Friday, March 02, 2007

Spacecraft return Sun panoramas

solar

Twin Nasa spacecraft have returned panoramic images that will help scientists to study solar explosions capable of causing havoc on Earth.

The Stereo orbiters, which are nearing their final positions, will study violent solar eruptions known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).

CMEs hurl energetic particles at Earth that can disrupt power grids and satellite communications.


Re d ore h re.

This picture is banned

snots

from being printed in England at least...

It took me a while to figure out why.

"BBC Two's Newsnight commissioned an artist to paint this version of a photo showing Conservative leader David Cameron (back row, second left) while a member of the Bullingdon Club, an elite Oxford dining group. The photo can no longer be published."

oooo, tell me more....

The Bullingdon Club is famed for its hard drinking and bad behaviour, and Mr Cameron has always refused to talk about it.

The club's members have become notorious over the years for vandalising restaurants and trashing students' rooms.


Well, well, interesting, but what is the reason?

The Labour Party is thought to have been planning to use the image to attack Mr Cameron at the next general election.

Attack?

...it is potentially far more embarrassing to the Tory leader than the recent story about him taking cannabis at Eton.

Goodness! Whatever for?

Newspaper columnist Peter Hitchens told Newsnight: "I think it tells us something about David Cameron that he doesn't much want us to know, that he is not the ordinary bloke that he claims to be.

"That he is actually much grander and much more aristocratic than he has made out."


Oh my God, it's a class thing! How British. No wonder I didn't get it.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Secret Life of Brian

Digg dug down

Digg is a great site, but I have always been troubled by the digging down of comments the so called community finds offensive (just try saying you don't find Borat funny).

Wired has a longer article on this and a growing feeling that it is more than just random.

Read more here.

Chez Schwartz



Trailer from Garry Beitel's film about Montréal's Schwartz.

Yum

The Complete Blogging the Bible

So Far

Brilliant. Writer David Plotz has taken it on himself to read the entire Bible and write about it as he does.

Hours of fun!

Read more here.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Mars and Beyond



Disney 1957. I always loved the narrator's voice. (thanks Paleo-Future)

Sceptre from Roman emperor exhibited

sceptreThe only Roman emperor's sceptre to have been found has gone on public display in Rome for the first time.

The sceptre, which is topped by a blue orb that represents the earth, was discovered at the end of last year and is believed to have been held by Emperor Maxentius, who ruled for six years until 312 AD.

Archaeologists believe that Maxentius' supporters hid the sceptre...to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.


Read more here.

Oh man, maybe they shouldn't have bothered

ouchThe face of a late Stone Age woman who lived in Sicily has been reconstructed by a sculptor working with anthropologists at Palermo University.

The skeleton of the woman, who lived 14,000 years ago, was discovered in a cave near Messina in 1937, along with the incomplete skeletons of six other humans, presumably her family.


Read more here.

North America's Fascist Redlightocracies

Coolipolis has an article concerning the continuing adventures of Montreal mayor Tremblay.

Montreal has always been able to throw up little tin plated dictator mayors, but in Tremblay is sounds like they have a doozie.

After him ramming through* a name change for Parc Ave (now it's Avenue de Boo-Boo), now he remains steadfast in resisting right turns at red lights in the city.

...the island of Montreal, which sees 20,000 residents leave per year, remains the last of North America's fascist redlightocracies, the only place other than Manhattan in the entire Can-Am that forces people to sit at right lights even when they want to turn right when nobody is around.

To add hypocrisy to its anti-environmental folly, a coupla dozen months back the city passed a bylaw. Police can now slap people with tickets for daring to warm up their cars before getting in them. Running a car unnecessarily pollutes the environment.

And yet the city forces drivers against their will to commit their grievous sin against the environment by making them wait unnecessarily at right lights.


Ekkk, 20,000 a year...

*Update, according to Kate at montreal city weblog, the Mayor backed off the name change after public protest. Woohoo, this makes him slightly less tin potish.

Read more here.

Posativa

Posativa: NORML contest submission

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Asian paper's 'I Hate Blacks' column assailed

A San Francisco weekly newspaper that bills itself as "The Voice of Asian America" is facing harsh criticism from that very community for publishing a column Friday titled "Why I Hate Blacks."

In the column, AsianWeek regular contributor Kenneth Eng listed "reasons" to discriminate against African Americans. The piece has been pulled from the newspaper's Web site, but the print edition of the free paper, owned by the politically influential Fang family, was still available in news racks Monday.

Eng called himself an "Asian supremacist" in January in another installment of the column, which runs under the label "God of the Universe."


First I'd like to say that Mr. Eng and the publishers of AsianWeek don't seem to be the brightest of lights.

Second, "God of the Universe"?

How incredibly pretentious.

Read more here.

West Side Story - America



Has nothing changed?

Find of Roman coin shows ancient Britons in a new light

Experts are excited about a rare coin unearthed by an amateur treasure hunter which could change the accepted ancient history of Britain.

The silver denarius which dates back to the Roman Republic — before Julius Caesar made Rome an empire — was unearthed near Fowey in Cornwall.

Dating from 146 BC, it shows how ancient Britons were trading with the Romans well before the country was conquered in AD 43


Read more here.

Black Snake Moan

moan
Prewarblues.org has a piece on the new Samuel L. Jackson movie Black Snake Moan, in which he plays an aging blues musician.

Ok, so the movie's site doesn't fill me with confidence, but just check out his performance of 'Stackolee'.

Included as well on prewarblues.org are original performances by such as Blind Lemon Jackson, Brownie McGhee and Leadbelly.

Dr. Rice needs a history lesson

Condi Rice maggles history on a Sunday talk show.

"…It would be like saying that after Adolf Hitler was overthrown, we needed to change then, the resolution that allowed the United States to do that, so that we could deal with creating a stable environment in Europe after he was overthrown."

See more here.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Persian Alphabet Song

Ancient Stone Weapons Not Ancient Enough

clovisThe traditional story of the peopling of the New World holds that ancient migrants out of northeast Asia slipped into the Americas bearing finely shaped stone projectiles, so-called "Clovis points," after the town in New Mexico where they were first uncovered. This Clovis culture rapidly spread throughout the empty continents and by 1,000 years after their arrival had reached the southernmost tip of what is now South America, making them the original ancestors of indigenous Americans. A number of controversial archaeological sites have challenged this theory and now, by using more advanced dating techniques, researchers may have killed it, throwing the original population of the Western Hemisphere into question again.

