tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57982692006918383962024-03-13T10:46:00.656-07:00The Speculative WindowUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-58298107892373023642011-06-23T06:24:00.000-07:002011-06-23T08:02:12.561-07:00Taa-Taa For Now :)Hey Folks,<br />
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I have some news for you this sunny Thursday morning. I'm saying farewell to my blog here on Blogger. I've had this blog up for a couple of years now, and it's seen many different transformations. It's gone from a blog about big-city traffic, to a blog about nothing in particular but what I wanted to post, to a blog about my writing, to a blog about Myths, Weird News, and Futuristic Posts, to what it's been recently.<br />
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And now, I think it's time to put it away for a little while. I've had a ton of fun coming up with different blog topics, and it's been really cool to see my views for each post rise from a couple dozen to several hundred. So, to all my readers, thank you for checking out what I had to say!<br />
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To all the blogs I follow, I will try my best to check back in every once in a while to see what you are all posting. I hope that as long as you're still enjoying it, you continue to crank out those blogs and bless the world with your unique expressions!<br />
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There came a time when I quit Myspace, a time when I quit Facebook, and now it's Blogger time. All three are very cool, and I'm not knocking them, but they do tend to take up lots of Time. And what I sadly don't have right now in my life is much Time. If you want to keep in touch, you can follow me on Twitter, at my new address, which is my **REAL** name (some of you don't even know my real name!) But here it is... @Carrie_Sullivan <br />
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Basically, I'm trying to find myself as a writer again. And sometimes with all the pressure to market and have a blog and do things the way media and marketing experts want...well, it ultimately takes you away from your art. And I'm going to get back to my art, which is creating stories that I love. And maybe when I finally get one of my projects out and ready to start selling, I'll dive back into the blog thing, or Facebook and a website. Not sure yet, but I'll know then.<br />
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Selling millions of copies of my novels isn't my topmost goal (though if it happens, I'll take it). Even making a living as a writer isn't too high on my priority list. I simply want to use what little spare time I have in my life (when I'm not trying my best to keep and nourish the friendships and other relationships that I have) to do what I truly enjoy...to do what I've had a passion for since I've been about 5 years old: creating my art.<br />
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Take care, everyone! It's been a blast!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYpoNv3TayQ/TgM8caO6iBI/AAAAAAAAAYo/GnFYD8ObrnU/s1600/email_ttfn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYpoNv3TayQ/TgM8caO6iBI/AAAAAAAAAYo/GnFYD8ObrnU/s1600/email_ttfn.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-91520311625771757812011-06-12T18:10:00.000-07:002011-06-12T18:10:51.525-07:00Japanese Ball Drone VideoAnyone heard of a Japanese Ball Drone? No??? We-he-hell, you are going to be entertained by this.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2h7dPgzMgf0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I don't know what I enjoy most about this video--the fact that:<br />
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1) the floating, remote-controlled sphere has so many futuristic possibilities (think pizza delivery ball drones, etc)<br />
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2) the people making the video used music from the Top Gun soundtrack (LOL)<br />
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or<br />
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3) the ball drone reminds me of this thingie in Star Wars:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hk0ztK-TzC0/TfVizP39rpI/AAAAAAAAAYg/H10rLJhWv_4/s1600/0orbz16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hk0ztK-TzC0/TfVizP39rpI/AAAAAAAAAYg/H10rLJhWv_4/s320/0orbz16.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><br />
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What uses can you come up with for this nifty little device?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-62888604986226570832011-06-05T11:21:00.000-07:002011-06-05T20:17:41.315-07:00Checkmate: Why 'X-Men: First Class' Might Be the Best of the BunchOkay, y'all, go out and see the new X-Men movie. It's my favorite of the franchise. And I'll tell you why.<br />
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This one had the feel of the old cartoon show on FOX. Did anyone watch that? I watched it religiously as a kid and then would go play X-Men with all the neighborhood children. The characters were all so cool, bad guys and good guys, so it was always hard to pick which one I wanted to be. Usually I went with Rogue (who isn't in this movie, sadly, but I'm all right with that).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Anybody hear the old theme song in your head?)</td></tr>
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Also, this movie wins the Favorite spot for me because I love the origins of Magneto and Xavier's relationship. You know, before they were enemies? This movie goes into how they two of them met, how they formed a friendship much like brothers, and how ultimately, they went down separate paths.<br />
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Young Magneto is played by Michael Fassbender. And man, he does a bang-up job playing Eric. My long-time friend who went to see it with me is slightly in love with him, and I can see why. He's pretty amazing. You may recognize him from the recent smash hit by Tarrentino: "Inglourious Basterds."<br />
