Talk:space program

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[edit] Email Freeze

Well, thank goodness for the wiki, 'cause I never would have known what happened at the end of the email. For me, the email froze after Homestar Runner says, "I knew I should've asked the Italian space program!" RadSkat3, 20:56, 14 November 2005 (CST)

Happens to me sometimes. When it doesn't completely download before it starts playing and doesn't finish dling by the time it reaches a certain point. Usually you can wait it out, but it's probably best to just reload. --NFITC1 18:22, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
I'll give it a shot, and let you know if it works. But, mind you, this happens EVERY SINGLE TIME in the email website (it freezes when Strong Bad gets up to work on his website). -RadSkat3
Sigh... Well, I guess I'll never be able to see the rest of this email...

By the way, shouldn't the fact that there is no beep between the video game slide and the THREE O' DEMS slide be a remark, or possibly a goof? (I already changed this, but feel free to revert it if you want to.) -RadSkat3

[edit] Bad

Guys, I think this e-mail was kind of bad. I mean I know they only had so much time from one Monday to another, but I didn't laugh that much. H * R 7 0 0 13:08, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

There's the forum thread for talk like this. - Joshua 13:12, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Bad Edit

VolatileChemical, what was the deal with this edit? Why'd you delete all of my transcript with your own (less complete) version? The diff on the edit conflict page is there for a reason. --phlip TC 13:27, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

Wait, never mind, I made a few gaffes of my own with your stuff... I think we got it all in there together though. It seems the new edit conflict detector is more tolerant than I thought... --phlip TC 13:49, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Doo/Due

In Coach Z's answer in the easteregg, should we write "Doo" instead of "Due", as that is most likely what the Coach means, or should we keep it the way it is? Lord-z 15:48, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

Agreed and changed. - Joshua

[edit] SB's Rank

Any ideas on what Strong Bad's rank stands for in this one? LTNRL? LieuTenant NaTuRal? LieuTeNant in Real Life? Like, Totally Not Right, Left? What? --Jeff J. W.(Talk·Contribs)hr.png

How about "Lieuteneral," like the toon says? - Joshua
Ah. Didn't hear that when I watched it, missed reading it in the transcript. Sorry, and thanks for the info. --Jeff J. W.(Talk·Contribs)hr.png

[edit] No Open Mic Night?

I know it sounds random, but I was hoping for an Open Mic Night at Mission Control, just like in Puppet Jam: Mission Control with They Might Be Giants. -JesseLangham

I agree - it would have been a nice inside reference. Perhaps a good theme song? (Actually, can anyone verify if there are any recognizeable themes in the background music during the slide show?) - KieferSkunk 20:50, 14 November 2005 (UTC)
Done! —AbdiViklas 03:50, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

Awww... I really like the Puppet Jams... {shrugs} It woulda made an awesome themesong. MrsCommanderson

[edit] Possible references for the video game

I was just thinking about the video game pictured in the SBASAF Slide Show, and wondering if it was a reference to any game in particular. Here's what I'm thinking:

  • Obviously, it appears to be a fighting game, so it parodies the genre as a whole. It's not specific enough to be a reference to any particular game.
    • The title "Food Fight" comes to mind...
  • A bit of a stretch, but there could also be a vague reference to Burgertime in there.

Just blabbering. Don't mind me. :) - KieferSkunk 20:55, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

I dunno about any references, but the ghost bears a slight resemblance to the Bad Graphics Ghost, I think. --DorianGray
No, I'm pretty sure both ghosts just resemble basic "sheet" ghosts. Not each other. - Joshua
But TBC are notorious for references like that. And I think the background looks like a better rendering of the Atari Main Page. --NFITC1
Yeah, I think that there is a definate reswmblance there, like it is an Atari 2600 version of the Bad Graphics Ghost, kinda like the Atari 2600 version of duck pond. --

RadSkat3

[edit] Anselmo?

I know Strong Bad seems like a Pantera fan, but we don't know that Anselmo refers to Phil. Could be a city in Nebraska, or Anselmo Baggio, or Anselmo Lorenzo, or San Anselmo California, or just a sweet Spanish sounding name Strong Bad picked.

He's more of a Limozeen fan. --The 386 My talk 21:54, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

Wait... what were we talking about? I'm confused.

The fun fact that claims '"The Proud Anselmo" is named for Phil Anselmo.'

