Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 July 20

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July 20

Wii

I don't have and don't want a Wii, but I have two questions: 1. Where do you find the place where you can view the data for your games, and copy/erase that data? 2. Does the Wii have indefinite internal memory or can it only have a certain number of game saves? 124.176.160.46 (talk) 01:06, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

1)Its at the very start of the system options section. 2)It has a fixed amount of internal memory (that after 2 years I'm still nowhere near filling. But if you need to increase the space there is a slot on the front of the console where you can add an SD memory card. - X201 (talk) 09:05, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

It should perhaps be noted that "indefinite internal memory" isn't really a possibility. All such devices have a definite amount of memory (in the case of the Wii, it's 512 MB internal) and in no case is it infinite (which may have been what you meant to type). Filling such memory is a function of what you do with it. Just save games and it'll last a long time. Download everything in sight and it runs out quickly. — Lomn 12:54, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

What does - Dude, in the Big Lebowski, smoke - ?

Just wondering what the Dude smokes in the movie the big Lebowski..? can anyone elighten me please, —Preceding unsigned comment added by Akiz2007 (talk • contribs) 01:27, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

The only thing I can recall him smoking is pot. Dismas|^(talk) 07:18, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

PS3/PSP Movies Service - Is It Live?

I heard about the new PS3/PSP movie service for download/purchase and wikipedia states that it went live on the 15th, but is it going? I see the icon in my PS Store but I can't access it; I can hit "x" as many times as I like, I don't get a new page.

Is it up yet? I've hunted around the PS Blog and can't find anything on it.

No system update is required, so...I'm trying to figure this one out? Can someone tell me if I have to do something special, or if it's just down right now? Thanks. DoomsDay349 04:09, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

It only went live in the USA. Everywhere else on the globe will have to wait for a region by region rollout of the service. It also blocked to people with a US PSN account who live in other countries. If neither of these apply then sorry, can't help. - X201 (talk) 08:59, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

live music performance terminology question

* It's when a band ends one of their songs or they slow down and then they bring it back up to speed or they repeat it again.

I've been searching the internet like crazy for the name of this term. I heard it a long time ago but I can't manage to find it in a glossary. And most glossary's do not include modern or gig terms like this.

Thanks if you can answer this! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aerosnowu2 (talk • contribs) 05:56, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean a reprise? Or repeat (music)?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 06:47, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Or encore maybe? Iiidonkeyiii (talk) 10:01, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Or when a song slows then speeds up again could be a break (music) or a 'breakdown'. Iiidonkeyiii (talk) 10:07, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

The traditional term is fermata, but that's for pauses written directly into the music itself, and I don't know if rock bands use this term anyway. -- JackofOz (talk) 10:11, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

--- Oh cool, the term I was looking for was "breakdown". Thanks "Iiidonkeyiii"! I'm still not sure if that term includes the "reprise" part of the song, but with rock bands I guess the whole thing is just called a breakdown.

This slang use of the word "breakdown" needs to be added to the music glossary or one needs to be created for modern music terminology but without fundamental terms like "eighth note" and "fermata", etc.... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.31.48.243 (talk) 13:34, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

This is common with the Beatles. It is often referred to as a fake fadeout. See Strawberry Fields Forever and Helter Skelter (song) for a couple that come immediately to mind. -- kainaw™ 19:29, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

A false fadeout (as in "Helter Skelter") is not the same thing as a breakdown (as in dance music, where most of the instruments drop out except for the drums). Also, to clear up something from the original question: a breakdown does not usually involve the song slowing down. Instruments drop out during a breakdown, but the tempo, especially in dance music, almost always remains constant, although it may feel slower. Rock and pop music traditionally employ a middle 8 (a brief section with a new melody or chord changes) rather than breakdowns. None of the Wikipedia articles on these topics are very good, by the way. —Kevin Myers 02:09, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Paul McCartney and Psychedelic Rock

In the encyclopedia there is written that Mccartney only assumed the drug in 1967, with Magical Mystery Tour project. But his song Penny Lane goes up again to December 1966 and it's psychedelic!! Evidently, there is an error. Or no?--79.42.87.137 (talk) 16:48, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah that's an error...they were high on marijuana all the time starting around 1965, and discovered LSD in 1966, which is why Revolver and then Sgt. Pepper are so bizarre. Adam Bishop (talk) 17:20, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Who says Penny Lane is psychedelic? I would say it is nostalgic and not at all "mind-expanding", unlike the flip-side, Lennon's Strawberry Fields Forever, which most certainly is drenched in acid. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 17:21, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

As Frank Zappa has demonstrated, it is quite possible to make psychedelic music without using a "trendy chemical amusement aid". DAVID ŠENEK 17:55, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Paul has stated many times that he was the last to try LSD. Also, he was the first to admit to the press that members of the band took drugs. He admitted this in 1967 - claiming to have done it "about four times." He didn't state when he first tried LSD. As for the psychedelic sound of the Beatles, usually noted to begin in Revolver, it was the sound of music around them. They were experimenting and continuing with what they heard others playing. It is not necessary to do drugs to write music of any particular style. -- kainaw™ 19:24, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Why do radio stations with tight playlists and lots of commercials always get ratings?

I never understood how a station with a 20 song (no exaggeration) playlist can consistantly get ratings. And dont even get me started on all the commercials....!

Are people basically dull and /or stupid and just say- "Yup, an hours' worth of songs and American Idol is eneough for me!" Or are there deep evolotionary/ societal reasons?--Hey, I'm Just Curious (talk) 20:05, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

They do tend to play the latest songs, which people seem to value.  slυмgυм [ ←→ ] 21:38, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

There are likely other reasons, but I think that the Loudness war may have something to do with it. Stations with the shortest playlists and the most commercials may also have the loudest playlists and the loudest commercials. They may also play more music which has been processed the most to sound louder. Stations with more varied playlists may simply have more trouble grabbing peoples' ears when the competing pop stations are just so amplified. --Several Times (talk) 21:02, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

An old Movie.. Can't remember the title

Hey all, thanks for the anticipated help, I am going to kick myself once I have the answer, but just can't come up with it. There is an old movie, a musical and there are these gangs - the Fins I think - and they dance as they fight. Don't have enough info to do a proper Google search either. Thanks again, an easy answer I am sure.--Jordan 1972 (talk) 21:07, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

The obvious answer would be West Side Story (film).  slυмgυм [ ←→ ] 21:36, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Interesting - it's playing on TCM right now. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:43, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

It is WSS -- And its the Sharks not the Fins... Thanks. I knew I would kick myself!--Jordan 1972 (talk) 21:51, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

My fav song from the movie: "Gonnorhea, I've just con-trac-ted gonnorhea !". StuRat (talk) 00:52, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

"And suddenly I found..." Julia Rossi (talk) 14:30, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Ah, finally someone who recognized my version of "Maria...I've just met a girl named Maria". :-) StuRat (talk) 03:04, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

"...how unpopular a round (of the clap) can be-ee, Gee-orhea, say it loud and it's..." Julia Rossi (talk) 12:32, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

They should have hired us to write the score for the movie...if the audience doesn't clap for the clap, what will they clap for ? :-) StuRat (talk) 22:34, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

If it had been set at Christmas time, there might have been a scene with carollers singing "We wish you Merry Syphilis and a Happy Gonnorhea".  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 00:42, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

hahaha -- "say it loud and it's quaranti-ine, say it soft and it almost sounds... cle-ean..." You're right StuRat, the way is opening for a sexbug clinic musak CD of love song parodies. Clap all round people, Julia Rossi (talk) 00:33, 28 July 2008 (UTC)