I wonder if Dawkins threw popcorn at the movie screen?
- In 1954, US Congress conducted an inquisition against comic books. Today, we nerds are forced into hiding for other reasons.
- A declassified report reveals the US Army toyed with a telepathic ray gun and other non-lethal weapons. Now advertisers are using them.
- UFOs continue to invade CNN's air time. It won't be long until CNN has an anchorman like this.
- Peter Berg is directing a new film adaptation of Dune, the classic scifi masterpiece by Frank Herbert (Amazon US or UK). David Lynch made an admirable effort, but it was wrong in so many ways.
- The next James Bond film has shot scenes at the Very Large Telescope in Chile. That's asking for classic Bond sexual innuendo.
- Astronomers are urging city dwellers to spend Earth Hour this Saturday to admire the stars. Hopefully not the tabloid kind.
- Antarctica's Wilkins Ice Shelf is disintegrating.
- Oil 'exploration' in the Amazon is threatening reclusive tribes.
- Global thawing of ice is creating a boom in mammoth ivory trading in Russia.
- Archaeologists discover giant statue of Queen Tiy, wife of Amenhotep III.
- Scholar claims the Ark of the Covenant is hidden in Zimbabwe.
- A 4000-year-old timber circle dubbed Seahenge on the Norfolk coast will go on permanent display.
- An Aussie is building a Stonehenge replica. Probably out of beer cans.
- Tourist arrested for stealing piece of Easter Island statue.
- Hydrogen sulfide may be key to suspended animation, if you can stand the smell.
- A Northumberland hotel is haunted by a ghost chicken. I guess it didn't make it across the road.
- Caught on camera: mysterious lights and beings. Paranormal paparrazi?
- Here's a great reference site for British folklore and supernatural creatures.
- The world's first conference on ORBs took place in Arizona recently, and attracted serious scientific attention.
- Can we communicate with whales through music? Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound by David Rothenberg (Amazon US or UK).
- Here's video of the message Arthur C. Clarke recorded shortly before he died.
Thanks Greg.
Quote of the Day:
"There is no doubt in my mind that the Orbs may well be one of the most significant ‘outside of this reality’ phenomena mankind at large has ever witnessed."
Dr. Klaus Heinemann, a former research professor at Stanford University, and researcher in materials science for NASA.
Dune
I am biased in favour of Lynch, but find it unlikely that anyone will better his version. I've heard that folks unfamiliar with the book found the film difficult to follow, but I think they needed to pay closer attention or see it several times.
Lynch's version was OK
Although obviously it doesn't come close to the book.
I once read that a very peculiar chilean fellow, Alejandro Jodorowsky, was looking to make a version of 'Dune' far earlier than Lynch. He hired the famous comic illustrator Möebius to make character designs, and he even considered asking none other than Salvador Dalí to play the part of the Emperor! But the whole idea flopped because the project grew to impossible proportions: Dalí wanted $500,000 dollars for his part, eventhough he would only appear like 5 minutes in the movie —he wanted to be remembered as the most expensive film actor of all time. Not only that, the 'maestro' insisted on making a scene where the Emperor would be shown defecating on a lavish throne-like toilet (when Jodorowsky asked Dalí if he was really willing to take a dump in fron of the camera, the painter answered that they would need a double for that).
So, I think that, taking in consideration all the economic restrictions Lynch had himself, he did a fairly good job with the story. And as for Jodorowsky, I think he was a fool in trying to make a live movie, when you already have someone like Möebius involved in the project, he should have made an animation movie instead.
[PS]: You know what would guarantee the success of this new version, don't you? If they hired either this, or this young actor :-)
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It's not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me...
It's all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!
Red Pill Junkie
Say what?????????????
Today, we nerds are forced into hiding for other reasons.
Are you kidding me??? This is the best moment to be a geek! All the major media are catering to us, and all the blockbuster summer movies are geek-related. f you want to be hip, you only have to wear black thick-rimmed eye glasses, even if you don't really need them. We are now the popular minority.
Take my word, some day a paparazi is going to take a snap of Paris Hilton wearing diamond-covered D&G dices on her necklace.
It's our time baby, YEAH! :-)
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It's not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me...
It's all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!
Red Pill Junkie
Speaking truth
Are you kidding me??? This is the best moment to be a geek! All the major media are catering to us, and all the blockbuster summer movies are geek-related.
So true, and perhaps a factor related to the growth of the Internet - the need to be techno-literate now is overarching, whereas in the 80s it wasn't the case.
This seems to have had a follow-on effect too, I think, in how atheism and skepticism are now growing in popularity - the best way to appear scientifically literate is to eschew religious/metaphysical thought.
But don't worry, the shamanic-geek faction will have their day soon enough...
;)
Kind regards,
Greg
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You monkeys only think you're running things
"Non-lethal" weapons... yeah, right.
The acoustic energy device that affects the ear canals, disrupting the motion sense, may require dangerously loud sound levels to be effective, points out Juergen Altmann, a physicist at Dortmund University, Germany, who is interested in new military technologies.
"[There is] inconsistency between the part that says "interesting" effects occur at 130-155 dB and the Recovery/Safety section that says that 115 dB is to be avoided - without commenting on the difference."
I suppose the interesting effect that occurs at 130-155 dB is DEAFNESS!
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It's not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me...
It's all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!
Red Pill Junkie
but...
but would 155dB be harmful for people who are deaf to begin with? My guess is probably yes.
But at 115 dB, you would still be vulnerable to infantry attack by rock stars, iPod users, and old artillery soldiers. Not the artillery, just the deaf solders.
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if everything is under control, you are not going fast enough (Mario Andretti)
Orbs
Just because someone is a professor does not mean they know anything about taking photos!
Orbs may well be the most significant proof that even smart people can be dumb - and dumb people even dumber...
Cheers
Orbful
I can only agree...
Kind regards,
Greg
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You monkeys only think you're running things
Lynch / Dune
Mr. Lynch did not have final cut on Dune. He likened any alleged good part(s) to that of a 'pearl in a mud puddle'.
-m-
Laughing at chickens
"A Northumberland hotel is haunted by a ghost chicken. I guess it didn't make it across the road."
ROFL! :)
Kind regards,
Greg
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You monkeys only think you're running things