Peter Boyle, the unforgettable monster in Young Frankenstein, dead at age 71.
In Memoriam, one of the funnier scenes from that great movie (with Gene Hackman).
12.13.2006
12.10.2006
On San Antonio
The US Judiciary's Support and Development Services Division is located in San Antonio, TX, and so it fell to me to visit their training branch last week for an indoctrination into their spaghetti code.
I took some pictures while I was there.
And now I'm back, and happy to be here.
I took some pictures while I was there.
And now I'm back, and happy to be here.
11.29.2006
Further: The Fountain (Spoilers)
I just read yet another review that missed the point of Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain. It would perhaps be best to remember the words of Ben Kingsley in Lucky Number Slevin*, but I prefer to rant behind the cut. And yes, there are spoilers.
The Fountain is not "a love story played out across several centuries"; it is a love story played out in one very discreet time period. It is, at its base, the story of a man who is losing his wife to cancer. The twist is that he is a researcher who may be on the brink of discovering a way of curing his wife. The anguishing dilemma is this: should he stay by her side and let the clock count down, or should be spend all of his time at work, trying to cure her?
He opts to stay by her side. She dies.
And while he's there by her side, the thing he was working on seems to work on the lab animal. But of course, he's not there to see it, so there's no hurried rush to inject her with the serum, no rapid recovery, no happy ending. Instead there's crushing, irrational guilt. It doesn't matter that, as his mentor puts it, cures are not developed overnight; it only matters that it might have been.
Okay, you say, but what about the trippy bodhisattva in the bubble rushing through space? What about the conquistador searching for the Tree of Life in the Novis Mundi? Fictions. At a certain point in the story, Rachel Weisz gives Hugh Jackman a handwritten manuscript title "The Fountain." The story of the conquistador, as it parallels the life of her husband, is written in the manuscript. Before she dies, she tells Jackman to finish it.
He doesn't want to. He doesn't think he can. He's wracked with guilt. He's killed her through his lack of devotion, his decision to be with her instead of work for her. He's not worthy.
And then he finishes reading what she's written, and he sees that she had made peace with death. He sees that she believed that in death there is the seed of life. He sees that she wants him to live. And so he finishes the story. He takes it into the realm of metaphysical science fiction, where he, the traveller, floats through space along with the Tree of Life, seeking to penetrate into the heart of Xibalba, the Mayan Realm of the Dead, where the death of that star will reinvigorate the Tree, bringing them all back to life. He has the conquistador partake of the Tree of Life only to die and erupt in plant life, the world reborn. He envisions the death of the tree and the explosion of the star and the understanding that in the consumption of the phoenix in the flame lies its own rebirth.
He comes to grips with her death, and he demonstrates this, at the end of the movie, by planting a seed in her grave.
So there you have it. One story, three parts, two fictional, one factual. It's not that hard to follow, really. I think people are getting tripped up on the "centuries-spanning" thing because it's the easiest, laziest way to view the material, but really, that's just plain wrong.
*'My father used to say: "The first time someone calls you a horse you punch him on the nose, the second time someone calls you a horse you call him a jerk but the third time someone calls you a horse, well then perhaps it's time to go shopping for a saddle."'
He opts to stay by her side. She dies.
And while he's there by her side, the thing he was working on seems to work on the lab animal. But of course, he's not there to see it, so there's no hurried rush to inject her with the serum, no rapid recovery, no happy ending. Instead there's crushing, irrational guilt. It doesn't matter that, as his mentor puts it, cures are not developed overnight; it only matters that it might have been.
Okay, you say, but what about the trippy bodhisattva in the bubble rushing through space? What about the conquistador searching for the Tree of Life in the Novis Mundi? Fictions. At a certain point in the story, Rachel Weisz gives Hugh Jackman a handwritten manuscript title "The Fountain." The story of the conquistador, as it parallels the life of her husband, is written in the manuscript. Before she dies, she tells Jackman to finish it.
He doesn't want to. He doesn't think he can. He's wracked with guilt. He's killed her through his lack of devotion, his decision to be with her instead of work for her. He's not worthy.
And then he finishes reading what she's written, and he sees that she had made peace with death. He sees that she believed that in death there is the seed of life. He sees that she wants him to live. And so he finishes the story. He takes it into the realm of metaphysical science fiction, where he, the traveller, floats through space along with the Tree of Life, seeking to penetrate into the heart of Xibalba, the Mayan Realm of the Dead, where the death of that star will reinvigorate the Tree, bringing them all back to life. He has the conquistador partake of the Tree of Life only to die and erupt in plant life, the world reborn. He envisions the death of the tree and the explosion of the star and the understanding that in the consumption of the phoenix in the flame lies its own rebirth.
He comes to grips with her death, and he demonstrates this, at the end of the movie, by planting a seed in her grave.
So there you have it. One story, three parts, two fictional, one factual. It's not that hard to follow, really. I think people are getting tripped up on the "centuries-spanning" thing because it's the easiest, laziest way to view the material, but really, that's just plain wrong.
*'My father used to say: "The first time someone calls you a horse you punch him on the nose, the second time someone calls you a horse you call him a jerk but the third time someone calls you a horse, well then perhaps it's time to go shopping for a saddle."'
11.24.2006
Movies: The Fountain
Darren Aronofsky started his career with the absolutely mindblowing π, the only movie in recent memory to actually capture the actual experience of a migraine down to its painful, painful core. If you haven't see π and you're a math/conspiracy geek and/or Kabbalist (and none of the Madona Red-ribbon cult crap), you owe it to yourself to see that film. And take some Motrin.
The Fountain is the story of a man who loves his wife and does not want to lose her. He has the potential power to keep her, but the price could be missing out on the moments he has left with her. But of course, this is Darren Aronofsky, so if you think that's all there is to it, you're in for a surprise. No, Aronofsky wraps up this tale in metaphor and fantasy, and it can be a little confusing as to what's really going on. For Yoko and me, this sorted itself out, and we really enjoyed the experience. Mind you, we're weird.
In short (too late), if you like metaphysical metaphors mixed in with man struggling through the basic human condition, you'll (probably) dig this. If reading the previous sentence made you yawn or rush to the next sentence, The Fountain is probably not for you.
I read a review in The Independent Weekly where I felt the reviewer missed the entire point, but I'll put that in Rot13 so as not to spoil. You can find a decent Rot13 encrypter here.
Evqvphybhf. Gur Pbadhvfgnqbe fgbel naq gur Fpvrapr Svpgvba raq fgbel ner cneg bs gur znahfpevcg gung Enpury Jrvfm nfxf uvz gb svavfu. Ur'f jevgvat gur raqvat nf n jnl gb vyyhfgengr uvf bja qnjavat haqrefgnaqvat gung qrngu vf abg na raq ohg gur ortvaavat bs yvsr. Gur Pbadhvfgnqbe pnaabg haqrefgnaq gung gur Sbhagnva bs Lbhgu vf qrngu; gur lbtv svanyyl trgf vg. Naq va gur irel raq, fb qbrf gur erny Uhtu Wnpxzna, juvpu jr frr orpnhfr ur cynagf gur frrq va ure tenir.
And that's what I have to say on the matter.
The Fountain is the story of a man who loves his wife and does not want to lose her. He has the potential power to keep her, but the price could be missing out on the moments he has left with her. But of course, this is Darren Aronofsky, so if you think that's all there is to it, you're in for a surprise. No, Aronofsky wraps up this tale in metaphor and fantasy, and it can be a little confusing as to what's really going on. For Yoko and me, this sorted itself out, and we really enjoyed the experience. Mind you, we're weird.
In short (too late), if you like metaphysical metaphors mixed in with man struggling through the basic human condition, you'll (probably) dig this. If reading the previous sentence made you yawn or rush to the next sentence, The Fountain is probably not for you.
I read a review in The Independent Weekly where I felt the reviewer missed the entire point, but I'll put that in Rot13 so as not to spoil. You can find a decent Rot13 encrypter here.
N fgbel bs "ybir rireynfgvat," vg srngherf Wnpxzna naq Jrvfm nf ybiref pbaarpgrq ol ervapneangvba guebhtu guerr yvirf: nf n Fcnavfu dhrra naq n pbadhvfgnqbe va frnepu bs gur Gerr bs Yvsr va Znlna Zrkvpb; nf n zrqvpny erfrnepure naq n qlvat jevgre va gur cerfrag qnl; naq nf gur erfvqragf bs n shgher praghel jurer vagretnynpgvp geniry naq Ohqquvfg zrqvgngvba cbfgherf frrz gb pbzovar.
Evqvphybhf. Gur Pbadhvfgnqbe fgbel naq gur Fpvrapr Svpgvba raq fgbel ner cneg bs gur znahfpevcg gung Enpury Jrvfm nfxf uvz gb svavfu. Ur'f jevgvat gur raqvat nf n jnl gb vyyhfgengr uvf bja qnjavat haqrefgnaqvat gung qrngu vf abg na raq ohg gur ortvaavat bs yvsr. Gur Pbadhvfgnqbe pnaabg haqrefgnaq gung gur Sbhagnva bs Lbhgu vf qrngu; gur lbtv svanyyl trgf vg. Naq va gur irel raq, fb qbrf gur erny Uhtu Wnpxzna, juvpu jr frr orpnhfr ur cynagf gur frrq va ure tenir.
And that's what I have to say on the matter.
11.18.2006
007
In the book Casino Royale, Ian Fleming paints the picture of an agent who is very good at being an agent because he's sadistic, uncaring, egotistical, selfish, and exquisitely capable. Sean Connery did a fairly good job of capturing these qualities in the movie Dr. No (in particular, the "That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six" scene; sweet, sweet Bond cruelty), but by the time you get to Thunderball, the edge has dropped away, and he's playing the Bond that Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan would have to live up to: smooth, glib, charming, composed. Fair enough; that character sells movies.
In the movie Casino Royale (yes, the 2006 version), Director Martin Campbell, obviously trying to make up for Golden Eye, has returned to the old school Bond, and his muse, Daniel Craig, does not disappoint. He's ruggedly handsome, very capably fit, and cold, cold, cold. This is a man who is very good at being an agent for the very reasons Fleming wrote. This is a man very well-suited to his career. This is a 00 agent.
The movie is, in short, very good. It quickly moves into an absolutely astounding chase through construction sites, streets, and an embassy; do not show up late to the movie, or you'll miss some amazing action. It does not keep up this pace throughout the film, however, and you may be forgiven for looking at your watch once or twice as it drags through the slow bits. Don't worry, it pulls back together.
Four thumbs up.
In the movie Casino Royale (yes, the 2006 version), Director Martin Campbell, obviously trying to make up for Golden Eye, has returned to the old school Bond, and his muse, Daniel Craig, does not disappoint. He's ruggedly handsome, very capably fit, and cold, cold, cold. This is a man who is very good at being an agent for the very reasons Fleming wrote. This is a man very well-suited to his career. This is a 00 agent.
The movie is, in short, very good. It quickly moves into an absolutely astounding chase through construction sites, streets, and an embassy; do not show up late to the movie, or you'll miss some amazing action. It does not keep up this pace throughout the film, however, and you may be forgiven for looking at your watch once or twice as it drags through the slow bits. Don't worry, it pulls back together.
Four thumbs up.
11.11.2006
The Library of Timbuktu
Researchers in Mali have found 150,000 ancient texts buried in Timbuktu. This is remarkable on so many levels.
I, for one, am looking forward to the wealth of knowledge on Prester John that's sure to ooze out of this like the backstory to an Umberto Eco novel.
I, for one, am looking forward to the wealth of knowledge on Prester John that's sure to ooze out of this like the backstory to an Umberto Eco novel.
11.08.2006
Finally
Democrats have won control of the House, and Nancy Pelosi is now the first woman Speaker of the House.
The Dems appear to have won control of the Senate, although given Webb's 8,000 seat (0.30% of the votes cast) lead in Virginia, a recount is inevitable (and healthy, and warranted).
Rumsfeld has resigned, and Bush intends to replace him with Robert Gates. Meanwhile, Daniel Ortega has been elected President of Nicaragua. Good grief, folks, did we really need another set of data points to convince us that we never really left the 80's?
And Minnesota has elected Keith Ellison to Congress, making him the first Muslim Representative. Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans, and atheists, take heart.
I am... relieved.
Remember, folks: This is when the work begins. While the House could vote to impeach the Chimp in Chief, there's no way the Senate would approve it (2/3 majority needed for that). The real power of the opposition party being in power here will lie not in its ability to punish, but its ability to resist AND its ability to reach across the aisle and pass reasonable measures.
