[scifinoir2] Pink Slips and movie cuts Rain at Disney

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

  The long-expected axe fell at the Walt Disney Co. Tuesday, with 
roughly 650 employees -- or about one in five employees -- receiving 
pink slips, half in domestic operations, half overseas. Among those 
caught in the purge was Nina Jacobson, president of Buena Vista Motion 
Picture Group, the studio's top decision maker for live-action films. 
She will be replaced by Oren Aviv, who, as part of a company-wide 
reorganization, has been named president of production of Walt Disney 
Pictures. The firing of Jacobson stunned Hollywood, coming as it does 
just months after her contract with the studio was extended three more 
years and slightly more than a week after Disney's Pirates of the 
Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest became the biggest hit of the year. Several 
reports mentioned that it also came on the same day that her partner 
gave birth to their third child. L.A. Weekly's Nikki Finke reported 
Tuesday that Jacobson had called Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook 
to share the news and was told in the same conversation that she had 
been fired. Commented Finke: "Not since Dawn Steel learned she was 
ousted as president of production while on maternity leave from 
Paramount has a top woman movie executive found out this brutally she'd 
been axed in Hollywood." Today's (Wednesday) Los Angeles Times reported 
that Cook offered her a production deal at the studio. However, Jacobson 
told the newspaper that she had declined, saying "I would rather start 
fresh with something new. ... I feel very sad to be leaving a job that I 
have loved." She added that she had always tried "to treat the job as a 
privilege, not an entitlement."

Disney Cutting Not Only Jobs But Films, Too
The Walt Disney Co. also confirmed Monday that it would be slashing film 
production to 10 films per year, focusing on family films and released 
under the Walt Disney studio banner, and two or three under its 
Touchstone banner. The studio has been averaging around 18 films per 
year. Its Pixar and Miramax units will not be affected by the shake-up, 
the company indicated. Oren Aviv, who has held the title of chief 
creative officer, will oversee live-action development and production. 
Wall Street reacted favorable to the shake-up. Since news reports first 
began leaking word of the impending shakeup, shares in the company have 
inched up daily, unretarded by downgrades by a couple of key analysts. 
In early-morning trading on the NYSE, the stock was up about 1 percent. 
It has risen nearly 5 percent since Monday.
http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-07-19/


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[scifinoir2] Brainy Robots Start Stepping Into Daily Life

[brent wodehouse]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/technology/18brain.html

Brainy Robots Start Stepping Into Daily Life

By JOHN MARKOFF

Published: July 18, 2006


Robot cars drive themselves across the desert, electronic eyes perform
lifeguard duty in swimming pools and virtual enemies with humanlike
behavior battle video game players.

These are some fruits of the research field known as artificial
intelligence, where reality is finally catching up to the science-fiction
hype. A half-century after the term was coined, both scientists and
engineers say they are making rapid progress in simulating the human
brain, and their work is finding its way into a new wave of real-world
products.

The advances can also be seen in the emergence of bold new projects
intended to create more ambitious machines that can improve safety and
security, entertain and inform, or just handle everyday tasks. At Stanford
University, for instance, computer scientists are developing a robot that
can use a hammer and a screwdriver to assemble an Ikea bookcase (a project
beyond the reach of many humans) as well as tidy up after a party, load a
dishwasher or take out the trash.

One pioneer in the field is building an electronic butler that could hold
a conversation with its master - á la HAL in the movie "2001: A Space
Odyssey" - or order more pet food.

Though most of the truly futuristic projects are probably years from the
commercial market, scientists say that after a lull, artificial
intelligence has rapidly grown far more sophisticated. Today some
scientists are beginning to use the term cognitive computing, to
distinguish their research from an earlier generation of artificial
intelligence work. What sets the new researchers apart is a wealth of new
biological data on how the human brain functions.

"There's definitely been a palpable upswing in methods, competence and
boldness," said Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft researcher who is
president-elect of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence.
"At conferences you are hearing the phrase ‘human-level A.I.,' and people
are saying that without blushing."

Cognitive computing is still more of a research discipline than an
industry that can be measured in revenue or profits. It is pursued in
various pockets of academia and the business world. And despite some of
the more startling achievements, improvements in the field are measured
largely in increments: voice recognition systems with decreasing failure
rates, or computerized cameras that can recognize more faces and objects
than before.

Still, there have been rapid innovations in many areas: voice control
systems are now standard features in midpriced automobiles, and advanced
artificial reason techniques are now routinely used in inexpensive video
games to make the characters' actions more lifelike.

A French company, Poseidon Technologies, sells underwater vision systems
for swimming pools that function as lifeguard assistants, issuing alerts
when people are drowning, and the system has saved lives in Europe.

Last October, a robot car designed by a team of Stanford engineers covered
132 miles of desert road without human intervention to capture a $2
million prize offered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
part of the Pentagon. The feat was particularly striking because 18 months
earlier, during the first such competition, the best vehicle got no
farther than seven miles, becoming stuck after driving off a mountain road.

Now the Pentagon agency has upped the ante: Next year the robots will be
back on the road, this time in a simulated traffic setting. It is being
called the "urban challenge."

At Microsoft, researchers are working on the idea of "predestination."
They envision a software program that guesses where you are traveling
based on previous trips, and then offers information that might be useful
based on where the software thinks you are going.

Tellme Networks, a company in Mountain View, Calif., that provides voice
recognition services for both customer service and telephone directory
applications, is a good indicator of the progress that is being made in
relatively constrained situations, like looking up a phone number or
transferring a call.

Tellme supplies the system that automates directory information for
toll-free business listings. When the service was first introduced in
2001, it could correctly answer fewer than 37 percent of phone calls
without a human operator's help. As the system has been constantly
refined, the figure has now risen to 74 percent.

More striking advances are likely to come from new biological models of
the brain. Researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in
Lausanne, Switzerland, are building large-scale computer models to study
how the brain works; they have used an I.B.M. parallel supercomputer to
create the most detailed three-dimensional model to date of a column of
10,000 neurons in the neocortex.

