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June 13[edit]

Florence & The Machine[edit]

My question is about the band, but it has nothing to do with their music. I heard the lead singer was sexually assaulted while crowd-surfing, the one news website I could find discussing it has deleted the article, so now I don't know what the hell happened. Could someone please enlighten me? 24.189.90.68 (talk) 03:44, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Uh, scratch that. The link to the article didn't work because I tried to access it from Google news, but when I looked for the article within the website, I found it. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 03:49, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

School songs?[edit]

Here in Russia, when the school year is started at September 1st (and also when it ends, in the last days of May I believe) there is a ceremony of sorts, where the principal and the teachers would come before the children and speak some pretty words of encouragement and pathos, etc etc. Among other things, this usually involves one or two well-known songs about school being played on the loudspeakers (or in some cases sung). You know, the kind of songs that could almost be called "official", or that they're a part of the "school tradition", but on the other hand almost every kid absolutely hates them. :) Kind of like these school hymns in the US and other countries I guess, except that (as far as I know) school hymns are peculiar to every school.

So what I want to ask here is, is there a similar thing in your country (no matter where are you from)? If yes, could you give me some examples of such songs? Thank you. - 95.139.105.161 (talk) 09:24, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The high schools where I grew up sometimes had "fight songs", which would be sung at sporting events (but maybe only by the cheerleaders). There is an example here (not my high school, but the same city). Adam Bishop (talk) 11:02, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oh yes we had these in the UK. In particular there is a hymn with two versions. The one to be sung at the start of the school year has the first line of "Lord behold us with thy blessing", while its counterpart for the end of the school year started with "Lord dismiss us with thy blessing". A couple of verses in there was the line "All who here shall meet no more", which was the clue for the 5th year girls to burst into tears. (Except me of course - I couldn't wait not to see most of them again!) I don't know if such traditions still exist, however you may be interested in this story. I live next to a school, and on the last day of the last school year a stretched limo pulled up outside and some woman in a skimpy dress and unfeasibly high heels stepped out. However, it was pouring with rain (as it did for most of last summer), and by the time she reached the front door of the school she was utterly drenched! And no I haven't a clue who she was. --TammyMoet (talk) 11:11, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, we were subjected to the same hymn[1] in our east London Comprehensive school 40 years ago - I think the headmaster had delusions of grandeur, as it was written for use in the chapel at Rugby School. I'd be surprised if they're heard in any state school today. Unless you know better. Alansplodge (talk) 14:49, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia has an article about school songs. -- Wavelength (talk) 14:57, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There's also the phenomenon of the official school song, which is either a song specially written for that school, or a hymn adopted by that school. Our school song was "Jerusalem", while the local grammar school had "Gaudeamus Igitur". --TammyMoet (talk) 15:04, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Most colleges and universities in the U.S. will have both a fight song and an alma mater. The first is a peppy song sung during sporting events (after a touchdown, perhaps) and the second is a more solemn tune, typically sung before the game with the national anthem, as well as at special occasions such as graduation. My high school also had an alma mater (sung to the tune of Harvard's), but I think I was only made aware of that when it was printed in a graduation program -- I never heard it sung elsewhere. The Ohio State University has a wonderful alma mater ("Carmen Ohio") as well as two official fight songs ("Buckeye Battle Cry" and "Across the Field"), a couple of unofficial fight songs and a semi-official rock song ("Hang on Sloopy"). -- Mwalcoff (talk) 20:11, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In US public schools, the pledge of allegiance is usually given. In addition, school administrators may, from time to time, make announcements about upcoming events such as sports matches and school club meetings, PTA meeting, etc. Everard Proudfoot (talk) 23:10, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In Sweden all schoolchildren sings Den blomstertid nu kommer (youtube link). P. S. Burton (talk) 20:06, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In Malaysia AFAIK most/all? government schools have school songs. These are sung at assemblies every Monday (the assemblies on Monday are longer usually involving a whole 'period' of school time) or perhaps assemblies everyday along with the national anthem (which would usually be sung every day) and the state anthem or some other song (I'm not that sure on this part because I was in Kuala Lumpur which according to List of Malaysian patriotic songs does have an anthem of its own as well as a general territory anthem yet IIRC neither of the two different songs used in primary school and later secondary school were related to KL, however I left school in 1999 so perhaps things have changed), while a flag is raised to each (Malaysian flag, state or federal territory flag, and school flag). The Rukunegara is also said on Mondays. And an (Islamic) school prayer was started in my school sometime while I was in secondary school (Islam is the official religion of Malaysia but there were very few Muslims in my school as it was predominantly Chinese by far, although a higher percentage of the teachers were, I don't know how common the prayer is or whether there was any government directive but at a guess it may have always be used in schools with a higher percentage of Muslims). Nil Einne (talk) 10:01, 16 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In the United States, high schools generally have a "fight song" which is derived from the American band tradition of a march (often in the style of Sousa). Almost all high schools and colleges will have one of these. Less often, a school will have an alma mater (this is far more common at the university level than high school). It is much more in the style of a hymn or chorale.99.53.113.16 (talk) 02:47, 19 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

