Ever wondered how the cursor of the mouse on your computer moved?
Thanks to the Japanese high technology, you'll be able to see for yourself using this magnifying device: http://www.1-click.jp/
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Prestige (slight return).
I watched The Prestige for the 1st time since I've seen it in the cinema.
Sometimes, there are movies that make such an effect at their end, with a "twist" so impressive that it could be easy to discard them as being based solely on their final trick. That would theoritically make them totally inefficient when you watch them again.
Like a magic trick that loses all interest when you know how it's done.
As they say in that movie, "the secret is everything".
Then again, not always.
I know that the kind of magic I personnally enjoy the most is the kind that requires actual skill (like sleight of hand, for example), that makes it impossible for anyone to do it, if they don't put the efforts required to actually master the technique.
To palm a coin for example: you can know how to do it, if you don't work on the technique, you'll never be able to do it. That makes the trick still wonderful...
"Twist" movies can be like that too. The Prestige is one. Usual Suspect is another. Fight Club yet another. Memento, Following...
Movies that are so exceptionnally crafted that even when you know how they work, you can't stop but be astonished at how good they are.
You can start looking for the perfect tiny details, the hints that you were given that could have given the trick away when you didn't know it, but that you couldn't see, because "you weren't really watching". And they are plenty here: birds in cages, bouncing balls... All hinting at the solution, always obvious when you know it. It was all right in front of your nose and you didn't see it. You were fooled. Then again you wanted to be fooled. And all this makes that you still want to be fooled.
And there's also the fact that beyond all the trickery, there's something more. There's this wonderful and cruel tale of deceipt and revenge. And real and complex characters. A story that deals with issues that are profoundly human and that in a indirect way makes you think.
And also send a chill down your spine.
That's what makes movies special.
Sometimes, there are movies that make such an effect at their end, with a "twist" so impressive that it could be easy to discard them as being based solely on their final trick. That would theoritically make them totally inefficient when you watch them again.
Like a magic trick that loses all interest when you know how it's done.
As they say in that movie, "the secret is everything".
Then again, not always.
I know that the kind of magic I personnally enjoy the most is the kind that requires actual skill (like sleight of hand, for example), that makes it impossible for anyone to do it, if they don't put the efforts required to actually master the technique.
To palm a coin for example: you can know how to do it, if you don't work on the technique, you'll never be able to do it. That makes the trick still wonderful...
"Twist" movies can be like that too. The Prestige is one. Usual Suspect is another. Fight Club yet another. Memento, Following...
Movies that are so exceptionnally crafted that even when you know how they work, you can't stop but be astonished at how good they are.
You can start looking for the perfect tiny details, the hints that you were given that could have given the trick away when you didn't know it, but that you couldn't see, because "you weren't really watching". And they are plenty here: birds in cages, bouncing balls... All hinting at the solution, always obvious when you know it. It was all right in front of your nose and you didn't see it. You were fooled. Then again you wanted to be fooled. And all this makes that you still want to be fooled.
And there's also the fact that beyond all the trickery, there's something more. There's this wonderful and cruel tale of deceipt and revenge. And real and complex characters. A story that deals with issues that are profoundly human and that in a indirect way makes you think.
And also send a chill down your spine.
That's what makes movies special.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Air guitar.
Someone over at Ultimate guitar posted an excellent article on Air Guitars!
It's full of useful advice.
Check it out, it's great!
It's here.
It's full of useful advice.
Check it out, it's great!
It's here.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Zodiac.
Even before this movie, David Fincher had done thrillers.
Se7en, The Game, Panic Room.
Just Se7en practically reinvented the genre.
But yet again a thriller? Could he be moving in circles? No.
He managed to find yet another angle he hadn't done: the "documentary" approach.
By basing this on actual events and on an true investigation, you get another edge on the audience. Like in Fargo (except that here it is actually true, at least the facts are), you tend to give more credit to the story.
The fact that the killer was never caught, that he might still be alive and well, is the most frightening thing. Like Jack The Ripper.
You can invent the most twisted boogie man, it will never ever come as scary as a "real" killer. Especially if he never got caught...
The film basically lays in 2 parts. The 1st presents the facts and the initial investigation by Paul Avery (journalist at the San Francisco Chronicles) on one hand & David Toschi (the cop in charge of the case) on the other.
You get to see the killings and the lack of communication between all parties involved in finding the killer.
Then the 2nd part sees Graysmith, cartoonist at the Post, take over the investigation when he sees that noone will ever finish it otherwise. He had just been interested in the case without being able to contribute to it so far, so he decides to take everything back to 0.
Fincher does masterfully bring that story back to life, thanks to a very faithful recreation of the seventies and a top notch cast: Ruffalo, Downey Jr. & Gyllenhall are all excellent and really carry the film.
And thanks to his excellent direction, he delivers a movie that manages to be anti-spectacular and wordy, but at the same time gripping and always entertaining.
It's quite amazing when you think that you get no action scene and most of the suspence relies on the paranoia of the protagonists (ie there's no direct threat).
