Jan
24
Editoral: SOPA and PIPA and the Internet
SOPA/PIPA highlights, to me, a deeper philosophical question that has never been fully resolved: What purpose should the internet serve? Continue reading
Jan
06
Snowy owl sightings up in US
Ornithologists are reporting a sharp increase this year in the number of sightings of snowy owls. The owls, who can be up to two feet tall with wingspans up to five feet, normally reside in the Arctic with only a few making their way south into the US. This year, however, the number of sightings has been significantly higher than in past years. Over thirty have been spotted at Lake Andes, South Dakota, since December. Additional sightings have been seen in Chicago, Boston, and even one in Hawaii.
Read more below the cut…
Jan
05
Steampunk-themed house
As I was working my way through Wired today, I happened upon this article in the “Underwire” blog. I confess that I’m not much of a steampunk fan (my schtick is more modern/futuristic science-fiction), but I do enjoy the webcomic “Girl Genius” and enjoyed reading Jules Verne when I was younger. Looking at the house and being a homeowner myself, I had to marvel at the work that this gentleman put into it.
Read more after the cut…
Jan
05
Prepare for the “leap second”!
You’ve heard of the “leap year”, but today members of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Services (IERS) announced that a leap second would be introduced at 23:59:59 on June 30, 2012. Thus, for the purposes of all atomic clocks (which IERS regulates), there will be 23:59:60 followed by 00:00:00. Since the Earth’s rotation is hardly precise (and yes, the earth does wobble on it’s axis), a leap second is necessary every few years to ensure that all clocks remain in sync.
Read more beyond the cut…
Jan
03
Movie sword-fight master passes away
Bob Anderson passed away on Sunday at the age of 89. Few will know his name but his fingerprints were all over Hollywood and many movies. He was a swordmaster, fight director, and stunt performer for over fifty years within Hollywood. He did appear on the screen; donning the garb of Darth Vader he performed the lightsaber duels for Vader’s role in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”.
More beyond the cut.
Jan
03
What I’m Reading
Having finished “A Fiery Peace in a Cold War” and “Out of the Dark”, I’ve started to move on to a fairly recently-released piece of urban fantasy/fiction.
Read on after the cut.
Jan
02
Bandai bows out
Bandai Entertainment has announced today that, effective next month, they will no longer release new DVDs, BDs, or manga. This will result in the layoff of a majority of their contractors and staff and has resulted in the cancellation of several slated releases for the future months. ANN is going to be publishing an interview on Tuesday with Bandai’s President and CEO and I expect more details will become available at that time.
Reaction past the cut.
Continue reading
Jan
01
2012 Blog resolutions
The New Year is upon us now. 2012 has officially begun across the world. While there was no 11:59 PM/12:01 AM post here, I can promise you that I wished everyone a happy and safe New Year. I would go … Continue reading
Jan
01
Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The final movie I watched for 2011 was about the future. It was a future filled with obstacles that are overcome by an individual. A future in which this particular individual leads others like him away from those who would destroy him. A future in which mankind is doomed by it’s own science and the unintended consequences that happen when we are forced to make a difficult choice between our logic and our emotions.
A future in which the apes rise. Continue reading
Dec
30
Inside SRI – A Look at the Future (Pt. 1)
In the past four years I have become something of an Apple enthusiast. A lot of it has to do with seeing their technology and the ways in which it has changed the world. I own an iPad and an … Continue reading