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August 1

Flight simulation

What influence (if any) did the Flight Unlimited franchise have on the development of Microsoft Flight Simulator? 24.5.122.13 (talk) 02:20, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Just looking at those two articles for the first time, I'd say none, unless the Flight Unlimited guys flew through a wormhole and back in time. Or unless you have a specific release of Flight Simulator in mind. InedibleHulk (talk) 22:16, August 1, 2014 (UTC)

I have in mind the two most recent versions, FS2004 and FSX (as well as the FS Flight Ventures expansion for both). Because on casual comparison, quite a few of the newer features (the mission system, ATC, and a few others) in these versions/expansions seem to be inspired by the Flight Unlimited franchise. 24.5.122.13 (talk) 00:16, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

Can't say. Only tried the MS one once, in the mid-'90s. If ATC means air traffic control, it seems a fair guess that both are just simulating actual standards, instead of each other. I tried giving it a Google, didn't find an answer. But I found a lot of forums of people comparing a lot of simulators. I'm nowhere near wise enough to point you to the right one, but that's a general direction, if you want to take it.

Or just hold tight, and an expert will possibly be with you shortly. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:18, August 2, 2014 (UTC)

Well, I'm not trying to compare -- I'm perfectly satisfied with the Microsoft one, and in any case I don't think Flight Unlimited will even run on Windows 8 because it's so old. My question was strictly about the development history of the products, and to what extent they might have influenced each other. 24.5.122.13 (talk) 04:10, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

August 2

I have a question about the Buffy the vampire slayer comics: Did Tara ever meet Principal_Snyder in the comics?

Did Tara ever meet Principal Synder in the comics? Also did Amber Benson who played Tara met Armin Shimerman while they were shooting the episode restless or at any convention? Thank you. Venustar84 (talk) 04:28, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

Within the Buffyverse, Snyder was the Sunnyvale High School Principal who was eaten by the thing the Mayor became at Graduation Day, at which time Tara attended a different high school. She might have SEEN him at a basketball game, but MEETING him would have been less likely. As to the revisionist comics or conventions, it,s hard to devine what might have happened. Edison (talk) 01:17, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

Real Life Version of Runescape Magic Tree

As you probably guessed, I'm a regular Runescape player (not an addict, I have a life and play for maybe 2 hours per day). Anyway, I think the Runescape magic tree (pic) looks really cool. I want a real-life version, or something close to it, in my front yard. I was thinking a 2-trunk golden rain tree (I have one) with forest pansy redbud spliced down the middle, so I get the purplish leaves and gnarly trunk with golden, round seed pods underneath. Is this the best option or are there other combinations that would look more game-like/cost less? --74.214.39.79 (talk) 05:14, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

It won't cost less but google Sam van Aken Tree of 40 Fruits. I don't know if he actually sells them. They don't look real, even though they are! --TrogWoolley (talk) 18:45, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

More modestly, I've seen three-fruit trees for sale. —Tamfang (talk) 21:26, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

To get trunk shape like that, you'll have to read up on Bonsai techniques. Actually, from my perspective, the type of tree is less important for giving the look as the way the trunks have been trained. Additional techniques that will be handy are grafting and perhaps air layering (this would allow you to get a good 1-2" diameter tree started from a cutting of another tree). I recommend getting a few trees, so that you can practice on one that is less expensive. Also be prepared to be very patient. By the time the tree looks right (~15 years?), the game may no longer be supported. But small price to pay for a devotee :) SemanticMantis (talk) 21:54, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

August 3

Skull Boys

I was watching an episode of NewsRadio recently (love that show!) and I saw something odd. In the episode, a character is hiding out at another character's boyhood home in Wisconsin. It's a typical teenager's room, with comics and Playboys under the bed and college pennants and movie posters on the wall. One of the posters, the only one you can clearly see, is apparently for a movie called "Skull Boys". The picture is hard to make out, but it looks like weird grinning heads. At the bottom, it says "Starring Joe Dibbs and Carl Fowler". There's nothing significant about the poster to the show, it's just part of the decoration, but I thought the picture looked neat, so I tried looking it up on IMDb and then on Google, with no success. It occurs to me that it might not be for a movie, but for a college play, but I would have thought that, if it were famous enough to have a poster made of it, it would also be famous enough to show up on Google somewhere. Any help? Matt Deres (talk) 13:31, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

I can't find it either. Possibly it may be fictional, as due to copyright or product placement rules, it may be difficult to use a real poster for a real film. KägeTorä - (_虎) (Chin Wag) 16:24, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

It could be a random invention, or a group too obscure to be found in google, or even some kind of inside joke. The show has been out of production for 15 years, but maybe you could contact someone connected with the show and see if they have any clue about it. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 17:01, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

Copyright free materials that have been made for use in TV/film tend to get heavily reused. If you search a bit, you can see stuff online about a newspaper that's been used dozens of times over more than a decade. Has anyone seen a poster such as the one I'm describing in the background elsewhere? Matt Deres (talk) 21:01, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

Related to the fictional approach (which I personally believe, given your lack of evidence after a decent search): we have list of fictional books but sadly no list of fictional movies. We do have a list of fictional plays. Some other info on the topic at False document. SemanticMantis (talk) 21:50, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

August 4

Interview with Majel Barrett-Roddenberry

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am looking for a interview with Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, she gave at a local convention, where she says that Gene’s political leaning was communist. I have only found pieces (http://kodm.com/ten-things-you-didnt-know-star-trek-creator-gene-roddenberry/) and would like to have the whole interview.

