Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2013 November 12

= November 12 =

REM tour dates
Saw the band in '89 at the Palace. Had a good time. I'll never forget that night (just like any other night). Ye ole internet is a bit wonky with all this weather so I'm coming to the collective for assistance (once again). Please, if anybody knows, I do have a bicycle, are there any new confirmed dates in Kentucky, or maybe Indianapolis or better yet Chicago. I'd even go to OH, and I'd even go to Nashville if it weren't for all the connotations. Anyway thanks in advance. I'm not paying tuition so this obviously isn't homework. Thanks again. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.240.77.215 (talk) 05:53, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry I have to break this to you, but R.E.M. split up two years ago, and have ruled out (for what this is worth) ever reforming. Rojomoke (talk) 06:08, 12 November 2013 (UTC)

That must be some storm. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Woz62 (talk • contribs) 00:09, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Our page has the line "When he nothing shines upon" in the 2nd line 2nd stanza- I've seen this line in a lot of places (and out article says not to change it), what exactly does it mean? As it stands it just looks like bad English. I've also seen, "When there's nothing he shines upon,", but it is not as common --and if we're counting my favorite video game ad of all time, from Dead Space, "When the nothing shines upon". At any rate, is the line in the article accurate, if so, why?Phoenixia1177 (talk) 17:18, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Ah, poetry. Regular grammatical rules go out the window in poems and songs so that they can be written to fit meter, rhyming patterns, etc. This line is actually pretty simple: it merely means "When he doesn't shine", referring to the sun mentioned in the previous line. Mingmingla (talk) 17:54, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * I figured it was something like that, but in this case, it just sounds stupid to me every time I read it (which is why I asked). I think it might be because it looks like a common internet typo, I imagine that when the poem was written, leaving a "t" off of "the" was a lot more uncommon. Thanks:-)Phoenixia1177 (talk) 18:10, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * It's just an uncommon word ordering that would normally be written "When he shines upon nothing", but then it doesn't rhyme anymore. K ati e R  (talk) 18:22, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Uncommon word order it is. Poetry it is. Prose it ain't. The nature of the notes makes it flow better: "when-he no-thing shines-up pon" somehow flows better than "when-no thing-he shines-up on", and as you say putting "no-thing" at the end doesn't rhyme, besides which it would go "when-he shines-up on-no thing", so the flow is even worse. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 19:02, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Rereading it out loud helps a lot, it gets the emphasis right- I think it was more a case of looking wrong to the eyes, I can "hear" it when I say it.Phoenixia1177 (talk) 19:23, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * See also Anastrophe. Deor (talk) 23:26, 12 November 2013 (UTC)