Entry tags:
Linketies and Life and Max Headroom
Oh, life is good. I spent my morning under a pile of dogs; we had Bella overnight and Coco this morning. It was lovely and cuddly, and Grafton made me breakfast. It's nasty and cold outside, with a good bit of ice from some freezing rain last night that blew in before the snow. It's surprising that it's taken this long to get snow on the ground in northern Ohio, though. Can't complain too much when I choose to live here partially because of the weather (I hate heat a lot more than I hate cold). It's a nice quiet Sunday at work, I've got Max Headroom (!!!!!!!*bounce*), the rest of yesterday's Doctor Who episode, the new Walking Dead volume, and I'm halfway through Unseen Academicals. I also have yummy leftovers, hot chocolate, and nice warm long-johns under my pants. All in all, life is good. The only particular downside at the moment is that I'm definitely shifting more depressionward; there's a particular combination of anxiety and paralysis that's becoming background color in my life even when I'm not feeling particularly down or sad at the moment. I definitely need to get in gear with some of my coping tactics so I can weather it more easily, and without feeding it with my own screw-ups.
I'm most especially excited about the Max Headroom; it was one of those shows that made a huge impression on me when I was a kid (Alien Nation was another that I think has stood the test of time admirably). It's taken ages to come out on DVD, so I've wondered whether I'll still like it as much, and how well it'll stand up to time. I watched the first episode last night, and I have to say I think that thematically it stands up incredibly well -- the biggest problem is that they didn't push the tech far enough -- they had no idea what we'd actually be able to do within 20 years. Interesting to watch a random woman reporting the news happening around her direct into her home TV-phone, and that being picked up and distributed by the network. It's the very basic version of what happens now with cellphone cameras and such. Max himself is really the only drastically unrealistic element, and that's only fitting for a scifi show, so willing suspension of disbelief there.
Other shows that stand the test of time pretty well? I have to say that Rocky and Bullwinkle has to get a vote from me; we've been watching a decent amount of it recently. The Fractured Fairy Tales segments hold up particularly well in my opinion, and rather presage the increased interest in recent years in creative retellings of fairy tales.
Tardigrades are awesome -- We were talking about my brother's various degrees and studies, and he's the one that introduced me to these fascinating critters, since they were a focus of his research for quite a while. I think everyone should know about them, because they're just that cool.
Tardigrade movies and pictures
Holy crap; there's now a Tardigrade plushy!
James got Neil DeGrasse Tyson as a graduation speaker. Jealous? Me?
Homeland Sec. Secretary urges passage of DREAM Act
Tension grows between Calif. Muslims, FBI after informant infiltrates mosque
Pakistan police officers to be arrested over death of Benazir Bhutto
The men controversially ordered the crime scene to be hosed down less than two hours after the killing
moon fish -- Giant and weird. I actually recommend the pics and discussion in the comments more than the post itself.
More: Further to the earlier entry on Mola mola, aka Moonfish, aka Sunfish.
By Royal Appointment: Will & Kate the Humboldt Penguins
RADICAL CARTOGRAPHY -- Lots of fascinating stuff
Sunset at the Spiral Jetty
Rock Beyond Belief
Latino leaders swirl around idea of Tequila Party
Wikileaks Files Reveal Secret US-Yemen Bomb Deal
Held as slaves, now free
Black ballet: Pointe breakBallet is typically a white upper-class pursuit, right? Hannah Pool on a company trying to change all that…
American embassy-report disses foreign affairs minister Carl Bildt.
LEGAL ANALYSIS: What to expect as Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel hears Proposition 8 oral arguments
Dirty Little Secrets in NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau
Witch hunts, injustice, and just plain incompetence in the secretive police-department-within-a-department
Looks like that's it for now, my folders are empty.
I'm most especially excited about the Max Headroom; it was one of those shows that made a huge impression on me when I was a kid (Alien Nation was another that I think has stood the test of time admirably). It's taken ages to come out on DVD, so I've wondered whether I'll still like it as much, and how well it'll stand up to time. I watched the first episode last night, and I have to say I think that thematically it stands up incredibly well -- the biggest problem is that they didn't push the tech far enough -- they had no idea what we'd actually be able to do within 20 years. Interesting to watch a random woman reporting the news happening around her direct into her home TV-phone, and that being picked up and distributed by the network. It's the very basic version of what happens now with cellphone cameras and such. Max himself is really the only drastically unrealistic element, and that's only fitting for a scifi show, so willing suspension of disbelief there.
Other shows that stand the test of time pretty well? I have to say that Rocky and Bullwinkle has to get a vote from me; we've been watching a decent amount of it recently. The Fractured Fairy Tales segments hold up particularly well in my opinion, and rather presage the increased interest in recent years in creative retellings of fairy tales.
Tardigrades are awesome -- We were talking about my brother's various degrees and studies, and he's the one that introduced me to these fascinating critters, since they were a focus of his research for quite a while. I think everyone should know about them, because they're just that cool.
Tardigrade movies and pictures
Holy crap; there's now a Tardigrade plushy!
James got Neil DeGrasse Tyson as a graduation speaker. Jealous? Me?
Homeland Sec. Secretary urges passage of DREAM Act
Tension grows between Calif. Muslims, FBI after informant infiltrates mosque
Pakistan police officers to be arrested over death of Benazir Bhutto
The men controversially ordered the crime scene to be hosed down less than two hours after the killing
moon fish -- Giant and weird. I actually recommend the pics and discussion in the comments more than the post itself.
More: Further to the earlier entry on Mola mola, aka Moonfish, aka Sunfish.
By Royal Appointment: Will & Kate the Humboldt Penguins
RADICAL CARTOGRAPHY -- Lots of fascinating stuff
Sunset at the Spiral Jetty
Rock Beyond Belief
Latino leaders swirl around idea of Tequila Party
Wikileaks Files Reveal Secret US-Yemen Bomb Deal
Held as slaves, now free
Black ballet: Pointe breakBallet is typically a white upper-class pursuit, right? Hannah Pool on a company trying to change all that…
American embassy-report disses foreign affairs minister Carl Bildt.
LEGAL ANALYSIS: What to expect as Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel hears Proposition 8 oral arguments
Dirty Little Secrets in NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau
Witch hunts, injustice, and just plain incompetence in the secretive police-department-within-a-department
Looks like that's it for now, my folders are empty.