The Simpsons

I'm not a fan of The Simpsons TV show. It's not that I don't like it really, it's just that I never got into it. Ray, however, totally loves the show and this movie was high on his list, that's why I saw it.

As for the movie itself, I have to say that it was quite funny and well made, especially since it could be enjoyed by anyone, even if you never followed the show on TV.

Spoiler Tag: Homer, as usual, gets himself into trouble, this time by cozying up to a pig (yes, you read correctly, it's The Simpsons, remember...?), but on this occasion, he also brings the town of Springfield down with him when the EPA gets involved.

He then flees with his family to Alaska, but Marge eventually leaves him to go back to Springfield with the kids to try and save it before the evil federal government, presided over by a very aloof Arnold Schwarzenegger, nukes it to get rid of the problem of its pollution.

Naturally, Homer ends up missing his family and goes back as well, to reunite with them and to do what he can for his hometown, including sacrificing himself for its survival.

The production values are really good, and technically the movie is very well made, even though the The Simpsons don't look like any character out of Pixar's studio, since the producers had to keep it in line with the TV series, which is still going strong after all these years.

The script is well written and funny and if you're a Simpsons fan you should not miss this movie for any reason, but I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here...

Grade: 7

Space's dangers

I was amazed to read how many threats are lurking in space:

There are between one and two million near-Earth objects (NEOs) -- chunks of space rock whose orbits may pass within 30 million miles of Earth -- that pose a significant impact threat to the planet.

Of the 4,535 NEOs detected and tracked (704 of which are real whoppers), none are on a definite collision course, but there could be millions more, many of them potentially lethal, lurking in the cosmos.

It also looks like the US and China are the two countries most likely to get hit by one of those rocks, and while some measures have been taken to find and track the largest of these threats, even a small one could cause a lot of damage and death.

The options, in case of a collision risk, are to nuke it or hit it with some kind of spacecraft (both these options however, are likely to generate multiple threats from a single one) or to gently push it out of our way:

A craft would push or pull the object. Not sideways -- too energy-intensive -- but backward or forward to slow it down or speed it up. A few pounds of force applied over several months would alter a medium-size body's rate of travel such that it would miss hitting Earth by four or five minutes and thousands of miles. An asteroid tugboat would attach to a NEO and deliver a speed-altering nudge.

A gravity tractor would hover close to a NEO and use mutual gravitational attraction to divert it ever so slightly. A solar sail would move a NEO with the subtle pressure of light from the sun.

A much better option, if you ask me.

The power of marketing

We all fall victim of advertising's spell, but, not surprisingly, children seem to be even more impressionable:

Anything made by McDonald's tastes better, preschoolers said in a study that powerfully demonstrates how advertising can trick the taste buds of young children.

Even carrots, milk and apple juice tasted better to the kids when they were wrapped in the familiar packaging of the Golden Arches.

The study had youngsters sample identical McDonald's foods in name-brand and unmarked wrappers. The unmarked foods always lost the taste test.
[...]
Study author Dr. Tom Robinson said the kids' perception of taste was "physically altered by the branding." The Stanford University researcher said it was remarkable how children so young were already so influenced by advertising.
[...]
"Advertisers have tried to do exactly what this study is talking about -- to brand younger and younger children, to instill in them an almost obsessional desire for a particular brand-name product," he said.

I guess the message of this article is, Careful what your kids' see on TV, because it will influence them very powerfully for years and years to come.

Bye Bye North Pole

Looks like we might have to say that within two decades:

The Arctic ice cap has collapsed at an unprecedented rate this summer and levels of sea ice in the region now stand at a record low, scientists said last night. Experts said they were "stunned" by the loss of ice, with an area almost twice as big as Britain disappearing in the last week alone. So much ice has melted this summer that the north-west passage across the top of Canada is fully navigable, and observers say the north-east passage along Russia's Arctic coast could open later this month. If the increased rate of melting continues, the summertime Arctic could be totally free of ice by 2030.

An empty room...

... that's all that's left after the departure, this past Monday of my friend Vittorio, after his briefest visit ever.

We did have a lot of fun together, as usual, and Ray was kind enough to let us go on our second Road Trip (the first one's destination was Caribou, Maine, but we never made it there because it was too far and we ran out of time).

This time we didn't really have one specific target. We first set sail for Intercourse, Pennsylvania, in the Amish Country (cute little town, and I cannot imagine what the Amish people's life must be like; I probably wouldn't survive a winter going around in a carriage that is all open to the elements). We also went to Bird In Hand (how could we pass the chance??), which is right next to it, and from there to Lancaster.

From there we went to Gettysburg, PA, where a big area that was the stage of one of the most important battles of the American Civil War has been turned into a national park/monument and it's really a must-see.

Next up was Pittsburgh, PA, cute town in a marvelous setting at the bottom of a valley and surrounded by two big rivers. They built monorails that lift you up to enjoy the view, which is quite spectacular.

