The arty side of Bliz

Here's a novel idea. Unless someone else has already done this. Then good job replicating that move.

Australia's Eminence Symphony Orchestra is gang up with Blizzard to "produce an album of rearranged orchestral music".

Musically, the album will contain tracks from the original Diablo (including everyone's favourite acoustic guitar track), StarCraft, Warcraft III and World of Warcraft (including The Burning Crusade), but also tracks from the yet-unreleased Wrath of the Lich King, the StarCraft II trilogy, and even Diablo III, which was only announced a few months ago.

Source:
IGN

King Solomon's Mines

There's no such thing as a horrid looking baby. Same goes for archaeological finds. Even if people try and link it to religious books and such.

Excerpt from the article in question:

Led by Thomas Levy of UC San Diego and Mohammad Najjar of Jordan's Friends of Archaeology, an international team of archaeologists has excavated an ancient copper-production center at Khirbat en-Nahas down to virgin soil, through more than 20 feet of industrial smelting debris, or slag. The 2006 dig has brought up new artifacts and with them a new suite of radiocarbon dates placing the bulk of industrial-scale production at Khirbat en-Nahas in the 10th century BCE – in line with biblical narrative on the legendary rule of David and Solomon.

I just get somewhat annoyed when people link history or science to either religious sentiments or sensationalism (the virgin shark birth haunts me to this day).

What's wrong with reading something for the sake of knowledge?

Source:
Eureka Alert

New studies about 2004 tsunami

Alright. A super interesting article (even if it is reported by the slightly Fox-ish BBC).

Two separate studies have shown that the 2004 tsunami might not have been the first of its kind to hit the region.

Two international collaborations have sampled the sediments in Thailand and Sumatra to examine tsunami history.

At both sites, there was evidence of sediment laid down by a large tsunami between 600 and 700 years ago, pre-dating written and oral records.

Wonder if it does mean that there just might be 600 year cycles of such events? Who knows, but these good folk will hopefully contribute to research that will lead to such important revelations.

New Solar System

A star with its own little solar system?

Along those lines anyway. There is quite a lot being deduced here and much will be certain in the coming years.

For now, a star close to Earth Epsilon Eridani has shown evidence of orbiting planets.

It is being heralded as a younger version of Earth.

This is quite an exciting revelation. Keep an eye out for this one.

Source:
Yahoo News

Amanda Tapping fansite

Check out this new Amanda Tapping fan site.

There are plenty of screen-caps from various Amanda Tapping shows - Sanctuary, X-files, Goosebumps.

Stargate Atlantis is not the list; understandable given the number of coverage already out there.

There is also a wonderful selection of interviews and articles about Tapping in the press archive.

Excellent site!

Whedon explains status of Dollhouse

Update on Dollhouse:

Joss Whedon has posted a blog explaining the situation on Dollhouse.

Read the full post for explanations. Bottom line? Dollhouse does not sound like it is canceled BUT the pilot is out and there have been some changes. Sounds more like a remashing of the story as a compromise between Whedon's vision and that of the network.

As an ending note, I was quite shocked to read the 'hate' comments in some blogs directed towards Whedon. Their main complaint of the man seems to be that he is smart and is proud to express it.

But then I realised that this is US and there are quite a lot of people out there who do not appreciate intelligence.

This does explain why any intelligent show done by the likes of Whedon does not do too well with the American masses.

Fire in the hole - origins

An article from Word Detective - Where does the phrase Fire in the hole come from?

According to WD, this phrase has its origins in the mining industry. It is also linked to deadly wars like WW2.

I can see why the writer would get peeved by the frivolous modern day use of a phrase that is associated with such dangerous professions.

Let's see how good your kung-fu really is

Here is a cool claymation I found in YT.

It is done by Mamshmam and is a funny rendition of the man cornered in alley fights several guys at once take. With a quirky sense of humor to boot.

Interview with Corin Nemec

Photo Source

An interview with Corin Nemec! Wow-wee.

Yep, Gateworld has gone and done it again - reeled in a much sought after interview. Whilst I was not the biggest Jonas fan (although he has grown on me now), Jonas did add a new angle to the series (plus, me husband favored Jonas's character).

So read the interview and find out how the man nabbed the role, what he is up to nowadays and of course, learn about the Order of Jonas's Banana. You heard me.

Origins of Halloween

A little background on Halloween, if you will.

Archaeology has a fascinating interview with PhD student Jenny Butler about Celtic origins of Halloween an, the meaning of the use of guises.

