Wonderful Thoughts A weblog about latest news and reveiws on technology,science,computing,software and autoblog. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 0 850

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…and I arrived! 2007-08-26 21:46:00 After a day of travelling, I arrived around six on the campgrounds of this years CCC. click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr The campground is on the terrain of a museum of old airplanes. So people walk around here in between MiG airplanes and such. The terrain itself is next to an airfield, make that an airfield *which is still in active use* There are not a lot of airplanes landing, but get this, the sleeping tent of the BSD Village, where I’m staying, is next to this airstrip! (and yes, already a couple of planes have landed there since I was here) on the left, my bed. On the right, the sign you can just see? It says ‘flugplatz’… click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr Well, it’s gonna be a great couple of days, I’m pretty sure about that. sleeping tents in between fighter jets, all possible on CCC 2007 click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr ….but for now, I’m totally exhausted and need some sleep. It wa ...

…and I arrived! 2007-08-26 21:46:00 After a day of travelling, I arrived around six on the campgrounds of this years CCC. click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr The campground is on the terrain of a museum of old airplanes. So people walk around here in between MiG airplanes and such. The terrain itself is next to an airfield, make that an airfield *which is still in active use* There are not a lot of airplanes landing, but get this, the sleeping tent of the BSD Village, where I’m staying, is next to this airstrip! (and yes, already a couple of planes have landed there since I was here) on the left, my bed. On the right, the sign you can just see? It says ‘flugplatz’… click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr Well, it’s gonna be a great couple of days, I’m pretty sure about that. sleeping tents in between fighter jets, all possible on CCC 2007 click to go to the corresponding pic on flickr ….but for now, I’m totally exhausted and need some sleep. It wa ...

Movie Notes: Eragon 2007-08-26 14:20:56 = 1 star Starring Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich Directed by Stefen Fangmeier Amazon Eragon is a kid’s flick, based on a children’s book. Like many modern films, the CGI special effects and the story are decent, but most everything else fails horribly. For starters, the overall look is shamelessly derivative of The Lord of The Rings trilogy. We have evil assassins that look much like orcs or Nazgul, and even the actress cast as the elf lady (Sienna Guillory) resembles a hybrid of Cate Blanchette and Liv Tyler. The main magician baddie Durza looks like Grima Wormtongue, and there’s even a scene where he commands a vast army from up above that if there was any justice, would evoke a WETA lawsuit. The film’s plot also echoes Star Wars as we have a boy who finds out he’s going to be a dragon rider. His family is killed by the bad guys early on. The wise mentor Brom (Jeremy Irons) appears to help guide him on his first steps, and he dies hal ...

Movie Notes: Valley Of The Dolls 2007-08-26 14:20:42 = 2 stars Starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate Directed by Mark Robson Amazon Link Today, Valley Of The Dolls, based on the book of the same name, comes off as darned campy which wasn’t the original intent. Many of its topics (drug addiction, homosexuality, pornography, and the cruel show business machine) once controversial and shocking, now seem tame. So we have actresses looking dour and pensive regarding matters Lindsay Lohan would consider sobriety. The result is overacting (camp) and at worst, much ado about nothing (boring). The film follows the damaging of three show biz neophytes. First is Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins), a quite innocent New England girl who makes her way to Manhattan. She starts out as a secretary but soon gets mixed up in show business, eventually becoming a television model for a clothing line. Her one shocking indiscretion is premarital sex. Second is Jennifer North Polar (Sharon Tate), only receiving work because of her striking beaut ...

New Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 2007-08-26 13:53:46 Mercedes-Benz has put motor racing technology (modern Formula 1) into it’s latest high-performance SLR McLaren Roadster. The car is made entirely of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) apart from two aluminium engine frames. It is powered by an AMG V8 compressor engine which is coupled to an AMG Speedshift R five-speed automatic transmission. The front-mid-engine delivers 460 kW/626 hp, is 332 km/h and and a maximum torque of 780 Nm. The Roadster can go from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 3.8 seconds. The design borrows a little from it’s heritage - in the distinctive lateral louvers, side pipes behind the front wheels and the wide-opening gullwing doors similar to that of the SLR legend of the 50s. RoofThe fully retractable top blends harmoniously into the flowing lines of the SLR McLaren. The roof opens and closes semi-automatically in less than ten seconds. To open, the roof merely needs to be disengaged from the windscreen frame and briefly raised, after which it folds ...

New Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 2007-08-26 13:53:46 Mercedes-Benz has put motor racing technology (modern Formula 1) into it’s latest high-performance SLR McLaren Roadster. The car is made entirely of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) apart from two aluminium engine frames. It is powered by an AMG V8 compressor engine which is coupled to an AMG Speedshift R five-speed automatic transmission. The front-mid-engine delivers 460 kW/626 hp, is 332 km/h and and a maximum torque of 780 Nm. The Roadster can go from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 3.8 seconds. The design borrows a little from it’s heritage - in the distinctive lateral louvers, side pipes behind the front wheels and the wide-opening gullwing doors similar to that of the SLR legend of the 50s. RoofThe fully retractable top blends harmoniously into the flowing lines of the SLR McLaren. The roof opens and closes semi-automatically in less than ten seconds. To open, the roof merely needs to be disengaged from the windscreen frame and briefly raised, after which it folds ...

Fiat 500, Kia Cee’d and Peugeot 308 receives five stars in safety tests 2007-08-26 09:08:57 The new Fiat 500 received five stars in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 35 points in a recent press release from Euro NCAP. Another car in the same supermini category - the Renault Twingo also did quite well, receiving a four-star result in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 28 points. No child protection rating was available for the Twingo as there was not enough space to fit Renault’s recommended child restraints in the rear seats with the front seats set to Euro NCAP’s test position for adults. The Kia Cee’d Two cars in the small family car category also received Five stars in Adult Occupant Protection. The Kia Cee’d is the first Kia to receive 5 stars since Euro NCAP first tested this make of car in 2003. The Peugeot 308, received five stars in adult occupant protection and a higher result in pedestrian protection than the Kia Cee’d, with a three star score. Click the following links for their full test results: Fiat 500 Renault Tw ...

Fiat 500, Kia Cee’d and Peugeot 308 receives five stars in safety tests 2007-08-26 09:08:57 The new Fiat 500 received five stars in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 35 points in a recent press release from Euro NCAP. Another car in the same supermini category - the Renault Twingo also did quite well, receiving a four-star result in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 28 points. No child protection rating was available for the Twingo as there was not enough space to fit Renault’s recommended child restraints in the rear seats with the front seats set to Euro NCAP’s test position for adults. The Kia Cee’d Two cars in the small family car category also received Five stars in Adult Occupant Protection. The Kia Cee’d is the first Kia to receive 5 stars since Euro NCAP first tested this make of car in 2003. The Peugeot 308, received five stars in adult occupant protection and a higher result in pedestrian protection than the Kia Cee’d, with a three star score. Click the following links for their full test results: Fiat 500 Renault Tw ...

Strengthening the Case for Torture 2007-08-26 03:28:27 It’s a useful discipline of thought to occasionally play devil’s advocate, and attempt to make a convincing argument on the opposing side to that with which you agree. This was brought home to me recently when I re-read Michael Levin’s famous essay The Case for Torture. Anyone who’s familiar with this piece will know that it is a disarmingly frank, simple and logical espousal of a very unpopular position: that torture by the ‘good guys’ is sometimes, in extreme circumstances, justified. I had no idea who Professor Levin was when I was first introduced to the essay a few years ago. My subsequent discovery that his politics are somewhat to the right of Genghis Khan gives it some context other than that of an intellectual exercise. Even so, it’s accepted by most objective authorities that torture, quite apart from its barbarism and cruelty (which is beside the point of the essay anyway), tends to yield information which is dangerously unreliable a ...

Graphic Novel Review: The Architect by Mike Baron and Andie Tong 2007-08-26 03:28:19 Scott Beiser, one of the great political cartoonists of our generation, is the general director of a maverick independent publishing company called Big Head Press. I first discovered Scott's work when one of my friends hooked me up with Scott's excellent adaptation of L. Neil Smith's Libertarian science fiction manifesto, The Probability Broach. Since then I've kept an eye on Scott's ever expanding stable of excellent graphic fiction, and I've rarely been disappointed. Last year Scott raked in a coup by getting comics master scribe Mike Baron to release a new horror story through Big Head Press. It was originally published on their website Big Head Press.com, and it now makes its debut as an actual graphic novel. You know, something that doesn't go away after you unplug it. The Architect is a horrific and fun tale of a master builder gone bad and the havoc he wreaks on his family. Baron excels at fast paced, tightly plotted storytelling, and this ...

