, they have very specific references for all the subtle variations in pose and expression, which a good model needs to be aware of and able to control. The human face is capable of thousands of combinations representing subtle shades of meaning and expression: being able to control that effectively is not a skill the majority of people have. 86.163.2.99 (talk) 13:03, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks to all above, but I was hoping someone could explain football fandom in psychological or sociological terms, and in addition in economic terms also for the other two issues. The links given do explain some of that. 92.28.254.179 (talk) 13:13, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and if you want to understand why people enjoy watching football, you need to find someone who enjoys watching it and watch a premiership match with them. This may not change your own enjoyment, but if you pay attention and listen you will see all the subtle (and not so subtle) things the other person is watching for. A good football match is like a good dramatic film, to those who enjoy them. But you have to approach this in an open-minded manner: if you try to do this while conveying that you think it is stupid and childish, you're unlikely to learn anything.

I mean, sure there are some people who are in it for the tribal element, enjoying belonging to a team and joining in with others, but that doesn't explain why so many people watch matches that their own team isn't in. People watch football because it is enjoyable and interesting to them. 86.163.2.99 (talk) 13:16, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Obviously "people watch football because it is enjoyable and interesting to them", but why is it enjoyable and interesting to them? 92.28.254.179 (talk) 13:23, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Again, the easiest way to understand this is to watch a decent game with someone who enjoys watching football. If you convey that you are interested, they will most likely share their thoughts and feelings about the game as it progresses. That way, you will be able to see all the complex interactions, tactics and athleticism that they are seeing. This goes for just about anything people enjoy: share the experience with a fan to see the layers that they see. 86.163.2.99 (talk) 14:19, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

As it happens I have done that, and it was still boring and uninteresting. I was expecting a psychological explaination verified through research. 92.15.1.82 (talk) 16:24, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"This may not change your own enjoyment, but if you pay attention and listen you will see all the subtle (and not so subtle) things the other person is watching for." That you find it boring and uninteresting is irrelevant, since you only want to understand why other people enjoy it. I find many things that other people enjoy boring and uninteresting, but I can understand that these things contain layers that other people find interesting. My brothers find the science of colour vision uninteresting, but they can understand that I find it fascinating. They do not need a just-so story for why I find it interesting. 86.164.69.239 (talk) 16:43, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think observing one person in an uncontrolled intuitive way is going to result in learning anything, particularly not to the standards of scientific research. 92.15.16.39 (talk) 19:10, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Well sure, but if you wanted science you would surely have asked for it on the science ref desk. Instead, you asked "Why get so excited about some people kicking a ball around. Who cares, its just a ball. Why be so childish. Is it something tribal?" on the entertainment reference desk. I can tell you, on the entertainment desk, that most of the people I know who watch and get excited about football, enjoy it the same way that people enjoy films, or TV dramas, or a good novel.

Is it tribal that people pay money to watch other people pretend to do things on a big screen? Possibly. Is it childish? Some would say. Who cares, it isn't real. Is it tribal that people pay enormous amounts of money for unrealistic depictions of dead people? That certainly plays a role. If you find art boring, must you assume that everyone else has some tribal motivation for getting excited about it?

If you want references to science, I suggest asking at the science reference desk, and being more specific about what you're actually interested in. 86.164.69.239 (talk) 21:41, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

To address Question 1 only: yes, it probably is something tribal, or so thought the zoologist and ethologist Desmond Morris, best known for The Naked Ape (1967) and The Human Zoo (1969) who investigated this phenomenon and wrote a book called The Soccer Tribe (1981) about it. He was well placed to do so, being also a Director of (if I recall correctly) Oxford United F.C. at the time.

Regrettably we don't have an article on the book, and it's been over 25 years since I read it, but to brutally summarise what I remember, Morris argued that the instinct to identify with one or more small cultural subsets evolved in humanity's deep past, most of which was probably spent in tribal settings, and that soccer and similar games are a kind of abstracted hunting activity, which has similar roots and similar subconscious appeal, particularly for men (though many women seem to share it). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 16:25, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

