This is the thread for unusual details in wikipedia articles.

It's east of the GMT line, right?

The best part about that is that it's listed under Personal Life.

Ray Liotta puts on his robe and wizard hat!

Iam Hungry - A short-lived McDonaldland character who was the self-proclaimed "Vice President of Snacking." He was introduced in 1998 and dropped in the early 2001. The character was a floating, fast-moving green fuzzball with orange arms and a monstrous face. He would often appear when Ronald was dining with kids and would constantly crave food. He would never stop pestering them until he got fed. Iam Hungry was featured in "The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald" VHS titled "Visitors from Outer Space" where he eats the gunk off of Ronald's rocket. Iam Hungry was voiced by Jeff Lupetin.

The name "Dinotopia" is a portmanteau of "dinosaur" and "utopia".[4] Ironically, in Greek "Dinotopia" (Δεινοτοπία) means "terrible place" or "land of suffering", since the original Greek word for "dinosaur" (δεινόσαυρος) translates as "terrible lizard"

She had a miscarriage upon returning home from recording Gimme Shelter; apparently due to the strain associated with reaching such high notes.[9]

from Merry Clayton article. wow...really sucks, makes me kinda feel guilty for enjoying her performance! :/

Coco Chanel designed her first Chanel No.5 bottle to perfectly match the shape of Place Vendome (where the Ritz is, and where she basically lived although her apartment for inspiration and taking guests was just behind it on Rue Cambon). It is unknown whether this matching shape was intentional as google maps were not accessible in 1921

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Liotta

As part of his contract for starring in In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale as Gallian, Liotta had permission to keep all wizard robes donned for the film.

― omar little, Friday, June 24, 2011 7:38 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

loooooooolllll thank you for this :)

wau has wikipedia been skinning its infoboxes for long? I hadn't noticed...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/olem/vendome.png

The Fray's use of the piano as the lead instrument in their music has led critics to compare the band with English piano-driven bands like Coldplay and Keane.[4][5][6] However, the band lists its influences as The Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Better Than Ezra and U2.[7]

However

The name marrowfat pea for mature dried peas is recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary as early as 1733. The fact that an export cultivar popular in Japan is called Maro has led some people to assume mistakenly that the English name marrowfat is derived from Japanese.

In 2006, Belgian Conceptual Artist Wim Delvoye introduced the world to his "Cloaca Machine", a mechanical art work that actually digests food and turns it into excrement, finally fulfilling Vaucanson's wish for a working digestive automation. Many iterations of the Cloaca Machine have since been produced; the current iteration sits vertically, mimicking the human digestive system. The excrement produced by the machine is vacuum-sealed in Cloaca-branded bags and sold to art collectors and dealers; every series of excrements produced has sold out.

What can I say? Shit sells!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdlLBWymnUA

conceptual art again shows its superiority over all other art

Wim Delvoye rules. He's also the pig tattoo dude, but his gothic stuff is just wow in person.

Lea appeared in the film "Guido Superstar: The Rise of Guido", starring, produced, and directed by Silvio Pollio, including Lea, John Cassini, Terry Chen, and Michael Eklund

The film screened at the 2010 Vancouver International Film Festival Thursday, Oct. 7 at 9:45 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 8, at 10:45 a.m., both at the Empire Granville 7 in downtown Vancouver, BC. [2] [3] [4]

Of all the places for a flame war I didn't expect one here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Shipping_Forecast

Let's talk about the introductory statement...

Information doesn't hurt. But there's a place for it. In my view going into organisational structure of the Met Office and MCA in the introductory paragraph is overkill. Those interested in whether the former is a "commercial trading fund owned by the Ministry of Defence" can find that out just by clicking on it. For everyone else, it's trivia and doesn't belong here. Another editor disagrees with me - that's 50:50 then - so let's have some input! Egg Centric 22:31, 19 June 2011 (UTC)

You and I may be seasoned experts in the structure of the British government, but should an American (they do exist!) or an Armenian or a Malawian want to read the article, it's quite important that they realise the shipping forecast is a government project rather than merely a commercial/broadcasting one. As WP:LEDE says, an article introduction should "establish the context," and the Ministry of Defence, MCGA and DfT are an inextricable part of the context. (Incidentally, if you think that "50:50" has any relevance here, then you are utterly mistaken.)─TreasuryTag►contemnor─07:29, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Good point re 50:50. Therefore I don't need to bother convincing you. Egg Centric 21:30, 29 June 2011 (UTC)

I strongly suggest you don't edit-war over this or you may be receiving yet another block.─TreasuryTag►Regent 23:11, 29 June 2011 (UTC)

