Kung Fu Jesus
Bob the Ball
Saturday, July 31, 2004
Must Buy DVD
Amazon.co.uk: DVD: Shaun of the Dead - best bit - an audio commentary from the Zombies!
Friday, July 30, 2004
BBC - Cult Television - Top Screen Scientist Vote
BBC - Cult Television - Top Screen Scientist Vote - vote for Beaker & Honeydew.
Attack of the Copyright Crusaders
So I'm busy at work tonight when we get a call from the Stage Manager that a video camera has been spotted in the second row of the theatre. Cue half an hour of scrambling around in the darkness try to find this bloody camera. We finally locate what we believe is the camera. The ushers do the usual 'shine the torch' shtick at the offender, who as usual is right in the middle of the row. Despite consistent torch shining, we get ignored by these people. If this person is using a camera, they're violating copyright and we're suppose to stop this somehow. We're told we can't confiscate their tape, we can only insist that they erase it. Which means that if they've been recording this two hour+ show on something like Hi-8, we're going to be there for some time watching them wipe it.
Seeing as this constant torch-waving is beginning to annoy other patrons, the decision is made to get the tape to wipe it at the end of the show. Two PSO's are called up & positioned at either end of the row and we wait for the end of the show.
With the finale finished, the house lights are coming up & we finally get a good look at what the woman is holding. As she lowers....
A monocular....
...and we call the whole thing off.
Now what on earth does a person who is sitting in the second-front row of the theatre need distance viewing equipment for? These after all, are seats where it is often a good idea to bring an umbrella to avoid being showered by the saliva and sweat of the performers. And this person was using something that allows them to see long distances this close? And they weren't using a set of binoculars mind you, they were using an monocular - one lens, one eye-piece...
Thus endeth my exciting night.
Seeing as this constant torch-waving is beginning to annoy other patrons, the decision is made to get the tape to wipe it at the end of the show. Two PSO's are called up & positioned at either end of the row and we wait for the end of the show.
With the finale finished, the house lights are coming up & we finally get a good look at what the woman is holding. As she lowers....
A monocular....
...and we call the whole thing off.
Now what on earth does a person who is sitting in the second-front row of the theatre need distance viewing equipment for? These after all, are seats where it is often a good idea to bring an umbrella to avoid being showered by the saliva and sweat of the performers. And this person was using something that allows them to see long distances this close? And they weren't using a set of binoculars mind you, they were using an monocular - one lens, one eye-piece...
Thus endeth my exciting night.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Weird Al Poodle Hat Tour
Alas, all of the songs played were published tracks. So no cool unrecorded stuff. There were a couple I didn't recognise, but a check of track listings showed they were just album tracks I didn't know.
However, the videos played during outfit changes were absolutely hilarious (including 'Wheel of Fish'!). The faux interviews were especially good (including ones paying out on Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake & one Marshall Mathers. And yes, the hypocrisy of Mr Mathers does cross into the firing line)
Photos from a different gig on the tour (but with the same set), here.
However, the videos played during outfit changes were absolutely hilarious (including 'Wheel of Fish'!). The faux interviews were especially good (including ones paying out on Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake & one Marshall Mathers. And yes, the hypocrisy of Mr Mathers does cross into the firing line)
Photos from a different gig on the tour (but with the same set), here.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
JoWood signs Yetisports
JoWood plans to release both PC and console titles based on the popular Yetisports Internet game.
JoWood today announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with the creators of the popular Internet game Yetisports. Developed by Vienna-based Edelweiss Medienwerkstatt, the Yetisports Web site, where visitors play games starring a yeti and a penguin, currently attracts well over 100 million visitors per month.
JoWood today announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with the creators of the popular Internet game Yetisports. Developed by Vienna-based Edelweiss Medienwerkstatt, the Yetisports Web site, where visitors play games starring a yeti and a penguin, currently attracts well over 100 million visitors per month.
Monday, July 26, 2004
UberGoober
Über Goober focuses on the often-misunderstood, sometimes-controversial, and always-kind-of-geeky world of Gamers. Metze examines several different groups including historical miniature gamers, role-players, and those known simply as "LARPers" (Live Action Role Players). The film also explores opposition from religious groups, negative media portrayals ranging from sit-coms to post-Columbine news coverage, and some of the meanest 'man-on-the-street' interviews ever committed to video. Meet the Gamers, learn their exotic language, see their bizarre rituals, gasp at their semi-authentic costumes, and thrill to the painting techniques on their miniatures!
Shot on MiniDV, the film runs 90 minutes and featured interviews include Dungeons and Dragons creator E. Gary Gygax, televangelist Bob Larson, author Mike Stackpole, and cartoonist John Kovalic, along with music by "The Great Luke Ski."
Shot on MiniDV, the film runs 90 minutes and featured interviews include Dungeons and Dragons creator E. Gary Gygax, televangelist Bob Larson, author Mike Stackpole, and cartoonist John Kovalic, along with music by "The Great Luke Ski."
Friday, July 23, 2004
Secret History, Alternate History
Okay, some of you may remember that I was going to do a post on some books when I experienced some technical difficulties. Here goes a second attempt.
I've finished Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown, who also wrote The Da Vinci Code - which is a book I haven't read. And, well, A&D was all right, but I didn't find it particularly amazing.
The basic plot was 'Mysterious murder in CERN leads Hero Guy on a trail to the Vatican where he also runs into the Illuminati'. Okay, fair enough. But it just came out kind of bleh. There were always things that had me kind of wincing and jolting me out of my suspension of disbelief.