[1] :P 86.164.69.239 (talk) 16:43, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Wonderful. I once read a nice satire of "The Naked Ape" and "The Human Animal", etc., titled "Man, The Mobile Mineral". Can't find it any more, but I'm sure you can imagine the gist. 81.131.10.146 (talk) 02:16, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"I was expecting a psychological explaination verified through research". Yeah, you want scientific answers to a question that mostly has to do with personal opinion more than anything else. Sorry, but that's just plain impossible. Other people have tried to answer you the best they can, it's not their fault if you can't ever get around to liking soccer. It's basically like demanding factual explanations to why a certain band/movie you don't like is so popular. It can't be really explained other than the fact that it just has to do with personal preference, something that a lot of the time, is unexplainable itself. But your insistence that someone explain to you why a sport is so appealing to so many people, when you happen to not like that sport, and therefore will never understand its appeal no matter how it is explained to you, is ridiculous. Same goes for your theory about actors. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 02:12, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It is not true that personal preferences cannot be studied by science - psychology and sociology cover this area, and although they now usually use scientific methods are still regarded as more in the category of humanities rather than science. But the questions aare primarily about Entertainment. 92.24.178.172 (talk) 10:18, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It might be instructive to ask the OP what he DOES find interesting, and explain to us WHY he finds it interesting. That might be a good start on the road to his determining why someone else finds something interesting. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:39, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a passionate defense of sports from ESPN Magazine's Rick Reilly: [2]. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:34, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting article - the same principles may also explain why reality television is so popular. 92.24.181.176 (talk) 22:46, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

May 31

Zombies

[3]

Who is the person biting the left arm of the person (and who is this person) in the cap (holding the flare? and gun)?174.3.121.27 (talk) 02:33, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have taken the liberty of adding the "m" missing from your heading. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 16:03, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

By a process of elimination, the man in the cap is Michael Kelly (American actor) (see this image on IMDB for confirmation). The other man's face isn't very clear; I haven't seen the film, but perhaps someone who has could tell you if it is one of the main cast or an extra. --Kateshortforbob _talk 17:44, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Arakawa Under the Bridge

Is Arakawa Under The Bridge (the anime, not the manga) available in the US? --Dr Dima (talk) 03:47, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It can take some significant time before anime series get the rights sorted out and translated into English, and often it never gets done (officially). Considering that this series is very new, just 8 episodes so far (out of 13), it is unlikely that an English translation is available. That said, if you can understand Japanese, the series will be available to buy on DVD from July 7, 2010 in Japan; though I very much doubt there will be any English subtitles and you will need to have a DVD player able to play R2 disks. Astronaut (talk) 10:05, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You can watch the first episode free at here, in Japanese though. Scroll down and click yellow lettered "FREE 荒川アンダー　ザ　ブリッジ　第１話「１ BRIDGE」" in the aqua rectangular box. Oda Mari (talk) 15:03, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you all! --Dr Dima (talk) 02:23, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Most faithful adaptation?

What (to the best of the desk's knowledge) is the most faithful adaptation from a book to a movie? I'm speaking in technical terms - the ideal would use all the dialog from the book with no modification, use all the same scenes exactly as narrated, etc. --Lazar Taxon (talk) 13:27, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Ira Levin called Rosemary's Baby "the single most faithful adaptation of a novel ever to come out of Hollywood." I was somewhat dubious, but one day I reread the novel and determined that virtually every page is in the film. Pepso2 (talk) 13:58, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Do plays count? Branagh's version of Hamlet is supposed to be totally faithful to the text (although the setting is completely different). Adam Bishop (talk) 14:21, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

TV adaptations are more likely to be faithful to the book than films are, due to their longer running time which means that fewer liberties have to be taken with the text. Brideshead Revisited (TV serial) would be the obvious example. This adaptation is extremely faithful to the novel, to the extent of having Jeremy Irons read out long passages of narration. The execrable Brideshead Revisited (film), of course, is far less faithful. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 15:15, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

According to our article on Get Shorty (film), the film "...remained true to the book except for a few minor details." Having read a few other novels by Elmore Leonard, I can imagine his writing style lends itself very easily to movie adaptation, with little change to the story or dialogue. Astronaut (talk) 18:03, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That article might need amendment; I've read the book and seen the film and while the movie is a very identifiable adaptation of the book they're a pretty long way from identical. (The whole business with the cars, for example, is unique to the movie.) - DustFormsWords (talk) 03:25, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I would suggest The Day of the Jackal (film) as another example. The Wikipedia article actually has a fairly long section on differences between the novel and the movie, but it's only long because it goes into considerable detail about small differences. --Anonymous, 19:39 UTC, May 31, 2010.

The film A Passage to India seems fairly close to the book by E. M. Forster. --Jeanne Boleyn (talk) 11:22, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Haunting not the remake struck me as remarkably faithful to the book.hotclaws 20:14, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The British series Out of the Unknown was a series of television adaptations of print short stories and novellas. They're often surprisingly close to the source material. Word for word even. I'm not sure about the legal status of this link, but if you've ever read The Machine Stops, compare it to this episode on videos.google : [4] APL (talk) 21:31, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Obscure French animated series on TV

