tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post1109672882323507012..comments2024-03-28T10:56:52.861-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Is Technology offering Transparency...or Spying on us?David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-837112978315659582012-04-25T21:52:28.484-07:002012-04-25T21:52:28.484-07:00Shemp, Moe, Larry and Curly did all appear in one ...Shemp, Moe, Larry and Curly did all appear in one short together: "Hold that Lion" (1947). Curly had a non-speaking cameo as a passenger on a train. IMO Shemp was underated.ThoughtCriminalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11118442743924905296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-51727873701190054482012-04-25T15:36:44.146-07:002012-04-25T15:36:44.146-07:00@ Carl M
Casino Royale (2006) was a pretty good re...@ Carl M<br /><i>Casino Royale</i> (2006) was a pretty good reboot, but it also was a pretty good adaptation. The second half of the movie, from the time Bond arrives at the Casino until the scenes away from the Casino are very much the original novel. The book was about Bond falling for Vespa, and then learning she was there to betray him the whole time, making him into the heartless bastard he is until <i> On Her Majesty's Secret Service</i>. The jokes and puns where an invention of the films - bah!bobsandiegohttp://www.robertmitchellevans.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-39595724801024298292012-04-25T15:24:30.706-07:002012-04-25T15:24:30.706-07:00Dr Brin beat me to the Get Smart (2008, but it wa...Dr Brin beat me to the <i> Get Smart</i> (2008, but it was a remake that had respect and reverence of the source material. <i>Star Trek</i> as a frnachised had been killed by the dunderheads place in charge. (Really? Luddite SF, really?) JJ did not revivfy Star Trek as much as her performed a D&D reincarnincation upon it. As to the Stooges, I was never a fan, not even as a boy. My tastes ran to Abbot and Costello, or Buster Keaton for physical humar that was based upton the character being an idiot.<br />Privacy is a concept that is rapidly going to vanish. Two egnerations from now people won;t understand how we lived anymore than we as Americans understand bending knees to lords who are 'our betters.' I once used this as an asepct of a navel I worte, but it was utter crap and I'm ashamed I showed it to anyone.<br />A game fo Thrones Us Election crossover piece:<br />http://imgur.com/AVqWqbobsandiegohttp://www.robertmitchellevans.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58810202312619204342012-04-25T13:36:39.432-07:002012-04-25T13:36:39.432-07:00Starsky and Hutch with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson...Starsky and Hutch with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Far better than the original.<br /><br />The James Bond reboot with Daniel Craig was quite excellent -- at least Casino Royale. Haven't seen the next one yet.<br /><br />I thought the Brady Bunch reboot was kind of fun, actually. <br /><br />Star Trek, on the other hand, was pure blasphemy, and utterly stupid.Carl M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01278814334603631598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-46860886426787232832012-04-23T19:07:24.572-07:002012-04-23T19:07:24.572-07:00"And there's corporate surveillance: Dunk...<i>"And there's corporate surveillance: Dunkin Donuts installed an employee monitoring system that monitors their staff with video cameras and tracks every punch of the cash register. The result: a drop in employee thefts by 13%."</i><br /><br />100% surveillance leads to a puny 13% drop in thefts? That's kinda pathetic.<br /><br />Re: Smart TV.<br /><br />Camera on my netbook doesn't have an activation LED. So there's no way to know if it's turned on. Bugs me whenever I remember.Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32534934077830147922012-04-23T18:00:39.692-07:002012-04-23T18:00:39.692-07:00Young Scotty's fun and insightful (*Do* they h...Young Scotty's fun and insightful (*Do* they have sandwiches in TNG future? As for shore leave, well, he'd already have his hands on the nacelles *he* wants!) ... also I'm not sure what Chekov's doing here (he was a junior rating) but that's something I'm willing to overlook.<br /><br />But, hey! We get a literally kick-Kirk-ass Uhura! (and an insight into that Kobayashi Maru incident!)Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-41335619706864696662012-04-23T13:14:27.602-07:002012-04-23T13:14:27.602-07:00I think I bypassed the thing that was hiding the s...I think I bypassed the thing that was hiding the security code from me, by linking to the site through Dr. Brin's Twitter presence. See, Twitter isn't <i>entirely</i> useless!