"The goal of my lab in the past 10 to 12 years has been to 

[scifinoir2] US Post Office to Issue Superhero Stamps

[Keith Johnson]

I hadn't heard about this before. Interestingly, they're going with the
Golden and Silver Age characters. You oughta dig Supergirl's hairstyle!
http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=1015
2&storeId=10001&productId=22555&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=13401


Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman Go Postal 
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID 

WASHINGTON - Faster than a speeding bullet, comic book superheroes are
coming to a post office near you. Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman,
Supergirl and a half dozen other superheroes will star on new postage stamps
being released Thursday. The new 39-cent stamps and 24-cent postal cards
will be made public at a comic book show in San Diego, and will go on sale
nationwide Friday.

The stamps are sold in a sheet of 20, half featuring the individual
superheroes and half showing covers of comic books starring them. The Postal
Service reports this is its first set of super hero stamps, indicating more
are likely to follow.

Characters featured in the stamps are:

_Batman: Young Bruce Wayne mastered all forms of combat after his parents
were killed. He uses his wealth to equip himself with the tools to become
the great crime fighter. He made his debut in 1939 and was joined by Robin a
year later.

_Wonder Woman: A figure of strength, beauty and courage, she has been
inspiring women since her first appearance in 1941.

_Plastic Man: After an accident at a chemical plant gives Eel O'Brian the
ability to stretch and alter his shape, he renounces his criminal past and
becomes the longest arm of the law. He debuted in 1941.

_Superman: The Man of Steel first appeared in 1938 and has been an icon ever
since. Raised in Smallville, the baby from Planet Krypton uses superpowers
to battle evil.

_Green Lantern: Launched with the space age, test pilot Hal Jordan became
Green Lantern, a galactic peace officer with an emerald power ring.

_The Flash: Police scientist Barry Allen is transformed into the fastest man
alive in 1956 by an explosive mixture of lightning and laboratory chemicals.

_Aquaman: The former King of the Seven Seas remains is determined to protect
both the Atlanteans and surface dwellers from those who endanger them, using
his strength, speed and ability to communicate with marine life.

_Hawkman: He has artificial wings powered by the mysterious "Nth metal"
which allow him to soar through the sky in pursuit of evildoers. He is a
master of ancient weapons.

_Supergirl: Superman's cousin arrives on Earth as an impressionable teenager
and eventually becomes his secret weapon.

_Green Arrow: First appearing in 1941, the Emerald Archer learns his skills
while trapped on a desert island. He later escapes to become a modern Robin
Hood.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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RE: [scifinoir2] Re: "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi

[Keith Johnson]

It wasn't bad, though it was incredibly slow. I kept waiting for all the
clues and stuff to lead somewhere. I read as little as possible about the
show beforehand, in order to be surprised. So I honestly didn't know going
in if all the people were normal geniuses, super geniuses, aliens with
advanced tech,  or even super beings.   It was about forty minutes in before
it got interesting. The person who really made it good was Joe Morton, who
was funny as the mad scientist type. I hope he stays on the series.

  _  

From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of md_moore42
Sent: Wednesday, 19 July, 2006 09:20
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi



I don't know. I bailed after 45 minutes. It's a pity that the SciFi 
channel hasn't found the secret yet about producing humorous sf. I 
miss that old show where the sheriff was an agent of the devil. 
(can't recall the name).

--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED]  ups.com,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Great, I still have last week's Stargate premieres on tape, along 
with "Avatar", and now another new show pops up. This one 
is "Eureka", a Sci Fi original about a town of apparently superiour 
beings. It looks to be some good quirky fun, especially fitting for 
the summer. Long as it doesn't suck, I'll give it a try, if for no 
other reason than the fact that Salli Richardson-Whitfield is in the 
series, looking more fetching than ever! Whew!
> Oh, there's also going to be an extended trailer from season 3 
of "Battlestar Galactica" played sometime during Eureka's premiere.
> 
> About the series:
> 
> As World War II came to a close with mushroom clouds over Hiroshima 
and Nagasaki, the impact that science and technology would have on 
the continued security of our world became catastrophically apparent. 
America nearly lost the race to build the atomic bomb; it could not 
risk such a close call again.
> 
> With the help of Albert Einstein and other trusted advisors, 
President Harry S. Truman commissioned a top-secret residential 
development in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, one that would 
serve to protect and nurture America's most valuable intellectual 
resources. There our nation's greatest thinkers, the über-geniuses 
working on the next era of scientific achievement, would be able to 
live and work in a supportive environment. The best architects and 
planners were commissioned to design a welcoming place for these 
superlative geniuses to reside, an area that would offer the best 
education for their children, the best healthcare, the best amenities 
and quality of life. A community was created to rival the most 
idyllic of America's small towns — with one major difference: this 
town would never appear on any maps. At least, none that haven't been 
classified "eyes only" by the Pentagon.
> 
> Thus, the town of Eureka was born. But for all its familiar, small-
town trappings, things in this secret hamlet are anything but 
ordinary. The stereotype of the absent-minded professor exists for a 
reason, and most of the quantum leaps in science and technology 
during the past 50 years were produced by Eureka's elite researchers. 
Unfortunately, scientific exploration is rarely what one expects, and 
years of experiments gone awry have yielded some peculiar by-products.
> 
> From unrequited love to professional jealousy, from addiction to 
depression, the problems of Eureka's townsfolk stem from life's 
myriad of everyday challenges. But with the population's unique 
talents, troubled psyches and limitless resources, these small-town 
concerns have a way of becoming big-time problems. It is at that 
intersection, where human frailty and super-science collide, that 
Eureka begins…. 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>



 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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RE: [scifinoir2] Re: "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi

[Keith Johnson]

"American Gothic" is right. The actor was Gary Cole, who's also had starring
roles in "Midnight Caller", "Crusade" (the Babylon 5 spin-off), and most
recently, "Wanted" on TNT. He's always been a rather intense actor. I always
wandered why he didn't get some of the more successful cop show roles that
have gone to other intense actors like David Caruso or Dennis Franz.

