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Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2015 August 1

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August 1[edit]

What was this Movie ?[edit]

At least 25 years ago, and perhaps longer, our family watched a film where a man was carrying out robberies, and the Police could not prove who it was, although one cop had a good idea who. The man would leave Chess Moves at the scene, causing a Grand Master to play against those moves, the Grand Master ending up being beaten, and smashing a dummy used to represent the robber. In one robbery, the cop shot the robber, not knowing whom he had shot, then went round to his place quickly, hoping to see him injured, but found him jogging, having bandaged his upper arm and concealed the wound. When the cop left, frustrated, the robber collapsed. I thought the actors involved were Ryan O'Neal and or George Segal, and there was a woman with the robber - either his wife or girlfriend, but looking at IMDb, and trying to find Chess related Movies, I drew a blank. The movie could I think have been made as early as the Seventies or early eighties, and I do not believe I saw it as late as the nineties. If anyone knows this, by all means share, and Thank You All indeed. Chris the Russian Christopher Lilly 08:50, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds as though it may be The Thief Who Came to Dinner. One of the IMDB reviews mentions that the thief (Ryan O'Neal) "begins playing a hypothetical chess game with the police, leaving a chess piece and a move with every robbery". Deor (talk) 10:58, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Fancy that - I thought the Movies was made more like in the late Seventies, and I did see the IMDB thing on it, but did not see that Review, so thank You indeed. Chris the Russian Christopher Lilly 11:40, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Medals for Russia and Soviet Union[edit]

Should Russia and the Soviet Union be counted as one nation in medal tables for sports? Snowsuit Wearer (talk|contribs) 19:36, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I've not been able to find a definitive guideline for this issue, but we have separate articles Russia at the Olympics and Soviet Union at the Olympics, which would suggest they should be kept separate as far as medal tables are concerned. This question might be better at the Help Desk (WP:HD) or the Village Pump (WP:VPP). Tevildo (talk) 20:51, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The Help Desk is about how to edit Wikipedia technically, the Village Pump is about Wikipedia editing principles. This question is not about anything such. It is about facts and how facts should be treated (in Wikipedia articles sure, but also elsewhere). Therefor the question is asked at the Reference Desk. Snowsuit Wearer (talk|contribs) 21:21, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I doubt there's a "one size fits all" answer to this. In some contexts it may be appropriate to combine them; in other contexts it would not be. -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 21:23, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
In what context should it be the one and in what the other, then? Snowsuit Wearer (talk|contribs) 22:03, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
What would be the rule for Bandy World Championship for men as an example? Snowsuit Wearer (talk|contribs) 23:30, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Well, I guess that in a context where a historical view is required, and where Russia is considered the successor state of the USSR, the details pertaining to both the USSR and Russia would be shown as a single entry. But a simple list of states that have participated since 1896, sorted alphabetically, would show them separately (albeit maybe with footnotes to connect them). Such a list would also show Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as three entries, whereas the earlier mentioned list might only have two (assuming the Czech Republic is considered Czechoslovakia's successor state, but that may not actually be the case). -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 00:14, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Why does the Czech Republic get to be the sole successor state? Slovakia get's screwed because it's name was in the second part? Also, which single state lays claim as successor of Yugoslavia? Or the Roman Empire? Or any of a dozen or more defunct states. Russia is not the same as the Soviet Union; in some cases some organizations may choose to recognize it as such, but there is no rule requiring it. The Olympics, for example, do not. --Jayron32 00:59, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Don't forget that in 1992 there was the Unified Team at the Olympics which just muddles the situation more. MarnetteD|Talk 01:04, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Aggro much, Jayron? Note that I said ... the earlier mentioned list might only have two (assuming ...), and then I said ... but that may not actually be the case. I prefaced my entire post with I guess. That's four (4, count them) levels of qualification. What more do you people want from me! I am not an animal! -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 01:45, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
This is the reference desk. I think you might be confusing it with the Wikipedia:Guessing desk. My other car is a cadr (talk) 04:26, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The right answer would be however the IOC does it. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 02:10, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I am not sure, but I think that the IOC lists the Soviet Union and Russia separately. The Soviet Union had a considerably larger population than Russia. (The United States went overnight from being the fourth-most-populous nation to the third-most-populous nation without a change in its own population.) The tricky case is Germany, because modern Germany is not the successor state to West Germany; it is the same state. However, an argument can be made for counting West Germany separately from Germany. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:06, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
For the Olympic Games, I suppose the IOC decides, for other events it is the respective governing bodies in the sports in question. I suppose there may be differences between different sports. Bandy, as I took as an example here, is not an Olympic sport, but is valid for the Soviet Union/Russia question since it is an international sport where the Soviet Union and Russia has been dominating the sport. Snowsuit Wearer (talk|contribs) 10:54, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

So will 2022 Winter Olympics feature bandy?[edit]

It was implied that if Almaty was going to be hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, there would be a bandy tournament in the games. Now the Olympics will be held in Beijing instead. Have the Chinese said anything about arranging bandy? Örtstedt (talk) 22:19, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Beijing was just awarded the games a few days ago. It will be a few years until the decisions about what events to include will be finalized. MarnetteD|Talk 22:44, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Of course, but Beijing has been a candidate for a long time. Do you mean neither they nor anyone commenting their candidacy haven't said anything about any sport they might be going to arrange during the games? Örtstedt (talk) 23:48, 1 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The host country does not determine what sports will be contested during their games the IOC does. The countries do get some say in what demonstration sports might be held. You will want to read this article Olympic sports for more info. Again the final decision will not be made for several years. MarnetteD|Talk 00:10, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but you are still not answering my question. What you are writing is common knowledge but shoots beside the mark. I would appreciate if you would take my question seriously and read what it is I am actually asking about. If you have no answer to give, just don't write anything. Örtstedt (talk) 00:40, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
If you would read my posts you would learn that it would not matter if China had said anything about bandy or not. They won't be making the decision on the sport anymore than Kazakhstan would have. For the record I have taken your question seriously and you implication that I haven't is unwarranted. MarnetteD|Talk 00:51, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
No, you haven't. Of course the host country is not deciding on what sports to include, that is what you have said and that I already know. But that is not the question I have asked. Host countries and others may express wishes about what to arrange apart from what is usual, and that is what I am asking about. Come again when you have anything to say about that. Örtstedt (talk) 09:03, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
It would help if you could say where you saw the implications that Bandy would be included in Kazakhstan. Your remark "come again when you have anything to say about that" is, incidentally, verging on the uncivil and not a way to persuade volunteers to answer your question. Britmax (talk) 10:30, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
You can find the speculations about bandy to be included in Kazakhstan in the article on bandy, under the "Olympic Games" section. I think the questioner here may have misinterpreted that as being already decided. However, I think you should not blame Ortsedt for being "uncivil", when Marnette is the one who tries to run the show here, saying to others what is OK and not OK to ask about. Snowsuit Wearer (talk|contribs) 10:43, 2 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The Host country does in fact have some leeway in adding additional sports as long as they fit certain conditions. See page 64-65 here: http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf Mingmingla (talk) 15:26, 5 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]