It's not me, it's a hologram.

Music Notes Encoded in the Last Supper?

2007-11-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

Excerpt:
A computer technician has claimed to have cracked a real Da Vinci code, by finding musical notes encoded in the masterpiece The Last Supper.
Leonardo Da Vinci left clues to a 40-second musical composition in his painting, Giovanni Maria Pala said.

Each loaf of bread in the picture represents a note, he said, which combine to sound "like a requiem".

Alessandro Vezzosi, director of Tuscany's Da Vinci museum, said the theory was "plausible".

The 15th century painting depicts Jesus' last meal with the 12 Apostles before his arrest and crucifixion.

The full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7088600.stm

Audio File:
http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_audio/davinci_music.mp3

my new TOY(ota)

2007-10-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here is my my new vehicle. I am selling the Legend and the Derangedrover.

Bat for Lashes

2007-08-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

Bat for Lashes is a great band from Brighton, England, UK. Check out more information here:

Bat for Lashes

I had the great opportunity to see them perform live at Spaceland in Los Angeles on July 31. Simply incredible. They also did a session for KCRW on Morning Becomes Eclectic, which can be found here:

Bat for Lashes on KCRW

The performance for KCRW, like their performance at Spaceland, showcase just how talented these 4 girls are. Check it out - listening to their music will be better than me trying to describe how good they were. Here are a few photos from the gig that really show their dream-like quality (click to see the larger image):

for a good laugh....

2007-07-17T19:43:00.001-07:00

check out this link

http://icanhascheezburger.com

are you bored?

2007-06-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

try this game out for fun.......

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/365143

GET A HAIR NET

2007-05-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

(Click to view the photo in it's full-size glorious trump-ness.)

You've got to be kidding me. Trump is now selling steaks at the Sharper Image.
I'm definitely a vegetarian now!
GET A HAIR NET!

YOU'RE FIRED OR IS THAT GRILLED!!!

i know everyone likes 'em some fergie......

2007-04-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Best Week Ever and thought it was pretty dang funny so enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g

Nutrients might prevent hearing loss

2007-03-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

In a study done by the University of Michagan, they found that certain nutrients may help prevent hearing loss.
This is very good news for me as I listen to a lot of music, sometimes very loud.

The nutrients are:
vitamin A
vitamin C
vitamin E
magnesium

Click here for more information.

Canon HV20 + Brevis35 = Cinematic HD Footage

2007-03-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Canon has a new HD Video camera out called the HV20. Link

Combine that with the Brevis35 Imaging System Link

and this is what you get...

Click here for the footage

Bizarre Hexagon Spotted on Saturn

2007-03-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

There's so much we don't know about the universe.

I saw this on space.com

Peep it!

Children of Men...Best Film of 2006

2007-01-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

I get the honor of the first post of 2007? Looks like it...and what a great topic...

I saw Children of Men over the holiday and all I can say is wow. Hands down this has to be one of the best films of the past decade (at least for me).

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (other films include A Little Princess, Y tu mamá también, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) Children of Men tells a story set in the not so distant future of a world where humans cannot reproduce.

The plot is fairly simple, yet the movie is complex: questions are not answered and the ending is open. This is great filmmaking, letting the visuals tell the story, and what great visuals. In a time when it seems films have to tell us everything that is going on, this movie makes us think. It gives us a sample of what the world might be like in the near future.

One last thing: the cinematography and technical aspects are outstanding as well. Photographer Emmanuel Lubezki (A Little Princess, Sleepy Hollow, and the New World) gives his all, and it shows.

Go out and see it! An incredible film and best in a long while. That's all I can say right now.

Souvenirs

2006-11-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting idea.
Take a souvenir and hold it in front of the real thing.
Take a photo of it.
Here is a link to a gallery of souvenir photos.

this one is for aleks...

2006-10-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-fwYPYlEQ8 and for the rest of the star wars fans.

weird al at it again....

2006-09-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

so some of you guys may have never heard the song he is making fun of here but its still hilarious.....
http://www.break.com/index/weird_al_white_and_nerdy.html
check it out and enjoy!

deranged rover

2006-09-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

so here is a litlle taste of my newest toy. it is a 1990 land rover range rover (a.k.a. deranged rover)

Brick Screenplay and Novella

2006-08-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

The DVD released just this week, and to coincide with the release, Rian Johnson (the writer and director) posted the screenplay and the original novella on his website (in .pdf format):

Brick Screenplay

The novella also contains illustrations by Naeim Khavari.

