Thursday, February 02, 2006
A Spectacle
Why is it that on TV commercials for eye glasses stores, the people wearing the glasses don't look like they really wear glasses? Next Lens Crafter commercial you see, tell me if you don't think the people look unnatural.
Flight Night
I watched Flight 93 last night on A&E. Excellent - intense - jaw dropping - tear jerking. The film was put together based on conversations between Flight 93 passengers and their families and officials on the ground. According to an AP story, it was the most watched A&E program since 1984 when A&E was launched:
LOS ANGELES - A television movie about one of the doomed Sept. 11 airplanes was A&E's most-watched program ever, a sign that audiences may be ready for a coming spate of movie and TV projects dramatizing the terrorism of five years ago. "Flight 93," about the hijacking of the United Airlines plane and passengers' efforts to retake it, drew 5.9 million viewers when it premiered Monday, the cable channel said. It was the most-watched A&E program since the channel launched in 1984. [emphasis mine]
Audiences may be ready? Excuse me? The MSM has avoided airing footage ever since that day almost 4 1/2 years ago. I'm sure their supposed reasonsing is that the event was such an emotional trauma for Americans then it must not be healthy to see it aired again and again.
I call bulls**t.
The MSM doesn't air it because they don't want people to remember. They don't want them to to see those horrific images again because they want memories to fade. Why? Because support for the war on terrorism will fade. And they believe the folks certainly won't support a war against Iran when they can't even remember why we're fighting in Iraq. (And yes - the war in Iraq is part of the global war on terror).
Well I remember. Please don't you forget. And to help with that, here are pictures to remind us all here and here and here and here and here and here.
And there are thousands more out there. We need to be reminded of what was done to us. We need to stay angry about it. We need to stop Iran now before the next 9/11 is nuclear and there are 300,000 or 3,000,000 dead instead of 3,000. Note to Bush: invade Iran this year.
LOS ANGELES - A television movie about one of the doomed Sept. 11 airplanes was A&E's most-watched program ever, a sign that audiences may be ready for a coming spate of movie and TV projects dramatizing the terrorism of five years ago. "Flight 93," about the hijacking of the United Airlines plane and passengers' efforts to retake it, drew 5.9 million viewers when it premiered Monday, the cable channel said. It was the most-watched A&E program since the channel launched in 1984. [emphasis mine]
Audiences may be ready? Excuse me? The MSM has avoided airing footage ever since that day almost 4 1/2 years ago. I'm sure their supposed reasonsing is that the event was such an emotional trauma for Americans then it must not be healthy to see it aired again and again.
I call bulls**t.
The MSM doesn't air it because they don't want people to remember. They don't want them to to see those horrific images again because they want memories to fade. Why? Because support for the war on terrorism will fade. And they believe the folks certainly won't support a war against Iran when they can't even remember why we're fighting in Iraq. (And yes - the war in Iraq is part of the global war on terror).
Well I remember. Please don't you forget. And to help with that, here are pictures to remind us all here and here and here and here and here and here.
And there are thousands more out there. We need to be reminded of what was done to us. We need to stay angry about it. We need to stop Iran now before the next 9/11 is nuclear and there are 300,000 or 3,000,000 dead instead of 3,000. Note to Bush: invade Iran this year.
Mouse Trap Part I
Life's a bitch and then you die. Everyone has seen that bumper sticker on a car. When I see it or hear it I think, "I'm sure glad I'm not that poor schmuck. It must miserable being him."
I love life. In fact I love it so much, I never want to die. There's virtually no end to what there is to learn and experience here on earth, not to mention the vast expanses of the universe - or even the infinite number of parallel universes.
But, as they say, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." But wait - is death all that certain? Maybe not. (Taxes are yet another story for another time). The average lifespan of humans in industrialized countries is now mid to late 70's with 120 being pretty much the upper limit. But, underway right now is a venture, similar to the XPrize (privately funded space race), called the Methusalah Mouse Prize or Mprize:
"a scientific competition designed to draw attention to the ability of new technologies to slow and even reverse the damage of the aging process, preserving health and wisdom in a world that sorely needs it. "
Aubrey deGrey at Cambridge University helped found this "contest" that awards cash prizes for advances toward doubling the age of mice. deGrey believes it can be done in 10 years with that research leading to the same results in humans in another 10 to 15 years. Dr. deGrey established SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) to promote research into "curing" aging. The goal is to not only live for hundreds or thousands of years but to live in a healthy, active state - not in a debilitated, sickly stupor.