Music Review: Ravish Momin’s Trio Tarana Miren (A Longing) 2007-08-26 03:28:18 When I used to work in theatre, in another life, in a land far, far away known as Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the majority of the work I was involved with was improvisation. As anyone who has done any improvisational work on the stage knows there is an incredibly fine line between coming up with something brilliant and stinking the house out. Their are a few secrets to good improvisation in theatre; decide on a beginning, middle and end for each scene, know what information the audience needs to be told for the story to make sense, and trust your instincts. The first two are easily solved through rehearsal and coming up with a basic outline for each scene that tells each actor what they need to do in order for the scene to work. It's that last one that's problematic, because it's not something that can be taught. Being able to make a decision and know that it's the right thing to do in the moment without having to think over the ramifications is the hardest thing an a ...

Music Review: No Use For A Name - All The Best Songs 2007-08-26 03:28:17 If I had to call upon one of the bands from my adolescent years that truly made me appreciate punk rock music it would have it be San Jose’s No Use For A Name (NUFAN). I was introduced to these guys 15 years ago via a compilation CD I snagged at a show. It was one of the best freebies I ever received. With the release of All The Best Songs by NUFAN, I can relive the days when I had not a care in life and enjoyed every second of it. Throughout the two decades members of the band have come and left respectively for various reasons. One member in particular who came on in the middle of their success, Chris Schiflett joined after the fourth release of NUFAN and then left soon after to join the Foo Fighters. Tony Sly and Rory Koff are the only original members. This 22-track CD is a collection of their 20-year career as a standout punk band and also includes two previously unreleased tracks. It is amazing that a band could be together for so long but it is not surprising as other Fat ...

Music Review: The Mams - Wam Bam! 2007-08-26 03:28:11 The latest in my growing list of likes from the U.K. is The Mams. Their new CD, Wam Bam! doesn’t go on sale in the U.S. until September 10, but when it does, I suggest you run out and grab a copy. Wam Bam! has become my go-to party CD. Whether I’m alone or hosting, I’m spinning the fun tunes of Jon 'Earl' Grey on vocals and acoustic guitar, A.T. Sharpe on electric guitar, Andrew Harries on keyboards, Dan Harris on bass, and Pete Mason on drums. Although I can’t verify their ages, the title of the last track on Wam Bam! coupled with photos I have found indicate that these guys are not boy-band material, which only makes them better in my mind. According to their website, their influences range from Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, to Cary Grant, to Morrissey, to The Fonz, with a whole lot in between. Whatever the influences, the result is fun, goofy and just right for a party. The CD kicks off with “Neighbourhood Watch,” a pure disco pa ...

Music Review: Eddie Floyd - You’ve Got To Have Eddie 2007-08-26 03:28:09 As part of their 50th anniversary celebration, Stax Records has re-issued several albums from its remarkable catalog in digital-only formats. Eddie Floyd's 1969 album, You've Got To Have Eddie, (downloadable from iTunes) is among the first batch of releases. Floyd is best known as the gritty belter who recorded the oldies radio staples "Raise Your Hand" and "Knock On Wood." But he also is responsible for one of the great lost soul gems of Stax, "Big Bird," as well as co-writing Wilson Pickett's classics "Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do)" and "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)." Those expecting retreads of Floyd's hits will be disappointed at first. There is little of the sweaty, greasy soul that was his trademark. Of the twelve songs on You've Got To Have Eddie, only " I Sowed Love (And Reaped A Heartache)" and "Non-Stop To Midnight" relive the sound of his earlier hits. But t ...

Interview: Band Of The Week - Yoshi 2007-08-26 03:28:04 I once had an author friend tell me that when people find out you have written a book, you suddenly discover that everyone is writing a book. And it gets worse; they want to tell you all about it, in excruciating detail. I can tell you the same applies to being a music writer. When people find out what you do, you quickly discover that they, or someone near and dear to them, play in a band of some description – and that description is usually something like “blech”. So when new neighbours moved in – two very hot looking, twenty–something guys – and my daughter let it drop that her mummy was a music writer, it was no surprise to me that one of them turned out to be in a band called Yoshi. He told me however they had nothing recorded yet but they were working on it. And by working on it I mean starting their own record label, Fwoosh Records and accompanying clothing line – as one does. A friendship grew between my daughter and I and the neig ...