[scifinoir2] BSG is the top timeshifted program of 2009
BSG is the top timeshifted program of 2009 Nielsen, those TV ratings people, just came out with their Top 10 lists of 2009, and surprise, surprise ... while sci-fi shows couldn't crack the Top 10 TV Programs, Battlestar Galactica is the number-one timeshifted prime-time TV program of the year, with increased viewing of a whopping 59.4 percent. The timeshifted list measures viewers who watch a show after it has aired and is based on the percentage of additional viewers beyond the network ratings. In fact, the list of Top 10 'Timeshifted' TV Programs is riddled with sci-fi, fantasy and/or cable shows, including shows canceled or no longer on the air, like Galactica. Fox's American Idol, of course, grabbed up the top spot for the Top 10 TV Programs list, with the show making it into 14.4 percent of U.S. homes. Top 10 Timeshifted TV Programs-Network % Increase of Timeshifted Viewing http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/battlestar-galactica-is-t.php 1. Battlestar Galactica (Syfy)-59.4% 2. Mad Men (AMC)-57.7% 3. Damages (FX)-56.3% 4. Rescue Me (FX)-53.2% 5. True Blood (HBO)-46.9% 5. Stargate Universe (Syfy)-46.9% 7. Sanctuary (Syfy)-45.9% 7. Heroes (NBC)-45.9% 9. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)-45.5% 10. 10 Things I Hate About You (ABC Family)-44.9% 10. Dollhouse (Fox)-44.9% 10. Melrose Place (CW)-44.9% The other good Nielsen news is that the company announced that it was accelerating its plans to add Internet measurements to its national ratings sample. The initiative is called TVandPC and will be the industry's first source that measures both TV and online viewing. Like the addition of measuring timeshift viewing, this is going to come as a big boon to sci-fi shows, whose viewers tend to be more technologically inclined.
[scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones?
Fresh off his British Independent Film Award wins for Best Film and Best Debut Director this week for his low-budget mini-masterpiece Moon, Duncan Jones (formerly known as Zowie Bowie, son of rocker David Bowie) is gearing up to tackle the SF thriller Source Code. According to a Tweet from Production http://twitter.com/prodweek/status/6555467682 Weekly, Jones will start pre-production in a few weeks and will film this spring in Montreal. Variety http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011029.html?categoryid=13cs=1 reports that Source Code is the story of a soldier who finds himself repeatedly placed in the body of another person just before the detonation of a bomb on a commuter train. Prince of Persia's Jake Gyllenhaal, currently starring in the drama Brothers with Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, has been in negotiations to play the lead, replacing Topher Grace. SF fans could say that this premise seems like a cocktail of Quantum Leap Groundhog's Day, and the time-travel show Seven Days. But if Jones showed such chops taking established SF tropes and making them seem fresh in Moon, do you think he can pull off the premise of Source Code? http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/whats-next-for-moon-direc.php#more
[scifinoir2] Avatar's spectacular and corny at the same time
http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/avatars-spectacular-and-c.php Avatar, James Cameron's much-hyped sci-fi epic, is many things: a mind-blowing technical achievement, a lyrically beautiful paean to nature (albeit alien), a rousing adventure story and an overly familiar, cliche-ridden hero's journey, but there's one thing it's not. Simple. The movie premiered to rapturous applause in London on Thursday night, and early reviews have been similarly glowing. We appreciate the film's good qualities-and there are many of them-but we came away troubled by the story's problems. Still, it's hard not to like Avatar for a lot of reasons. The human forces on Pandora unleash tremendous firepower in an epic battle against the Na'vi, the indigenous population. The main thing, though, is that early buzz about the movie's look and feel-that it looks too cartoony or video-game-like-are completely off the mark. It took us about five minutes to get used to the masterful 3-D (starting with a floating water droplet that slowly coalesces right in front of our and Sam Worthington's faces). Once we're on the completely computer-generated surface of the alien moon of Pandora, it also took us about five minutes to believe that what we were seeing was completely photo-real, including the performances of the giant blue natives, which were achieved through extremely accurate and subtle motion-capture technology. From then on, it was easy to become completely swept up in the sci-fi fantasy world of Avatar. The story kicks off aboard a giant floating starship, kind of the next generation of the Sulaco from Cameron's own Aliens (there are other callbacks and echoes of that great movie throughout). It's not long before we and hero Jake Sully (Worthington), a paraplegic Marine, are downloaded into the consciousness of his giant blue avatar, designed to resemble Pandora's native Na'vi humanoids, and are literally and figuratively running in an adventure that is equal parts Dances With Wolves, Pocahontas and Braveheart. Jake finds himself overmatched by Pandora's native beasts, including a giant Thanator, and by the Na'vi themselves, personified by the lissome warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). She despises him and his kind, the Sky People, who have come to the planet to mine a valuable mineral and see the Na'vi as a nuisance. But he quickly ingratiates himself into the tribe, in part because (we are led to believe) the planet itself seems to think there's something special about Jake. Jake, meanwhile, is co-opted by the nefarious Col. Quaritch (a growling Stephen Lang), who sees in Jake an opportunity to infiltrate the enemy and learn its secrets. Jake initially agrees, but he finds his allegiances in question the closer he gets both to Neytiri and to the Na'vi. The scientists led by Dr. Grace Augustine (Aliens' awesome Sigourney Weaver), meanwhile, worry that the corporation in charge of the mission to Pandora will ignore her team's attempts to win the hearts and minds of the Na'vi and instead take the planet by force. If the story sounds familiar, it is, and it's one of the largely computer-animated film's ironies that the only cartoon-like thing about it is its plot. The dialogue often lapses into real cornball-Lang's Quaritch actually says You're not in Kansas anymore-and the situations and events are predictable almost from the first frame. Cameron has argued that the story is necessarily familiar because of its mythic roots, but there's practically nothing in Avatar that isn't telegraphed from the word go. That familiarity is compounded by the one-dimensional nature of most of the characters, with the notable exception of Jake and Neytiri. There's the venal corporate executive, the wise medicine woman, the noble chief, and on and on. But the film works on many levels, owing to Cameron's virtuosic filmmaking abilities. We've mentioned the technical achievements, but Cameron has also succeeded on an aesthetic level: The vistas and jungles, flora and fauna, of Pandora are truly breathtakingly beautiful (you gotta really like the color blue). The action is balls-out great, especially when Jake and his fellow Na'vi take to the air aboard their dragonlike Banshees, soaring over and around massive floating mountains. Again, it's easy to get swept away by the romance of the adventure, and Cameron knows how to stage and pace the action so that the two-hour-and-40-minute film seems to race by. Jake and Neytiri's relationship is plausibly romantic, owing mainly to Saldana's deliciously alien performance as the catlike Neytiri, but key scenes feel a bit underwritten. Cameron has been saying over and over again that Avatar will change the way movies are made. That's also ironic, considering how old-fashioned it is in many ways. But it's certainly worth a return trip, just to immerse oneself in the complete universe that Cameron and his company have created. (Avatar opens Dec. 18. We are publishing this early review with the permission of
Re: [scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones?