Cool stuff indeed.

Enjoy!

NASA Wake-up Calls + More

2006-07-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to NASA wake-up calls for the astronauts.
STS-121 has "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure as a wake-up call for Mission Specialist Piers Sellers.

NASA Wakeup Calls + Gallery

There are also photos and video since 1995.

Have You Seen Me?

2006-07-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd dies at age 60

2006-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

BBC News

In tribute to him, I played "See Emily Play" and "Scarecrow" all day and night.
These songs are some of his best work, but not to mention that they are great songs in their own right.

Oh the fractacality!

2006-06-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure if fractacality is a word, but here are some nice lightning photos.

Lightning Photos

Fractal

Honda Bets Scientists in Secret Engine Lab Can Outsmart Toyota

2006-06-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting read about Honda. My favorite auto maker.
Side note: I hit 222222.2 back in 2003 on my 1988 Honda Accord.

Here are some excerpts from the article...

In 1973, junior engineer Takeo Fukui helped put Honda Motor Co. on the U.S. map with a Civic subcompact that met clean-air standards without a $1,000 tailpipe filter known as a catalytic converter. He was 28.

Today, as Honda's chief executive officer, Fukui, 61, is racing to repeat his triumph at a lab 68 miles (109 kilometers) north of Tokyo. There, engineers are building a diesel engine for 2009 that Honda says will meet both new U.S. limits and more stringent California rules on soot and nitrous oxide emissions and still use 30 percent less fuel than gasoline models.

...

Organic Soybeans

It earned the crown as the top organic soybean processor in Ohio after determining that shipping empty auto-part crates from U.S. plants back to Japan was wasteful. It hired local farmers to grow soybeans and now sends the crop home in once-empty containers.

In February, Honda started selling a dietary supplement made from fermented soybeans that helps dissolve blood clots.

John Mendel, Honda's U.S. sales chief, says the far-ranging research can appear haphazard. ``This is something that bugs investors, because they don't know where we're going,'' he says.

Investors will tolerate the strategy as long as Honda stays true to its values, he says. ``We want people to ask, `Will the world need Honda in the year 2010?' and we want them to answer, `Hell yes,''' he says.

...

Conservative vs. Crazy

Honda and Toyota need each other, even as they're grinding competitors into the dust, says James Womack, president of the Lean Enterprise Institute research group in Brookline, Massachusetts.

``Without Honda, Toyota would be too conservative, and without Toyota, Honda would be too crazy,'' he says.

Toyota sold 7.9 million cars and trucks last year, more than double the 3.4 million Honda sold. A big threat is that Toyota revs up production and its marketing machine, leaving Honda further behind.

Click here for the full article.

Blu-Ray is here!

2006-06-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

The first Blu-Ray discs were released today.

Here are some reviews of the first movies and some articles...
Blu-Ray at HighDefDigest

And fot those interested, here are the HD-DVD reviews and articles...
HD-DVD at HighDefDigest

Methods and Means for Creating Anti Gravity Illusion

2006-06-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

From the site...

Discover the secret behind the 45 degree lean in the Smooth Criminal video and in the live performance.
Michael Jackson and two of his costume designers obtained a US patent (US5255452) in 1993 on "Methods and Means for Creating Anti Gravity Illusion". The invention outlines how a special pair of shoes attaches to a stage to allow leaning forward beyond the centre of gravity of the wearer of the shoes. A case study of this patent is presented here.

Background and Prior Art Interesting stage designs, lighting, fog generators, laser light shows, and large video screens have been used by music entertainers and dancers to enhance the appeal of their live and recorded performances.

In the past Michael Jackson had incorporated dance steps in his recorded video performances, wherein he and other dancers would lean forward beyond their center of gravity, thereby creating an impressive visual effect. In the video this effect was accomplished by the use of cables connecting a harness around the dancer's waist with hooks on a stage, thereby allowing the dancer to lean forward at the required degree.

However, since this requires stagehands to connect and then disconnect the cables, it has not been possible to use this system in live performances. Moreover, the cables obviously restricted arm and body movements.