Read more here.

Conservapedia

A conservative encyclopedia you can trust.

Conservapedia is a much-needed alternative to Wikipedia, which is increasingly anti-Christian and anti-American. On Wikipedia, many of the dates are provided in the anti-Christian "C.E." instead of "A.D.", which Conservapedia uses. Christianity receives no credit for the great advances and discoveries it inspired, such as those of the Renaissance.


Their server is very busy today, but I found this at first glace:

Wikipedia often uses foreign spelling of words, even though most English speaking users are American. Look up "Most Favored Nation" on Wikipedia and it automatically converts the spelling to the British spelling "Most Favoured Nation", even there there are far more American than British users. Look up "Division of labor" on Wikipedia and it automatically converts to the British spelling "Division of labour," then insists on the British spelling for "specialization" also.[3]. Enter "Hapsburg" (the European ruling family) and Wikipedia automatically changes the spelling to Habsburg, even though the American spelling has always been "Hapsburg". Within entries British spellings appear in the silliest of places, even when the topic is American. Conservapedia favors American spellings of words.

LOL. Damn English, how dare they mangle good old American!

陳寶珠唱 ~ 高歌起舞 , 現代青春阿哥哥



It's Chan Pao Chu with Young A-Go-Go!

And the award for the most flamingly stupid article of the day...

the winner is...

I’m not Homophobic; I’m Chick-O-Centric or Don't hate me because I'm a moron, I take pride in it.

This unbelievable collection of words by a certain Doug Giles has such gems as:

Heck, we don’t understand women. What makes you think we’ll ever understand a man who doesn’t like women yet wants to be a woman?

or

If girls are so icky and men are so mondo-jovial, why do you and a lot of your reps take on feminine mannerisms and dress? I would think that if you are going to be gay you would at least be a man about it.

and

Here are 10 more things you should know about most typical heterosexual males:

5. A hunted wild animal’s gut pile is a glorious and beautiful thing. Long live the hunt and the hunter.


Mr Giles, thank you for exposing to the world what a mindless uninformed species the American hetro is, oh excuse me, can be.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Star Trek

prettySo they're finally officially announced J.J. Abrams is directing the new STAR TREK, news that has been out for months.

Now the speculation begins over who will play Kirk and Spock, all youngifed and all.

I really wish they set in that time period, but let's drop the attachment to TOS. This film's premise has me...nervous.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Meetings make us dumber, study shows

No shit

Read more here.

State of Montreal discos 1970

The Montréal theme in posts continues with this.

Coolopolis has a transcribed article about discos in 1970 Montréal.

They used to call Montreal the Paris of North America – the city that offered the best nightlife on the continent.

Much of that image is gone – or at least faded. Most of the big, brassy glittering clubs have closed, undermined by the trend to smaller, more intimate rooms, and, of course, television.

But there’s still one aspect of Montreal entertainment that doesn’t take a back seat to any other city’s.

Our discotheques rank among the best in the world.


Oh the Humanity. Read more here.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Washington's Tent

cosy

For nearly a century, a large oval-shape linen tent where George Washington is believed to have slept during the Revolutionary War sat on display in Valley Forge, Pa., with a gaping hole in its roof.

But now a combination of luck and forensic detective work has led to the discovery of the missing section of fabric — snipped out, historians believe, by a memorabilia seeker — and to the discovery that the tent was originally striped blue and white.


Read more here.

Probe to look for Martian rings

A spacecraft that aims to land on a comet may also establish whether there is a thin ring of debris around the Red Planet this week.

The Rosetta probe will use Mars' gravity to pick up speed on a mission that will reach its climax in 2014.

But during a very close flyby, Rosetta will look for a scattering of dust from Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos.


Read more here.

It's back

no

Winter returns with a vengence.

no

Joy

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Nestle homophobia



Ad from New Zealand. Some are being more diplomatic than others. From me, a big fat FUCK YOU to Nestle.

Les Naturally 7 dans le métro à Paris

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Sulu shoots down Tim Hardaway

Home of the Brave

Shame on you.



Ex gay Boston Legal

The Rape of the 60's

continues with this monstrosity....

42

Yes, the good folks at Disney have decided to fuck with another piece of culture, this time Underdog.

42

Is Underdog an animated feature? Oh no, it's live action, how original!

42

One Nation, Underwhelmed.

Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch, scammer style!



"This is a video created by a Nigerian email scammer who thinks he is producing a video for a scholarship payment from a victim he tried to scam. Unfortunately for this particular scammer, the "victim" fought back and created a fake video production company with promises of cash!"

JFK Motorcade Film By George Jennings

Monday, February 19, 2007

Did Bush just compare the British to Al Quada?

President Bush honored the 275th birthday of the nation's first president on Monday, likening George Washington's long struggle that gave birth to a nation to the war on global terrorism.

"Today, we're fighting a new war to defend our liberty and our people and our way of life," said Bush, standing in front of Washington's home and above a mostly frozen Potomac River.

American Trash

Is it just me or has American Idol lost what little integrity it once had?

Once had???!!! HAHAHHAHAHA!

Andrew Sullivan, writer for The Atlantic Online (and gay Republican..hahahah!) has just discovered American Idol is a piece of shit...

"American Idol is no longer, it seems to me, primarily a talent contest. It's a reality show designed to manipulate emotions in near-pornographic and abusive fashion."

It always has been that Mr. Sullivan, but good of you to catch on.

"And I'm probably a fool for even hoping for some integrity in the thing."

The biggest.

Read more here.

Rome II ep 6

peaches

You are a ferocious little cunt...with a pen

No, not him, Octavian. And certainly not the writers.

"Making a list and checking it twice..."

We begin in Greece with Brutus in a good mood, then it's off to Gaul and The List.

Did you notice Anthony and Atia are wearing the wardrobe from "Gladiator"?

So maybe tonight we'll get an episode based around the events of this troubled time in Roman history.

The List! The List!...but no, who do they hand it to but Don Dee.

Yes, my favorite fictional characters are plunged, yet again, into the middle of events. The writers are not up to the task, as their created events integrate uncomfortably with the historical ones.

Case in point: of course the writers have Tweedle Dumb (of all people) pay a little visit on Cicero. Are not he and Don Dee the center of all events? Must they not always be there when major events take place. Is it not the only way we poor viewers could possibly relate to history, but by having so called ordinary everyday psychopaths stand in for us.