The thing that appeals to me most, however, is that Bush is now, officially, a lame duck. Oh, that's so delicious.
The Dems appear to have won control of the Senate, although given Webb's 8,000 seat (0.30% of the votes cast) lead in Virginia, a recount is inevitable (and healthy, and warranted).
Rumsfeld has resigned, and Bush intends to replace him with Robert Gates. Meanwhile, Daniel Ortega has been elected President of Nicaragua. Good grief, folks, did we really need another set of data points to convince us that we never really left the 80's?
And Minnesota has elected Keith Ellison to Congress, making him the first Muslim Representative. Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans, and atheists, take heart.
I am... relieved.
Remember, folks: This is when the work begins. While the House could vote to impeach the Chimp in Chief, there's no way the Senate would approve it (2/3 majority needed for that). The real power of the opposition party being in power here will lie not in its ability to punish, but its ability to resist AND its ability to reach across the aisle and pass reasonable measures.
The thing that appeals to me most, however, is that Bush is now, officially, a lame duck. Oh, that's so delicious.
11.07.2006
5:45 p.m. Voting Reminder
East Coasters, you've either voted or you've lost your chance. Everyone else: get to the polls and
And just to get it out of the way, no matter who wins, I for one welcome our alien overlords.
VOTE!
And just to get it out of the way, no matter who wins, I for one welcome our alien overlords.
3:30 p.m. PST Voting Reminder
It's 3:30 p.m. PST, which means that if you live on the East Coast, you have 1.5 hours left to get your butt to your polling station to
VOTE!
11:30 a.m. PST Voting Reminder
If you're in California, it's getting awfully close to lunch time. What a great chance to get out and
VOTE!
8:30 a.m. Voting Reminder
It's 8:30 a.m., which means the polls are open everywhere but Hawaii. Take the time out today to go
VOTE!
11.06.2006
10pm Reminder
It's 10 p.m. PST on the night before an election (here in the US). IF you're a US citizen AND you're registered to vote AND you have not already done so by mailing in an absentee ballot, THEN
tomorrow. If not, write me a 500 word essay on why you're not or submit to the fact that I will shun (SHUN the unbeliever SHUN!) you from now on.
(There will be regular updates to this. If this bugs you, you'd do well to stop reading my blog until after 8 p.m. PST tomorrow night.)
VOTE!
tomorrow. If not, write me a 500 word essay on why you're not or submit to the fact that I will shun (SHUN the unbeliever SHUN!) you from now on.
(There will be regular updates to this. If this bugs you, you'd do well to stop reading my blog until after 8 p.m. PST tomorrow night.)
Dirty Tricks
Ganked from Slashdot:
Let us be clear: this is criminal behavior, even if it's not explicitly illegal. People should go to jail for this, regardless of their political affiliations.
"In 53 Congressional campaigns across the country, including the Pennsylvania 6th, the Connecticut 4th, the North Carolina 11th, the New Hampshire 2nd, and the Illinois 6th and 8th (and possibly all races), the National Republican Congressional Committee is conducting a $2.1 million campaign to make it appear as if Democrats are spamming callers with telemarketing calls. The NRCC hired Conquest Communications Group to conduct a massive nationwide robocalling campaign with calls specifically scripted to appear as if they're coming from the Democratic candidate — in violation of FCC regulations on such 'robocalls,' which requires the identity of the caller to be stated at the beginning of the message [47 CFR 64.1200(b)(1)]. The call begins with 'Hello. I'm calling with information about,' and then says the name of the Democratic candidate. There is then a pause; if the recipient hangs up here, they will receive repeated calls back with the same message, potentially up to 18 times or more (according to one callee). If the callee doesn't hang up, they hear a smear message from the machine about the Democratic candidate. The NRCC thinks the legality of the calls is, conveniently, a 'complicated legal question that's not going to get adjudicated this weekend.'"
Update 20:47 GMT by SM: Thankfully we all learned how to deal with these folks last week.
Let us be clear: this is criminal behavior, even if it's not explicitly illegal. People should go to jail for this, regardless of their political affiliations.
This Year, a Novel Approach
Every year I encourage folks here in the US to show up at the polls and vote. This year I'm doing it ahead of time.
Tomorrow is Election Day here in the US. If you're a citizen (and if you've already registered), take the time to go to your local polling station and VOTE. If you're voting absentee and you haven't turned in your ballot yet, hand it in at your polling place tomorrow.
While I really do care how you vote, I'm not going to tell you how to vote. Just VOTE.
Tomorrow is Election Day here in the US. If you're a citizen (and if you've already registered), take the time to go to your local polling station and VOTE. If you're voting absentee and you haven't turned in your ballot yet, hand it in at your polling place tomorrow.
While I really do care how you vote, I'm not going to tell you how to vote. Just VOTE.
VOTE!
11.05.2006
Horror, and such
My darling Yoko is Japanese. She also has a different take on what's scary and what's not. In particular, things like the little girl in The Ring are scary to her, but not unbearably so; the little girl in Ringu (the Japanese original), however, is so freaky and scary that Yoko will not even watch that movie. There is a tradition in Japan of scary being not that which does terrible things, or the things done, so much as the psychotic woman with long, stringy black hair over her face laughing psychotically.
One could extrapolate a fear of disorder or a fear of the irrational, if one wished, but I'll leave that for someone else to do.
So, since American scary movies don't scare her, she does, occasionally, want to see them to see what all the buzz is about. Sadly, I'm a full-fledged wimp when it comes to scary things. Well, okay, that's not entirely true, although I'm not backing up here just to assuage my bruised male ego. I can (and will) watch scary things, and even gross things, and laugh. It's just, well, I'm pretty well aware, intellectually, of the evil that people do to each other, and most horror films don't grip me enough to make it worth my while to follow them all the way through.
Oh, and zombie movies seriously freak me out to the point where I have trouble sleeping*. There, I've said it, and I am unashamed to admit it**.
My friend Z-, on the other hand, likes scary movies. He saw the new Dawn of the Dead. He's looking forward to renting The Descent.
So when Yoko made it clear that she would, at some point, like to see Slither and Hostel, I knew whom to call, and it wasn't Ghost Busters.
We had a lovely meal at Z-'s place, and then we watched Slither and Hostel. Reviewishness, with possible spoilers, follows behind the cut.
Of the two, Slither was the lighter, funnier one. It's about aliens taking over people by way of oral invasion or through impregnation via tentacles to the abdomen (shades of Xtro and hentai anime). Really. Oh, yeah, and there's a certain zombie-ish manner to the people who get taken over. And the impregnees eat a helluvalot of meat and then get really big. And then explode. And then more slug-like things come out and try to get in people's mouths. So you can see how it's the lighter, funnier one.
Seriously, though, it has a few gross-out scenes and plenty of anticipatory suspense scenes (the one in the bathtub really had me wondering just how far the director was going to go with this, but he thankfully turned back just on the brink of, um, bad taste).
Hostel is the one that got lots of press as a scary film. Here are the spoilers: there are scenes where people are tortured with power drills, chain saws, scissors, scapels, a blowtorch, and a claw rake; there are also lots of scenes of bodies being chopped up. And it's disturbing and gross. And yet....
In 1929, Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel made Un chien andalou in which they simulated cutting a woman's eyeball. It does not matter much that they subsituted a dead calf's eyeball for the woman's eyeball. The effect of just reading about that scene is so incredibly off the scale that I submit that it is the ne plus ultra of cinematic torture, barring the actual existence of a snuff film.
Hostel doesn't really get close to that. In addition, Hostel is a carefully crafted movie that adheres closely to the zero sum karma rules for horror films (and, might I add, tales of heroic journeys and transformations): the better things are, the worse they must become, and the worse things become, the bigger the payoff must be at the end of the film. In Hostel, you get the torture, but you also get the redeemptive, retributive emergence of the protagonist into the light, escaping from the Underworld damaged but mostly intact, and utterly transformed.
So, if you can get past the ick, it's actually not a bad film.
* Look, there's just something about the silent or quiet shambling (or running) dead creeping about in the dark looking for living things to eat/infect that makes every creak of the floorboards and every click or groan of the house settling make me lie in bed with my eyes wide open, listening intently.
** There are two exceptions to this: 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. And even they made me twitchy.
One could extrapolate a fear of disorder or a fear of the irrational, if one wished, but I'll leave that for someone else to do.
So, since American scary movies don't scare her, she does, occasionally, want to see them to see what all the buzz is about. Sadly, I'm a full-fledged wimp when it comes to scary things. Well, okay, that's not entirely true, although I'm not backing up here just to assuage my bruised male ego. I can (and will) watch scary things, and even gross things, and laugh. It's just, well, I'm pretty well aware, intellectually, of the evil that people do to each other, and most horror films don't grip me enough to make it worth my while to follow them all the way through.
Oh, and zombie movies seriously freak me out to the point where I have trouble sleeping*. There, I've said it, and I am unashamed to admit it**.
My friend Z-, on the other hand, likes scary movies. He saw the new Dawn of the Dead. He's looking forward to renting The Descent.
So when Yoko made it clear that she would, at some point, like to see Slither and Hostel, I knew whom to call, and it wasn't Ghost Busters.
We had a lovely meal at Z-'s place, and then we watched Slither and Hostel. Reviewishness, with possible spoilers, follows behind the cut.
Of the two, Slither was the lighter, funnier one. It's about aliens taking over people by way of oral invasion or through impregnation via tentacles to the abdomen (shades of Xtro and hentai anime). Really. Oh, yeah, and there's a certain zombie-ish manner to the people who get taken over. And the impregnees eat a helluvalot of meat and then get really big. And then explode. And then more slug-like things come out and try to get in people's mouths. So you can see how it's the lighter, funnier one.
Seriously, though, it has a few gross-out scenes and plenty of anticipatory suspense scenes (the one in the bathtub really had me wondering just how far the director was going to go with this, but he thankfully turned back just on the brink of, um, bad taste).
Hostel is the one that got lots of press as a scary film. Here are the spoilers: there are scenes where people are tortured with power drills, chain saws, scissors, scapels, a blowtorch, and a claw rake; there are also lots of scenes of bodies being chopped up. And it's disturbing and gross. And yet....
In 1929, Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel made Un chien andalou in which they simulated cutting a woman's eyeball. It does not matter much that they subsituted a dead calf's eyeball for the woman's eyeball. The effect of just reading about that scene is so incredibly off the scale that I submit that it is the ne plus ultra of cinematic torture, barring the actual existence of a snuff film.
Hostel doesn't really get close to that. In addition, Hostel is a carefully crafted movie that adheres closely to the zero sum karma rules for horror films (and, might I add, tales of heroic journeys and transformations): the better things are, the worse they must become, and the worse things become, the bigger the payoff must be at the end of the film. In Hostel, you get the torture, but you also get the redeemptive, retributive emergence of the protagonist into the light, escaping from the Underworld damaged but mostly intact, and utterly transformed.
So, if you can get past the ick, it's actually not a bad film.
* Look, there's just something about the silent or quiet shambling (or running) dead creeping about in the dark looking for living things to eat/infect that makes every creak of the floorboards and every click or groan of the house settling make me lie in bed with my eyes wide open, listening intently.
** There are two exceptions to this: 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. And even they made me twitchy.
10.29.2006
A Pet Peeve
I hate political campaign flyers. You know the ones: they're hanging from your doorknob when you get home, they're falling out of those hooks at the bottom of you mailbox. Today, a proponent of Measure O actually slipped a flyer under our door.
I grabbed it and went outside to confront her, saying, "Please don't do that. Please don't put these under my door."
To which she replied: "It's perfectly legal."
Help me, lazy web. Is it perfectly legal in the state of California to stuff these annoying flyers under people's doors?
And even if it is, what kind of moron thinks that I really want another flipping flyer on an issue? And more to the point, if I ask you not to do it, what kind of moron do you have to be to not see that pedantically asserting your legal right to do this is not going to endear me to your cause?
I grabbed it and went outside to confront her, saying, "Please don't do that. Please don't put these under my door."
To which she replied: "It's perfectly legal."
Help me, lazy web. Is it perfectly legal in the state of California to stuff these annoying flyers under people's doors?
And even if it is, what kind of moron thinks that I really want another flipping flyer on an issue? And more to the point, if I ask you not to do it, what kind of moron do you have to be to not see that pedantically asserting your legal right to do this is not going to endear me to your cause?