But thanks to a great story like only reality can give you and great pacing, the nearly 20 years covered over the rather large runing time (2h30) passes like a charm.
And you get this "it actually happened" chill, when the credits roll...
Se7en, The Game, Panic Room.
Just Se7en practically reinvented the genre.
But yet again a thriller? Could he be moving in circles? No.
He managed to find yet another angle he hadn't done: the "documentary" approach.
By basing this on actual events and on an true investigation, you get another edge on the audience. Like in Fargo (except that here it is actually true, at least the facts are), you tend to give more credit to the story.
The fact that the killer was never caught, that he might still be alive and well, is the most frightening thing. Like Jack The Ripper.
You can invent the most twisted boogie man, it will never ever come as scary as a "real" killer. Especially if he never got caught...
The film basically lays in 2 parts. The 1st presents the facts and the initial investigation by Paul Avery (journalist at the San Francisco Chronicles) on one hand & David Toschi (the cop in charge of the case) on the other.
You get to see the killings and the lack of communication between all parties involved in finding the killer.
Then the 2nd part sees Graysmith, cartoonist at the Post, take over the investigation when he sees that noone will ever finish it otherwise. He had just been interested in the case without being able to contribute to it so far, so he decides to take everything back to 0.
Fincher does masterfully bring that story back to life, thanks to a very faithful recreation of the seventies and a top notch cast: Ruffalo, Downey Jr. & Gyllenhall are all excellent and really carry the film.
And thanks to his excellent direction, he delivers a movie that manages to be anti-spectacular and wordy, but at the same time gripping and always entertaining.
It's quite amazing when you think that you get no action scene and most of the suspence relies on the paranoia of the protagonists (ie there's no direct threat).
But thanks to a great story like only reality can give you and great pacing, the nearly 20 years covered over the rather large runing time (2h30) passes like a charm.
And you get this "it actually happened" chill, when the credits roll...
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Heat
I just re-watched this.
I remembered that this movie was good. I remembered it was a true masterpiece.
But there are things to actually need to reexperience to actually remember exactly how good it was.
LA by night. The wonderful cinematography.
De Niro. Pacino. All those wonderful characters, main, secondary, all perfectly defined. Human.
That story.
This picture elevates "just a thriller" to art.
I remembered that this movie was good. I remembered it was a true masterpiece.
But there are things to actually need to reexperience to actually remember exactly how good it was.
LA by night. The wonderful cinematography.
De Niro. Pacino. All those wonderful characters, main, secondary, all perfectly defined. Human.
That story.
This picture elevates "just a thriller" to art.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Spiderman 3
Hat trick.
Sam Raimi has made it.
When he took on to 1st adapt Spiderman to the big screen, anyone had seen the guy's work just knew that it would be something unique. What anyone didn't know was that the guy would make the 1st best ever superhero trilogy...
Because this 3rd installment gives everything it promises which was what the 2nd promised over the 1st: MORE!
After dealing with the transformation into a superhero in the 1st, then handling the responsibility of being one in the 2nd, this one is (quite logically) interested in the corrupting effect of power.
Spiderman is getting famous and loved by the NY population and gets to deal with revenge, which takes him into a dark place that a certain black suit will favour.
The script is very dense and ties pretty much all the story arcs developped in the 1st 2 movies. It's quite amazing to realise how much stuff you can pack in 2h20! No time is wasted in a movie that moves very fast. And it has to as it has 3 villains and the rest to take care of!
The story is strongly centered around Peter Parker, but somehow, although most secondary characters (all perfectly cast) get little screen time, they still all get space to exist.
At least it felt that way to me.
Of course you could argue that the movie would have gained depth if they had kept to 1 or 2 baddies. But then again they all feel right for the themes: Harry Osborne is all about revenge, Sandman is made the object of Spidey's revenge and the symbiote is the factor that enhances it... And you can't really have a movie with the symbiote without Venom...
So granted I'd have liked to spend more time with everyone (I would also have liked to have more Frozone in the Incredibles, but hey...), but as a whole it still feel very logical & coherent...
And the most important thing is that the movie makes you care about the characters.
I felt 10 again, gasping, laughing...
Sam Raimi has reinvented Spiderman, making him one of his own heroes while still staying true to the original material.
And as far as the action is concerned, it's just jaw dropping and even manage to feel fresh!
So a smart and engaging script, amazing action...
Sam is the man... Again!
Sam Raimi has made it.
When he took on to 1st adapt Spiderman to the big screen, anyone had seen the guy's work just knew that it would be something unique. What anyone didn't know was that the guy would make the 1st best ever superhero trilogy...
Because this 3rd installment gives everything it promises which was what the 2nd promised over the 1st: MORE!
After dealing with the transformation into a superhero in the 1st, then handling the responsibility of being one in the 2nd, this one is (quite logically) interested in the corrupting effect of power.
Spiderman is getting famous and loved by the NY population and gets to deal with revenge, which takes him into a dark place that a certain black suit will favour.
