Science Friday!!!

[captqitn]

Here's how the World Science Festival went last weekend.    Total blast.

1.   E_____   looks at life in pond water.

2.   A_____ pedals to light up as many bulbs as he can.

3.   The atom and the shark.

4.   The kids overtook the Washington Square Park fountain.

5.   E chills with Mr. Kidney

6.   A___ suits up.

[Bizarro]

Your kids really have a good childhood going, Eric. Good on you.

[Bizarro]

Have y'all heard about this documentary Gasland? A documentarian was offered $100k by a gas company to do "hydraulic fracturing" under his land in search of natural gas. Knowing that congress had recently exempted oil and gas companies from safety regulations concerning ground water, he was curious what effect this had on an area.

And wow... the part at the end of the trailer where the guy lights his tap water on fire is disturbing.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/dZe1AeH0Qz8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/dZe1AeH0Qz8</a>

[Bizarro]

Reading the reviews for the new movies this morning, I see that Ebert (and several other critics) really like The Karate Kid.

Jonathan asked me if I thought the new version of The Karate Kid was going to be any good. "No," would have been the easy answer, but it occurred to me that even if it succeeds perfectly at what it attempts to do--update an 80s teen movie for 2010 pre-teens, I just wouldn't give a shit.

I like this line in The AV Club about The A-Team:

The A-Team merely soups up Stephen J. Cannell’s campy action hit with expensive production values and lots of shit blowing up good.

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

Sharks in space!

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

Have y'all heard about this documentary Gasland? A documentarian was offered $100k by a gas company to do "hydraulic fracturing" under his land in search of natural gas. Knowing that congress had recently exempted oil and gas companies from safety regulations concerning ground water, he was curious what effect this had on an area.

And wow... the part at the end of the trailer where the guy lights his tap water on fire is disturbing.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/dZe1AeH0Qz8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/dZe1AeH0Qz8</a>

I saw an extensive interview with this dude on PBS with plenty clips (including the combustible tap water), so I kinda feel like I've already seen this movie.


The term "hydraulic fracturing" is insanely misleading.  It's really all the CHEMICALS they put in the water that does the fracturing.  That shit is toxic and is wrecking ground water.


I laughed at the politician at 1:37 who asks "how much more we'd be dependent on foreign oil...and terrorism?"  I want to reduce our dependence on terrorism as well.

[Moetown]

I don't know what happened yesterday, but I had an allergy attack that lasted all day. I feel better today, but my nose is sore and my bones hurt every time I sneeze or cough.

[Doctor Rock]

For the record, despite being one of the downloading-est dudes I know, I would cheerfully pay $5 for most stuff. Part of the reason I go the route I go is that I'm offended that my choices are paying $10-15 a record for low bitrate digital versions or $15-20 for a piece of plastic I do not want. If I could buy V0-quality VBR versions of albums for $5, I would cheerfully do so.

Yeah, me too.  But I hate spending money, even 5 bucks, on stuff I won't like.  But the song I heard was awesome, and James Spaulding was part of the Sun Ra Orchestra, so I'm taking a chance. 

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

I definitely want to see the Karate Kid....maybe not until the $1 theater or video, but I think it will be worth a look.

The travelogue stuff in the Forbidden City alone is justification.  And I will watch any Jackie Chan movie.


The A-Team...I'll wait for video, but I'll probably check it out.

[Bizarro]

Have I already done my "dependence on foreign oil" rant before? I'll keep it brief in case it's a rerun...

"Dependence on foreign oil" is a horseshit phrase created to scare Americans into supporting drilling on US soil. YES, we are heavily dependent on oil and YES, much of this comes from foreign countries. But the price of oil is set on the world market and it doesn't matter where it comes from, the price is the same. It's not as though if the oil comes from Alaska, the producers would simply say, "You guys are Americans? Oh, you're cool. Half price for you." And it's not as though every time you gas up at the pump, the funds from your credit card are transferred directly to al Qaeda. It's largely US-tied international corporations who control the oil/gas trade anyway. Average Americans would only notice the difference in increased US drilling from the environmental toll.

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

Have I already done my "dependence on foreign oil" rant before? I'll keep it brief in case it's a rerun...

"Dependence on foreign oil" is a horseshit phrase created to scare Americans into supporting drilling on US soil.

I think we're all smart enough to understand this.

I'd rather hear your take on our dependence on foreign terrorism.

[Doctor Rock]

Well, the US military-industrial complex is certainly dependent on "foreign terrorism"!

[Bizarro]

Have I already done my "dependence on foreign oil" rant before? I'll keep it brief in case it's a rerun...

I think we're all smart enough to understand this.

I didn't intend to preach to the choir, so much as ask them to check my pitch.

[regular tom]

hello, my friend(s), hello--gee it's good to need you so....


needing oil?  not so much. 

[Bizarro]

The Iron Man 2 connection is paying off for AC/DC. Not only do they have a "soundtrack" for the movie on the charts (really just a compilation of all their old tracks Favreau chose to use in the film) but "Shoot to Thrill" (the song most prominently use in the movie is now all over rock radio again. I pass it on the dial at least twice a day now.