10.28.2006
Sanity, and its distant relations
The BBC reports on teh Prez reiterating his claim that "the US administration does not condone torture." Teh Prez had to say this again, of course, because his right-hand cyborg, Dick Cheney made it clear in an interview recently that '"a dunk in the water" for terrorism suspects during questioning in order to save American lives was a "no-brainer".'
First, let's remember that waterboarding is not "a dunk in the water."
Then view this peculiar statement on the Veep's comments by the BBC:
"His comments have provoked outrage from anti-torture and human rights groups."
I suggest to you, gentle readers, that being anti-torture is much the same as being pro-air and anti-homicidal maniacs. That is to say, sane.
It disturbs me to no end to know that we have a situation where we need to define this position.
First, let's remember that waterboarding is not "a dunk in the water."
Then view this peculiar statement on the Veep's comments by the BBC:
"His comments have provoked outrage from anti-torture and human rights groups."
I suggest to you, gentle readers, that being anti-torture is much the same as being pro-air and anti-homicidal maniacs. That is to say, sane.
It disturbs me to no end to know that we have a situation where we need to define this position.
10.19.2006
Beast from the Murky Depths
This is the winner of this year's Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
In case it's not immediately clear, that's a walrus feeding on clams off Northeast Greenland.
In case it's not immediately clear, that's a walrus feeding on clams off Northeast Greenland.
10.07.2006
This is how videos should look
I was searching the web for a copy of the newish Basement Jaxx track Hey U (.mp3, 6.8mb), and I came upon this spectacular video for their track Take Me Back to Your House (YouTube video). Mind you, it's not an engaging enough piece of music for me to want to take it back to my house, but the video was teh awes0me, with flying dancing Russians and a tank. What's not to like?
10.04.2006
A New Low
In my wildest dreams, I could not-- Okay, let me back up. In my wildest dreams, I could certainly come up with this sort of thing. However, despite my vast imagination, I cannot conceive of a world where someone would think this would actually fly.
At which point you ask: Erik, what the hell are you talking about?
More details here. Please ignore the ugly layout and such.
At which point you ask: Erik, what the hell are you talking about?
More details here. Please ignore the ugly layout and such.
9.12.2006
9.04.2006
8.22.2006
The Amazing Screw-on Head
Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy, has one-upped himself with the utterly over-the-top animated feature for Sci Fi Channel, The Amazing Screw-on Head, the pilot for which you can watch, free, online.
Why would you want to watch this? Let's see: werewolves, zombies, vampire ex-girlfriends, Paul Giamatti, the Museum of Dangerous Books and Paper, amphibian demigods, David Hyde Pierce, Abraham Lincoln, and Prussians. If none of this tempts you, then don't watch.
Why would you want to watch this? Let's see: werewolves, zombies, vampire ex-girlfriends, Paul Giamatti, the Museum of Dangerous Books and Paper, amphibian demigods, David Hyde Pierce, Abraham Lincoln, and Prussians. If none of this tempts you, then don't watch.
8.15.2006
Dreams Come True
A long time back, I asked you, my good readers, to go to the AC Transit website and vote to support WiFi for the Transbay buses. You apparently did real, real good.
Thank you. When I get the replacement battery for my work Dell Latitude D410, I'll try it out and blog the results.
Thank you. When I get the replacement battery for my work Dell Latitude D410, I'll try it out and blog the results.
8.12.2006
The Princes of Serendip
I started off the day with a lofty set of goals: get/build bookshelves, secure the downstairs door (which leads to the basement, and which should be secured by means of the big deadlock the landlord installed, and to which I have no key, and which said landlord left open longer than I felt comfortable with), and clean out the detritus that my temporary Yoko-less state has inflicted on the fridge. The last was easily done first; the second was remedied by discovering that the landlord had locked the deadbolt; and the third, well, the third ended in a stroke of luck.
Seeing as how I was in need of bookshelves, I hied myself hence to Uhuru Furniture just up the street from me. They accept donations of goods and sell those goods for their cause. Admittedly, as socially conscious as I may be, my ulterior motive in visiting them is that they often have very reasonable secondhand goods for next to nothing; we got our superb dining room table and six chairs for less than a hundred bucks, and they've served us well. So, armed with the idea of getting a bookshelf for the back hallway, away from the prying eyes of visitors and therefore not required to match anything we've previously decorated the place with, I set forth. A quick survey of the place revealed only one item that matched the description put forth, but sadly, that bookshelf had long triangular sides, thus making it both more stable and too big for the space I had in mind. I turned to go... and walked right into a much narrower bookshelf that was perfect for another spot, this one in my computer room/office. I paid my $16.31, loaded it up in my Honda Civic (with the trunk ajar, but hey, it was a short drive), and quickly (but carefully) drove home, where not fifteen minutes later, the bookshelf was installed, and all of our CDs were in place, thus allowing me to throw away the packing box we'd been keeping them in.
Mission: accomplished. And all this without having to brave Home Depot or Ikea!
Seeing as how I was in need of bookshelves, I hied myself hence to Uhuru Furniture just up the street from me. They accept donations of goods and sell those goods for their cause. Admittedly, as socially conscious as I may be, my ulterior motive in visiting them is that they often have very reasonable secondhand goods for next to nothing; we got our superb dining room table and six chairs for less than a hundred bucks, and they've served us well. So, armed with the idea of getting a bookshelf for the back hallway, away from the prying eyes of visitors and therefore not required to match anything we've previously decorated the place with, I set forth. A quick survey of the place revealed only one item that matched the description put forth, but sadly, that bookshelf had long triangular sides, thus making it both more stable and too big for the space I had in mind. I turned to go... and walked right into a much narrower bookshelf that was perfect for another spot, this one in my computer room/office. I paid my $16.31, loaded it up in my Honda Civic (with the trunk ajar, but hey, it was a short drive), and quickly (but carefully) drove home, where not fifteen minutes later, the bookshelf was installed, and all of our CDs were in place, thus allowing me to throw away the packing box we'd been keeping them in.
Mission: accomplished. And all this without having to brave Home Depot or Ikea!
8.11.2006
The Grates
If you enjoy pop-py songs along the lines of Katrina and the Waves' Walking on Sunshine coupled with wacky videos straight out of... well, wherever it is that LSD and Ecstasy meet for that happy zone (you know, the place before it all goes wrong), then look no further than to The Grates. Highlights include the videos for Science is Golden and 19 20 20.
8.09.2006
Capital of the Nation
I went to DC last week for a conference and had a lovely time. (Apologies to Tom and Donna, but Waldorf turned out to be a little too far out of the way this time around.) Note that the mercury went to 100 degrees while I was there, so I stayed indoors during the daytime. Highlights included the National Portrait Gallery (avoid the giant head!) and the International Spy Museum (my name is Asad; I am from Jalalpur, India, and I am visiting Paris for two weeks on business). After dark, I took a walk from just across from the Jefferson Memorial all the way past the Lincoln Memorial to visit good old Uncle Albert.
Also had excellent home-made fried chicken with Rob and Elizabeth, planed, trained, and automobiled up to Rhinecliff to meet up with Jim and Sharon, and then lazed in the Catskills and on the Hudson River for the rest of the weekend. In all, a successful and lovely weekend, depsite the heat and humidity.
How was your weekend?
Also had excellent home-made fried chicken with Rob and Elizabeth, planed, trained, and automobiled up to Rhinecliff to meet up with Jim and Sharon, and then lazed in the Catskills and on the Hudson River for the rest of the weekend. In all, a successful and lovely weekend, depsite the heat and humidity.
How was your weekend?
7.23.2006
How hot?
I was walking home from the movies yesterday afternoon (a very short walk here in Oakland), and I suddenly had one of those nostalgia moments brought on by environment and smells in the air: I was ten years old, at the pool on Bolling AFB, DC, eating a soft-serve ice cream cone....
For you west-coasters, the hot outside is approximately what it's like in DC through most of the summer. That's how hot it is.
And people wonder why I don't miss the East Coast.
Oh, the movie? Lady in the Water, which is set in Philly in the summer. It's an M. Night Shyamlan film, so the critics are already going nuts tearing it apart, but the truth is it's an utterly enjoyable movie. Yoko and I were on the edge of our seats through the last half hour, and Paul Giamatti is such a superb and likable shlub. Also, Shyamalan has a message for his critics straight out of 50 Cent. Neat.
For you west-coasters, the hot outside is approximately what it's like in DC through most of the summer. That's how hot it is.
And people wonder why I don't miss the East Coast.
Oh, the movie? Lady in the Water, which is set in Philly in the summer. It's an M. Night Shyamlan film, so the critics are already going nuts tearing it apart, but the truth is it's an utterly enjoyable movie. Yoko and I were on the edge of our seats through the last half hour, and Paul Giamatti is such a superb and likable shlub. Also, Shyamalan has a message for his critics straight out of 50 Cent. Neat.
7.20.2006
!Good Eats
BBC food writer Stefan Gates brings us seven dishes you will be glad that he ate so that you need not. (BBC)
On the Game?
NZ policewoman works as call girl (BBC)
A New Zealand policewoman has been allowed to keep her job, despite moonlighting as a prostitute. The Auckland officer, whose name and rank have not been revealed, apparently took up the part-time work due to financial difficulties. A police spokesman said although secondary employment was allowed, prostitution was "inappropriate and incompatible with policing". Prostitution has been legal in New Zealand since 2003. "(Deputy commissioner) Lyn Provost deemed the nature of the secondary employment as incompatible with policing and the officer is receiving counselling," said police spokesman Jon Neilson.
Brief thought on this: Setting aside prudishness for a moment, there is a certain real danger in police officer moonlighting in the utterly legal and in-no-way-seemy sex industry, but I'm a little confused as to how it's different from a police officer working at a bar or as a croupier or at an equally legal race track. If a line of work is legal, don't we have to assume that those who pursue this course of work know what they're doing, that they are cognitive of the risks and can look after their own interests here? I mean, after all, the point of legalizing prostitution is to make it so that sex workers need not worry about being pressured into the game by greedy and violent pimps, nor about being beaten up (or worse) by johns eager to exploit the previously illegal nature of the business to ensure silence.
I'm probably reading too much into this, but I'd be interested to hear what others think.
7.18.2006
Job: Senior Programmer, One-Year Contract
The US District Court is looking for a Senior Programmer to revamp some home-brewed programs and create new ones.
Here's the advert on Craig's List.
I can't tell you much more about the position than what's listed there. I can tell you that we're a very laid back bunch of people, that we have a lot of fun here, and that while our product is, by definition, mission critical, there's not a lot of finger-pointing or blame-shifting here. We're very supportive, creative, and fond of learning new tricks. This is a one-year contract, but there is money here for more if we get the right candidate.
Feel free to ask more questions and/or forward this to your buddies.
Here's the advert on Craig's List.
I can't tell you much more about the position than what's listed there. I can tell you that we're a very laid back bunch of people, that we have a lot of fun here, and that while our product is, by definition, mission critical, there's not a lot of finger-pointing or blame-shifting here. We're very supportive, creative, and fond of learning new tricks. This is a one-year contract, but there is money here for more if we get the right candidate.
Feel free to ask more questions and/or forward this to your buddies.
7.14.2006
A Tale of Woe
(Subtitle: I am sick, and I want pity.)
Went to work on Tuesday and felt a little under the weather; should've known what was coming when I couldn't make up my mind whether to bus, casual carpool, or BART. The back of my throat started acting funny around midday, but I made it through a conference call and a training class without it failing altogether. Around 3:30, though, I knew I was in trouble. I went home, took a shower, drank some tea, and relaxed.
Wednesday morning, my voice was deeper than Barry White's. I called in sick, lazed about the house, tried to get some sleep, drank more tea, ate some chicken noodle soup, etc. By Wednesday night, the cold had left my throat and taken up permanent residence in my nasal passages.
Woke up every other hour. Thursday, much the same. Thursday night, worse. Today, sick.
I feel terrible. Send me good vibes and all the vitamin C you can spare.
Went to work on Tuesday and felt a little under the weather; should've known what was coming when I couldn't make up my mind whether to bus, casual carpool, or BART. The back of my throat started acting funny around midday, but I made it through a conference call and a training class without it failing altogether. Around 3:30, though, I knew I was in trouble. I went home, took a shower, drank some tea, and relaxed.
Wednesday morning, my voice was deeper than Barry White's. I called in sick, lazed about the house, tried to get some sleep, drank more tea, ate some chicken noodle soup, etc. By Wednesday night, the cold had left my throat and taken up permanent residence in my nasal passages.
Woke up every other hour. Thursday, much the same. Thursday night, worse. Today, sick.
I feel terrible. Send me good vibes and all the vitamin C you can spare.