The script is very dense and ties pretty much all the story arcs developped in the 1st 2 movies. It's quite amazing to realise how much stuff you can pack in 2h20! No time is wasted in a movie that moves very fast. And it has to as it has 3 villains and the rest to take care of!
The story is strongly centered around Peter Parker, but somehow, although most secondary characters (all perfectly cast) get little screen time, they still all get space to exist.
At least it felt that way to me.
Of course you could argue that the movie would have gained depth if they had kept to 1 or 2 baddies. But then again they all feel right for the themes: Harry Osborne is all about revenge, Sandman is made the object of Spidey's revenge and the symbiote is the factor that enhances it... And you can't really have a movie with the symbiote without Venom...
So granted I'd have liked to spend more time with everyone (I would also have liked to have more Frozone in the Incredibles, but hey...), but as a whole it still feel very logical & coherent...
And the most important thing is that the movie makes you care about the characters.
I felt 10 again, gasping, laughing...
Sam Raimi has reinvented Spiderman, making him one of his own heroes while still staying true to the original material.
And as far as the action is concerned, it's just jaw dropping and even manage to feel fresh!
So a smart and engaging script, amazing action...
Sam is the man... Again!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Une pensee...
Depuis quelques jours qu'une grande majorite de mes compatriotes ont choisi le "cote obscur de la France", j'entends a la radio plusieurs choses.
Ca se plaint du diner au Fouquet's de Sarko avec ses amis riches. Ca
se plaint de ses vacances en yatch a Malte.
A ceux qui chouinent j'ai envie de dire "mais vous vous
attendiez a koi???!?".
Ca et puis les casseurs soi-disant anti-Sarko: comment peut-on justifier des manifs contre un un gars qu'on a elu a 53% alors que 85%
du pays s'est deplace??
Ou alors c'est des pros Sarko qui veulent s'assurer qu'il fera bien le
menage dans les coins aussi?
Y a vraiment des trucs qui me depassent...
Pour conclure, l'excellent edito de Colombani dans Le Monde.
Ha oui et un article tres interessant qui retrace l'irresistible ascension de notre nouveau president...
J'aime beaucoup je passage qui decrit la fabrication de la notion de "declin de la France". Ca va de pair avec la fausse notion de "l'assistanat" ou de "la France, pays de branleurs"...
Ca se plaint du diner au Fouquet's de Sarko avec ses amis riches. Ca
se plaint de ses vacances en yatch a Malte.
A ceux qui chouinent j'ai envie de dire "mais vous vous
attendiez a koi???!?".
Ca et puis les casseurs soi-disant anti-Sarko: comment peut-on justifier des manifs contre un un gars qu'on a elu a 53% alors que 85%
du pays s'est deplace??
Ou alors c'est des pros Sarko qui veulent s'assurer qu'il fera bien le
menage dans les coins aussi?
Y a vraiment des trucs qui me depassent...
Pour conclure, l'excellent edito de Colombani dans Le Monde.
Ha oui et un article tres interessant qui retrace l'irresistible ascension de notre nouveau president...
J'aime beaucoup je passage qui decrit la fabrication de la notion de "declin de la France". Ca va de pair avec la fausse notion de "l'assistanat" ou de "la France, pays de branleurs"...
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Great punch-line.
"Move or I'll pound your head so hard you'll have to remove your pants to read."
That's from a Dilbert.
Excellent.
That's from a Dilbert.
Excellent.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex - 2nd Gig
Masamune Shirow is the reason why I came to manga.
A while ago now, a friend lend me the 2nd volume of Appleseed. That was the start of my love for Shirow's work that grew into my love of manga in general that grew into my love for anime.
When Ghost In The Shell was first released in France, in the brand new prepublication magazine Manga Player, it was a huge shock for me. I had been through 3 Appleseed volumes, Black Magic (Shirow's first work), so I was kind of used to his world: cyborgs, robots, guns, girls & obscure underlying politics. Or I thought I was.
With that first issue, you were sent without warning into a world where global network are a reality, were people have cyberbrains that can communicate with each others without wires, where the boundaries of the brains are more or less virtual as you can hack into someone and take control of him.
All that on top of the "usual" Shirow stuff ie intricate political background, convoluted plot and his trade mark strong characters & hugely dynamic drawing.
The kind of stuff that leaves you KO and have you read it again straightaway to actually understand what it's about.
Because bear in mind that this was 1st released in the early 90s, when internet was only a scientific network. The guy had already seen the future.
To say that there is a "before" and "after" Ghost In The Shell. The "you've read it here first" kind. The kind that makes you feel enlightened. By the time you reach the end of the Puppet Master story arc, suddently all SciFi becomes toned down, strangely simplistic...
Moving into the mid 90s, Mamoru Oshii adapted this manga into a film, which would lead to world fame. Being an adaptation, the movie was kept closer to Oshii's themes and was featuring a significantly different Major Kusanagi, tortured by her condition of cyborg and questionning what makes someone human.
Don't get me wrong: the movie is excellent, but was to me a significant departure of the original manga that I loved.