Moon was a moody little gem. Hope the son of bowie keeps it up! On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 4:53 AM, Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com wrote: Fresh off his British Independent Film Award wins for Best Film and Best Debut Director this week for his low-budget mini-masterpiece *Moon*, Duncan Jones (formerly known as Zowie Bowie, son of rocker David Bowie) is gearing up to tackle the SF thriller *Source Code*. According to a Tweet from Production Weekly http://twitter.com/prodweek/status/6555467682, Jones will start pre-production in a few weeks and will film this spring in Montreal. Varietyhttp://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011029.html?categoryid=13cs=1reports that *Source Code* is the story of a soldier who finds himself repeatedly placed in the body of another person just before the detonation of a bomb on a commuter train. *Prince of Persia*'s Jake Gyllenhaal, currently starring in the drama *Brothers* with Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, has been in negotiations to play the lead, replacing Topher Grace. SF fans could say that this premise seems like a cocktail of *Quantum Leap Groundhog's Day*, and the time-travel show *Seven Days*. But if Jones showed such chops taking established SF tropes and making them seem fresh in *Moon*, do you think he can pull off the premise of *Source Code*? http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/whats-next-for-moon-direc.php#more -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com
[scifinoir2] James Cameron confirms Fantastic Voyage, Battle Angel
Avatar, James Cameron's 3-D sci-fi epic, is envisioned as the start of a franchise, and Cameron confirmed Friday that he has mapped out sequels for the movie, which is one of the film's he'd direct next-that, or his long-envisioned film version of the anime Battle Angel Alita. Cameron, meanwhile, confirmed that he is producing and developing a script for-but will not direct-a new version of the classic sci-fi movie Fantastic Voyage, which he promised will be very different. Fantastic Voyage With regard to sequels to Avatar, which opens on Dec. 18, Cameron said, We joked about this all the time. We cut to 10 years later, Jake's [Sam Worthington] kind of fat and sitting in Home Tree and says, 'Honey get me a beer,' and Neytiri's [Zoe Saldana] like, 'Get your own beer.' You know, that's kind of the reality of a love story 10 years later [laughs]. Seriously, though, Cameron said in a press conference in London: Actually, you know, when I pitched this to 20th Century Fox four and a half years ago, I said, 'You know, we're going to spend a lot of money and time and energy creating not only a process but the assets, the CG assets, we call them: all the models of every rock and tree and plant and creature and the muscle rigs for all the creatures and the facial rigging for the main characters and all that,' and [that's] huge, millions and millions of dollars. So it really makes sense to think of it as the potential start of a franchise, if you will, or a saga that plays out over several acts, each movie being an act of that saga. And I have it mapped out, but I haven't written the scripts yet. And it all depends on whether we do well with the first film. But that was certainly the intention from the beginning: to create a foundation for a persistent world. Cameron confirmed to SCI FI Wire after the press conference that he will produce the new Fantastic Voyage, based on the 1966 sci-fi movie that starred Raquel Welch, about a team of scientists in a miniaturized submarine who navigate a human body to zap an inoperable tumor. Well, we've been working on a script for Fantastic Voyage, but that's not for me to direct, Cameron said. That's just a produced project, yeah. It's quite different. But it's got enough of the original story that you'll still recognize it. Cameron also confirmed that he's still considering directing http://scifiwire.com/2009/07/sdcc-cameron-reveals-plan.php Battle Angel Alita, based on a manga series that is also the basis of a popular anime series, about an amnesiac female cyborg who is discovered in a futuristic dystopian world. Battle Angel is one of the films I'll be considering when I decide what to do next, Cameron added. Does that mean he'd do any Avatar sequel afterwards? Not necessarily, he said. That's part of the decision-making process. Look for more Avatar news and a review on SCI FI Wire soon! http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/james-cameron-confirms-fa.php
[scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill
http://www.ktvu.com/news/21927813/detail.html --
[scifinoir2] First bionic finger
http://news.yahoo.com/video/tech-15749651/scientists-create-first-bionic-finger-17076678 Pretty cool stuff.
[scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar?
Reviews I've read were generally positive
RE: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar?
I'm there From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of George Arterberry Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:41 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar? Reviews I've read were generally positive
Re: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar?
ahar...@earthlink.net Me too! Amy - Original Message - From: Tracey de Morsella To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:10 AM Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar? I'm there From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of George Arterberry Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:41 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar? Reviews I've read were generally positive -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.716 / Virus Database: 270.14.104/2560 - Release Date: 12/12/09 02:38:00
Re: [scifinoir2] Weird Food McDonald's Sells Around The World
Just peas and potatoes for the McAlooTiki? WANT Fast food and vegan don't normally go hand in hand ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http://www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 4:46 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: *McDonald's Around The World: Marvels Never Cease, Especially in Asia *If you think McDonald's sells the same burgers and fries everywhere in the world, think again – here in Asia they’ve had to make some concessions to local tastes and come up with some peculiar fast-food variations on Asian favourites. It all started with the *Samurai Pork Burger*. I saw this advertised outside a McDonald's in Bangkok back in 2004 and was somewhat perplexed. Why is it a Japanese name when I’m in Thailand? And what do Samurai have to do with pork? Actually, why is it called Samurai at all? Sadly, I never actually found out any of the answers, but it made me start paying closer attention to McDonald's every time I went to another country in Asia. http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA4P2fd4I/AAABLp0/uZegIN_17AQ/s640/lkjhlkjhlkjhlk.jpg (Samurai Pork Burger, Bangkok, Thailand (left) and Thai Spicy Fish McDippers (right) - photos via http://travelhappy.info/) Perhaps more traditional for Thailand, the *Thai Spicy Fish McDippers*(image above right) are a piscine breadcrumb and chili overload. Incidentally, don’t actually expect to eat your fast food in Thailand fast – you will inevitably be handed your burger but have to wait five minutes for your fries, which will be dutifully brought to you – by which time, of course, you’ve eaten your burger… In Singapore, the national obsession with rice extends to having *rice cakes in your burger*. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA42LvwpI/AAABLp8/ve2XBbU6hkw/s640/poiuypoiupoiup.jpg (Rice Burgers, Singapore) I expected lots of interesting stuff in a Japanese McDonald's – McTentacles perhaps – but the menu was disappointingly ordinary. Although there were these – *Seaweed Flavoured Fries*. Also, see below-right: the tasty tentacle snack from Japan. Yum. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA5Td53mI/AAABLqE/0VKdEIZ6hUk/s640/r5hsdrhdbgc.jpg In Hong Kong, I nearly got arrested for taking this photo of the *Green Tea and Red Bean Ice Cream Sundae*. Didn’t realise they guarded their secret bean recipe quite so zealously. http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA52nQl5I/AAABLqM/NxUGAjwV6Wo/s640/oiuyoiuyoiuyo.jpg (Green Tea And Red Bean Sundae, Hong Kong) In Indonesia, as the world’s largest Muslim country, chicken is far more popular than beefburgers (and, of course, the Samurai Pork Burger would be completely taboo). Hence you get combo sets of chicken, rice and Coke: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKIOz8GTkI/AAABLss/paNpZ5o1Dto/s640/876tri.jpg Chicken, Rice and Coke, Jakarta, Indonesia Perhaps my biggest WTF moment (Weird and Troubling Food, naturally) in a McDonald's was in the Philippines, when I spotted the clotted mess that is *McSpaghetti*. (McDo indeed). My Filipino friends explained to me that it was incredibly popular and basically consisted of spaghetti soaked in sugar. E. Let me repeat this: *Spaghetti - Soaked In - Sugar!*. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA7FI2mgI/AAABLqc/PBbCY47wbyU/s640/kiuglkhjulkjhlkj.jpg McSpaghetti, Philippines I also seem to remember that when I first went to Australia in 2003, there was a *Billabong Burger* that had tinned beetroot between two patties. Sadly (or perhaps thankfully), I don’t have any photographic evidence, though it tasted as grim as it sounds. There was also a similar one called *McOz* with only one patty (plus the tinned beetroot that is ubiquitous in Australia – fresh beetroot isn’t nearly as popular). *Spam, Spam, Spam, Eggs, Bacon, and Spam* David Gardner shares his experience: Did you know you can get Spam, eggs, and rice for a McDonald’s Breakfast in Honolulu? Yup. Right there on Kalakaua St facing Waikiki. Totally cool! See this classic Monty Python sketch to truly appreciate the irony. http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKKt3pu86I/AAABLtI/TmSY29kS1qY/s640/oi7to87toyu.jpg In the middle of Moscow, on a busy Arbat street, you can get a take-out for your horse: http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKF07V7F6I/AAABLr4/Kr773aWft50/s640/lkjhlkjhlkjhl343.jpg http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKF1Xdo5ZI/AAABLsA/i0CIaIamxC4/s640/iuytiuytkjhgk.jpg *Big Macs are a Big Unknown in Chongqing, China* My most memorable experience of McDonald's in Asia, however, is stumbling onto a MaccyDs in Chongqing, China. I’d just completed an excruciating trip