7.02.2006
Superman Returns
PVPonline pretty much sums up my reaction to Superman Returns, particularly the Blog entry for today.
Yoko, my beloved, has a different take. She points out that SR is not really about Superman (and his Returning and such); no, it's really about Lois Lane.
What follows contains spoilers (or not, if you watched the trailers, but still), so I hope I got that spoiler-tag fixed a while back. For safety's sake, here's a bunch of filler.
SR takes place five years after Superman has suddenly split to go investigate the ruins of Krypton, spectacularly blown up in the first ten minutes or so of the film. Superman comes back to discover that Lois has a kid and a not-husband, James Marsden (who really, really would have looked better with Cyclops' visor on, but that would have been an utterly different movie). The crux of the story from that point forward is not how does Clark get Lois back (I mean, c'mon, how dickish would Superman have to be to steal her from the guy who helped her put her life back together after Superman disappeared?), but whether Lois should really want to get back together with Superman in the first place. The story is compounded by the issue of whose kid Lois had in the first place. Does she know?
More importantly, does James Marsden know? Because if he does, then +100 points for House Marsden, man! It takes a real hero to love and cherish beyond the issue of your beloved's issue, so to speak. And if he does know, then the story is even more complex: how should he react to Supes showing back up again? Should he accept help from the so-called superhero who dropped the lovely Miss Lane without a word to go starhopping? Or should it be fisticuffs or kryptonite sabres at 20 yards?
The thing is, we just don't know if they know (up until Lane Jr. crushes a dude with a piano on Lex Luthor's boat). But armed with this subtext, we can approach the movie from a different perspective, a more adult perspective. Instead of being light-hearted boy meets girl, boy beats up villain, boy gets girl, we get a more modern, more realisitic, more mature movie.
In the end, of course, Superman is an alien, a perfect being, and so his reaction is the high ground, so to speak, flying away into the night, leaving Lois and James to muddle through the rest as only human beings can do, and leaving us, the audience, to wonder what might have happened if they'd had actors who might actually have been capable of pulling this fascinating story off.
Now excuse me while I go run around the house in a red cape one more time before bed.
Yoko, my beloved, has a different take. She points out that SR is not really about Superman (and his Returning and such); no, it's really about Lois Lane.
What follows contains spoilers (or not, if you watched the trailers, but still), so I hope I got that spoiler-tag fixed a while back. For safety's sake, here's a bunch of filler.
SR takes place five years after Superman has suddenly split to go investigate the ruins of Krypton, spectacularly blown up in the first ten minutes or so of the film. Superman comes back to discover that Lois has a kid and a not-husband, James Marsden (who really, really would have looked better with Cyclops' visor on, but that would have been an utterly different movie). The crux of the story from that point forward is not how does Clark get Lois back (I mean, c'mon, how dickish would Superman have to be to steal her from the guy who helped her put her life back together after Superman disappeared?), but whether Lois should really want to get back together with Superman in the first place. The story is compounded by the issue of whose kid Lois had in the first place. Does she know?
More importantly, does James Marsden know? Because if he does, then +100 points for House Marsden, man! It takes a real hero to love and cherish beyond the issue of your beloved's issue, so to speak. And if he does know, then the story is even more complex: how should he react to Supes showing back up again? Should he accept help from the so-called superhero who dropped the lovely Miss Lane without a word to go starhopping? Or should it be fisticuffs or kryptonite sabres at 20 yards?
The thing is, we just don't know if they know (up until Lane Jr. crushes a dude with a piano on Lex Luthor's boat). But armed with this subtext, we can approach the movie from a different perspective, a more adult perspective. Instead of being light-hearted boy meets girl, boy beats up villain, boy gets girl, we get a more modern, more realisitic, more mature movie.
In the end, of course, Superman is an alien, a perfect being, and so his reaction is the high ground, so to speak, flying away into the night, leaving Lois and James to muddle through the rest as only human beings can do, and leaving us, the audience, to wonder what might have happened if they'd had actors who might actually have been capable of pulling this fascinating story off.
Now excuse me while I go run around the house in a red cape one more time before bed.
6.25.2006
Beer on a Sunday Afternoon
There are beers for sipping, beers for chugging, beers for lying down and avoiding.
The Stone Vertical Epic 06.06.06, purportedly designed to be opened and enjoyed on December 12, 2012, is delightfullly dark beer with strong hints of something Belgian in its lineage. It is bitter but not as thick as some stouts and bitters. With a hefty 8.66% alcohol level, it goes very well with a lazy Sunday afternoon, preferably after one has completed all tasks requiring driving or fine motor function. There is a certain bonhommie built into a beer like this, a certain tendency towards the mellow, lenient, permissive mindset; if they served a single one of these before sessions of Congress, there would be much more bipartisan cooperation... and a lot more smiling.
You can pick up the Stone Vertical Epic ('06) at better quality beverage establishments, including Buckingham Liquors on Lakeshore ($5.99), assuming that I don't buy out their stock; mind you, you have some time, as I've already purchased four bottles for my personal stash.
Whether any of them make it to 2012, well, hope springs eternal.
The Stone Vertical Epic 06.06.06, purportedly designed to be opened and enjoyed on December 12, 2012, is delightfullly dark beer with strong hints of something Belgian in its lineage. It is bitter but not as thick as some stouts and bitters. With a hefty 8.66% alcohol level, it goes very well with a lazy Sunday afternoon, preferably after one has completed all tasks requiring driving or fine motor function. There is a certain bonhommie built into a beer like this, a certain tendency towards the mellow, lenient, permissive mindset; if they served a single one of these before sessions of Congress, there would be much more bipartisan cooperation... and a lot more smiling.
You can pick up the Stone Vertical Epic ('06) at better quality beverage establishments, including Buckingham Liquors on Lakeshore ($5.99), assuming that I don't buy out their stock; mind you, you have some time, as I've already purchased four bottles for my personal stash.
Whether any of them make it to 2012, well, hope springs eternal.
6.19.2006
When Cultures Collide
"Israel to review WB barrier route" (BBC Headline)
It turns out they're talking about the West Bank, not the station that brought you One Tree Hill and Everwood.
That WB barrier is being sidestepped when WB merges with UPN to form CW. God help us all.
It turns out they're talking about the West Bank, not the station that brought you One Tree Hill and Everwood.
That WB barrier is being sidestepped when WB merges with UPN to form CW. God help us all.
6.18.2006
Futbol
I'm a fan of short-attention-span sports. That's why I like Sumo so much: a two minute build-up, a 5-30 second match, and bam, it's over for these guys until tomorrow. Paradoxically, perhaps, I also enjoy games with a modicum of strategy and The Long View, which is why the other, more methodical side of Sumo appeals to me: how many matches does this guy need to win to make his kachikoshi? does this guy have the stuff to go for the yuusho? The best matches are the ones where the short-term and long-term goals intersect, where the results of a single match are of such importance to both participants that you can expect they'll both be running all out in pursuit of the win.
Such a syzygy is coming up in the 2006 World Cup, when the the US battles Ghana and Italy faces the Czech Republic on Wednesday, June 22, at about 5 in the morning PST. The US has lost once and tied once, so they have 1 point; Ghana has won once and lost once, so they have 3 points. If the US beats Ghana AND Italy beats the Czech Republic, then the US goes on to the second round. If Ghana beats the US AND Italy beats the Czech Republic, then Ghana goes to the second round. (Thanks, Ami!)
I sure as hell won't be awake to watch either of these simultaneous matches, but if you are, tune in for the last fifteen minutes or so; the tension should be thick enough to cut with a knife.
(Click here for my updated (and somewhat speculative) version of the BBC Wallchart. (PDF, 395kb))
Such a syzygy is coming up in the 2006 World Cup, when the the US battles Ghana and Italy faces the Czech Republic on Wednesday, June 22, at about 5 in the morning PST. The US has lost once and tied once, so they have 1 point; Ghana has won once and lost once, so they have 3 points. If the US beats Ghana AND Italy beats the Czech Republic, then the US goes on to the second round. If Ghana beats the US AND Italy beats the Czech Republic, then Ghana goes to the second round. (Thanks, Ami!)
I sure as hell won't be awake to watch either of these simultaneous matches, but if you are, tune in for the last fifteen minutes or so; the tension should be thick enough to cut with a knife.
(Click here for my updated (and somewhat speculative) version of the BBC Wallchart. (PDF, 395kb))
6.06.2006
Boom, and such
Derek Lowe is a chemist and professor. He's also vastly amusing, especially when explain why he won't work with certain chemicals:
"The gas, meanwhile, blows up given any chance at all - contact with a rough surface, with tiny specks of any type of organic matter, that sort of thing."
"The gas, meanwhile, blows up given any chance at all - contact with a rough surface, with tiny specks of any type of organic matter, that sort of thing."
6.05.2006
5.29.2006
5.5, 5.5, 5.5, 5.7
Climbing difficulties, not Richter Scale readings or grudge marks from the Belarussian judges.
My arms are sore, my toes are blistered, but I am in more joy than pain. An excellent day of climbing.
Another wall:
Monkeyboy climbing:
Top o'the world, Ma!
My arms are sore, my toes are blistered, but I am in more joy than pain. An excellent day of climbing.
Another wall:
Monkeyboy climbing:
Top o'the world, Ma!
5.27.2006
X3: Pretty Good, Actually
The reviews have not been kind to X3, and to be honest, it's not Oscar material, and it's really not necessarily better than X2. On the other hand, it's better than X1, and I really enjoyed it.
There are lots of effects. There are lots of mutants. There's death and moral dilemmas, and oh, yes, there's even the occasional Fastball Special.
If you've never watched an X-men movie, this is not the place to start. If you're looking for pathos and real character development, this is not your movie. If you're looking for punchlines that work all the time, well, c'mon, you know how that worked in X1.
If you're looking for action, though, and a 4-color comic book plot, X3 delivers. Yoko, my darling wife and litmus test for whether something is too geeky, thoroughly enjoyed it.
As noted elsewhere, stick around until the credits are done. There's more. And it's worth waiting for.
There are lots of effects. There are lots of mutants. There's death and moral dilemmas, and oh, yes, there's even the occasional Fastball Special.
If you've never watched an X-men movie, this is not the place to start. If you're looking for pathos and real character development, this is not your movie. If you're looking for punchlines that work all the time, well, c'mon, you know how that worked in X1.
If you're looking for action, though, and a 4-color comic book plot, X3 delivers. Yoko, my darling wife and litmus test for whether something is too geeky, thoroughly enjoyed it.
As noted elsewhere, stick around until the credits are done. There's more. And it's worth waiting for.
5.25.2006
del.icio.us
My good friend tinymammoth convinced me to try out del.icio.us. I'm listed there as erikred. Feel free to add me. Then I'll add you.
And watch that spiral go!
And watch that spiral go!
5.21.2006
Eurovision: Um, wow?
Finland's Lordi wins Eurovision 2006. (Check out the video of "Lordi meet the press.")
Let me put that in perspective for my fellow Americans: imagine GWAR* getting onto American Idol.
And winning.
(* Disclaimer: Lordi are not GWAR, and I'm not saying they're good. I'm just saying they're dressed up as monsters, they're wielding guitars, and they do, on occasion, rock.)
Let me put that in perspective for my fellow Americans: imagine GWAR* getting onto American Idol.
And winning.
(* Disclaimer: Lordi are not GWAR, and I'm not saying they're good. I'm just saying they're dressed up as monsters, they're wielding guitars, and they do, on occasion, rock.)
5.16.2006
[Jobs] Software Engineer at Pixar
I have no idea if the people who read my blog would be interested in this, but it can't hurt to post.
Software Engineer
Studio Tools
The Studio Tools Engineering Team is looking for passionate software
engineers to help create new movie-making software for the studio. The
position requires a deep understanding of software application engineering,
an ability to collaborate in a small cross-functional team of world-class
developers, and skill in designing and implementing robust, easy to maintain
code.
Responsibilities:
* Develop, implement, test and support 3D animation software
* Work effectively with a team of engineers, QA, Build, UI, Doc and Project
Management
* Work with artists and technicians to provide world class software
development and support for film production
Qualifications:
* Experience programming in C++ or Objective-C
* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent
* Experience with modern development toolkits such as Cocoa, and Qt a plus
* Strong object-oriented design and implementation skills
* Experience with UNIX / LINUX
* Experience and/or Knowledge of 3D graphics and interaction techniques is a
plus
* Knowledge of 3D graphic applications is a plus (i.e. Maya, SOFTIMAGE)
* Commitment to creating world class production tools
* Proven ability to work with a team to deliver high quality software in a
fast paced, dynamic environment
Email resume to aubie at csua berkeley edu
Software Engineer
Studio Tools
The Studio Tools Engineering Team is looking for passionate software
engineers to help create new movie-making software for the studio. The
position requires a deep understanding of software application engineering,
an ability to collaborate in a small cross-functional team of world-class
developers, and skill in designing and implementing robust, easy to maintain
code.