Gad, they go on a Picnic. Yes dear, I'm off to murder one of Roman's leading citizen...Let's make a day of it!

You gotta hand it to that Cicero.

Dumb stupid writing, and the show is filled with it. Silly domestic squabbling. Tweedle Dee and Dumb act like robots, their actions not really making a lot of sense.

And for the Most Unbelievable Moment™ Cicero's messenger LOOSES a message, a message he has sworn his life to deliver, because he runs into...wait for it...Tweedle Dee...and doesn't NOTICE it's gone.

Blah blah blah...

More domestic stuff, this time with the rich folk...then something about Zionists....and awww, Tweedle Dumb is Army SIck.

We end with the Battle of Philippi (which begins with one of the great crimes of filmmaking, the reversed shot. As the camera pans over a line of soldiers, it is clear the flag in the background is blowing backwards).

"If you need to urinate, now would be the time"

Vast vistas of computer generated legions, then five minutes of Braveheart.

The Death of Brutus, and Octavian's "reluctance" to enter the battlefield are handled nicely though (I thought the soldiers surrounding Brutus would not do him in, but would just make sure he did the deed himself).

Next week, there will be much lamentations.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

It's so...big

big

Yes, it was an exciting trip to the megastore today. What fun! Ikea!

I have never been to an Ikea in Toronto before. It's so...big, and evilly laid out so that you have to walk by *everything* to get to where you want to be.

big At least you are treated to the highest of Sweden design and craftsmanship. And I don't know how they do it, but the televisions there are so light.

So on you go, until at last you are at the checkout...what! a fucking warehouse first! You must be kidding?

Yes, off we go to find our larger items....

Said items turned out to be too big to be transported in our car...

big

Bloody Vikings

Saturday, February 17, 2007

You know you're a Montrealer when:

You pronounce it "Muntreal", not "Mahntreal".

You have ever said anything like "I have to stop at the guichet before we get to the dep."

Your only concern about jaywalking is getting a ticket.

You understand and frequently use terms like 'unilingual,' 'anglophone,' 'francophone,' and 'allophone.'

You agree that Montreal drivers are crazy, but you're secretly proud of their nerves of steel.

The most exciting thing about the South Shore is that you can turn right on a red.

You know that the West Island is not a separate geographical formation.

In moments of paranoia, you think that there's no red line on the Metro because red is a federalist colour.

You have to bring smoked meat from Schwartz's and bagels from St-Viateur if you're visiting anyone west of Cornwall.

You refer to Tremblant as "up North."

You know how to pronounce Pie IX.

You have an ancient auntie who still says "Saint Dennis"

You believe to the depth of your very being that Toronto has no soul - but your high school reunion is held in Toronto because most of your classmates live there now.

You greet everyone, from lifelong bosom friends to some one you met once a few years ago, with a two-cheek kiss.

You know at least one person who works for the CBC, and at least one other person who used to work for Nortel.

You're not impressed with hardwood floors.

You've been hearing Celine Dion jokes long er than anyone else.

You can watch soft-core porn on broadcast TV, and this has been true for at least 25 years.

You cringe when Bob Cole pronounces French hockey player names.

You get Bowser & Blue.

You were drinking cafe-au-lait before it was latte.

You order fries 'with sauce', not 'with gravy'.

Shopper's Drug Mart is Pharmaprix and Staples is Bureau en Gros, and PFK is finger lickin' good.

You really believe Just For Laughs is an international festival.

For two weeks a year, you are a jazz afficianado.

You need to be reminded by prominent signage that you should wait for the green light.

Everyone on the street - drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists - think they're immortal, and that you'll move first.

You're proud that Montreal is the home of Pierre Trudeau, Mordechai Richler, William Shatner, Leonard Cohen and the Great Antonio...and, you considerDonald Sutherland (and by default, Keifer), Guy Lafleur,
Charlie Biddle, and Roch Carrier Montrealers, too.

You know that Rocket Richard had nothing to do with astrophysics.

You know the apocryphal story of the fat lady at Eaton's.

You miss apostrophes.

You've seen Brother Andre's heart.

No matter how bilingual you are, you still don't understand "ile aux tourtes."

You know the difference between the SQ, the SAQ, and the SAAQ.

You measure temperature and distance in metric, but weight and height in Imperial measure.

You show up at a party at 11 p.m. and no one else is there yet.

April Wine once played your high school (alternativ ely, Sass Jordon or Gowan).

You know that Montreal is responsible for introducing the following to North America: bagels, souvlaki, smoked meat and Supertramp. Also, Chris de Burgh and the Police.

You don't drink pop or soda, you drink soft drinks.

You have graduated from high school and have a degree, but you've never been in grade 12.

The margarine in your fridge is the same colour as lard.

Every once in a while, you wonder whatever happened to Luba.

You never thought that Corey Hart was cool, but you know someone whose cousin or something dated him.

There has to be at least 30 cm of snow on the ground in less than 24 hours for you to consider it too snowy to drive.

You remember where you were during the Ice Storm.

You used to be an Expos fan, but now all you really miss is Youppi.

You're a Habs fan; always was, always will be...

You know that your city's reputation for beautiful women is based on centuries-old couplings between French soldiers and royally-commissioned whores (aka Les Filles du Roi).

You don't understand anyone from Lac-St-Jean, but you can fake the accent.

You've been to the Tam Tams, and know they have nothing to do with wee Scottish hats.

You discuss potholes like most people discuss weather.

You encounter bilingual homeless people.

While watching an American made-for-TV movie, you realize that "Vienna" is actually Old Montreal, that "New York" is actually downtown and that the "The Futuristic City" is actually Habitat '67.

You find it amusing when people from outside Quebec compliment you on how good your English is.

You have yet to understand a single announcement made on the Metro PA system, no matter what the language.

You think of Old Montreal as nothing but a bunch of over-priced restaurants, old buildings and badly paved streets.

You understand that La Fete Nationale is not a celebration of "Quebec's birthday".

You don't find American comedians speaking "gibberish" French even remotely funny.

You don't find it weird that there's a strip club on every corner downtown.

You like your pizza all-dressed

Friday, February 16, 2007

Beautiful Lil' Snow Angels



LOL

Right Wing American Humour



Yes, having Coulter & Limbaugh in this scene is humourous...until they open their mouths.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Ethos

billions

Carl Sagan is greatly missed. His voice would be welcome to help counter the clamor of anti-scientific creationists and the like.

