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September 12

49ers' helmets

Can anyone tell us what is the significance of the two numbers on the left rear side of the 49ers football helmets this year? (2011) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.107.102.134 (talk) 00:22, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Number 34, in honor of Joe Perry (American football), a former 49ers player who died this year. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:27, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The other number, 35, is in honor of John Henry Johnson who was another part of the Niner's Million Dollar Backfield of the 1950s; the two of them died within a few weeks of each other this past year. See [1] and [2]. --Jayron32 01:59, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Harrison Ford

Is Harrison Ford related to silent movie actor Harrison Ford? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Raelee22 (talk • contribs) 01:01, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

As the silent film actor's bio says, Ford has no known relation to the current film actor of the same name.. The Mark of the Beast (talk) 01:23, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Japanese Artist

Sorry for this question, but it has bugged me for many years and I am in the middle of discussing nuances with a Japanese friend.

Does anyone know of a Japanese female singer who used the phrase 'shag me, baby' repeatedly in one of her songs? I am trying to find this song to show to my Japanese friend, but google (and YouTube) being as they are, just gets me porn links.

I am suspecting that this Japanese singer had learned a new word for 'f*ck' and decided to use it instead of the word she would have used, thinking it will not be understood and will lead to people trying to find out what it means, not understanding the disgusting connotations the word can have in British English. If anyone can find a link to the song, or the lyrics, or just tell me the artist's name, I would appreciate it. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 02:04, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Not a Japanese female singer, but a German Eurodance project, E-Rotic sang a song called Shag me. Lyrics and You tube search results. Oda Mari (talk) 05:47, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

[ObPersonal from 50 years of native English usage] "Shag" does not have "disgusting" connotations in (UK) English (and "disgusting" is not really a description I would apply even to "fuck" - "offensive" would be more appropriate). It's generally perceived as considerably less vulgar than "fuck", and although one would not use it in formal situations, one could employ it in many contexts where "fuck" would cause offense or at least raised eyebrows, much like the distinction between "Shit" and "Shite": being less shocking it comes across as more appropriate when used by girls and women than would "fuck".

"Shag" does of course have a much more restricted range of application - one would never say "Shag off!", "It's totally shagged", or "He's a shagging idiot" except for deliberate humorous effect. It can also convey the somewhat different meaning of exhausted, originally with the implication of this being the result of recent sexual intercourse, still implied by the term "shagged out", but bare "shagged" can simply mean tired out from non-sexual activity. It may be that its softened effect is in part due to its also being the perfectly innocuous name of a British species of sea bird. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.53 (talk) 11:52, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Or a dance or a floor covering. Shag is one of those words like prick where the context can change the meaning from benign to offensive (as in "I pricked my finger" vs. "I fingered my prick"). --Jayron32 13:02, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me was somehow considered acceptable, whereas Austin Powers: The Spy Who Fucked Me would have received short shrift. Means exactly the same thing, though. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 13:02, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Likewise "fuck" would never (what never? hardly ever!) have been used on British TV in the 1960s, but it was perfectly acceptable for a parrot to be shagged out after a long squawk. (Of course the use is metaphorical there, in contrast to Jack's example.) AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:56, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'd say that the usage cited in "it's totally shagged" is actually quite common. BadmanMonkey (talk) 13:20, 16 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe it's just my dialect, then, where a girl would never use 'shag' unless she's a slapper hanging out at bus-stops with a kebab in her hand. The word has always come across to me as being extremely vulgar, whilst 'fuck' has always been acceptable in the 'right' circumstances. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 21:41, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed, must be dialectical: here in soft stuck-up southern Hampshire, lower middle class ladies (and gentlemen) would use it in relaxed contexts such as private parties, pub gatherings, or even at work amongst peers in the absence of more senior staff. It might be considered inappropriate purely for its subject matter, but does not carry the perceived inherent shock value of "fuck" and other "four-letter" words: it stands in relation to "fuck" in about the same way as "willy" does to "prick". {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.53 (talk) 00:58, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Update: I believe the artist in question may have been called '[something-or-other] Kanako'. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 22:15, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Michael Jackson song lyric

Is their a Michael Jackson song with "In my skull" or a similar lyric? 82.198.250.68 (talk) 12:49, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm familiar with Michael Jackson songs and I don't think there is. 194.66.226.95 (talk) 12:54, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

"Stranger in my skull" is apparently a rare (4 Google hits) mondegreen for "Stranger in Moscow". Could that be what you're thinking of? --Antiquary (talk) 17:35, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Simpsons - Lenny saying "necessary"