Responsibilities:
* Develop, implement, test and support 3D animation software
* Work effectively with a team of engineers, QA, Build, UI, Doc and Project
Management
* Work with artists and technicians to provide world class software
development and support for film production
Qualifications:
* Experience programming in C++ or Objective-C
* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent
* Experience with modern development toolkits such as Cocoa, and Qt a plus
* Strong object-oriented design and implementation skills
* Experience with UNIX / LINUX
* Experience and/or Knowledge of 3D graphics and interaction techniques is a
plus
* Knowledge of 3D graphic applications is a plus (i.e. Maya, SOFTIMAGE)
* Commitment to creating world class production tools
* Proven ability to work with a team to deliver high quality software in a
fast paced, dynamic environment
Email resume to aubie at csua berkeley edu
5.11.2006
Now I Cry
According to this Boston Globe Article (thanks, psb!), President Bush "has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution." This is done in things called "signing statements," "official documents in which a president lays out his legal interpretation of a bill for the federal bureaucracy to follow when implementing the new law."
As I discussed withpalecur earlier, "signing statements" are an important means by which a President can sign legislation into law and yet still uphold his oath to protect and serve the Consitution by effectively blocking otherwise unconscionable parts of the law. (Think: a President willfully ignoring race-based legislation, for example.) Some could make the more effective argument that vetoes are an even better means for this, but those can be mighty contentious. So let me go on record as saying that as long as a President is using these signing statements in a good faith attempt to protect and serve the Constitution, there are arguments that could be made in their favor.
What happens, though, when a President demonstrates that he has no regard whatsoever for the Constitution? In that case, friends, signing statements are akin to tyranny.
As I discussed with
What happens, though, when a President demonstrates that he has no regard whatsoever for the Constitution? In that case, friends, signing statements are akin to tyranny.
5.07.2006
A Cosmic Sense of Humor
NASA presents the Titan probe descent data movie, with, and I kid you not, bells and whistles. (11MB .mov file, with sound)
The Small Giantess and the Elephant of Royal of Luxe
On May 19, 2005, an odd object appeared in the Place Saint Pierre in Nantes, France:
Soon, a time-travelling elephant showed up to watch the proceedings:
And shortly thereafter, a little giantess exited the odd shell:
Click here to see what happened next. (The navigation is not necessarily intuitive; click on the
at the bottom to see more.)
As if this wasn't cool enough, the troupe that put this together just repeated their show in London.
Please, petite Géante, come to San Francisco!
Soon, a time-travelling elephant showed up to watch the proceedings:
And shortly thereafter, a little giantess exited the odd shell:
Click here to see what happened next. (The navigation is not necessarily intuitive; click on the
at the bottom to see more.)As if this wasn't cool enough, the troupe that put this together just repeated their show in London.
Please, petite Géante, come to San Francisco!
5.01.2006
May Day
We got out of work early because Uncle Sam supports Labor a bunch of anti-immigration-law protesters were amassing to block the Federal building.
Some pictures:
Some pictures:
Taken at 1:25 p.m.; these were taken using my Treo and a pair of binoculars, so don't get spooked that a government worker is looking at protesters through something like a scope.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Taken at 3:30 p.m.; I like the picture of the two CHiPpies on the roof of the State Building.
7 8 9 10 11
Taken after they let us out early:
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
4.23.2006
Bones Made
On Saturday, April 22, I went to the office at 0645 hours to migrate our website and database from Solaris to Linux.
At 2155, I finally ironed out the last bug and came home.
System migrated? Check.
Database backed up? Check.
Bugs from supposed monkey-skill level migration programs supplied by Admininstrative Office ironed out and/or exorcised? Check.
Sysadmin bones made? Big check.
At 2155, I finally ironed out the last bug and came home.
System migrated? Check.
Database backed up? Check.
Bugs from supposed monkey-skill level migration programs supplied by Admininstrative Office ironed out and/or exorcised? Check.
Sysadmin bones made? Big check.
4.21.2006
The Pirkinning
Mostly for 
ronebofh, matrushkaka, and 2wanda, to whom I mentioned it over a delightful lunch the other day, I present, again, Star Wreck: The Pirkinning.
ronebofh, matrushkaka, and 2wanda, to whom I mentioned it over a delightful lunch the other day, I present, again, Star Wreck: The Pirkinning.
4.06.2006
Why?
Bill Gates is arguably the richest single human being on the planet. And yet his workflow and workspace are the least imaginative I've seen.
His big productivity boost? Three screens.
I mean, are you kidding me? The man's got an entire software industry at his fingertips, and the most he can come up with is three screens?
If I had that kind of money, I'd have a Very Comfortable Chair, a wall-bank of linked monitors at a Very Comfortable Resolution, and something other than ugly venetian blinds to look at.
If you're wondering why M$ is all about the money and never about the consumer, here's your answer.
His big productivity boost? Three screens.
I mean, are you kidding me? The man's got an entire software industry at his fingertips, and the most he can come up with is three screens?
If I had that kind of money, I'd have a Very Comfortable Chair, a wall-bank of linked monitors at a Very Comfortable Resolution, and something other than ugly venetian blinds to look at.
If you're wondering why M$ is all about the money and never about the consumer, here's your answer.
Liminal
Arctic fossils mark move to land (BBC)
In 1999, palaeontologists Professor Neil Shubin, from the University of Chicago, and Professor Edward Daeschler, from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, set out to explore the Canadian Arctic in an attempt to find the "missing link" that would explain the transition from water to land. After several years of searching with very little success, they hit the jackpot in 2004.
The team found three near-complete, well-preserved fossils of the new species, Tiktaalik roseae, in an area of the Arctic called the Nunavut Territory. The largest measures almost 3m (9 ft) in length.
(Also here at the Guardian.)
No word on FSMs, however.
In 1999, palaeontologists Professor Neil Shubin, from the University of Chicago, and Professor Edward Daeschler, from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, set out to explore the Canadian Arctic in an attempt to find the "missing link" that would explain the transition from water to land. After several years of searching with very little success, they hit the jackpot in 2004.
The team found three near-complete, well-preserved fossils of the new species, Tiktaalik roseae, in an area of the Arctic called the Nunavut Territory. The largest measures almost 3m (9 ft) in length.
(Also here at the Guardian.)
No word on FSMs, however.
4.03.2006
Without DeLay
Tom DeLay has decided to leave the House. (NYT. Some registration may be required.)
For my money, this is two years and one fucked up redistricting plan too late. The scumbag's still going to have his fingers in the pie, and with Texas redistricted to shore up his cronies, he'll still wield a lot of influence. There are very, very few people worth loathing in politics, but DeLay is one of them.
Good riddance. I hope they censure him on the way out.
For my money, this is two years and one fucked up redistricting plan too late. The scumbag's still going to have his fingers in the pie, and with Texas redistricted to shore up his cronies, he'll still wield a lot of influence. There are very, very few people worth loathing in politics, but DeLay is one of them.
Good riddance. I hope they censure him on the way out.
4.02.2006
Understatement
An Indonesian newspaper prints a cartoon depicting Australian PM John Howard and his Foreign Minister as fornicating dingoes. An Australian newspaper prints a cartoon depicting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a grossly stereotypical Papuan as fornicating dogs.
According to the BBC, 'Indonesia said the drawing... was "not helpful".'
According to the BBC, 'Indonesia said the drawing... was "not helpful".'
3.31.2006
Cesar Chavez
Today is Cesar Chavez Day here in California. This is a holiday for schools and state and city workers, but not for federal government workers like myself.
You can read more about Cesar Chavez here.
I bring this up because Congress is currently considering two pieces of legislation that propose rather different methods of curbing illegal immigration. (No, Cesar Chavez was not an illegal immigrant. Go read the article already, I'll wait. Back? Great.) The House's version would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant, which means that once caught, you could never become a legal immigrant. You're out, deported, and if you apply, you'll fail the application process.
In other words, your best bet at that point is to try to get in as an illegal immigrant.
Mind you, perhaps the House version is presented in the hopes that we'll jail illegal immigrants instead. In California, where the jails are already so full that we're releasing non-violent offenders early, that just doesn't seem likely.
Once you're back in as an illegal immigrant (and felon), the House version proposes mandating that employers check Social Security Numbers before hiring laborers. It strikes me that perhaps the members of the House have never actually seen illegal immigrants hired, especially for field work. In case you haven't, the way it typically works is that a bunch of people show up at a gas station or freeway underpass or park where they've heard that people hire day laborers; a guy pulls up with a pickup truck, and points to the number of people he needs. They hop in the back of the truck, and away they go. There's not a lot of checking of papers, and if there is, it's not in-depth. These people are not filling out W-2s. There's no phone number the employer can call to see if any given SSN is valid and actually for the person holding the papers. In other words, until the federales bust the crew and drag them downtown for processing, there is simply no accountability here.
The Senate version, which the President has thrown his support behind, seeks to formalize the process. It allows illegal immigrants to stay here as long as they turn themselves in, pay a fine, learn English, pay Social Security and back taxes, work, pay taxes and Social Security, commit no crimes, pay another fine, and wait ten years before being completely legalized. It also provides for a Guest Worker program so that people from other countries can come over, work, and then have to return to their countries of origin after a set period... unless they get a dispensation from their employer on the basis that their services are too valuable for them to be let go.
Supporters of immigration reform have thrown their support behind the Senate's version, but I would suggest that neither version offers a real solution to the issue. The House's version is relatively unenforceable, and the Senate's version, well....
The appeal of hiring illegal immigrants (or legal immigrants who are at mercy of their employers for their visas) is that they have no legal recourse if their employers abuse them. That's why Wal*Mart got away with paying its "undocumented" night crews $2 per day; that's why high-tech companies sponsoring H1B workers can get away with working them 60 hours per week. If the workers complain, threaten to turn them over to immigration or cancel their visas. That'll shut them up.
If you want to stop people from hiring illegal immigrants, give those self-same immigrants the right to complain without fear of reprisal; award whistle-blowers with honorary citizenship (or at least temporary visas). Appeal to the backstabbing instinct. If their employers realize that the staff they used to threaten with has become a dangerous serpent, they'll have to drop the staff. If they drop the staff, they'll have to offer more reasonable wages and work conditions, which means minimum wage; if they can hire legal, documented workers for the same price the undocumented workers are demanding, there will be no incentive to hire illegal labor. And if they stop hiring illegal labor, there will be less incentive for illegal immigrants to come here as illegal immigrants.
Make no mistake, this is a workers' rights issue. As long as we allow people to treat their labor force like second class citizens, we're going to continue to have problems. Since there's no way out of this without some pain, let's at least choose the moral high ground for once.
Cesar Chavez would have wanted it that way.
You can read more about Cesar Chavez here.
I bring this up because Congress is currently considering two pieces of legislation that propose rather different methods of curbing illegal immigration. (No, Cesar Chavez was not an illegal immigrant. Go read the article already, I'll wait. Back? Great.) The House's version would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant, which means that once caught, you could never become a legal immigrant. You're out, deported, and if you apply, you'll fail the application process.
In other words, your best bet at that point is to try to get in as an illegal immigrant.
Mind you, perhaps the House version is presented in the hopes that we'll jail illegal immigrants instead. In California, where the jails are already so full that we're releasing non-violent offenders early, that just doesn't seem likely.
Once you're back in as an illegal immigrant (and felon), the House version proposes mandating that employers check Social Security Numbers before hiring laborers. It strikes me that perhaps the members of the House have never actually seen illegal immigrants hired, especially for field work. In case you haven't, the way it typically works is that a bunch of people show up at a gas station or freeway underpass or park where they've heard that people hire day laborers; a guy pulls up with a pickup truck, and points to the number of people he needs. They hop in the back of the truck, and away they go. There's not a lot of checking of papers, and if there is, it's not in-depth. These people are not filling out W-2s. There's no phone number the employer can call to see if any given SSN is valid and actually for the person holding the papers. In other words, until the federales bust the crew and drag them downtown for processing, there is simply no accountability here.