Description of the Invention

The present invention overcomes the above noted deficiencies of the previously employed cable system by providing specialized footwear and
a moveable hitch or post to which the specialized footwear can be detachably engaged to, allowing the footwear wearer to lean forward on the stage, with his or her center of gravity well beyond the front of the shoes, thereby creating the desired visual effect. The hitch or post protrude upwardly through the stage platform at a predetermined time.

Follow the link to the site with a video of the shoes in action also showing one of the dancers having trouble unhooking the shoe.

Smooth Criminal

I Can Hear the Ringtone

2006-06-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the ringtones that (supposedly) only kids can hear. Can you hear it?

Fork Ringtones

Click on Mosquito Tones and keep working your way to the right.

Using Salt to demonstrate acoustic resonance

2006-06-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is a very interesting video that shows the patterns that salt forms while the frequency continues to get higher.

Direct Link

Young Americans geographically challenged

2006-05-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this article over at USA Today:

Young Americans geographically challenged

I have no words to describe the feelings I have about this. Simply amazing.

Anthrax As Disinformation

2006-04-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

I just came across this today - sorry it wasn't earlier, but this reinforces my idea that the government and media are using scare and terror tactics to strike fear in the hearts of the people living in the United States. They are blowing information way out of proportion just to see us tremble. Have a look for yourself:

Anthrax As Disinformation by Gary Novak

Sorry for no fancy images here on this post.

The Radio Dept. releases new music

2006-04-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Radio Dept., the incredible Swedish band, has released new material. The first, "The Worst Taste in Music," out last month and the album "Pet Grief" out last week.

Great stuff indeed. Check out more here: www.labrador.se (the official website)

Poems showing the absurdities of English spelling

2006-04-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

The English language has some stange spellings...

We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
This was a good time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
I read it once and will read it agen
I learned much from this learned treatise.
I was content to note the content of the message.
The Blessed Virgin blessed her. Blessed her richly.
It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.
If he will absent himself we mark him absent.
I incline toward bypassing the incline.

More absurdities from www.spellingsociety.org

Double Helix Nebula Near Center of the Universe

2006-03-16T21:28:00.001-08:00

It's not surprising to me that the genetic instructions for life (DNA) is in the form of a double helix.
The universe is all around.

Astronomers report an unprecedented elongated double helix nebula near the center of our Milky Way galaxy, using observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The part of the nebula the astronomers observed stretches 80 light years in length. The research is published March 16 in the journal Nature.

Read the full article here.

Larger image here.

Beastie Boys Movie

2006-03-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

It appears as if the Beastie Boys are taking it to the movies. On March 31, 2006 the Beastie Boys will release a movie entitled Awesome, I F***in' Shot That! During one of there concerts in the Madison Square Gardens the Beastie Boys handed out video cameras to 50 select audience members and let them record the audiences perspective of the concert. After the event was over the cameras we returned, and now we have a movie.
It looks like it might be interesting. More information can be seen at their website. Enjoy!

http://www.awesomeishotthat.com/main/

"Comic rappers battle for cred"

2006-02-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is a follow up the post by aLeks here:The Chronic-WHAT-icles of Narnia!

"Comics on "The Chronic-what-cles of Narnia" video that was downloaded by millions, are being called out by two guys from the left coast. An East vs. West feud was born."

Student finds toilet water cleaner than ice at fast food restaurants

2006-02-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

New Tampa, Florida - 12-year-old Jasmine Roberts is a seventh-grade student at Benito Middle School in New Tampa.

When it came time for her to choose a science project, she wondered about the ice in fast food restaurants.

Read the rest of the story here.

Engrish

2006-02-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

No, it's not Russian. It's backwards. And even if it was rightways, it'd read "Happy-Spiderman. Spider-man." And also with you.

Not sure exactly what this is trying to tell us.

More here...
Engrish 1
Engrish 2
Engrish 3
Engrish 4

Happy Valentines?

2006-02-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

Cookie Monsters of Death-Metal

2006-02-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

While the extreme branch of heavy-metal music known as death metal is defined in part by often-vile lyrics about violence, catastrophic destruction, nihilism, anarchy and paranoia, its singing style is associated with a beloved goggle-eyed, fuzzy blue puppet.

"It's a whole new thing to me," said Frank Oz, who originated the voice of the Cookie Monster. "I've never heard of it."