He has planned a series of lectures and a new television series called 'Ethos', "about the spiritual implications of the scientific revolution."

He died before it came to be, but his wife Ann Druyan has collected together the lectures under the name "The Search for Who We Are.", and released them in book form.

Read more here

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Lincoln

AbeIn 1977 Albert Kaplan purchased the daguerreotype receipted as "Portrait of a Young Man" from an art gallery in New York. "When I first saw it I thought that there were similarities between the handsome, aristocratic, and tastefully groomed young man of the daguerreotype, and my mental image of President Lincoln."

Over the years Kaplan researched and assembled materials which cast light on the physical man, Lincoln. Kaplan believed that the best qualified people to analyze the image...


Read more here.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Munimula

mulimuli

The Ruff & Reddy Show was the first television show produced by Hanna-Barbera from 1957-60, and is now largely forgotten.

One aspect of it I never forgot were the MuliMuli Men (as my sister and I called the highlights of cars coming up behind us on long family vacation trips...).

These were actually the Munimula Men (Aluminum backwards), evil robots bent on destruction.

Update! Through the magic of the net, there is an episode in (sorry) RealVideo, The Mad Monster of Muni Mula

Update update!
Screw RealVideo

Loser

loser

That dear friends, is our Glorious Leader, Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of almost all of Canada.

Mr. Harper is running ads attacking the leader of the opposition Stéphane Dion. Highly intellectual, biting ads that stir the imagination.

smart

Gee, I guess the Media can work for you after all.

There is nothing more rousing than Conservative attack ads...coming from a party in a minority government...who have *just* discovered there is an environment...after that gay bashing thing didn't work out for them...

See them here

Mr Harper, you are an inspiration to us all.

Oh and how depressing...I wanted to browse the Conservative Online Gifts and Apparel store, but my browser says it "can’t open the page “http://www.cboutique.ca/” because it can’t find the server “www.cboutique.ca”."

Awwwww

Rome II ep 5

Winkin, Binkin and Nod

To begin...Let's ignore the whole Tweedle Dumb/Tweedle Dee (now again Don Dee) storyline, with it's endless series of events that I stopped caring about back in 50 B.C. for Christ's sake.

Except for the massively telegraphed scene where Mrs. Dumb makes hubby promise he'd save her first (over Don Dee) in event of an emergency, because she's afraid hubby loves him more..

No shit Sherlock.

That and the highly entertaining Magic Chicken Children Saving Ceremony.

"Now for a little chat between your drug binges".

No, tonight had what all Rome viewers have been waiting for: A Roman Orgy™!...if somewhat tame (first stages only. Have you noticed there are far less giant penises this season?)

"I say, are the walls melting?"

When HBO's Rome focuses on history, albeit not terribly accurate history, it is watchable.

Shame though that even during these rare bites, there are very few scenes and dialog that makes you sit up and take notice.

Tonight's show had some that were different.

The standout was Octavian's appearance in the Senate. Beautifully played, it went from Hope to Despair. Watch Octavian's eyes...

Someday, I would like to see a re-edited version of Rome, where all the fictional nonsense is removed, because I think the makers have the seed of a good version of the rise of the Empire.

It's their lurid imagination that brings this production down. It's good to know though that Don Dee's daughter is a Judas Priest fan.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Is CNN nuts?

Quick Vote

Do you see parallels between the lives and deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith?

Yes
No

Escalation - a film by Ward Kimball



Independent film from 1968, made by one of Disney's so-called "Nine Old Men"

(thanks to Cartoon Brew)

Friday, February 09, 2007

The Deaths of Basil Rathbone



Captain Blood vs. Robin Hood

Waterboarding 1989

A Platoon of Lesbians

do something manly

It would make me run.

This is too funny. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Representative Gary Ackerman (D-NY).



and he continues with this:

The affirmative suggestion that I would make is why can’t the State Department look to pick up all those people that were fired from the military because apparently you don’t have a policy, and put these three dozen Farsi and Arabic people to work doing what you’re suggesting would cost a lot of money to train, etc., because we have them. Can we marry up those two — or maybe that’s the wrong word — can we have some kind of union of those two issues, that you might be willing to –"

'Doomsday' vault design unveiled

The Svalbard International Seed Vault

Bloody Vikings.

The final design for a "doomsday" vault that will house seeds from all known varieties of food crops has been unveiled by the Norwegian government.

The Svalbard International Seed Vault will be built into a mountainside on a remote island near the North Pole.

The vault aims to safeguard the world's agriculture from future catastrophes, such as nuclear war, asteroid strikes and climate change.


Read more here

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Lesson 4 - How to check your loved ones' sexual preference



Eddy G. Lazaro, who says "due to my knowledge in love and relationships I specialized in something I call Love Voodoo. (By the age of 13 I had been with over 25 nice looking girls). Now I run my own Love Voodoo business and have clients all over the world...

I make superb macaroni and cheese with special herbs that makes the women go uh uh uhm! I won’t tell you the recipe. It’s my secret."

Krafty.

OMG it's Top Cat

Snickers

My thoughts on the Snickers "anti gay" ads that ran during the Superbowl...

Actually only one out of 4 ads aired, and I didn't find it particularly offensive (unlike blogs such as AmericaBlog, who is in a outright tizzy).

No, it was the website that did it....

There, 2 football players are shown reacting to the ads, with intellectual commentary such as "Ewwww" and "That's not right".

Masterfoods USA, a Division of Mars, Incorporated responded:

"Feedback from our target consumers has been positive."

I'm sure it was...

America, slipping backwards culturally, still believing the World takes them seriously. Quick! Do something manly!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Tam Tam

hippie

I am pleasantly surprised to hear that Tam Tam still takes place in Montréal.

Its beginnings have stumped Wikipedia ("The origins of this spontaneous gathering are unknown, and it is not organized by the municipal authorities.").

It in began spontaneously and quiet small (as I remember in the very late 80's or early 90's), as people began to gather on Sunday afternoons at the base of the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier (the Cartier Monument), and play drums (tam tams in French).

It is connected, at least in spirit, with the older "Sundy in the Park" in N.D.G., who origin dates back even unto the Sixties.

hippie

I first attended in 1993 and already it attracted large numbers. Montréal continued to keep hippie alive.

This could be explained away as just a reflection of the "grunge" look, then at its height, but no...