World Cup[edit]

What is that awful noise being made by the crowds at all the stadiums during World Cup competition? I assume it is being made willingly by the fans, but (besides a stinging insect) who could find it non-annoying? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.94.166.76 (talk) 15:05, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

vuvuzela —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.183.82.103 (talk) 15:11, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia has an article on everything. The trouble is always finding what you want. Thank you.72.94.166.76 (talk) 15:13, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

ROFL! I fknow, its really annoying!--^Nilotpal42 15:48, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The same question was asked at WP:RD/M#Fans blowing horns in the soccer World Cup. According to this report, "South Africa's World Cup organising chief Danny Jordaan may ban vuvuzelas from inside stadiums after complaints from broadcasters and supporters." Ghmyrtle (talk) 16:03, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Toccara Jones[edit]

The above person was mentioned in an article and I googled her. I came across your listing for her and read it. I was especially interested in the article's pointing out that she attended the Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton, Ohio. I went to the school's web site and they made no mention of her. They did however mention two other alumni who had made good. I thought it strange that they made no mention of her since she had appeared on ANTM. The only time this fact is mentioned is when she herself makes the statement. It doesn't seem to be documented by the school itself. This is why I take issue with it. Personally, I think it is something she is touting to lend herself some kind of credibility. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.53.82.188 (talk) 17:37, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have put a "citation needed" tag on that sentence in the Toccara Jones article, with this edit. You can add this tag yourself to uncited statements that you doubt, in any article on Wikipedia. By the way, has she really "made good" to the extent that the school would normally brag about her attendance? Also schools tend to tout graduates and not people who attend but don't graduate, which I'm assuming is her situation, though I don't know anything about her or the school. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:13, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

HOLLYWOOD`S GUILT[edit]

I have a theroy, and i`m posting it here to see if it makes any sense. on why hollywood`s making so many anti-iraq war films. I think it`s because hollywood was basically silent during the vietnam war. and to atone the film industry, is making all these films trashing the war and troops. basically i want to see what you guys think have a great summer wikipedians. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.56.147.239 (talk) 20:53, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Hollywood feels no guilt. If there are an unusual number of anti-Iraq films (I hadn't noticed), it would be because the country makes a convenient villain that appeals to the prejudices or patriotism of a sizable portion of the American audience. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:47, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It's not about guilt. "Follow the money". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:40, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I certainly tend to agree, though if the original poster could list a number of "anti-iraq war films" that were greenlighted by the same studio executive, then it might be an indication that one individual is in this position ... but this all sounds very unlikely; and as Clarityfiend stated, I, too, haven't noticed any flood of anti-Gulf-War-II films. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:09, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Even the ones that could be described as "anti-war" are not "anti-troop". What Hollywood studio would make an anti-troop movie? Even Michael Moore wouldn't do that. Adam Bishop (talk) 02:37, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There has very seldom been a movie that "trashes the troops". But back to the original premise, I don't "Hollywood" has guilt about anything. If they think a movie will make more money than it costs to produce it, they might well produce it. It's about money. Maybe I said that already. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:44, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Money doesn't really work as an explanation here, as odd as that seems when talking about Hollywood. I think it's possible that Hollywood chose not to make the type of Iraq war movies that could have made good money. "Guilt" about Vietnam probably had no role in this choice. The reason, I think, is that many filmmakers opposed the war, or at least had mixed feelings about it, and so we didn't get "uplifting" movies with Tom Hanks or Mel Gibson bravely leading the troops into Iraq. Those types of stories are out there, in book form, but Hollywood wasn't interested. Instead, some grim, arguably anti-troop films got the green light, like Redacted and In the Valley of Elah, which no one could have expected to be big hits. James Cameron found the winning formula, of course: he disguised his anti-Iraq war, anti-US troop film as a 3D fantasy with big blue people, and made a ton of cash. —Kevin Myers 13:00, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Just as Robert Altman disguised Vietnam as Korea in MASH. It wasn't anti-troop, though, by any means. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:04, 15 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, the anti-US military film from 1970 that was also a disguised anti-Vietnam War film was Little Big Man. These two examples suggest that Hollywood wasn't exactly silent during the Vietnam War, though it was sometimes oblique. —Kevin Myers 13:15, 16 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Les Grossman would make a film about the rape and mutilation of kittens if it would make him money. Everard Proudfoot (talk) 23:21, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I agree wholeheartedly with Baseball Bugs answer. Hollywood is only interested in making money not preaching morality.--Jeanne Boleyn (talk) 13:13, 18 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]