Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 July 7

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July 7

"Awkward moments" poster

Who or what are the characters in this poster? NeonMerlin 02:56, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

That would be two guys dressed up as Warhammer 40,000 space marines. Hell, I love geeks. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 04:35, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, then, you'll want to kiss me (but please don't): the one on the left is indeed a Space Marine, soldier of the Imperium of Man; but the other one's a Chaos Space Marine, a traitor of the Imperium of Man, which makes them bitter enemies, and thus makes it awkward if they meet each other in a convention. --Kreachure (talk) 19:17, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

I think we can just call it Platonic love, keep things simple. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 21:57, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

This reminds me of an ESPN commerical --Shaggorama (talk) 12:43, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Thriller #1 in 1984?

I believe the wiki page titled "Number-one albums of 1984 (U.S.)" contains incorrect information. Billboard.com released a list of the first 700 #1 albums (from 1956 to 2006) of which Michael Jackson's Thriller does not appear in 1984. Can anyone concur? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Brettpam (talk • contribs) 05:02, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Here's a Billboard listing for Thriller as the number one album for 1984. I'm not sure which Billboard list you're talking about, but I think part of the issue here is that Thriller was released in 1982, but was such a massive seller that it dominated the charts for periods here or there into 1984. The Billboard list you are talking about may only be for albums released in 1984, not ones appearing on the charts in 1984. AlexiusHoratius (talk) 10:07, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

What happens to the bulls at the end?

In the Running of the Bulls, what happens to the bulls at the end of the run? Are they killed? It doesn't really say in the article. 203.206.11.162 (talk) 09:35, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

After the run the bulls enter into the Plaza de Toros or bull ring, where according to this site they "are later barbarically killed" as the runners and spectators "gouge them with sticks or pull their tails." All the bulls are killed later in the day in bullfights. [1]. JessicaN10248 12:24, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

The Pamplona town council strictly forbids the mistreatment of the bulls during the running and any subsequent events by the runners and spectators (see "WARNING from Pamplona Town Council"). After the running, several official veterinarians attend the bulls and take care of any injuries they might have taken (link in Spanish). Nevertheless, the six bulls who do the run take part in traditional bullfighting events later in the afternoon, but only by professional bullfighters (see last sentence here (Spanish)). Kreachure (talk) 14:27, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks.203.206.11.162 (talk) 13:59, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

Casual gamers

It seems that casual gamers only player multiplayer games. But do they ever play single player games? 208.76.245.162 (talk) 13:00, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Eh? Casual gamer simply means someone who plays games occasionally, as oppose to a hardcore gamer who's life is consumed by video games. It has nothing to do with the genera or type of game they play. JessicaN10248 13:04, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

I know plenty of casual gamers who play single player games. I would imagine they do it frequently since they don't have to go to the trouble of finding opponents. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:21, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Games like Solitare, Minesweeper (computer game) and Freecell are very popular with 'casual gamers' and they are all single player.Franmars (talk) 15:05, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think the assertion that casual gamers only -- or even mostly -- play multiplayer has much to do with reality. What makes you think that they do? -- Captain Disdain (talk) 18:06, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd assert that the inverse is probably more true: I bet most serious gamers commit more time to multiplayer games than single player. I don't think there is any equivalent of the CPL or (any of the various other gaming leagues) for single player games. --Shaggorama (talk) 12:38, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Well there are things like compete-n for ultimate doom speedruns.Exdeathbr (talk) 20:51, 12 July 2008 (UTC)

AATC

1. Why do the Chipmunks have high-pitched voices? 2. How did they learn to talk? 208.76.245.162 (talk) 13:38, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

thay are genetically modified Chipmunks and live wth a human. they learneded english of him . they have high pitched voices becuaxse they are small, like mice are showsn in Babe with high pitched voices. small things are shown on tv with high voiced and big giants are sjhown with deep low booming voiceds. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mud Flood (talk • contribs) 16:51, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

The answer is in the article - specifically "Alvin and the Chipmunks is a five-time Grammy Award-winning animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958...The voices of the group were all performed by Bagdasarian, who pitched up the playback to create higher pitched, comical, squeaky voices." Exxolon (talk) 18:25, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

That's the 'real-life' explanation; in fiction, it has never been established how the Chipmunks learned to talk (like most other fictional cartoon characters: they simply 'talk' and act human without explanation). As for the high-pitched voice, that's what small squeaking animals are expected to talk like in cartoons (see e.g, Chip and Dale). Kreachure (talk) 19:29, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

It's called an Anthropomorphism. schyler (talk) 20:47, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

the Muppets

How are the names of the two old men on the balcony? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.118.168.78 (talk) 14:13, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Statler and Waldorf. APL (talk) 14:19, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

knock knock knock knock knock 'em down rain

Hi, I've tried googling all over for this one, but can't find anything. I heard the song on community radio (I think) quite some time ago (around 2000), and the chorus finishes with:

knock knock knock knock knock 'em down ra-a-a-a-ain

knock knock knock knock knock 'em down rain.

Does anyone have any clue as to what the song is? I'm sure it's by some Australian folk band, or at least it was performed by one when I heard it. 203.221.127.206 (talk) 17:34, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Is it Steve Hammond? He has a song called Knock 'Em Down Rain on his MySpace - 2nd song on his player - [2] Exxolon (talk) 18:23, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for that tip. There's a very good chance that that's the one. I only have dial up, and can't get any sound files if he's actually put them up, so I'll have another look some time, but I think I might have found it :):). 203.221.126.236 (talk) 14:00, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

music

who recorded the first "album" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.69.233.192 (talk) 18:08, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

try looking here:http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/history.html. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 19:43, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Casino Royale

Somebody knows the name of the weapon that Daniel Craig is carrying at the end of Casino Royale? David Pro (talk) 19:55, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, I havent seen the movie in a while, but this lists the firearms shown. Hope that helps!--omnipotence407 (talk) 21:21, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, that'd be a Heckler & Koch UMP or some variation thereof. (The standard model doesn't come with a suppressor.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 21:33, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

The Internet Movie Firearms DataBase agrees that it is indeed the H&K UMP9. Dismas|^(talk) 21:51, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

I really didn't want to know that there's a whole website dedicated to firearms in movies. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:39, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

Ping Pong Question

If when you are playing ping pong, one person hits the ball visibly going out and the other person hits it, whose point is it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.250.153.148 (talk) 22:00, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

By rule, if you make a play on the ball and it goes out, you lose the point. This is ambiguous. For some, it means that if you are clearly trying return the ball and make contact with it. For others, it means if your paddle touches the ball. For others, it means if you take a swing at it (and possibly miss it all together). All in all, if the ball is clearly going out, let it go out or make some verbal statement, "It is out. I'll catch it." Basically, this is identical to tennis. If the ball is going out, you do not attempt to hit it. You let it go. -- kainaw™ 22:17, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Although in Ping Pong unlike tennis, theres nowhere for it to bounce when its out, And if you hit the ball while its going out in tennis, its still in play... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.250.153.148 (talk) 22:20, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

It's a game, so it depends on what rules you feel like playing with. I'm with 99.250, I've always played that if it was going out and you hit it, it's still in play (even if you hit it straight out). You can see a few different rule sets at the USA Table Tennis website. --Shaggorama (talk) 12:32, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

cousin brucie

did cousin brucie(real name bruce meyerowitz,born oct.13,1935-brooklyn,ny)ever own a house in goshen,ny(possibly at the same time that he owned WALL RADIO in middletown,ny)?Dolof (talk) 23:36, 7 July 2008 (UTC)