Now, this might be a hard one. A number of years ago, I used to watch a French animated series on television (Britain) although the channel remains a mystery. As I remember it, the show was science-fiction in nature and had a Fallout series background - far in the future in the aftermath of some great war/cataclysm, ruined buildings. A totalitarian government had been set up, and the series followed a young boy/man in his adventures - he was looking for something, I believe. There were mutants and possibly psychics, but I remember the most distinctive thing being the large battlescenes almost every episode - soldiers regularly appeared on-screen blazing away, and I think there were tanks and aircraft as well. It might have been on Cartoon Network, but possibly also terrestrial. I realize that this is very vague in places, but I'm hoping there aren't many series that fit these parameters. Any help would be greatly appreciated - I'd spend quite a bit of money to secure the series on video/dvd. Many thanks! Skinny87 (talk) 20:56, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Chris Colorado? It aired in the UK on Cartoon Network's Toonami in 2001. Steve ^T • C 23:55, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Highlander: The Animated Series? --Rixxin (talk) 15:19, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Three Letter Abbreviations

On reading the article on the 2009-2010 UEFA Champions League season, I saw that the clubs in the group stage are abbreviated. Manchester United is "MAN", Coppenhagen is "FCK," and so on. Where do these abbreviations come from? Is there some sort of master list with abbreviatons for every club? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.21.165.102 (talk) 21:40, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I linked the article in question. Dismas|^(talk) 23:56, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

June 1

PHMFTM: About a group of teens in the UK who drive while texting, and crash.

(PHMFTM: "Please Help Me Find This Movie" - an acronym any user ought to use here from now on when one needs your help in finding the movie's title.)

My little sister told me about this movie she watched that took place in the UK, and was about a group of teens who texted religiously. One of them texted while trying to drive, so there was a multi-car pile-up. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite remember the title. What was the title of this movie? --Let Us Update Wikipedia: Dusty Articles 01:33, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There was a short film, "Cow", produced for Gwent Police which received widespread publicity when it was first shown - information here and here, and on YouTube here. Is that the one? Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:06, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Rhythm Stick single cover

What's this all about?

File:Hit_Me_With_Your_Rhythm_Stick.JPG

I see a tangram and a lot of very odd-shaped, mostly spotty blocks. Most of the blocks are joined by a pink string. One of them has a notch in its edge, one has a crescent moon, and the two square blocks on the end are completely black. Is Barney Bubbles up to some funny business here? Is it a code? 81.131.10.146 (talk) 02:01, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like a brain-teaser puzzle, to me, perhaps it all fits together to form a cube and/or some other shapes. StuRat (talk) 03:09, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder if they represent the band members somehow. I count at least seven Blockheads, and in the bottom right it says "ID and the Blocks", which isn't quite the name of the band (real name is in the top left). 81.131.10.146 (talk) 03:19, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

According to a post in this discussion, ""Bubbles’ “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” artwork for Ian Dury and the Blockheads is based on one of El Lissitzky’s prouns — abstract works in which smooth geometrical forms slide together in spatial arrangements that suggest new kinds of architectural or utopian possibility. This is a typical Bubbles high art/pop culture joke. The mysterious angular flat forms are the separate components of a prancing toy dog, which can be seen on the back of the record. While Bubbles treats his art historical source as a starting point for graphic wit, Lissitzky’s work — like that of other European modernists — was a source of growing interest among designers in the late 1970s...." The "toy dog" can be seen here (scroll down a bit). Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:01, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Ah! Good find, thank you. (I can totally see how it's a dog now even before I see it assembled - the thin block is the tail, the half moon is the eye, the black blocks are ears, etc.) 81.131.46.12 (talk) 07:40, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Creating celebrity page

How do I create a Wikipedia for a celebrity so that it looks like the other celeb pages (i.e.- Penn Badgley), with picture etc?

Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Christie.p3r (talk • contribs) 02:15, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

See WP:Your first article. Dismas|^(talk) 03:22, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Welsh Folklore

What is the emblem in the lower left?174.3.121.27 (talk) 05:45, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The one on the lower left is shamrock, for Ireland. The symbol representing Wales is the one on the lower right - the Prince of Wales's feathers. Ghmyrtle (talk) 06:55, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Very much confused!?!

Hey guys, I just wanna ask about a film which is actually Pinocchio but when I searched for it, I can't find the real one.( true humans are on the film and I've watched it when I was a kid, around 1997-99!)

I remember that the first minutes of the film was that Geppeto is climbing a tall tree and he was carving a heart on it... Please help me find the film's right name..thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.55.161.201 (talk) 06:31, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Pinocchio in popular culture mentions a 1996 movie. Could this possibly be the film you're thinking of? Oh, and we have an article for the film, The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996 film). Dismas|^(talk) 07:16, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Help!?!