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His counterpart, Charles, is played by James McAvoy. You might recognize him from the movie "Wanted" or "Becoming Jane." He was probably my favorite character in the movie. Charismatic, charming, all-around good guy--and I loved that finger-to-the-temple telepathic thing he did. Spot on!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yWN9q6caMOQ/TevGFNa_BaI/AAAAAAAAAYE/9x-lcJbf8o0/s1600/xavier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yWN9q6caMOQ/TevGFNa_BaI/AAAAAAAAAYE/9x-lcJbf8o0/s320/xavier.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Eric and Charles have always intrigued me with their love/hate relationship, and I especially enjoy the fact that they have played the game of Chess for years and years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLT1dC5NNJc/TevG5GK5fyI/AAAAAAAAAYI/pQ5A2IFobzQ/s1600/james-mcavoy-and-michael-fassbinder-x-men-first-class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLT1dC5NNJc/TevG5GK5fyI/AAAAAAAAAYI/pQ5A2IFobzQ/s320/james-mcavoy-and-michael-fassbinder-x-men-first-class.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wkkwM2VtR0c/TevHBRiIhOI/AAAAAAAAAYM/RTzYyITlvRE/s1600/old+chess+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wkkwM2VtR0c/TevHBRiIhOI/AAAAAAAAAYM/RTzYyITlvRE/s320/old+chess+scene.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Chess is one of my favorite games. I've been playing it since I learned how in a 7th grade elective class. You can play it with stealth and think 10 steps ahead, or you can just fly by the seat of your pants. I think of it a bit like life. Or war. Or both.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G9T31OD5Lqo/TevHI0g4KuI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/E9MBFu-dcKU/s1600/chess+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G9T31OD5Lqo/TevHI0g4KuI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/E9MBFu-dcKU/s320/chess+board.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The movie also had a young Beast, played by Nicholas Hoult, whom I also blogged about in an earlier post about the upcoming Zombie movie "Warm Bodies." Beast reminds me of my husband--a gentle, bespectacled genius with a heart of gold.<br />
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We get to see Beast before he's blue, and we also get to see what happens to turn him blue. (If you're familiar with the comics, you already know, but it's still heartbreaking.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-afzKWzOu74Y/TevHndt6WxI/AAAAAAAAAYY/I7VHEMnOH4Q/s1600/beast+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-afzKWzOu74Y/TevHndt6WxI/AAAAAAAAAYY/I7VHEMnOH4Q/s320/beast+blue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Gosh, it seems like there are so many good movies coming out this summer! It's about time, though. I haven't felt this excited about summer cinema in years. But if you go see any movie, get yourself to the theater and check out X-Men!<br />
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Taa-taa for now!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-45799395273588575172011-06-04T06:29:00.000-07:002011-06-04T06:29:24.578-07:00A Game of Thrones: Book to ShowRare is the day that I see a TV show or movie version of a book I love and think, <i>Wow! They actually did a GOOD job translating it from text to screen!</i><br />
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Today, HBO's <i>A Game of Thrones</i> gets that shout-out from me.<br />
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I read the 4 books that are currently out a few years ago--my husband (then just boyfriend) highly recommended them. I knew nothing about the series, had never heard of them. All I was going on was the fact that he adored them, and I thought I'd give them a shot because he so strongly suggested it.<br />
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Now, a little bit of info about me, I'm not a <i>huge</i> fantasy person. I'm pretty picky with my fantasy. I love my classic movies like <i>Willow</i> and <i>The Dark Crystal</i>, and I adore classic fantasy books like <i>Lord of the Rings</i> (also a great movie adaptation). But rarely will I finish a fantasy book, much less stick with a series.<br />
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Why?<br />
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Well, I find that a lot of fantasy has a lack of character-building, or characters that are so hard to relate to because I can't even pronounce their name, etc. Many fantasy novels have incredible worlds and imaginative plots, but the character thing tends to be missing for me in your run-of-the-mill sword and sorcery books.<br />
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A Game of Thrones, however, had me enthralled from the first chapter and mainly because of its characters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RqD90de-Rmc/Tcv28ucpC5I/AAAAAAAAAWY/D2inxuhdzNU/s1600/a-game-of-thrones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RqD90de-Rmc/Tcv28ucpC5I/AAAAAAAAAWY/D2inxuhdzNU/s320/a-game-of-thrones.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
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Author George R.R. Martin creates a gigantic cast of 3-dimensional characters, a vivid world that is believable yet with ever-increasing elements of magic, and he also spins a plot that will constantly make you go, "WTF??" because he is absolutely unpredictable.<br />
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And I love that. Give me unpredictable over canned formula any day!<br />
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This story is Fan-Damn-Tastic.<br />
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So naturally I had high expectations for the HBO show...<br />
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I am so nit-picky when it comes to turning my favorite books into shows. I will sit through the movie/show and gripe about how "That wasn't in the book!" or "Her hair wasn't that color in the book!" or "Why'd they have to change that? They could've kept it like the book!"<br />
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I am saying no such thing when watching <i>A Game of Thrones.</i> I merely sit, mesmerized, and so thankful that it IS so true to the original story.<br />
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One of the things I was kind of iffy on in the beginning, though, was the character Jamie Lannister:<br />