First up was the astounding ignorance people seemed to have about CERN, like it was some kind of top-secret organisation. Though perhaps ordinary people aren't geeky and know about massive particle accelerators. Also at CERN, someone (the guy who had just been murdered, in fact) had managed to synthesise large amounts of antimatter. Specifically, as far as I could tell, he'd managed to isolate a huge number of positrons. (I say 'huge', because there were, like, nanograms of these things. They're the antimatter version of electrons - that should give you some idea of just how tiny these particles are). Now, this is a reasonable gimme. But I'm not entirely sure the author knew what he was dealing with.
For one thing, a scientist was proudly complaining that he had 'created matter out of nothing' as he'd created a bunch of particle-antiparticle pairs. Now, while what he actually did is impressive, he didn't create matter out of nothing, he created matter out of soddingly huge amounts of energy from a thirty-kilometre particle accelerator. E=mc^2, and all that.
Later on, another (living) scientist, claimed the antimatter would be 'chemically identical to hydrogen'. In fact, a sea of positrons were being contained in a magnetic field (at least he got the metallic appearance right). This is not hydrogen, or even antihydrogen. Antihydrogen would be characterised by its cheerful disregard of magnetic containment and things going boom around it. Not once was any kind of deal made about the massive positive charge this stuff would have - neutrally charged things would stick to it, even with the magnetic field in the way. Given that a major plot point was that this stuff got hidden in the Vatican and people couldn't find it, that's something of a stuffup.
But that's a relatively minor gripe, for all that it kept annoying me. No, my real gripe was the Illuminati. Now, maybe I've been overinfluenced by Illuminatus! but these Illuminati were piss-poor. Only the Illuminati in the Tomb Raider movie were less impressive. Apparently, they were founded in the 1600s by Galileo, an association of rabid atheists who wanted to bring down the Catholic Church. (In an unrelated gripe, somehow the Catholic Church is responsible for the Bible Belt in the USA. Now there's a conspiracy for ya.)
For fuck's sake, if I want to read about Illuminati, I want to read about the scheming manipulators from before time began who have always pulled the strings. I want to hear about the foul rites the Templars performed before the skull Baphomet, I want to hear about how the Order of Hermes were subsumed giving the Illuminati magical powers, I want to hear about the nameless blasphemies committed in the name of The Being That Picks People Up And Sometimes Puts Them Down Somewhere Else... actually, just hearing about Adam Weishaupt (If I've got the spelling right) and even fucking Bavaria would be nice. Not this namby-pamby stuff where 'Satanist' gets used as a buzzword. (IIRC, dialogue something like "They were Satanists." "Satanists?" "Not exactly.")
So, all up, it was better than Ice Station. But that should be no surprise - my comparisons with Ice Station often include rubbing one's face in red-hot gravel or genital mutilation with rusty cutlery. But my recommendation is, essentially, that it'd pass the time.
On the other hand, I highly recommend Weapons of Choice, by John Birmingham (yes, the He Died With A Felafel In His Hand guy). It's an alternate history - a multinational carrier group is moving in to an Indonesian crisis in 2021. Tagging along is a research vessel one of the group's cruisers had been babysitting and was unable to get another escort. It creates a wormhole, chucking the majority of the group through to 1942.
Most of the transported ships arrive in a clump more-or-less right on top of the US Naval expedition to Midway. While the crews are all unconscious from the Transit shock, one of the 1942 ships happens across a task force member... from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
Mayhem ensues, and the Axis aren't left out of the fun. The Japanese get to capture one of the Indonesian navy vessels that was transported, and loot another that appeared halfway into a mountain in New Guinea.
Birmingham does a great job of portraying the culture shock of the eighty-year gap between the travellers and the locals. And it's boggling how far we've come since 1942... as someone points out, they don't even know what DNA is. Not to mention the way non-whites and women are treated in the Allied countries. And then there's the question of the German, Italian, Japanese and even Russian members of the task force.
I'm looking forward to further installments of this series. The concept is nothing new, perhaps, but the execution is sterling. I don't have any moments of disbelief like I did with A&D. Even when HRH Harry Windsor, Captain, SAS, gets involved.
And it is rather amusing the couple of references to 'space lizards invading' that get worked in. The man's read his WWII alternate history as well as his normal stuff, I see.
And for those who have skimmed through this entire thing: Read Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham. Read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown only if bored.
I'm ending this transmission.
I've finished Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown, who also wrote The Da Vinci Code - which is a book I haven't read. And, well, A&D was all right, but I didn't find it particularly amazing.
The basic plot was 'Mysterious murder in CERN leads Hero Guy on a trail to the Vatican where he also runs into the Illuminati'. Okay, fair enough. But it just came out kind of bleh. There were always things that had me kind of wincing and jolting me out of my suspension of disbelief.
First up was the astounding ignorance people seemed to have about CERN, like it was some kind of top-secret organisation. Though perhaps ordinary people aren't geeky and know about massive particle accelerators. Also at CERN, someone (the guy who had just been murdered, in fact) had managed to synthesise large amounts of antimatter. Specifically, as far as I could tell, he'd managed to isolate a huge number of positrons. (I say 'huge', because there were, like, nanograms of these things. They're the antimatter version of electrons - that should give you some idea of just how tiny these particles are). Now, this is a reasonable gimme. But I'm not entirely sure the author knew what he was dealing with.