Mr. Oz agrees that making Cookie Monster sounds is an arduous occupation. "I never trained for it and I blew my pipes out," he told me. "It's completely unnatural, an explosion of force that comes from the belly through the throat. I would do a day of it and my normal voice would be a half an octave lower." (During our conversation, Mr. Oz demonstrated the Cookie Monster voice. The sudden force was startling and the volume so loud, I had to pull the phone from my ear.)

Read the full article here.

I love Christian Death Metal.

More Music (this time from Norway)

2006-01-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

Checked out this band because MBV was name-dropped (couldn't resist). In my mind, similar styles with Serena Maneesh, but you decide.

The Lionheart Brothers

A few MP3's are available - browse around for them. Also an EP is available on iTunes, sponsored in part by Volvo, in a series called "New Scandanavian Music" or something. (Note: iTunes is required).

Syriana Screenplay

2006-01-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

First time ever seeing this - a screenplay to a film readily available on the official website.

Dowload Syriana screenplay here.

Official site here.

Enjoy.

Serena Maneesh

2006-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

First came across this at PitchFork. It was in PitchFork's Top 50 Albums of 2005.

Album number 29

"Wobbly, riff-tastic, narcotic, Norwegian quintet Serena Maneesh pilot a Jesus & Mary Chain, Velvet Underground, MBV, and Spacemen 3 purple haze...cycling through blissful pop-noise dynamics and elevator musings, sprinkling in syrupy boy and/or girl harmonies when necessary."

The full review over at PitchFork: 8.6 rating (out of 10)

I won't say anymore. Northern European musik never fails to amaze me - there's so much incredible music out there, mainly hailing from the Scandinavian countries, that it's not even funny. Check them out - great stuff.

Official website: SERENA MANEESH

First High Definition Blu-Ray Discs Announced

2006-01-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

Finally, things are starting to get interesting in HD land.
The first Blu-Ray discs have been announced!
Others should be announced at CES, starting on Thursday January 5, 2006.

Four studios unveil Blu-ray hi-def lineups - Reuters

Aeon Flux, Behind Enemy Lines, Black Hawk Down, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Fifth Element, Desperado, The Devil's Rejects, Dune, Fantastic Four, For a Few Dollars More, Four Brothers, The Guns of Navarone, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, Ice Age, The Italian Job, Kiss of the Dragon, A Knight's Tale, Kung Fu Hustle, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Last Waltz, Legends of the Fall, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Lord of War, The Manchurian Candidate, Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible 3, The Punisher, Rambo: First Bloodx, Reservoir Dogs, Resident Evil Apocalypse, Robocop, Sahara, Saw, Sense and Sensibility, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Stealth, Species, SWAT, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, Total Recall, U2: Rattle and Hum, We Were Soldiers, XXX

The Chronic-WHAT-icles of Narnia!

2005-12-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg in "Lazy Sunday"

Mixes Beastie Boys raps with technology, movies and cupcakes.

Direct Link

This is seriously, some of the best stuff I've heard/seen from the latest Saturday Night Live crew.

If you plan on vacationing, don't go to Macedonia...

2005-12-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

A German of Lebanese descent is suing the CIA, claiming they kidnapped him and held him against his will - he was also tortured - and a second report from April 2005 details the fact that George Tenet knew this person was the wrong man...

You can view the story here

The original story is here.

Old Ma Bell screws New Orleans

2005-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Excerpt (first paragraph)
"Hours after New Orleans officials announced Tuesday that they would deploy a city-owned, wireless Internet network in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, regional phone giant BellSouth Corp. withdrew an offer to donate one of its damaged buildings that would have housed new police headquarters, city officials said yesterday."

I really hope this isn't true.

Full article:
Angry BellSouth Withdrew Donation, New Orleans Says

Bad Bad Music

2005-12-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

I don't usually like to bring attention to horrible music, but I was going through the new releases on the iTunes store and found this. It is pure comedy to read the reviews.

iTunes Link ( iTunes must be installed to view this)

The New World

2005-12-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

No, I haven't fallen of the face of the Earth. I am here...

A name: Terrence Malick. Doesn't mean anything to you? Well it should.

The director has a new film about to be released, and I tell you, I've been waiting for it. Mainly shot on 65mm film (when was the last film shot on 65mm?), the movie is about the beginnings of America...and folklore and legend.

The New World

The Official Site

Isn't this year turning out to be a good year for film?