Take a look at this Flickr photo set here, and it is clear hippie is alive and well in Montréal, at least on Sundays.

hippie

And why no YouTube? The videos available are of surpassing awfulness.

Joe Morello - 1961 Drum Solo

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

CNN hits a low



Incredibly unbalanced "discussion" of atheism. New low in American television, cause this sure the fuck ain't journalism.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Firsts

I can't guarantee that all of these are indeed the "first" they claim, but what the hell

Number One
David Bowie's First Television appearance 1970



Number Two
Ernie & Bert's first appearance c. 1969



Number Three
First iPod Commercial 2000



Number Four
First Superman Cartoon 1941



Number Five
First Artificial Satellite 1957

Rome II ep 4

who the hell are you

Nasty, brutish and short.

No, not him. That sums up tonight's episode of HBO's Rome. Romans are all horrible terrible people.

"What about the aqua duct?"

Shut up!

We begin pleasantly enough with Atia enjoying some dinner theatre at home, where one of her slaves sings Monty Python's "The Most Deadly Song in the World"

And deadly is was, as the slave doesn't even make it to the song's end. Atia looses her appetite and her temper and has Servilia's visiting murderous little slave boy tortured and murdered.

Mother, what are you doing now?! Such fun.

Meanwhile...Tweedle Dumb arrives after a battle between Anthony and Octavian to witness a beautifully done camera pan across the battle field. Who should arrive, just at that moment, out of nowhere but a new actor claiming to be Octavian. Using the royal footstool, he drops everything to help T. Dumb find Tweedle Dee (the former Don Dee), even giving him a letter stamped with the royal seal.

Needless to say, Tweedle Dumb does find Tweedle Dee, who gets the news his children are alive.

We then visit Brutus in Turkey for...for...I'm not exactly sure why we did.

Oh no, Servilia has been kidnapped, and we are then given 10 more minutes of torture, until we, and the actors have had enough.

And then, and then...

This episode of Rome was mostly given over to the fictional characters, with the historical elements appearing here and there only where needed. Left to their own devices, these character misbehave in the worst ways possible. The Tweedles amazing influence over the rich and powerful continues as well, including a somewhat unbelievable scene about requesting army leave.

There is a message about torture and war, but it's lost among the images of lovingly crafted violence.

Good elements there are as well though: the increasing "Imperial" look of Octavian and his surrounding, and umm, oh, there must be something else.

Because honestly, it's hard to care for the murderous parade of thugs the writers present us with.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Art as Terror 3

Boston releases terrorist artists.



I'm sorry, that is not a hair question

"Why are you not taking this seriously...?"

We've had our War of the Worlds moment. Mr Welles, you have company.

Art as Terror 2

Boston officials, always vigilant, have arrested the artist Peter Berdovsky behind yesterday's terror attack, because..um because..he embarrassed the shit out of them and they have to do something.

it's art you idiot

WCVB-TV, concerned the deadly terror device may still be dangerous, have photoshopped away the offending area.

One can understand this happening, as modern American have never seen such things as art, or irony.

Vista

I don't use Windows, never have (oh ok, in work situations, but only by necessity and under extreme protest).

Windows may be a fine OS for certain types of computer needs, but I don't understand why so many people still continue to use it.

For me, the virus/spy/mal ware etc of the Windows world is reason enough not to go there. Period.

But now comes VISTA. Woohoo. More reason to dislike Microsoft.

it's OSX..oh wait...

I pity the legions who switch over, only to find that Microsoft (and Hollywood it seems) have taken back more control from you over your own computer.

It's a Genuine Advantage™, don't you know.

Seems Microsoft can disable, on your computer, software it deems "unwanted". Oh but you can control that feature, no?

From the BBC: the terms and conditions remove any doubt about who is in control by providing that "this agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights".

For those users frustrated by the software's limitations, Microsoft cautions that "you may not work around any technical limitations in the software".


It's good Windows has no limitations...or do they....?

Then comes this piece of joy:

the restrictions associated with the ability to play high-definition content from the next-generation Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs (referred to as "premium content"). He noted that Vista intentionally degrades the picture quality of premium content when played on most computer monitors.

For your convenience.

Said Microsoft: "If the policies [associated with the premium content] required protections that Windows Vista couldn't support, then the content would not be able to play at all on Windows Vista PCs."

While that may be true, left unsaid is Microsoft's ability to demand a better deal on behalf of its enormous user base or the prospect that users could opt-out of the technical controls.

When Microsoft introduced Windows 95 more than a decade ago, it adopted the Rolling Stones Start Me Up as its theme song. As millions of consumers contemplate the company's latest upgrade, the legal and technological restrictions may leave them singing You Can't Always Get What You Want


LOL, or "It's All Over Now" or "Surprise Surprise" or "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" or...

And yes, Apple could slap the same bullshit on us with Leopard.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Art as Terror

Magnetic LED ads for Aqua Teen Hunger Force cause terror alerts in the U.S.



A pretty jumpy people, no?

Jason King

Long ago, an obscure spy show from Britain would air in syndication in Canada, tucked away on Saturday afternoons.

Wikipedia says: Jason King was a UK television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one-hour in duration, and the series had a run of one series of 26 episodes. It was broadcast in the UK and was also screened in Australia.

They leave out Canada...

My friends and I watched this show for a brief period, and in the intervening years, it has been largely forgotten.

But with the coming of sites like YouTube, this lost relic can be *enjoyed* again.



He is Austin Powers, just more gay, with a touch of Noel Coward (though these clips seems to feature British actor Dennis Price, and are tilted in his direction).

And dig that crazy computer.

Pocoyo



Drum Roll Please. Spanish kids show, broadcast at least in the U.K.. Cuteness overload.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Stonehenge builders' houses found

Archaeologists say they have found a huge ancient settlement used by the people who built Stonehenge.

Excavations at Durrington Walls, near the legendary Salisbury Plain monument, uncovered remains of ancient houses.


Read more here

Unlike CNN's headline earlier today (quickly changed): "Village found under Stonehedge"

The Beatles



38 years ago today.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Missing DVD titles

"I have complained to the Emperor, I have complained to all the crowned heads of Europe, I have complained to God"

Doesn't help though, certain titles are still not available on DVD.

Now I'm sure you have your own wish list, and these are probably not on it, and neither is this my complete list. These three do kind of fit together though.

First.