For one thing, a scientist was proudly complaining that he had 'created matter out of nothing' as he'd created a bunch of particle-antiparticle pairs. Now, while what he actually did is impressive, he didn't create matter out of nothing, he created matter out of soddingly huge amounts of energy from a thirty-kilometre particle accelerator. E=mc^2, and all that.
Later on, another (living) scientist, claimed the antimatter would be 'chemically identical to hydrogen'. In fact, a sea of positrons were being contained in a magnetic field (at least he got the metallic appearance right). This is not hydrogen, or even antihydrogen. Antihydrogen would be characterised by its cheerful disregard of magnetic containment and things going boom around it. Not once was any kind of deal made about the massive positive charge this stuff would have - neutrally charged things would stick to it, even with the magnetic field in the way. Given that a major plot point was that this stuff got hidden in the Vatican and people couldn't find it, that's something of a stuffup.
But that's a relatively minor gripe, for all that it kept annoying me. No, my real gripe was the Illuminati. Now, maybe I've been overinfluenced by Illuminatus! but these Illuminati were piss-poor. Only the Illuminati in the Tomb Raider movie were less impressive. Apparently, they were founded in the 1600s by Galileo, an association of rabid atheists who wanted to bring down the Catholic Church. (In an unrelated gripe, somehow the Catholic Church is responsible for the Bible Belt in the USA. Now there's a conspiracy for ya.)
For fuck's sake, if I want to read about Illuminati, I want to read about the scheming manipulators from before time began who have always pulled the strings. I want to hear about the foul rites the Templars performed before the skull Baphomet, I want to hear about how the Order of Hermes were subsumed giving the Illuminati magical powers, I want to hear about the nameless blasphemies committed in the name of The Being That Picks People Up And Sometimes Puts Them Down Somewhere Else... actually, just hearing about Adam Weishaupt (If I've got the spelling right) and even fucking Bavaria would be nice. Not this namby-pamby stuff where 'Satanist' gets used as a buzzword. (IIRC, dialogue something like "They were Satanists." "Satanists?" "Not exactly.")
So, all up, it was better than Ice Station. But that should be no surprise - my comparisons with Ice Station often include rubbing one's face in red-hot gravel or genital mutilation with rusty cutlery. But my recommendation is, essentially, that it'd pass the time.
On the other hand, I highly recommend Weapons of Choice, by John Birmingham (yes, the He Died With A Felafel In His Hand guy). It's an alternate history - a multinational carrier group is moving in to an Indonesian crisis in 2021. Tagging along is a research vessel one of the group's cruisers had been babysitting and was unable to get another escort. It creates a wormhole, chucking the majority of the group through to 1942.
Most of the transported ships arrive in a clump more-or-less right on top of the US Naval expedition to Midway. While the crews are all unconscious from the Transit shock, one of the 1942 ships happens across a task force member... from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
Mayhem ensues, and the Axis aren't left out of the fun. The Japanese get to capture one of the Indonesian navy vessels that was transported, and loot another that appeared halfway into a mountain in New Guinea.
Birmingham does a great job of portraying the culture shock of the eighty-year gap between the travellers and the locals. And it's boggling how far we've come since 1942... as someone points out, they don't even know what DNA is. Not to mention the way non-whites and women are treated in the Allied countries. And then there's the question of the German, Italian, Japanese and even Russian members of the task force.
I'm looking forward to further installments of this series. The concept is nothing new, perhaps, but the execution is sterling. I don't have any moments of disbelief like I did with A&D. Even when HRH Harry Windsor, Captain, SAS, gets involved.
And it is rather amusing the couple of references to 'space lizards invading' that get worked in. The man's read his WWII alternate history as well as his normal stuff, I see.
And for those who have skimmed through this entire thing: Read Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham. Read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown only if bored.
I'm ending this transmission.
Well, here I am. . .
Once again back in the wonderful world of dial-up internet :)
Not much to report yet - I'm here, and pretty much lounging around being a bum (Kristy says "Hi!" and "Don't tell them I'm in the shower."). We're going camping this weekend, and next week I'll probably spend some more time looking for a furnished studio apartment (Kristy's place is a little small for two people).
No James, I haven't bought Penn & Teller yet.
Not much to report yet - I'm here, and pretty much lounging around being a bum (Kristy says "Hi!" and "Don't tell them I'm in the shower."). We're going camping this weekend, and next week I'll probably spend some more time looking for a furnished studio apartment (Kristy's place is a little small for two people).
No James, I haven't bought Penn & Teller yet.
Rubber Ducky, Unbelievable story, Haunted? Possesed? Update
The final, winning, Auction price for the Duck of Doom US$107.50 (Approximately AU$150.28).
Thursday, July 22, 2004
ebay Maddness
Rubber Ducky, Unbelievable story, Haunted? Possesed?
This rubber duck has a tragic / possesed / haunted story. And i cannot believe that it is currently worth US$41.50. Have a look at the ebay auction for the detailed story of the Duck of Doom's story.
This rubber duck has a tragic / possesed / haunted story. And i cannot believe that it is currently worth US$41.50. Have a look at the ebay auction for the detailed story of the Duck of Doom's story.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Note to self: Ctrl-W closes Firebird Windows
I was settling in for a good blog rant on a couple of books. I even had visions of a metaphor I was going to use ("It lied to me, left me feeling alone and used and weeping to myself over my broken life" was an overstatement of my feelings, but it was one I was considering using just for the whore imagery.) And then I hit Ctrl-W.
Bugger.