  _  

From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Martin Pratt
Sent: Wednesday, 19 July, 2006 18:03
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi



I made it all the way through, wasn't too terribly offended. But I was more
in awe of the images than anything else. md, I think the show you're
thinking of is "American Gothic".

md_moore42 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]  com> wrote: I
don't know. I bailed after 45 minutes. It's a pity that the SciFi 
channel hasn't found the secret yet about producing humorous sf. I 
miss that old show where the sheriff was an agent of the devil. 
(can't recall the name).

--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED]  ups.com,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Great, I still have last week's Stargate premieres on tape, along 
with "Avatar", and now another new show pops up. This one 
is "Eureka", a Sci Fi original about a town of apparently superiour 
beings. It looks to be some good quirky fun, especially fitting for 
the summer. Long as it doesn't suck, I'll give it a try, if for no 
other reason than the fact that Salli Richardson-Whitfield is in the 
series, looking more fetching than ever! Whew!
> Oh, there's also going to be an extended trailer from season 3 
of "Battlestar Galactica" played sometime during Eureka's premiere.
> 
> About the series:
> 
> As World War II came to a close with mushroom clouds over Hiroshima 
and Nagasaki, the impact that science and technology would have on 
the continued security of our world became catastrophically apparent. 
America nearly lost the race to build the atomic bomb; it could not 
risk such a close call again.
> 
> With the help of Albert Einstein and other trusted advisors, 
President Harry S. Truman commissioned a top-secret residential 
development in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, one that would 
serve to protect and nurture America's most valuable intellectual 
resources. There our nation's greatest thinkers, the über-geniuses 
working on the next era of scientific achievement, would be able to 
live and work in a supportive environment. The best architects and 
planners were commissioned to design a welcoming place for these 
superlative geniuses to reside, an area that would offer the best 
education for their children, the best healthcare, the best amenities 
and quality of life. A community was created to rival the most 
idyllic of America's small towns — with one major difference: this 
town would never appear on any maps. At least, none that haven't been 
classified "eyes only" by the Pentagon.
> 
> Thus, the town of Eureka was born. But for all its familiar, small-
town trappings, things in this secret hamlet are anything but 
ordinary. The stereotype of the absent-minded professor exists for a 
reason, and most of the quantum leaps in science and technology 
during the past 50 years were produced by Eureka's elite researchers. 
Unfortunately, scientific exploration is rarely what one expects, and 
years of experiments gone awry have yielded some peculiar by-products.
> 
> From unrequited love to professional jealousy, from addiction to 
depression, the problems of Eureka's townsfolk stem from life's 
myriad of everyday challenges. But with the population's unique 
talents, troubled psyches and limitless resources, these small-town 
concerns have a way of becoming big-time problems. It is at that 
intersection, where human frailty and super-science collide, that 
Eureka begins…. 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

"Excuse me while I whip this out."
Cleavon Little , "Blazing Saddles"
__
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.  yahoo.com 

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Re: [scifinoir2] "Stormbreaker" film opens Mon Jul 17, 10:58 AM ET

[Martin Pratt]

Not a thing. Never heard of it.

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  Never heard of "Stormbreaker". At first I 
thought it was something from Michael Moorcock, but then realized I was 
thinking of Moorcock's book called "Stormbringer". Anyone know anything about 
"Stormbreaker"?

"Stormbreaker" film opens 
British movie "Stormbreaker," an adaptation of a successful teenage spy novel, 
gets its world premiere in London on Monday, kicking off what its backers hope 
will be a lucrative film franchise. Aiming to go where Harry Potter and James 
Bond have gone before, the film version of Anthony Horowitz's book of the same 
name cost around $40 million to make, small fry for Hollywood but large for a 
British film. Horowitz has written six Alex Rider novels, which have sold more 
than nine million copies worldwide, and plans a seventh due to be published by 
Walker Books in October, 2007.
J.K. Rowling is writing the seventh and final installment of her Harry Potter 
series, and the first four film adaptations alone amassed around $3.5 billion 
at the global box office.
The Lord of the Ring's movie trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion, Walt Disney is 
aiming to eclipse that with its C.S. Lewis series and Philip Pullman's 
bestselling children's trilogy "His Dark Materials" is also being adapted for 
the big screen. Playing the central character of Alex Rider in Stormbreaker is 
16-year-old Alex Pettyfer, who pundits predict could become the next child 
star. But he will not appear in subsequent Rider films. Unlike the Potter 
series, in which the narrative is spread over several years, the Horowitz books 
are concentrated in one year.
"In the Alex Rider stories, they all take place essentially over the course of 
just under a year across all of the books," co-producer Marc Samuelson told 
Reuters recently.
"So the fact is we can't make them fast enough and Alex Pettyfer, by the time 
we get around to making film two, if we're lucky enough to a have a film two, 
Alex will be too old."
Horowitz told the Independent newspaper: "If Stormbreaker is a success, there 
will be five if not six more films."
Pettyfer said he was nervous about how his schoolmates would react to the film 
and media attention.
"I'm not quite sure, I feel a bit iffy going back to school because I don't 
know how people take things," he said.
"I'll be laid back, I won't say anything. But if they want to take it the wrong 
way its up to them," he added.
Pettyfer appears alongside Mickey Rourke, Ewan McGregor and Bill Nighy in 
Stormbreaker. Stormbreaker is released on July 21 in Britain and August 18 in 
the United States. Rourke plays the evil Darrius Sayle, a sinister billionaire 
bent on wiping out a generation of children, and Rider is forcibly recruited as 
a child spy to stop him. 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



 


"Excuse me while I whip this out."
Cleavon Little , "Blazing Saddles"

-
Do you Yahoo!?
 Everyone is raving about the  all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.

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Re: [scifinoir2] OT: BAW Commentary on Bush�s Profanity at the G8 Summit

[Martin Pratt]

And then, we get to add on his groping the chancellor of Germany to boot. I 
know, it was only a neck thing, but didn't his parents teach him about good 
touches and bad ones?