Thank you for your help.

All the best.--178.195.94.230 (talk) 09:12, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

Though the author of that piece is a DJ and not a regular news reporter, researcher, or biographer, they may still know where they got the info from. Contacting them might be of use to you. Dismas| 10:03, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

I tried it. I guess he moved, because the person who owns the e-mail adress doesn't know him.--178.195.94.230 (talk) 10:15, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

It doesn't surprise me that Roddenberry would be described as at least socialist. There is usually nothing but contempt shown for capitalism in Star Trek, such as the portrayal of a capitalist man from our present revived in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the characterization of the Ferengi, which seemed like veiled antisemitism, to me. StuRat (talk) 15:23, 5 August 2014 (UTC)

That's how it seems to be. The Federation is an ideal of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs". That qualifies as a communist "ideal", with not much connection to the reality of communism. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 01:00, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

Actually that was the theory behind the Welfare State in the UK when it first started up, right up until Thatcher got hold of it and started to destroy it. And we're not Communist. --TammyMoet (talk) 08:35, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

No country in the history of the world has ever been communist. It's an unattainable ideal. Human nature gets in the way, dictatorships thrive, and millions of people suffer needless pain (viz. USSR, N Korea, Albania, Cuba). The USSR never claimed to have achieved Communism; it was always "moving towards" it. But the way they carried on, it was never going to happen. -- Jack of Oz 09:00, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

They were moving with all deliberate speed. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 09:04, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

No, they were pedalling fast in the opposite direction. They abandoned most elements of humanity, freedom of expression, choice etc under Stalin. Then there was 30 years of Cold War, under which far, far more hideous suffering was inflicted on Russians at the hands of other Russians than by any foreign enemies. Some great model of civilization, that. Gorbachev started to turn things around, then he was out and the whole shebang dissolved. -- Jack of Oz 22:56, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

August 6

"Absolutely disgusting" reporter

Hopefully this question doesn't violate WP:BLP as the person I'm asking for is a public personality. Anyway, what is the name of the reporter in the "Absolutely Disgusting" picture? I've tried searching for his name but can't find any results. For reference, the picture is from a news report from the (presumably) now-defunct UPN News 9 (though I'm not sure if it was a national news broadcast or just a local one), so maybe his name is somewhere, just hard to find? Narutolovehinata5 23:40, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

For internet image macros, Know Your Meme is basically the Misplaced Pages of memes (or is it the TV-Tropes of Memes. Or maybe the IMDB of Memes. Whatever. It's a really decent reference work on the subject). They're pretty solid and well referenced in their research. here is their page on the macro. It doesn't actually name the reporter in question, but perhaps it will give you a start. --Jayron32 00:07, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

To be honest, that was the first site I went to when I began to be curious on the topic, and their lack of a mention of the name of said reporter was what inspired me to ask this here. Perhaps someone who's familiar with UPN can help me here? Narutolovehinata5 00:09, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Well, I'm spent on ideas then. KYM is really the top-level research site for memes. If they don't know, it may not be knowable... Maybe someone else knows of other places to look, but I'm spent... --Jayron32 01:41, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

I can tell you UPN 9 is WWOR-TV (that article has a notable former staff section). Here's a clip of their 10 o'clock news, opening with "the Big Apple rotting". Not sure if that's a solid lead, but that Northeast blackout of 2003 was fairly disgusting. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:09, August 7, 2014 (UTC)

Here's their online contact form, and here is their address and phone number (as of 2009). You could try asking them. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:32, August 7, 2014 (UTC)

August 7

Lambeth Walk-Bristol Stomp

TheThe Lambeth Walk was a dance of 1937 which had a strong "1-2-123" rhythm. It was used by British propagandists to make fun of German goose-stepping. Was it the basis for the "Bristol Stomp" by the Dovells in 1961? Edison (talk) 03:25, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Popularity of different sports

Given the huge popularity of association football around the globe (as could be seen at this year's World Cup for instance) and the number of countries engaged in winter sports, how come the winter equivalent of football, namely bandy, is not as popular? Irony iron (talk) 06:53, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Looks more like (ice) hockey played with a ball instead of a puck. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 07:27, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Anyone can play association football with little or no real equipment. "Jumpers for goalposts" and a ball are all that most require to have a game. Bandy has environmental requirements, equipment requirements and isn't the sort of the thing that you could just turn up and play in the middle of a playing field. The Rambling Man (talk) 07:31, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

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