26 Films That Changed Visual Effects

Pretty cool set of clips over the past 100 years.

Visual Effects.

Why You Should Be Sober At A Funeral.

Sorrow has many forms. In mourning the loss of a loved one, people will do all kinds of things to feel better.

One tiny piece of advice: if you want to mourn your lost friend/relative by having a few drinks, or hits, snorts, whatever the latest term is, please do so after you've sung at their funeral. Helps prevent you from appearing on the Internet in eternal infamy.

YouTube Link.

V - The Series - Again!

Think shows of the '80's were great? Think some of those classic shows need to be remade so a new generation can enjoy what made you love them as a teenager?

Disappointed by the horrible remake jokes called Knight Rider, 90210, or any of the other re-do unoriginal crap that's come out recently?

Well, never fear! The ultimate cheesy '80's show reboot is here!

"V"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(okay, the promo actually looks decent. like they used real actors and real money to give us decent effects.)

YouTube promo link.

Cube News 1

I accidentally ran across this while looking at some other video on YouTube last night.

(okay, okay. a Wonder Woman montage done to the Flashdance theme. don't ask.)

Funniest thing I've seen in awhile. If you've ever worked in a cubicle, you can relate to these funny skits.

Cube News 1.

I Love My Pillow, But Otaku?

I remember how hard it was to let go of my attachment to stuffed animals. Those fluffy, soft, non-judgmental toys got me through some rough childhood times. Alas, adulthood came and it was time to let go.

Then, there's my pillows. Love them, too. Soft, fluffy, perfect for resting one's head. I have to have my pillows to sleep well. Normal attachment to pillows. Most of us need one or two to sleep well.

BUT, um, this New York Times article regarding the practice of otaku brings all that pillow-loving, stuffed animal, doll-type love to a whole new level.

To be clear, we're not talking the, ahem, sex dolls, some males use as an "aid". Nope, we're talking l-o-v-e, folks.

Article here.

Fun Time-Waster - Gravitee 2

Not a no-brainer as you need to think to get the golf ball around the planets (you heard me). Kind of fun, and I don't even like golf.

Gravitee 2.

Happy 400th Birthday!

Galileo's telescope was first shown to Venetian lawmakers on this day, 400 years ago. He didn't invent the first telescope, but his is the one that became known as the terrestrial telescope.

Google's home page today has a nice homage to it. Some other links below:

Wiki

Connexions

The Guardian

A Favorite Comic: xkcd

I work in the IT field, so this post felt particularly appropriate (I may know a lot, but I don't know everything about every single program out there.).

This one is even more fitting for many adult children, too (aka your parents keep calling for help).

Check out xkcd for more entertaining comics.

Want To Remotely Control Your Oven? Try Your Cellphone!

It's true. As hard to believe as it sounds, some Maytag ovens are sensitive to the interference caused by cellphones (the same reason your computer speakers might make weird noises when your cellphone is near).

The New York Times has an article and video to prove it.

Blue Lobster Saved From The Pot.

Check out this beauty. Experts estimate only one in 5 million lobsters are blue. Even rarer are bright orange ones. If you're into more than eating lobsters, this article has some cool information.

From Mental Floss: Why Shells Sound Like The Sea.

Mental Floss is becoming an educational site for me. Lots of answers to common myths and oddities we're all aware of, but rarely know the real answer to (at least, not me).

This post covers why when you hold a seashell up to your ear, it sounds like the ocean.

Health Care Reform Fact Check.

There's so much media dedicated to health care reform, I figured I'd put my tiny voice in, too. Not my opinion (like anyone would listen), but a fact check article.

NBC News has done a new poll and the results indicate some people may believe the myths out there on health care reform. Below is the poll myth results and the actual facts. It would be nice if people would research myths. 'Death panels', indeed. The full AP article is here.

"A look at each of those points:

THE POLL: 45 percent said it's likely the government will decide when to stop care for the elderly; 50 percent said it's not likely.

THE FACTS: Nothing being debated in Washington would give the government such authority. Critics have twisted a provision in a House bill that would direct Medicare to pay for counseling sessions about end-of-life care, living wills, hospices and the like if a patient wants such consultations with a doctor. They have said, incorrectly, that the elderly would be required to have these sessions.

House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio said such counseling "may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia."

The bill would prohibit coverage of counseling that presents suicide or assisted suicide as an option.

Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who has been a proponent of coverage for end-of-life counseling under Medicare, said such sessions are a voluntary benefit, strictly between doctor and patient, and it was "nuts" to think death panels are looming or euthanasia is part of the equation.