(edit) Illustration of principle

I don't see that I have to convince you, but as I am kind and know that you're acting in good faith, I will provide a few introductory paragraphs from other random articles and how they would appear if written how you seem to want this one to be:
(edit) Oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a controversial [citation needed] diagnosis described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. People who have it may appear very stubborn and angry.

would become

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a controversial [citation needed] diagnosis described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM - a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association which provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders) as an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. People who have it may appear very stubborn and angry.
(edit) Nuisance

Nuisance (also spelled nocence, through Fr. noisance, nuisance, from Lat. nocere, "to hurt") is a common law tort. It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. A nuisance can be either public (also "common") or private. A public nuisance was defined by English scholar Sir J. F. Stephen as, <snip>

would become

Nuisance (also spelled nocence, through Fr. noisance, nuisance, from Lat. nocere, "to hurt") is a common law (law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action) tort (a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty (other than a contractual duty) owed to someone else.). It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. A nuisance can be either public (also "common") or private. A public nuisance was defined by English scholar Sir J. F. Stephen as, <snip>
(edit) Jobsworth

"Jobsworth" is a British colloquial[1][2] word deriving from the phrase "I can't do that, it's more than my job's worth", meaning that taking the initiative by performing an action, and perhaps in the process breaking a rule, is beyond what the person feels their job description allows. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "A person in authority (esp. a minor official) who insists on adhering to rules and regulations or bureaucratic procedures even at the expense of common sense."[1] Jonathon Green similarly defines "jobsworth" as "a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations".[3]

would become

"Jobsworth" is a British colloquial[1][4] word deriving from the phrase "I can't do that, it's more than my job's worth", meaning that taking the initiative by performing an action, and perhaps in the process breaking a rule, is beyond what the person feels their job description allows. The Oxford English Dictionary (said to be the premier dictionary of the English language by its own publisher.[5]) defines it as "A person in authority (esp. a minor official) who insists on adhering to rules and regulations or bureaucratic procedures even at the expense of common sense."[1] Jonathon Green similarly defines "jobsworth" as "a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations".[6]

In all the examples above we see how silly, and frankly, anti-wiki, it is to include this sort of information and swell the opening paragraph when it is all available to the interested reader with one click. I believe the version of shipping forecast that doesn't include the technicalities about the Met Office's corporate structure is more concise and per above more in line with accepted practice (no matter how many capital letters or threats you throw around) and that is why I am going to put it back. Egg Centric 14:49, 2 July 2011 (UTC)

Per WP:BRD, you need to wait for a consensus to form for your position. If you wish to get outside input, please start an RfC or ask for a third opinion – whatever. But continuing to edit-war is disruptive and not allowed.─TreasuryTag►estoppel 15:35, 2 July 2011 (UTC)
Oh, and don't think your choice of articles to quote from has gone un-noticed.─TreasuryTag►estoppel 15:45, 2 July 2011 (UTC)

I love that it appears to take him 10 minutes to do that double-take at the end.

From the Wikipedia entry on trance:

"Also a possible antecedent, Neil Young's 1982 electronic album, Trans, bears a resemblance to the trance music genre."

i laughed nonstop

In the song it is stated that women only want him for his "pimp juice", which he needs to let loose. Despite contrary beliefs, the pimp juice is actually a car.[1]

xpost if only...

xpost Wikipediaarticlesthatwhitepeopleobviouslywrote.org

That would be called "wikipedia.org", amirite.

"Almost 30 years after its release, the plot for the movie was part of the inspiration for new regulations on the financial markets.
On March 3, 2010 Commodity Futures Trading Commission chief Gary Gensler stated, in testimony he gave to the 111th Congress, "We have recommended banning using misappropriated government information to trade in the commodity markets. In the movie Trading Places, starring Eddie Murphy, the Duke brothers intended to profit from trades in frozen concentrated orange juice futures contracts using an illicitly obtained and not yet public Department of Agriculture orange crop report."[21]

The "Eddie Murphy Rule," as it came to be known, later came into effect as Section 136 of the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, under Section 746, which dealt with insider trading.[22]"

Infantile Paralysis Cup (once) 1953

In 2000, lead singer Jesse James Dupree recorded a solo album entitled Foot Fetish.

Jordan reorganised the National Socialist Movement as the British Movement in 1968, but in 1974 he was obliged to step down from the leadership in favour of Michael McLaughlin. His demise was further accelerated by his arrest for shoplifting three pairs of women's red knickers from Tesco's Leamington Spa branch in June 1975.[3]

Ha ha ha! I live in Leamington Spa! Will mention it to the local historical society! They only seem to go on about queen victoria!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Palmer_(drink)

The story goes, that one hot day on the golf course Mr. Palmer decided to create the best drink ever, so he ordered 7 up and chocolate milk mixed together called "Run-up" but it didnt catch on. thinking of his mother one day saying that Arnold would be the greatest golfer ever next to Tiger Woods, Arnold took the lemons of his life and turned them into Lemonaide and then, added some Iced Tea to it. Innovative Flavors from Orlando, Florida now licenses the drink to beverage companies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_articles

I really want to poll these, but there are too many!