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  Sorry, but my lead-in is nearly as long as the essay 
that follows! From the "I wish I had written this category" (and indeed, I am 
working on my own essay, but life's intruding!), a Black America Web essay 
about Bush's recent remarks at the G8 summit, overheard when a local mic was 
still on. Weathersbee says it all: it's not an issue that he curses--hell, I'd 
not want my private words to be broadcast to the world either--it's the overall 
attitude of dismissiveness and incredibly simple-minded certainty he shows. 
Just tell Kofi to get on the phone and fix things with Syria?? Damn, is that 
all it takes to solve these little problems in the Middle East? Well boy howdy! 
I guess the thousands of people trying to fix the issues for thousands of years 
missed it with all that needless talking, diplomacy, information gathering, and 
listening. Just "make it happen" folks! Simple--as simple as Brownie just 
fixing that Katrina hiccup, or simply taking
 out the Taliban in Afghanistan so the co
untry can become free and democratic. Simple as taking out Saddam and letting 
Iraq simply get on the course to Westernized government. As simple as fixing 
America by restricting a few freedoms and villifying a few godless groups. 
Simple. And all these leaders who, as Bush says "talk too damn long" need to 
understand what Bush has realized for years: you don't overcomplicate world 
problems with too much analysis. Just "make it happen". 
And the "I got to get home" comment? Are we surprised? The guy spends more time 
chopping wood in Texas than the local ranchers!
One last thing that really galls me. I was mentioning to my wife how Bush's 
whole arrogant body language just fills the scene. Note in the video of his 
remarks how he's leaning over in his chair with arrogance, continually popping 
food into his mouth and chewing with nonchalanace. He looks like some 
schoolyard bully smacking on gum as he asserts himself. Or like some 
self-important boss pushing around his workers--not a leader discussing matters 
that could affect billions. The utter disregard for anything approaching 
considered thought displayed in that moment is way more striking than anything 
he said. And I hate the other visual of that scene too: how Bush is sitting 
down like a king on his throne, while British prime minister Tony Blair is 
standing up, leaning down to hear him like a supplicant at court, bending to 
catch his monarch's attention, or waiting to cater to his next whim. That one 
scene speaks volumes; indeed, you can turn the volume down completely and learn
 all you
need to know.
I often say that life is all about perspective: two people see the same thing 
and interpret it completely differently. And I try to respect that different 
perspective in others. But, how anyone can still look at and listen to this 
arrogant, narrow-minded, ignorant, callous buffoon and see a leader that 
inspires? Well, that's just beyond me, and the saddest thing is, unlike Bush, I 
can't just ignore problems, especially when the one problem that needs "fixin'" 
the most ain't going away for another two years.
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
By: Tonyaa Weathersbee, BlackAmericaWeb.com 
With the exception of the dumbest, most naive religious conservatives, no one 
should have been shocked to learn that George W. Bush let loose with the S-word 
while in the company of other world leaders at the Group of Eight Summit this 
week.
Everyone should, however, be scared.
Not because the president said a bad word. Sure it’s uncouth, but hey, it’s all 
part of that beer-buddy persona that most of the white folks who put him into 
office saw as an endearing quality for someone looking to lead the world’s 
remaining superpower. Cussing is like every other fringe behavior in this 
country: When a white person tries it on, the fit is folksy and earthy, and 
when a black person tries it on, the fit is crass and foreboding. 
Yet Bush’s profanity shouldn’t scare people. His arrogance and nonchalance, 
however, should. Because what the open microphone caught on Monday as Bush was 
yapping and eating lunch with the likes of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, 
Russian President Vladmir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao wasn’t just a 
president who can’t quite grasp that the etiquette rules for lunch at an 
international summit are quite different from those required at a Texas Rangers 
staff barbecue. 
What it caught was a man who plays perhaps the most crucial role in world 
stability obviously showing that the job is way over his head. Worse, it caught 
a man who doesn’t seem to care one way or the other. 

The first part of the transcript, which was published in the Washington Post, 
portrays how someone, probably an aide, asks Bush about whether he wants 
pr

Re: [scifinoir2] Re: "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi

[Martin Pratt]

I made it all the way through, wasn't too terribly offended. But I was more in 
awe of the images than anything else. md, I think the show you're thinking of 
is "American Gothic".

md_moore42 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  I don't know. I bailed after 45 
minutes. It's a pity that the SciFi 
channel hasn't found the secret yet about producing humorous sf. I 
miss that old show where the sheriff was an agent of the devil. 
(can't recall the name).

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Great, I still have last week's Stargate premieres on tape, along 
with "Avatar", and now another new show pops up. This one 
is "Eureka", a Sci Fi original about a town of apparently superiour 
beings. It looks to be some good quirky fun, especially fitting for 
the summer. Long as it doesn't suck, I'll give it a try, if for no 
other reason than the fact that Salli Richardson-Whitfield is in the 
series, looking more fetching than ever! Whew!
> Oh, there's also going to be an extended trailer from season 3 
of "Battlestar Galactica" played sometime during Eureka's premiere.
> 
> About the series:
> 
> As World War II came to a close with mushroom clouds over Hiroshima 
and Nagasaki, the impact that science and technology would have on 
the continued security of our world became catastrophically apparent. 
America nearly lost the race to build the atomic bomb; it could not 
risk such a close call again.
> 
> With the help of Albert Einstein and other trusted advisors, 
President Harry S. Truman commissioned a top-secret residential 
development in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, one that would 
serve to protect and nurture America's most valuable intellectual 
resources. There our nation's greatest thinkers, the über-geniuses 
working on the next era of scientific achievement, would be able to 
live and work in a supportive environment. The best architects and 
planners were commissioned to design a welcoming place for these 
superlative geniuses to reside, an area that would offer the best 
education for their children, the best healthcare, the best amenities 
and quality of life. A community was created to rival the most 
idyllic of America's small towns — with one major difference: this 
town would never appear on any maps. At least, none that haven't been 
classified "eyes only" by the Pentagon.
> 
> Thus, the town of Eureka was born. But for all its familiar, small-
town trappings, things in this secret hamlet are anything but 
ordinary. The stereotype of the absent-minded professor exists for a 
reason, and most of the quantum leaps in science and technology 
during the past 50 years were produced by Eureka's elite researchers. 
Unfortunately, scientific exploration is rarely what one expects, and 
years of experiments gone awry have yielded some peculiar by-products.
> 
> From unrequited love to professional jealousy, from addiction to 
depression, the problems of Eureka's townsfolk stem from life's 
myriad of everyday challenges. But with the population's unique 
talents, troubled psyches and limitless resources, these small-town 
concerns have a way of becoming big-time problems. It is at that 
intersection, where human frailty and super-science collide, that 
Eureka begins…. 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>



 


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Re: [scifinoir2] "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi Channel

[Martin Pratt]

Oh, yeah to that!

brent wodehouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

>Long as it doesn't suck, I'll give it a try, if for no other reason than
>the fact that Salli
>Richardson-Whitfield is in the series, looking more fetching than ever!