Hey i'm looking for a website where in I can watch the full zatch bell series (enlish subs)...please help me and thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.55.161.201 (talk) 06:36, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't been able to find any site where you can watch this series legally. It's possible that sites exist where you can do so in violation of copyright, but we can't offer advice on how to break the law. It does appear to be available to buy on DVD, though, so that may be another option for you. Ka renjc 10:59, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You can try animefreak.tv, I don't know if they're legal or not. ... Everard Proudfoot (talk) 22:40, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Soccer Club Abbreviations

On reading the article on the 2009-2010 UEFA Champions League season, I saw that the clubs in the group stage are abbreviated. Manchester United is "MAN", Coppenhagen is "FCK," and so on. Where do these abbreviations come from? Is there some sort of master list with abbreviatons for every club? 75.21.165.102 (talk) 14:39, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I see PeeJay has already answered you on the article talk page, but you might be interested in this link to a specific page on UEFA.com. 86.164.69.239 (talk) 15:18, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Help identifying song please :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4tN5iU-fi4

Please help, if at all possible :) Even if you don't know what it is, if you've heard it elsewhere - say so! It all helps... 110.175.208.144 (talk) 15:35, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This clip seems to be from the BBC's Top Gear programme. There used to be a page on the BBC Website which could tell you what music had been used in what programmes, but I can't find it on there at the moment (they're having some problems with the servers, apparently). --TammyMoet (talk) 19:51, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is, it's from the DVD release and not the TV show (they change the music for the DVDs). 110.175.208.144 (talk) 21:41, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

As with a lot of TV show music, it's probably either just stock music that the BBC owns or a real music track with the lyrics and things taken off - leaving just the instruments. Chevy monte carlo 12:27, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Aww, but it's so good :( Thanks anyway, guys! Xjmmlpsufmboe (talk) 08:10, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Know anyone with an iPhone and that app that will identify songs for you? That might work. I don't have one myself, or I'd give it a shot. Jedikaiti (talk) 23:20, 7 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

PHMFTS

My Ipod was on shuffle and I came across a song that has some how ended up as one of 30000, it is called Supersonic by Bad Religion, please can you tell me which album this is on so I can buy the album, it is brilliant. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 15:44, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think it's off "The Process of Belief" 110.175.208.144 (talk) 16:09, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe I'm being too logical about this but if it's on your iPod, then you presumably own the song. So why not just look at the info on the song? Or if you downloaded it from some file sharing program and the file lacks the basic song info like album title, then why not just look it up on Google? Wouldn't that have been faster than posting your question here and having to wait for someone to come along and give you the info? Dismas|^(talk) 21:26, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Shazam is also your friend if you can get the music loud enough out of your headphones or computer for your phone to pick it up... It gives you loads of info inc the album its off, and if you have an iPhone it also gives you a link to click that takes you straight to iTunes to purchase it... Gazhiley (talk) 12:59, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Re: Incorrect hyperlink from "The Unit" by Ninni Holmqvist (dystopian literature) to "The Unit" (TV series about Delta Force)

The Wiki page "List of dystopian literature http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dystopian_literature)" incorrectly links the book "The Unit" by Ninni Holmqvist to "The Unit" TV show (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unit). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.194.10.200 (talk) 19:35, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I've removed the wikilink since it doesnt appear that we have an article on that novel, nor any disambiguation page for The Unit. In the future, you can be bold and feel free to make any edits or corrections you think are neccessary, you don't need permission or a screen name to edit. Livewireo (talk) 21:33, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Would it be better to make a red link that points to (for example) The Unit (book)? In other words, is this likely to be a notable subject for an article? 86.164.69.239 (talk) 22:01, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Unit (novel) perhaps? Dismas|^(talk) 23:39, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Call of Duty

How can I tell which version of Call of Duty: World at war I have? I'm trying to patch it, but I'm not sure which patch to get. --68.105.107.199 (talk) 23:27, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If you have the physical version, you can just look at the box. If you have a download, I would try looking through your purchase history to see what you've bought and downloaded in the past. I know on the Playstation Store you can do this, but if you've got an Xbox I'm not sure. If you've been keeping up with the patches so far, then you'll have the latest version. If you're not sure I would just go for the oldest patch and keep going from there until the most recent version. Chevy monte carlo 12:25, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

sounds like he's got the PC version. Have you tried looking in the main folder for a readme/changelog file? Riffraffselbow (talk) 09:36, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

June 2

British show

I was in London for a holiday and watched this show that I think was on BBC. It revolved around this family with a teenage son and two younger children, and they would do "weird" things. Their parents usually tried to solve the problems but would end up making it worse. I can't remember the name of the program or the names of any of the characters now.

