Actually, I'd Prefer to be Maced Instead Of Being Forced to Watch "Catwoman"

These idiots deserved to be maced and arrested. I'm a great fan of cell phones, but they should be off or on vibrate in theaters and restaurants - virtually anywhere where the public expects quiet and no interruptions.

Southpinellas: Police: Belligerence led to couple's arrest

On the other hand, a good tazering might be more satisfying for the audience.

So Cool

Let's all go the Phantasmagoria! Early Visual Media

A Modest Proposal: The Media License

I've been kicking around a proposal for years. Unfortunately, I'm only a voice in the wilderness with no one in a position to make it happen listen to me.

This blog post at Home Theater Watch reminded me of it: Home Theater Watch: DVD producers lament shortened windows

Here's what I recommend that will put untold riches in the studio's hands while treating the consumer fairly AND taking into account changing technology. The media license.

Here's how it would work: I go to a movie and pay not just for a ticket, but to license the content - it's no longer an anonymous transaction, but an agreement. I could, like the blog suggests, buy the DVD on in the lobby on the way out, but in my scenerio, I already have a license to the content, so I'd only need to pay a small media charge for the DVD.

If new editions or new formats come out, I could pay the media charge and get them as well. I could not, however, resell my discs. I could show them in my home to friends as much as I want, but not lend them out. On the other hand, if the DVD format goes to HD-DVD and then to totally online, I wouldn't have to repurchase the content again and again.

Rogue Waves redux

Interesting post on rogue waves! I too wonder what the frequency is. My grandfather's grandfather was engineer (yes, a Scottish engineer) on a sound and well-maintained passenger ship with an experienced captain and crew sailing in familiar waters that foundered off Halifax, N.S., just after the turn of the 20th century. I still have copies of clippings and a copy of a long letter of condolence his widow received from their pastor.

My ancestor was the hero of the occasion, going below himself to try to keep the ship afloat long enough to get the passengers and crew off in the lifeboats. He went down with the ship, knowing when he went below that it meant he was doomed. I think this makes him a great man, but I'm not sure how much comfort that idea was to his widow on that occasion.

Yes, some people were killed in the tragedy -- stormy seas, difficulty getting boats and the people in them to other ships and to shore -- but not because anyone got stranded aboard the ship, except for my ancestor (and, I believe, the captain of the ship).

I don't know if a rogue wave was involved or not. And we'll never know, will we? But it gives one furiously to think.

Someone at JPL has a sense of humor

Of course, you'd have to be a geek like me to get it.

Cassini-Huygens-Multimedia-Images

Stop It. Just Stop It.

I'm so tire of it all. Yet it's important that we flush these guys out and get it right.

What's wrong with our political system? Money. People who want it and people who what to keep it (and get LOTS more). All of the rhetoric, the playing to religious camps and social ideals is so cynical it make the bile rise in my throat (and I had my gall bladder out last year, so that's no easy task).

Thank god for people like Bill Moyers who do really understand this issue.

Democracy in the Balance, Sojourners Magazine/August 2004 "And what is driving this shift? Contrary to what you learned in civics class in high school, it is not the so-called 'democratic debate.' That is merely a cynical charade behind which the real business goes on - the none-too-scrupulous business of getting and keeping power so that you can divide up the spoils. If you want to know what's changing America, follow the money."

Physical Theories as Women

Telling stories like this was probably why I didn't date in High School.

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Physical Theories as Women

Two Large Ships Sink Every Week

Why is this fact buried inside a science article on rogue waves?

MSNBC - Satellites used to explain monster waves"'Two large ships sink every week on average, but the cause is never studied to the same detail as an air crash,' says Wolfgang Rosenthal of the GKSS Forschungszentrum GmbH research center in Germany. 'It simply gets put down to bad weather.'"

It's pretty startling, wouldn't you say? And if in 2004 it's 2 per week, what has it been in years past? Just how littered is the floor of the oceans?

Looks like we finally have some competition

Especially that I have trouble walking upright, at times.

CBC News: Monkey hits stride after near-death experience

A Quiet Night At Sweeny's

"There you go, Billy!" Mr. Jenson placed the tall root beer float in
front of the small boy at the counter. "Enjoy yourself!"

Jenson wiped his hands on a towel, then pressed his left hand against
his back, grimacing.

"Did you get injured in the war, Mr. Jenson?" Billy had abandoned the
straw and was spooning ice cream and soda into his mouth as quickly as
he could manage.

"No, Billy, I wasn't in the service."

"Well, what did you do?" His voice thick with cold.

Jenson smiled. It was a tight, thin smile, one masking the pain in
his back, or perhaps disgust. "I worked in an office, Billy."

"Really? I thought you always worked here at Sweeny's." He scooped
more of the float. "I don't know any people that work in offices."

"Not many do any more. Not many do."

"My family are all farmers. 'sept Ma, cause she teaches school."

Jenson started to speak, but then shook his head and walked to the
other end of the counter and began refilling the jar of hard candies.
But the task only took a moment and he straightened again, pressed his
back and faced the circulating fan. He tugged at his collar and tie,
then wiped the sweat from his brow with his pocket handkerchief.