She links Halloween to the Cecltic feast of the dead; if you are thinking what I am thinking, read on until she points out that there might be an Irish link to the American methods of marking Halloween.

What intrigued me was the possible link between Guy Fawkes Day and Halloween.

And of course, what's the deal with carving out pumpkins?

A very good read - full article here.

David Hewlett is sorry for his bad behavior

This was hilarious.

David Hewlett ( Rodney McKay to SGA fans) did this humble public apology. You have no clue what he is going on about until you reach the end.

It actually makes more sense if you watch this clip - the one that prompted the apology in the first place!

Seth Green Interview

Guess what popped up in my alerts? An article with a Seth Green interview!

Reason to keep tabs on Seth Green? He's done some awesome roles; he is one of the creative geniuses behind Robot Chicken; and of course, more famous for this work than shenanigans off-screen.

In the interview, he talks about his new movie, Sex Drive, the new season of Robot Chicken (Yay!) and his take on the new stream of spoof movies.

Excerpt from interview:

[About Robot Chicken]

And at the end of this season, it's not really a spoiler, but we basically murder everyone in the cast and crew. It's silly. So then, you know, Matt and I are out of work looking for jobs, and we hit up Ron Moore and Joss Whedon and Seth MacFarlane for work. And MacFarlane's like, "I hear you already have a job on my insanely popular show." And I'm like, "You expect me to live on hundreds of thousands of dollars a year? No."

Opera studies web content

I have a lotta praise for Opera's web development field; their tutorials and tips are the best I have seen so far.

And thus, when Opera conducts a snazzy study to understand the web content out there on the In-Ter-Net, you sit up and listen. And hopefully click for more info on the subject.

This is an early stage of the study and I am guessing much more weird and wonderful facts will come to light soon.

For now, check this out.

* Flash is used in a lot of Chinese websites
* Denmark feels strongly against it (as can be seen from their piddly little flash usage). Can I pause a bit to say Hooray and Good for you here.
* Big shocker - only 4.13 % are web standards compliant. Oww-eeee. Guess that is why you need to pay your web development folk not just to set up site but also to maintain/remodel it!

There are plenty of other fascinating little tit-bits. So check out full article here.

Dollhouse canceled? More fears and bad signs.

Eki eki eki eki, nooooo!

Rumors are going strong that Dollhouse might be in trouble.

io9 points out that the Terminator series was not on the Fox winter schedule and zoop, now it is on! For a full season.

But does it mean it will be replacing Dollhouse?

It would be a pity if Dollhouse is canceled but I would not be surprised, given the stories that have been doing the rounds for a few months - Whedon changing the pilot, Fox being nitty-picky, Whedon having to refine script ... sigh! Someone with his talent should not have to take this crap.

Let's see what this means for online media and Whedon's continued input to help it grow.

Where do Potatoes come from?

Makes a little bit more sense now, why Dutch word for potato can be pataat!

According to Etymologically Speaking, a delightful website dedicated to word origins, the original name of the potato was derived from the Incan word bappa or papa (since it was native to South America).

The writer explains how the English word for potato evolved though time with Spanish input (adding the -ta) whereas the German, French, etc words came through the meandering path of the Vatican - a funny tale involving the Pope's botanist and his choice of words.

More schmucks take over world

Aussie saving people from dangers of the In-Ter-Net

Boing Boing has a charming little article about the powers that be in Aussie blocking content deemed illegal.

The fact that it will likely reduce everyone's internet performance is secondary; It will most likely incorrectly block 1% of sites, and now what you are allowed to view online is determined and controlled by the state (although most likely quite inaccurately).

And yet, everyone talks about China being the root of all evil (at least where civil liberties are concerned)?


How to stop being a peevologist (hmmm?)

Sites like Verbivore are an absolute delight to read. They bemoan the annoying hoaxes surrounding trivial and faulty linguistic 'puzzles' (and rightly so) and tell those who espouse these little riddles as awfully clever "facts" (cringe at the number of times I got these in a mass mail) to get hobby - at best.

This particular article beats down the silly belief that there are three words in the English languge that end in -gry.


Three secrets to getting 1984-style world - Porn, terrorism & piracy .... Arrrgh!

The Southern folk are having sleepless night due to the remote possibility of child, of negligent parents accessing porn. On the other hand, their distant relatives in the North have other equally stressing worries - no, not the financial crisis and saving the banks - the Big T! Terrorism.