Thanks in advance, 110.174.151.109 (talk) 05:25, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Outnumbered? Nanonic (talk) 07:15, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Or My Family? DuncanHill (talk) 08:18, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

They still repeat that, don't they...*yawn* :) Chevy monte carlo 12:23, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Forget 'repeat', they still make it, they're up to like series 10 or something. That said, I suspect quite a lot of "repeating" is going on by now.~ mazca ^talk 15:49, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps 2point4 children? AndrewWTaylor (talk) 12:43, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think 2point4 children has been repeated or shown on the BBC (or elsewhere) in quite a while - my bet would be on Nanonic's guess of Outnumbered, I think. ~ mazca ^talk 15:49, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Same. Chevy monte carlo 16:21, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

For anyone who hasn't seen these shows, I'd just point out that Outnumbered is semi-improvised, and is far funnier than either of the others mentioned. Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:30, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you all, it was Outnumbered. 110.174.151.109 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 04:38, 4 June 2010 (UTC).[reply]

The Who

There's a video of the Who somewhere, and I think it's of them performing "My Generation," and in this video, Roger Daltrey (The lead singer) is wearing sun glasses and a striped shirt I think. Can I please have a link to this video? Thanks. 4.246.160.240 (talk) 05:30, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Was this when the band were at their prime (late 60s-70s) or in their older years? 24.189.90.68 (talk) 07:23, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Our article about "My Generation|" does mention a music video featuring a montage of live performance clips has been played on music stations - perhaps that is it, and it might be available commercially.

We cannot provide links to copyrighted material. There are some video clips available on their official website. Chzz ► 12:47, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Title of an old film

This was a science fiction film, probably from the 1950s. A spaceship crew flies to one of the gas giant planets, I think Uranus or Neptune. There they discover a region with an Earth-like atmosphere, in which they can walk around without their spacesuits. The rest of the planet is bitterly cold with a poisonous atmosphere. The Earth-like region is separated from the rest of the planet by some kind of force field, which one can walk through. One of the crew makes the mistake of sticking his unprotected hand through the force field, which instantly becomes frostbitten. Hemoroid Agastordoff (talk) 18:06, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There was an episode of Star Trek that had a similar plot device. Though, I don't remember anyone sticking their hand through the forcefield. Dismas|^(talk) 20:02, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, Star Trek:The Next Generation, episode:The Royale, 1989. Our article fails to mention the planet's conditions and the force-field on the gas giant, see Memory Alpha for a better description.StuRat (talk) 02:54, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I had forgotten there was "The Royale" too but I thought there was an Original Series episode as well. Dismas|^(talk) 17:12, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"The Savage Curtain" is the closest TOS episode I can remember, but that was a hot planet, not a cold one. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:08, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Journey to the Seventh Planet, Earthling. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:45, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Song title- been bugging me!

I need the title of a fairly recent song that I heard on our local Jack FM station. I can't tell the lyrics very well, but it has the words "sunshine" repeated often, and has 2 singers. The man is gruff and yet juvenile, and reminds me of Sonic the Hedgehog with laryngitis, and the other singer is female. I also think it sounds vaguely electro-tropical, and has a temple block strike repeated. If anybody knows this title and artist(s) for sure, not guessing, tell me, please. 98.240.190.197 (talk) 23:00, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Steal My Sunshine. By the way, why would you lecture us about not guessing? There's going to be some guesswork involved unless you recite exact lyrics. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:54, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. It would be a nice trick if we could be 100% correct, given the vague, and often wrong, descriptions we are given. StuRat (talk) 02:45, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, I think that's the one. Thanks! 98.240.190.197 (talk) 11:25, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

PS:If I do ask for a song title, it's because I can't understand the lyrics. So if I'm vague, it's 'cause SO WERE THEY, kinda.

Well if you're gonna guess, we're gonna guess too! We're only human just as you are. --TammyMoet (talk) 12:55, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

June 3

Which one was which ?

Last night I enjoyed another viewing of the classic Raising Arizona, one of the best comedy movies of all time - not far behind the best (Blazing Saddles), and at the end there is a scene that Nicholas Cage's characeter HI dreams of Nathan Junior playing gridiron, and being carried upon the shoulders of his team mates after scoring a six pointer. The young actor who played him was Todd Michael Bodgers, born 1968, like myself. Now many years ago I watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, and yes it has been a while, but from that I gathered that this actor and a friend of his was murdered, as noted in the episode I saw. But I see that Mr. Bodgers did die - but as IMDB puts it, from driving a faulty car. Now I am confused - and trust me - that is not an unusual occurence, but from the episode hosted all those years ago by Robert Stack, I had gotten the impression it was an actor from Raising Arizona, and that there was a scene in which he was sitting with the son that HI did have in the end, and that within the plot of the movie by some coincidence the real son of HI and the one he kidnapped (Nathan Arizona, Jr.), became friends, and that both or at least one of the actors portraying them in the dream sequence at the end of the film had been murdered. Now is there an alternate ending to the movie, or is it that Unsolved Mysteries was speaking of another film where there were two young actors killed in such a way ? The Russian.202.36.179.66 (talk) 02:01, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't have an answer, but can report that googling that actor only led to hundreds of echoes of the IMDB data. IMDB doesn't require references or truthfulness in the entries, so I take its data with a grain of salt. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:05, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I have seen discrepancies between a number of sources with respect to birth dates and places and such of actors. Who ever wrote the mention of Mr. Bodgers dying in a car crash may have heard he had died, but mixed up the way he did - or not. Thanks, I shall keep looking too. The Russian.202.36.179.66 (talk) 22:51, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Regina Spektor