<br /><br />Wanted to speak to remakes. I find the 2004 reboot of <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> to be so incredibly superior to the original, in concept, acting, and respect for the laws of physics (check out the attack on the Regeneration Ship in the Season 4 opener, for instance), as to be barely recognizable as its descendant.<br /><br />And the Abrams reboot of <i>Star Trek</i> was, I think, done with a fair degree of fidelity, except that at the end, I would have shown Kirk being given early graduation for what he did, then a montage of him reporting to duty on various ships at rapidly-rising ranks, until finally being reunited with everyone else on the bridge of the <i>Enterprise</i>. Mind you, I understand why it ended the way it did - I just would have liked more of a nod to the idea that you had to at least pretend to serve in Starfleet before being given command of a <i>Constitution</i>-class heavy cruiser. Overall, though, Pine's performance as Kirk didn't include a lot of winks or nods - it's just that his performance was almost exactly what Bill Shatner would have done at his age. Similarly, Zachary Quinto seems almost a clone of young Leonard Nimoy. And while Karl Urban doesn't look much like DeForest Kelley, he does sound and act much like him...<br /><br />I will give you Scotty. Simon Pegg's version of Montgomery Scott doesn't seem like the sort of guy who'd welcome having shore leave denied so he could catch up on technical journals. However, maybe that's an interest that developed later in the original Scotty's timeline, and may be bypassed entirely in the new one.Jonathan S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-16091150159103597232012-04-23T11:56:03.799-07:002012-04-23T11:56:03.799-07:00Don't forget, part of the appeal of the Marx B...Don't forget, part of the appeal of the Marx Bros and the Howard Bros (stooges) was sticking it to stodgy authority.<br /><br />The Marx's always got away with it. The Stooges almost never did. The Marxes were a wish fantasy. The Stooges were ironic tragedy.<br /><br />---<br /><br />onward to next postingDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-2312453761894193762012-04-23T11:46:42.272-07:002012-04-23T11:46:42.272-07:00er... Laurence Olivier...er... La<b>u</b>rence Olivier...Atomsmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1584142467306653472012-04-23T11:45:25.123-07:002012-04-23T11:45:25.123-07:00@LarryHart
I liked the 2007 remake of Sleuth, dir...@LarryHart<br /><br />I liked the 2007 remake of <i>Sleuth</i>, directed by Kenneth Branagh. <br /><br />The only nod to the original (that I could detect) was in the casting: in the original Michael Caine played the younger of the two main characters (opposite Lawrence Olivier), and in the remake he plays the older (opposite Jude Law).Atomsmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62295783883187213412012-04-23T11:30:07.525-07:002012-04-23T11:30:07.525-07:00The Stooges have a timeless appeal because their &...The Stooges have a timeless appeal because their 'schtick' is based on the cultural truism that all means of societal control are essentially violent or 'bullying' in nature:<br /><br />"Do what I say or I shame, poke, humiliate or whack you with hammer".<br /><br />And, when confronted with this cultural truism -- a truism which applies to even the most 'PC' environment -- the human response is either to laugh or cry because laughter represents a psychological coping mechanism (displacement) and crying represents decompensation.<br /><br />On a side note, does anyone else here notice the ironic parallels between the antibiotic and fossil fuel scare? <br /><br />(1) Both items are uniquely responsible for our current levels of medical & technological development; <br /><br />(2) Both items are 'scientific', providing human society with unprecedented levels of health, comfort and life expectancy;<br /><br />(3) Both items have created new problems & complications which can only be resolved by either the retreat from or the more aggressive pursuit of technology; and<br /><br />(4) Those who choose to isolate the technological cause from its inevitable complication commit a grave oversimplification along the lines of South Park's Mr. Mackey who says that:<br /><br />"Antibiotics, technology & society are all BAD, um-kay, because they have all caused global warming, bullying & cMRSA".<br /><br />Check on the new(er) South Park episode on 'Bullying'. Um-kay?