Jerimoth Hill - The highest natural point in Rhode Island. For years, one of the toughest highpoints in the U.S. to scale, not because of its (812-foot) height, but because of an angry old man who lived nearby.

Love this one.

Eazy's sexual activity began at the age of twelve and resulted in not only a fatal disease, but seven children with six different women.

Wow, musta been a pretty intense fuck!

Murphy worked with physicist Brian Cox to learn about advanced physics,[5] touring the CERN facility and learning to copy physicists' mannerisms.[6] The actor also studied the thriller The Wages of Fear (1953) with Boyle to gain an understanding of the type of suspense that Boyle wanted to create in the film.[7] Murphy claims that his involvement in the film caused him to change his views on religion from agnosticism to atheism.[6][8]

Found this tidbit about Sha Na Na yesterday:

Vinny Taylor (1949–1974) (born Chris Donald), who replaced Henry Gross as the lead guitarist in 1970, died of a drug overdose in 1974. Escaped child killer Elmer Edward Solly assumed Taylor's identity and performed as him, which eventually led to his discovery and capture.

Someone told me that one of the members of Sha Na Na went crazy and spiked a baby like a football. Or maybe it was someone who thought he was in Sha Na Na.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, March 22, 2005 3:31 PM Bookmark

In concert, they would often return for up to seven encores - but none more meaningful than when performing in Toronto, Canada at Ontario Place and performing "Hound Dog" after announcing the King's (Elvis Presley's) death earlier that same day (August 16, 1977). There is documented proof of Elvis's spirit appearing in the audience. After much goading, Elvis was coaxed into joining in singing "Hound Dog".

Original drummer Cheese (Curt Lichter) left the band just after recording Un-Led-Ed. He was replaced by Fresh Cheese (Paul Maselli). Shortly before Un-Led-Ed was released, the original Ed Zeppelin (percussion) was replaced by his identical twin brother (Bruce Fernandez).

Rizzle Kicks were founded in about 1996, when both members used to play together round Rizzle's auntie's house. It was about eight years later when the pair reunited after they had both moved to Brighton and faced each other head-on in a Sunday league football match. Four years later, they ended up going to the same college (BRIT School) and one day Rizzle got Sylvester to 'Lalala' all over a track.

^I read that the other day and thought that one of the band (or their mums) had written it. I think there was a thread for that somewhere (isn't there always?).

The character of "Newman" on Seinfeld:

Newman's liking for fruit is questionable, he eats a Mackinaw Peach in the episode "The Doodle" and in an earlier episode "The Suicide" Newman states that he can't eat because it makes him incontinent.

While waiting for the trial, George Roden was put in jail under contempt of court charges on March 21, 1988 because of his use of foul language in some court pleadings threatening the Texas court with AIDS and herpes if the court ruled in favor of Howell.

The Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball league has developed an urban legend of the "Curse of the Colonel". A statue of Colonel Sanders was thrown into the river and lost during a 1985 fan celebration, and (according to the legend) the "curse" has caused Japan's Hanshin Tigers to perform poorly since the incident.[13]

In the 2007 Biography Slash, the former Guns N' Roses guitarist Saul Hudson and friend of (Seymour) Cassel's son, credited Cassel with giving him the nickname "Slash" because he was always on the go zipping from one place to another and never sitting still.

i don't think that's true

It's as daft as Sting's tale..

Nikki Sixx revealed in his autobiography that Slash was always pissing himself in his sleep.
(Slash is Britishes for piss).

In the original "Kokomo" demo version, lead vocals were performed by Mike Love and Terry Melcher. The demo harmonies include Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love and Jeff Foskett. At Disney Films request, the "Kokomo" demo was 'upgraded' to a master recording thus requiring members of the Beach Boys to re-record all of the demo vocals except for Mike Love's lead vocals. The final recorded and released "Kokomo" background vocals are sung by Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston & Al Jardine. Terry Melcher's and Jeff Foskett's demo vocals were erased and replaced by Carl Wilson's & Al Jardine's vocals. The final released "Kokomo" lead vocals are sung by Mike Love and Carl Wilson (this is accurate information written by me, Bruce Johnston!).

hahaha

awesome

In 2000, Volkswagen featured the title track from Pink Moon in a television advertisement, and within a month Drake had sold more records than he had in the previous 30 years.