Fetching - indeed! Oh Fenna! ;-)

Brent



 


"Excuse me while I whip this out."
Cleavon Little , "Blazing Saddles"
 __
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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[scifinoir2] Re: "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi

[md_moore42]

I don't know.  I bailed after 45 minutes.  It's a pity that the SciFi 
channel hasn't found the secret yet about  producing humorous sf.  I 
miss that old show where the sheriff was an agent of the devil. 
(can't recall the name).



--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Great, I still have last week's Stargate premieres on tape, along 
with "Avatar", and now another new show pops up. This one 
is "Eureka", a Sci Fi original about a town of apparently superiour 
beings.  It looks to be some good quirky fun, especially fitting for 
the summer. Long as it doesn't suck, I'll give it a try, if for no 
other reason than the fact that Salli Richardson-Whitfield is in the 
series, looking more fetching than ever! Whew!
> Oh, there's also going to be an extended trailer from season 3 
of "Battlestar Galactica" played sometime during Eureka's premiere.
> 
> About the series:
> 
> As World War II came to a close with mushroom clouds over Hiroshima 
and Nagasaki, the impact that science and technology would have on 
the continued security of our world became catastrophically apparent. 
America nearly lost the race to build the atomic bomb; it could not 
risk such a close call again.
> 
> With the help of Albert Einstein and other trusted advisors, 
President Harry S. Truman commissioned a top-secret residential 
development in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, one that would 
serve to protect and nurture America's most valuable intellectual 
resources. There our nation's greatest thinkers, the über-geniuses 
working on the next era of scientific achievement, would be able to 
live and work in a supportive environment. The best architects and 
planners were commissioned to design a welcoming place for these 
superlative geniuses to reside, an area that would offer the best 
education for their children, the best healthcare, the best amenities 
and quality of life. A community was created to rival the most 
idyllic of America's small towns — with one major difference: this 
town would never appear on any maps. At least, none that haven't been 
classified "eyes only" by the Pentagon.
> 
> Thus, the town of Eureka was born. But for all its familiar, small-
town trappings, things in this secret hamlet are anything but 
ordinary. The stereotype of the absent-minded professor exists for a 
reason, and most of the quantum leaps in science and technology 
during the past 50 years were produced by Eureka's elite researchers. 
Unfortunately, scientific exploration is rarely what one expects, and 
years of experiments gone awry have yielded some peculiar by-products.
> 
> From unrequited love to professional jealousy, from addiction to 
depression, the problems of Eureka's townsfolk stem from life's 
myriad of everyday challenges. But with the population's unique 
talents, troubled psyches and limitless resources, these small-town 
concerns have a way of becoming big-time problems. It is at that 
intersection, where human frailty and super-science collide, that 
Eureka begins…. 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>







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Producers' Matrix casting wish list Re: [scifinoir2] notstarring.com

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

Thanks for the web site Brent.  I love it.  Many of us have discussed 
matrix casting, so I decided to post who might have been in the movies.  
What are your thoughts.

Who was considered for /The Matrix/?

Sean Connery 
Sean Connery was originally offered the role of Morpheus. He turned down 
the role saying he couldn't understand the script. Years later, he said 
that he chose to do "the League of Extraordinary Gentleman" (despite not 
understanding the project) because he regretted turning both "the 
Matrix" and "Lord of the Rings" down.
Actor who got the part: Laurence Fishburne

Kevin Costner 
Costner was apparently considered for the role of Neo (seriously).
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Tom Cruise 
Supposedly considered for the part of Neo.

Johnny Depp 
According to an interview with Matrix composer Don Davis, Johnny Depp 
was the Wachowskis' first choice for Neo.
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Leonardo DiCaprio 
Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the part, supposedly because he was 
concerned about the amount of special effects.
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

David Duchovny 
Duchovny was reportedly considered for the part of Neo but opted to do 
X-Files: Fight the Future instead.
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Samuel Jackson 
Samuel Jackson was also considered to play Morpheus, according to an 
interview with Matrix composer Don Davis.
Actor who got the part: Laurence Fishburne

Val Kilmer 
Val Kilmer not only turned down the part of Neo, but also Morpheus.

Val Kilmer 
According to an interview with Matrix composer Don Davis, the studio 
wanted Brad Pitt or Val Kilmer for the lead role.
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Jet Li 
The Wachowski's wanted Jet Li for a role - reportedly "Seraph."

Ewan McGregor 
Ewan McGregor was offered the part of Neo, but turned it down.

Gary Oldman 
Gary Oldman was considered to play Morpheus, according to an interview 
with Matrix composer Don Davis.
Actor who got the part: Laurence Fishburne

Lou Diamond Phillips 

Lou Diamond Phillips' was sent the script, but was later told by his 
agent that the movie would flop.
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Brad Pitt 
According to an interview with Matrix composer Don Davis, the studio 
wanted Brad Pitt or Val Kilmer for the lead role.
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Jean Reno 
Reno turned down the role of Agent Smith to do Godzilla instead.
Actor who got the part: Hugo Weaving

Will Smith 
Will Smith turned down the lead role, admitting later that he had no 
regrets because "Keanu was brilliant as Neo."
Actor who got the part: Keanu Reeves

Who was considered for /The Matrix Reloaded/?

