Hitchhiker's Guide to the Net

Beautiful World, Mr. Cameron. Too bad you did nothing with it...

2009-12-30T14:49:00.001-08:00

Preface: To those of you who will read the title and go off in a huff, sorry. I write this by way of a review, and that trade demands honesty. I will try to refrain from giving much of the plot away (not to say that there are many surprises, but I digress.) That said...

Fit the First: The visuals.

Truly stunning. That is all that can be said. Whatever else one feels about this movie, James Cameron and his team have created a beautiful, fully-realized vision for how to make a theatrical 3D experience leap from the screen and into your lap. The use of 3d truly immerses you in the moment, including several moments of sheer vertigo-inducing sense of scale. The blending between real actors and visual effects is seamless and believable. This is a movie that must be seen in 3D.

Fit the Second: The world.

I actually like what Cameron has done in the creation of Pandora. It is plain to see that he went out intending to create a world, and while there are some decisions that strain the suspension of disbelief (not to mention the laws of physics), the whole does fit together in it's own internal logic.

There are more than a few concessions to the market, but nothing totally unforgivable. As with most Hollywood fare (District 9 being a notable recent exception) the "alien" Na'vi are physically attractive, and not so far from human as to be truly alien. Also, the interconnectedness of the life on Pandora, while a wholly interesting idea, went to the point of incredulity at a few points. I'm actually a believer in the idea of "Gaia" on a philosophical level, but this goes quite a bit beyond that. Which brings us to...

Fit the Third: The story.

Here is where I feel a bit cheated by James Cameron. He gave us an incredible, interesting and beautiful world to play in. He showed it to us in a stunning format. And, as someone told me, he gave us "Dances with Smurfs." His story is so formulaic that I knew the whole of it within the first few minutes. If you've seen "Ferngully," you've already seen this movie. I know that with such a big budget, Cameron had to hedge his bets, make the story easy for people to swallow; but he makes it so easy to take that it leaves you with nothing but "oh, that was pretty!"

As a final note, I am a bit tired of the meme that the natives can't get their act together till the noble white guy shows up to learn their ways and lead them. I know that the message is well intended, but in the end it comes off a bit insulting.

Fit the Last: The total.

In all, I would tell you to go see this movie in the theater in 3D, because the visual impact is so stunning. It is a wonderful roller coaster ride. That said, don't go in expecting more than a good ride. Like most roller coasters, once you've ridden it, the thrill is over, and the memory of it isn't nearly as exciting.

Note: all images are from Avatar's Official Flickr Site.

Free Clinic - Nov. 21, 2009

2009-11-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

I'll have more to say on this later... for now, I just wanted to post a link to some of the photos I took today.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wyldfire00101010/FreeClinic11212009#

Feel free to take a look. I'll have video from the event and some commentary soon.

Thanks,

Leif

The loss of rational debate in America.

2009-08-28T09:21:00.001-07:00

Editors Note:

I sent this to Max at the Arkansas Times and held off putting it online to give them a chance to use it, if they felt so inclined. Deadlines being what they are, it was not in time to be included. So I've decided to put it up for the few of you who may be following me here. Please enjoy...

The loss of rational debate in America.

I attended Wednesday's (Aug. 5th) health care forum with Representatives Ross and Snyder. The room was packed, with attendees standing in the aisles, and cameras lining the rear wall of the auditorium. Normally, in a civilized society, the focus of this story would be on the substance of the debate; should the US health care system be changed? Should we have a single-payer system, or strictly private-sector care, or some sort of hybrid? How can we increase the efficiency of our health-care dollars?

Unfortunately, we don't live in a civilized society. At least, that is the impression left by the shouting, name-calling and general tomfoolery of many in the crowd Wednesday.

I am concerned that our country, one that was founded by men who thought that common problems could be solved by reasoned and informed discourse, has been lost to crowd-sourced "angry citizens" parroting the latest press-release and shouting down all opposition. I am concerned that many think following Newt Gingrich on Twitter or reading the latest blog post from Michelle Malkin is a substitute for learning the facts involved in what, for many Americans, is a life or death issue. Most of all, I am concerned that those in power in Washington will fall for it.