So I was therefore very happy when I finally got round to discover the 1st season of Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (GITS SAC), because that adaptation to a TV format kept very close to the manga, keeping the original characters and the aspect a bit more chicks with guns. You get fast paced actions, ground breaking cyber punk and on top of that the political side that actually makes most of the episodes being sorted in the background. You get fights, explosions, but the real solution is soften reached throught negociations or manipulations, because in a world of information, data is the key.
So this "1st gig" was an unbelievable success, keeping the original spirit of the manga, porting almost directly some of its side stories in its "Stand Alone" episodes, but also creating a brand new & excellent story line, with the Laughing Man case ("Complex" episodes). That with a technical level almost flawless through the course of the 26 episodes. Incredible animation, amazingly integrated CGIs, Yoko Kanno doing the soundtrack...
And that's not even mentionning the incredible boldness of the script episodes, tackling varied themes, and that don't hesitate to dwell on the Tachikoma's metaphysical reflexions or spend an entire episode based on a chatroom conversation (certainly in an attempt to reproduce the Shirow's famous footnotes)... Memorable moments are plenty here. Suspence & emotions are not left out either as our heroes come close to their demise and some sacrifices are made, showing you that humanity has a lot to learn from machines...
It even made me read JD Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye! (very good book BTW)
How do you follow up on that? Easy. By doing better.
The writing team this time called back Oshii for the starting point of the series. And created again a strong story that also resonnates to today's problems, as it has to do with immigrants & refugees and at first terrorists bombings...
As with 1st Gig, you'll have to be wide awake to fully understand the story which involves lots of twists & turns.
At some point you have 4 different groups that all seem to have different objectives. But who's really calling the shots?
It's often the case with anime, but I can't get tired of it: it's so nice to watch something that doesn't assume that you're some sort of retard... The counter part is that you have to pay close attention or you might miss a thing.
I thought that plot wise, the series was a lot tighter than 1st Gig.
In the first season you could feel that the authors felt a bit of the weight of the original material and had Stand Alone episodes often drawing story lines directly from the manga. Which isn't bad in any mean though.
But here, although you have some referencing to events in the manga, pretty much every episode is a least loosely connected to the main plot.
For an avid reader like myself, it feels fresher.
It also adds some background to the different characters that might have felt left out in the 1st season.
Everything adds up to a wonderful crescendo to the season finale with a rare intensity and that masterfully manages to tie everything back together!
Because here I am, at the end, and this end sends me right back at the beginning...
The beginning of the manga! Drawing directly from the presets of that first issue, a bit like a Star Wars Episode 3, the last moments of the series finally set those 2 seasons as a prequel to the events I read all those years ago. And manage to even give background and raise questions about it...
This could have been called "Ghost In The Shell Begins".
The loop is looped.
And I am having goose bumps again...
A while ago now, a friend lend me the 2nd volume of Appleseed. That was the start of my love for Shirow's work that grew into my love of manga in general that grew into my love for anime.
When Ghost In The Shell was first released in France, in the brand new prepublication magazine Manga Player, it was a huge shock for me. I had been through 3 Appleseed volumes, Black Magic (Shirow's first work), so I was kind of used to his world: cyborgs, robots, guns, girls & obscure underlying politics. Or I thought I was.
With that first issue, you were sent without warning into a world where global network are a reality, were people have cyberbrains that can communicate with each others without wires, where the boundaries of the brains are more or less virtual as you can hack into someone and take control of him.
All that on top of the "usual" Shirow stuff ie intricate political background, convoluted plot and his trade mark strong characters & hugely dynamic drawing.
The kind of stuff that leaves you KO and have you read it again straightaway to actually understand what it's about.
Because bear in mind that this was 1st released in the early 90s, when internet was only a scientific network. The guy had already seen the future.
To say that there is a "before" and "after" Ghost In The Shell. The "you've read it here first" kind. The kind that makes you feel enlightened. By the time you reach the end of the Puppet Master story arc, suddently all SciFi becomes toned down, strangely simplistic...
Moving into the mid 90s, Mamoru Oshii adapted this manga into a film, which would lead to world fame. Being an adaptation, the movie was kept closer to Oshii's themes and was featuring a significantly different Major Kusanagi, tortured by her condition of cyborg and questionning what makes someone human.
Don't get me wrong: the movie is excellent, but was to me a significant departure of the original manga that I loved.
So I was therefore very happy when I finally got round to discover the 1st season of Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (GITS SAC), because that adaptation to a TV format kept very close to the manga, keeping the original characters and the aspect a bit more chicks with guns. You get fast paced actions, ground breaking cyber punk and on top of that the political side that actually makes most of the episodes being sorted in the background. You get fights, explosions, but the real solution is soften reached throught negociations or manipulations, because in a world of information, data is the key.
So this "1st gig" was an unbelievable success, keeping the original spirit of the manga, porting almost directly some of its side stories in its "Stand Alone" episodes, but also creating a brand new & excellent story line, with the Laughing Man case ("Complex" episodes). That with a technical level almost flawless through the course of the 26 episodes. Incredible animation, amazingly integrated CGIs, Yoko Kanno doing the soundtrack...