See STUFF - we're voting on this being a reference to Rene Anselmo, who helped start the commercial satellite industry. - KieferSkunk 22:00, 14 November 2005 (UTC)
(PS: Sign your posts!)
Maybe it's both a Pantera and a satellite industry reference? The tendency on this wiki is to narrow down references to single instances. TBC are not that unidimensional.Vl-tone 08:05, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
Just for posterity, I'm noting here that this has been pretty much resolved by the point of cliffhangers, which contains references to Yngwie Malmsteen, "Humbuckers", and "Tabulature" in its "space program"-related section. They're all guitar-related, as are Joe Satriani and Chris Impellitteri. Oddly enough, Phil Anselmo is not known for playing guitar, but it still fits in the general theme.
He played guitar for Necrophagia. Swimma Dan 15:22, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
I would just like to point out that having grown up in western Nebraska and driven through Anselmo more times than I care to remember, I think you could probably safely cross the "city in Nebraska" off the list, although I'm sure it was a joke. And, for anyone that disagrees, look no further. --Duke33 16:42, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Slide Show background music

I'm not sure the Fun Fact, "The song that plays in the background of the slideshow is the song that plays when you roll over Store and Downloads on Main Page 19." is correct. It sounds similar, but they are definitely different songs. -JesseLangham

I agree. I don't think they are the same... I knew that Fun Fact didn't feel right:)!

--RadSkat3

[edit] Smoking

i think somthing about the narrarator talkign about "smooth and relaxing ciggerettes" should be put on the page. maybe as a reference to ciggerrete ads of the 60s and the propaganda and whatnot. its is a good reference...at least i think so..

Sounds good to me - go right ahead. (Real-World References) — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 01:19, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
What about the Apollo-era footage of Mission Control, which almost always featured NASA's brain trust burning great fields of tobacco? There was even a line in Apollo 13 about the ground crews "smoking like chimneys."

[edit] ______ _____face?

Anyone else think that the name Space Captainface was rather similar to Sir Hotbod Handsomeface, another nickname Strong Bad creates for himself in TGS issue 10? I'm ambivalent about whether this is a real inside reference or not, because there are a lot of similarities but, at the same time, it COULD just be coincidence. What do you all think? 01:49, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

  • Nah, Strong Bad's just not entirely creative with name-creation, I think. Nor is Homestar, for that matter. --DorianGray

[edit] Pong

The comment about a sonar "pong" not sounding different from a sonar "ping" is incorrect. If the target is moving towards the pinger, the returning "pong" will be higher pitched than the initial "ping". If the target is moving away from the pinger the "pong" will have a lower pitch than the "ping". This is due to the dopplereffect. -StrongRad

The critical question, though is: is "sonar pong" a real term? Or is it just a conflation of "ping-pong" and "sonar ping"? —AbdiViklas 04:51, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
I don't know about sonar, but in computing, the reply to a "Ping", which is named after the sonar term, is often called a "Pong" (indeed, that is the official name of the packet in some protocols, like IRC). Whether this is the case for sonar, formally or informally, I don't know. The wikipedia article for Sonar contains "ping" but not "pong", if that means anything. --phlip TC 05:16, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
A Google search for "sonar pong" (in quotes) yields only 24 results, mostly amateur fiction. Removing the quotes yields a lot more, but none that seem to me to indicate that the term "pong" is ever (accurately) used in connection with sonar. I'm going to go ahead and delete the part about the pong not sounding like the ping, which we've established is false, but it would be nice if we could also say that the term "sonar pong" doesn't really exist. Any Navy experts out there? —AbdiViklas 06:15, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
The people I know that use SODAR (a sound based radar that's usually just above human hearing) just call it a return. They didn't make any claims about speaking for SONAR people, but they said they thought it was just called a return there, too.StrongRad
A lot of people (and some programs) in networking use the term "pong", but it's technically incorrect, as the term doesn't officially exist in networking nomenclature. It came about due to the game "ping pong" - seemed logical at the time, and it's basically just a shorthand term. It doesn't really mean anything otherwise. - — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 17:56, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
RFC 1459 §4.6.3. As I said, it's often called a "pong", and it is even the official name in a few protocols. I didn't say it was universal... --phlip TC 02:01, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
Cool! That still doesn't address whether it's valid in connection with sonar, though. —AbdiViklas 02:10, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
Ok let's make a list of classic sound effects that could be found on a sound f/x CD. "Sonar Ping" is a good one, it's a classic, used in movies and TV shows, and more recently on computers and cellphones. A sound from the videogame "Pong" is also often found on these CD's. Oh look there is a Ping and a Pong in the same list! If there are sonar ping then there must be sonar pongs? Even if there aren't, it's still a good joke in many ways so that's why they kept it.Vl-tone 08:33, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
Of course it's a good joke. :) What we're discussing is that the term "Sonar Pong" would be a misnomer if it were referring to the ping return. More likely, it was inserted into the list because, for most people, "pong" logically follows "ping", and I doubt TBC meant it as anything more than that. The style of this wiki, though, is to explain this sort of thing in the Fun Facts. — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 18:38, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] When Sbemails cry