And hence Britain has some dandy plans of "...setting up a database of all phone and e-mail traffic in the country as part of a high-tech strategy to fight terrorism and crime ...".

People losing jobs and not being able to pay rent - good to know the powers that be are pumping money into the right projects.

Interview with Tony Amendola

Master Bra'tac has spoken!

Gateworld nabs this gem of an interview with Tony Amendola. He chats about the good times that was SG-1, reminisces about Don S Davis and wishes he got a bit more of the romantic angle in the show.

About Don S Davis - He dragged me to all of his favorite art book stores. He was always in search of something. And he had such a hunger for the artistic. It's an overused word, except with him, I think. Because, and the reason I say that is not only [that] he's an actor. But he painted, he sketched, he did woodwork. He was amazing.

Sniffle!

Oh and one more thing. Amendola is gonna pop up in Dollhouse, Joss Whedon's latest telly show.

Off the Rails

Found this on YouTube. The work itself is a bit old (2005 I think) but nonetheless it's a fun animation, to watch again or for the first time. Animation is done by Darcy Prendergast who recently released another crazy bit of work about a Zookeeper and a panda.

Messing around in boats in Libya

More theories about Migration from Africa.

It is not a matter of whether early migration from Africa but rather the means of travel.

Eureka cites a new research pointing to a nautical means of moving about.

Anne Osborne, lead author on the paper said: "Space-born radar images showed fossil river channels crossing the Sahara in Libya, flowing north from the central Saharan watershed all the way to the Mediterranean. Using geochemical analyses, we demonstrate that these channels were active during the last interglacial period. This provides an important water course across this otherwise arid region.

Read the full article at Eureka.

Diablo 3 updates

Shack News details what /what not to expect from Diablo 3. A nice round up after recent revelations in BlizzCon.

Destructible environments have been added. Weak walls and hovering chandeliers can be used to kill enemies.

Leveling up emits an explosion from the character, dealing damage to surrounding enemies.

Gold is now automatically picked up if you run over it.

Yippee for that last one.

Whedon checks out Tutu

Photo Source

You heard me - Joss Whedon is planning a short film (ballet to end all ballets) called Serving Girl and it has Summer Glau in it.

Actually the headline should perhaps say that Whedon is making a movie for Glau.

Either way, an interesting project to look out for.

Source:
Link

Mysterious Island is Like Mysterious Lost Island

Quick note about Mysterious Island.

Myserious what? What are you on about?

Originally a story written by Jules Vernes (of 20 000 Leagues fame), it has been adapted into a movie format over and over again. The story is about a group of castaways stranded on a mysterious island where they learn to fend for themselves. On the one hand they have to deal with a fidgety Nemo (man with the Nautilus) and on the other, a group of swashbuckling pirates intent on swarming the island.

Hey hold on a minute ...

Ye, you guessed it. This book was a major inspiration for Lost. You can be a bit of similarity as you dwell into this movie/book. However, it is not an absolute replication of the story and thus there are a number of differences. Like that annoying girl who keeps getting herself and all others into trouble. Young whippersnapper.

Where did you get this idea anyway?

The movie I saw last night, and hence the reason for this blog, was the 2005 remake boasting actors like Patrick Stewart (one and only) and Kyle MacLachlan (that's Agent Cooper to you). I would call it a low budget affair with pretty backdrop and somewhat poor special effects. However, the direction of the flick itself was noteworthy. I assure you, there is high scale explosion and one line comebacks that seems to be the generic formula for box office hits these days.

World Bank computer servers suffering?

Here's your bit of alarming news for the day - this article states that World Bank's computer networks might have suffered a series cyber attacks.

According to IT News Africa,

The World Bank Group was first notified of the intrusions by the FBI in September 2007, when the bureau was investigating another cybercrime case involving transactions out of Johannesburg, South Africa. Fox News said it has an internal memo describing the initial intrusion to World Bank Group employees.

It goes on to mention the security measures being taken to deal with such intrusions.

Something that was not brought up - if this is a case of spyware and easy to hack computers, maybe you should change your OS.

Even better - what is the extent of internet usage available to employees in World Bank? Do they check their mail? What sites do they visit in their personal capacity? Is there one misguided soul who sends / opens a gazillion spam mails / chain letters?

Perhaps it's time to have a chat with them.

Palette creator

Some inspiration for that web design you've been mulling over - Color Lovers.

I discovered in recently and have been oogling it ever since.

