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A.I. - Spielberg Directs for Kubrick
A.I. Movie poster
AI - Artificial Intelligence - Haley Joel Osment portrays a "mech" (robot) child who forms a unique, unbreakable obsession (love?) for his human "mommie." Steven Spielberg directed this emotional sci-fi story. Stanley Kubrick co-produced the film, but died before shooting started. Heard a rumor Kubrick was slated to direct; not sure that's true. Surely, it would have been a different story with Kubrick at the helm.
Frances O'Connor plays Osment's "mommie." It's a terribly emotional role. Programming a machine to "love" a human is one thing. But will the human love the machine? What happens if the human can't?
These are the questions posed in this film. I was quite stirred up by the end. Is love between a human and machine possible? Is hate? Are we prepared for such relationships?
MythBusters Show Lost Experiments - Kari Byron Bonus
MythBuster Kari Byron
I absolutely LOVE the Discovery Channel's MythBusters show. I get such vicarious pleasure out of watching Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman abuse each other (and their staff) in figuring out inventive ways to test both well-known and "lost" myths. Speaking of lost myths, Discovery Channel has released some clips of MythBuster's Lost Experiments.
Here's a summary of each experiment or clip, which should help you decide which clips are worth watching...
What Love Means - Kids Explain The Mystery
My wonderful sister-in-law shared this. It gave me a big smile, especially at the end to be reminded of the USC "Professor of Love," Leo Buscaglia, who died a few years ago. I'm sure he would have "loved" this...
Ron Mueck Sculptures
Ron Mueck's sculptures faithfully reproduce the minute detail of the human body, but play with scale to produce disconcertingly jarring visual images.
~ From Ron Mueck Wikipedia entry
Ron Mueck is an Australian hyperrealist sculptor whose work with the human body and all its flaws is absolutely mesmerizing. If you've seen Mueck's work, experienced it, you'll never forget it. It's not that the sculptures are beautiful or of beautiful subjects; most of the subjects are fairly ordinary or even ugly. But it's the realism, the play with scale both large and small, and the nudity that demands your attention.
Joaquin Phoenix Interview on Shootout - Peter Guber and Peter Bart
Heard a fascinating interview with Joaquin Phoenix on AMC's Sunday Morning Shootout with Peter Guber and Peter Bart. Phoenix was there with director James Mangold promoting their movie Walk the Line. I heard somewhere that Phoenix had been odd and uncooperative in his interviews. However, in this one he was great, giving sensible, insightful answers.
Here are some highlights.
NOTE: Just heard that Phoenix has decided to quit his acting career...to pursue his music career?
Heaven is Where the Police are British...
Heaven is where the police are British,
the chefs Italian,
the mechanics German,
the lovers French,
and it's all organized by the Swiss.
Hell is where the police are German,
the chefs are British,
the mechanics French,
the lovers Swiss,
and it is all organized by the Italians.
How to Kill Skyrim Giants (and Mammoths)
I discovered this method to kill Giants fairly easily, even if you're a low level character.
Kinoki - Detox Foot Pads
Kinoki Detox Foot Pads - What a bizzare idea...foot pads to remove toxins from inside your body.
A more plausible product would be detox anal pads.
I don't see how the Kinoki Detox Foot Pads could possibly work. But for $19.95 plus shipping, I can get all the pads I want FOR LIFE!
Yes! All I have to do is pay $9.95 shipping and handling for each additional set of pads. $10 bucks for S&H. Amazing Randi fans was not convinced by claims about Kinoki Detox Foot Pads. One reader had this explanation of how the pads "work".
I wonder how long this company will last. Below are some detox foot pads offered via Amazon that are cheaper.
Beer Turns Men into Women - Study Finds
"Yesterday, scientists for Health Canada suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption, considering the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer. The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women. To test the finding 100 men were fed 6 pints of beer each. It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn't drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, and refused to apologize when wrong. No further testing is planned."