So, short version before I go to bed: Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown - meh.
World War 2.1: Weapons of Choice, by John Birmingham (yes, the He Died With A Felafel In His Hand guy) - impressive. Also unfinished, at this stage, but I'm reading.
I had a more detailed review coming up, but I'd just finished enumerating why I thought Angels and Demons was meh (complete with Derlethian Wendigo reference!) when the dreaded Ctrl-W struck. Gah.
Might blog properly tomorrow. Or might watch the rest of Blake's 7. I'm unpredictable, me, which is what makes me so dangerous.
Bugger.
So, short version before I go to bed: Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown - meh.
World War 2.1: Weapons of Choice, by John Birmingham (yes, the He Died With A Felafel In His Hand guy) - impressive. Also unfinished, at this stage, but I'm reading.
I had a more detailed review coming up, but I'd just finished enumerating why I thought Angels and Demons was meh (complete with Derlethian Wendigo reference!) when the dreaded Ctrl-W struck. Gah.
Might blog properly tomorrow. Or might watch the rest of Blake's 7. I'm unpredictable, me, which is what makes me so dangerous.
Mars rover finds that water persisted
Surface water on Mars existed across a significant span of time, not just for years but eons, suggest new findings made by NASA's Mars rover Opportunity.
Within a few weeks of its landing on Mars in January 2004, Opportunity revealed what was uppermost on the twin rovers' agenda: that bodies of liquid water once existed on the surface of Mars. But the evidence proved what could have been only a solitary event - a single wet episode.
The new discovery, reported by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Friday, pushes the boundaries significantly further back, into geological timescales.
More here
Within a few weeks of its landing on Mars in January 2004, Opportunity revealed what was uppermost on the twin rovers' agenda: that bodies of liquid water once existed on the surface of Mars. But the evidence proved what could have been only a solitary event - a single wet episode.
The new discovery, reported by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Friday, pushes the boundaries significantly further back, into geological timescales.
More here
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
New DVDs (AKA The Japanese know how to do Horror)
Well for those who don't know I really enjoyed the Ring trilogy (and of course, own it). Some of you may have seen the American remake, but it has nothing on the original.
So I bought some new movies today (all Asian films), two Japanese horror flicks and a Korean kung-fu movie. So far I've watched one of the Jap horrors entitled "The Grudge".
Now Hollywood horror seems to be (in my opinion) a matter of trying to get a big body count with nice hellishly gory deaths. This is not the Japanese idea of horror. Now, every horror I've seen from Japan has used something else instead of violence and large body counts, and that's suspense.
Just in case someone from Hollywood reads this:
sus·pense Pronunciation Key (s
-sp
ns
)
n.
(and for those Americans we're talking about definition 3)
Well The Grudge does this incredibly well. We see little to no violence, I think the body count makes it to 15, and well if a movie can get me feeling a little creepped out and checking dark corners.... well the director/writer had to have done something right.
Danm that movie was freaky.
So I bought some new movies today (all Asian films), two Japanese horror flicks and a Korean kung-fu movie. So far I've watched one of the Jap horrors entitled "The Grudge".
Now Hollywood horror seems to be (in my opinion) a matter of trying to get a big body count with nice hellishly gory deaths. This is not the Japanese idea of horror. Now, every horror I've seen from Japan has used something else instead of violence and large body counts, and that's suspense.
Just in case someone from Hollywood reads this:
sus·pense Pronunciation Key (s
-spns)
n.
- The condition of being physically suspended.
- The state or quality of being undecided, uncertain, or doubtful.
- Pleasurable excitement and anticipation regarding an outcome, such as the ending of a mystery novel.
- Anxiety or apprehension resulting from an uncertain, undecided, or mysterious situation.
(and for those Americans we're talking about definition 3)
Well The Grudge does this incredibly well. We see little to no violence, I think the body count makes it to 15, and well if a movie can get me feeling a little creepped out and checking dark corners.... well the director/writer had to have done something right.
Danm that movie was freaky.
Hi, I'm from Brittish Securtiy Company were based in Bum Fuck, England
SECRET HEATHROW DOSSIER FOUND LYING IN GUTTER
Why not just put up signs at the airport saying "Leave bomb here, it won't be found my our patrols and it will cause maximum damage".
Why not just put up signs at the airport saying "Leave bomb here, it won't be found my our patrols and it will cause maximum damage".
Quick Movie Reviews
Watched a couple of flicks recently - here are some thoughts.
Paycheck - decent enough flick, even though if you really think about it it doesn't really make much sense. Usual simplistic Big Corporation = Evil mentality. Think about it, if a Corporation's prime motive is to make money, how are they going to continue to make money if their project starts a nuclear war which wipes out civilisation? Where's the profit motive there? As well, why go to the extent of setting things up to escape from aforementioned Evil Corporation to then break back in to destroy your invention. Wouldn't it be easier to destroy it while you're still inside? Oh well... You know, for a guy who is suppose to dislike Science Fiction, John Woo seems to make an awful lot of them since he moved to Hollywood (and for the Woo fanatics - yes he does manage to fit in the obligatory slow motion dove in the film - even if it does appear out of nowhere in the middle of a heavily guarded underground research facility...).
Dickie Roberts - Former Child Star - watched it for half an hour. Didn't laugh once. Turned it off. 'nuff said.
