What would the world be like without Nicholas Cage? This guy gives good face I’m telling you — just watch as he demonstrates various states of distress…mostly batshit:
! APEC ESCAPE !
•November 23, 2010 • Leave a CommentAPEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) consists of 21 Pacific-Rim countries/members and recently took place in Yokohama, Japan (Sunday Nov 14 2010) where World economic and political leaders gathered to discuss a range of universal economic issues:
In more locally related news; New Zealand prime minister John Key (right side from Barak Obama) has made/accepted a free-trade-agreement (FTA) with President Dmitry Medvedev (cool first name) of super nation Russian, the 12th largest economy in the world:
“We’ve formally launched free trade negotiations with Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus with the aim of completing the deal by 2012, that’s a very significant milestone and we would be the first country to sign an FTA (free trade agreement) with Russia if we can get the deal done.”
(If?) Hmm… Good news – A power relationship has been forged, said Gimli – a Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation will surely deliver important gains for New Zealand’s economy. Or maybe he’ll shaft us ALL!
John Key may posses the leadership merits to represent this fine green country. Key’s every decision is protected and his executives make damn sure he doesn’t put a foot wrong that’s for sure; but who knows what dodgy dealings are in the works behind the curtain?
But to be honest, this story and John Key is NOT what I really wanted to blog about…
*Ahem* 😀 A few years ago (September 1999) APEC was held in New Zealand, and this recent news item reminded me of how much of a young political geek I really was:
APEC ESCAPE the worlds first protest rally videogame! What type of boy would pay attention to such things at such an age? Amazing, I can’t believe how nerdy onto it I was:
Still gutted I didn’t win though – Not only was I witty but I lost to some fictitious game that promotes drugs – no big loss though, I already had Wip3out. But yeah, smarts is in my blood… And geekiness.
Karl Urban is ‘Judge Dredd’ [first look]
•November 21, 2010 • Leave a CommentBAMF! The first ever image of Karl Urban as Mega City One’s lawman, Judge Dredd, has emerged, and it ticks all the boxes, including the helmet and the big gun.
Will it erase the memories of Sylvester Stallone? Of course, but the gore may be toned down a little to conform with its PG13 restrictions. But who cares man, Kiwi boy Karl Urban is Judge Dredd!!!
The ‘Toy Story’ Zoetrope & Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli Inspiration [animation]
•November 20, 2010 • Leave a Comment<<< Please DO NOT watch these if you suffer from epilepsy. >>>
A zoetrope is a picture wheel device that produces an optical illusion of motion, from a rapid succession (usually spinning) of static pictures. It produces the same effect as flipbook drawings do. Except Pixar has gone and 1UP’d the Zoetrope by using real 3D objects instead of 2D pictures.
Pixar made a zoetrope at Disney’s California Adventure Park, but they used sculptures and strobe lights instead.
Some of the first elementary Zoetrope’s played an important evolutionary role during the early stages of moviemaking and animation history.
What’s cooler is the fact that Pixar drew inspiration for this ‘3D’ Zoetrope from none other than Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli and their “Bouncing Totoro” Zoetrope; Pixar’s immediate antecedent:
The “Bouncing Totoro” zoetrope is a 3D project consisting out of 347 figures which took nearly a year to finish. It was made by HAL with Yuzo Nishitani as head of the group. Production was started with the vague goal of creating something “fantastic” that would make anyone stop and gaze in awe for at least a few minutes.
Following Miyazaki’s wishes, the movement of the figures was initially to be based on the scene at the bus stop from “My Neigbor Totoro” where the Totoro jumps up holding an umbrella, and comes down hard making Mei and Satsuki bounce up in reaction.
However, some people thought that more kinds of movement would be needed to have people stop for a few minutes, and the scale of the idea continued to escalate. The repeating movements – Bouncing Totoro, running Cat Bus, flapping bat wings – were decided immediately, but as ideas continued to expand, the numbers of figures expanded as well.
Katsuya Kondo was in charge of the key animation and media artist Toshio Iwai helped a great deal in conceiving a LED device to be used instead of powerful strobe lights which hurt the eye, and in making a layout plan using a computer for the positioning of the figures. To allow the viewers to see how the rows of figures appear to be moving, they decided not to have the display in full rotation all times, but to start with the platform stopped, then make it gradually start rotating, and then after a while to have it stop again. Miyazaki himself decided the timing with his stopwatch.
Nutter’s Legionnaire [F]
•November 19, 2010 • Leave a CommentTurns out train nutter’s dad is in one of the world’s top special ops units; the French Foreign Legion. Apparently. That, and I just think he’s a little wonky in the head. Socially that is. Just a little.
Earth From Space – A View From The ‘ISS’ Cupola
•November 18, 2010 • Leave a CommentA truly amazing picture. It reminds me of every awesome science fiction movie I’ve ever watched ever, only this is magic science:
Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson peering down at Earth spinning below from a cupola in the ISS. Dr. Dyson is also a lead vocalist in the (astronaut) band Max Q. How cool is that?