Does anyone know how many octaves her voice spans? What vocal type is she? 24.189.90.68 (talk) 03:36, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Fawlty Towers missing episode

I understand that there is a book which contains the (alleged) script for an unbroadcast episode of Fawlty Towers. Does anyone know if this script is available online anywhere? (Illegality no obstacle...) Thanks! ╟─Treasury Tag►stannator─╢ 14:38, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I believe the rumour of a thirteenth episode started with a misprint in Leslie Halliwell's Film Guide.--TrogWoolley (talk) 16:20, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

We don't point people to copyvio sites. Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:23, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I did not ask to be pointed to a copyvio site. Anyone who wants to direct me to one is more than free to send an email ;) ╟─Treasury Tag►high seas─╢ 17:14, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There is an interview here with writer Lars Holger Holm, who claims to have seen the "thirteenth episode", called "The Robbers", when drunk. Some more details here. Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:38, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Is that precisely the same site I linked to in my original post, and asked a very specific question after it, perhaps? ╟─Treasury Tag►draftsman─╢ 07:50, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

So it is. I'll try to be less helpful next time. :-) Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:53, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

My brother has the book that I suppose has all twelve episodes of Fawlty in it, scriptwise - I have to admit, I do not know of a thirteenth, but if you wish to email me personally, I can see if I can get it off him - seeing I am the one who bought and owned it before giving it to him, since he collects that sort of memorabilia. (e-mail redacted) The Russian.202.36.179.66 (talk) 22:48, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

@ The Russian, I have redacted your email address to protect you from possible spamming. The Reference Desk protocol includes all responses to be posted here. 86.4.183.90 (talk) 07:35, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

extra time in football

i know that at half time the teams switch goalposts. do they switch goalposts again before extra time starts or is the goalpost position same as in the second half or something else? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.189.218.131 (talk) 16:31, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In American football, there's a coin flip; and, just as at the beginning of a game, the winner decides whether to kick or receive; and the loser decides what side of the field they want to be facing. See Overtime (sports), which has sections on different sports. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:03, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think he/she is asking about soccer, judging from his/her use of the term "extra time." -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:02, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Goal posts" is an American football term. Is this true for Association Football/soccer? Dismas|^(talk) 02:21, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Unless I'm mistaken, the IP is from Singapore, so "goalposts" could be "goals" or "extra time" could be "overtime". It is hard to tell with a non-native speaker. -- kainaw ™ 02:24, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The question seems clear to me: the OP is asking whether, in football, the teams change ends between the end of normal time and the start of extra time. I don't know the answer, unfortunately. They do of course change ends at the end of the first period of extra time. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 08:56, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I believe (but haven't found a definitive ref for this) that extra time is in effect treated as a new game, so that they toss for ends at the start of extra time. But I could be wrong. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:46, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Sure, but is the question about football, football, football, or football? And if it's the last, is it football, football or football, as they have slightly different with respect to non-regulation time? -- 140.142.20.229 (talk) 00:41, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Nobody in Singapore plays American football! --Aspie aspie (talk) 11:30, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That could be why he needs to ask. APL (talk) 20:59, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

op here, i want to ask about association football. goalposts is american term? i dont know. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.189.218.7 (talk) 10:22, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

For soccer, the usual terminology is to "change ends". Goalposts are simply the vertical posts which form part of the goal - "switching goalposts" is not terminology that would be used in the UK or, I guess, for soccer in the US. But we understood what you meant, I think. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:43, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

June 4

Aki Kaurismaki

It looks like no character ever laughs in his films. Are the Finns so grim?--117.204.80.156 (talk) 01:16, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

We have Category:Finnish comedy television series, so presumably not. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:45, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Ties in American sports leagues

How would a tie affect standings? Like after an tied NFL overtime quarter or a NBA game goes on for too long... hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 01:45, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There's no tying in baseball! (Also see Overtime (sports) as Comet Tuttle suggested previously.) Clarityfiend (talk) 02:05, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In those sports that allow it, it counts for more than a loss, less than a win. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:57, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

For NHL tie points and scoring, see National_Hockey_League_rules#Scoring_and_winning. Everard Proudfoot (talk) 06:32, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In the NFL, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss for each team. Incidentally, List of NFL tied games says there have only been 17 tie games in the NFL since 1974, when the one-overtime-period rule was adopted. Because it is awesome, I must mention a related concept: There are special, very detailed rules at this page to decide which team gets to go to the playoffs if 2 teams have equal win-loss-tie records at the end of the regular season. Comet Tuttle (talk) 15:19, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The NFL has changed their overtime rules during the playoffs. Even though there was sympathy towards making those changes in effect for regular season games, it was voted down during this off-season. Everard Proudfoot (talk) 20:59, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

While most other countries would gladly end a regular league game in a draw, the irrational American hatred of ties (it's like kissing your sister, goes the famous proverb) means nearly every sports league will go to length to resolve a tie.