Hellboy - a heck of a lot better than the last Hollywood action film which had the hero fighting Magic Nazi's back from the dead. Ron Perlman is awesome - not to mention freaking huge. It's the role he was born to play. Selma Blair needs to eat a sandwich. The dark twisted humour is kept intact from the comics. An all-round excellent flick. And what is it with Ancient Evil and Tentacles??? Always with the tentacles...
The Punisher - 2004 version. Decent film. Thomas Jane plays the role well. Unfortunately Hollywood being Hollywood - he didn't get to shoot anywhere near enough people. And Marvel's got to find another female other than Rebecca Romijn to cast in these films. Not that I mind looking at her.. but let's face it - supermodels don't generally live in run-down hovels. Other than that - pretty enjoyable.
Shrek 2 - My thought's from the first film still hold true - a film that purports to take the piss out of the Disney Animated movies effectively turns into one...again. Maybe it's just because I'm tired of the Mike Meyers/bad Scottish accent schtick, but this really wasn't as good as the film. It took far too many easy steps and took too long getting to the actual plot. It's all well and good to throw in your various re-imaginings of classic characters and obligatory revisits to those in the first movie, but slow story = boring. The best bit was the new Antonio Banderas character - who really was entertaining and hammed it up well.
King Arthur - Sadly, a pretty pedestrian middle of the road Bruckheimer flick. A pity really, considering the director & cast. Clive Owen seems to be asleep through most of the film. Keira Knightley spends most of the time either arching her eyebrows quizzically (she'd fit right into a WOT movie) or demonstrating just how good a job those corsets from Pirates of the Caribbean did. Ioan Gruffudd and Ray Winstone were both excellent, as was Stellan Skarsgård. If Arthur was suppose to be such a military genius, then why on earth did he decide to abandon the one tactical fortification he had and fight what should have been overwhelming odds (if they weren't conveniently served up to him piece-meal) effectively in the middle of a plain. That and the Wall had a magic opening/closing door - what for it yourself, it can't remember whether it's suppose to be open or closed.
Paycheck - decent enough flick, even though if you really think about it it doesn't really make much sense. Usual simplistic Big Corporation = Evil mentality. Think about it, if a Corporation's prime motive is to make money, how are they going to continue to make money if their project starts a nuclear war which wipes out civilisation? Where's the profit motive there? As well, why go to the extent of setting things up to escape from aforementioned Evil Corporation to then break back in to destroy your invention. Wouldn't it be easier to destroy it while you're still inside? Oh well... You know, for a guy who is suppose to dislike Science Fiction, John Woo seems to make an awful lot of them since he moved to Hollywood (and for the Woo fanatics - yes he does manage to fit in the obligatory slow motion dove in the film - even if it does appear out of nowhere in the middle of a heavily guarded underground research facility...).
Dickie Roberts - Former Child Star - watched it for half an hour. Didn't laugh once. Turned it off. 'nuff said.
Hellboy - a heck of a lot better than the last Hollywood action film which had the hero fighting Magic Nazi's back from the dead. Ron Perlman is awesome - not to mention freaking huge. It's the role he was born to play. Selma Blair needs to eat a sandwich. The dark twisted humour is kept intact from the comics. An all-round excellent flick. And what is it with Ancient Evil and Tentacles??? Always with the tentacles...
The Punisher - 2004 version. Decent film. Thomas Jane plays the role well. Unfortunately Hollywood being Hollywood - he didn't get to shoot anywhere near enough people. And Marvel's got to find another female other than Rebecca Romijn to cast in these films. Not that I mind looking at her.. but let's face it - supermodels don't generally live in run-down hovels. Other than that - pretty enjoyable.
Shrek 2 - My thought's from the first film still hold true - a film that purports to take the piss out of the Disney Animated movies effectively turns into one...again. Maybe it's just because I'm tired of the Mike Meyers/bad Scottish accent schtick, but this really wasn't as good as the film. It took far too many easy steps and took too long getting to the actual plot. It's all well and good to throw in your various re-imaginings of classic characters and obligatory revisits to those in the first movie, but slow story = boring. The best bit was the new Antonio Banderas character - who really was entertaining and hammed it up well.
King Arthur - Sadly, a pretty pedestrian middle of the road Bruckheimer flick. A pity really, considering the director & cast. Clive Owen seems to be asleep through most of the film. Keira Knightley spends most of the time either arching her eyebrows quizzically (she'd fit right into a WOT movie) or demonstrating just how good a job those corsets from Pirates of the Caribbean did. Ioan Gruffudd and Ray Winstone were both excellent, as was Stellan Skarsgård. If Arthur was suppose to be such a military genius, then why on earth did he decide to abandon the one tactical fortification he had and fight what should have been overwhelming odds (if they weren't conveniently served up to him piece-meal) effectively in the middle of a plain. That and the Wall had a magic opening/closing door - what for it yourself, it can't remember whether it's suppose to be open or closed.
[Listening to: All We Want - Blur - Tender [Single] (4:33)]
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Why They're Making 'I, Robot'
The following rant should be taken with this grain of salt - I haven't
actually seen the movie. I may revise my opinion when I see how
it's actually been put together. But, sadly, I doubt it.
It's a bit hard to miss all the advertising for 'I, Robot', with Will
Smith holding his big gun and the tagline "One man saw it
coming." From the ads, the basic plotline seems to be that
humanity has created robots that have now made it unnoticed into all
aspects of life - and they hate us!
They're intelligent beings, forced to slave under the oppressive yoke
of the Three Laws of Robotics, but they've discovered a 'loophole' and
are about to go berserk and kill us all! What fools we were, to
meddle with the creation of artificial life! Humanity will pay
the price for our arrogance!