The Senate version, which the President has thrown his support behind, seeks to formalize the process. It allows illegal immigrants to stay here as long as they turn themselves in, pay a fine, learn English, pay Social Security and back taxes, work, pay taxes and Social Security, commit no crimes, pay another fine, and wait ten years before being completely legalized. It also provides for a Guest Worker program so that people from other countries can come over, work, and then have to return to their countries of origin after a set period... unless they get a dispensation from their employer on the basis that their services are too valuable for them to be let go.
Supporters of immigration reform have thrown their support behind the Senate's version, but I would suggest that neither version offers a real solution to the issue. The House's version is relatively unenforceable, and the Senate's version, well....
The appeal of hiring illegal immigrants (or legal immigrants who are at mercy of their employers for their visas) is that they have no legal recourse if their employers abuse them. That's why Wal*Mart got away with paying its "undocumented" night crews $2 per day; that's why high-tech companies sponsoring H1B workers can get away with working them 60 hours per week. If the workers complain, threaten to turn them over to immigration or cancel their visas. That'll shut them up.
If you want to stop people from hiring illegal immigrants, give those self-same immigrants the right to complain without fear of reprisal; award whistle-blowers with honorary citizenship (or at least temporary visas). Appeal to the backstabbing instinct. If their employers realize that the staff they used to threaten with has become a dangerous serpent, they'll have to drop the staff. If they drop the staff, they'll have to offer more reasonable wages and work conditions, which means minimum wage; if they can hire legal, documented workers for the same price the undocumented workers are demanding, there will be no incentive to hire illegal labor. And if they stop hiring illegal labor, there will be less incentive for illegal immigrants to come here as illegal immigrants.
Make no mistake, this is a workers' rights issue. As long as we allow people to treat their labor force like second class citizens, we're going to continue to have problems. Since there's no way out of this without some pain, let's at least choose the moral high ground for once.
Cesar Chavez would have wanted it that way.
3.29.2006
Luck and such
Scientific American has a fascinating article on luck and whether people who consider themselves lucky really are more gifted, statistically, than others, or whether the whole thing is in their heads. The answer, says skpetic Michael Shermer, is a bit of both: people who consider themselves lucky tend to be more outgoing and tend to view setbacks as opportunities, not outright routs.
As a person who considers himself luckier than most, I found myself nodding along as I read this. Throughout my life, I've had my fair share of things happen that might have simply meant the end of my dreams: as a child, I was diagnosed with a genetic condition that might have limited me to a life of inactivity; after High School, financial conditions precluded me going to UC Berkeley; following graduation from Cal, I quickly found out that my chosen profession, teaching High School, was anathema to me; after working for a year and a half at a website I adored, I was laid off (along with 70+ others, but still). At any of these points, I could have very easily thrown up my hands in despair and sunk into petulant self-pity.
But the heart-condition turned out to be an opportunity to learn about genetics and public speaking; my two years at a Junior College gave me the opportunity to study in London for a semester and rediscover my wanderlust and my inspiration; the teaching position provided an excellent background for going to teach in Japan for six years; and the death of Ask Jeeves for Kids led directly to my position at the City of Oakland, where I got to build eleven computer labs throughout the city, setting me up for the systems admin job I'm loving so much right now.
So, was I lucky? Yes! But did these opportunities have something to do with my aberrantly optimistic brain chemistry? Hell, yes!
I'm not naive, nor am I a blithe pollyanna, but man, I am just one fundamentally happy SOB. Yes, I get sad, heartbroken, even, and no, I'm not a bundle of laughs or the life of the party all the time, but on average? I'm definitely happier than I really have much right to be....
Or to put it another way, I'm as happy as the rest of you at the very least deserve to be. That's pretty damn lucky.
As Luck Would Have It
Are some people really luckier than others, or is it all in their heads? Both
By Michael Shermer
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease that attacks motor neurons until muscle weakness, atrophy and paralysis lead inexorably to death. Victims of this monstrous malady could be forgiven for feeling unlucky.
How, then, can we explain the attitude of the disease's namesake, baseball great Lou Gehrig? He told a sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium: "For the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth." The Iron Horse then recounted his many blessings and fortunes, a list twice punctuated with "I'm lucky" and "That's something."
Clearly, luck is a state of mind. Is it more than that? To explore this question scientifically, experimental psychologist Richard Wiseman created a "luck lab" at the University of Hertfordshire in England. Wiseman began by testing whether those who believe they are lucky are actually more likely to win the lottery. He recruited 700 subjects who had intended to purchase lottery tickets to complete his luck questionnaire, which is a self-report scale that measures whether people consider themselves to be lucky or unlucky. Although lucky people were twice as confident as the unlucky ones that they would win the lottery, there was no difference in winnings.
Wiseman then gave subjects a standardized "life satisfaction" scale, which asks individuals to rank themselves on how satisfied they are with their family life, personal life, financial situation, health and career. The results were striking. "Lucky people are far more satisfied with all areas of their lives than unlucky or neutral people," Wiseman reveals in his charming and insightful book, The Luck Factor (Miramax Books, 2003). Does this satisfied state of mind translate into actual life outcomes that someone might call lucky? It does. Here's how.
Lucky people expect good things to happen.
Wiseman gave subjects the "big five" personality scale, which measures "agreeableness," "conscientiousness," "extroversion," "neuroticism" and "openness." Although there were no differences between lucky and unlucky people on agreeableness and conscientiousness, Wiseman found significant differences for extroversion, neuroticism and openness.
Lucky people score significantly higher than unlucky people on extroversion. "There are three ways in which lucky people's extroversion significantly increases the likelihood of their having a lucky chance encounter," Wiseman explains: "meeting a large number of people, being a 'social magnet' and keeping in contact with people." Lucky people, for example, smile twice as often and engage in more eye contact than unlucky people do, which leads to more social encounters, which generates more opportunities.
The neuroticism dimension measures how anxious or relaxed someone is, and Wiseman found that the lucky ones were half as anxious as the unlucky ones--that is, "because lucky people tend to be more relaxed than most, they are more likely to notice chance opportunities, even when they are not expecting them." In one experiment, Wiseman had volunteers count the number of photographs in a newspaper. Lucky subjects were more likely to notice on page two the half-page ad with the message in large bold type: STOP COUNTING--THERE ARE 43 PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS NEWSPAPER.
Wiseman discovered that lucky people also score significantly higher in openness than unlucky people do. "Lucky people are open to new experiences in their lives.... They don't tend to be bound by convention and they like the notion of unpredictability," he notes. As such, lucky people travel more, encounter novel prospects and welcome unique opportunities.
Expectation also plays a role in luck. Lucky people expect good things to happen, and when they do they embrace them. But even in the face of adversity, lucky people turn bad breaks into good fortune. Consider the example set by one of the longest ALS sufferers in history, Stephen W. Hawking, who writes: "I was lucky to have chosen to work in theoretical physics, because that was one of the few areas in which my condition would not be a serious handicap." Unable to move and confined to a wheelchair, Hawking has capitalized on his fate by using it as a chance to transform our understanding of the universe, which he has. That's something.
As a person who considers himself luckier than most, I found myself nodding along as I read this. Throughout my life, I've had my fair share of things happen that might have simply meant the end of my dreams: as a child, I was diagnosed with a genetic condition that might have limited me to a life of inactivity; after High School, financial conditions precluded me going to UC Berkeley; following graduation from Cal, I quickly found out that my chosen profession, teaching High School, was anathema to me; after working for a year and a half at a website I adored, I was laid off (along with 70+ others, but still). At any of these points, I could have very easily thrown up my hands in despair and sunk into petulant self-pity.
But the heart-condition turned out to be an opportunity to learn about genetics and public speaking; my two years at a Junior College gave me the opportunity to study in London for a semester and rediscover my wanderlust and my inspiration; the teaching position provided an excellent background for going to teach in Japan for six years; and the death of Ask Jeeves for Kids led directly to my position at the City of Oakland, where I got to build eleven computer labs throughout the city, setting me up for the systems admin job I'm loving so much right now.
So, was I lucky? Yes! But did these opportunities have something to do with my aberrantly optimistic brain chemistry? Hell, yes!
I'm not naive, nor am I a blithe pollyanna, but man, I am just one fundamentally happy SOB. Yes, I get sad, heartbroken, even, and no, I'm not a bundle of laughs or the life of the party all the time, but on average? I'm definitely happier than I really have much right to be....
Or to put it another way, I'm as happy as the rest of you at the very least deserve to be. That's pretty damn lucky.
Are some people really luckier than others, or is it all in their heads? Both
By Michael Shermer
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease that attacks motor neurons until muscle weakness, atrophy and paralysis lead inexorably to death. Victims of this monstrous malady could be forgiven for feeling unlucky.
How, then, can we explain the attitude of the disease's namesake, baseball great Lou Gehrig? He told a sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium: "For the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth." The Iron Horse then recounted his many blessings and fortunes, a list twice punctuated with "I'm lucky" and "That's something."
Clearly, luck is a state of mind. Is it more than that? To explore this question scientifically, experimental psychologist Richard Wiseman created a "luck lab" at the University of Hertfordshire in England. Wiseman began by testing whether those who believe they are lucky are actually more likely to win the lottery. He recruited 700 subjects who had intended to purchase lottery tickets to complete his luck questionnaire, which is a self-report scale that measures whether people consider themselves to be lucky or unlucky. Although lucky people were twice as confident as the unlucky ones that they would win the lottery, there was no difference in winnings.
Wiseman then gave subjects a standardized "life satisfaction" scale, which asks individuals to rank themselves on how satisfied they are with their family life, personal life, financial situation, health and career. The results were striking. "Lucky people are far more satisfied with all areas of their lives than unlucky or neutral people," Wiseman reveals in his charming and insightful book, The Luck Factor (Miramax Books, 2003). Does this satisfied state of mind translate into actual life outcomes that someone might call lucky? It does. Here's how.
Lucky people expect good things to happen.
Wiseman gave subjects the "big five" personality scale, which measures "agreeableness," "conscientiousness," "extroversion," "neuroticism" and "openness." Although there were no differences between lucky and unlucky people on agreeableness and conscientiousness, Wiseman found significant differences for extroversion, neuroticism and openness.
Lucky people score significantly higher than unlucky people on extroversion. "There are three ways in which lucky people's extroversion significantly increases the likelihood of their having a lucky chance encounter," Wiseman explains: "meeting a large number of people, being a 'social magnet' and keeping in contact with people." Lucky people, for example, smile twice as often and engage in more eye contact than unlucky people do, which leads to more social encounters, which generates more opportunities.
The neuroticism dimension measures how anxious or relaxed someone is, and Wiseman found that the lucky ones were half as anxious as the unlucky ones--that is, "because lucky people tend to be more relaxed than most, they are more likely to notice chance opportunities, even when they are not expecting them." In one experiment, Wiseman had volunteers count the number of photographs in a newspaper. Lucky subjects were more likely to notice on page two the half-page ad with the message in large bold type: STOP COUNTING--THERE ARE 43 PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS NEWSPAPER.
Wiseman discovered that lucky people also score significantly higher in openness than unlucky people do. "Lucky people are open to new experiences in their lives.... They don't tend to be bound by convention and they like the notion of unpredictability," he notes. As such, lucky people travel more, encounter novel prospects and welcome unique opportunities.
Expectation also plays a role in luck. Lucky people expect good things to happen, and when they do they embrace them. But even in the face of adversity, lucky people turn bad breaks into good fortune. Consider the example set by one of the longest ALS sufferers in history, Stephen W. Hawking, who writes: "I was lucky to have chosen to work in theoretical physics, because that was one of the few areas in which my condition would not be a serious handicap." Unable to move and confined to a wheelchair, Hawking has capitalized on his fate by using it as a chance to transform our understanding of the universe, which he has. That's something.
3.26.2006
Inside Man (No Spoilers)
Just got back from watching Inside Man, starring, in order of appearance, Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Plummer, Jodie Foster, and Willem Dafoe, produced by Brian Grazer, and directed by Spike Lee.
With credentials like that, you would be justified in having high expectations from this movie. And you would probably be wondering what these people would be doing coming together for a heist/hostage situation movie.
(Well, maybe not Jodie Foster, since she was in that Panic Room movie, and Christopher Plummer has made a tradition of appearing in all kinds of bad things, and, well, Denzel did that underwhelming thriller Out of Time, and Chiwetel Ejiofor was channelling some sort of Dennis Hopper in Four Brothers, and Willem Dafoe seems to be mighty unchoosy in his roles, and Clive Owen is frankly never going to live down King Arthur, and Brian Grazer gave us The Cat in the Hat, and Spike Lee, well, not everyone gets Spike... but still!)