Samson and Delilah 1949

pose

Cecil B. DeMille. Victor Mature. Hedy Lamarr! Could you ask for more? You could? Ok, Angela Lansbury. Angela Lansbury impaled on a spear!

That got ya.

This is arguably the first of the mid century cycle of Biblical Epics (other would cite the next film for this honour), which ends with "The Bible" in 1966. It's pure DeMille, silent movie acting style with dialog, sin, decadence and a great finish.

Second.

Quo Vadis 1951

fiddle

Yes, Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr are, shall we say, wooden. It's still in fullscreen, and it's all overlit, and the middle act is *really* preachy..but..but..Peter Ustinov as Nero!

He's worth seeing the movie for. No question.

and Third

Becket 1964

fiddle

Not a biblical epic, but also dealing with faith and power. Of the three, I am most surprised by it's unavailability on DVD. Richard Burton overacts only slightly and Peter O'Toole is wonderful.

The Collins Kids



Rockaway Rock c. 1958. The boy later wrote "Delta Dawn" btw...

Rome II ep 3

huh

HBO's Rome continues with..yes..yes..Don Dee's having a flashback..no wait!..

Oooo, a Roman whore cat fight! Now we're talkin'!

The writer's assumption that we have never seen the Godfather movies continues with a heavy handed scene where Tweedle Dumb learns he must never speak out against the family again...ever.

Meanwhile, back at the rich folk's....

"Is it any good?

You bet it is, It's from Macedonia! It's Reefer Madness!

Yummmm.

Just goes to show what terrible awful criminals Atia and Co. are. They'll be downloading illegal music next.

And who should come calling at Atia's but Agrippa, while the Tweedles have a little spat, and Antony doesn't want to go to Macedonia (but but, the hemp?!) and the Tweedles spat some more, and revenge runs wild, and just what is the mysterious brother up to, and just where the hell is Cicero? Fucking Belgians and quick, reference "I Claudius". Kiss me, you fool!

Oh look! Buttocks!

Let's just say there are one or two story lines...some even having to do with real history...somewhere in there somewhere.

Best part: The Great Silken Tent of Insults.

"I am the King of Turkey and you sir, are an idiot"

And are they serious? Brutus is "Born Again"...and "Three months later..."?

Don't...taste...the...stew....!

Friday, January 26, 2007

Hanna-Barbera



Good Will To Men (1955)

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

The Haunted. You can watch if you want to.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

The Haunted. You can dance if you want to.

Mindspring.com used to have a page devoted to the garage bands of 1960's Montreal. Their list was:

Les Anthems, Aristos, Aristocrates, Asteks, Atomes, baronettes, Bartholomew Plus Three, Beaumarks, Bedtime Story. Bel Canto/Bel Kanto, BNA Act, Chancelliers, Chantels/Remy And The Chantels, Chosen Few, Copains, Dabsters, Dalcos, Devalons, Differents, Equipe 79, Excentriques, Faucons, Les Fleaux, Fortiches, 409, French Revolution, Gamines, Gants Noirs, Gendarmes, Habits Jaunes, Haunted, Heritiers, Les Hou Lops, Impairs, Intugantes, Intimes, JB And The Playboys, Lincolns, Loups, Loups Blanc, Les Lutins, Luths, M2+AC, Majestik, Merseys, Michele et les French Canadians, Mike Jones Group, Million-Airs, Les Misrables, Les Monstres, Munks, Les Mykells, Michel Pagliaro, Denis Pantis, Napoleons, Nicky Lee And The Playboys, Le Pouvoir des Fleurs, Rabble, Les Rats, Regent, Revoltes, Revolution Francaise, Les Sextants, Les Sinners, Les Shadolls, Spectres, Les Sultans, Talismans, Talmud, Uncertain, Unics, Valiants, Versatiles, Les Vampires, Les Z

For me, only three names stand out; The Haunted, Michel Pagliaro (of 70's fame) and The Rabble. M.G.& The Escorts do not show up on this list, though their song "A Someday Fool" is known to me.

The Rabble hailed from my part of town, and I remember seeing them driving around in a car painted with their name. I later went to school with the brother of one of the members.

the west islandFormed in early 1966, The Rabble were a psychedelic/garage act that hailed, originally from Pointe-Claire, Quebec on Montreal's west island.

Their first single, after being signed to RCA Records, had been written by leader Mike Harris in 1965 called "I'm Alaboundy Bam".

The band recorded their single "Golden Girl" in December 1966 and released in the summer of 1967 on Trans-World Records.

The band's follow-up effort, 'Give Us Back Elaine', was recorded through the end of 1967 into early 1968 and released in 1968 on Trans-World. By this time the band had played The New Penelope Coffee House and throughout Greater Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, as well as touring northern Ontario. In April of 1968 The Rabble substituted for Cream, who had cancelled at the last minute, at The Paul Sauve Arena in Montreal to 5,000 fans. Despite the band's unrehearsed show, they impressed the crowd with an hour-long set of songs consisting of their singles and album material.

Following this impressive show, promoter Donald K. Donald had to turn down engagements on their behalf because they were already booked on a tour of one-niters throughout Quebec and Ontario.

They soon secured a recording deal with Roulette Records in the US and toured California in 1968 to 'underground' music fans.

In May of 1968 the band was double-billed with the Guess Who in a 'Wildest Pair' tour at places such as the Loyola Arena and the Dorval Recreation Association.


The source does not say what happens after, but they do fade away (as do most in the above list), even losing a member to the Haunted. Their recordings do seem to be rare, with sites lamenting the lack of re-releases.

The Haunted I have no memory of seeing, but I do remember hearing them and the local buzz they recreated.

1-2-5Assembled by Jurgen Peter in Chateauguy, Quebec in 1963 this instrumental guitar band originally was originally known as The Blue Jays but soon changed their moniker to The Haunted.

The band became popular in Montreal and in early 1966 they won a Dave Boxer 'Battle Of The Bands' contest at the Montreal Forum giving them the first prize of a recording contract with Quality Records.

That year they released two singles, the hit "1-2-5" and its follow-up "I Can Only Give You Everything". Quality Records salesman Don Wayne Patterson started Jet Records in 1967 to release canadian bands I managed and found in places like New Brunswick , Alberta & Ontario and soon scooped up The Haunted.

In due course, they released a full-length album which gained them some prominence in Montreal but nowhere else.

Through a multitude of member changes the band finally collapsed in 1970.

There has been continued interest for this instrumental guitar act and in 1983 Psycho Records even bootlegged the debut album for reissue.


