Comments on: Unshow X

By: johnny cash leave your guns at home

johnny cash leave your guns at home — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:10:24 +0000

johnny cash leave your guns at home…

How do you come up with so much material to blog with?…

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:11:05 +0000

You can also use Miro to grab YouTube videos:

http://www.getmiro.com/

By: Ed from Texas

Ed from Texas — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:34:15 +0000

As for the speech itself, overall, I thought it was quite good and I definitely recommend everyone give it a listen. It’s about 40 minutes, so you’ll need a good block of time.

This is the Youtube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU

I’ll need to give some more thought before I say anything more substantial. Plus, I need to get to sleep. See you guys on the flip side.

By: Ed from Texas

Ed from Texas — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:28:25 +0000

**sorry, got interrupted**

Alright, after I got the file, I used this free program to convert it to an Ipod compatible format and save it to Itunes for sync up:

http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPod/

That part went quite well and it will be useful to remember this capability for the future.

By: Ed from Texas

Ed from Texas — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:49:53 +0000

First, the technical. I used this site to pull down the video from Youtube

http://www.downloader9.com/

I can only do one link per post, can’t I?

By: JohnBoze

JohnBoze — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:05:07 +0000

I shall steal something for Jack and email before too much longer…

By: Dubshack

Dubshack — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:03:39 +0000

It appears the speech wasn’t enough to get the talking heads to shut up, even though theres a lovely mortgage crisis with Government bailing out banks and weather destroying Atlanta that they can be covering. I feel an urge to fly to Atlanta and stab Amy Holmes with an ice pick. Unfortunately that would be a race crime.

The new speculation is that while McCain won’t touch the subject with a ten foot pole, there will be plenty of independent parties throwing ads on television attacking him over it in the general election.

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:47:26 +0000

I bought the album the same year the Shoemaker-Levy comet collided with Jupiter. I also was fortunate enough to meet Levy at the Ottawa observatory at that time. The album brings back fond memories.

By: jackmangan

jackmangan — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:39:12 +0000

ditto – awesome! I’ve never known of anyone else familiar with that Oldfield album. I almost forgot that I’d written a review of that book at SFReader.com: http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?book=554

Who, ahem, also recently re-posted their Spherical Tomi review: http://sfreader.com/read_review.asp?book=1155

Ed: I consider you our resident intelligent Conservative, I’d love to get your take on the Obama speech.

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:29:12 +0000

Ed: What do you use to download & convert?

By: Ed from Texas

Ed from Texas — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:48:59 +0000

Well, with all the talk of this Obama speech yesterday, I figure I should at least listen to it to be informed.

I’ve dowloaded it from Youtube and converted and put it on my Ipod. I plan to watch/listen to it tonight while I workout at the gym tonight.

Multitasking is the way.

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:59:52 +0000

Jack: I have the Oldfield album. Love it.

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:57:28 +0000

lmao

Don’t hold back, Martha! Tell us how you REALLY feel. :)

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:28:34 +0000

Aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh, Jack had already mentioned Martha Wainwright.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:26:28 +0000

The first time I saw Loudon Wainwright III in concert, his daughter Martha Wainwright was the support singer:

http://www.marthawainwright.com/

Wanted to buy her CD, but she had sold out by the time I got to the front of the queue.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:22:54 +0000

2061: Odyssey 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2061:_Odyssey_Three

I have a few more story collections and a couple of hardbacks but I can’t find them, so that’s the end of this ACC asplosion.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:19:46 +0000

Of course wiki entries can be biased or inaccurate or sometimes the actual truth..

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:18:48 +0000

From the wiki entry:

On 26 May 2000 he was made a Knight Bachelor[18] “for services to literature” at a ceremony in Colombo.[19] The award of a knighthood had been announced in the 1998 New Year Honours,[20] but investiture of the award had been delayed, at Clarke’s request, because of an accusation, by the British tabloid The Sunday Mirror, of paedophilia, which was, however, found to be baseless by Sri Lankan police and retracted by the paper soon after.[21][22][23][24][25][26]

By: Jeremy from Seattle

Jeremy from Seattle — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:18:13 +0000

Right!

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:17:07 +0000

The Songs of Distance Earth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songs_of_Distant_Earth

Read both the novel and short story it was expanded from. Again I prefer the short story.

By: jackmangan

jackmangan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:15:11 +0000

!!!

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:14:23 +0000

2010: Odyssey Two

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010:_Odyssey_Two

The sequel to 2001, and simple not as good. Didn’t think the movie adaption was that bad.

