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November 8

NFL overhead camera

In many televised NFL games, there is an overhead camera suspended above the field. Do we have an article about this particular camera? (Or an article about the camera systems in general that are used in NFL games?) I was wondering whether a thrown or kicked ball has ever struck the camera or its support wires, and was also curious how much weight this possibility carried in the debates over whether the overhead camera should exist or not. Comet Tuttle (talk) 02:42, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Goodyear blimp is usually a few feet above kicking range. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 06:35, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, there is an article on Spidercam - manya (talk) 08:48, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Great article pointer, thanks; but I'm having trouble verifying that the NFL's camera is the same one. The Spidercam website doesn't cite any NFL team as a customer, and googling spidercam nfl yields mostly nothing — I did find one picture caption claiming the camera was a "spidercam", but this may have been a generic description. Does anyone know of any similar cameras, made by a different company perhaps? Or can anyone verify that's it? It's such a custom item that I find it hard to believe there's a diversity of manufacturers; but the lack of an NFL mention is pretty clear. Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:50, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

NFL uses Skycam. Nanonic (talk) 19:37, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

That's it. Thank you! Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:50, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Part of the original question was whether the skycam has ever interfered with a thrown or kicked ball. The article mentions a couple of incidents but not of that type. However, if you've seen how the work the skycam, it's usually positioned behind the offensive team, so the probability of it figuring into the action would seem to be pretty low. In contrast with the big screen TV hanging over the field in Dallas, which actually has been hit by punters. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:59, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I did see a player throw a ball at the Skycam and hit it while walking off the field. It was kind of funny. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:25, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Presumably that was on purpose. Better that, than destroying the water cooler. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:36, 10 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Worst American accents in movies

In movies, which specific performances are considered to be the worst attempts by non-Americans to speak in an American accent?--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 02:56, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Anthony Hopkins in The Innocent (1993). Pepso2 (talk) 07:08, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Any number of recent movies filmed in cheap locations in Eastern Europe? One that comes to mind (cause I just recently saw it, terrible movie, don't bother) is Catacombs. I also remember there was an honorable appearance of a famous Spanish actor in Dagon, which was filmed in Spain, and the guys English was damn near unintelligible - I would have no idea what he said if I hadn't read the story the movie's based on. TomorrowTime (talk) 07:25, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know about American, but the absolutely worst Irish accent I ever heard was Mick Jagger's pathetic attempt at one (a Cork accent to boot!) in Ned Kelly.--Jeanne Boleyn (talk) 09:13, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

How could anyone botch an Irish accent? Especially someone that presumably has a musical ear. All he'd have had to do is listen to some Clancy Brothers or Irish Rovers records to get the general idea. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:25, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Believe me, he botched it. I heard that during screenings of the film in Dublin, whenever Jagger delivered his lines in his ridiculous accent, the viewers inside the cinemas all burst into hysterical laughter, drowning out the audio. Jagger can do an excellent American southern as well as perfect cockney, but Irish-no way, Jose!--Jeanne Boleyn (talk) 14:07, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I've never seen the film, so maybe an American would be less able to tell, but an Irish audience would certainly pick up on it. And it can go the other way, too. Like if you've ever heard Dave Prowse lecturing Princess Leia, in the original footage before they overdubbed with the deep and menacing voice of James Earl Jones. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:55, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) One point re Ned Kelly (1970 film): Kelly/Jagger wasn't meant to be speaking with an Irish accent per se. Kelly's father was from Ireland, but died when he was 11. His mother was native-born. The accent the adult Ned Kelly had, while obviously Irish-influenced to some degree, would have been sufficiently different from Irish proper to mark it as an Irish-Australian accent. (Not saying Sir Mick did that accent any better, though. It's been a long time - 40 years, in fact - since I saw that movie.) -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:05, 8 November 2010 (UTC) [reply]

