Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Worst of the Worst

This publication prides itself on presenting what it considers to be the finest in cinema, literature, comedy, and social commentary. Occasionally, however, it becomes impossible to resist presenting the absolute worst in the aforementioned categories. This post is one such circumstance.

Today's homage is to absolute cinematic garbage - two of the worst fight scenes ever filmed.

Click here to watch Captain Kirk battle a monster in a vicious battle to the death.

Then click here to watch a fight scene from an 80's martial arts B-movie that makes Kickboxer IV: The Aggressor look like Masterpiece Theatre.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

OPSEC

Colonel Lucas: Your report specifies intelligence/counterintelligence with ComSec I-Corps.

Captain Willard: I'm not presently disposed to discuss those operations, sir.

Colonel Lucas: Did you not work for the CIA in I-Corps?


Captain Willard: No, sir.

Colonel Lucas: Did you not assassinate a government tax collector in Quang Tri province, June 19th, 1968? Captain?

Captain Willard: Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation... nor would I be disposed to discuss such an operation if it did in fact exist, sir.


-Apocalypse Now

Heart of Darkness


Colonel Kurtz: Are you an assassin, Willard?

Willard: I'm a soldier.

Colonel Kurtz: You're neither! You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks....to collect a bill.


-Apocalypse Now

Monday, December 20, 2010

こんな夢を見た ("I had such a dream")

Here are screenshots from Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, Dreams...

Foxes holding their weddings when it rains


Foxes live under the rainbows


"The snow is warm...the ice is hot..."


The Snow Demon


Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Ultimate Toy

Fokker Dr.I, with a price-tag of only $200,000!!!

How I Learned to Love the Bomb

"Well, boys, I reckon this is it - nukular combat toe-to-toe with the Rooskies." - MAJ T.J. "King" Kong, Dr Strangelove

During the Cold War the United States kept nuclear-armed bombers in the skies 24 hours a day, ready to strike in the event of a Soviet attack. Bombers were only one of the available delivery methods, however.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, or ICBMs, the most sophisticated of which was the Minuteman III (450 of which are still operational and capable of being launched within 1 minute), could deliver a W87 nuclear warhead packing the explosive power of 475 kilotons of TNT (to put this in perspective, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima was measured at about 15 kilotons), by climbing to an altitude of 3.7 million feet (almost 100 times higher than a 747's cruising altitude on a trans-continental flight) and then re-entering the atmosphere at a speed of 15,000 MPH to detonate within 150 meters of its intended target.


Test launch of an LGM-25C Titan II from an underground silo, 1960s

Initially, ICBMs were designed to carry only one warhead but technological improvements led to the development of the Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle, or MIRV, in 1970, which could deliver up to ten warheads on a single missile. The Peacekeeper, at a throw weight of 96 tons, a range of over 5,200 miles, and at a cost of $70 million each, was one such missile, which could deliver the combined explosive power of 3,000 kilotons of TNT (the equivalent of 200 times the explosive power detonated over Hiroshima in 1945).


Testing of the Peacekeeper MIRV at Kawajalein Atoll




The largest thermonuclear device ever detonated was the Tsar Bomba, detonated by the Soviet Union on October 30, 1961. Originally designed to have a 100 megaton yield, it was ultimately reduced to a 50 megaton yield out of concern about nuclear fallout (???). The final product was over 3,000 times as powerful as Little Man, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and had the equivalent of a quarter of the explosive power of the 1883 Krakatoa explosion, which was heard 3,000 miles away by people on the island of Mauritius. The Tsar Bomba produced a fireball 5 miles in diameter that almost destroyed the bomber that dropped it. It was such a powerful explosion that it could cause third-degree burns 62 miles away from ground zero and broke window panes 560 miles away.


The Tsar Bomba's fireball


So, would you like to play a game? :)


Monday, December 13, 2010

Yo, Adrian!


"Yo, Adrian...it's me, Rocky...so, uh, how about maybe you and I, I mean, we'll go out together and get somethin' to eat, I don't know, maybe laugh a little bit, who knows, ya know?"