Rep. Ross said that he was proud to be the one who held up action on a health care reform bill in Congress. He then rattled off a list of talking points that he and his Blue Dog brethren have crafted; no Federal funds for abortion, no mandate for coverage, no care for illegal immigrants. Then he let slip that he thought a public option may not even be in the final bill.

Let's look at the facts. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf), approximately 15.3 percent of U.S. citizens had NO insurance in 2007. That's about 45.7 million people, and this is the most conservative estimate. Other estimates place the number of uninsured closer to 80 million. Without addressing the problem of the uninsured and underinsured, any plan is doomed to failure.

It is also worthwhile to note that many of those uninsured raise the cost of health care for everyone; often, they will let health problems go until they require emergency treatment, clogging emergency rooms and costing much more than earlier care would require. A recent study by Families USA (http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/hidden-health-tax.pdf) shows that uncompensated care costs totaled approximately $42.7 billion in 2008. Hospitals cover those costs by charging insured patients more. And insurers are happy to pass those costs on in the form of higher premiums.

Rather than dealing with these facts, the debate in the forum centered around rumors and innuendo. Some charged, for example, that Obama's health plan would mandate euthanasia for the elderly, or that it wouldn't cover those with dementia. With the exception of the most paranoid of conspiracy theorists, no one truly believes that Obama wants to kill your grandmother; but their happy to spread the rumor, if it will advance their agenda.

In the end, my greatest fear is not that a health care reform bill will not be passed. I am afraid that our country has forgotten it's roots in informed debate. I'm afraid that reactionary language, off-the-cuff soundbites and name-calling have replaced thought, research and compromise in our public sphere. Wednesday's meeting did nothing to allay my fears.

Like a house on fire...

2009-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've been arguing a lot lately with people on both sides of the issue of health care and health care reform. I chose to take a minute today and address a few of my reasons for feeling that American health care needs a major overhaul.

First, lets just look at the beginning. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf), approximately 15.3 percent of U.S. citizens had NO insurance in 2007. That's about 45.7 million people. It is also worthwhile to not that many of those uninsured raise the cost of health care for everyone; often, they will let health problems go until they require emergency treatment, clogging emergency rooms and costing much more than earlier care would require.

In addition, even having insurance is no guarantee of coverage. It's easy to laugh at cartoons like this one by Tom Tomorrow:

But every one of us has had a friend or loved one lose their coverage or be priced out of it because they were, in essence, too likely to need it. This process is called rescission, and it not only happens, it is encouraged by the insurance companies. In a recent L.A. Times article by Lisa Girion (http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/17/business/fi-rescind17):

"When times are good, the insurance company is happy to sign you up and take your money in the form of premiums," Stupak said. "But when times are bad, and you are afflicted with cancer or some other life-threatening disease, it is supposed to honor its commitments and stand by you in your time of need.

"Instead, some insurance companies use a technicality to justify breaking its promise, at a time when most patients are too weak to fight back," he said.

Capitalism is one thing, but when profit is put above a person's health, I think that the system has failed.

I can hear, even now, the calls of "Socialist!" coming from the peanut gallery. "How dare you put a government bureaucrat between me and my doctor!" I hate to break it too you, but you have a bureaucrat between you and your doctor already, and rather than working for you, he is working for a CEO who wants his million dollar bonus this year.

The fact of the matter is that some services are better handled by the public sector than the private sector. When a person's house catches fire, they don't wonder if they can afford to have the Fire Department come put out the fire. We all contribute to insure that if we or one of our neighbors have a fire, it is taken care of. Why should health care be any different?

"We can't do it," say the loyal opposition. "It would lead to rationing, just like in Canada!" Well, let's ask a Canadian. Rhonda Hackett, a Canadian expat clinical psychologist living in the US wrote an article for the Denver Post last month:

(http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_12523427)

Myth: Canada's government decides who gets health care and when they get it.While HMOs and other private medical insurers in the U.S. do indeed make such decisions, the only people in Canada to do so are physicians. In Canada, the government has absolutely no say in who gets care or how they get it. Medical decisions are left entirely up to doctors, as they should be.

There are no requirements for pre-authorization whatsoever. If your family doctor says you need an MRI, you get one. In the U.S., if an insurance administrator says you are not getting an MRI, you don't get one no matter what your doctor thinks — unless, of course, you have the money to cover the cost.