American actress Andie MacDowell's Southern accent was so thick when she first started acting, that she had to be dubbed by Glenn Close in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. She has apparently overcome that problem. Corvus cornix_talk 18:48, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I was watching Timeline the other day and was distracted by David Thewlis' attempt at an American accent. It sounds exactly like Alan Rickman's accent in Die Hard when he is pretending to be one of the hostages (and presumably that was supposed to be bad). Adam Bishop (talk) 20:18, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Not a movie, and a very small botch, but Dominic West slips up a few times in The Wire, particularly when he gets excited... but that's not really a fair answer either since he's amazing in the whole series and we're talking about multiple hours worth of screen time. Shadowjams (talk) 09:03, 11 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

WASSUP WITH ALL THE PPL BE HATIN' ON THE BIEBS

What's with all this Justin Bieber hate? I dont like his singing but I don't hate him for it. Money is tight (talk) 02:58, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Justin Bieber as a target for critics pranksters, and parodies might interest you, as well as "Why is Justin Bieber so loved and hated?" ---Sluzzelin talk 03:03, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This is purely original research and speculation, but I think a lot of the resentment has to do with the age at which Mr. Bieber achieved success. Adults who have toiled for years in dead-end jobs, struggling to make ends meet, might be prone to begrudging the pretty-boy his millions in endorsement deals and record contracts. Younger Bieber haters tend to focus on his "cute" image view him as a square (slang); these teens prefer a certain "edginess," street cred or menace in the music they listen to, all of which Bieber lacks in spades.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 03:12, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Plus he has a funny-sounding name. However, he probably lacks the condition that the poster apparently is in, so as you suggest, envy is probably the root cause. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 09:05, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

People have always hated these sensations. New Kids, Backstreet, David Cassidy, Andy Gibb... It goes on and on and on... Aaronite (talk) 16:10, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Also, he sucks. So, there's that. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:12, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

He's young, he's pretty, he's successful, lots of girls and boys fancy him, and your girl/boyfriend's mum would probably like him more than they like you - yes, envy would appear to me to be a likely reason for the resentment and hatred directed at him. DuncanHill (talk) 16:39, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Adam Bishop was right. Skill does not a celebrity make. Biebs isn't actually that skilled, technically speaking. That said, he does have an image, and sometimes that's all you need. Wayne Coyne is a completely different type of singer with the same problem. He's actually a crap singer (I still like him, though). Aaronite (talk) 05:06, 9 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Actually a classical case of this was the Barney jihad. People were actually assaulting Barney costumed people in malls etc. Williamb (talk) 06:47, 9 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

How does Bieber's talent level compare with that of Fabian, for example? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:34, 10 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Do people really eat spiders in their sleep?

(2) What's with the "on average people eat X number of spiders during sleep"? Do spiders climb into their mouth? Dont you die after eating raw spider? Thanks Money is tight (talk) 02:58, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

According to Snopes, no. --- cymru lass ^{(hit me up)}⁄_{(background check)} 03:40, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I don't think you die after eating raw spider. In fact, many people around the world eat insects as food. TomorrowTime (talk) 07:31, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I recall a National Geographic program where they were in a South American jungle, where the spiders are quite large. Natives would capture them, roast them alive, and eat the meat from the legs, like you would with crab. The roasted arachnid meat was said to taste like shrimp. As far as dying, most house spiders are mostly harmless. If a seriously venomous spider such as a black widow or a brown recluse got into your mouth and managed to inject some venom, that could be trouble. But cats, for example, will attack common house spiders and eat them, with no apparent damage. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:54, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This is entertainment..... ??!! Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:01, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Theoretically, you'd be in greater danger from swallowing a fly, considering where they spend much of their short existence. And for the entertainment part of this, please rise and join us in singing, "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 09:03, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

She did swallow a spider too[1] (with the aim of catching the fly) but an unpleasant side-affect was internal wriggling, wiggling and tiggling. Whether these are recognised medical conditions, I don't know. Alansplodge (talk) 13:18, 8 November 2010 (UTC).[reply]