-
Rocky

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The Antikythera Mechanism

In 1901 divers unearthed treasure from an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. Among the findings was a remarkable little mechanical device that defied current understandings about the technological capabilities of the Ancient World.

It took over 100 years to decipher the extremely complicated device's purpose: an astronomical clock that calculated the celestial movements of planetary bodies and that could predict eclipses with incredible precision.

Ultimately this was only accomplished by the use of an enormous X-ray that created a 3-D image of the device's mechanism which allowed scientists to see its design and ascertain its function. While most scholars have marveled at the clock's technological sophistication (which does raise serious questions about our understanding of the development of human civilization) and at how they could've collected the data required to design the device (which raises similar questions) this publication believes that the most relevant question that it presents is: Why were these ancient people so interested in tracking the movements of celestial bodies and in predicting future eclipses that they would expend the energy to build such a complicated device?

Unfortunately our guesses about the importance of celestial movements is colored by our own beliefs about their importance. It must be considered, however, that to the Ancients, the movements of the planets and the dates and times of eclipses were not important for their value in determining agricultural cycles or for scheduling rituals to please the Gods, as is commonly believed. Perhaps Ancient Man recognized the influence that celestial bodies and their relative positions to Earth had on phenomena and were, therefore, very interested in being able to predict what that influence would be and when.
Link
For an amazing video of how the clock worked, click here to see a reconstruction made out of Lego. Click here to watch more detailed videos about the discovery of the clock, its deciphering, and efforts to replicate it.

Interestingly, the ancient Greeks were not the only ones with a keen interest in astronomy. The Chinese, Mayans, Celts, and other civilizations with varying degrees of technological prowess were all very interested in the movements of in the Heavens. The question must be asked then: What have we forgotten?

Consciousness and the Power of Intention

350 years ago René Descartes and his contemporary Sir Isaac Newton set back human evolution by centuries. Each in their own fields of philosophy and science, respectively, proposed new theories that fundamentally altered Man's understanding of his place in the Cosmos.

In the span of a few decades all the superstition and fantasy of Medieval Europe – it's elves, faeries, nymphs, trolls, and nature spirits - had been discarded like childhood toys and Man awakened to his highest self. Stonehenge became nothing more than a collection of interestingly-placed rocks and the new god of Rationalism assumed its eventual place on the altar of ideals.

With one fell swoop Man had become separate from his environment. He, like all the other objects in this three-dimensional plane, was now subject to its discernible and unbreakable Laws. Now in order to make a change in this world of sticks-and-stones an object had to be pushed, burned, thrown, kicked, or somehow physically altered. And what of Man's seemingly unique capacity for self-awareness? Well, there lay an explanation for that as well: his consciousness was some strange coincidence of nature that appeared in his brain when it reached a certain degree of complexity, allowing him to perceive the material world and comment upon it. Other than that, it's only purpose was to facilitate his rational thought so that he could navigate the Universe intelligently.

What was perceived at the time, however, as a great leap forward in Man's understanding was none other than a substantial retreat for the evolution of his Consciousness for with the superstition and fantasy had been thrown out all the Magic and Purpose of his existence. What special meaning could there be to this giant clock of a universe? Possibly none at all. For the more devout it may be to simply worship God, the Creator, out of fear of being smitten for failing to do so. Other than that, it was a hard-scrabble existence in which Man had to scratch out a living on an obscure blue planet suspended in the cold vacuum of empty space which, like each of us in turn, would ultimately be consumed by the inevitability of Death.


Our civilization has maintained this world view since the “Enlightenment” and suffered heavily for it. In the past few centuries we have almost polluted our home to the point of environmental collapse and have come close on a few occasions to annihilating ourselves and our fellow inhabitants of this planet in a thermonuclear firestorm. But there has been another victim of this Great Leap Forward: our own sense of happiness.

As of 2007, 22.2 million Americans were on the drug Prozac, and anti-depressant, making it the third most popular drug in the country. A number of questions arise from this startling fact: 1) “What did Ancient Man do without Prozac? Did an enormous percent of the population just lay around all day wallowing in sadness?“ and 2) “Why is there such a great need for psychiatric medication?”