[scifinoir2] The 15 most gruesome ways to die on Fox's Fringe
Forget the pattern, shapeshifters and alternate universes. No show kills off its characters in more gruesome, horrifying or fun ways than Fox's Fringe. Those demented writers do gory death so wrong, it's absolutely perfect. And if you don't like it ... well, then don't watch. http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/the-15-most-gruesome-ways.php In fact, in last week's episode, Snakehead, Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) asked Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), Did you eat? He replied, Yeah. And she said, That's unfortunate. Those lines could actually be uttered during any Fringe episode. Thursday's Fringe, the last original episode of the year, offers up a spontaneous brain surgery gone wrong in Grey Matters. We have to admit, having a character run around with an exposed brain through a chunk of the show sounds like fun. However, whether it will make our top deaths (and whether anyone dies), well, we'll just have to wait and see. Until then, here are our top 15 goriest deaths, and a bonus life, a la Fringe: 1. Pilot Death via the worst plane flight ever. Everyone melts. At least they don't have to worry about their flight being late. 2. The Ghost Network Death via the worst bus ride ever. Everyone drowns when gas turns into a hard transparenty substance. Being trapped on a city bus forever. sounds pretty gruesome to us. 3. The Cure Death by exploding radioactive head. Everyone's brains boiled. And we hear the onion soup is delicious. 4. SafeDeath by wall. And it seemed like such a good idea at the time. 5. AbilityDeath by lack of orifices. Don't you hate that when that happens? 6. No-Brainer Death by liquid brains. This is your brain . Actually this is your brain on Fringe. 7. Bound Death by the not so common cold. It makes you think you have time to wash your hands after all, doesn't it? 8. The TransformationDeath by mutant porcupine guy and the second worst plane flight ever. Let's see . get eaten by mutant porcupine guy or die in a plane crash . hummm. 9. The Road Not Taken Death by spontaneous combustion. Somehow still better than #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, #8... and, well, most of them. 10. Unleashed Death by transgenic species. Definitely has bigger teeth than #9, but it doesn't just eat you. It lays its eggs in you, too. 11. Night of Desirable Objects Death by genetically created scorpion/man monster. His teeth aren't go big, but he gets to take his time to eat you. On the other hand he doesn't lay eggs in you, or if he does, you don't care. 12. Fracture Death by being crystallized by a radio wave, shattered and turned into a human bomb. At least he's not melting and his brains aren't being liquefied! 13.Dream Logic Death by psycho employee who thinks you're a demon. Talk about hating your boss. 14. Earthling Death by radioactive shadow alien entity. Okay. we're buying the whole alternate universe thing, and the pattern and the coming war. Now we've got radioactive shadow alien entities too? 15. Snakehead Death by squirmy tentacled parasite. So people are given a drug, which turns into a parasite, which kills the people, so it can become a drug which will save other people's lives. That's so Fringe! Tracey de Morsella, Managing Producer The Green Economy Post http://greeneconomypost.com tra...@greeneconomypost.com Phone: 425-502-7716
RE: [scifinoir2] Weird Food McDonald's Sells Around The World
Adrianne, whoever said that Mickey D's was bad didn't travel. And great to see your voice, BTB! If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: adrianne.bren...@gmail.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:14:56 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Weird Food McDonald's Sells Around The World Just peas and potatoes for the McAlooTiki? WANT Fast food and vegan don't normally go hand in hand~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http://www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 4:46 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: McDonald's Around The World: Marvels Never Cease, Especially in Asia If you think McDonald's sells the same burgers and fries everywhere in the world, think again – here in Asia they’ve had to make some concessions to local tastes and come up with some peculiar fast-food variations on Asian favourites. It all started with the Samurai Pork Burger. I saw this advertised outside a McDonald's in Bangkok back in 2004 and was somewhat perplexed. Why is it a Japanese name when I’m in Thailand? And what do Samurai have to do with pork? Actually, why is it called Samurai at all? Sadly, I never actually found out any of the answers, but it made me start paying closer attention to McDonald's every time I went to another country in Asia. (Samurai Pork Burger, Bangkok, Thailand (left) and Thai Spicy Fish McDippers (right) - photos via) Perhaps more traditional for Thailand, the Thai Spicy Fish McDippers (image above right) are a piscine breadcrumb and chili overload. Incidentally, don’t actually expect to eat your fast food in Thailand fast – you will inevitably be handed your burger but have to wait five minutes for your fries, which will be dutifully brought to you – by which time, of course, you’ve eaten your burger… In Singapore, the national obsession with rice extends to having rice cakes in your burger. (Rice Burgers, Singapore) I expected lots of interesting stuff in a Japanese McDonald's – McTentacles perhaps – but the menu was disappointingly ordinary. Although there were these – Seaweed Flavoured Fries. Also, see below-right: the tasty tentacle snack from Japan. Yum. In Hong Kong, I nearly got arrested for taking this photo of the Green Tea and Red Bean Ice Cream Sundae. Didn’t realise they guarded their secret bean recipe quite so zealously. (Green Tea And Red Bean Sundae, Hong Kong) In Indonesia, as the world’s largest Muslim country, chicken is far more popular than beefburgers (and, of course, the Samurai Pork Burger would be completely taboo). Hence you get combo sets of chicken, rice and Coke: Chicken, Rice and Coke, Jakarta, Indonesia Perhaps my biggest WTF moment (Weird and Troubling Food, naturally) in a McDonald's was in the Philippines, when I spotted the clotted mess that is McSpaghetti. (McDo indeed). My Filipino friends explained to me that it was incredibly popular and basically consisted of spaghetti soaked in sugar. E. Let me repeat this: Spaghetti - Soaked In - Sugar!. McSpaghetti, Philippines I also seem to remember that when I first went to Australia in 2003, there was a Billabong Burger that had tinned beetroot between two patties. Sadly (or perhaps thankfully), I don’t have any photographic evidence, though it tasted as grim as it sounds. There was also a similar one called McOz with only one patty (plus the tinned beetroot that is ubiquitous in Australia – fresh beetroot isn’t nearly as popular). Spam, Spam, Spam, Eggs, Bacon, and Spam David Gardner shares his experience: Did you know you can get Spam, eggs, and rice for a McDonald’s Breakfast in Honolulu? Yup. Right there on Kalakaua St facing Waikiki. Totally cool! See this classic Monty Python sketch to truly appreciate the irony. In the middle of Moscow, on a busy Arbat street, you can get a take-out for your horse: Big Macs are a Big Unknown in Chongqing, China My most memorable experience of McDonald's in Asia, however, is stumbling onto a MaccyDs in Chongqing, China. I’d just completed an excruciating trip up the Three Gorges on an overloaded passenger boat that played earsplitting soap operas the entire journey, and I was in need of comfort food. Chongqing is a vast city with a mind-boggling 31,000,000 inhabitants – and that’s just the official figure. Arriving there just as dusk
Re: [scifinoir2] Weird Food McDonald's Sells Around The World