Inside Man delivers the thrills, the plotting, the twists, and the conflicts you would expect from a heist film. While not perfect, it hits the numbers and entertains. The bad guys are not what they seem, the good guys don't make the classic good guy blunders, and not everyone gets away with everything.
At heart, though, this is another in Spike Lee's series of sonnets to the love of his life, New York City. The people, the tensions, the attitudes of New York-- these are the unsung extras in this film, warts and all. And what a strange and intriguing mess they are.
Thumbs up.
With credentials like that, you would be justified in having high expectations from this movie. And you would probably be wondering what these people would be doing coming together for a heist/hostage situation movie.
(Well, maybe not Jodie Foster, since she was in that Panic Room movie, and Christopher Plummer has made a tradition of appearing in all kinds of bad things, and, well, Denzel did that underwhelming thriller Out of Time, and Chiwetel Ejiofor was channelling some sort of Dennis Hopper in Four Brothers, and Willem Dafoe seems to be mighty unchoosy in his roles, and Clive Owen is frankly never going to live down King Arthur, and Brian Grazer gave us The Cat in the Hat, and Spike Lee, well, not everyone gets Spike... but still!)
Inside Man delivers the thrills, the plotting, the twists, and the conflicts you would expect from a heist film. While not perfect, it hits the numbers and entertains. The bad guys are not what they seem, the good guys don't make the classic good guy blunders, and not everyone gets away with everything.
At heart, though, this is another in Spike Lee's series of sonnets to the love of his life, New York City. The people, the tensions, the attitudes of New York-- these are the unsung extras in this film, warts and all. And what a strange and intriguing mess they are.
Thumbs up.
3.18.2006
Walls
As a kind of connoisseur of walls (and the sacking thereof), I was amused to note the thickness of the walls Microsoft offers to protect its customers from spyware.
(And yes, I realize that these are intended as iconic walls, merely cyberspace representations of the actual defenses. They're still thin.)
(And yes, I realize that these are intended as iconic walls, merely cyberspace representations of the actual defenses. They're still thin.)
3.14.2006
South Park and the $cientologists
Season 9, Episode 12: "Trapped in the Closet" is some seriously funny stuff. (.torrent here)
If you ever wondered just what the hell was up with $cientology, make this your guide.
If you ever wondered just what the hell was up with $cientology, make this your guide.
3.12.2006
Strange Sense of Accomplishment
I just now rated the last unrated song in my iTunes collection. That's 2,008 songs, or 5.4 days worth of music (although I'm sure I listened a lot more than that, since I'm terrible about rating music).
Whew.
Whew.
3.11.2006
Getting Off Easy
Slobodan Milosevic is dead. He was found dead in his cell, apparently dead of natural causes at the age of 64.
It is questionable if anything could have been done to him to make up for the severity of the crimes he committed or instigated in former Yuugoslavia. It is unlikely that any judicial proceeding based on our own high moral standards could have circumvented the man's grandstanding shenanigans in the court or handed down a sentence truly befitting someone so evil. There is a belief, in certain circles, that people who do the things that he did are simply mentally ill, that they suffer from some horrific mental imbalance that precludes their being able to recognize the evil that they are doing (and therefore stopping it). This school of thought is beatific and morally justifiable, but it ends with people like this confined to a cell for the rests of their lives as a ward of the state.
The proper response to what Milosevic did is, after a careful examination of the facts, to take him out back and shoot him in the head. Short of sending him to Abu Ghraib or the general population of a Turkish prison, this is the only sort of sentence that makes sense.
Granted, it is a little suspicious that he died of natural causes at the age of 64 in a prison cell in The Hague, under the supervision of doctors who were working hard to make sure he stayed healthy enough to serve out his sentence. (And please, let's not get into the bit where the Russians were willing to treat him in Russia; what, you can't get excellent health care in the Netherlands? Ridiculous.)
I'm going to end with a quote from Hajra Catic of the Association of Srebrenica mothers, a group that had the most reason to see him suffer: "However, it seems that God punished him already."
It is questionable if anything could have been done to him to make up for the severity of the crimes he committed or instigated in former Yuugoslavia. It is unlikely that any judicial proceeding based on our own high moral standards could have circumvented the man's grandstanding shenanigans in the court or handed down a sentence truly befitting someone so evil. There is a belief, in certain circles, that people who do the things that he did are simply mentally ill, that they suffer from some horrific mental imbalance that precludes their being able to recognize the evil that they are doing (and therefore stopping it). This school of thought is beatific and morally justifiable, but it ends with people like this confined to a cell for the rests of their lives as a ward of the state.
The proper response to what Milosevic did is, after a careful examination of the facts, to take him out back and shoot him in the head. Short of sending him to Abu Ghraib or the general population of a Turkish prison, this is the only sort of sentence that makes sense.
Granted, it is a little suspicious that he died of natural causes at the age of 64 in a prison cell in The Hague, under the supervision of doctors who were working hard to make sure he stayed healthy enough to serve out his sentence. (And please, let's not get into the bit where the Russians were willing to treat him in Russia; what, you can't get excellent health care in the Netherlands? Ridiculous.)
I'm going to end with a quote from Hajra Catic of the Association of Srebrenica mothers, a group that had the most reason to see him suffer: "However, it seems that God punished him already."
3.06.2006
Aborted Attempt
It has become fashionable among opponents of abortion to couch their argument in terms of an assault on judicial legislating; the argument goes that Roe v. Wade is flawed because it rests on the judgement of nine unelected individuals rather than on legislation drafted by the elected representatives (either state or federal, senate or house, depending on who's speaking), and therefore we should overturn Roe v. Wade in favor of some piece of abortion-legalizing legislation to be introduced and hammered out sometime in the future.
This is a classic example of putting the cart before the horse.
We have a working system right now that protects women whose health may be harmed by carrying a pregnancy to term or who have been impregnated by their rapists or through incest; we have a working system where a woman who wants or needs an abortion can get one without fear of infection. If you want to overturn the judicial decision that makes that system work because you think a legislated solution would be less fractious, then your duty is clear: get legislation guaranteeing a working system like what we have now passed BEFORE you go about overturning Roe v. Wade.
Barring that, stop pretending that your campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade has anything to do with preserving a woman's right to choose.
This is a classic example of putting the cart before the horse.
We have a working system right now that protects women whose health may be harmed by carrying a pregnancy to term or who have been impregnated by their rapists or through incest; we have a working system where a woman who wants or needs an abortion can get one without fear of infection. If you want to overturn the judicial decision that makes that system work because you think a legislated solution would be less fractious, then your duty is clear: get legislation guaranteeing a working system like what we have now passed BEFORE you go about overturning Roe v. Wade.
Barring that, stop pretending that your campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade has anything to do with preserving a woman's right to choose.
2.27.2006
They Come in Threes, Except When They Come in Fours
Farewell to brilliant writer Octavia Butler (58), and beloved actors Don Knotts (81), Darren McGavin (83), and Dennis Weaver (81).
[Edit: I'm blaming the tears in my eyes. Good grief.]
[Edit: I'm blaming the tears in my eyes. Good grief.]
Attention: Tough Guys
Think you're tough? Not until you've wrestled a croc.
Crocodile-wrestling gran honoured (BBC)
A 61-year-old Australian grandmother has received a bravery award for wrestling a giant saltwater crocodile as it dragged her friend from a tent. Alicia Sorohan was awoken by screams while camping in Queensland and jumped on the 4.2 metre (14ft) reptile's back in an attempt to distract it. The animal then turned on her, breaking her nose and almost ripping her arm off before her son shot it. Mrs Sorohan's arm was left 'hanging by a thread' following the incident in October 2004. She now has two metal plates and 12 screws in her arm but she still does not have full movement back."
Crocodile-wrestling gran honoured (BBC)
A 61-year-old Australian grandmother has received a bravery award for wrestling a giant saltwater crocodile as it dragged her friend from a tent. Alicia Sorohan was awoken by screams while camping in Queensland and jumped on the 4.2 metre (14ft) reptile's back in an attempt to distract it. The animal then turned on her, breaking her nose and almost ripping her arm off before her son shot it. Mrs Sorohan's arm was left 'hanging by a thread' following the incident in October 2004. She now has two metal plates and 12 screws in her arm but she still does not have full movement back."
Irony, and those who can't see it
In a bizarre twist worthy of a Dan Brown novel, the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail are suing Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, for, well, stealing their idea:
'Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh say Mr Brown stole "the whole architecture" of research that went into their 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.' (BBC)
All this despite the fact that Brown's book is the only reason that anyone other than a cranks and crackpots and Umberto Eco fans had even heard of their book. There's gratitude for you.
'Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh say Mr Brown stole "the whole architecture" of research that went into their 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.' (BBC)
All this despite the fact that Brown's book is the only reason that anyone other than a cranks and crackpots and Umberto Eco fans had even heard of their book. There's gratitude for you.
2.24.2006
Something Awful Does Good
Today's installation of SomethingAwful's Photoshop Phriday is tasteful, refined, and really well-done. (ObCaveat about the rest of the site not being anything like.)
Sample:
Sample:
2.23.2006
Night Watch
Went and saw Night Watch at the Metreon last night. Night Watch is a Russian horror/fantasy film set in modern Moscow. Two competing sets of Others (vampires? lycanthropes? witches and warlocks?) watch over each other in a tense truce, with humanity living in the middle. The one side serves Light, the other side serves Dark, and human beings must decide for themselves which way to go.
And somehow, the movie works. Oh, sure, there are some moments that don't work, and there's a certain eagerness to impress with cool, but ultimately, the world is rich enough to gloss over these minor failings. The real star of the show, however, is whoever did the subtitles, which fade in and out, float away like blood in water, disappear behind objects in the film, and just enhance the film overall; bloody well done!
The movie itself is not really that scary, but it sure as hell is creepy, and it makes for excellent dream fodder. And for you gamers out there, there's plenty of game mechanic to discuss afterwards.
Night Watch (trailer) is supposed to be the first of three movies. If the other two are anywhere near as good as this one, we're really in for a treat.
And somehow, the movie works. Oh, sure, there are some moments that don't work, and there's a certain eagerness to impress with cool, but ultimately, the world is rich enough to gloss over these minor failings. The real star of the show, however, is whoever did the subtitles, which fade in and out, float away like blood in water, disappear behind objects in the film, and just enhance the film overall; bloody well done!
The movie itself is not really that scary, but it sure as hell is creepy, and it makes for excellent dream fodder. And for you gamers out there, there's plenty of game mechanic to discuss afterwards.
Night Watch (trailer) is supposed to be the first of three movies. If the other two are anywhere near as good as this one, we're really in for a treat.
2.19.2006
Civilian Take on Battlestar Galactica
On watching the most recent episode of Battlestar Galactica, Yoko's insightful comment was: "Why don't they have the equivalent of SCUBA gear readily available?"
I think that about sums it up.
I think that about sums it up.
2.13.2006
Transformations
Himeji Soft Works Co. has developed a model car that transforms into a robot and back again.
I feel obligated, however, to note that just as Hasbro brought us Transformers, it also brought us My Little Pony, and HSW Co. is similarly no stranger to atrocity.
I feel obligated, however, to note that just as Hasbro brought us Transformers, it also brought us My Little Pony, and HSW Co. is similarly no stranger to atrocity.
2.10.2006
Inflicted
The lovely and talented liralen inflicted this beautiful and goal-less game on me, and now, I am a vector:
The Beautiful Sand Game
(Beware: this is an applet and will make your processor work hard.)
Each type of sand is an element. Try mixing elements. Try setting them on fire. See what happens when a plant gets wet. Try to figure out what makes your Namekuji grow or shrink.
liralen inflicted this beautiful and goal-less game on me, and now, I am a vector:The Beautiful Sand Game
(Beware: this is an applet and will make your processor work hard.)
Each type of sand is an element. Try mixing elements. Try setting them on fire. See what happens when a plant gets wet. Try to figure out what makes your Namekuji grow or shrink.
2.08.2006
WTFIWWJP? #45986
BBC NEWS: Japan tries to save giant radish
A giant radish is making the Japanese evening news headlines after it was rushed into intensive care in an agricultural research centre.
A giant radish is making the Japanese evening news headlines after it was rushed into intensive care in an agricultural research centre.