And that's not even mentionning the incredible boldness of the script episodes, tackling varied themes, and that don't hesitate to dwell on the Tachikoma's metaphysical reflexions or spend an entire episode based on a chatroom conversation (certainly in an attempt to reproduce the Shirow's famous footnotes)... Memorable moments are plenty here. Suspence & emotions are not left out either as our heroes come close to their demise and some sacrifices are made, showing you that humanity has a lot to learn from machines...
It even made me read JD Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye! (very good book BTW)
How do you follow up on that? Easy. By doing better.
The writing team this time called back Oshii for the starting point of the series. And created again a strong story that also resonnates to today's problems, as it has to do with immigrants & refugees and at first terrorists bombings...
As with 1st Gig, you'll have to be wide awake to fully understand the story which involves lots of twists & turns.
At some point you have 4 different groups that all seem to have different objectives. But who's really calling the shots?
It's often the case with anime, but I can't get tired of it: it's so nice to watch something that doesn't assume that you're some sort of retard... The counter part is that you have to pay close attention or you might miss a thing.
I thought that plot wise, the series was a lot tighter than 1st Gig.
In the first season you could feel that the authors felt a bit of the weight of the original material and had Stand Alone episodes often drawing story lines directly from the manga. Which isn't bad in any mean though.
But here, although you have some referencing to events in the manga, pretty much every episode is a least loosely connected to the main plot.
For an avid reader like myself, it feels fresher.
It also adds some background to the different characters that might have felt left out in the 1st season.
Everything adds up to a wonderful crescendo to the season finale with a rare intensity and that masterfully manages to tie everything back together!
Because here I am, at the end, and this end sends me right back at the beginning...
The beginning of the manga! Drawing directly from the presets of that first issue, a bit like a Star Wars Episode 3, the last moments of the series finally set those 2 seasons as a prequel to the events I read all those years ago. And manage to even give background and raise questions about it...
This could have been called "Ghost In The Shell Begins".
The loop is looped.
And I am having goose bumps again...
lol
Une nouvelle preuve que l'on peut rire de tout mais pas de n'importe qui...
"J'invite les Français à rallier mon ego surdimensionné", disent les sous-titres alors que Nicolas Sarkozy avait invité les Français à "s'unir à lui", le 22 avril.
Le traducteur et "l'ego surdimensionné" de Nicolas Sarkozy
"J'invite les Français à rallier mon ego surdimensionné". Des Français de New York ont fait un bond en lisant les sous-titres en anglais du discours prononcé par Nicolas Sarkozy au soir du 22 avril dans un sujet diffusé dans le journal de France 2 du lendemain, retransmis aux Etats-Unis sur des chaînes du câble.
Le dérapage dans la traduction a été aussitôt signalé sur un Web magazine à l'intention des Français de New York, French Morning NY. Et un élu des Français de l'étranger, Jean Lachaud, se serait plaint de l'incident auprès de France 2... qui a décidé de licencier son traducteur facétieux.
La responsable du service traduction de France 2, Claire Quidet, souligne dans un courrier qu'"il serait faux de croire (...) qu'il s'agi[t] d'un sous-titre anti-Sarko". "Il s'agit plutôt, souligne-t-elle, d'une blague de potache d'un traducteur un peu surmené, qui aurait pu s'appliquer à n'importe quel autre personnage, politique ou non, que le traducteur aurait eu à traduire dans sa partie ce soir-là. Il faut enfin rappeler que tous les traducteurs sont américains, et qu'en plus de ne pas être électeurs pour ce scrutin, leurs sentiments vis-à-vis des candidats n'ont rien d'aussi tranché que ceux des citoyens français."
Le Monde.fr
"J'invite les Français à rallier mon ego surdimensionné", disent les sous-titres alors que Nicolas Sarkozy avait invité les Français à "s'unir à lui", le 22 avril.
Le traducteur et "l'ego surdimensionné" de Nicolas Sarkozy
"J'invite les Français à rallier mon ego surdimensionné". Des Français de New York ont fait un bond en lisant les sous-titres en anglais du discours prononcé par Nicolas Sarkozy au soir du 22 avril dans un sujet diffusé dans le journal de France 2 du lendemain, retransmis aux Etats-Unis sur des chaînes du câble.
Le dérapage dans la traduction a été aussitôt signalé sur un Web magazine à l'intention des Français de New York, French Morning NY. Et un élu des Français de l'étranger, Jean Lachaud, se serait plaint de l'incident auprès de France 2... qui a décidé de licencier son traducteur facétieux.
La responsable du service traduction de France 2, Claire Quidet, souligne dans un courrier qu'"il serait faux de croire (...) qu'il s'agi[t] d'un sous-titre anti-Sarko". "Il s'agit plutôt, souligne-t-elle, d'une blague de potache d'un traducteur un peu surmené, qui aurait pu s'appliquer à n'importe quel autre personnage, politique ou non, que le traducteur aurait eu à traduire dans sa partie ce soir-là. Il faut enfin rappeler que tous les traducteurs sont américains, et qu'en plus de ne pas être électeurs pour ce scrutin, leurs sentiments vis-à-vis des candidats n'ont rien d'aussi tranché que ceux des citoyens français."