Then we drove up to Erie, PA, right on the lake Erie, one of the smallest of the Great Lakes, and yet immense. We did cross the border into Ohio, Conneaut was the destination. A small town that has nothing to offer to the accidental tourist. We were lucky to find a place open to eat something and felt like the girls from The Adventures of Priscilla when they enter the straights only bar in the middle of nowhere.

We then drove up to the Niagara Falls, which are absolutely breathtaking. At that point we started driving back and went through the Catskill Park, which is too very nice, and then back home.

Our road trips are now becoming a staple, and our favorite thing to do. It's just so different from the regular vacation trip and much more fun.

Unfortunately, Vittorio's vacation then ended, and he's back in Milan, Italy, working like crazy in his new position in the HR department of his company, and I'm back to my old routine, with the added strain of 3 new classes in an MBA program that I had to enroll into to keep my student status active.

We're missing him a lot and we're all looking forward to the next time he'll be able to visit. The morning after I took him to the airport, I was in Nicole's room and told her that Vittorio had left, and she looked at me and said, "I know, I came home last night and saw that his things weren't in his room anymore." I told her I was very sad, and then I almost started crying.

Then driving to work, I was listening to a CD by my beloved Mina that he had brought me, and I heard a verse that totally applies to him:

E io ringrazio il cielo, fortuna che tu esisti
sei come il sole che cancella i giorni più tristi.

(and I thank the heavens, thank them that you exist
you're like the sun that cancels the saddest days)

Fortuna che tu esisti, Vitto. A presto. Ciao.

Mira

Astronomers using the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), a NASA space telescope, have spotted an amazingly long comet-like tail behind a star streaking through space.

The large star is in its death throes and is leaving a huge, turbulent tail of oxygen, carbon and nitrogen in its wake that makes it look like an immense comet hurtling through space.

The tail, spanning a stunning distance of 13 light-years (about 20,000 times the average distance of Pluto from the sun) was detected behind the star Mira, located 350 light-years from Earth in the "whale" constellation Cetus.

Rocketing through our Milky Way galaxy at 80 miles per second -- literally faster than a speeding bullet -- the star is spewing material that scientists believe may be recycled into new stars, planets and maybe even life.

This material has been blown off Mira gradually over time -- the oldest was released roughly 30,000 years ago as part of a long stellar death process -- and is enough to form at least 3,000 future Earth-sized planets.

Astronomers say Mira's tail offers a unique opportunity to study how stars like our sun die and ultimately seed new solar systems. Mira is an older star called a red giant that is losing massive amounts of surface material.

Mira will eventually eject all of its remaining gas into space, forming a colorful shell called a planetary nebula. The nebula will fade with time, leaving only the burnt-out core of the original star, which will then be called a white dwarf.

Links here and here.

On the Lot

The show ended this week and the winner was Will Bigham, one of my favorites from early on.

The other two finalists were Jason and Adam, both very talented and I'm sure their future includes directing many movies.

Will, like Garry Marshall pointed out, will be able to make them sooner, but it's pretty much guaranteed that all of the top 18 contestants whose movies we saw, we'll hear from again some day.

I always liked Will's work and nothing he made ever disappointed me. I cannot say the same for any of the other contestants, including Zach, the early favorite, so I'm actually very happy he won.

His movies were always very original and felt like little gems. I can't wait to see what he can create with a big studio behind and a real budget. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll ever see his first product; if the budget stays at $1 million, it will likely only be distributed in New York and Los Angeles.

The remaining question is, Will there be a second edition of On the Lot, given its abysmal ratings?

Steven Spielberg's enormous clout insured the show stayed on the air in spite of its few viewers, but will Fox agree to a second season?

The Dream Neighbor

Just read this and my eyes bulged:

Neighbors of Fantastic Four star Chris Evans are in for a visual treat - he often takes out his garbage naked.

Evans, who recently came third in a poll of most eligible Hollywood bachelors, admits he is fond of streaking in his yard.

He says, "I have a nice backyard. It's very secluded, so every now and then I might just run out quickly and take the trash out."

And this is why I'd like to move in his neighborhood this afternoon...

Karl is out

Too bad he leaves without a pair of handcuffs on his wrists and heading to jail. I'd love to lock him up in the general population of a maximum security prison for a couple months...

Anyway, whatever the real reasons behind his departure, Bush sure will miss him and his guidance. He was, after all his brains, and look where he is now. I can't even imagine what's gonna happen to our Dear Leader now that he's on his own.

Here's a couple comics that clearly show the Bush-Rove relationship dynamics.

Tom Toles:


and Ben Sargent:

Daddy Dearest

Ricky Martin wants to adopt children:

Ricky Martin wants kids — perhaps adopting "one from each continent" if possible.

"It's something we want to begin to create this year, a family of many colors," the Grammy-winning pop star told reporters Wednesday in Puerto Rico, where he is scheduled to perform this weekend.

Wait, Ricky isn't married, so... who's "we"?

Does the "we" include the stud on the right...