this here deity

I really liked the first episode of Mr. Deity. It’s a short film about our big invisible buddy. While on this theme, you can also listen to Penn Jillette’s contribution to the “This I Believe” essays on NPR.

beyond the non-event horizon

I’d never been to Las Vegas before last weekend. It’s weird, weird, and weird. There are massive buildings; so big they could be intergalactic space vessels filled with colonists. Instead, they’re filled with people operating cheesy, squawking, gambling machines. The people sit in clouds of cigarette smoke, guzzling drinks, and making money disappear. The laws [...]

LOVE and space warps

I did get to see the Cirque du Soleil show, “LOVE” while in Vegas. That’s the one with all the George Martin remixes of Beatles songs. It was pretty stunning. Some of the pieces worked better than others, but overall I thought it was magnificent and endlessly inventive. The Cirque can evoke an experience that [...]

the challenge gets aggressive

Less than a week before I’m due to head to Las Vegas for the Amazing Meeting, the Amazing Randi has announced that he’s changing the way his Million Dollar Challenge operates. (The million dollars will go to anyone who can demonstrate “paranormal” abilities in a controlled setting.) The changes are described in this well-written Wired [...]

Children of Men

This movie is among the best I’ve seen in a long while. (“Pan’s Labyrinth” also fits in this category.) The film manages extreme tension throughout with small bits of humor interspersed, and some sheer amazement here and there. And a great sound track. Who would have expected to hear the old mellotron-soaked “In the [...]

lap dog

My #1 wish for the upcoming MacWorld conference is that Steve Jobs announces a new underwater iPod. Pool swimming is boring. I miss running, when I could listen to the podcast of my choice (a right guaranteed by the Constitution). I’ve been told that my foot bones are not well-structured for running, even though I [...]

self-defense lesson

What would it look like if you were flying over Godzilla while he tries to fry you with his radioactive breath? Study this photo so you’ll recognize the situation and be able to respond appropriately.