Myth: There are long waits for care, which compromise access to care.There are no waits for urgent or primary care in Canada. There are reasonable waits for most specialists' care, and much longer waits for elective surgery. Yes, there are those instances where a patient can wait up to a month for radiation therapy for breast cancer or prostate cancer, for example. However, the wait has nothing to do with money per se, but everything to do with the lack of radiation therapists. Despite such waits, however, it is noteworthy that Canada boasts lower incident and mortality rates than the U.S. for all cancers combined, according to the U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group and the Canadian Cancer Society. Moreover, fewer Canadians (11.3 percent) than Americans (14.4 percent) admit unmet health care needs.

And that is just regarding rationing. She also looks at what percent of GDP the Candians spend versus us and the tax burden it creates (here's a hint- it's about the same as us). Oh, and picking your own doctor? Not a problem.

So, in the great American Spirit, I say we can do it. More importantly, we should do it. Our house is on fire. Call the Fire Department.

Now What?

2009-06-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I went and did it.

Nearly 2000 photos from Scotland and Ireland. Whittled it down to about 200 that I really like. A lot of the others are good, but these seem to be the tip-top. Now, I'm hoping to find a place for them. Decided not to post them, for the time being. Sorry to be stingy, but there may be issues if I do find a way to publish. Will keep the 2 or 3 of you (maybe) out there in mind when I feel ready to post them. Hell, if you're reading this, you probably know me; just ask and I'll let you see them.

Any ideas?

Airport 2009

2009-05-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have been up since 3:30 this morning.

I've already had one two-hour layover, and am starting a four-hour layover in Newark, NJ.

I'm tired. I'm hungry.

And I'm having a good time. Surprisingly, on one of the busier travel days of the year, traveling with family and without a job, everything is ok.

Looking forward to Scotland, and Ireland, and just being away.

More to come. Til then, a shot from the plane, somewhere over Missouri or Illinois, I think:

Who I follow; YMMV

2009-05-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Since lists of people you should follow seem de rigueur lately, I thought I'd throw out my own list. Is it definitive? Hell no. Is it organized? Hardly. These are poeple whose online posts/blogs/tweets/whatever seem consistently interesting and entertaining. Do with them as you will.

Wil Wheaton

Whether on twitter (@wilw), or on his blog WWdN: In Exile, Wil is funny, intelligent, a geek guru and a damn nice guy. In addition, gamers and Trekkers alike will find plenty of inside baseball to amuse themselves with.

Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith is a polarizing figure for some people. I love his stuff; some of my friends can't stand him. Luckily, their tastes don't matter here. Kevin is funny as hell. Twitter @ThatKevinSmith, or better yet, head over to ViewAskew.com.

Felicia Day

Ok, guys. She created The Guild, one of the best online series ever. She had a starring role in Dr. Horrible. She's a gamer. But that's not all. She's also insanely funny. Twitter @feliciaday.

Kat Robinson

A little more local, Kat blogs about food and travel in and around Arkansas. And she knows what she's talking about. If you want to find someplace good to eat nearly anywhere in the midsouth, if she hasn't reviewed it already she probably has it on her list. Give her a few years, and shell be writing for Conde Nast or Food & Wine. One to watch. http://www.tiedyetravels.com

Penn Jillette

Better known as the more-vocal half of Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette is one of my favorite misanthropes. I don't always agree with everything he says, but the man usually makes a good point. I follow both @pennjillette and @PennSays. Enjoy the ride.

Stephen Fry

A friend of mine turned me on to Stephen Fry a while back. Before that, I only knew him as the voice of the original Hitchhiker's Guide audiobooks (a role he sort-of reprised as the voice of the Guide in the movie). Fry is also a brilliant humorist (definitly listen to the Podgrams), supporter of Open Source software, and actor. Check him out at http://www.stephenfry.com, or on Twitter @stephenfry.

Neil Gaiman

If you don't know who Neil Gaiman is, get out of the hole and get thee to a library. From children's books like Coraline and Blueberry Girl, to Adult Fiction such as American Gods and Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), to the now-legendary Sandman series of graphic novels, Neil Gaiman is a brilliant writer. Not to mention the movies he has inspired and/or written. His online presence is equally entertaining. Just read to his inspired thoughts on why George R. R. Martin is not your bitch; if you're not hooked after that, there is no hope. Twitter @neilhimself, or read his blog at http://journal.neilgaiman.com/.