I think the regional food takes a lot of creativity. They didn't mention the cucumber soda that is sold as well. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 9:14 AM, Adrianne Brennan adrianne.bren...@gmail.com wrote: Just peas and potatoes for the McAlooTiki? WANT Fast food and vegan don't normally go hand in hand ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http://www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 4:46 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: *McDonald's Around The World: Marvels Never Cease, Especially in Asia *If you think McDonald's sells the same burgers and fries everywhere in the world, think again – here in Asia they’ve had to make some concessions to local tastes and come up with some peculiar fast-food variations on Asian favourites. It all started with the *Samurai Pork Burger*. I saw this advertised outside a McDonald's in Bangkok back in 2004 and was somewhat perplexed. Why is it a Japanese name when I’m in Thailand? And what do Samurai have to do with pork? Actually, why is it called Samurai at all? Sadly, I never actually found out any of the answers, but it made me start paying closer attention to McDonald's every time I went to another country in Asia. http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA4P2fd4I/AAABLp0/uZegIN_17AQ/s640/lkjhlkjhlkjhlk.jpg (Samurai Pork Burger, Bangkok, Thailand (left) and Thai Spicy Fish McDippers (right) - photos via http://travelhappy.info/) Perhaps more traditional for Thailand, the *Thai Spicy Fish McDippers*(image above right) are a piscine breadcrumb and chili overload. Incidentally, don’t actually expect to eat your fast food in Thailand fast – you will inevitably be handed your burger but have to wait five minutes for your fries, which will be dutifully brought to you – by which time, of course, you’ve eaten your burger… In Singapore, the national obsession with rice extends to having *rice cakes in your burger*. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA42LvwpI/AAABLp8/ve2XBbU6hkw/s640/poiuypoiupoiup.jpg (Rice Burgers, Singapore) I expected lots of interesting stuff in a Japanese McDonald's – McTentacles perhaps – but the menu was disappointingly ordinary. Although there were these – *Seaweed Flavoured Fries*. Also, see below-right: the tasty tentacle snack from Japan. Yum. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA5Td53mI/AAABLqE/0VKdEIZ6hUk/s640/r5hsdrhdbgc.jpg In Hong Kong, I nearly got arrested for taking this photo of the *Green Tea and Red Bean Ice Cream Sundae*. Didn’t realise they guarded their secret bean recipe quite so zealously. http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA52nQl5I/AAABLqM/NxUGAjwV6Wo/s640/oiuyoiuyoiuyo.jpg (Green Tea And Red Bean Sundae, Hong Kong) In Indonesia, as the world’s largest Muslim country, chicken is far more popular than beefburgers (and, of course, the Samurai Pork Burger would be completely taboo). Hence you get combo sets of chicken, rice and Coke: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKIOz8GTkI/AAABLss/paNpZ5o1Dto/s640/876tri.jpg Chicken, Rice and Coke, Jakarta, Indonesia Perhaps my biggest WTF moment (Weird and Troubling Food, naturally) in a McDonald's was in the Philippines, when I spotted the clotted mess that is *McSpaghetti*. (McDo indeed). My Filipino friends explained to me that it was incredibly popular and basically consisted of spaghetti soaked in sugar. E. Let me repeat this: *Spaghetti - Soaked In - Sugar!*. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKA7FI2mgI/AAABLqc/PBbCY47wbyU/s640/kiuglkhjulkjhlkj.jpg McSpaghetti, Philippines I also seem to remember that when I first went to Australia in 2003, there was a *Billabong Burger* that had tinned beetroot between two patties. Sadly (or perhaps thankfully), I don’t have any photographic evidence, though it tasted as grim as it sounds. There was also a similar one called *McOz* with only one patty (plus the tinned beetroot that is ubiquitous in Australia – fresh beetroot isn’t nearly as popular). *Spam, Spam, Spam, Eggs, Bacon, and Spam* David Gardner shares his experience: Did you know you can get Spam, eggs, and rice for a McDonald’s Breakfast in Honolulu? Yup. Right there on Kalakaua St facing Waikiki. Totally cool! See this classic Monty Python sketch to truly appreciate the irony. http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKKt3pu86I/AAABLtI/TmSY29kS1qY/s640/oi7to87toyu.jpg In the middle of Moscow, on a busy Arbat street, you can get a take-out for your horse: http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SvKF07V7F6I/AAABLr4/Kr773aWft50/s640/lkjhlkjhlkjhl343.jpg
[scifinoir2] Holiday suggestions for Comic Book fans
http://www.gazette.com/articles/gifts-89603-every-fan.html You can brighten the holidays for the comics fan in your life with gifts for the bookshelf and the toy box. Here are some suggestions: Marvel: The Expanding Universe Wall Chart is a unique coffee-table book without a spine. Open it one way and it offers a history of Marvel Comics and some short, fun features on Marvel. Open it the other way and it expands into a 12-by-3 1/2-foot poster featuring more than 300 Marvel characters against an atomic design pattern reflecting connections between the characters. (Universe, $45) http://www.gazette.com/articles/gifts-89603-every-fan.html
RE: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar?
If time will permit. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ahar...@earthlink.net Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:16:07 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar? ahar...@earthlink.net Me too! Amy - Original Message - From: Tracey de Morsella To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:10 AM Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar? I’m there From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of George Arterberry Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:41 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] Who else is looking forward to Avatar? Reviews I've read were generally positive No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.716 / Virus Database: 270.14.104/2560 - Release Date: 12/12/09 02:38:00 _ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/
RE: [scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill
Sound slike this kid did the same kind of hack that my niece did on her cell when my sister put her on her account. My sister's bill, normally $68 a month, ballooned to almost $700 in one month. (My niece loves to download and text. LVS to download and text.) If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:13:43 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill http://www.ktvu.com/news/21927813/detail.html -- _ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/
RE: [scifinoir2] James Cameron confirms Fantastic Voyage, Battle Angel
I'll just ignore the remake and get happy over Battle Angel Alita. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com; ggs...@yahoo.com; cinque3...@verizon.net From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:00:29 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] James Cameron confirms Fantastic Voyage, Battle Angel Avatar, James Cameron's 3-D sci-fi epic, is envisioned as the start of a franchise, and Cameron confirmed Friday that he has mapped out sequels for the movie, which is one of the film's he'd direct next—that, or his long-envisioned film version of the anime Battle Angel Alita. Cameron, meanwhile, confirmed that he is producing and developing a script for—but will not direct—a new version of the classic sci-fi movie Fantastic Voyage, which he promised will be very different. Fantastic Voyage With regard to sequels to Avatar, which opens on Dec. 18, Cameron said, We joked about this all the time. We cut to 10 years later, Jake's [Sam Worthington] kind of fat and sitting in Home Tree and says, 'Honey get me a beer,' and Neytiri's [Zoe Saldana] like, 'Get your own beer.' You know, that's kind of the reality of a love story 10 years later [laughs]. Seriously, though, Cameron said in a press conference in London: Actually, you know, when I pitched this to 20th Century Fox four and a half years ago, I said, 'You know, we're going to spend a lot of money and time and energy creating not only a process but the assets, the CG assets, we call them: all the models of every rock and tree and plant and creature and the muscle rigs for all the creatures and the facial rigging for the main characters and all that,' and [that's] huge, millions and millions of dollars. So it really makes sense to think of it as the potential start of a franchise, if you will, or a saga that plays out over several acts, each movie being an act of that saga. And I have it mapped out, but I haven't written the scripts yet. And it all depends on whether we do well with the first film. But that was certainly the intention from the beginning: to create a foundation for a persistent world. Cameron confirmed to SCI FI Wire after the press conference that he will produce the new Fantastic Voyage, based on the 1966 sci-fi movie that starred Raquel Welch, about a team of scientists in a miniaturized submarine who navigate a human body to zap an inoperable tumor. Well, we've been working on a script for Fantastic Voyage, but that's not for me to direct, Cameron said. That's just a produced project, yeah. It's quite different. But it's got enough of the original story that you'll still recognize it. Cameron also confirmed that he's still considering directing Battle Angel Alita, based on a manga series that is also the basis of a popular anime series, about an amnesiac female cyborg who is discovered in a futuristic dystopian world. Battle Angel is one of the films I'll be considering when I decide what to do next, Cameron added. Does that mean he'd do any Avatar sequel afterwards? Not necessarily, he said. That's part of the decision-making process. Look for more Avatar news and a review on SCI FI Wire soon! http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/james-cameron-confirms-fa.php _ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/
RE: [scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones?
