Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2012 August 12

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August 12

Audio file creation

How can I create an audio file of a phrase? Let that phrase be "Best in the World". Sunny Singh (DAV) (talk) 02:14, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

You'd probably be better off asking this on the Computing Reference Desk. However, since you've asked it here, Audacity is a free audio editing program that can create .ogg files. --Nicknack009 (talk) 16:43, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

Thank you, Nicknack, for advice but this doesn't answer my question. Sunny Singh (DAV) (talk) 13:46, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Sport No. 1

I'm wondering if someone could recommend an external source which, combining multiple factors, and possibly creating its own definition for the state of being "Number One", estimates which team sport is number one in the USA? --Theurgist (talk) 03:11, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

By any reasonable measure, American football is the most popular spectator sport in the USA. That is, more people watch American football and follow it than any other sport. This can be checked with Nielsen Media Research, which shows that American football telecasts are far and away the most popular programs. The NFL makes more revenue per team than any other of the Major League sports, and more people name football as their favorite sport than any other. It is also the most played sport among young males (see [1]), though soccer is growing more young males still play football over any other sport. In terms of overall participation among all people in the U.S., the most popular sport is Bowling, see [2]. So, if you want the most popular spectator sport, that's undoubtedly American football. If you want the most played sport, that's bowling. --Jayron32 19:12, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Who are some interesting multi-sport Olympians I could read about?

I was wondering if anyone could name me, off the top of their head, some notable Olympians who did reasonably well at a multitude of sports. Well, at least two. I'm particularly interested in widely-disparate sports, cf. Winter vs. Summer games, basketball & badminton, swimming and golf, that sort of thing. Not 100m and 200m or anything along those lines. Thanks. Vranak (talk) 03:23, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Pierre Harvey competed for Canada in both the 1984 Summer Olympics (cycling) and 1984 Winter Olympics (cross-country skiing). Didn't win Olympic medals, but to make the team in both Olympics in the one year was pretty impressive. HiLo48 (talk) 03:31, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Decathalon? Or is that too much track and field related? I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that was summer and winter... --Onorem♠Dil 03:55, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Not sure on how accurate it is...but http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0115194.html says only 4 people have won medals in both summer and winter. Eddie Eagan. Jacob Tullin Thams. Christa Luding-Rothenburger. Clara Hughes. --Onorem♠Dil 04:00, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Are you interested in Olympians who have done well as Paralympians and the other way round too? --TammyMoet (talk) 08:09, 12 August 2012 (UTC) If you are, you'll be interested in Sarah Storey, who first competed as a paralympic swimmer for GB, then at the 2010 Commonwealth Games are an able-bodied cyclist. --TammyMoet (talk) 08:11, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Michael Milton has represented Australia in the Winter Paralympics as a skier and in the Summer Paralympics as a cyclist. Outside the Olympics he has competed in Speed skiing. In that sport he holds the all comers Australian record, not just the record for disabled skiers. HiLo48 (talk) 08:21, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Going back a ways, Reginald “Snowy” Baker represented Australia at the Olympics in swimming, diving and boxing, and extra-olympically he played Rugby Union, and was a fight promoter, an actor, an entrepreneur and stunt coach. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 11:15, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Clara Hughes as mentioned above, and another recent Canadian who participated in both summer and winter games is Hayley Wickenheiser (ice hockey and softball). Adam Bishop (talk) 12:18, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Eric Heiden is one of several speed skaters who later took up competitive bicycling. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:41, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Thank you everyone so far. And yes Tammy that person does sound interesting. Vranak (talk) 15:04, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Rebecca Romero won a silver medal in rowing in 2004 and a gold in cycling in 2008. The article also mentions Roswitha Krause who gained medals in swimming and handball. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.209.194 (talk) 20:14, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Our list of multiple Olympic medalists has some interesting examples. Warofdreams talk 22:08, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

(Not) watching the Olympic marathon

I've been watching the Olympic men's marathon on TV. While the audience have a good view along most of the route, I have noticed there are a few sections where there are purple "curtains" blocking the view from a few tens of metres of the street. Why is this? Astronaut (talk) 12:27, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

There may be a number of reasons why certain areas were blocked off from spectators. One possibility I can think of is to allow an easy path for emergency vehicles to enter the route, should the need arise. You can pull the curtains much quicker than trying to clear all the people. Spectators also appeared to have been kept away from the water and sponges, one or both sides of the several narrow streets, and any building along the route that is under construction. I think I also saw one of those "curtains" next to an entrance to an Underground station, where there also would be no room for spectators to stand. Zzyzx11 (talk) 23:54, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Agreed. So the curtains keep people from congregating there, since they couldn't see anything if they did. Probably more effective than cordoning off an area with ropes and hoping people obey. StuRat (talk) 06:58, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

Gunboat game in Diplomacy

What is the meaning/intent of this order "France: Fleet Rome CONVOY German Army London -> Switzerland." Kittybrewster ☎ 14:42, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Seems like a mangled order that has intention but several rule violations. See this page for a description of Diplomacy orders notation [3] It seems to be a an order from the "French" player commanding its "fleet" in the "Rome" province to convoy (transfer a land unit or "army" across a sea territory) an unspecified army controlled by the "German" player to the province of "London." One problem is that "fleets" in land provinces are considered to be "coastal" and cannot engage in the convoy order. This immediately makes the order void. Second convoy orders can only specify adjacent territories. One cannot convoy between the "Rome" province and the "London" province because they do not share a border with any single sea province. Again this would make the order void. Finally, while less of a problem, this order also specifies which army is to be convoyed, this is not required and in some settings may be seen as a violation of the rules and void the order. A proper convoy order assuming the French player has a fleet in the Adriatic would read something like this France: Fleet Adriatic convoys army Apulia to Trieste. The French fleet in the Adriatic would move an army (any army present) from Apulia to Trieste (both of which border the Adriatic). It is possible to convoy an army from Rome to London in a single turn, but would require individual convoy orders for fleets in every sea province between London and Rome. --Daniel 15:22, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

i thought maybe because gunboat is no press it was some sort of code. Kittybrewster ☎ 15:45, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Yes. I found this [4]. Kittybrewster ☎ 16:44, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Seems to me france is proposing peace and a draw with germany. Kittybrewster ☎ 16:56, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

There's a slight problem with the ordering to Switzerland too... Tom Haythornthwaite 21:17, 12 August 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hayttom (talk • contribs)

Obviously they meant Bohemia. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:33, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

In a no press game, any order involving someone else's army and Switzerland expresses a desire for peace or an alliance. There's a small chance that the choice of pieces in London and Rome for the order might have extra significance, but its unlikely, and without seeing the board it is impossible to tell. Oldelpaso (talk) 11:43, 13 August 2012 (UTC)