Regarding the second question, the medical community will answer that Man's brain is a complicated supercomputer regulated by chemicals which, occasionally, may get out of whack. When that happens it's the function of medical science to recalibrate the chemical balance of the computer to restore order. Accordingly, every deviation from perfect happiness and predictability is the function of a chemical imbalance and can be remedied with a little tinkering (which may result in the need for a little more tinkering to compensate for the tinkering but that's OK).

The answer to the first question may be impossible to answer but one suspects that if for the 100,000 years of modern human history before the invention of Prozac much of the species was crippled by depression and Restless Leg Syndrome we would've heard about it. Surely there must be a hieroglyphic on the wall of some Egyptian pyramid showing people moping about in a dark room touching the wall in desperation. Its discovery is probably right around the corner.

Or perhaps the answer to both questions is the same: Ancient Man wasn't depressed like Modern Man because his world wasn't bleak and meaningless. It was magical, hyper-intelligent, and filled with Purpose.

This gets to the the crux of the problem created in the “Enlightenment” and illustrates the critical difference between the modern world view and that of Ancient Man. The modern world is a meaningless one of objects suspended in space, of which we are but one, hoping not to be hit by a bigger object before we ultimately vanish from existence. To the Ancients, however, the world was an eternal Cosmic Mystery, its purpose unknowable but Divine, with Man an integral part of its ever-developing Destiny and transforming with it. He was not only a participant but a Co-Creator. Through its Collective Consciousness, of which he was a separate yet inextricably linked part, the World was constantly re-inventing itself.

In a World created out of Consciousness everything was possible: There were no Laws of Thermodynamics that had to be adhered to. The seemingly vast distance between objects was recognized as simply an Illusion and if Consciousness were underlying it all then Man was not the only manifestation with self-awareness. Trees had a markedly different yet equally real awareness. A volcano had its own spirit and personality and something as vast as the Sea, an organism composed of an enormous amount of diverse Life, had its own consciousness and was a force to be reckoned with.

In this magical world, what Modern Man would perceive as dead and inanimate matter was nothing of the sort. But perhaps Ancient Man was a fool, beating a drum for rain, ignorant of meteorology and the effect of warm, rising, moist air in a low-pressure system? And now, Modern Man, with his barometers and weather-measuring equipment has finally cracked the code and achieved dominance over atmospheric conditions, if even just by being able to predict them accurately and bring an umbrella?

In the end, it is Modern Man that is the fool – unaware of his own Power, unconscious of the awareness that surrounds him, lumbering around with his clunky machines and measuring devices. But what evidence is there to support the power of Consciousness?

One interesting series of experiments was done by a Japanese scientist, Dr Masaru Emoto, who showed that by sending various intentions to water that the crystalline structure of the sample would change and become apparent when frozen. Consider these two samples:

This water sample was told, “You fool”


This water sample was given love and thanks

Dr Emoto published his results in various books including, Messages from Water (Vol. 1 and 2) and The Hidden Messages in Water. The images are stunning and the implications earth-shattering especially considering that the human body is 78% water. Aficionados of heavy metal music, then, may want to reconsider their musical taste when they see that this is what water molecules look like when exposed to heavy metal:



In a fascinating extension of Emoto's experiments, Lynne McTaggart, author of The Field and The Intention Experiment, is now using the power of the Internet to coordinate for people all across the world to focus their intention on specific goals at specific times with renowned scientists devising and overseeing the experiments. Visit the website at www.theintentionexperiment.com for details.

What these experiments have shown, and will continue to show, is that human intention has the power to affect physical reality. In a world created by Consciousness, it is not a difficult leap to make.

What, then, may be the Purpose underlying it all? Perhaps the Hindus have got the right idea: that the Universal Self has created an elaborate game of hide-and-go-seek to amuse itself and, as the seemingly separate manifestations of that Soul our role is to rediscover our true identity.