Aaliyah 
Aaliyah was signed on to play the role of Zee but was killed in a plane 
crash.
Actor who got the part: Nona Gaye

Sean Connery 
Sean Connery turned down the role of the Architect.
Actor who got the part: Helmut Bakaitis


Aaliyah 
Aaliyah was set to play Zee.
Actor who got the part: Nona Gaye

Halle Berry  (?)
Halle Berry was also considered to play Niobe but opted to play Catwoman.
Actor who got the part: Jada Pinkett Smith
Help! Can you verify this entry?  » THIS IS TRUE 
  
» JUST A RUMOR 
 

Brandy 
Brandy was also considered to play Niobe or Zee but couldn't because she 
was pregnant.

Sean Connery 
Sean Connery turned down the role of the Architect.
Actor who got the part: Helmut Bakaitis

Thandie Newton  (?)
Newton was considered to play Niobe.
Actor who got the part: Jada Pinkett-Smith
Help! Can you verify this entry? 




brent wodehouse wrote:
> notstarring.com is a movie trivia database focusing exclusively on movie
> stars and the roles they turned down, auditioned for, got fired from, or
> simply didn't get. All trivia is submitted by users, so please help us

Re: [scifinoir2] "Eureka" premieres tonight on Sci Fi Channel

[brent wodehouse]

[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

>Long as it doesn't suck, I'll give it a try, if for no other reason than
>the fact that Salli
>Richardson-Whitfield is in the series, looking more fetching than ever!

Fetching - indeed! Oh Fenna! ;-)


Brent



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Re: [scifinoir2]Veronica Mars

[Daryle Lockhart]

Yeah I sorta tuned out with the way the rape was treated as well, I   
found the treatment to  be pretty insensitive. Also, and I gotta be  
honest here, if I'm gonna watch a show like this, I need there  to   
be better  looking women. I may as well watch  "Charmed". My   
daughter follows Veronica Mars pretty closely and loves it.

I'm about to  confirm a rumour that's been going around a bit,  but  
speaking of better looking women on TV,  Nona Gaye is replacing  
Courtney Vance on Law & Order: CI.

http://www.nbc.com/Law_&_Order:_Criminal_Intent/bios/Nona_Gaye.shtml

Now THAT I can watch.

On Jul 18, 2006, at 7:19 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

Are you talking about Veronica having been assaulted back when she  
was still popular? That was revisited in flashbacks throughout the  
show. Some dudes got her loopy on a spiked drink, right? I don't know  
if that was necessarily frivolous, as it's a real problem for women,  
especially young women in the dating/partying scene. They did address  
it throughout the show, and tried to show how it had scarred  
Veronica. But Veronica didn't want to tell her dad because she was  
afraid he'd kill the young police officer who'd taken his place, who  
completely ignored Veronica the night she tried to report the  
assault. So I guess I thought it was an attempt to deal with a very  
real problem young people face. I hear what you say though: there are  
many cases where this kind of stuff is played just for effect, and I  
will say the show when Veronica discovered who'd abused her was a  
little hard to watch.

-- Original message --
From: "ravenadal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

My fourteen year-old daughter is a big fan of this show but I never
cottoned to it. For me, the deal breaker with any series is when the
heroine is raped for dramatic effect and proceeds as if nothing - or
nothing much happened.

~(no) rave!

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "g123curious" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>  
wrote:
 >
 > I used to watch it on TV as it aired. I watched the entire first and
 > part of the second season.
 >
 > Yes, there are waay too many commercials. Second, I felt that
 > the show was unrealistic for the teenage girl/lead character to do
 > all of the sophisticated investigations and snooping which she does.
 > Plus, she no longer looks like a teen.
 >
 > Third, this show suffers from the 'Lost in Space' syndrome. If she
 > solves the key puzzle... who killed her friend... the series ends.
 > So, the series started to get boring to me as it never really wraps
 > up anything... or when they wrap up one things, something ludicrous
 > unravels... kinda like "Lost" or "Desparate Housewives."
 >
 > Fourth, I don't care for the way the father is portrayed. He is
 > rather neutered.
 >
 > George
 >
 > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Bosco Bosco  wrote:
 > >
 > > Does anyone out there watch VM? I've recently discovered it. I
 > > liked the first season. DVD takes away all my TV hate by
 > > eliminating commercials!!!
 > >
 > > I'm asking because I've seen it mentioned on some other Sci Fi
 > > related websites and mags but for the life of me, can't figure out
 > > why? It's a mystery show but I can't see any sci-fi connection. Am
 > > I missing something?
 > >
 > > Bosco
 >

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jeri Ryan Agrees to New Voyage

[KeithBJohnson]

Who's the hunk on "Shark"? I guess you're right about the formula. Maybe that 
means we'll see Benjamin Bratt stumping for another job, then, since I think 
that horrid "E-Ring" was cancelled.

-- Original message -- 
From: "g123curious" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 

Smart move by the producers of "Shark." Get a hot babe (and a hunk) 
to star in your series. It's been done plenty of times before. For 
example, each of the CSI series has a babe (and a hunk).

George

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Johnson" 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> I think it was Tracey who mentioned that Jeri Ryan could be
> considered one of the most successful Trek alums. Well, I read
> in this article about her upcoming nuptials that she's staring
> in yet another TV series, the legal drama "Shark", coming this
> fall. That's what? Four series where she's been a regular or a
> long-running guest star. And that's not including all the
> one-time guest appearances and TV movies. Still think the most
> successful, though, has to be Shatner, Nimoy, Stewart, or Dorn.
> 
> Jeri Ryan Agrees to New Voyage 
> 
> 'Tis a sad day for Trekkies. Seven of Nine is going off the
> market. Jeri Ryan announced Monday that she and her boyfriend
> and business partner, chef Christopher Emé, are going to make
> it official next year. The 38-year-old actress told the media
> the good news while promoting the CBS legal drama Shark during
> the ongoing Television Critics Association press tour. Ryan
> plays the tough boss of James Woods' defense lawyer-turned-
> prosecutor on the freshman series, which is scheduled to follow
> CSI on Thursday nights.