At this point I can offer an audio example of Montreal at arguably its height in the 20th century. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Haunted with 1-2-5. Sadly, Montreal is now best remembered for The Safety Dance...


Monday, January 22, 2007

Rome II ep 2

blinkSLAP! Nice manors for a whore.

It's true, Mark Antony's manors could be better.

The fun continues this week on HBO's Rome as everyone is mad at everyone. There is much glowering.

And fighting! SLAP! Where's my money? SLAP! Fine, I'm going to stay in the country with my "friend" Agrippa. I'll show *you*.

Cleopatra comes to dinner, most of the main characters are there (except the Tweedles!), and so are we given witty couch conversation?

Nope, we are given a close up montage of them eying each other, knowingly.

Blah. And not even an after dinner murder..what a jip.

It isn't all bad, though the Tweedles are still mysteriously looked over by the rich (didn't Cleopatra give Tweedle Dumb a double take).

And who have thought it. Tweedle Dee is more psychotic than Tweedle Dumb. Tweedle Dumb had gone from the angry young man to being henpecked by his ex slave (yes dear, I'll look into it...)

No, on the plus side, the change in Cleopatra's character. No longer the drugged out princess, she is strong, talking to the Romans as inferiors. Nothing a Roman loved more than to be talked down to.

More glowering.

And more attempts by the writers to be shocking, with "fuck" this and "fuck" that thrown around.

"Have you ever been bitten by a moray eel?"

Blah.

Anyway, Tweedle Dee is now Don Dee (reinforced by some visual nods to "The Godfather"), having rid the neighbourhood of Fanucci, I mean Erastes Fulmen. He himself prefers the more friendly title of "Son of Hades".

And oh look, Atia's murderous horsemen slave has a home life....Joy! More story lines...and are they implying an affair between Cicero and Servilla.

Ewwww.

Friday, January 19, 2007

You may be treading on your interdiction and violating common sense, Mr. Attorney General

GONZALES: ... The fact that the Constitution — again, there is no express grant of habeas in the Constitution. There is a prohibition against taking it away. But it’s never been the case, and I’m not a Supreme —

SPECTER: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. The constitution says you can’t take it away, except in the case of rebellion or invasion. Doesn’t that mean you have the right of habeas corpus, unless there is an invasion or rebellion?

GONZALES: I meant by that comment, the Constitution doesn’t say, “Every individual in the United States or every citizen is hereby granted or assured the right to habeas.” It doesn’t say that. It simply says the right of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except by —

SPECTER: You may be treading on your interdiction and violating common sense, Mr. Attorney General.

GONZALES: Um.

Andy Griffith vs. Patriot Act



When a sixties tv show has a higher standard than current leaders...you know we're in trouble.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

When advertisers go wrong - Orville Redenbacher

Ewwww, mommy mommy! That dead guy touched my popcorn!



Orville Frankenbacher rises from the grave in this very creepy CG rebirth. Made by Digital Domain, directed by David Fincher.

Ewwwwwww

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Dean Martin, James Stewart & Orson Welles



Yeah, yeah, I know, it ain't Borat...it's far worse.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

I hate Borat part6

The "I hate (let's all laugh at the man with the funny accent - come on, Laugh!, he's a genius) Borat™" theme continues today with the depressing news that the Borat *cough* film has won a Golden Globe.

America, can you hear the laughter? It's the world, chuckling.

You are in the Bush era, and are not seeing clearly. When it's all over, and you wake up in the morning and see Borat in bed beside you, it will be too late for regrets.

One fears though, that America and Borat will have a love child...

Monday, January 15, 2007

Rome II ep 1

ouch

"No prostitues, actors or unclean persons will be allowed".

It's a wonder they got all the cast back after that, but regardless of rumours that HBO's Rome had been cancelled, season II is here.

And everyone is so happy! So why all the long faces. Oh yes, Caesar is dead.

Dead, and the show also seems to have less budget this time around as well. No grand shots, no marching armies.

This episode had less of the mind numbing plot twists of season I, and had only one out and out howler ("ok, so I beat your man to death, will you marry me?")

She says "yes" btw.

Battle lines are being drawn here, what with Tweedle Dee cursing his soon to be missing childern, and Antony hating Brutus, Antony hating Cicero, Atia hating Servilla, Octavian trying to get anyone to listen to him.

Ixnay onway atthay insestway ingthay, okway?

The people of Rome are annoyed too.

This all in the first 10 minutes.

"I'm not getting out of bed until I've fucked somebody"

It had its usual selection of every day life, and "shocking lines" spread out here and there.

"Fetch that German slut from the kitchen"

Later, Octavian gets *all* the money, so he is listened to more.

So all and all, not a bad episode. All the chess pieces are in place, the game begins.

Best line: "You too, mother?"

Friday, January 12, 2007

I hate Borat part5

It's like a terrible accident you see coming but are powerless to stop...

Box office sensation "Borat," a largely improvised faux documentary about a boorish Kazakh journalist, gained more Oscar momentum Thursday as it was nominated with four other comedies for the 2006 Writers Guild of America Awards.

Oscar?

Clues found for early Europeans

An archaeological find in Russia has shed light on the migration of modern humans into Europe.

Artefacts uncovered at the Kostenki site, south of Moscow, suggest modern humans were at this spot about 45,000 years ago.


Read more here

Too late for soul searching

American Conservatives who now don't back the war in Iraq, but did at first are looking for a way out.

Andrew Sullivan, Time's gay republican (ooo sorry, conservative) blogger*, writes today that people opposed the war in Iraq out of a:

"reflexive hostility to American power, partisan hatred of Bush, and blindness toward Saddam's atrocities"

How about in the months leading up to the invasion, everyone I talked to knew Bush wanted to have a war, and was bending the facts to make it so. He was spoiling for a fight, and it was clear to see.

A child could see it, why couldn't Mr Sullivan?

* a Gay Republican, a rare and somwhat mystifying creature, somewhat related to a Jewish Nazi.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Home Tasering

zap

Yes, can't wait until these babies are in the hands of everyday citizens, like you and me! Ooooo, and in pretty pink too!

"The Taser C2 can stop a threat up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) away, allowing you to protect yourself and your family from a safe distance...

...[it] can truly stop an attacker, even those under the influence of drugs and alcohol...

...[it] will function only after the owner completes a background check. Purchasers must be 18 years or older"


Gee, I feel a whole lot safer now.