Wax On, Wax Off

2005-11-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. Pat Morita

American Edit

2005-11-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of Green Day, but this mash-up of Green Day's newest album American Idiot is one of the best mash-ups I've heard.

~~Discover it for yourself.~~
All the mixes are good and mix various music styles and genres in easily downloadable MP3 files.

Sorry, the site has been taken down.

Prominent Physics Professor Refutes “Official” 9/11 Story

2005-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

Steven E. Jones, Professor of Physics at Brigham Young University revealed that through empirical research he has come to discover that the World Trade Center towers could not have possibly collapsed due to the impact of the jets that hit the buildings on September 11th.

For Jones, the real problem with the official line on 9/11 is that it relies on wrong-headed science that starts with a conclusion and seeks out evidence that supports that theory to the exclusion of all others in order to cover up what really happened on September 11th. FEMA, the 9/11 Commission, and even the National Institute of Standards and Technology had all started with the supposition that what caused the WTC collapses was the impact of the jets and their exploding fuel and ignored any and all evidence to the contrary even though their findings were “highly unlikely.”

Link to the full article.

In this world we live, it's hard to find the the truth.
And I think in this case, the government and media are lying.

All Hallow's Eve

2005-10-31T20:58:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking that we are on our way to losing ourselves. Most people only think of Halloween as a time to go out and get as much candy as possible and for corporations to exploit that by selling as much candy as possible.
Tonight, I saw fat kids without costumes making their way to doors to celebrate. And I'm sure the majority of them and their parents know nothing of the history of All Hallow's Eve.

Please feel free to read this entry at Wikipedia to further your understanding of the absurdity of things we have been taught.
History and Folklore of Halloween

Falsifying Documents, eh?

2005-10-31T14:52:00.000-08:00

A new article posted today documents interesting information about the Vietnam War - maybe not necessarily new information, but it is finally being released - officially.

Thru

View news here.

Anand Tucker's Favourite L.A. Things...

2005-10-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

Anand Tucker, director of Shopgirl and other films, from the U.K., shares with us some of his favourite L.A. things...

Visit here to see his list.

Quite an interesting list.

Empire's 50 Greatest Independent Films

2005-10-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

Empire, "The World's Best Movie Magazine," (a UK magazine) has compiled a list of what they believe to be the best independent films (I guess up until now).

Take a look:

Empire Magazine

Can you imagine...

2005-10-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Mr. Spock as an Ice Skater?

Mr. Spock would say "highly illogical".

I actually did this edit in Photoshop using photos culled from the internet.
I added the Vulcan hand sign for even more fun!
(Click the photo for a larger view)

Here are the originals:
Spock's Hand
Spock's Face
Ice Skater

bye bye bronco

2005-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

ok the time has come for me to sell the beast, a.k.a. the bronco. yes its time for it to go. ive had fun with it though its driven over and thru anything ive ever pointed it at. however its just too big and impractical for now... i still want something with four wheel drive capabilities and agressive tires so im looking to buy a 2nd generation toyota 4runner the one shown here is essentially what i want

Prank Call with Napoleon Dynamite

2005-10-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a prank call using sound bites from the movie Napoleon Dynamite...
Napoleon Dynamite Prank Call (mp3)

And here is a link of the soundbites so you can create your own...
Napoleon Dynamite Soundboard (requires Macromedia Flash Player to view)

Trapped in the Cupboard

2005-10-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, MadTV did a parody of R. Kelly's 'Trapped in the Closet.' This version is called 'Trapped in the Cupboard' and you can view the first part here:

Trapped in the Cupboard

There were other parts as well, all just great!

And also here's a 'Cliffnotes' style document on 'Trapped in the Closet.'

Blingy Rotating Dubs?

2005-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Can anyone tell me why would you put those wheels on your car that spin after you stop?
I saw a Hyundai with those and I just about puked. A Hyundai?

If anyone can tell me why the rotating wheels are so cool please email me at:
dubs@aleksvolt.com

Taco Bell Built on an Ancient Mayan Temple

2005-10-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, not actually, but a convincing Photoshop.
This and other "corporatization" Photoshop'ed photos at Worth1000.com

Click here to view the other "Corporate Takeover" photos.
(Warning: This page is image heavy, so dial-up users beware.)

Test Your Skills! Find the Boeing 757!

2005-10-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Click to view the 'Hunt the Boeing' website, a sight about the 9/11 Pentagon attack and Flight 77.