Le Monde.fr
Un peu de politique?
Hop j'ai lu quelques articles dans le Monde qui m'ont beaucoup interesse:
Le 1er traite d'imigration et s'adresse a tous ceux qui pensent etre envahis: on a BESOIN d'immigres!!!
Le 2e de provocation presentant Plantu aux prises avec certains detracteurs de ses caricatures.
Le 3e et dernier des derives possibles d'un appareil judiciaire trop developpe...
Quelques grammes de reflexion dans un monde reactionnaire...
Le 1er traite d'imigration et s'adresse a tous ceux qui pensent etre envahis: on a BESOIN d'immigres!!!
Le 2e de provocation presentant Plantu aux prises avec certains detracteurs de ses caricatures.
Le 3e et dernier des derives possibles d'un appareil judiciaire trop developpe...
Quelques grammes de reflexion dans un monde reactionnaire...
Friday, April 27, 2007
Dumb warnings.
I noticed earlier today that the label on my underwear was reading "Keep away from fire", which made me laugh out loud.
It also reminded me of the Dumb warning web site, which gathers this kind of warnings found on labels, user's manual, etc.
Examples:
Unknown Air Conditioner
Caution: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows.
Rowenta Iron
Warning: Never iron clothes on the body.
Unknown Batman Costume
Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly.
Ansell Condoms
Do not return used condoms to the manufacturer through the mail.
Unknown Toilet Plunger
Caution: Do not use near power lines.
And my all time favorite:
Swedish Chainsaw
Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals.
Check it out if you're bored, it's a good laugh!
It also reminded me of the Dumb warning web site, which gathers this kind of warnings found on labels, user's manual, etc.
Examples:
Unknown Air Conditioner
Caution: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows.
Rowenta Iron
Warning: Never iron clothes on the body.
Unknown Batman Costume
Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly.
Ansell Condoms
Do not return used condoms to the manufacturer through the mail.
Unknown Toilet Plunger
Caution: Do not use near power lines.
And my all time favorite:
Swedish Chainsaw
Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals.
Check it out if you're bored, it's a good laugh!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Watch out for Superman!!
...They found kryptonite, he should definitely exist.
Original link from the BBC------------------------
'Kryptonite' discovered in mine
Kryptonite is no longer just the stuff of fiction feared by caped superheroes.
A new mineral matching its unique chemistry - as described in the film Superman Returns - has been identified in a mine in Serbia.
According to movie and comic-book storylines, kryptonite is supposed to sap Superman's powers whenever he is exposed to its large green crystals.
The real mineral is white and harmless, says Dr Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum.
"I'm afraid it's not green and it doesn't glow either - although it will react to ultraviolet light by fluorescing a pinkish-orange," he told BBC News.
Rock heist
Researchers from mining group Rio Tinto discovered the unusual mineral and enlisted the help of Dr Stanley when they could not match it with anything known previously to science.
Once the London expert had unravelled the mineral's chemical make-up, he was shocked to discover this formula was already referenced in literature - albeit fictional literature.
"Towards the end of my research I searched the web using the mineral's chemical formula - sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide - and was amazed to discover that same scientific name, written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film Superman Returns.
"The new mineral does not contain fluorine (which it does in the film) and is white rather than green but, in all other respects, the chemistry matches that for the rock containing kryptonite."
The mineral is relatively hard but is very small grained. Each individual crystal is less than five microns (millionths of a metre) across.
Elementary clash
Identifying its atomic structure required sophisticated analytical facilities at Canada's National Research Council and the assistance and expertise of its researchers, Dr Pamela Whitfield and Dr Yvon Le Page.
"'Knowing a material's crystal structure means scientists can calculate other physical properties of the material, such as its elasticity or thermochemical properties," explained Dr Le Page.
"Being able to analyse all the properties of a mineral, both chemical and physical, brings us closer to confirming that it is indeed unique."
Finding out that the chemical composition of a material was an exact match to an invented formula for the fictitious kryptonite "was the coincidence of a lifetime," he added.
The mineral cannot be called kryptonite under international nomenclature rules because it has nothing to do with krypton - a real element in the Periodic Table that takes the form of a gas.
Power possibilities
Instead, it will be formally named Jadarite when it is described in the European Journal of Mineralogy later this year.
Jadar is the name of the place where the Serbian mine is located.
Dr Stanley said that if deposits occurred in sufficient quantity it could have some commercial value.
It contains boron and lithium and two valuable elements with many applications, he explained.
"Borosilicate glasses are used to encapsulate processed radioactive waste, and lithium is used in batteries and in the pharmaceutical industries."
------------------------
Original link from the BBC------------------------
'Kryptonite' discovered in mine
Kryptonite is no longer just the stuff of fiction feared by caped superheroes.