Get yours here

NBC presents The Beatles

Well, in 1967, to promote Hard Day's Night on NBC.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Dumb Christians strike again

This time right here in Canada.

"A school program to fight childhood obesity that includes yoga is drawing complaints from some Christian parents in the Quesnel area in B.C.'s Cariboo region.

They say yoga is a religion, and shouldn't be taught in public schools.

Chelsea Brears, who has two children in the school system, said her son was asked to do different poses and "to put his hands together."

Brears, a Christian, said she doesn't want her children exposed to another religion during class time.

"It's not fair to take prayer out, and yet they're allowing yoga, which is religion, in our schools."

Local rancher Audrey Cummings doesn't believe Christian children should be doing yoga at all.

There's God and there's the devil, and the devil's not a gentleman. If you give him any kind of an opening, he will take that."

The two women have complained to the education minister and the Quesnel school board.

But school board chair Caroline Neilsen said the yoga is being taught as a stretching exercise, not as a spiritual practice.

Neilsen also noted that children who don't want to practise yoga can do different exercises or leave the classroom."

Swing

Benny Goodman



Duke Ellington

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

iPhone

New Apple phone, the iPhone

Very nice, very expensive...not available until June (big mistake)

Yeah, yeah, what do I know.

Oh yes, there is an Apple TV, but it has too many restrictions to make it worth having.

And, it's no longer Apple Computer, but Apple Inc.

fix it

Gad...and the new Apple page greets you with a Big Broken Quicktime logo..

Rome is baaaaack

After rumours that Rome season II was a no go, it seems the high class trash is back...this weekend!

True to form, here is the official graphic from HBO.

more crack!

And yes, I will be there watching..in disbelief.

Merry Olde England

How dare you try and prevent me from being a hateful, spiteful person in the name of Jesus!

"New laws banning discrimination against gay people in the provision of goods and services face a Lords challenge.

The Sexual Orientation Regulations have been criticised by some religious groups who say people will not be allowed to act according to faith."


The kicker is: "people will not be allowed to act according to faith"

Translation: people will not be allowed to act like cunts, and hide behind 2,000 year old writings.

"Critics say the regulations would mean hotels could not refuse to provide rooms for gay couples...Some critics also say a Christian, Jewish or Muslim printer could be legally forced to print a flyer for a gay night club, or a teacher would have to break the law to promote heterosexual marriage over homosexual civil partnership"

"Christians have no desire to discriminate unjustly on the grounds of sexual orientation, but they cannot and must not be forced to actively condone and promote sexual practices which the Bible teaches are wrong."


If they want to follow the Bible, then follow it, word for word....bring back slavery, take away the rights of woman, take away...

Oh..that *is* what they want....

One can only assume by their reaction that they want to discriminate, and are miffed from the possibility of being prevented from doing so.

Any group, any one, who has to use violent force (real or "according to faith") to prove the rightness of their cause, have lost any moral high ground, and have lost the argument.

No other group in society can do this, can claim to have rights to be pricks above the rest of us.

Ok, ok, maybe politicians and some rappers...

The humble message should be: Love One Another. The rest was windowdressing.

We need protection from any and all "religious" people like this. T'weren't called the Dark Ages for nothing.

Read more here

Woohoo update:

"New rules outlawing businesses from discriminating against homosexuals have been upheld in the House of Lords.
A challenge led by Lord Morrow of the Democratic Unionist Party failed by a majority of three to one.

He had argued that the rules forced people to choose between obedience to God and obedience to the state.

But Northern Ireland Minister Lord Rooker said it would be "quite wrong" to elevate the rights of one group above those of another."...

...Labour's Lord Smith said: "I am somewhat puzzled by the arguments that have been advanced.

"It seems to me, in my simplistic way, that what they (the opponents of the regulations) are arguing for is quite simply the right to discriminate and the right to harass.

"And those arguments are being made in the name of Christianity."


Amen

Monday, January 08, 2007

[Their] long national nightmare -- still going strong

done nothing, then you get what you deserve

"Activities that shocked the country 32 years ago are now being codified into law, at the behest of the Ford administration veterans."

Read more here and here

Are Americans really this stupid? They should crack open a history book about the Romans sometime.

Book...Americans....hahahahaha

Friday, January 05, 2007

Brian Sussman tells caller to say 'Allah is a w****'

Disney has tried to silence a blogger named Spocko who *dared* post these clips from a station (KSFO) they own in San Francisco.

Listen and save them.

Read more here and here

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean 2

Dead Man's Chest

I don't plan to spell out the plot here, as not even the writers seem to have a 100% grasp of it. Even they seem to agree that it needed at least one more rewrite, to make certain plot elements clearer.

That being said, do I think it is worth seeing?

Yes.

yoho

Even more than the first, it is Johnny Depp's movie. Even though he's on screen a lot, I don't think he overshadows the other characters (except perhaps Orlando Bloom, as a blade of grass could do that).

Davy Jones is fun to watch (Bill Nighy nails it), and is a CGI milestone (though there is still a cut out paper feel to some of the layering of characters, especially in sunlight).

yoho

The other highlight: The Kraken. I won't show the beast in any detail, you have to see it for yourself.

yoho

On the downside, too many story lines, too many characters. That, and it suffers from what many sequels suffer from: bloat. The stunts are bigger (they had more money it seems) and more unbelievable. But some are very funny (like the one pictured below)

yoho

And some are just plain dumb and over the top. Look, even the cast thinks so.

yoho

Still, it was worth it, if only for the compostion of the closing shots of the Kraken (and the reference to Douglas Fairbanks).

yoho

Bye bye Johnny, cya next summer.

yoho

And if Jagger doesn't show up as Mrs. Sparrow, I give up.

Oh yes, there is a scene after the credits, but it's a dog.

Scientists are looking....RUN!

The DNA so dangerous it does not exist.

"Says Greg Hampikian, professor of genetics at Boise State University in Idaho, "There must be some DNA or protein sequences that are not compatible with life, perhaps because they bind some essential cellular component, for example, and have therefore been selected out of circulation. There may also be some that are lethal in some species, but not others. We're looking for those sequences."

They..are..looking..for..these...

*blink*

"Further down the line there is the possibility of constructing a "suicide gene" to code for deadly amino acid primes. It could be attached to genetically modified organisms and activated to destroy them at a later date if they turned out to be dangerous, Hampikian suggests."

More here

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

On Sacifice