But Billy remained in a talkative mood. "What'd ja do in that office,
Mr. Jenson?"

Jenson swallowed hard, then surprised at the welling of emotion,
covered his mouth.

"Wait! I bet you you was one of those 'puter guys! Was you one of
those guys, Mr. Jenson?"

Jenson poured himself a glass of water from the tap and drank half
before turning to the boy. "Yes, I worked on computers, Billy.
Computers and the internet."

"Wow! Mom says that computers was like radio with pictures. And you
could look up stuff like I do out of the Comptons!"

Jenson nodded briefly. "That's right. Just like that. But then they
turned if off and here I am, jerking soda's and staying in Sweeny's
good graces. So drink up your soda and head on home. You Mom will be
in here looking after you."

"Could you tell me more about the internet, Mr. Jenson? Nobody ever
tells me about nothing but keep'n my chores done and watch'n out to
make sure the neighbors aren't do'n nothing bad, neither."

Jenson pulled the not quite empty glass away from the boy.

"Hey, I wasn't done!"

"Go on home, Billy. And don't be asking me about things that happened
long before you was born. There are reasons folks don't talk about it
and I ain't the one to ask."

"But . . ."

Jenson came around the counter and lifted Billy off the stool and
walked him to the door. It wasn't any cooler outside, but it was just
getting dark enough to notice the gas street lights glowing brighter.

"'night, Mr. Jenson." Billy muttered as he turned right and scuffled
down the quiet street.

"Good night, Billy." Jenson sighed. He went inside and turned the
lock on the door. Looking across the street he could see Ray Farnum
staring out of the window of his hardware store at him. Jenson waved
without receiving recognition, then turned down the lights and made his
way back to his cot in the storeroom.

He groaned aloud as he eased off his shoes and laid upon the cot.
"Just turned it off. Damn me if they didn't do just that."

Here's Your New Reading List

When I create my list of banned books, it will be to list all the horrible crap I've endured. But you won't be forbidden, only warned.

These folks, on the other hand, are performing a great public service. The Forbidden Library: Banned and Challenged Books

See, I Don't Have That Much Time On My Hands

If I did, I could have done something like this: Lego Spider-Man Movie

Where You'll Find The Links

Or at least for today.

Bloglines | Clip Blog

Edwards for VP - The Anti-Cheney

This weekend we saw some pretty savvy media usage by the Kerry campaign stirring up interest in his VP selection. And they were also smart not to let it go on too long.

So it's John Edwards. Good looking young guy. Southerner. Not much experience. OK selection on merits, but excellent counterpoint to the rabid attack dog Dick Cheney. Yes, the current VP is the mastermind pulling the strings behind "Empty Suit" Bush - and an apparently evil genius, robot heart and all. Beyond that, he seems to be a completely unpleasant, if not downright repellent person - not someone you'd want as a next door neighbor (hey you kids, get off my lawn!).

Edwards has an easy smile and is strong at staying positive - get him out their on the trail NOW - counter every attach by Cheney with sunshine and light. It's not too late to turn away from the dark side.

Cassini-Huygens with the Flaven, Nice Lady . . .

This is just fascinating, remarkable stuff. And one more reason that I hope the new civilian efforts to get into space work out. There's so much fascinating stuff out there to see.

Why go to space? Money, Bub. The kind of wealth that will make Bill Gates look like a minimum wage burger flipper. Power beyond your wildest dreams. We used to call Europe "the old world" and think all the opportunity lay in the new one. Well it's all old now.

Let's blow this pop stand and see what's going is the big outside.

NASA - Entering Saturn's Magnetosphere with a Boom

Back From Vacation

Yes, happy readers, I'm back from our yearly vacation on the distant reaches of Cape Hatteras. Good times.

I'll also point out the nifty new archive menu, courtesy of the helpful folks at Blogger: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=879.

In Alternate Universe I'm Still Bald

But I'm much thinner.

Today In Alternate History

Backup Your Blog

I am a world class procrastinator, but I eventually get around to taking care of business. It took the closing of weblogs.com for me to get off my butt and backup this online journal (still not comfortable with telling people to "check out my blog").

I'm also starting a new policy of using Blogger's email function to email me each post, which I'll use a handy mail rule to sort into an automatic backup.

Wired News: Thousands of Blogs Fall Silent

I listened to Dave Winer's audio comments and I understand that he is ill and under no obligation to continue. It's too bad he didn't make the decision sooner and allow people to backup their work. But frankly, it's not his fault. They were responsible for their own work as I am for mine. As George Carlin's classic routine tells us "This is your two minute warning. Get your shit together."

I Find This Stuff Because I'm Not A Snob

OK, I am a snob, but I have a very wide interest area.

I love working with would-be writers - from college-age to post-retirement-age individuals who dearly and deeply want to become writers - and their most frequently asked question might be paraphrased as - "What's the one thing I need above all others to become a writer?" They're often surprised when I answer (as John Gardner did in his wonderful ON BECOMING A NOVELIST), "The perspective that only a serious education can give you."

I have an advanced degree, but the serious parts of my education have been self directed. But that wouldn't have been possible without the formal part.

You'll only find Mr. Simmons if you poke around the ghettos of literature. But go looking for him. "Ilium" is a treat.