A new mineral matching its unique chemistry - as described in the film Superman Returns - has been identified in a mine in Serbia.
According to movie and comic-book storylines, kryptonite is supposed to sap Superman's powers whenever he is exposed to its large green crystals.
The real mineral is white and harmless, says Dr Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum.
"I'm afraid it's not green and it doesn't glow either - although it will react to ultraviolet light by fluorescing a pinkish-orange," he told BBC News.
Rock heist
Researchers from mining group Rio Tinto discovered the unusual mineral and enlisted the help of Dr Stanley when they could not match it with anything known previously to science.
Once the London expert had unravelled the mineral's chemical make-up, he was shocked to discover this formula was already referenced in literature - albeit fictional literature.
"Towards the end of my research I searched the web using the mineral's chemical formula - sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide - and was amazed to discover that same scientific name, written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film Superman Returns.
"The new mineral does not contain fluorine (which it does in the film) and is white rather than green but, in all other respects, the chemistry matches that for the rock containing kryptonite."
The mineral is relatively hard but is very small grained. Each individual crystal is less than five microns (millionths of a metre) across.
Elementary clash
Identifying its atomic structure required sophisticated analytical facilities at Canada's National Research Council and the assistance and expertise of its researchers, Dr Pamela Whitfield and Dr Yvon Le Page.
"'Knowing a material's crystal structure means scientists can calculate other physical properties of the material, such as its elasticity or thermochemical properties," explained Dr Le Page.
"Being able to analyse all the properties of a mineral, both chemical and physical, brings us closer to confirming that it is indeed unique."
Finding out that the chemical composition of a material was an exact match to an invented formula for the fictitious kryptonite "was the coincidence of a lifetime," he added.
The mineral cannot be called kryptonite under international nomenclature rules because it has nothing to do with krypton - a real element in the Periodic Table that takes the form of a gas.
Power possibilities
Instead, it will be formally named Jadarite when it is described in the European Journal of Mineralogy later this year.
Jadar is the name of the place where the Serbian mine is located.
Dr Stanley said that if deposits occurred in sufficient quantity it could have some commercial value.
It contains boron and lithium and two valuable elements with many applications, he explained.
"Borosilicate glasses are used to encapsulate processed radioactive waste, and lithium is used in batteries and in the pharmaceutical industries."
------------------------
Friday, April 20, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Un jeu de mots incroyable.
La, le simple adepte des jeux de mots tordus et de calembourg que je suis se reconnait un maitre.
Série Z from Les Cahiers du Football
"L'Inter Milan ne perd jamais" (maxifoot.fr). Forcément, Materazzi connaît par coeur les vices.
Par la meme occasion, une autre breve des Cahiers du foot qui est drole:
48 images / seconde from Les Cahiers du Football
"OM TV propose demain mercredi plus de 4h de direct à ses abonnés, de 19h à 20h55" (F365). Et les Marseillais n'exagèrent jamais.
:)
Série Z from Les Cahiers du Football
"L'Inter Milan ne perd jamais" (maxifoot.fr). Forcément, Materazzi connaît par coeur les vices.
Par la meme occasion, une autre breve des Cahiers du foot qui est drole:
48 images / seconde from Les Cahiers du Football
"OM TV propose demain mercredi plus de 4h de direct à ses abonnés, de 19h à 20h55" (F365). Et les Marseillais n'exagèrent jamais.
:)
Monday, April 16, 2007
Une pensee...
Beaucoup disent que Tony Montana dans Scarface, regardant la TV dans sa baignoire geante, a influence pas mal de monde, en particulier des generations de rappers.
Bah perso en termes "d'influences baignoire", je n'ai vu Scarface que tres tard (y a 2ans) donc ca ne m'a pas influence mais c'est plutot Colt Seavers (L'Homme Qui Tombe A Pic), lisant son journal en prenant son bain dans son salon qui a marque mon jeune inconscient de l'epoque...
Chacun ses references.
Bah perso en termes "d'influences baignoire", je n'ai vu Scarface que tres tard (y a 2ans) donc ca ne m'a pas influence mais c'est plutot Colt Seavers (L'Homme Qui Tombe A Pic), lisant son journal en prenant son bain dans son salon qui a marque mon jeune inconscient de l'epoque...
Chacun ses references.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
See you space cowboy...
I was reading the latest edition of Anime Land, my usual anime magazine and they did an interesting feature on Cowboy Bebop, because it's being rereleased in France.
So they mentionned the end of it and described it and just as I was reading, I could see everything in my mind and had goosebumps (just as I'm writing this, I feel the same).
Because this ending might be the best ending I'll ever see in my whole life.
"Bang!"
If you know what I'm talking about, you may know what I mean, if you don't, just check this wonderful series out.
I'll have to carry that weight...
So they mentionned the end of it and described it and just as I was reading, I could see everything in my mind and had goosebumps (just as I'm writing this, I feel the same).
Because this ending might be the best ending I'll ever see in my whole life.
"Bang!"
If you know what I'm talking about, you may know what I mean, if you don't, just check this wonderful series out.
I'll have to carry that weight...