I'm waiting for someone to say that the opening song, "Email is the sound that we make when a young girl cries," is a reference to something. Is it simply to When Doves Cry? I suspect not. It might not be a reference to anything, but I have a hunch it's to something I just don't know. —AbdiViklas 04:56, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

The intro reminded me of something as well, but I can't put my finger on it. - KookykmanImage:kookysig.gif(t)(c)(r)
It always reminded me of Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs." One of the lines is "I write the songs that make the young girls cry." --128.120.173.85 05:51, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stron Gogh [Bad Ogh]'s Starry Night

During the scene with the $15, a blue or yellow shadow is cast by the cursor when it's moved over certain places around the star-filled area in the top of the slide. -- VolatileChemical 02:58, 15 November 2005 (UTC)}}

No idea what this fact is talking about. If it's true, then it needs to be more specific. The only "shadow" I see my cursor producing is the same shadow it always produces. -- Jay v.2024 (Auld lang syne)
The following users agree with Jay that nothing special happens with the cursor:

NOTE: I moved this here from the STUFF page because this seems more like a question of fact than opinion (that is, the shadow is either there or it isn't). — It's dot com 19:40, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Pun Intended?

Whether he realizes it or not, Strong Bad makes quite the pun when he says "pretender of the galaxies" instead of "defender of the galaxies". In societies whith monarchs, a claimant to the throne who styles themself the "true" ruler is often refered to as a "pretender to the throne". Likewise, Strong Bad's whole space program is little more than make-believe. -- The Real Zajac 13:13, 15 Nov 2005 (PST)

Interesting point, though I doubt TBC thought about it that much. Also, it might be worth noting that in an easter egg in extra plug, the King Of Town says "This bill is pretendous!" - I wonder if there's anything to that... — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 21:34, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
I always thought "Pretender" was Strong Bad attempting to combine "protector" and "defender." Rocketlex 22:50, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
No, I'm pretty sure it's just him combining "Pretend" and "Defender" in a neat little pun. I don't think it's a reference to any medieval thing though - it's just a clever li'l word. - Joshua 02:21, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Reflection

I decompiled the flash file and happened to find the original picture used in the Colecovision Hamburger Vs. Ghost scene. [1] It probably doesn't deserve a place in the article, but I thought it was kind of amusing. — Zelinda 21:29, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

That is really cool, with the reflection and all. We generally don't put stuff in that you have to decompile to find, though. But I'd like to make an exception in this case. - Joshua 21:35, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
We don't include things you have to decompile to find unless they add something to the article - same as out-of-the-frame things and seek bar things - case in point. The question is - can we figure out who's holding the camera from this? It looks like Mike, but I can't be sure... --phlip TC 01:56, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
Definitely looks like Mike to me. - KookykmanImage:kookysig.gif(t)(c)(r)

[edit] Hi-Ball

Should we add, in the Explanations section, what a Hi-ball is, or is it to obvious in context? Lord-z 22:15, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

Not sure. It's implied (especially in radio) that a Hi-Ball is an alcoholic drink, and this could fit the theme with the guy at Mission Control smoking as well. But it's never made clear in either of these emails. (I'm also wracking my brain trying to figure out where else the Hi-Ball has appeared.) — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 22:20, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
I don't think anywhere besides radio. —AbdiViklas 01:59, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
highball:an iced drink containing liquor (as whiskey) and water or a carbonated beverage and served in a tall glass. -- Mycroft Holmes 22:29, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

This is at least the third time they've used hi-ball in some way. I smell a running gag . . . -- The Real Zajac 15:12, 16 Nov 2005 (PST)

[edit] Game Boy Camera

For some reason, the grilled cheese segment music reminds me of game boy camera.-- Benol, aka Coach B 13:56, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Up Stairs and DownStairs and in his nightgown