I'm pretty sure there is a Simpsons episode where Lenny exclaims "necessary!" for some reason - I can't remember why, but he may be looking at some kind of art (which is presumably not necessary at all). I thought it was Mom and Pop Art but that doesn't seem to be it. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Adam Bishop (talk) 15:39, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Doesn't ring a bell. Can you provide more information about the probable place where he said that and the intonation with which he exclaimed that? --Belchman (talk) 20:28, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Can't check my wild guess, but it might be from "Once Upon a Time in Springfield", where Mr. Burns got rid of donuts in the plant, because "We have to cut costs." to which an irritated Lenny replies: "But we have way more expensive unnecessaries than donuts." Maybe he makes some sarcastic "necessary!" comment later on, perhaps referring to some of the luxurious amenities provided by the potential new employer in Capital City but, as I said, I can't check the episode right now. ---Sluzzelin talk 20:41, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I just watched that episode to check it out, but didn't hear it in there. StuRat (talk) 04:29, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It's definitely older than Once Upon a Time in Springfield...maybe 10 seasons or more ago (when it was still funny at least, and old enough that I was still watching it regularly and I would have seen the episode many times in syndication). But it was just the one word, not part of a sentence, said sort of reverentially, maybe at some kind of work of art. That's all I can remember, sorry... Adam Bishop (talk) 09:27, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'll chime in that this is not familiar to me, and I watched religiously for the first six or eight seasons, so I'd expect it to be after that. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:03, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

In case anyone still sees this after it's archived, I found it - it's in Girls Just Want to Have Sums, and it's much more recent than I thought, 17th season. I was closer about the context at least, he says it after watching a production of an Itchy and Scratchy musical. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:19, 26 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Billy Bragg Ode to Joy

I'm trying to find a studio recording of Billy Bragg singing Ode to Joy. YouTube has some live and impromptu versions, but I can't find a clean studio version. I'm looking for a legal (paid or free) download. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 17:01, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think he's ever recorded it. --Viennese Waltz 11:49, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Name of Core 1 that rants on an on about space.

What is the name of the 1st Core used in the end of the video game Portal 2 that is the fist Core and rants about space over and over again? Should I check a Half-Life, Portal, or a Aperture wiki? Or does anyone perhaps know the answer? 66.142.190.155 (talk) 21:20, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It is unimaginatively called the "space sphere". --Daniel 23:28, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Historical fiction and real people

I've been reading a lot of Bernard Cornwell recently, and I've been wondering. If you are writing a work of historical fiction, where your main characters, like Sharpe, are fictional but real people such as the Duke of Wellington are featured in your work, at times depicted in scenes which didn't actually happen, are there legal ramifications or rights to consider? Do fiction authors have to have permission from some sort of descendent or association to feature in works of historical fiction real life people who were there, no matter how trivial their mention, or no matter if the scene is itself real or invented? Thanks, 2.27.235.196 (talk) 23:09, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Generally not old boy - these bods are "Historic Domain Characters" - see http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HistoricalDomainCharacter - unless you are using someone still living you are okay - it's why yanks can put Richard Nixon into films and books. Quintessential British Gentleman (talk) 23:23, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It's not just us yanks, sir. You brits have been known to use Nixon a time or two as well. :-) --Dismas|^(talk) 04:03, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Nixon was still alive when Nixon in China (opera) premiered. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 14:22, 15 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

So in essence they just have to be deceased? Do they have to have been dead for a certain amount of time or...? 2.27.235.196 (talk) 09:49, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Living people are sometimes depicted in fiction, e.g. Sue Townsend's The Queen and I (novel), so I don't think there's a general rule even then. You'd have to be careful about writing anything defamatory, though (disclaimer: not legal advice) it might be a defence to say (as in Townsend's book) that the characters are clearly fictionalised versions of the real people. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 14:41, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Cool, thanks for the advice guys. 2.27.235.196 (talk) 14:51, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a list of real people who have been depicted (mostly posthumously, I think) in fiction. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 15:02, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

In the US, you can't be sued for libelling the dead in 40 states, but you can be sued in the other 10, which means that if you defame a dead famous person, the estate could sue you for damages in one of those 10 states, if the book has distribution there. Probably of more concern, in some states you could definitely be sued for a violation of the dead person's personality rights — these are your rights to control the commercial use of your image. In some states, the dead have no personality rights, but in others their estates continue to control those rights. See California Celebrities Rights Act. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:09, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Years ago, when I began writing my own novel, I personally contacted all those who were being depicted as real people in the fictional work. Everyone agreed (and liked the story). However, I was told by one that even if he said he liked it and wanted to be included in the novel, it really had no bearing on how his lawyers would interpret it (and he was nowhere near as popular back then as he is now). Luckily, every editor I talked to made it clear that I shouldn't put effort into trying to publish my work. So, I've never tested the lawyers. -- kainaw ™ 18:20, 13 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Hilary Swank

What relationship, if any, is Hilary Swank to Swank Motion Pictures? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jbn7 (talk • contribs) 23:30, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

A little bit of digging into the old topsoil suggests there isn't one old chap. Swank Motion Pictures is based in St. Louis and the lovely Miss Swank hails from Washington state and her family from Iowa. It's not impossible that the founders of the company and Miss Swank's ancestors were related somehow but if they were, any connection would be very distant old boy. Quintessential British Gentleman (talk) 23:42, 12 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]