The only major sports league to still have ties is Major League Soccer, where ties count as one point as in the rest of the world -- of course, there are those who want to institute overtime or a shootout to break ties, but MLS know if they want to become relevant as a world-class league they can't afford to do this, lest Europeans see the league as different.

As stated before, ties are not possible in the MLB, although in the Japanese league games are tied after 12 innings and playoff games are tied (and therefore a replay is required) after 15 innings. In Japan, ties are essentially ignored and do not help or hurt a team.

Weekly PGA Tour events go to a sudden death playoff. This involves playing a set of three holes (usually the 16th, 17th and 18th holes), and any players who do not have the lowest score are eliminated after each hole. The winner is considered the winner of the tournament; in other words, there is no monetary or FedEx Cup points stigma attached to winning a tournament via playoff. For majors, The Masters Tournament does a sudden death playoff (the last one was in 2009); The Open Championship mandates a "mini-round" of four holes, and the lowest aggregate score after those four holes wins (the last one was in 2009); the U.S. Open requires tied participants to play another 18 on Monday, then a sudden death playoff is done if there is still a tie (the last one was in 2008); and the PGA Championship does a "mini-round" of three holes in the same manner as the Open Championship. Again, the winners of these are treated the same as if they won normally. Xenon54 (talk) 21:31, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Nice answer, Xenon54! I think it's also important to note that Major League Soccer originally had shoot-outs somewhat like hockey does, and experimented with tie-avoiding methods, before finally caving and aligning with the rest of the footie world. 61.189.63.191 (talk) 00:08, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What is the name of that piece of music that HowTheWorldWorks plays at the start of every single one of his videos?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, visit [5] and watch the start of any of his videos.--Wikinv (talk) 03:33, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It sounds like a generic piece of stirring current affairs music. They're all pretty similar, I suppose you can buy one off the shelf for use as a theme. It reminds me somewhat of the Channel 4 News theme, for instance, to which Bill Bailey once set the lyrics "things are bad, things are bad, really bad..." (or was that Panorama, or the old ITN theme?) 81.131.25.201 (talk) 06:54, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Adventures of Pinnocchio

Are there any sites where in I can watch the full movie of The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996 film)?

Future thanks!!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.55.167.81 (talk) 06:36, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If there are any, they would be of dubious legality, and we wouldn't help you there. You could always, you know, buy it. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 08:58, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It's also available on Netflix. Though not as a stream but you could have the DVD sent to you. Dismas|^(talk) 11:18, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Script for an epic movie 'BIRDS OF PARADISE' finished with lyrics(open to editing)

'BIRDS OF PARADISE' is the story of the rich sea captains who sail the Islands and by luring the natives on board and then luring them into the ships' hold, the capture of many Kanakas is successful. The Kanakas are sold as slaves. It is one time that several native women are accidently captured. BIRDS OF PARADISE spands the lives of several families. The charactor of Jason, the ship's owner, my partner and I visioned Brad Pitt and Renemae the captured native girl Angelina Jolly. The Cruise family and Nicole Kidman's family could all play the many characters. Having no idea how to promote my partner's and mine, 'BIRDS OF PARADISE' seeing George Miller on TV I thought I would enbolden myself to go to his sight and promote our epic (stated so by Rosemary Stern, agent for Paramount Studios who has waited ten years for some financial companies to come to the party. If you are unable to help us could you suggest someone. 'Our BIRDS OF PARADISE' script,(200+pages)is worth at least looking at it.) Shirley <email removed> —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.79.24.151 (talk) 10:19, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have removed your email address; we do not answer by email and it will only attract spam.
We cannot help you market your script, either. You need an agent for that. Your local library will offer writers guides which list reputable agents. Some warnings: Do not submit it to anyone who charges a reading fee or asks any money up front; remember than money should always flows to an author, not away. Do not pay anyone to list or publish it (these are usually scams). Check the career success of any agent you approach (if they have no real history of sales, then they are unlikely to sell yours. You might find it worthwhile to join a local writers group for support, constructive criticism and advice. Gwinva (talk) 10:31, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Original Empire State of Mind Chorus