2009-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

I totally dig this philosophy, though I guess technically I'm an animist:

From BoingBoing

Everything Is Alive

Posted by Rudy Rucker, May 21, 2009 8:40 AM | permalink

(Rudy Rucker is a guestblogger. His latest novel, Hylozoic, describes a postsingular world in which everything is alive.)

Over the years, I've come to think that everything is alive, even a rock. In academic philosophy, this doctrine is known as "hylozoism"---the word even appears in Wikipedia.

Full article here.

Art imitates life

2008-09-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Guess I'm on a spoof-mag jag lately...

What's sad is that it's true...

MAD again.

2008-08-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

One word. PRICELESS.

I'll have to pick this one up.

And now for something completely different...

2008-08-23T14:04:00.002-07:00

Bet you thought I was going with Monty Python. Well, they are British...

If you haven't yet, check these ladies out. How often do you hear a 40's swing version of "I Will Survive," or "Panic."

Too damn cool.

Georg Lucas and JJ Abrams

2008-08-23T14:04:00.001-07:00

Saw this and had to share. Too damn cool for school. Click on the picture for a link to the story.

A few thoughts for today.

2008-08-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

Human Rights

Something has been bothering me for a long time, and I think I've finally found a way to express it. The Powers That Be keep telling us that we shouldn't "give rights" to those held in Guantanamo Bay, or elsewhere around the world either by us or in our name. But, to quote a certain timely document;

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

In other words, all people have rights. The fact of the matter is, our country is great not because it gave us these rights, but because (at least until recently) we have affirmed and protected those rights for ourselves and those under our aegis.

Our country will only retain it's moral authority so long as we honor the rights that we were founded to affirm.

"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
-Jeri Taylor, "The Drumhead," episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991)

Shocking news; Waterboarding is Torture!

2008-08-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Saw this over on BoingBoing and decided to share. Link

Amazing. Christopher Hitchens decided to stop carrying water for the Bush administration and actually allowed himself to be waterboarded.

He rehearses the intellectual arguments, both for ("It's nothing compared to what they do to us") and against ("It opens a door that can't be closed"). But the Hitch's thoroughly empirical conclusion is simple. As Vanity Fair's title puts it: "Believe me, it's torture."

(Emphasis added.)

Now if only we can get ourselves together enough to get the GOP out of the White House and try and clean up some of the mess this administration has left us.

Geeks of the World Unite!

2008-08-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Back in town. I was checking my usual suspects and found this on Wil Wheaton's Blog.

i think the planet is trying to tell us something . . .

North Pole ice 'may disappear by September'

Arctic sea ice is now retreating so quickly that scientists say there is now a 50-50 chance that it will have gone completely by September.

[...]

The Arctic is seen as an important indicator of the potentially catastrophic changes that scientists say will come as the planet warms.

Honeybee collapse claims record number of hives this year

A record 36 percent of U.S. commercial bee colonies have been lost to mysterious causes so far this year and worse may be yet to come, experts told a congressional panel Thursday.

The year's bee colony losses are about twice the usual seen following a typical winter, scientists warn. Despite ambitious new research efforts, the causes remain a mystery.

Um. I like this planet. It's really beautiful, and it's currently the only one I can live on. Could we maybe work together as a species to stop shit like this from happening?

I can't say it any better.

"In a sense, the earth is mounting an immune response against the human species."
-Richard Preston, The Hot Zone (1994)

7 Dirty Words: George Carlin is dead

2008-08-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

George Carlin was the funniest old rat bastard who ever picked up a microphone. For me, he was a philosopher, a teacher, and a purveyor of social commentary as much as a comedian. He owed as much to Socrates as he did to most stand-up comedians.

Listen to the "Seven Dirty Words" bit, or "How Much is that Dog Crap in the Window?" from Class Clown. Or watch any of the HBO specials he did over the years. Carlin always commented on the culture we held up so high and told us to look deeper. Question the motivations behind what we were doing. And try to do better.

George, I for one will miss you.

UPDATE: Check out the Boing Boing post about George, including a transcript of "Seven Dirty Words."