Wait, Stux, before I go rereverting your rerevert, weren't you right the first time? From Dictionary.com:
1. Down the stairs: raced my friend downstairs.
2. To or on a lower floor: waited downstairs while her parents were getting dressed.
Now technically, it sounds like it would be more appropriate if there were a sense of place (referring to a particular set of stairs, known to the speaker and the audience), but I would think this entry makes it hard to call their usage an out-and-out, verifiable "error," certainly not one deserving a Fun Fact, anyway. —AbdiViklas 16:44, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

The way I read it as it should be is "body falling down [the] stairs" so the body is actively falling down the stairs -- that would make sense for a sound effect. The other way "body falling downstairs" implies that I am upstairs listening to a body falling in the floor bellow. The example sentece 1. to me, reads the same way: I'm racing my friend to the lower level. Once I realized this that's why I re-reverted. :) --Stux 16:48, 21 November 2005 (UTC)
(Edit conflict) This is similar to the "trooper" discussion we were having in Talk:Coach Z. Here's how I understand the usage of the terms:
  • Going downstairs: Denotes that you're specifically going to a lower floor. Refers more to the destination than to how you get there.
  • Going down (the) stairs: Refers more to the fact that you're going down a flight of stairs. Does not necessarily talk about the destination.
  • Blank stares: What I'm probably getting right now. ;)

Personally, I think "Body falling downstairs" and "Body falling down stairs" are both perfectly acceptable, though given the nature of the sound effect, "down stairs" (as in, "down some stairs") is probably more technically correct. — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 16:53, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

Edit Conflict: Ugh well ok i'm not so sure now... but 1. the samples you gave me were from the adv. section, is the sound effect label also using it as an adverb? --Stux 16:54, 21 November 2005 (UTC)
Edit Conflict 1: Edit conflict, too? Sorry, but I'm still confused. Wouldn't "To or on a lower floor" cover this? Again, that would convey a sense of place on the speaker, but would be acceptable; and in the first example, the speaker isn't referring to a floor below per se; he/she is actually transitioning floors; by the time of the comment, he/she is "downstairs." At any rate, I maintain that "down stairs" would have been preferable, but I'm not convinced it's absolutely wrong as used, at least not enough to merit a Fun Fact. —AbdiViklas 16:59, 21 November 2005 (UTC)
(Edit Conflict's Last Stand) More to the point: Despite its technical correctness, is it necessary to point out an error on a commonly-used term? "Downstairs" may be slang in this case, but virtually everyone uses the term to refer to both the action and the destination. — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 16:59, 21 November 2005 (UTC) (Am I making any sense?)
Not and edit Conflict: I dunno. This is an encyclopedia no? So yeah i'm kinda torn between both points: it's technically not correct (??) but it's techincally correct and used by everybody. So there's a little bit of both, and it definitely makes for an interesting party conversation. piece. Thing. Ok I g2g to class... cya! --Stux 17:26, 21 November 2005 (UTC)
What's the issue here? TBC clearly use "downstairs." (See easter egg) - Joshua 17:34, 21 November 2005 (UTC)
I think the issue is whether or not TBC's use of "downstairs" is correct. — Image:kskunk_fstandby.gif KieferSkunk (talk) — 17:37, 21 November 2005 (UTC)
Oh. Sorry. I thought you were wondering about what spelling to use in the transcript. Nevermind me then... - Joshua 19:21, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

I wasn't aware of this discussion when I saw the item in the fun facts, and I removed the mention. Now that I see this thread, I should at least justify my reasoning: as mentioned way above, downstairs can function as an adverb meaning "down the stairs" (by the way, dictionary.com is not a reference; the source quoted is actually the American Heritage Dictionary). Hence, a body falling down the stairs is falling downstairs. It really doesn't matter that downstairs can mean any of the other things it means or that "down some stairs" might have been a better way to put it. The fact is that TBC's usage is correct and therefore unremarkable. — It's dot com 19:43, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

I just throught that it was what I have come to call a Strongbadism. Strange combinations of words and spellings that mostly appears is connection with Strong Bad, such as "Tish, you", "Please to be putting on more clothes" and so on. Lord-z 20:44, 28 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Closed STUFF

[edit] Just like your Earth insects. Larger, of course...

Strong Bad's pronunciation of "mutant" is most likely a reference to the classic science-fiction film This Island Earth (featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie), where an alien "mut-ant" figures in the climax.

Posted on: 13:47, 15 November 2005 (UTC)
Closed: 16:46, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

VERDICT: This item was overwhelmingly accepted as revised, 13–2. The votes and arguments have been moved to HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/space program.

[edit] Chris Impellitteri / A mutant from where?