I was looking for something green, more in the 70s hippie range. But the vast number of treasures roaming this site got me distracted.

Nuns at the airport, Limeade on Ice, Go Red ... ooh and Resign! So many creative works.

Translate Fail

I was using Google Translate for some quick info.

When translating some info from Dutch to English, here's what popped up.


My sentence? Net: Alle zones in heel Nederland (Net: All areas across Netherlands).

Apparently RET extends all the way to Canada.

Fail!

Third Class Announced for Diablo 3

It's out - another new class for Diablo 3.

Tis the Wizard Class and looks pretty hardcore.

The details in Blizzard's official site hint a class more powerful than sorcerer. E.g.:
... title of a civilized magic wielder is too restrictive for this young upstart....

About the battle that left the honorably mentioned Vizjerei knocked out, there is this telling phrase:

... it has been verified by reliable sources that she relied on trickery and deceit to bring the great man low.
Somehow this is also beginning to sound like a wizard - rogue hybrid. Not that I am complaining.

...able to warp time itself to her will! ....
That sounds like an awesome power! Whether it is bending time or doing the fabled moves from RHPS.

Synthetic Biology and its position in US

Just another sad sign that many folk in US is moving away from the science field.

LiveScience features an article about synthetic biology and comments on the lack of knowledge, within US, to this dynamic field.

Synthetic biologists engineer and build or redesign living organisms, such as bacteria, to carry out specific functions. The field is a scientific playground for the genetic code, where previously nonexistent DNA is formulated in test tubes.

Sadly, money-laden movie makers, looking for the next big disaster movie, are going to the most likely group to jump on this idea and conjure up an alarmist flick, boasting gargantuan explosions, wide scale demolitions and of course, a rampaging mutant animal.

British vs. American words - to choose?

For a while now I have mulling over the spelling of 'color'. Not about the spelling per say but whether I should stick to using the Br. spelling I was brought up with (colour) or to stick to the blogger dictionary friendly one (color).

Don't even get me started on spelling jewellery.

This train of thought eventually led to a google search of American vs. British words - different uses and spellings.

Here are a few notable ones (it's strange to think I have been using both forms of spelling for a while now):

That thingy you wear to bed
American - pajamas
British - pyjamas

This is in the mail
American - check
British - cheque

Note: I remember being told off by me mom when I first used the US version of this word; I recall having to show her the word in a dictionary to assure her that I had not forgotten how to spell ( her words; such faith hey? ).

Being good at something
American - skillful
British - skilful


Check out this site - there are plenty more spelling differences.

Question is, do I stick to British spelling or do I adopt the American spelling?

There is a case to be made for language imperialism and on the other hand, there are so many varieties of English that this arguement seems so trivial.

Youtube will bring you McGyver

Good news for all.

Youtube wants to offer full length episodes from famous series like Star Trek (woohoo), McGyver (woot) and Beverly Hills 90210 (eh?).

There might be other gems or .... gems. Guess we will see soon enough.

Unless this is going to be one of those region-specific nonsense. For an example of such onzin, check Hulu.

Various Countries and their take on Evolution

Different countries and their stand on evolution
Photo courtesy: Pharyngula

This was a depressing list. Well, at least for countries that got a nifty red line as opposed to a whimpering blue line. Can't say I am surprised to see US as the second ranking fella there. I suppose there is only one other reaction to this one; Prof. Myers sums it up nicely when he says 'We beat Turkey'.

If you look at the recent trends in US, this lowly rank will not come as a surprise: the way science shows and events are constantly watered down in US; how all scifi shows must accommodate a by-chance super natural intervention in order to get good ratings (think that chance encouter with glow worms in Pitch Black); the number of movies or doccies that keep coming out promoting creationism as if it was a viable, rational theory (urgh).


Source:
Pharyngula

Pup to mom: Where's my daddy

I read a news article from Live Science (via Yahoo) about a shark pup that was conceived (?) through asexual reproduction [parthenogenesis].

"It is possible that parthenogenesis could become more common in these sharks if population densities become so low that females have trouble finding mates," said Mahmood Shivji, one of the scientists and director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

I remember reading up about certain animals changing their sex when there were not enough males around. Am I way off here or is that somehow related to this?

And excuse me if I prefer not to call this a 'virgin birth'.

Bleach Wallpapers

Photo Source: Bleach Space

I was looking for some Bleach goodies. Time to update the wallpaper folder again.

There aren't too many choices but almost all of them are nifty pieces.