 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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[scifinoir2] Re: Jeri Ryan Agrees to New Voyage

[g123curious]

Smart move by the producers of "Shark." Get a hot babe (and a hunk) 
to star in your series. It's been done plenty of times before. For 
example, each of the CSI series has a babe (and a hunk).

George

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Johnson" 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> I think it was Tracey who mentioned that Jeri Ryan could be
> considered one of the most successful Trek alums. Well, I read
> in this article about her upcoming nuptials that she's staring
> in yet another TV series, the legal drama "Shark", coming this
> fall. That's what? Four series where she's been a regular or a
> long-running guest star. And that's not including all the
> one-time guest appearances and TV movies. Still think the most
> successful, though, has to be Shatner, Nimoy, Stewart, or Dorn.
>  
> Jeri Ryan Agrees to New Voyage 
> 
> 'Tis a sad day for Trekkies. Seven of Nine is going off the
> market. Jeri Ryan announced Monday that she and her boyfriend
> and business partner, chef Christopher Emé, are going to make
> it official next year. The 38-year-old actress told the media
> the good news while promoting the CBS legal drama Shark during
> the ongoing Television Critics Association press tour. Ryan
> plays the tough boss of James Woods' defense lawyer-turned-
> prosecutor on the freshman series, which is scheduled to follow
> CSI on Thursday nights.









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[scifinoir2] OT: BAW Commentary on Bush�s Profanity at the G8 Summit

[KeithBJohnson]

Sorry, but my lead-in is nearly as long as the essay that follows! From the "I 
wish I had written this category" (and indeed, I am working on my own essay, 
but life's intruding!), a Black America Web essay about Bush's recent remarks 
at the G8 summit, overheard when a local mic was still on. Weathersbee says it 
all: it's not an issue that he curses--hell,  I'd not want my private words to 
be broadcast to the world either--it's the overall attitude of dismissiveness 
and incredibly simple-minded certainty he shows. Just tell Kofi to get on the 
phone and fix things with Syria?? Damn, is that all it takes to solve these 
little problems in the Middle East? Well boy howdy! I guess the thousands of 
people trying to fix the issues for thousands of years missed it with all that 
needless talking, diplomacy, information gathering, and listening.  Just "make 
it happen" folks! Simple--as simple as Brownie just fixing that Katrina hiccup, 
or simply taking out the Taliban in Afghanistan so the co
untry can become free and democratic. Simple as taking out Saddam and letting 
Iraq simply get on the course to Westernized government. As simple as fixing 
America by restricting a few freedoms and villifying a few godless groups. 
Simple. And all these leaders who, as Bush says "talk too damn long" need to 
understand what Bush has realized for years: you don't overcomplicate world 
problems with too much analysis. Just "make it happen".  
And the "I got to get home" comment? Are we surprised? The guy spends more time 
chopping wood in Texas than the local ranchers!
One last thing that really galls me. I was mentioning to my wife how Bush's 
whole arrogant body language just fills the scene. Note in the video of his 
remarks how he's leaning over in his chair with arrogance, continually popping 
food into his mouth and chewing with nonchalanace. He looks like some 
schoolyard bully smacking on gum as he asserts himself.  Or like some 
self-important boss pushing around his workers--not a leader discussing matters 
that could affect billions. The utter disregard for anything approaching 
considered thought displayed in that moment is way more striking than anything 
he said. And I hate the other visual of that scene too: how Bush is sitting 
down like a king on his throne, while British prime minister Tony Blair is 
standing up, leaning down to hear him like a supplicant at court, bending to 
catch his monarch's attention, or waiting to cater to his next whim. That one 
scene speaks volumes; indeed, you can turn the volume down completely and learn 
all you
 need to know.
I often say that life is all about perspective: two people see the same thing 
and interpret it completely differently. And I try to respect that different 
perspective in others. But, how anyone can still look at and listen to this 
arrogant, narrow-minded, ignorant, callous buffoon and see a leader that 
inspires? Well, that's just beyond me, and the saddest thing is, unlike Bush, I 
can't just ignore problems, especially when the one problem that needs "fixin'" 
the most ain't going away for another two years.
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
By: Tonyaa Weathersbee, BlackAmericaWeb.com 
With the exception of the dumbest, most naive religious conservatives, no one 
should have been shocked to learn that George W. Bush let loose with the S-word 
while in the company of other world leaders at the Group of Eight Summit this 
week.
Everyone should, however, be scared.
Not because the president said a bad word. Sure it’s uncouth, but hey, it’s all 
part of that beer-buddy persona that most of the white folks who put him into 
office saw as an endearing quality for someone looking to lead the world’s 
remaining superpower. Cussing is like every other fringe behavior in this 
country: When a white person tries it on, the fit is folksy and earthy, and 
when a black person tries it on, the fit is crass and foreboding. 
Yet Bush’s profanity shouldn’t scare people. His arrogance and nonchalance, 
however, should. Because what the open microphone caught on Monday as Bush was 
yapping and eating lunch with the likes of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, 
Russian President Vladmir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao wasn’t just a 
president who can’t quite grasp that the etiquette rules for lunch at an 
international summit are quite different from those required at a Texas Rangers 
staff barbecue. 
What it caught was a man who plays perhaps the most crucial role in world 
stability obviously showing that the job is way over his head. Worse, it caught 
a man who doesn’t seem to care one way or the other. 
 
The first part of the transcript, which was published in the Washington Post, 
portrays how someone, probably an aide, asks Bush about whether he wants 
prepared closing remarks at the end of the summit. He says he’s just going to 
“make something up,” and that the other leaders “talk too damn long.”
Let that sink in for a minute.
Here’s the lea

Re: [scifinoir2] Einstein: Pimp?

[Astromancer]

Sounds like that to me...

Martin Pratt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  In the immortal words of J 
Anthony Brown, "Ya got ta let a playa play on!"

brent wodehouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-07-10T141615Z_01_L10308054_RTRUKOC_0_US-ISRAEL-EINSTEIN.xml

New letters reveal mysteries of Einstein's love life

Mon Jul 10, 2006

By Corinne Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Albert Einstein had half a dozen girlfriends and
told his wife they showered him with "unwanted" affection, according to
letters released on Monday that shed light on his extra-marital affairs.