In all fairness, here is another website from About.com that tries to debunk the 'Hunt the Boeing' allegations. It does not seem to matter though. Their own poll shows:

The About.com site claims that the 'Hunt' site has no proof at all or very weak claims. In all reality, the About.com site also has very weak arguements. I'm very rational and level-headed, but I still have to question what happened that day. There are very disturbing questions brought up, and they should be answered. It seems too many people are complacent and are not willing to research things for themselves (in a sense brain-washed).

I say, read all evidence - from both sides - study it - and come to your own conclusions. As you study deeper - more questions will be raised - and then you really will begin to question the official account of 9/11.

iPod Video is Heeerre!!!

2005-10-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today Apple announced the iPod with video capabilities along with iTunes 6 where you can buy videos for $1.99 each. There is a cable you can use to connect to your television so you don't have to watch the small screen. The problem I see is that the resolution of the videos are 320x240, half of a DVDs resolution. So I'm curious to see if it really looks that good on a TV.
The other problem I see is that you can't burn a DVD of the video to watch in a DVD player. But it's not really that big of a deal to me, as I don't use iTunes to burn CDs of music. When I listen to music in the car or at work, I only listen to my iPod.

Currently, Apple has about 2000 music videos and 5 TV shows from ABC and Disney that you can purchase.

The future of digital video is here and I can't wait to see what the future holds for HD.

www.apple.com

P.S. Apple also released a new iMac G5 today.

Truth

2005-10-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell

Click here for other George Orwell quotes.

Google Maps and Taiwan

2005-10-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Taiwan and Google have gotten into a little spat in regards to how Google classifies the island. The history between China and Taiwan is too long to really get into - and I will not comment on it here.

To my knowledge the issue is two sided - only two different opinions - (1) Taiwan is part of China, or (2) Taiwan is a separate country. If people are interested I will give background information, but in the meantime here is the news over at webpronews:

Google and Taiwan

and

BBC

Andy Rooney on the Iraq War

2005-10-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

I thought this was interesting coming from Andy Rooney...

"I'm not really clear how much a billion dollars is but the United States — our United States — is spending $5.6 billion a month fighting this war in Iraq that we never should have gotten into.

We still have 139,000 soldiers in Iraq today.

Almost 2,000 Americans have died there. For what?"

Click here for the full article. (From cbsnews.com)

Chewbacca on Drums

2005-10-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't know Wookies played drums.
I can die happy knowing that I've seen it all.

Link at starwars.com

E = mc² turns 100 this year

2005-10-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

DURING the summer of 1905, while fulfilling his duties in the patent office in Bern, Switzerland, Albert Einstein was fiddling with a tantalizing outcome of the special theory of relativity he'd published in June. His new insight, at once simple and startling, led him to wonder whether "the Lord might be laughing ... and leading me around by the nose."

But by September, confident in the result, Einstein wrote a three-page supplement to the June paper, publishing perhaps the most profound afterthought in the history of science. A hundred years ago this month, the final equation of his short article gave the world E = mc².

In the century since, E = mc² has become the most recognized icon of the modern scientific era. Yet for all its symbolic worth, the equation's intimate presence in everyday life goes largely unnoticed. There is nothing you can do, not a move you can make, not a thought you can have, that doesn't tap directly into E = mc². Einstein's equation is constantly at work, providing an unseen hand that shapes the world into its familiar form. It's an equation that tells of matter, energy and a remarkable bridge between them.

Read the entire article here (from The New York Times)...

That Famous Equation and You by Brian Greene

Armed Dolphins Said Set Loose in Gulf by Katrina

2005-09-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

In this topsy-turvy world we live in now, I'm not the least surprised that our government has trained dolphins to shoot terrorists with a toxic dart gun. I know dolphins are smart, but I'm not sure if they can tell the difference between a regular person in a wetsuit and a terrorist in a wetsuit. The dolphins should be trained to kill the oil-makers that price gouge.*

Heres the link if you're interested...

Armed Dolphins Said Set Loose in Gulf by Katrina

* Disclaimer
I do not condone any killing, committed by dolphins or any other animals (including humans).

Morning Becomes Eclectic

2005-09-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic has seen some great music recently. The guestlist has included Sigur Rós, Rob Dickinson (formely of the Catherine Wheel), and the Like, among others.