<br /><br />Best.locumranchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-14866991246374972612012-04-23T10:24:03.920-07:002012-04-23T10:24:03.920-07:00Craig, I have the revolving globe, showing general...Craig, I have the revolving globe, showing general visitor locales, for two reasons. Because it is interesting... and to keep folks aware of how exposed we all are. Are you less exposed if I remove the gimmick? No you are not. Which is my point about knowing. And looking back.<br /><br />Larryhart if you want to see a very strange film that makes you cringe and defies expectations and then makes you cringe a bit more, see Film Geek. Some funny moments too.<br /><br />"Can anyone name even ONE 21st century remake of an old movie or tv show that DOESN'T have disappointment purposely written into the design?"<br /><br />Get Smart --- astonished me. It was witty and funny and fun and fresh, start to end. (Not great art, but fully up to the level of the original.<br /><br />I thought the Wild Wild West was very very lame... but its features were 100% in line with the original. Pacing, styling, brand of humor. Utterly faithful.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. Your list is depressing and could be extended ad infinitum. I could not finish the new CONAN which didn't hold a candle to the perfect original. Hollywood today has no guts. And doesn't reward guts when it appears.<br /><br />If there were a "difficulty factor" in the Oscars voting, Inception would have easily won. Should haveDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-90974167061770354212012-04-23T10:13:46.383-07:002012-04-23T10:13:46.383-07:00Peripherally related to the comments on issues cro...Peripherally related to the comments on issues cropping up in the scientific establishment, the NYTimes just published what I found to be a somewhat disturbing article on a massive increase in the number of retracted papers in high-profile journals, and the pressures of an increasingly bad atmosphere for scientists to work in that seems to be causing it<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/science/rise-in-scientific-journal-retractions-prompts-calls-for-reform.html?pagewanted=1&ref=scienceCoreynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-46746566548410656392012-04-23T10:01:06.696-07:002012-04-23T10:01:06.696-07:00remember "nyuck nyuck" is filthy in Tank...remember "nyuck nyuck" is filthy in Tanktonese!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01499793084455954240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-55443647403315460242012-04-23T08:12:10.020-07:002012-04-23T08:12:10.020-07:00Tony,
I can't speak for the new Star Trek, ha...Tony,<br /><br />I can't speak for the new Star Trek, having not seen it. Still, I've heard enough to think that the new Kirk engages in the sort of "I'm making fun of the premises of the show" nod/winks to the audience that I was talking about.<br /><br />Even granting you your exception, the handling of a sci-fi series would not seem to be as much an indicator of how the slapstick comedy Three Stooges would be handled.<br /><br />I see I didn't even include the new Muppets movie in my original list. That was the quintessential example of what I'm talking about: the entire theme of the movie seemed to be "Time has passed this concept by so much that bringing them back is pointless!" And it makes you sit through 90 minutes in order to hammer home the point that "This movie is nothing more than a waste of your time."<br /><br />I expect nothing less from "The Three Stooges". And again, this has nothing to do with my own opinion of the original Stooges. I would expect such a thing to be MORE of a disappointment to true Stooges fans, not less of one.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37032007416208056462012-04-23T07:13:18.799-07:002012-04-23T07:13:18.799-07:00@larryhart I thought the startrek reboot was prett...@larryhart I thought the startrek reboot was pretty effective (even cheekily taking elements of the last tng movie plot and doing them right)<br /><br />Still, that would be an exception.Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15298812585511945312012-04-23T06:44:57.596-07:002012-04-23T06:44:57.596-07:00Thanks for the stooge reference, did you catch the...Thanks for the stooge reference, did you catch the segment about them on CBS Sunday morning last week?<br />http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7405486n&tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoAreaTim H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-7762458526419053392012-04-23T06:43:18.086-07:002012-04-23T06:43:18.086-07:00Dr Brin:
You share that appreciation of "The...Dr Brin:<br /><br />You share that appreciation of "The Three Stooges" with Canadian comics writer/artist Dave Sim, who made a case within the "Cerebus" comic book for the Stooges as a force of nature.<br /><br />Me, personally, I never did dig them, even as a kid. And yes, I know that that's heresy for an American male to say, but so be it.<br /><br />Nonetheless, I think I can predict that the new movie will suck. This has nothing to do with whether or not one likes the original Three Stooges. It has to do with the way ALL of the more recent movie re-imaginings of older movies and tv shows are being done these days: taking the most superficial elements of the original and making them into in-jokes that the actors share with the audience: "Yeah, we know what we're doing here on screen is lame." Inevitably, the Stooges will be juxtaposed with the "real world" to demonstrate how poorly they fare in the sort of sappy, sentimental comedy which has to be the plot of EVERY Hollywood movie these days.<br /><br />If I seem to rush to judgement because I have not yet seen THIS particualar 21st century remake, I place the following into evidence for the prosecution (in no particular order):<br /><br />How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey version)<br />Horton Hears a Who <br />The Wild Wild West<br />The Brady Bunch<br />Yogi Bear<br />Smurfs<br />Land of the Lost<br />The Stepford Wives (2004 version)<br />Charlie's Angels<br />George of the Jungle<br />Underdog<br /><br />Given another hour, I'm sure I could expand the list. Can anyone name even ONE 21st century remake of an old movie or tv show that DOESN'T have disappointment purposely written into the design?LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-78260966281000563572012-04-23T05:02:20.562-07:002012-04-23T05:02:20.562-07:00There is a dongle one can purchase and plug in to ...There is a dongle one can purchase and plug in to one's smart phone which becomes a universal IR remote control for TVs, sound systems, and 120V relays (granted those are specialty items) which obviates the need for "smart" TVs.<br /><br />One might think the various internet companies intent on spying on us to fine-tune their advertising might realize that if the middle class is destroyed, we won't be buying a damned thing from them: we will be too broke.<br /><br />Hey, internet spy people: go spy on Goldman Sachs, they got all my money. That goes double for the CIA.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-85052925844909064192012-04-23T05:01:26.953-07:002012-04-23T05:01:26.953-07:00Transparency and spying issues. I am curious as t...Transparency and spying issues. I am curious as to why - and I agree with you completely about transparency and the problem of those who have the ability to spy on us - you have the Revolver on your site showing where everyone is that is looking at your Blog. Somewhere, someone must have a lot of information, OR the ability to download a lot of information from our computers, to be able to track the location of everyone on the site. In one sense I think it is neat to see the Revolver, and on another level I find it scary. <br /><br />GavinCraig Commentshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484538529552376060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-16238473794427044142012-04-22T19:50:13.646-07:002012-04-22T19:50:13.646-07:00-The third TEDx Del Mar event on Envisioning
Trans...-The third TEDx Del Mar event on Envisioning<br />Transhumanity will be held this coming April 29th at the Price Theater at U.C.S.D. north of San DIego.<br /><br />I'll be one of the speakers.<br /><br />The tickets have just been made available for purchase at the U.C.S.D. box office. A limited amount of free tickets will be made available to students and faculty. More information can be found on the TEDxDelMar.com website.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1677794326454708272012-04-22T19:19:42.589-07:002012-04-22T19:19:42.589-07:00>It seems we get what we deserve.
What, idiot ...>It seems we get what we deserve.<br /><br />What, idiot neighbors?Michael C. Rushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11300622174153812004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22592330963598142562012-04-22T17:20:13.080-07:002012-04-22T17:20:13.080-07:00I think the only reasonable answer to the title qu...I think the only reasonable answer to the title question is . . . "Yes!"<br /><br />How much and how intrusive the spying is, and how deep and effective the transparency is, depends on laws and policy choices.<br /><br />Shamefully, and with long-ranging consequences, these issues are barely on the public radar.Stefan Joneshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_e_jones/noreply@blogger.com