Yes. It seems likely that the critter would quickly be smothered by various internal fluids, so it wouldn't get to do much wriggling and wiggling and tickling. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:23, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The bovine and equine stages of the therapy seem a bit unlikely too. Should have a "citation needed" tag. Alansplodge (talk) 17:12, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Having a local environment made up of hydrochloric acid, enzymes and the like would probably limit the wriggling and tiggling in favor of dying and dissolving fairly promptly. FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 19:09, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Straight Dope handles the question here. APL (talk) 20:46, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Cecil is using logic and reasoning, whereas Snopes (listed earlier) claims to have found the source of the urban legend. Between the two, it seems like the question has been solidly answered. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:51, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

song I heard on the radio

hi, I heard this song with the lyrics "I've said too much", "I haven't said enough", and "I think I heard you laughing" used multiple times. what artist and what song is this? 70.241.22.82 (talk) 03:36, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Losing My Religion" ---Sluzzelin talk 03:38, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

By R.E.M.. Exxolon (talk) 19:00, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah that was unnecessary since Sluzzelin already linked to the song which gives the name of the artist. --Viennese Waltz 22:55, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Gladiator (movie) help needed

I'm working towards an FAC and one reviewer suggested a screenshot from Gladiator (2000 film) would enhance the article.

The screenshot concerned is the sequence with the wording "Ave Imperator/Caesar, morituri te salutant" on the screen.

I don't have the film nor a particular wish to watch 2 hours of gladiator drama to locate where the screenshot occurs, but I agree with the reviewer, the screenshot would be educational in the article.

Could anyone who has the movie or knows it, help identify where that sequence is in it, and perhaps if able upload a nice screenshot showing it in use in the film, and let me know the link? The rationale would be fair use in this article, which comments on it.

Thanks! FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 14:03, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have the film on DVD. I can't think of where the sequence is off the top of my head. It would be a couple days till I could get a screenshot but if you don't find it elsewhere, let me know and I'll get it for you. Dismas|^(talk) 15:47, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Please, and thanks. For more information the request stems from User:Gwern's comment at this peer review which explains more what it's about. (If the reviewer's incorrect and it doesn't have such a screenshot, can you say so there?) FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 16:08, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If it's of any help, the only time I remember this being refered to in the film was when Tigris says it (in English), I believe it was his only line. So feel free to jump to the chapter with the tigers! (I'm sorry I can't help more, I only have it on video, and I don't have a video player anymore...) -- WORM MЯOW 09:56, 9 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

song on the radio...

I heard a song on the radio with the lyrics "and a lone guitar" or something like that... I know it's a bit vague but could anyone tell me the artist and the song name? Jds500 (talk) 19:44, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Can you narrow down the range of music at all? Was it a woman or man singing? Was it rock, rap, country...? Was it on a modern music or super-oldies station? The first thing that comes to mind is Jukebox Hero, which contains the line (if I remember correctly) "He heard one guitar" - it is a very accented lyric that stands out from the rest of the song. But, if you aren't listening to a classic rock station (which even then wouldn't be likely to play the song), you won't hear it on the radio. -- kainaw ™ 20:02, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

ummmm, a guy was singing, oldies station...that's all I can remember... Jds500 (talk) 20:08, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This question has been asked recently - see Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Entertainment/2010_October_29#song_I_heard. Exxolon (talk) 20:36, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

So, it reminds two people of Juke Box Hero - which would be played on an "oldies station" and is sung by "a guy". Unless further information is provided, that appears to be the best answer. -- kainaw ™ 22:50, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

okeydokey I'll take that Jds500 (talk) 22:56, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In case you have difficulty locating an mp3 to listen to it, the song contains a lyric that is a bit louder and over-emphasized. It is "he heard one guitar", but it sounds like "he heard a-one guitar". -- kainaw ™ 23:32, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

why did the voice change for bank teller on wordgirl

Why did the voice for the bank teller on wordgirl change from Jen Cone who is still allivee and well to Stephanie Sheh? Just Curious. 204.112.104.172 (talk) 23:52, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Jen Cohn is working as a producer. Stephanie Sheh is a well-known voice artist. Why not let Jen be a producer and replace her with someone who wants to be a voice artist? -- kainaw ™ 00:23, 9 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I can say that Stephanie is doing a good job. She took over starting i believe in the people vs ms question, as Jen Cone's last episode as the bank teller is Wham Up / Seeds of Doubt, though she still voices ms. Shamplane. Do you think Stephanie or someone else will take over that role too? Remember, i'm just curious. 204.112.104.172 (talk) 01:53, 9 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]