The wild-haired Jewish-German scientist, renowned for his theory of
relativity, spent little time at home. He lectured in Europe and in the
United States, where he died in 1955 at age 76. But Einstein wrote
hundreds of letters to his family.

Previous-released letters suggested his marriage in 1903 to his first wife
Mileva Maric, mother of his two sons, was miserable. They divorced in 1919
and he soon married his cousin, Elsa. He cheated on her with his
secretary, Betty Neumann.

In the new volume of letters released on Monday by Hebrew University in
Jerusalem, Einstein described about six women with whom he spent time with
and received gifts from while being married to Elsa.

In the early 1980s, Elsa's daughter, Margot, gave almost 1,400 letters to
Hebrew University, which Einstein helped found. But Margot directed that
the letters not be released publicly until 20 years after her death. She
died on July 8, 1986.

Some of the women identified by Einstein include Estella, Ethel, Toni, and
his "Russian spy lover," Margarita. Others are referred to only by
initials, like M. and L.

"It is true that M. followed me (to England) and her chasing after me is
getting out of control," he wrote in a letter to Margot in 1931. "Out of
all the dames, I am in fact attached only to Mrs. L., who is absolutely
harmless and decent."

In another post to Margot, Einstein asked his stepdaughter to pass on "a
little letter for Margarita, to avoid providing curious eyes with tidbits."

FAMILY HEARD

The new batch of letters for the first time included replies from
Einstein's family, Hanoch Gutfreund, chairman of the Albert Einstein
Worldwide Exhibition at Hebrew University said.

This, he told reporters, helped shatter myths that the Nobel Prize-winning
scientist was always cold toward his family.

"In these letters he acts with much greater friendship and understanding
to Mileva and his sons," Gutfeund said.

Gutfeund said that though Einstein's later marriage to Elsa was best
described as a "marriage of convenience," he wrote to her almost every
day, describing, among other things, his experiences touring and lecturing
in Europe.

"Soon I'll be fed up with the (theory of) relativity," Einstein wrote in a
postcard to Elsa in 1921. "Even such a thing fades away when one is too
involved with it."

Einstein lived and studied in the 1930's at Oxford, where he hid from the
Nazis. A German colleague, he said in a letter to Else, had told him "to
not even come near the German border because the rage against me is out of
control."

In the same letter, which he wrote in 1933, less than a decade before the
start of World War II and the Nazi Holocaust, Einstein writes: "One fears
everywhere the competition of the expelled 'brainy' Jews. We are even more
burdened by our strength than by our weakness."

"Excuse me while I whip this out."
Cleavon Little , "Blazing Saddles"

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RE: [scifinoir2] Einstein: Pimp?

[Astromancer]

I think he's the perfect stereotype for nerds and geeks...

Keith Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  So much for the stereotypes 
of "nerds" and "geeks".

_ 

From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of brent wodehouse
Sent: Monday, 10 July, 2006 15:55
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [scifinoir2] Einstein: Pimp?

http://today.

reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-07-10T14161
5Z_01_L10308054_RTRUKOC_0_US-ISRAEL-EINSTEIN.xml

New letters reveal mysteries of Einstein's love life

Mon Jul 10, 2006

By Corinne Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Albert Einstein had half a dozen girlfriends and
told his wife they showered him with "unwanted" affection, according to
letters released on Monday that shed light on his extra-marital affairs.

The wild-haired Jewish-German scientist, renowned for his theory of
relativity, spent little time at home. He lectured in Europe and in the
United States, where he died in 1955 at age 76. But Einstein wrote
hundreds of letters to his family.

Previous-released letters suggested his marriage in 1903 to his first wife
Mileva Maric, mother of his two sons, was miserable. They divorced in 1919
and he soon married his cousin, Elsa. He cheated on her with his
secretary, Betty Neumann.

In the new volume of letters released on Monday by Hebrew University in
Jerusalem, Einstein described about six women with whom he spent time with
and received gifts from while being married to Elsa.

In the early 1980s, Elsa's daughter, Margot, gave almost 1,400 letters to
Hebrew University, which Einstein helped found. But Margot directed that
the letters not be released publicly until 20 years after her death. She
died on July 8, 1986.

Some of the women identified by Einstein include Estella, Ethel, Toni, and
his "Russian spy lover," Margarita. Others are referred to only by
initials, like M. and L.

"It is true that M. followed me (to England) and her chasing after me is
getting out of control," he wrote in a letter to Margot in 1931. "Out of
all the dames, I am in fact attached only to Mrs. L., who is absolutely
harmless and decent."

In another post to Margot, Einstein asked his stepdaughter to pass on "a
little letter for Margarita, to avoid providing curious eyes with tidbits."

FAMILY HEARD

The new batch of letters for the first time included replies from
Einstein's family, Hanoch Gutfreund, chairman of the Albert Einstein
Worldwide Exhibition at Hebrew University said.

This, he told reporters, helped shatter myths that the Nobel Prize-winning
scientist was always cold toward his family.

"In these letters he acts with much greater friendship and understanding
to Mileva and his sons," Gutfeund said.

Gutfeund said that though Einstein's later marriage to Elsa was best
described as a "marriage of convenience," he wrote to her almost every
day, describing, among other things, his experiences touring and lecturing
in Europe.

"Soon I'll be fed up with the (theory of) relativity," Einstein wrote in a
postcard to Elsa in 1921. "Even such a thing fades away when one is too
involved with it."

Einstein lived and studied in the 1930's at Oxford, where he hid from the
Nazis. A German colleague, he said in a letter to Else, had told him "to
not even come near the German border because the rage against me is out of
control."

In the same letter, which he wrote in 1933, less than a decade before the
start of World War II and the Nazi Holocaust, Einstein writes: "One fears
everywhere the competition of the expelled 'brainy' Jews. We are even more
burdened by our strength than by our weakness."

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



 


"La'V' is always watching...Be careful who you talk to." - The Side Street 
Chonicles by C.W. Badie

-
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starting at 1¢/min.

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