Spotted Mel

Conditions: Cloudy. Stressful.


Apocolypto, Mel Gibson's latest action film, apparently has a secret that's hidden away in it's trailer: It's Mel himself, complete with crazy-man beard, grinning at the camera. Some say it's a conspiracy, I say it's just goofy hi-jinks. See the video here.


Al Queda space attack?

That's the latest bit of fear-mongering from the Bush administration. In a speech recently, Undersecretary of State Robert G. Joseph asserted that the US has a right to use force against hostile nations or terror groups that might try to attack American satellites or ground installations that support space programs.

"We reserve the right to defend ourselves against hostile attacks and interference with our space assets," Joseph said in prepared remarks to the George C. Marshall Institute.

Joseph, the senior arms control official at the State Department, said nations cannot all be counted on to use space purely for peaceful purposes.

"A number of countries are exploring and acquiring capabilities to counter, attack, and defeat U.S. space systems," Joseph said

What, is Bin Laden going to load rocks into a giant slingshot? Is he going to recruit some Astronauts to hijack the next Space Shuttle and crash it into the Space Station. Does anyone really think Space Station Alpha isn't already equipped with some big artillery guns just in case? You don't think all that cargo they sent up there was scientific? Heyyy, that just gave me an idea for a blockbuster movie! Keanu Reeves as the Shuttle Captain. "Dude, I can't change course. Dude." Sandra Bullock as the Space Station commander. "Okay, I knew I should have been a lawyer instead." This'll be great. In related news, the teaser for Die Hard 4 just came out. Wheeee!


Stress Busting.

In these days of corporate madness and consumer insanity, how does one try to fight the mountain of stress one lives beneath? Damned if I know, but I figured it was good for a mention. See you in hell!!


Five Lessons from Kofi Annan

Kofi's ten year tenure as the United Nations Secretary General is coming to an end this January. I genuinely admire Kofi Annan, a respectful and intelligent man who helmed the U.N through some of it's worse ever crisis. The damage the American administration has done in riding roughshot over the U.N on Iraq is something it may never fully recover from, but through it all Kofi maintained a dignity and a clarity of purpose sadly lacking in the American halls of power. He has written of five lessons he has learned over the last decade, and they make for interesting reading. As to be expected, rather than make accusations or excuses, he's written a calm general article about making the future a better place for all of us. Link here.


Uninterruptable power!

A new gadget plugged into my computer calls itself an uninterruptable power supply. I find that amusing, since I have to set the computer as to what to do if the power ever goes out. If I'm not here (which:unlikely), the computer is instructed to save everything and shut down. I don't know about you, but I'd call that an interruption.



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