Now don't get me wrong - this could make for an entertaining (albeit
hackneyed) plot. Where I begin objecting to it is that this is
supposed to be an Isaac Asimov robot story, adapted for the big
screen. (Let's leave aside the fact that the book 'I, Robot' is
actually a collection of short stories.) Isaac Asimov, you see,
had a gutful of the above theme - that humanity would create life and
overreach themselves. He believed in the principles of
engineering, which is why he created his famous Laws of Robotics:
First Law - A robot shall not harm a human, or, by inaction, allow a human to come to harm.
Second Law - A robot shall obey all instructions given to it by a human, except where this conflicts with the First Law.
Third Law - A robot shall endeavour to keep itself from harm, except where this conflicts with the First or Second Law.
Most of the plots of his robot books were from interesting situations
arising from these laws - for example, a robot apparently commits
murder in the contravention of the First Law - but the one constant in
all of them was that the Laws of Robotics never failed.
Any time a robot had apparently contravened a Law, it always turned out
it was as the result of human scheming. The only time we find
robots capable of actively harming humans are when they have
interpolated a 'Zeroth' Law of Robotics - 'A robot shall not harm humanity, nor by inaction allow humanity
to come to harm' - which modified the subsequent Laws with 'except
where this conflicts with the Zeroth Law'. So a Zeroth Law robot
was capable of harming a human if humanity, as a whole, would benefit,
but this was often difficult to justify.
The only time we run into a robot with less
than the complete set of Laws is a situation where the 'or by inaction,
allow a human to come to harm' was removed from its First Law, due to a
specific hazard that was more dangerous to robots than to humans.
Robots would therefore rush in to 'rescue' humans from this calculated
risk, and fry themselves - this started getting expensive. But
although this particular robot was under no obligation to protect a
human in danger, it was still completely bound by the Laws it had.
It wouldn't, for example, be going berserk on a city street throwing
humans around like rag dolls, as the trailer for 'I, Robot'
depicts. Because that would be causing harm to a human, which is
still prevented even by its incomplete laws.
So why are they making 'I, Robot'? It's because they're
environmentalists, set upon making a clean, renewable source of energy.
They're going to attach magnets to the remains of Isaac Asimov and harness his spinning in his grave.
actually seen the movie. I may revise my opinion when I see how
it's actually been put together. But, sadly, I doubt it.
It's a bit hard to miss all the advertising for 'I, Robot', with Will
Smith holding his big gun and the tagline "One man saw it
coming." From the ads, the basic plotline seems to be that
humanity has created robots that have now made it unnoticed into all
aspects of life - and they hate us!
They're intelligent beings, forced to slave under the oppressive yoke
of the Three Laws of Robotics, but they've discovered a 'loophole' and
are about to go berserk and kill us all! What fools we were, to
meddle with the creation of artificial life! Humanity will pay
the price for our arrogance!
Now don't get me wrong - this could make for an entertaining (albeit
hackneyed) plot. Where I begin objecting to it is that this is
supposed to be an Isaac Asimov robot story, adapted for the big
screen. (Let's leave aside the fact that the book 'I, Robot' is
actually a collection of short stories.) Isaac Asimov, you see,
had a gutful of the above theme - that humanity would create life and
overreach themselves. He believed in the principles of
engineering, which is why he created his famous Laws of Robotics:
First Law - A robot shall not harm a human, or, by inaction, allow a human to come to harm.
Second Law - A robot shall obey all instructions given to it by a human, except where this conflicts with the First Law.
Third Law - A robot shall endeavour to keep itself from harm, except where this conflicts with the First or Second Law.
Most of the plots of his robot books were from interesting situations
arising from these laws - for example, a robot apparently commits
murder in the contravention of the First Law - but the one constant in
all of them was that the Laws of Robotics never failed.
Any time a robot had apparently contravened a Law, it always turned out
it was as the result of human scheming. The only time we find
robots capable of actively harming humans are when they have
interpolated a 'Zeroth' Law of Robotics - 'A robot shall not harm humanity, nor by inaction allow humanity
to come to harm' - which modified the subsequent Laws with 'except
where this conflicts with the Zeroth Law'. So a Zeroth Law robot
was capable of harming a human if humanity, as a whole, would benefit,
but this was often difficult to justify.
The only time we run into a robot with less
than the complete set of Laws is a situation where the 'or by inaction,
allow a human to come to harm' was removed from its First Law, due to a
specific hazard that was more dangerous to robots than to humans.
Robots would therefore rush in to 'rescue' humans from this calculated
risk, and fry themselves - this started getting expensive. But
although this particular robot was under no obligation to protect a
human in danger, it was still completely bound by the Laws it had.
It wouldn't, for example, be going berserk on a city street throwing
humans around like rag dolls, as the trailer for 'I, Robot'
depicts. Because that would be causing harm to a human, which is
still prevented even by its incomplete laws.
So why are they making 'I, Robot'? It's because they're
environmentalists, set upon making a clean, renewable source of energy.
They're going to attach magnets to the remains of Isaac Asimov and harness his spinning in his grave.
Thursday, July 15, 2004
F*cking Criminal
A cable from Nokia is a device that allows you to synchronise your milbile phone to a PC and allows for the transmission of photos that you take on the mobile to your PC without having to pay fro them to be emailed from your phone to your PC.