As my SwissAir flight landed and taxed towards the gate, the plane's sound systems played a slow, non-hip-hop version of Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind that featured a woman vocal singing the chorus (Alicia Key's part). Most of the lyrics were the same as Jay-Z's version and Google searches will turn up only the Jay-Z version of the song. Does anyone know the name and singer of the slower version? I'm not sure which version came first. thanks. Acceptable (talk) 13:48, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That's probably Alicia Keys' own version of the song, Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down. Adam Bishop (talk) 14:16, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that version just had a piano as a backing instrument, I think. Chevy monte carlo 16:27, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That's it! Thanks guys. Acceptable (talk) 21:33, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

QI - the stone that always ends up on the same side

A while ago I remember seeing an episode of QI, which featured a cut-glass stone/paperweight thing, which had the unique property that no matter how you put it down, it would always rotate to be on the same axis. What was this called, and are they commercially available for purchase? pushthebutton | go on... | push it! 19:15, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Gömböc - available for purchase from this site. Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:23, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That's an incredible article -- to think that after millions of years of humanity, someone has invented a new shape with properties never before seen! -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:07, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Why get so excited? Its merely a Roly-poly toy with a sharp edge on the upper part. Dull and uninteresting. The RPT does exactly the same. Makes me wonder if some sneaky promotion for the Gomboc product is being done. If the appeal is that it is a uniform material, then I expect that 2/3 or 7/12 of a sphere with a long thin pencil-shape sticking out of the top would do exactly the same. 92.15.0.59 (talk) 11:25, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Ghmyrtle. pushthebutton | go on... | push it! 11:40, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

British TV nature programme

This is quite an obscure question, but here goes anyway. When I was a child, in the mid/late-1990s, I watched a television programme (I can't remember if it was a one-off programme or a series) on a British TV channel (can't remember which one). It had a name like "The World we Never See" and featured things such as an ichneumon wasp boring into a tree trunk to inject its eggs into a beetle grub, salmon spawning, microscopic creatures, bees flying in slow motion, a chicken embryo developing with part of the eggshell removing so its progress could be recorded on film, and so on. The "hook" of the programme was that all of the phenomena featured were impossible to observe in natural conditions, and the events were instead filmed in artificial scenarios (for instance, the ichneumon wasp bored into a staged piece of wood that was cut so that its cross-section (and thus the grub inside) was visible, instead of a natural tree trunk. Does anyone else remember this programme, and if so, what was it called, what channel was it aired on, and when was it broadcast?--Midgrid (talk) 20:21, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

David Attenborough's Life in the Undergrowth showed some of these scenes, and it was advertised as showing animal behaviour never before caught on cameras, or, as Attenborough apparently phrased it "In the past, in order to get close to something, you had to pour light on it; so much so you were at risk of frying the thing - and you certainly inhibited natural behaviour," [6]. This doesn't quite fit your description though, as it was filmed after the 1990s, and wouldn't have shown a chicken embryo. That would have been in The Life of Birds which was filmed in the late 90s. ---Sluzzelin talk 21:46, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, but it definitely wasn't one of David Attenborough's programmes. I would even hazard a guess that it was shown on ITV or Channel 4, but I'm not certain.--Midgrid (talk) 22:52, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

(Ok, sorry, as a non-Brit, I didn't know better) ---Sluzzelin talk 22:58, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

No problem! :) --Midgrid (talk) 23:16, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Microcosmos? Can't remember if the specific content fits, sorry. Oh, there's a 1994 documentary called "The Invisible World" - "A National Geographic video about the world invisible to the unaided eye". I bet it's that. 81.131.34.204 (talk) 03:56, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Neither of those, sorry.--Midgrid (talk) 11:10, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I can remember it - but am equally clueless as to the title! I don't think it was ITV, probably C4 or the BBC. DuncanHill (talk) 11:27, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The pdf document here has a lot of useful info, including (at page 237) a list of documentaries produced by the BBC Wildlife Unit. The one that stands out for me as matching most of your criteria (no chickens though) is Alien Empire (p.262) from 1996 - about which there is some more information here. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:35, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, thanks for that! Unfortunately it isn't Alien Empire (which I also remember watching), nor any of the other programmes mentioned in that list.--Midgrid (talk) 12:40, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

June 5

Lip syncing for animations

How are the up and down jaw- or mouth-movements of cartoon characters made to look convincingly as if they were talking the audio dialogue? I dimly remember long ago when this was not done very well in cartoons, now it is done much better. Is there some algorithmn that determines this, such as opening the mouth in proportion to volume? It must be a headache for the animator to exactly coordinate the mouth position with the spoken dialogue, unless some automatic way of doing it has been developed. Am I right in guessing that, when making an animation such as The Simpsons, the audio is recorded first, and then the visual animation is fitted to the audio track? 92.15.0.59 (talk) 13:03, 5 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]