By: Jeremy from Seattle

Jeremy from Seattle — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:13:16 +0000

Mixed feelings about ACC:

http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/feb/02clarke.htm

By: jackmangan

jackmangan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:11:43 +0000

Vanamonde Arthur C. Clarke asplosion!

Van, have you ever read Songs of Distant Earth? Or more specifically, have you ever heard the Mike Oldfield album, “Songs of Distant Earth”, based on the book? Excellent, if you dig Mike Oldfield-y type of stuff.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:11:40 +0000

2001 a Space Odyssey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_%28novel%29

I’ve lost count to how many times I’ve read this novel. Although I was interested in scifi shows like the Outer Limits, UFO and Space 1999 as a kid, didn’t start reading scifi till I was much older. Started off with novelizations of movies (like Alien and The Black Hole), then after reading 2001 started collecting other ACC novels and branched off into other other authors like Harry Harrison and Joe Haldeman.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:06:46 +0000

Rendezvous with Rama:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_Rama

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:05:28 +0000

Imperial Earth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Earth

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:04:42 +0000

Childhood’s End

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood%27s_End

Not one of my fav ACC novels, but many fans love this book.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:02:24 +0000

The Fountains of Paradise:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountains_of_Paradise

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:01:22 +0000

Glide Path

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glide_Path

Not scifi, a fictional account of the development of Radar. The only ACC book I’ve bought and never read.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:58:36 +0000

Expedition to Earth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_to_Earth

Collection of short stories.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:55:33 +0000

A Fall of Moondust:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fall_of_Moondust

Disaster novel set on the moon.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:53:49 +0000

The Deep Range

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deep_Range

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:53:03 +0000

Prelude to Space

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_to_Space

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:52:08 +0000

The City and the Stars (which I also own):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_and_the_Stars

Personally I prefer the short story, even though it’s has dated for more than TCATS

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:50:30 +0000

The Lion of Comarre and Against the Fall of Night

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_of_Comarre_%26_Against_the_Fall_of_Night

The latter short story was expanded into the novel…

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:48:21 +0000

The Sands of Mars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sands_of_Mars

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:47:20 +0000

So a quick peruse of my bookcase, shows I have the following ACC novels (NOT in alphabetical order…I’m not that organised):

Earthlight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthlight

By: jackmangan

jackmangan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:45:44 +0000

Currently listening to this:
http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/63100.html

Rufus Wainwright’s sister. Daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Brilliant song, apparently about her dad.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:38:02 +0000

Currently playing nothing (nowt, zip, nada, etc)

I’m on my old computer which hasn’t got any speakers connected.

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:31:17 +0000

Currently playing: The Monks — Johnny B. Rotten

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:53:32 +0000

Currently playing: Blue Man Group — PCV IV

By: psionandy

psionandy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:26:46 +0000

Rendezvous with Rama was the first Clarke book that I really really enjoyed.

I’d read some of the others, everybody’s read 2001 or thats the way it seemed… but there was something extra about the ideas in Rama that just seemed to work. The sequel was ok…but after that the idea seemed to dilute itself. Maybe i was just more of an Asimovian guy.

By: jackmangan

jackmangan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:36:20 +0000

I thought Rendezvous with Rama was a great book. But I couldn’t even get started on the first sequel — which was a collaboration.

By: Vanamonde

Vanamonde — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:48:23 +0000

Was never much of a fan of Clarke’s collaborations, personally his last great novel was Fountains of Paradise for me..full of great ideas.

By: jackmangan

jackmangan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:01:48 +0000

Pretty cool, Ed. I had no idea.
I’ll have to check out the song at home later.

Obama’s speech was strong. Good for him for not kowtowing to pressure. Now he should pick Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.

By: The Energizer Bunny

The Energizer Bunny — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:20:30 +0000

I like it.

By: Mr ditto swooon

Mr ditto swooon — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:52:12 +0000

The new Portishead song is good.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/49350-portishead-machine-gun

There’s definitely a NIN feel to the song.

By: The Energizer Bunny

The Energizer Bunny — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:03:50 +0000

That’s it for news. Now to try this work think for a bit.

By: The Energizer Bunny

The Energizer Bunny — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:00:11 +0000

Did you know…

A cat lover is called an ailurophile and a cat hater is called an ailurophobe.

Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to morn the death of their cats.

Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

Every human being spent about half an hour as a single cell.

-Calgary Sun

(some humans are still single cell organisms)