The Proud Anselmo, Satriani 5 and the Impellitteri Sector all refer to famous rock musicians — Phil Anselmo, Joe Satriani and Chris Impellitteri, respectively.

Posted on: 11:53, 17 November 2005 (UTC)
Closed: 16:36, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

VERDICT: This item was combined and then accepted as revised, 11–1. The votes and arguments have been moved to HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/space program.

[edit] Hap Arnold

Harold "Strap" Coopmore is possibly a reference to U.S. Air Force General Henry "Hap" Arnold who served on the committee that would become NASA.

Posted on: 22:58, 14 November 2005 (UTC)
Closed: 16:46, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

VERDICT: This item was overwhelmingly accepted, 24–3. The votes and arguments have been moved to HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/space program.

[edit] Proud Anselmo

The "Proud Anselmo" is most likely a reference to Rene Anselmo, the driven creator of the commercial satellite industry.

Posted on: 21:25, 14 November 2005 (UTC)
Closed: 16:46, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

VERDICT: This item was overwhelmingly accepted, 20–5. The votes and arguments have been moved to HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/space program.

[edit] More Grilled and Cheesy Than You

The obsession with grilled cheese sandwiches seen in this email may be a reference to The Sims 2 Nightlife, where one of the available aspirations is the "Grilled Cheese Aspiration"

Posted on: 19:50, 14 November 2005 (UTC)
Closed: 18:22, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

VERDICT: This item was unanimously declined, 22–0. The votes and arguments have been moved to HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/space program.

[edit] The space army

Strong Bad has the military-esque rank of "First Lieuteneral", but NASA (which SBASAF mirrors) is a civillian organization.

Posted on: 15:06, 14 November 2005 (UTC)
Closed: 00:09, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

VERDICT: This item was unanimously declined, 20–0. The votes and arguments have been moved to HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/space program.

[edit] not-for-profit vs. non-profit.

re: this edit, which was revised then reverted;

I left the phrase "non-profit" intact because it's the most common version, and because it's the quickest route to the relevant wikipedia article. However, I felt that it was important to include the note about the phrase "not-for-profit" meaning the same thing, not for the sake of completeness, or because it's also fairly common (which it is), but because I felt that it should be mentioned since the phrasing used in the email itself is "definitely-for-profit". I'll leave it for now because I don't want to start an edit war, I just wanted to state my case. - Uglinessman 20:35, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

That's understandable; at first I agreed with you. But I noticed the wikipedia link offers several different versions, including "nonprofit", "not-for-profit", "non-profit", and "NPO". There's no reason to mention all of them. However you've made a good case. I can't speak for all editors, but if you want to change it back again I won't revert it. Thunderbird 20:40, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What's my age again?

THE KING OF TOWN: I'm in my 60s!

Is this the first (and/or only) time a character has given a direct, numerical reference to their age? Gus 01:12, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I think so... --DorianGray

[edit] The Last Starfighter

The idea of being good enough at video games to be an astronaut might come from the scifi movie The Last Starfighter where a trailer park slacker beats an arcade machine and is recrutied as the savior of an alien race. Anybody else notice that?
-User:*_Aaron_*

[edit] Grilled Cheese

I know it's not particularly relevant, or useful, and noone is likely to read it, but I am compelled to say that the music in the grilled cheese sequences is pretty much the best thing ever.--The4swordImage:The4swordssigpicisbetterthanyours.PNG 12:28, 8 July 2007 (UTC)

In the future, if you have a comment that's not particularly relevant or useful, try the forum. Thanks. Heimstern Läufer 12:40, 8 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fact needing confirmation

  • The "Body Falling Down Stairs" sound effect is actually from (or the same one used by) the end of Blink 182's Cheshire Cat album, at the end of the song "Depends."

Can someone please confirm the accuracy of this fact? — Defender1031*Talk 21:25, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Links in dialogue

As of this timestamp, there are several links in the spoken dialogue (in the DVD commentary). Looking at it makes me realize why we don't do that. I don't have time to fix it now, so I'm posting here to remind myself for later or in case someone else wants to take care of it. — It's dot com 20:58, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, DG! — It's dot com 13:33, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

[edit] NO MARTIN VAN BUREN?!

The Childrens, being very big fans of the United States are shocked to see no one has put in the plain ol' fact that the same Martin Van Buren bust from The Cheat's "Characters" video was used as a hood ornament.

Trivia. The Knights Who Say Ni 03:28, 21 March 2015 (UTC)
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