Check out the recent programs here.

If you have iTunes, you can download selected podcasts at this link.

Star Wars = Sell Out ?

2005-09-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

(Click the picture above for the full-size version.)

I really like Star Wars (or should it be liked Star Wars).

After receiving this ad from starwars.com I was really sickened.

This really seems to cheapen the idea of Star Wars.

ROKR

2005-09-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

So I think this phone looks pretty cool. Its the all new Motorola ROKR E1, the phone is Itunes compatible and actually holds up to 100 songs. Plus it has a built in camera with still and video capture. I may eventually even buy one who knows.

It's finally here - Canon's XL H1

2005-09-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sooner or later, it was going to happen - Canon's own HDV camera - and here it is.

Check it out - the Canon XL H1, which looks like it will be available in December.

Happy Moon Festival!

2005-09-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today (yesterday in China) marks the Moon Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival as it is also called.

Traditionally a time of family gathering, the festival dates back to at least 3,000 years. A time of being with family, and eating the traditional food - moon cakes. I'm not really sure how to describe moon cakes, maybe a type of pastry, with different kinds of filling, from red beans to meats to fruits and more.

If you are interested, here are some informmative links:

Mid-Autumn Festival (Wikipedia)

Moon Festival in China

The Moon Festival: ChinaVista

The Harvest Moon Festival

About.com: Moon Festival

Im here.

2005-09-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

yep thats right Im here for my first post. All I have to say is " Im gonna break into your house and grind my feet on your couch, cause Im Rick James!!!!

G.B. Doesn't Care About Black People

2005-09-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while driving, I was listening to KCRW (the program Day to Day) and happened to hear a discussion about the things Bush should say for his speech that night. The main topic was how race played a role in the response to Hurricane Katrina, and things Bush could say to smooth relations, especially among African-Americans. One point of focus was the rap group The Legendary K.O.

A snippet was played from their song George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People, and I believe the lyrics spoke truth to what so many others are still feeling. Yes, it's unabashed and unadorned and extremely critical of the Bush administration, but is it not time for a wake up call and a better understanding of conditions in our society?

The song in .mp3 format.
*Warning: strong language. Listener discretion advised.*

The original stream from NPR.

Snowflakes

2005-09-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

I know it's not winter yet, but I love these photos.
I've always had something for symmetry.

www.snowcrystals.com

iPod nano

2005-09-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, you know I am a huge Apple computer fan.
And I really love this new iPod. It is a work of art and it is simple to operate (I know because I have a 20 GB iPod).
I've used a Creative Zen and it was clunky and the controls were terrible.

Here are a couple good reads about the iPod nano...

David Pogue: IPod's Law: The Impossible Is Possible

Technical review from ars technica

Linguistic term of the day

2005-09-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

gemination (root: ‘geminus;’ Latin, ‘twin’)

Gemination, in phonetic terms, is the doubling of consonants, hence ‘geminating,’ or making ‘twin.’ Arabic and Italian are well known for their geminated consonants, and there are other languages where this occurs. In many cases, a gemination of a consonant changes the meaning of a word altogether.

Example:

note (Italian): ‘musical note’ or a written ‘note’
notte (Italian): ‘night’

Gemination does occur in English, but is probably unrecognizable to the normal native speaker’s ear. Occurrences in English are usually spread over regional areas, and happen in certain dialects. It’s very possible speakers of British English (RP: Received Pronunciation), will geminate the ‘t’ in words like ‘matter,’ (though it doesn’t affect the meaning) whereas speakers of American English would pronounce the double tt sound with a tapped r (sounds like a ‘d’ phonetically, which is altogether another linguistic subject).

Arguments ensue among linguists as to whether gemination actually occurs in English. So the question is, do you geminate? How do you pronounce ‘roommate’? Can you clearly recognize two ‘m’ sounds?

U.N. World Summit

2005-09-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war.

Link (Close-Up)
Link (Wider Shot)

I can feel my heartbeat splashing on the back of my eyes

2005-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Isn't it fitting that my first post will be about my migraine headaches, as I am starting to get a tinge of one now. I had one last night due to the trigger of a low pressure storm front or pollen in the air.
Migraines make me feel like I want to die! I can't even stand the hum of a fluorescent light in the next room or the slightest sliver of light coming from behind a door.
I'll try to sleep this one off.