I didn’t get to see all of the movies that I wanted to in 2011. But of the ones I saw, these were my favorites, from #10 to #1. I originally wanted to use video clips for this montage, but decided to find screenshots that could serve as teasers for the movies. I was amazed by the fact that most of these movies contained several scenes in which the characters would stare into the distance. I enjoy solitude to a great degree, and I guess I enjoy seeing characters who also seem enjoy it.
The special interests behind the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act are in full retreat, throwing the bills’ most controversial provisions overboard in a desperate attempt to stop the entire bill from sinking. Realizing that proposals to create a DNS-based blacklisting scheme had become politically radioactive, the bills’ sponsors—Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), respectively—have pledged to drop these provisions. On Tuesday, even the Motion Picture Association of America declared that DNS filtering was “off the table” for this year’s legislation.
(Read the rest of the article here or by clicking on the title of this post. Ars Technica performs some of the most consistent, intelligent, and honest examinations of technology and science issues that I’ve seen. I had been looking for a solid summary of the real ramifications of these two bills and I feel like I’ve finally found it.)
The Strength to Choose Another Way
Joan discusses how Yuna’s bravery in FFX helped her confront her abusive husband and escape her marriage.
The third installment in this documentary series about the West Memphis Three, created by filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, airs on HBO this Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 9 PM. These guys were also responsible for producing and directing Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the Sundance Channel’s excellent series Iconoclasts, Crude, and Brother’s Keeper, among other works. I will definitely be checking it out.
Whether you loved or hated some of the contrived plot points of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, I think you will love this video. It re-re-imagines the show as an old-school role playing video game.
Also, there are massive spoilers in this so please do not watch it if you intend to watch the show at any point in the future.
Another year has come and gone. Here are all the ticket stubs I collected during the past 365 days. Mostly movies, but a few music concerts, baseball games, and other events. I didn’t go to the movies as much as I have in previous years, but I still got to see some quality flicks.
I’ll be posting my favorites of 2011 tomorrow, but for now, Tree of Life, Melancholia, Drive, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Bridesmaids, and Source Code are at the top.
Happy new year!
Station Commander Captures Unprecedented View of Comet
“International Space Station Commander Dan Burbank captured spectacular imagery of Comet Lovejoy as seen from about 240 miles above the Earth’s horizon on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Burbank described seeing the comet as ‘the most amazing thing I have ever seen in space,’ in an interview with WDIV-TV in Detroit.”
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There has been a lot of buzz about Comet Lovejoy over the past few weeks. Here are some of my favorite photos and videos:
- Comet Lovejoy and the ISS
- Comet Lovejoy over Paranal
- Using Many Instruments to Track a Comet
- Stéphane Guisard’s gallery (check out the rest of his amazing photos and videos of space)
I think I’m more excited about Prometheus than almost anything else in all of popular culture, except maybe The Dark Knight Rises and Django Unchained. Ridley Scott, the world of science fiction has been begging for you to come back to where you started.