Happiest woman in space? Yup.
The Science Cheerleaders
•November 15, 2010 • Leave a Comment
Err, an inspirational video for (slender?) young woman – Science Cheerleaders make biochemical engineering and rocketry cooler than they ever were with their new viral video campaign from the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, to engage young females with positive messages about going into scientific fields:
I wanted to hear an epic rhyme-y cheer about science, but all I got was a showcase video of attractive, smart girls that happen to cheer. I already know hot girls are smart, so I’m a little disappointed …Just a little…
F, I, N, D, where’s that cheer for fin-a-lee! SCI-E, N, C, E, why do I embarrass me???
Do you like my ‘Retro Steampunk Ray-Gun’ Necklace? [accessories] – ‘Science Fiction & Style’ [new site]
•November 14, 2010 • Leave a CommentFollowing that sweet homemade Quorra Tron Suit, I thought I’d share my own piece of sci-fi steampunk fashion: Nice huh?
I love all things steampunk and sci-fi! I found this special gem while reading up on my favourite fashion blog sciencefictionstyle.blogspot.com by kristophine, and I knew right then I had to have one, and now I do!
Only 50 had been made at the time and fortunately for me I grabbed one of the last of the series. I think there’s still one left:
“This ray gun is an original carved in wax and cast in solid bronze. closely at the details of this perfectly fashioned ray gun pendant.
It is about 1 1/2 long and for a limited time I am including a vintage double braided bronze chain with the piece. Please note that there are a limited number of these available in time for Christmas.”
More works-of-art from the maker ‘Blue Bayer’ on Etsy(another favourite site of mine):
All custom stuff, Sci-fi style is right up my alley and I know of a few chic chicks who might appreciate some sexy jackets. Check-out kristophine’s awesome site wont you:
Homemade ‘Tron Legacy’ Suit by Syuzi [DIY]
•November 13, 2010 • Leave a Comment
Created by a designer Syuzi, the suit is a mix of faux leather and electroluminescent tape strips (I want some of this) that were specially cut and refashioned to work as Tron-style linings. The luminescent panels are removable, velcored onto the leather vest in order to make the top washable.
The designer promises to release a full tutorial on how to make your Tron suit later in the month.
So cool. This will be a great film to end a great year of movies. Not like usual; there’s no way I’m watching this movie alone 😉
No Hospital for Old Men [F]
•November 11, 2010 • Leave a CommentThere was an old man on level two ward 23 {locations have been purposely changed} crying out for help today at work. The first three times he did (between intervals), a nurse came to his aid. The next six, no one came to him and I couldn’t take it anymore.
I poked my head around the corner as he cried “someone help me I beg you” and he didn’t stop. On and on he yelled.
I stepped out of my job role to tend to his pleas and he started talking to me about how he had no idea how he got there, after which he then asked me to go get help. The police, anyone he said. Poor guy. I actually had a difficult time getting a word in.
I asked him if he had family but he just kept asking for help.
So I calmed him down and told him I would go ask/get the ‘charge nurse’ on his behalf and I did, and what she told me, or rather what she showed me made me sad, helpless and angry. The charge nurse did the ‘finger twirl around her head’ thing… And went back to her computer screen, which I’m guessing by her imprudence is more important than a human being these days.
Of course I suspected that this man might have had some form or cognitive deterioration, but that moment made me very angry. He couldn’t help himself being so old, I couldn’t help him without breaking protocol and the nurses weren’t doing much of anything but ignoring him. Something is wrong with this picture.
I plan on making a formal complaint tomorrow. I don’t mind being wrong, I’d just like to see a little more done than a finger twirl.
Sadly, I had to leave him. Alone. G*d I hate having to give up. This feeling of immoral closure. I hate it.
Funking disillusioning experience I tell you what though (and mortality hits me like a ton of bricks). Hospitals are here to help people no? Pump the geezer with drugs or something. Anything! Humor the poor guy? I really don’t know.
At least he stopped yelling after we talked. A good sign I guess. Point is I tried and some people just accept face value like a forgettable breeze and were raised to be lame. Drones. I wasn’t the only person in that ward.
Don’t ignore your senses. Goodnight.
The USAF Aircraft Identification Chart
•November 11, 2010 • Leave a CommentMe and my friends spotted a flying object in the shape of a bird, twisting erratically in the night sky during a backyard fire once. Tis true. Mind you I live near an International Airport; who knows what crazy monitoring equipment they have… Right?
This reminds me of a great X–Files episode ‘Deep Throat’ (by great I mean in general; X-Files is boss!) starring a young Seth Green.
When Mulder and Scully decide to investigate a possible conspiracy in the U.S. Air Force, Mulder meets a mysterious informant who warns him to stay away from the case but, undeterred, Mulder continues in his investigation, coming closer to the truth than ever before, only to have it snatched away from him.
Hmm, that’s what this blog is missing; more X-Files me thinks 🙂
🎭 