I’ve seen this before!

How Harry Potter, The Matrix, Star Wars, and Star Trek are all the same movie. Example:

The Plot:

Once upon a time,

Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry

was living a miserable life. Feeling disconnected from his friends and family, he dreams about how his life could be different. One day, he is greeted by

Obi Wan | Captain Pike | Trinity | Hagrid

and told that his life is not what it seems, and that due to some circumstances surrounding his

birth | birth | birth | infancy

he was meant for something greater.

Jennifer’s Body redband trailer.

This movie is rated R and so is this trailer. Let the viewer beware.

So long, Computer Joe!

After boardgames at my apartment in Virginia, the Decipherians would play some NHL game on the PS2. I had a multi-tap, so four or five players were the norm. We often played “neutral” teams (none of the players’ favorites) like the Ducks and the Avalanche. Sometimes, we left one of the players to be controlled by the computer, and of course that was always the best player. For the Avs, it was Joe Sakic. We called him “Computer Joe.” “Nice goal, Computer Joe!” we would say when he scored. He’s a good guy, and a great player, and he had a great career.

Gorgeous lettering.

Words can’t describe these words. Just go there and gawk. Beautiful stuff.

Dear Jimmy,

Once again I renew my pledge: On the day that Led Zeppelin comes to Rock Band, I will buy every song in the catalog for $5 each. Immediately. Even “Tangerine” and “Going to California,” if it’s a package deal and I have to.

Please make this happen.

Your friend, Shocho

Simply the best.

Kottke called it “The most remarkable airplane of the 20th century.” The overview is this Smithsonian article, trying to sum up all the superlatives about this incredible machine.

Created as the ultimate spy plane, the SR-71, which first took to the air in December 1964, flew reconnaissance missions until 1990, capable of hurtling along at more than Mach 3, about 2,280 miles per hour—faster than a rifle bullet—at 85,000 feet, or 16 miles above the earth. It is the fastest jet-powered airplane ever built. At top speeds, the surface heat of the airframe could reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

The hands-on description is this article by test pilot Bill Weaver, who describes how the plane deals with going so frakking fast and what happens when one of those systems breaks down.

Without proper scheduling, disturbances inside the inlet could result in the shock wave being expelled forward–a phenomenon known as an “inlet unstart.” That causes an instantaneous loss of engine thrust, explosive banging noises and violent yawing of the aircraft–like
being in a train wreck.

“Unstart” is a lovely understated test pilot word, much like the phrase “departing controlled flight.”

Batman turns back the clock.

Although discussions were already underway, the Academy (yes, that one that gets thanked for Oscars) admits that the snub of the superhero flick The Dark Knight had something to do with the decision. That decision being to return to a process more like the Academy used in the 30s and 40s, having more than five Best Picture nominees.

“We will be casting our net wide,” Sidney Ganis, the academy’s president, said in announcing the change at a morning news conference at the group’s headquarters here.

In a question-and-answer session that followed the announcement Mr. Ganis said, “I would not be telling you the truth if I said the words‘Dark Knight’ did not come up.”

I also particularly liked this point, which mentions the kind of snooty collusion that happens amongst Academy voters (whomever, and howmanyever, they might actually be).

With five entries there are usually only two or maybe three real contenders.  Strategic voting is present but manageable.  There can be split votes across a particular actor or genre.  With ten entries it is much harder to tell which picture will win.

Which is to say that voters are voting for the picture they think will or should win, instead of the picture they think is most deserving. This kind of bandwagoning has nothing to do with a good voting process.

Rock Band must-haves.

I’ve always said that we need the song “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf for Rock Band. When I signed up for the forum, that was the first song I suggested. I have, over time, decided that Rock Band will not be complete until these two songs are both included. You may not be as familiar with them as I, so I include lyrics below. (Some people put a line or two from a song lyric in their Facebook status, but here on IQM, you get bored by the WHOLE SONG!)

“Is It My Name?” by Todd Rundgren (lots of crashing drums and guitars are involved here, even some punchy horns)

There is cause and effect
There’s a reason I’m so erect
There’s last night and there’s today
There’s a reason you feel this way
Is it my name?
Don’t miss the boat Barry, don’t miss the plane
I don’t think I can make this scene again
Why don’t you love me?
Is it my name?

All the lies, all the truth,
All the things that I offer you
All the sights, all the sounds
All the times that you turn me down
Is it my name?
My voice goes so high you would think I was gay
But I play my guitar in such a man-cock way
Why don’t you love me?
It is my name?

You only love me for my machine !

“Where In the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush?” by The Reverend Horton Heat (a slow blues, unlike the normal frentic Horton psychobilly freakout top speed)

You didn’t leave a bar of soap when you left me.
You didn’t even leave a towel so I could dry my face.
You didn’t even leave a plate for me to eat on.
But you left all my empty beercans all over the place.

You didn’t leave my precious black and white TV set.
You took the Jimi Hendrix poster that was on my door.
You left with my very best friend – our dog Smokey.
But I found all the unpaid bills on the kitchen floor.

And where in the hell did you go with my toothbrush?
And where in the hell did you happen to spend last night?
You didn’t leave a bar of soap when you left me.
And you didn’t even tell me they was turning out the lights.

You didn’t leave my little five dollar alarm clock.
You didn’t even leave a note; I guess it’s all been said.
You didn’t even leave the cushions for the sofa.
And now that I’m used to the couch, you left the bed.

And where in the hell did you go with my toothbrush?
And where in the hell have you been for the last three days?
You didn’t leave a bar of soap when you left me.
And you didn’t stick around to see the teardrops on my face.

Cornflake girl sells cereal.

NaBloPoMo

I’ve joined up with NaBloPoMo, which is also known as National Blog Posting Month. The basic idea is that you have a blog and you post to it every day for a month. I’ve been doing this for, oh I don’t know, a couple of years. So here’s my chance to join a group that’s trying to do something I’m already doing! It’s not laziness, it’s just a craving for attention.