Day: 3 February 2003

Grrrrrrrrrr….

Apparently there is a problem with my FTP so while I can merrily blog away, there are communication issues between blogger’s ftp and my isp and so nuffink iz getting published. Grrrrr.

Hulk go smash stuff now. RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

The Two Towers Redux

Okay, so I finally got off my butt and went and saw The Two Towers again this weekend. I needed to see it again to decide whether the annoyance I found in watching it the first time was due to it being on an Imax screen, or that it was in fact the movie itself.

I believe now that it was more of the former than the latter. I still have problems with the departures Peter Jackson took from the written work, but they became slightly less of a problem while I sat and watched a battle scene that I could actually focus on instead of the original monstrosity of blurriness.

It was fun, not as fun as the first one as it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but still enjoyable nonetheless. And while I’m looking forward to the 3rd installment, I’m a little trepedacious about it because I know now that Jackson has few qualms about making gross departures from the written work and I worry about what else he will change or omit in light of the events he changed in the 2nd one.

Anyways…. back to reality for a bit.

The Show Must Go On…

I don’t really have much to say about the space shuttle explosion, so instead I’m going to quote someone’s words that I did find appropriate.

There’s no such thing as “routine” in space. The Columbia was only a few minutes from landing when . . . what? Maybe we’ll never be sure. Frontiers are dangerous.

The heroes on Columbia knew the dangers and were proud to accept them. The team that built and launched the shuttle, no less heroes, did their best — more than their best. We could build a better shuttle if we started from scratch today, and perhaps we should. But what we must not do is get bogged down in hand-wringing, finger-pointing, and blame-shifting.

We must continue toward space. Not because heroes died. Merely in spite of it. No frontier was ever explored without risk, and to insist that all possible risk be avoided is the same as saying “Give up and stay home.” And we absolutely must not give in to those who will seize upon this tragedy as an excuse to further gut our space program. The future is out there. Resources, knowledge, a home for humanity other than this one fragile planet . . . we must reach space, while we still can.

We lost seven heroes yesterday. Mourn them, but honor their dream. Close ranks and go on.

— Steve Jackson