Words relating to death

Here's a little bit of background on popular sayings about death. Can you guess which show gave me the idea?

Kick the bucket

It might be derived from O.Fr. word for bucket (buguet) that means "a beam from which slaughtered animals were hung".

Pushing Daisies

Dates back to early 20th century. Origin uncertain. Damn.

Graveyard Shift

Surprisingly young word (either I am an old foggy or early 20th century doesn't seem too far away). Apparently has nautical origin, which used to mean "the loneliness of after-hours work".


Source:
Etymology Online

More Death Note Accessories

Being an avid Death Note fan, I figured why don't I look for some accessories?

Death Note Figurines:


Kid Nemo - The prices seem to be a bit steep (at least compared to figurine store in town) but I don't suppose any of the popular comic book figures will come at a nifty price.

What caught my eye was this L Figurine; it comes with a chair, multiple body parts and 4 facial expressions. Er... is this a case for Law and Order: SVU? I am not quite sure if you are supposed to stamp individual expressions on as masks OR if there are 4 separate dolls. The picture of the product looks promising. Has anyone bought this? Got a review for it?

Deal Extreme:




The prices seem much better at this place. It even has a happy review from a satisfied customer (for the 6 figure pack). Free Shipping to boot!

The product in question is a 6 figure pack which includes L in a chair (as usual) and Ryuk.

The Anime Figure Pack from the same site also sounds like a great deal; Rem & Light looks the most promising.

Bags:



J-Panick: Once again, the prices seem reasonable. There are not too many options though.

Heads up - I was browsing the manga section of this site and realized that almost all are Yaoi. You have been warned.

Jonathan Swift's Modest Proposal

Have you read A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift? All I can say is, it is an excellent example of satire. For one thing the full title is - A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.

What's it about? In a nutshell, Swift is poking fun at the richer classes or those in power and their general attitude towards the poorer classes. The narration is written as if from the point of view of the privileged where he views the poor as disposable poor and in doing so, it becomes a social critique of the upper class and the way they are influencing the policies of 18th Century Ireland.

Excerpt from article:

That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom; always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.

Side note: readers will probably remember Swift as the author of Gulliver's Travels, another well written critique of politics.

Remains of Viking Church Found

Something for the history buffs.

Swedish archaeologists have found the remains of stave a church in Sweden from the days of the hale and hearty Vikings.

What's also interesting is that apparently a woman was buried here (date back to the 11th Century).

“Not just anyone was buried in the middle of a church; it hints that the person was someone very special. In modern times it was fairly common for priests to end up in a church. But commoners were kept outside the church,” said Annuswer [spokesperson for Swedish National Heritage Board (Riksantikvarieämbetet) ].

Third Stargate Movie

Gateworld has excellent news; according to their little talk with Amanda Tapping, there might be another Stargate SG-1 movie in the works AND she's going to be in it. Moment of joy to say Yay yay for Stargate.

Excerpt from Gateworld:

Tapping confirmed that she agreed to appear in the next SG-1 movie. (She may also appear in the Atlantis film, as well.) "I know nothing about it, except that I've been asked if I would make myself available, and of course I said, 'Yes.'"

Check out Gateworld for a link to video Q&A with Amanda Tapping.

Mysteries of the English Language

Absolutely fabulous site.

Affixes is based on a book by Micheal Quinion and deals with, as the name of the site suggests, affixes.

It covers a bit about the etymology of each affix, how it is used and types of affixes.

Promises to be many weekends of fun.

Source:
Affixes via Wishydig

Where do 'Nerds' come from?

From the looks of it, this is a widely debated topic. Who knew people cared that much about etymology?

I found a site that has done a bit of extensive research on this topic. Page of Brons, Thaumaturgical Engineer.

The author contests that the term might initially been used by Dr. Seuss in If I Ran The Zoo.

But he also alludes to other claims of origin, some prior to this instance and explores the validity of these claims.

The claim (post-the good Doc's book) that interested me was about the Northern Electric Research and Development Laboratories (NE R&D) in Ottawa. Like the author points out, this example fits too perfectly into existing ideas of nerdism ( you know, as opposed to a gradual evolution of the idea over time).

How Richard Dean Anderson became McGuyver

Here is the second part to this interview.

OMG! Richard Dean Anderson singing! I am unsure of the show or context but random browsing on Google tells me it might be something called the Dinah Shore. Enjoy.

It's alive! And jumping!

An interesting video.