Life's a Beach and I Never Want to Die.
UPDATE: (Comment) Hope wrote the following.
"i wonder why anyone would want to live to be 120, i've seen my great grand father who passed away last month he was 125.at 125 you dont know what day it is, or if its day or night, most of the friends you made have died 40 years ago,you've got no spouse.yo9u can't be a part of any conversation cause you can't hear what people are saying and if you can listen you don't understand.cant get up when you sit down.you pee on your bed all the time and don't realise it and the rare day when you do realise what has happened to you, you beg god to end it."
Quentin Replies:
Hope, you missed a key part of the post: "The goal is to not only live for hundreds or thousands of years but to live in a healthy, active state - not in a debilitated, sickly stupor."
The key is that with this technology, if realized, you will remain healthy, of sound mind and sound body - even a younger body. Follow some of the links for more info on that or stayed tuned for Part II of Mouse Trap.
I love life. In fact I love it so much, I never want to die. There's virtually no end to what there is to learn and experience here on earth, not to mention the vast expanses of the universe - or even the infinite number of parallel universes.
But, as they say, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." But wait - is death all that certain? Maybe not. (Taxes are yet another story for another time). The average lifespan of humans in industrialized countries is now mid to late 70's with 120 being pretty much the upper limit. But, underway right now is a venture, similar to the XPrize (privately funded space race), called the Methusalah Mouse Prize or Mprize:
"a scientific competition designed to draw attention to the ability of new technologies to slow and even reverse the damage of the aging process, preserving health and wisdom in a world that sorely needs it. "
Aubrey deGrey at Cambridge University helped found this "contest" that awards cash prizes for advances toward doubling the age of mice. deGrey believes it can be done in 10 years with that research leading to the same results in humans in another 10 to 15 years. Dr. deGrey established SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) to promote research into "curing" aging. The goal is to not only live for hundreds or thousands of years but to live in a healthy, active state - not in a debilitated, sickly stupor.
Life's a Beach and I Never Want to Die.
UPDATE: (Comment) Hope wrote the following.
"i wonder why anyone would want to live to be 120, i've seen my great grand father who passed away last month he was 125.at 125 you dont know what day it is, or if its day or night, most of the friends you made have died 40 years ago,you've got no spouse.yo9u can't be a part of any conversation cause you can't hear what people are saying and if you can listen you don't understand.cant get up when you sit down.you pee on your bed all the time and don't realise it and the rare day when you do realise what has happened to you, you beg god to end it."
Quentin Replies:
Hope, you missed a key part of the post: "The goal is to not only live for hundreds or thousands of years but to live in a healthy, active state - not in a debilitated, sickly stupor."
The key is that with this technology, if realized, you will remain healthy, of sound mind and sound body - even a younger body. Follow some of the links for more info on that or stayed tuned for Part II of Mouse Trap.
Well, Well
I blogged yesterday about being disappointed in Bush's SOTU address - specifically, the part where he spoke about energy and America's dependence on foreign oil. Jerry Taylor at the Cato Institute has similar thoughts.
"The President offered bracing new rhetoric about where he would like to take energy policy in the coming year, but he suggested little more than a bit more money for the same old programs that have failed in the past. In short, it reminds me of the metaphor about 'old wine in new bottles."
My point exactly. A "bit more money". Taylor also says "if those technologies have economic merit, no subsidy is necessary". I agree to a point. What I suggested is tax incentivies for the research. Don't give money to a corporation to do the research - incent them by lowering tax burdens. Paying a man for something is a lot different than not robbing him.
"The President offered bracing new rhetoric about where he would like to take energy policy in the coming year, but he suggested little more than a bit more money for the same old programs that have failed in the past. In short, it reminds me of the metaphor about 'old wine in new bottles."
My point exactly. A "bit more money". Taylor also says "if those technologies have economic merit, no subsidy is necessary". I agree to a point. What I suggested is tax incentivies for the research. Don't give money to a corporation to do the research - incent them by lowering tax burdens. Paying a man for something is a lot different than not robbing him.