No complaints from me. And I'm so glad that the kid changed his name... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:53:33 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones? Fresh off his British Independent Film Award wins for Best Film and Best Debut Director this week for his low-budget mini-masterpiece Moon, Duncan Jones (formerly known as Zowie Bowie, son of rocker David Bowie) is gearing up to tackle the SF thriller Source Code. According to a Tweet from Production Weekly, Jones will start pre-production in a few weeks and will film this spring in Montreal. Variety reports that Source Code is the story of a soldier who finds himself repeatedly placed in the body of another person just before the detonation of a bomb on a commuter train. Prince of Persia's Jake Gyllenhaal, currently starring in the drama Brothers with Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, has been in negotiations to play the lead, replacing Topher Grace. SF fans could say that this premise seems like a cocktail of Quantum Leap Groundhog's Day, and the time-travel show Seven Days. But if Jones showed such chops taking established SF tropes and making them seem fresh in Moon, do you think he can pull off the premise of Source Code? http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/whats-next-for-moon-direc.php#more _ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/
RE: [scifinoir2] It's Complicated
Tracey, it was on one of the Showtimes last week, and I had to run out the door on a late errand, ended up missing more than half of it, so I'm just waiting for the next showing. Supposed to be tomorrow morning. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:08:17 -0800 Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] It's Complicated I liked doubt. Anyone see it? -Original Message- From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelwyn Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 5:40 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] It's Complicated http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-complicated.html It's Complicated is the title of a new Meryl Streep movie and a succinct synopsis of the dilemma facing actresses of a certain age. Meryl Streep is sixty and, while she continues to age beautifully, you are not impressed in the same way you are when someone mentions that Diane Keaton is 63 or that Dame Helen Mirren is 64 (and still posing in bikinis). In other words, no exclamation points will ensue. Still, like Scott Baio being 46 and pregnant, Meryl Steep headlining movies at 60 years of age is both remarkable and noteworthy. Not only is Meryl Streep starring in movies, she is starring in blockbusters. Her last three movies have a combined worldwide box office of $777 million, and that includes the rather paltry $50 million Doubt brought in. __ http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYa hoo! Groups Links _ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/
RE: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy
If memory serves, Keith, that trial was because she'd dared to use technology in a post-WWIII world where it had been outlawed. And I'm missing anthology series as well. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:00:40 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy Yeah, the clip shows they used to connect completely disparate eps of Outer Limits were an abomination. I remember them trying to connect the ep about the lady who traveled through time to kill future criminals. There's also an older actor, a very slim man who guest starred in a couple of eps. They tried to weave his shows in too. In fact, I completely skipped the series finale, where Charleton Heston and others have some kind of trial. What was up with that? Gosh, i'm really missing anthology shows! I'm getting really nostalgic, thinking about everything from Alfred Hitchcok Presents, to Creepshow, from Friday the 13th to A Touch of Evil, Tales from the Darkside to Amazing Stories. Not all were great shows, but I miss the concept. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 4:47:56 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy It was good stuff. They did weaken a bit when they tried to string together several of the common story lines using clip shows. (shudder) And I've been trying to watch Enterprise, but I just had a stampede of teenagers through my living room. My synapses were using smoke signals to communicate. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:05:42 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy Sorry you missed it. Good shows. You know, I realize how much i miss good scifi anthology series. One problem I have with all the shows on the tube now--good and bad--is that it's the same universe week after week. Shows like Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, etc., created completely new worlds each week, with different subject matter and different actors. Just in the brief marathon I saw today, I got to enjoy Rebecca DeMornay, John Savage, Timothy Bussfield, and a host of character actors from all over the place. Really miss that format And, there's a decent ep of Enterprise on now. It was toward the end of the Xindi storyline, where some of the shows were actually not bad at all. After the time travel foolishness (the exploding sphere, then Archer's in a Nazi-occupied NYC???) the show got much better. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 3:54:27 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy And guess who wanders in with six minutes left in the marathon? If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:08:31 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy SyFy is running an Outer Limits marathon right now. They're running the eps from the second series from the '90s, not the original black-and-white eps. I will say, I always enjoyed this series. Unlike Twilight Zone, Outer Limits seemed to me to have a higher quality remake. Zone was very hit-and-miss in both its reincarnations, but Limits was in the main very enjoyable. Perhaps it's because Limits tended to be more straightforward scifi, where Zone dealt with supernatural as well? Or maybe no one could do it as well as Serling? At any rate, they've shown some good ones so for. The one on now starts with a demonic looking teddy bear pulling a little boy under his bed into limbo. Gotta admit: that little toy with its glowing red eyes was downright creepy! Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now. _ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/
RE: [scifinoir2] [Norway Cloud Spiral]
Mr Worf, I've been a conspiracy theorist since I turned 15. I doubt everything I first hear, when it comes to such things. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:39:02 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] [Norway Cloud Spiral] Its possible but I have never seen blue flames for that long of a distance. Have you? Putin is still on his Russian superiority kick though. I wouldn't be surprised that he has started a new missile program. On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 1:15 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: Russian missile test... okay. Suuure... And I like Pat Buchanan. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:45:20 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] [Norway Cloud Spiral] Russian Nuclear Missile Test Fails, Visible In Norway - NYT - Dec 10, 2009 MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia admitted on Thursday another failed test of its much-touted Bulava intercontinental missile, after unusual lights were spotted in Norway across the border from the launch site. -- Danilo Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ _ Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222984/direct/01/attachment: ATT1
[scifinoir2] Enroute to the sixth extinction
atimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-corwin30-2009nov30,0,7760875.story latimes.com Opinion The sixth extinction Somewhere on Earth, every 20 minutes, one animal species dies out. At this rate, we will lose 50% of all species by the end of the century. Time is running out to turn the tide. By Jeff Corwin November 30, 2009 There is a holocaust happening. Right now. And it's not confined to one nation or even one region. It is a global crisis. Species are going extinct en masse. Every 20 minutes we lose an animal species. If this rate continues, by century's end, 50% of all living species will be gone. It is a phenomenon known as the sixth extinction. The fifth extinction took place 65 million years ago when a meteor smashed into the Earth, killing off the dinosaurs and many other species and opening the door for the rise of mammals. Currently, the sixth extinction is on track to dwarf the fifth. What -- or more correctly -- who is to blame this time? As Pogo said, We have met the enemy, and he is us. The causes of this mass die-off are many: overpopulation, loss of habitat, global warming, species exploitation (the black market for rare animal parts is the third-largest illegal trade in the world, outranked only by weapons and drugs). The list goes on, but it all points to us. Over the last 15 years, in the course of producing television documentaries and writing about wildlife, I have traveled the globe, and I have witnessed the grim carnage firsthand. I've observed the same story playing out in different locales. In South Africa, off the coast of Cape Horn, lives one of the most feared predators of all -- the great white shark. Yet this awesome creature is powerless before the mindless killing spree that is decimating its species at the jaw-dropping rate of 100 million sharks a year. Many are captured so that their dorsal fins can be chopped off (for shark fin soup). Then, still alive, they are dropped back into the sea, where they die a slow and painful death. Further east, in Indonesia, I witnessed the mass destruction of rain forests to make way for palm oil plantations. Indonesia is now the world's leading producer of palm oil -- a product used in many packaged foods and cosmetic goods -- and the victims are the Sumatran elephant and orangutan. These beautiful creatures are on the brink of extinction as their habitats go up in smoke, further warming our planet in the process. One day while swimming off the coast of Indonesia, I came across a river of refuse and raw sewage stretching for miles. These streams and islands of refuse now populate all our oceans; in the middle of the Pacific, there is an island of garbage the size of Texas. This floating pollution serves to choke off and kill sea turtles -- driving them closer to extinction. At the same time, the coral reefs where sea turtles get their food supply are dying due to rising sea temperatures from global warming. To top it off, sea turtles are hunted and killed for their meat -- considered a delicacy in many Asian countries. It is an ugly but altogether effective one-two-three punch for this unique species. It's important to understand that this is not just a race to save a handful of charismatic species -- animals to which we attach human-inspired values or characteristics. Who wouldn't want to save the sea otter, polar bear, giant panda or gorilla? These striking mammals tug at our heartstrings and often our charitable purse strings. But our actions need to be just as swift and determined when it comes to the valley elderberry longhorn beetle or the distinctly uncuddly, pebbly-skinned Puerto Rican crested toad or the black-footed ferret, whose fate is inextricably intertwined with that of the prairie dog. The reality is that each species, no matter how big, small, friendly or vicious, plays an important and essential role in its ecosystem. And we're in a race to preserve as much of the animal kingdom as possible. Meanwhile, around the planet there are massive die-offs of amphibians, the canaries in our global coal mine. When frogs and other amphibians, which have existed for hundreds of millions of years, start to vanish, it is a sign that our natural world is in a state of peril. Bat and bee populations are also being decimated. Without bees, there will be no pollination, and without pollination, the predator that is decimating these other species -- humankind -- will also be headed toward its own extinction. Yes, there is a certain irony there. This was all brought home to me in an intimate way after a recent trip to Panama. My young daughter, Maya, asked if she could accompany me on my next trip there so that she could see one of her favorite animals -- the http://frogPanamanian golden frog -- up close and personal in the jungle. Sadly, I had to tell her no. This small, beautiful frog -- the national symbol of Panama -- no longer exists in the wild. Only a few live