This video is an example of 3D Virtual Creature Evolution (3DVCE) created by Lee Graham from the School of Computer Science, Carleton University, Canada.

Excerpt:

With this program you can watch a process of simulated Darwinian evolution unfold before your eyes (although the process can take several days of computer time depending on your computer speed and your evolution settings).

If you are using Win OS, you can download the app and create your own creature.

Land Ahoy

English Heritage archaeologists have been a fascinating discovery in Richborough Roman Fort close to Sandwich - the original Roman coastline (keeping in mind this refers to the shoreline at time of Roman invasion.

Interesting to note that it is now 2 miles inland from current coastline.

In the Roman era, Richborough Roman Fort overlooked a sheltered lagoon, where in AD43 the invading Roman forces first landed.

Other finds include a Medieval dock.

Diablo 3: Check if you are coming back

Update on Diablo 3.

According to this post on Warcry, death will be swift and forgiving. No seriously, the post refers to implementation of a checkpoint system.

... Throughout your adventures, and generally at the ends of each "floor" of a dungeon your character is saved to a checkpoint. When you die you're dropped back at the last checkpoint with a small amount of health, and the rest regenerates slowly....

Hence if you die whilst out of town, you will resurrect at the last checkpoint you passed. Makes sense.

If you think about it, quite a number of games already have a feature similar to this. So they are just keeping up with the Joneses. *Note to self* Must check if Neverwinter Nights had the same feature.

Clement Ader: Dutch Animation

This was an interesting animation I found on YouTube (it's uploaded by the maker of the animation). It's about real-life French engineer Clement Ader who contributed significantly towards the creation of 'flying machine'.
Source:
KingStar1984 @ YT

Definition of Evolution

I've been meaning to read more Talk Origin articles and thus, there I was browsing through its archives.

I came across this definition of Biological Evolution which was worth noting.

The author Laurence Moran points out that common misconceptions about evolution seem to stem from bad definitions of the term evolution itself.

Quote:

... evolution is simply "a process that results in heritable changes in a population spread over many generations" ...

This was an enlightening article whereby I paused at the end of my reading to reassess my own misinformed definition. The subsequent dictionary surfing was quite telling as well.

Hulu: Epic Fail

You know the number of times I have seen a hyped up article about how hulu is the savior of telly on the internet, blah blah cattle fodder nonsense, it's the You Tube Killer, yakkity yak.

North American centric much?

Hulu might be the pro-DRM network manager's idea of new media bliss but it's not The Answer.

It is The Answer when talking about majority of net users in the United States of America ... maybe Canada, if it is indeed accessible in the shores North of the US.

But, in somewhat typical US centric manner, when people in US talk about Hulu being groundbreaking, the large segment of internet-savvy folk of the rest of the world population is not included in this equation.

Do they even exist in their eyes?

There is an alternate choice to Hulu in the form of Joost. I've heard a few folk here in Netherlands talk about it and had a few good reviews for it.

What these two discourage is file sharing / uploading by users. Instead the material seems to be provided by networks.

Whilst Youtube has had some questionable moves (recent spate of taking down videos), one of the novelties of the service is the ability to share videos with millions of others. Some of them might be user made material, others might be a clip of something crazy that happened on telly and one that most of us missed.

Maybe that is the point. Powers that be worry about sharing of information; they would rather we watched what they wanted us to watch?

Wouldn't it be ironic if an Asian nation like China launched a video sharing service that becomes more popular than any of these apps AND the Asian service is nto finnicky about region specific access. Just saying.

Death of SciFi on US telly?

I've had my share of complaining about SciFi channel. And here's one more for the list!

Rumor on the street (at least on the net) is that SciFi channel might be changing its name to Beyond.

Apparently this distressing bit of info was lurking away at the bottom of a survey by the channel.

Oooh hoo hoo! So this gradual cancellation of shows, addition of more mentally numbing nonsense was a move away from Science Fiction in general?

Does American networks have something against geek culture?

Source:
Link via PRG

Know your neighbor

Word for today - neighbor.

I confess that my spelling of this particular word can be questionable at times. Which is how I ended up thinking - why is that we spell the word similar to the sound made by a horse that is happy and free?

Not that I eavesdrop on too many horses, just saying.

So here's what Etymology Online has to say - it has German origin with an original meaning of "near dweller" - neah + gebur.

What interested me was the reference as a common Gmnc compound. Hence the Dutch reference na(bur) . [Bur can roughly mean a dwelling or living area of a group of people in Dutch].