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Tom Yum Goong
I have an Asian wave going on again.
Tom Yum Goong under its strange name is the latest of the new Thai star Tony Jaa who was put under the spotlight by the instant cult Ong Bak, a proud B movie that feature insane stunts & martial arts under the usual B "nonsense" (ie no plot).
Where do you go from there?
I didn't have great expectations for this, all I wanted was more of the same as Ong Bak.
But I have to say that this outing was a disappointment.
It really feels like after Ong Bak's success, they got plenty of money and didn't really know what to spend it on. So they set out to go "bigger", moved to Australia, got themselves some huge tracking shots, but all in all it falls flat.
I mean Ong Bak had a really thin script, but it still managed to hold itself together, evenly dispensing various action scenes (chases on foot or on tuktuk, fights, etc) and linking them logically.
Here, the plot is even more "nonsensic", it's hard to care about this elephant story, there's even less character development than in Ong Bak, you could cut all the 2ary characters out of the movie and see no difference. I'm not saying that I'd watch such a movie for story or characters for example. But here it really feels badly put together...
It would be OK if the action made you forget that but the set pieces feel too far apart and are reduced to "plain" fights, breaking arms or legs. Most of the stunts have been seen in Ong Bak anyway.
Obviously you get highlights and you still have the odd jaw dropping move: about 1h in you have a Muay Thai vs Capoeira fight that in itself makes the whole thing worthwhile. But other than that it's quite overblown... A shame...
I hope Jaa will get himself the right ccoperators in the future to deliver some truly great action...
Tom Yum Goong under its strange name is the latest of the new Thai star Tony Jaa who was put under the spotlight by the instant cult Ong Bak, a proud B movie that feature insane stunts & martial arts under the usual B "nonsense" (ie no plot).
Where do you go from there?
I didn't have great expectations for this, all I wanted was more of the same as Ong Bak.
But I have to say that this outing was a disappointment.
It really feels like after Ong Bak's success, they got plenty of money and didn't really know what to spend it on. So they set out to go "bigger", moved to Australia, got themselves some huge tracking shots, but all in all it falls flat.
I mean Ong Bak had a really thin script, but it still managed to hold itself together, evenly dispensing various action scenes (chases on foot or on tuktuk, fights, etc) and linking them logically.
Here, the plot is even more "nonsensic", it's hard to care about this elephant story, there's even less character development than in Ong Bak, you could cut all the 2ary characters out of the movie and see no difference. I'm not saying that I'd watch such a movie for story or characters for example. But here it really feels badly put together...
It would be OK if the action made you forget that but the set pieces feel too far apart and are reduced to "plain" fights, breaking arms or legs. Most of the stunts have been seen in Ong Bak anyway.
Obviously you get highlights and you still have the odd jaw dropping move: about 1h in you have a Muay Thai vs Capoeira fight that in itself makes the whole thing worthwhile. But other than that it's quite overblown... A shame...
I hope Jaa will get himself the right ccoperators in the future to deliver some truly great action...
Fearless.
I wanted to catch this one in the theaters but couldn't. So I finally got round to get the DVD.
So what to think of Jet Li's "last kung fu movie"?
It actually is his last "period" kung fu movie meaning that he will still do moves with "kung fu" in them but no more movies ABOUT "kung fu".
And actually having said that kind of sums it all up: this is a movie about kung fu, in the "old school" sense.
It tells you the story of the guy that tried to unify the martial arts in China.
So you get the classic story of the guy that is very arrogant at the start, practising martial arts without actually knowing what it's really about, but his actions will trigger events that will change his perspective on things and after redeeming himself he will be back and honor his status of "master".
For anybody that has seen 2 or 3 HK movies on the subject, this will sound very familiar.
But the point is not to be original here.
The fights are excellent, the direction is good (very clear), acting appropriate.
The movie is meant to be a statement: kung fu is the key, it enables to to improve yourself and if every body works in the same direction ultimately it's a vector of unification.
It might seem very naive, but for me it's a kind of "naive" that I have a soft spot for. ;)
All in all I really enjoyed it!
So what to think of Jet Li's "last kung fu movie"?
It actually is his last "period" kung fu movie meaning that he will still do moves with "kung fu" in them but no more movies ABOUT "kung fu".
And actually having said that kind of sums it all up: this is a movie about kung fu, in the "old school" sense.
It tells you the story of the guy that tried to unify the martial arts in China.
So you get the classic story of the guy that is very arrogant at the start, practising martial arts without actually knowing what it's really about, but his actions will trigger events that will change his perspective on things and after redeeming himself he will be back and honor his status of "master".
For anybody that has seen 2 or 3 HK movies on the subject, this will sound very familiar.
But the point is not to be original here.
The fights are excellent, the direction is good (very clear), acting appropriate.
The movie is meant to be a statement: kung fu is the key, it enables to to improve yourself and if every body works in the same direction ultimately it's a vector of unification.
It might seem very naive, but for me it's a kind of "naive" that I have a soft spot for. ;)
All in all I really enjoyed it!
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