[scifinoir2] Enroute to the sixth extinction
ahar...@earthlink.net Thanks for this, passing it on. Enroute to the sixth extinction atimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-corwin30-2009nov30,0,7760875.story latimes.com Opinion The sixth extinction Somewhere on Earth, every 20 minutes, one animal species dies out. At this rate, we will lose 50% of all species by the end of the century. Time is running out to turn the tide. By Jeff Corwin November 30, 2009 There is a holocaust happening. Right now. And it's not confined to one nation or even one region. It is a global crisis. Species are going extinct en masse. Every 20 minutes we lose an animal species. If this rate continues, by century's end, 50% of all living species will be gone. It is a phenomenon known as the sixth extinction. The fifth extinction took place 65 million years ago when a meteor smashed into the Earth, killing off the dinosaurs and many other species and opening the door for the rise of mammals. Currently, the sixth extinction is on track to dwarf the fifth. What -- or more correctly -- who is to blame this time? As Pogo said, We have met the enemy, and he is us. The causes of this mass die-off are many: overpopulation, loss of habitat, global warming, species exploitation (the black market for rare animal parts is the third-largest illegal trade in the world, outranked only by weapons and drugs). The list goes on, but it all points to us. Over the last 15 years, in the course of producing television documentaries and writing about wildlife, I have traveled the globe, and I have witnessed the grim carnage firsthand. I've observed the same story playing out in different locales. In South Africa, off the coast of Cape Horn, lives one of the most feared predators of all -- the great white shark. Yet this awesome creature is powerless before the mindless killing spree that is decimating its species at the jaw-dropping rate of 100 million sharks a year. Many are captured so that their dorsal fins can be chopped off (for shark fin soup). Then, still alive, they are dropped back into the sea, where they die a slow and painful death. Further east, in Indonesia, I witnessed the mass destruction of rain forests to make way for palm oil plantations. Indonesia is now the world's leading producer of palm oil -- a product used in many packaged foods and cosmetic goods -- and the victims are the Sumatran elephant and orangutan. These beautiful creatures are on the brink of extinction as their habitats go up in smoke, further warming our planet in the process. One day while swimming off the coast of Indonesia, I came across a river of refuse and raw sewage stretching for miles. These streams and islands of refuse now populate all our oceans; in the middle of the Pacific, there is an island of garbage the size of Texas. This floating pollution serves to choke off and kill sea turtles -- driving them closer to extinction. At the same time, the coral reefs where sea turtles get their food supply are dying due to rising sea temperatures from global warming. To top it off, sea turtles are hunted and killed for their meat -- considered a delicacy in many Asian countries. It is an ugly but altogether effective one-two-three punch for this unique species. It's important to understand that this is not just a race to save a handful of charismatic species -- animals to which we attach human-inspired values or characteristics. Who wouldn't want to save the sea otter, polar bear, giant panda or gorilla? These striking mammals tug at our heartstrings and often our charitable purse strings. But our actions need to be just as swift and determined when it comes to the valley elderberry longhorn beetle or the distinctly uncuddly, pebbly-skinned Puerto Rican crested toad or the black-footed ferret, whose fate is inextricably intertwined with that of the prairie dog. The reality is that each species, no matter how big, small, friendly or vicious, plays an important and essential role in its ecosystem. And we're in a race to preserve as much of the animal kingdom as possible. Meanwhile, around the planet there are massive die-offs of amphibians, the canaries in our global coal mine. When frogs and other amphibians, which have existed for hundreds of millions of years, start to vanish, it is a sign that our natural world is in a state of peril. Bat and bee populations are also being decimated. Without bees, there will be no pollination, and without pollination, the predator that is decimating these other species -- humankind -- will also be headed toward its own extinction. Yes, there is a certain irony there. This was all brought home to me in an intimate way after a recent trip to Panama. My young daughter, Maya, asked if she could accompany me on my next trip there so that she could see one of her favorite animals -- the http://frogPanamanian golden frog -- up close and personal in the jungle. Sadly, I had to tell her no. This small,
RE: [scifinoir2] Enroute to the sixth extinction
And the horrifying part is that so few people in power seem willing to admit that the crisis even exists. I was watching something on Animal Planet yesterday, and they were discussing the ivory trade, and how an international treaty meant to protect elephant slaughter by banning the sale of ivory had been, in '96, casually set aside for three countries. One day, there'll be generations who'll see pictures of these grand creatures in books and say, I wonder what they were like in real life... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:20:08 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Enroute to the sixth extinction atimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-corwin30-2009nov30,0,7760875.story latimes.com Opinion The sixth extinction Somewhere on Earth, every 20 minutes, one animal species dies out. At this rate, we will lose 50% of all species by the end of the century. Time is running out to turn the tide. By Jeff Corwin November 30, 2009 There is a holocaust happening. Right now. And it's not confined to one nation or even one region. It is a global crisis. Species are going extinct en masse. Every 20 minutes we lose an animal species. If this rate continues, by century's end, 50% of all living species will be gone. It is a phenomenon known as the sixth extinction. The fifth extinction took place 65 million years ago when a meteor smashed into the Earth, killing off the dinosaurs and many other species and opening the door for the rise of mammals. Currently, the sixth extinction is on track to dwarf the fifth. What -- or more correctly -- who is to blame this time? As Pogo said, We have met the enemy, and he is us. The causes of this mass die-off are many: overpopulation, loss of habitat, global warming, species exploitation (the black market for rare animal parts is the third-largest illegal trade in the world, outranked only by weapons and drugs). The list goes on, but it all points to us. Over the last 15 years, in the course of producing television documentaries and writing about wildlife, I have traveled the globe, and I have witnessed the grim carnage firsthand. I've observed the same story playing out in different locales. In South Africa, off the coast of Cape Horn, lives one of the most feared predators of all -- the great white shark. Yet this awesome creature is powerless before the mindless killing spree that is decimating its species at the jaw-dropping rate of 100 million sharks a year. Many are captured so that their dorsal fins can be chopped off (for shark fin soup). Then, still alive, they are dropped back into the sea, where they die a slow and painful death. Further east, in Indonesia, I witnessed the mass destruction of rain forests to make way for palm oil plantations. Indonesia is now the world's leading producer of palm oil -- a product used in many packaged foods and cosmetic goods -- and the victims are the Sumatran elephant and orangutan. These beautiful creatures are on the brink of extinction as their habitats go up in smoke, further warming our planet in the process. One day while swimming off the coast of Indonesia, I came across a river of refuse and raw sewage stretching for miles. These streams and islands of refuse now populate all our oceans; in the middle of the Pacific, there is an island of garbage the size of Texas. This floating pollution serves to choke off and kill sea turtles -- driving them closer to extinction. At the same time, the coral reefs where sea turtles get their food supply are dying due to rising sea temperatures from global warming. To top it off, sea turtles are hunted and killed for their meat -- considered a delicacy in many Asian countries. It is an ugly but altogether effective one-two-three punch for this unique species. It's important to understand that this is not just a race to save a handful of charismatic species -- animals to which we attach human-inspired values or characteristics. Who wouldn't want to save the sea otter, polar bear, giant panda or gorilla? These striking mammals tug at our heartstrings and often our charitable purse strings. But our actions need to be just as swift and determined when it comes to the valley elderberry longhorn beetle or the distinctly uncuddly, pebbly-skinned Puerto Rican crested toad or the black-footed ferret, whose fate is inextricably intertwined with that of the prairie dog. The reality is that each species, no matter how big, small, friendly or vicious, plays an important and essential role in its ecosystem. And we're in a race to preserve as much of the animal kingdom as possible. Meanwhile, around the planet there are massive die-offs of amphibians, the