Even without understanding the Purpose, however, there is one thing we can gain from an understanding of the role of Intention and Consciousness in our lives: the power to determine our Destiny. Our internal dialogue is not merely commenting on an external world – it is creating it. When we seize the power of our Mind we seize the Power of Creation instead of being led around as a dog is on a leash for our casual thoughts over time become Intention.

Perhaps this is what the Buddha truly meant when he said, “With our thoughts we create the world.” It is a simple concept and yet one that may be the most difficult to truly understand.

Friday, December 3, 2010

The Cost of War

A work by artist Sebastian Errasuriz, painted on the outside of his Brooklyn studio.

Cool Dog


He's like the Fonz, only a dog. How cool is that?

Praised be the Good Chuck


While on the set of Walker, Texas Ranger, a little lamb was injured during the course of filming. Chuck Norris healed the lamb's wounds and then immediately killed it to show that the Good Chuck, he giveth, and the Good Chuck, he taketh away...

Wisdom from the Master


"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."

-Yoda

Black Crow Speaks

This unusually large crow appeared - an omen foretelling of a significant event.

Monday, November 29, 2010

I Have a Dream

"Everybody got to have a dream."

-DJay, Hustle & Flow

Determination



It's a Kind of Magic

[Saying goodbye to Rachel]

"Hey, it's a kind of magic! "

-Connor MacLeod, Highlander

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Say Anything

Corey: Lloyd, why do you have to be like this?

Lloyd: Cause I’m a guy. I have pride.

Corey: You’re not a guy.

Lloyd: I am.

Corey: No. The world is full of guys. Be a man.


-
Say Anything

Monday, November 22, 2010

Man of Constant Sorrow

I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.

For six long years I've been in trouble
No pleasures here on earth I found
For in this world I'm bound to ramble
I have no friends to help me now.

It's fare thee well my old lover
I never expect to see you again
For I'm bound to ride that northern railroad
Perhaps I'll die upon this train.

You can bury me in some deep valley
For many years where I may lay
Then you may learn to love another
While I am sleeping in my grave.

Maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger
My face you'll never see no more.
But there is one promise that is given
I'll meet you on God's golden shore.

Steve and Bill Share a Moment




Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dreams of the Future

"That night I had a dream. I dreamt I was as light as the ether - a floating spirit visiting things to come. The shades and shadows of the people in my life rassled their way their way into my slumber. I dreamed that Gale and Evelle had decided to return to prison...And then I dreamed on, into the future, to a Christmas morn in the Arizona home where Nathan Junior was opening a present from a kindly couple who preferred to remain unknown...And still I dreamed on, further into the future than I had ever dreamed before, watching Nathan Junior's progress from afar, taking pride in his accomplishments as if he were our own. Wondering if he ever thought of us and hoping that maybe we'd broadened his horizons a little even if he couldn't remember just how they got broadened. But still I hadn't dreamt nothing about me and Ed until the end. And this was cloudier cause it was years, years away. But I saw an old couple being visited by their children, and all their grandchildren too. The old couple weren't screwed up. And neither were their kids or their grandkids. And I don't know. You tell me. This whole dream, was it wishful thinking? Was I just fleeing reality like I know I'm liable to do? But me and Ed, we can be good too. And it seemed real. It seemed like us and it seemed like, well, our home. If not Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable and all children are happy and beloved. I don't know...Maybe it was Utah."

- H.I. McDonnough, Raising Arizona

Lone Biker of the Apocalypse


Nathan Arizona: Who the hell are you?

Smalls: Smalls. Leonard Smalls. My friends call me Lenny. But I ain't got no friends.


- Raising Arizona

Monday, November 15, 2010

Vishnu Dreams the World



Chuang-tzu and the Buttferfly


"Once upon a time, I, Chuang-tzu, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies as a butterfly, and was unconscious of my individuality as a man. Suddenly I awaked, and there I lay, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man."

A Salute to Captain Edgar Mitchell

Captain Mitchell studies a map while walking on the Moon, February 6, 1971

Click here to read more about this American legend and pioneer. Through a Glass, Darkly salutes you, Sir!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Divinity in Form

Stained glass at Chatres Cathedral

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

- William Ernest Henley