Pride and Prejudice - 2005 Version Review
I'm an unusual man, at least in one sense: I love movies adapted from Jane Austen novels.
Note, I've never actually read a Jane Austen novel.
I just like the movies...Well, most of them.
Woman at St. Peters Square - by Michael Ging
Woman St. Peters Rome - Michael Ging - The more I looked at this photo of a woman in St. Peters, Rome, the more moved I felt. Michael Ging has created quite a stunning effect. Reminds me of photos by W. Eugene Smith. Had to share it here:
Post Heart Attack, Late Use Of Stents May Not Help
Angioplasty & Stents Post Heart Attack - This was a little unexpected. Study indicates that using angioplasty or inserting stents more than 25 hours after a heart attack does NOT increase survival rates.
Where's the logic in that?
This article doesn't attempt to explain--in fact, doctors are perplexed by the result--but the piece is still worth reading.
Low-Carb Diet Plan - Gary Taubes
Low-Carb Diet Plan - Found this list in Gary Taubes' book Good Calories, Bad Calories to be about right. He culled it from Herman Taller and and Robert Atkins. More-or-less how I am eating. I'm basically avoiding any processed foods and oils, though I do eat Leo Galland's Omega Blast Granola in the morning. In fact, I really love many of the recipes from Leo Galland's Fat Resistance Diet.
Drug-eluting Stents Reduce Collateral Blood Vessel Growth
Drug-eluting Stents Reduce Collateral Vessel Growth - New study indicates that drug-eluting stents may obstruct the heart's natural ability to form small collateral blood vessels - nature's bypass mechanism. For patients with coronary artery blockages, these vessels normally help supply blood to areas starved by artery blockages. The drug-eluting stents appear to hinder this natural, healing process.
Fritjof Capra's Management Lessons
Lesson #1
A living social system is a self-generating network of communications. The aliveness of an organization resides in its informal networks, or communities of practice. Bringing life into human organizations means empowering their communities of practice.
Lesson #2
You can never direct a social system; you can only disturb it. A living network chooses which disturbances to notice and how to respond. A message will get through to people in a community of practice when it is meaningful to them.
Lesson #3
The creativity and adaptability of life expresses itself through the spontaneous emergence of novelty at critical points of instability. Every human organization contains both designed and emergent structures. The challenge is to find the right balance between the creativity of emergence and the stability of design.
Lesson #4
In addition to holding a clear vision, leadership involves facilitating the emergence of novelty by building and nurturing networks of communications; creating a learning culture in which questioning is encouraged and innovation is rewarded; creating a climate of trust and mutual support; and recognizing viable novelty when it emerges, while allowing the freedom to make mistakes.
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Wrist Computer From 1984
Seiko's 1984 wristwatch computer for very early adopters
12 Surprising Ways to Improve Gas Mileage
There are lots of web pages offering advice on improving automobile gas mileage. The government's gas mileage tips are perhaps the most complete. Edmunds offers it's own ten tips for improving fuel economy. And Doris Dobkins' top ten list to better mileage is good.
In reviewing these sources, I found a number of surprising or out-of-the ordinary ways for improving car gas mileage. I compiled them into this list, which I hope will help you improve your car's fuel economy.
Ways to Hedge Against Fall of U.S. Dollar
Ways to Hedge against Falling U.S. Dollar - If all your money and investments are in U.S. dollars, the falling value of the U.S. dollar is a huge concern. After record stock market and real estate market declines, the next big theft of your money will be devaluing of the U.S. dollar--in simpler terms, inflation. Your dollar simply won't buy as much as it did before if the value of the U.S dollar continues to fall. Some consider this the most insidious of taxes.
So you need insurance, currency insurance. You need some way to hedge against the falling U.S. dollar. Below are some options suggested in Several ways to hedge against falling dollar by Kathleen Pender.
30 Funny Statements Heard in Court
Funny Words in Court - From a little book called Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History. Here are about 30 things people actually said in court, word for word.
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