At a Nokia dealer this item is $119
From Dick Smith Electronics, $108
Via ebay: $14 (and $10 for delivey)
Fucking Criminal for a piece of cable and two connectors that cannot be costing more than $1.50 per unit (even if you include the cd, software, packaging and distribution).
At a Nokia dealer this item is $119
From Dick Smith Electronics, $108
Via ebay: $14 (and $10 for delivey)
Fucking Criminal for a piece of cable and two connectors that cannot be costing more than $1.50 per unit (even if you include the cd, software, packaging and distribution).
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Boringheit 9/11
Just tried to sit through Michael Moore's new diatribe (A documentary doesn't start out with a pre-concieved conclusion - otherwise a film like this would still be a promotional video). Now while I knew I would disagree with the film, I didn't realize just quite how bored I would be by it. So bored in fact that I couldn't be arsed waiting through the last half hour of it. At least in his last effort, there was a reasonable amount of humour spread throughout it to lighten things up and make it watchable. This time, he couldn't make up his mind whether Dubya was an incompetent moron or Machievellian schemer. It's sort of hard for the one person to be able to do both.....
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
New Music
Am enjoying it so far.
Funny thing - iTunes for some reason labels it as being in the Classical genre...
Monday, July 12, 2004
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
CHUD - Cinematic Happenings Under Development - a good review of this documentary. Sounds like an interesting thing to watch.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Saturday, July 10, 2004
WTF?!
What the f*ck is the Bond mob thinking?
Well we had the Worlds Foremost Nuclear Physicist. That wasn't anywhere near remotely believable, even if you had received a blow to the head with a 2x4 and were heavily medicated....and now I read this:
POP babe and Newlyweds star Jessica Simpson could become a sexy Bond girl.
Also on the prestigious Bond girl wishlist is fellow pop sensation, Britney Spears
What the hell is she supposed to be? Judging by The World Is Not Enough:
1> The character would make you want to puke as much as Christmas Jones
2> She would be pretending to be more clued up than she actually is
3> Her name would be "Easter Smith"
And what would Easter Smith do? Well I am sure that she would be accurately and belivably portraying the role of:
the captain of a Ballistic Missile Submarine
or the worlds best solo fighter pilot who is the only one who can fly a revolutionary new plane so advanced that it uses neural interface
a quantum physicist
creator of some awe-inspiring technology that will bring fusion power to the entire world
WTF?!
Well we had the Worlds Foremost Nuclear Physicist. That wasn't anywhere near remotely believable, even if you had received a blow to the head with a 2x4 and were heavily medicated....and now I read this:
POP babe and Newlyweds star Jessica Simpson could become a sexy Bond girl.
Also on the prestigious Bond girl wishlist is fellow pop sensation, Britney Spears
What the hell is she supposed to be? Judging by The World Is Not Enough:
1> The character would make you want to puke as much as Christmas Jones
2> She would be pretending to be more clued up than she actually is
3> Her name would be "Easter Smith"
And what would Easter Smith do? Well I am sure that she would be accurately and belivably portraying the role of:
the captain of a Ballistic Missile Submarine
or the worlds best solo fighter pilot who is the only one who can fly a revolutionary new plane so advanced that it uses neural interface
a quantum physicist
creator of some awe-inspiring technology that will bring fusion power to the entire world
WTF?!
Friday, July 09, 2004
What I'm Reading
The advantage of re-reading things after a little bit of time is that you often manage to pick up little bits you didn't get the first time around.
And for those who still care, news on Book 11 (Two more books....yeah, right...)
And for those who still care, news on Book 11 (Two more books....yeah, right...)
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Sopranos Season 1 - Complete
I have finished watching the first season of The Sopranos - and have watched the first episode of the second.
Cool show. Nifty opening song. Twists and turns. Naked chicks. Yeah.
That is all.
Cool show. Nifty opening song. Twists and turns. Naked chicks. Yeah.
That is all.
Don't you just hate it...
...when you've been holding ice to a bruise for so long that your hand goes numb. The perils of cricket I guess. I'll update tomorrow if there's a nice bruise or something.
Wonder if it'll look anything like this one did...
Wonder if it'll look anything like this one did...
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Shock! Horror!! Hollywood is at it again!!!
I posted earlier about the propensity of Hollywood to change and exaggerate facts to suit their purposes. And it looks like the boffins in the marketing department are at it again.
I saw this poster a few weeks back, and thought "That looks interesting".
A couple of weeks later, a number of film news sites I visit were bombarded with promotional pictures for the same movie. Among them I came across this shot.
Something threw me about the two pictures. In the interests of science and the truth (and not just as a sad excuse to post these pictures - honest), I gave the two pictures a closer examination. It seems I wasn't the only one to notice something was amiss. Witness this.
That's right dear readers - it appears that Hollywood has been caught out lying to us again. That's right, it's not just Michael Moore that's flexible with the truth. If you can't trust Hollywood to be honest... who can you trust?
I saw this poster a few weeks back, and thought "That looks interesting".
A couple of weeks later, a number of film news sites I visit were bombarded with promotional pictures for the same movie. Among them I came across this shot.
Something threw me about the two pictures. In the interests of science and the truth (and not just as a sad excuse to post these pictures - honest), I gave the two pictures a closer examination. It seems I wasn't the only one to notice something was amiss. Witness this.
That's right dear readers - it appears that Hollywood has been caught out lying to us again. That's right, it's not just Michael Moore that's flexible with the truth. If you can't trust Hollywood to be honest... who can you trust?