RE: [scifinoir2] Holiday suggestions for Comic Book fans
Right now, Keith is showing this e-mail to his wife... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:42:12 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Holiday suggestions for Comic Book fans http://www.gazette.com/articles/gifts-89603-every-fan.html You can brighten the holidays for the comics fan in your life with gifts for the bookshelf and the toy box. Here are some suggestions: • Marvel: The Expanding Universe Wall Chart is a unique coffee-table book without a spine. Open it one way and it offers a history of Marvel Comics and some short, fun features on Marvel. Open it the other way and it expands into a 12-by-3 1/2-foot poster featuring more than 300 Marvel characters against an atomic design pattern reflecting connections between the characters. (Universe, $45) http://www.gazette.com/articles/gifts-89603-every-fan.html _ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222985/direct/01/
Re: [scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill
If you watch youtube on your phone that could start to add up really fast. The amount that they are talking about is about 2 movies worth of downloading. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 12:58 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.comwrote: Sound slike this kid did the same kind of hack that my niece did on her cell when my sister put her on her account. My sister's bill, normally $68 a month, ballooned to almost $700 in one month. (My niece loves to download and text. LVS to download and text.) If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:13:43 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill http://www.ktvu.com/news/21927813/detail.html -- -- Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now.http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] The Golden Child
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406228/posts http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406228/posts http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406228/posts Obama as a child and, in a startling precognition, already wearing his yet to be awarded Nobel Peace Prize! ~rave! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406228/posts
Re: [scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones?
David Bowie's real name is David Jones. He changed his names after the Monkees became famous. I think it helped his career a bit. They will probably be trotting out his christmas duet with Bing Crosby soon. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 1:01 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.comwrote: No complaints from me. And I'm so glad that the kid changed his name... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:53:33 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones? Fresh off his British Independent Film Award wins for Best Film and Best Debut Director this week for his low-budget mini-masterpiece *Moon*, Duncan Jones (formerly known as Zowie Bowie, son of rocker David Bowie) is gearing up to tackle the SF thriller *Source Code*. According to a Tweet from Production Weekly http://twitter.com/prodweek/status/6555467682, Jones will start pre-production in a few weeks and will film this spring in Montreal. Varietyhttp://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011029.html?categoryid=13cs=1reports that *Source Code* is the story of a soldier who finds himself repeatedly placed in the body of another person just before the detonation of a bomb on a commuter train. *Prince of Persia*'s Jake Gyllenhaal, currently starring in the drama *Brothers* with Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, has been in negotiations to play the lead, replacing Topher Grace. SF fans could say that this premise seems like a cocktail of *Quantum Leap Groundhog's Day*, and the time-travel show *Seven Days*. But if Jones showed such chops taking established SF tropes and making them seem fresh in *Moon*, do you think he can pull off the premise of *Source Code*? http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/whats-next-for-moon-direc.php#more -- Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now.http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Re: Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones?
I did not know this (and this is the kind of ephemera I traffic in). ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: David Bowie's real name is David Jones. He changed his names after the Monkees became famous. I think it helped his career a bit. They will probably be trotting out his christmas duet with Bing Crosby soon. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 1:01 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@...wrote: No complaints from me. And I'm so glad that the kid changed his name... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: tdli...@... Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:53:33 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Time-travel movie next for Bowie's director son, Duncan Jones? Fresh off his British Independent Film Award wins for Best Film and Best Debut Director this week for his low-budget mini-masterpiece *Moon*, Duncan Jones (formerly known as Zowie Bowie, son of rocker David Bowie) is gearing up to tackle the SF thriller *Source Code*. According to a Tweet from Production Weekly http://twitter.com/prodweek/status/6555467682, Jones will start pre-production in a few weeks and will film this spring in Montreal. Varietyhttp://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011029.html?categoryid=13cs=1reports that *Source Code* is the story of a soldier who finds himself repeatedly placed in the body of another person just before the detonation of a bomb on a commuter train. *Prince of Persia*'s Jake Gyllenhaal, currently starring in the drama *Brothers* with Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, has been in negotiations to play the lead, replacing Topher Grace. SF fans could say that this premise seems like a cocktail of *Quantum Leap Groundhog's Day*, and the time-travel show *Seven Days*. But if Jones showed such chops taking established SF tropes and making them seem fresh in *Moon*, do you think he can pull off the premise of *Source Code*? http://scifiwire.com/2009/12/whats-next-for-moon-direc.php#more -- Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now.http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] HOW TO make a $300 high-speed book scanner
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/20/howo-make-a-300-high.html http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/20/howo-make-a-300-high.html http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/20/howo-make-a-300-high.html It's funny. Just today I was telling my daughter how I had a tooth for the new Kindle DX but how I couldn't see spending $500 for one. My pragmatic daughter asked me if the books were free and, when I told her you still had to purchase the electronic books, she was less than impressed. I guess I am not getting one for Christmas. ~rave! http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/20/howo-make-a-300-high.html
[scifinoir2] Reformed Alien in Raisin Bran Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByyJYiqo_eQfeature=player_embedded#
Re: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy
okay, thanks for the explanation. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:12:12 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy If memory serves, Keith, that trial was because she'd dared to use technology in a post-WWIII world where it had been outlawed. And I'm missing anthology series as well. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:00:40 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy Yeah, the clip shows they used to connect completely disparate eps of Outer Limits were an abomination. I remember them trying to connect the ep about the lady who traveled through time to kill future criminals. There's also an older actor, a very slim man who guest starred in a couple of eps. They tried to weave his shows in too. In fact, I completely skipped the series finale, where Charleton Heston and others have some kind of trial. What was up with that? Gosh, i'm really missing anthology shows! I'm getting really nostalgic, thinking about everything from Alfred Hitchcok Presents, to Creepshow, from Friday the 13th to A Touch of Evil, Tales from the Darkside to Amazing Stories. Not all were great shows, but I miss the concept. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 4:47:56 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy It was good stuff. They did weaken a bit when they tried to string together several of the common story lines using clip shows. (shudder) And I've been trying to watch Enterprise, but I just had a stampede of teenagers through my living room. My synapses were using smoke signals to communicate. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:05:42 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy Sorry you missed it. Good shows. You know, I realize how much i miss good scifi anthology series. One problem I have with all the shows on the tube now--good and bad--is that it's the same universe week after week. Shows like Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, etc., created completely new worlds each week, with different subject matter and different actors. Just in the brief marathon I saw today, I got to enjoy Rebecca DeMornay, John Savage, Timothy Bussfield, and a host of character actors from all over the place. Really miss that format And, there's a decent ep of Enterprise on now. It was toward the end of the Xindi storyline, where some of the shows were actually not bad at all. After the time travel foolishness (the exploding sphere, then Archer's in a Nazi-occupied NYC???) the show got much better. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 3:54:27 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy And guess who wanders in with six minutes left in the marathon? If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:08:31 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Outer Limits Marathon on SyFy SyFy is running an Outer Limits marathon right now. They're running the eps from the second series from the '90s, not the original black-and-white eps. I will say, I always enjoyed this series. Unlike Twilight Zone, Outer Limits seemed to me to have a higher quality remake. Zone was very hit-and-miss in both its reincarnations, but Limits was in the main very enjoyable. Perhaps it's because Limits tended to be more straightforward scifi, where Zone dealt with supernatural as well? Or maybe no one could do it as well as Serling? At any rate, they've shown some good ones so for. The one on now starts with a demonic looking teddy bear pulling a little boy under his bed into limbo. Gotta admit: that little toy with its glowing red eyes was downright creepy! Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now. Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now.