Temporary Part Time Work
The US District Court, Northern District of California, is looking for a part-time dekstop support person:
http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/tch/131676683.html
Temporary Part-Time Windows2K/XP Computer Desktop Support
Aside from everything you can read at Craigslist, let me just say that this is a very healthy and supportive work environment with friendly, helpful people. Mind you, this is also a fairly temporary position.
http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/tch/131676683.html
Temporary Part-Time Windows2K/XP Computer Desktop Support
Aside from everything you can read at Craigslist, let me just say that this is a very healthy and supportive work environment with friendly, helpful people. Mind you, this is also a fairly temporary position.
2.03.2006
Native Alien
Not for the squeamish, nor for the faint of heart, there is a wasp that turns cockroaches into docile zombie hosts for its young.
(many thanks to haineux
(many thanks to haineux
2.02.2006
1.29.2006
1.26.2006
Pieces of the Middle East
When I was a teen, I used to love Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat. In each story, the Rat, James Bolivar DiGriz, would allow himself to fall into terrible peril such that there was no doubt that this was the occasion on which his goose was going to get cooked, and then, bam, when you least expected it (or most expected it, depending on how many Stainless Steel Rat books you'd read), the Rat would activate his cunning plan, dashing the bad guys and rescuing himself and his people. To be sure, there were some far-fetched gambits, but my favorite laugh-out-loud deus ex moment involved the Stainless Steel Rat dropping himself some fancy piece of equipment from the future-- and this was years before Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, mind you. Somewhat later, I discovered the somewhat more outrageous and entertaining Retief by Keith Laumer, another morally ambiguous hero whose victories hinged on strategems and plots so brave and yet so ludicrous that no one would ever take them seriously (which is why, in their fictional setting, they worked so well).
Speaking of ridiculous strategems that appear to be paying off, I give you the current Middle East, where a country run by theocrats is seeing the fruits of a crazy plan pay off. See, back in the 90s, the mullahs and political leaders of Iran took a chance on dark horse, a bunch of murderous, fanatical, and (at the risk of redundancy) insane thugs called Hamas. You may remember them because, um, they won 76 out of the 132 seats in the Palestinian parliament recently. That gives them a healthy simple majority in the parliament.
That's not good.
But it gets better... well, for some people. See, in the recent Iraqi parliamentary election, the United Iraqi Alliance, a coalition of Shi'ite fundamentalists, won 128 out of the 275 seats available in the recent Iraqi parliamentary election. That puts them 10 votes shy of a simple majority (8, since Sadr's indicated that he'll vote with the UIA), and while the holders of the other seats are not likely to throw their votes in with the UIA, there's also no chance of anyone but the UIA putting together a ruling coalition. The UIA has the implicit support of Al Sistani, Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric, who also has ties, at least religiously, to, no points for guessing, Iran.
And that's not good. Well, in a way, it's great, because the insurgency in Iraq seems to be run mostly by Sunnis, so at least the nutjobs who are busy blowing up police stations aren't going to be running the country. But it's not good in that Iran is currently headed by a man whose diplomatic skills make our President sound almost, what's the word, oh, yes, presidential. And now he's got very sympathetic governments in Iraq and modern Palestine.
So, there you have it. We went to war supposedly to bring about democracy in the Middle East, and we ended up with the resurgent (and surprisingly democratic) Persian Empire. Keep an eye out for the sudden appearance of handbaskets and one-way tickets.
Speaking of ridiculous strategems that appear to be paying off, I give you the current Middle East, where a country run by theocrats is seeing the fruits of a crazy plan pay off. See, back in the 90s, the mullahs and political leaders of Iran took a chance on dark horse, a bunch of murderous, fanatical, and (at the risk of redundancy) insane thugs called Hamas. You may remember them because, um, they won 76 out of the 132 seats in the Palestinian parliament recently. That gives them a healthy simple majority in the parliament.
That's not good.
But it gets better... well, for some people. See, in the recent Iraqi parliamentary election, the United Iraqi Alliance, a coalition of Shi'ite fundamentalists, won 128 out of the 275 seats available in the recent Iraqi parliamentary election. That puts them 10 votes shy of a simple majority (8, since Sadr's indicated that he'll vote with the UIA), and while the holders of the other seats are not likely to throw their votes in with the UIA, there's also no chance of anyone but the UIA putting together a ruling coalition. The UIA has the implicit support of Al Sistani, Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric, who also has ties, at least religiously, to, no points for guessing, Iran.
And that's not good. Well, in a way, it's great, because the insurgency in Iraq seems to be run mostly by Sunnis, so at least the nutjobs who are busy blowing up police stations aren't going to be running the country. But it's not good in that Iran is currently headed by a man whose diplomatic skills make our President sound almost, what's the word, oh, yes, presidential. And now he's got very sympathetic governments in Iraq and modern Palestine.
So, there you have it. We went to war supposedly to bring about democracy in the Middle East, and we ended up with the resurgent (and surprisingly democratic) Persian Empire. Keep an eye out for the sudden appearance of handbaskets and one-way tickets.
1.24.2006
1.22.2006
Further testing
Again, a test. If this works, you should not see these words unless you click to Read more.
1.21.2006
Perverse Pleasures
Reviewing two George Clooney movies at once.
Up until Good Night, and Good Luck, there was a fairly common theme to [witch|communist]-hunt or whistle-blower stories: you can keep your integrity and lose your job/liberty/life, or you can keep your job/liberty/life at the expense of your integrity. This dichotomy, while making for some wonderful drama and inner struggles, was pretty damn depressing. The message that it sent was, if you're going to do this, you're going to lose everything. If you stand up to the tyranny, expect to be buried. Your only real hope was to become a martyr.
Good Night, and Good Luck is a lefty feel-good film, and if you read my blog at all, you already know I'm a lefty (and I feel good). What I mean is this: when you see this movie, the vibe you carry out is this: speak Truth to Power; be empowered by the Truth. If you're feeling a little down because of the current regime's bizarro-world take on world affairs, this is the movie you need to see.
If you want to exit a movie theater feeling good, however, don't go and see Syriana. If you're looking for something with teeth, something that may just wake the sleeping populace to the here-to-for behind-the-scenes machinations that drive the oil industry (and, by extension, the Bush administration), Syriana's your movie. It pulls few punches as it explores just how far the current bunch of Petrolcrats will go to preserve their stranglehold on the world's most precious resource.
Mind you, for those of us who have been paying attention, who remember what the Marines did for the American fruit companies in Central America, nothing in this film comes as much of a surprise. For us, it's just a well-told story with good acting and good writing. I still recommend it.
On trivial notes, Grant Heslov, one of my favorite character actors, co-wrote the screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck, and Syriana features Alexander Siddig, the fine Dr. Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I hope that their involvement in their respective films leads to much greater success for them both, as I think they're both sadly overlooked talents.
Up until Good Night, and Good Luck, there was a fairly common theme to [witch|communist]-hunt or whistle-blower stories: you can keep your integrity and lose your job/liberty/life, or you can keep your job/liberty/life at the expense of your integrity. This dichotomy, while making for some wonderful drama and inner struggles, was pretty damn depressing. The message that it sent was, if you're going to do this, you're going to lose everything. If you stand up to the tyranny, expect to be buried. Your only real hope was to become a martyr.
Good Night, and Good Luck is a lefty feel-good film, and if you read my blog at all, you already know I'm a lefty (and I feel good). What I mean is this: when you see this movie, the vibe you carry out is this: speak Truth to Power; be empowered by the Truth. If you're feeling a little down because of the current regime's bizarro-world take on world affairs, this is the movie you need to see.
If you want to exit a movie theater feeling good, however, don't go and see Syriana. If you're looking for something with teeth, something that may just wake the sleeping populace to the here-to-for behind-the-scenes machinations that drive the oil industry (and, by extension, the Bush administration), Syriana's your movie. It pulls few punches as it explores just how far the current bunch of Petrolcrats will go to preserve their stranglehold on the world's most precious resource.
Mind you, for those of us who have been paying attention, who remember what the Marines did for the American fruit companies in Central America, nothing in this film comes as much of a surprise. For us, it's just a well-told story with good acting and good writing. I still recommend it.
On trivial notes, Grant Heslov, one of my favorite character actors, co-wrote the screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck, and Syriana features Alexander Siddig, the fine Dr. Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I hope that their involvement in their respective films leads to much greater success for them both, as I think they're both sadly overlooked talents.
1.20.2006
Cancer and dubious correlation
Mobiles 'don't raise cancer risk' (BBC News)
I'm a bit confused:
So, if I'm reading this correctly, using a cell phone on one side of your head increases your likeliness of getting cancer on that side of your head but decreases your likeliness of getting cancer on the other side of your head, so, because it's a zero-sum result, using a cell phone doesn't increase your odds of getting cancer?
I'm not trying to be difficult, but this sounds similar to research that shows that if you use your right hand to poke a lion, you have a higher chance of losing your right hand and an overall lower chance of losing your left hand, so poking a lion with your right hand makes you no more likely to lose a hand than not poking a lion.
Or am I missing something here?
I'm a bit confused:
'Research author Professor Patricia McKinney, Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology at the Leeds University, said: "For regular mobile phone users, there was no increased risk of developing a glioma associated with mobile phone use."
'She acknowledged that there appeared to be an increased risk among brain cancer sufferers on the side of the head where they held the phone.
'The team, however, did not put this down to a causal link, because almost exactly the same decreased risk was seen on the other side of the head, leaving no overall increase risk of tumours for mobile phone users.
'Instead, they blamed biased reporting from brain tumour sufferers who knew what side of the head their tumours were on.
'Another research team member, Professor Anthony Swerdlow of the Institute of Cancer Research, said: "It would be very misleading to the public to say that because there was a positive that this (mobile phones) causes brain tumours."
'He explained: "If we had found a raised risk overall and it was all coming from one side, I would believe there was a real case.
'"But as there is a drop on the opposing side - the overall risk is not raised.
'"That makes it rather unlikely that there is a raised risk."'
So, if I'm reading this correctly, using a cell phone on one side of your head increases your likeliness of getting cancer on that side of your head but decreases your likeliness of getting cancer on the other side of your head, so, because it's a zero-sum result, using a cell phone doesn't increase your odds of getting cancer?
I'm not trying to be difficult, but this sounds similar to research that shows that if you use your right hand to poke a lion, you have a higher chance of losing your right hand and an overall lower chance of losing your left hand, so poking a lion with your right hand makes you no more likely to lose a hand than not poking a lion.
Or am I missing something here?
1.17.2006
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to Philip (1342), the Bold, duke of Burgundy; Frederick III (1463), the Wise, elector of Saxony, 1486-25, protector of Luther; Leonhard Fuchs (1501), German botanist, author of History of Plants; Pius V (1504), saint, pope, 1566-72; Thomas Fairfax (1612), Lord Fairfax; Benjamin Franklin (1706); Stanislaw II August Poniatowski (1732), last king of Poland, 1764-95; Charles Brockden Brown (1771), first professional American writer, author of Wieland; Anne Bronte (1820); Konstantin S Stanislavski (1863); David Lloyd George (1863), British PM; Al Capone (1899); Eartha Kitt (1927); James Earl Jones (1931); Cassius Clay (aka Muhammad Ali) (1942); Andy Kaufman (1949); Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952); David Caruso (1956); Jim Carrey (1962); and me (1970).
1.05.2006
War on Christmas?
Forget the War on Christmas. Luigi Cascioli is going right to the source:
More at the link (CNN).
An Italian court is tackling Jesus -- and whether the Roman Catholic Church may be breaking the law by teaching that he existed 2,000 years ago. The case pits against each other two men in their 70s, who are from the same central Italian town and even went to the same seminary school in their teenage years. The defendant, Enrico Righi, went on to become a priest writing for the parish newspaper. The plaintiff, Luigi Cascioli, became a vocal atheist who, after years of legal wrangling, is set to get his day in court later this month.
"I started this lawsuit because I wanted to deal the final blow against the Church, the bearer of obscurantism and regression," Cascioli told Reuters.
Cascioli says Righi, and by extension the whole Church, broke two Italian laws. The first is "Abuso di Credulita Popolare" (Abuse of Popular Belief) meant to protect people against being swindled or conned. The second crime, he says, is "Sostituzione di Persona," or impersonation.
More at the link (CNN).
1.04.2006
Dangerous Ideas
The Edge asked a bunch of fascinating indivdiduals, "What is your dangerous idea?". Last year they asked "What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?" and that was a fascinating read. This year's answers are a full 12,0000 words longer. I'm posting this here so's I don't lose it.
1.03.2006
Rocket Man
Wacky Finn jumps from hot-air balloon, flies around with rocket-boots. (WMV Video at second link, worksafe, one expletive.)
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