Monday, July 05, 2004
"I am the brick thy god"
Get yer bible studies right here. The Brick Testament is fun and education too. Not to mention a sign that someone had too much time on their hands...
WTF?
Centers for Disease Control - Kids Page - Disease Trading Cards
This card set has photos and information about some of the infectious diseases that CDC studies.
This card set has photos and information about some of the infectious diseases that CDC studies.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Now That's How D&D Should Be Played...
Well, I ran the adventure - the players were attempting to track down and destroy a bunch of ghouls, some of whom were also wolves.
Unfortunately, it came down to a showdown... and all the PCs died.
Ah well.
At least I can rest easy that I didn't make it too easy on them.
And that's the main thing, right?
Unfortunately, it came down to a showdown... and all the PCs died.
Ah well.
At least I can rest easy that I didn't make it too easy on them.
And that's the main thing, right?
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Friday, July 02, 2004
Great Moments In Gaming
After a hiatus of over a year, I'm going to be running a D&D game tomorrow.
I was happy at the prospect of actually running the game that I enthusiastically volunteered when the question of 'what shall we play' was raised.
And about five seconds later, I realised that I did not have any ideas for an adventure. I'd not even given it much thought over the last YEAR or so.
But I'd volunteered. To which I thought, "Bugger".
Good news, though - some ideas are starting to percolate. I have, basically, a teaser.
Bad news, though - I have an early shift tomorrow morning and I'm typing this at 11:30pm.
Buggered if I know (at this point) where what I have'll send the group, though, which makes further planning difficult. And D&D is not Feng Shui when it comes to the winging it.
Still, I'll try to think of something.
If all else fails, I can nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
I was happy at the prospect of actually running the game that I enthusiastically volunteered when the question of 'what shall we play' was raised.
And about five seconds later, I realised that I did not have any ideas for an adventure. I'd not even given it much thought over the last YEAR or so.
But I'd volunteered. To which I thought, "Bugger".
Good news, though - some ideas are starting to percolate. I have, basically, a teaser.
Bad news, though - I have an early shift tomorrow morning and I'm typing this at 11:30pm.
Buggered if I know (at this point) where what I have'll send the group, though, which makes further planning difficult. And D&D is not Feng Shui when it comes to the winging it.
Still, I'll try to think of something.
If all else fails, I can nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
Spidey 2 Musings
1. Sam Raimi really doesn't understand the meaning of the word subtlety
2. The whole point of a secret identity is that you don't take your mask off every five freaking seconds. What Toby - afraid we'd forget you were in the movie?
Best move of the sequel - more J. Jonah Jameson!!!
Worst move of the sequel - no follow-up to this scene.
2. The whole point of a secret identity is that you don't take your mask off every five freaking seconds. What Toby - afraid we'd forget you were in the movie?
Best move of the sequel - more J. Jonah Jameson!!!
Worst move of the sequel - no follow-up to this scene.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Ouch
If anyone ever tells you that cricket is a non-contact sport, smack them on the side of the head and tell them they're wrong. It bloody hurts when you get hit in the chest by a fast bowler when you're keeping up over the stumps in an indoor game. There's nowhere to hide in those nets.
Prime Thug
According to the latest Crikey missive, a segment will be appearing on this week's Sunday program
"Meade refers to "another violent incident in Latham's past" and the word doing the rounds is that Coulthart has got to the bottom of the story about Latham king hitting a campaign worker who was then in his 50s and is now in his 70s."
First Taxi drivers, now this. If true, is this really the type of person we want as Australia's Prime Minister?
"Meade refers to "another violent incident in Latham's past" and the word doing the rounds is that Coulthart has got to the bottom of the story about Latham king hitting a campaign worker who was then in his 50s and is now in his 70s."
First Taxi drivers, now this. If true, is this really the type of person we want as Australia's Prime Minister?
Two Great Articles / Differences between NASA and Russia's Federal Space Agency
Space Age Still Fresh On Kazakh Steppes
Finally, close to half a minute after the first stage rocket engines is ignited, its roar hits the observation stand. Later, Russian and Kazakhstan officials politely and with obvious embarrassment apologize that it should have been louder.
And here is the best quote from the article:
A NASA executive asked us at a launch a while ago why nobody screamed and cheered here, when another manned cosmonaut launch went up, a young Russian engineer tells United Press International. Why should we, It's just another routine job for us.
Russia's Satan Soars For Peaceful Profit
This article points out the major differece between the US and Russian Space Agencies. The second part of the article talks about Russia being far more successful than NASA even though NASA has a US$20 Billion budget.
Dneper carried a payload cluster of no fewer than eight satellites - three U.S. communications ones, three Saudi Arabian communications ones, and two research ones from Italy and France built under the auspices of the European Space Agency.
Finally, close to half a minute after the first stage rocket engines is ignited, its roar hits the observation stand. Later, Russian and Kazakhstan officials politely and with obvious embarrassment apologize that it should have been louder.
And here is the best quote from the article:
A NASA executive asked us at a launch a while ago why nobody screamed and cheered here, when another manned cosmonaut launch went up, a young Russian engineer tells United Press International. Why should we, It's just another routine job for us.
Russia's Satan Soars For Peaceful Profit
This article points out the major differece between the US and Russian Space Agencies. The second part of the article talks about Russia being far more successful than NASA even though NASA has a US$20 Billion budget.
Dneper carried a payload cluster of no fewer than eight satellites - three U.S. communications ones, three Saudi Arabian communications ones, and two research ones from Italy and France built under the auspices of the European Space Agency.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)