[scifinoir2] Is the movie its a wonderful life a scifi movie?
Can we count the Christmas classic Its a wonderful life as a scifi movie? It has the following: 1. A ghost or angel 2. attempted suicide and redemption 3. Near death experience 3. Alternate universe / time line 4. police chase I could go on, but what do you think?
Re: [scifinoir2] Is the movie its a wonderful life a scifi movie?
all those things fall under the mystical or supernatural, so I wouldn't call it scifi in standard definition of the term. It depends on a belief in a Christian god, which isn't universal, and as such, can't be proved. One could write a story dealing with advanced beings with all the appearances of angels--indeed, many, many scifi stories center around such beings, from Stargate's Ascended beings to the Vorlons of Babylon 5. But those specifically deal with beings of science that are evolved past us through scientific fact or extrapolation, while this movie is based on faith, belief, and mysticism. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 1:55:50 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Is the movie its a wonderful life a scifi movie? Can we count the Christmas classic Its a wonderful life as a scifi movie? It has the following: 1. A ghost or angel 2. attempted suicide and redemption 3. Near death experience 3. Alternate universe / time line 4. police chase I could go on, but what do you think?
Re: [scifinoir2] Enroute to the sixth extinction
In Zimbabwe the government has been in a serious war against poachers that have been trying to hunt down every gorilla that they can find. I think the real problem is that we have many people that have gotten caught between the old way of doing things and the capitalistic system. You can have a people that still live in villages but they can no longer hunt, fish or farm for food because the land has been bought by corporations. This forces people to move to cities to make money. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 1:33 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.comwrote: And the horrifying part is that so few people in power seem willing to admit that the crisis even exists. I was watching something on Animal Planet yesterday, and they were discussing the ivory trade, and how an international treaty meant to protect elephant slaughter by banning the sale of ivory had been, in '96, casually set aside for three countries. One day, there'll be generations who'll see pictures of these grand creatures in books and say, I wonder what they were like in real life... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:20:08 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Enroute to the sixth extinction atimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-corwin30-2009nov30,0,7760875.story latimes.com Opinion The sixth extinction Somewhere on Earth, every 20 minutes, one animal species dies out. At this rate, we will lose 50% of all species by the end of the century. Time is running out to turn the tide. By Jeff Corwin November 30, 2009 There is a holocaust happening. Right now. And it's not confined to one nation or even one region. It is a global crisis. Species are going extinct en masse. Every 20 minutes we lose an animal species. If this rate continues, by century's end, 50% of all living species will be gone. It is a phenomenon known as the sixth extinction. The fifth extinction took place 65 million years ago when a meteor smashed into the Earth, killing off the dinosaurs and many other species and opening the door for the rise of mammals. Currently, the sixth extinction is on track to dwarf the fifth. What -- or more correctly -- who is to blame this time? As Pogo said, We have met the enemy, and he is us. The causes of this mass die-off are many: overpopulation, loss of habitat, global warming, species exploitation (the black market for rare animal parts is the third-largest illegal trade in the world, outranked only by weapons and drugs). The list goes on, but it all points to us. Over the last 15 years, in the course of producing television documentaries and writing about wildlife, I have traveled the globe, and I have witnessed the grim carnage firsthand. I've observed the same story playing out in different locales. In South Africa, off the coast of Cape Horn, lives one of the most feared predators of all -- the great white shark. Yet this awesome creature is powerless before the mindless killing spree that is decimating its species at the jaw-dropping rate of 100 million sharks a year. Many are captured so that their dorsal fins can be chopped off (for shark fin soup). Then, still alive, they are dropped back into the sea, where they die a slow and painful death. Further east, in Indonesia, I witnessed the mass destruction of rain forests to make way for palm oil plantations. Indonesia is now the world's leading producer of palm oil -- a product used in many packaged foods and cosmetic goods -- and the victims are the Sumatran elephant and orangutan. These beautiful creatures are on the brink of extinction as their habitats go up in smoke, further warming our planet in the process. One day while swimming off the coast of Indonesia, I came across a river of refuse and raw sewage stretching for miles. These streams and islands of refuse now populate all our oceans; in the middle of the Pacific, there is an island of garbage the size of Texas. This floating pollution serves to choke off and kill sea turtles -- driving them closer to extinction. At the same time, the coral reefs where sea turtles get their food supply are dying due to rising sea temperatures from global warming. To top it off, sea turtles are hunted and killed for their meat -- considered a delicacy in many Asian countries. It is an ugly but altogether effective one-two-three punch for this unique species. It's important to understand that this is not just a race to save a handful of charismatic species -- animals to which we attach human-inspired values or characteristics. Who wouldn't want to save the sea otter, polar bear, giant panda or gorilla? These striking mammals tug at our heartstrings and often our charitable purse strings. But our actions need to be just as swift
Re: [scifinoir2] Is the movie its a wonderful life a scifi movie?
Considering that it was 1946 I don't think that they would have taken any other route. Stuff like that didn't appear until Creepshow and the Twilight zone. The early censors would have shut them down. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 11:00 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: all those things fall under the mystical or supernatural, so I wouldn't call it scifi in standard definition of the term. It depends on a belief in a Christian god, which isn't universal, and as such, can't be proved. One could write a story dealing with advanced beings with all the appearances of angels--indeed, many, many scifi stories center around such beings, from Stargate's Ascended beings to the Vorlons of Babylon 5. But those specifically deal with beings of science that are evolved past us through scientific fact or extrapolation, while this movie is based on faith, belief, and mysticism. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 1:55:50 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Is the movie its a wonderful life a scifi movie? Can we count the Christmas classic Its a wonderful life as a scifi movie? It has the following: 1. A ghost or angel 2. attempted suicide and redemption 3. Near death experience 3. Alternate universe / time line 4. police chase I could go on, but what do you think? -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