But as fellow conservatives stepped up criticism of the provision, he backed away from his defense of it.

___

THE POLL: 55 percent expect the overhaul will give coverage to illegal immigrants; 34 percent don't.

THE FACTS: The proposals being negotiated do not provide coverage for illegal immigrants.

___

THE POLL: 54 percent said the overhaul will lead to a government takeover of health care; 39 percent disagree.

THE FACTS: Obama is not proposing a single-payer system in which the government covers everyone, like in Canada or some European countries. He says that direction is not right for the U.S. The proposals being negotiated do not go there.

At issue is a proposed "exchange" or "marketplace" in which a new government plan would be one option for people who aren't covered at work or whose job coverage is too expensive. The exchange would offer some private plans as well as the public one, all of them required to offer certain basic benefits.

That's a long way from a government takeover. But when Obama tells people they can just continue with the plans they have now if they are happy with them, that can't be taken at face value, either. Tax provisions could end up making it cheaper for some employers to pay a fee to end their health coverage, nudging some patients into a public plan with different doctors and benefits. Over time, critics fear, the public plan could squeeze private insurers out of business because they would not be able to compete with the federal government.

It's unclear now whether Obama is committed to the public option. He described it recently as "just one sliver" of health reform, suggesting it was expendable if lawmakers could agree on another way to expand affordable coverage. Now the White House is emphasizing his strong support for it.

___

THE POLL: 50 percent expect taxpayer dollars will be used to pay for abortions; 37 percent don't.

THE FACTS: The House version of legislation would allow coverage for abortion in the public plan. But the procedure would be paid for with dollars from beneficiary premiums, not from federal funds. Likewise, private plans in the new insurance exchange could opt to cover abortion, but no federal subsidies would be used to pay for the procedure.

Opponents say the prohibition on federal money for the procedure is merely a bookkeeping trick and what matters is that Washington would allow abortion to be covered under government-subsidized insurance.

Obama has stated that the U.S. should continue its tradition of "not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care." Current laws prohibiting public financing of abortion would stay on the books.

Yet abortion guidelines are not yet clear for the government-supervised insurance exchange. There is strong sentiment in Congress on both sides of the issue."

Is That A Snake In Our Yard?

I hate it when the neighbors let their dogs run loose in the neighborhood. At least I don't have neighbors who keep a pet python that might escape from time to time.

Real Meaning Of Pyramid On Dollar Bill.

This article over at Mental Floss explains the Great Seal of the United States. Not really as fun an explanation as Masons or any other conspiracies, but there you go.

A Truly Insatiable Appetite.

This was on Good Morning America. This link is to an article on the same person. Don't wish Prader-Willi Syndrome on anyone.

When Lawyers Are The Crooks

This guy is "innocent until proven guilty", of course, but goes to show how a bad seed can be anywhere.

Sex = Food

Hate women? Want to have sex on a regular basis, no matter what your bitch, excuse me, wife wants? Well, just make sure your government "quietly" passes a law to support your misogynist interpretation of your religion. You know, because God wants a husband to be able to starve his wife if she refuses sex.

Or, move to Afghanistan. The law's already in place.

Truth In Advertising.

A friend caught this while at McDonald's. You know they can't wait for tomorrow's paper to show up.

How Some Wives Feel.

I wouldn't know personally about this type of husband, but I figure this picture says it all for a few. From one of my favorite comics, Non Sequitur.

Real Mature.

We've all got our pet peeves. Certainly, people parking where they shouldn't is a common one. When you're a judge, though, resorting to childish behavior over a parking spot is not the best way to deal with that pet peeve.

Don't F*ck With Nuns

This robbery suspect learned all about "Thou shalt not steal".

There Should Be An Age Limit On Tasing.

They tasered a 76-year-old? Seriously? Even the police chief admits "we probably didn't do things the best way we could have". You think?

When Otters Attack!

Actually, this does suck for the woman. She's got to get rabies shots.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction.

From one of my favorite blogs, MyParentsJoinedFacbook, comes one entry that reminds all of us how wonderful it is when Granny tells those charming, uplifting stories about our birthdays.

Do Fans Need An Excuse To Drink?

Whiskey, that great cure all. Got a little swine flu? Well, whiskey will cure that!

Hockey Player's Cheap Shot.

$1.20? This hockey player got angry over $1.20 in change? I mean, the NHL is no NFL, salary-wise, but I think players can afford to tip a taxi driver $1.20. Seriously.

Article here.