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In the first book especially, Jamie is a golden, pretty boy who is also a genuine asshole. The Jamie they picked for the show just somehow wasn't <i>pretty</i> enough for me. Good-looking, yes, but I was thinking very blond shoulder-length hair, model-like features, piercing blue eyes, that sort of thing. So I was sort of pouting over that.<br />
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But damn it, after watching the first few episodes, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is doing a perfect job playing him. No, he doesn't quite have the look I would've pictured, but I hate to admit it: he is still doing great. As is everyone else. Everyone in this show is amazing. And that is something I just don't SAY very often!<br />
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So if you haven't read the books, go out and get book 1-4. Martin promises to have the 5th book released soon (I've been waiting for years for it), but I'm telling you, you will just get hooked, even if you're not into fantasy. And then once you've read the books, check out the show so you can compare how it relates to the novels. ((Warning: books and show are HIGHLY sexual and mature in themes, so this one isn't for kids, folks!))<br />
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Happy reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-87379072362450891502011-06-01T08:45:00.000-07:002011-06-01T08:46:05.347-07:00Quick Addition to Pyramid Post (with Vid!)Regarding my last post about the 17 lost pyramids, here's a short video of how the infra-red satellite imaging works:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BvzfStONXro" width="560"></iframe><br />
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(Big brother is watching you...)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-81373974326373843882011-05-27T11:37:00.000-07:002011-05-27T11:37:43.525-07:0017 PyramidsOkay, this was just too cool for me not to post about.<br />
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Archeologists (space archeologists, to be exact) recently have pinpointed the locations of 17 previously "lost," ancient pyramids in Egypt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPzku51DGNU/Td_t2U75Y8I/AAAAAAAAAX4/gsX1xNp-HDo/s1600/pyramids_at_sunset-5746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPzku51DGNU/Td_t2U75Y8I/AAAAAAAAAX4/gsX1xNp-HDo/s320/pyramids_at_sunset-5746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They found the pyramids by using satellites that orbit Earth. These satellites have been taking infra-red images, and in some of the images...<i>mysterious pyramids emerged</i>... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's really cool that cameras in space found them because there's so much lore about the pyramids being the direct result of space visitors. Ever seen the History Channel's series <i>Ancient Aliens</i>? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xo2zsu0zMtk/Td_u1ys-uXI/AAAAAAAAAX8/FWQqB0BqSWM/s1600/ancient_aliens_season_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xo2zsu0zMtk/Td_u1ys-uXI/AAAAAAAAAX8/FWQqB0BqSWM/s320/ancient_aliens_season_1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People (and not just crack-pots, but intelligent members of society) have come up with some very interesting theories, concerning the great pyramids at Giza, and others around the world. It'll make you think twice about everything you thought you knew regarding the awesome structures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I cannot wait to see what the archaeologists present to the public after digging around in these 17 "lost" pyramids. Perhaps it'll be more clues to the puzzle? Perhaps just more mystery? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you ever given any thought to the pyramids--why they were made, who made them, etc? I'd love to hear your thoughts!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">TGIF, readers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-24912623679573478132011-05-26T16:06:00.000-07:002011-05-26T16:13:01.315-07:00New Conan: Cool or Corny?I.............am looking forward to the new <i>Conan The Barbarian</i> movie, starring Jason Momoa. <br />
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Just the poster image alone is enough to get my butt in the movie theater chair. Love, love, love the skulls. And I've always loved that gigantic monster of a sword Conan has--you just know he's going to rip someone or something a new butt hole with it.<br />
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I like to live vicariously through people like Conan the Barbarian. For instance, when the jerk in traffic tails me for two miles and I'm sweating bullets that he's going to ram into the back of my vehicle, I can always come home and watch an old Conan flick and pretend the person he's killing is the guy who drove on my ass.<br />
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Even back in the day, when Arnold was Conan, I enjoyed rooting for the giant dude with the killer sword.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iLgx8zJtfIg/Td7ZfXCAYeI/AAAAAAAAAXg/IXfDmBBecK0/s1600/arnold-schwarzenegger-conan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iLgx8zJtfIg/Td7ZfXCAYeI/AAAAAAAAAXg/IXfDmBBecK0/s320/arnold-schwarzenegger-conan.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />
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It's just fun seeing a good guy totally wreck everything in his surroundings. Although Arnold maybe took the wrecking thing a little too far and smashed up his marriage, and with a different sort of sword...but I won't go there... To each his own! Silly Arnold! (Really, though, are people surprised? I thought he was a known womanizer? Okay, sorry, not going there.) <br />
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Back to <i>Conan the Barbarian.</i><br />
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Some naysayers have already started blabbering on about how the new flick (in theaters August 19) is going to be a let-down, like the new Clash of the Titans, which I did not see, so I can't give you my honest assessment on that one. But I think it'll be everything it promises to be: a movie about a muscled dude wrecking up some bad guys with his sword(s) and looking good while doing it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eBrqNvQqJKA/Td7aWUWhJiI/AAAAAAAAAXo/PX3du2B-Xzk/s1600/jason-momoa-as-conan-in-conan-the-barbarian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eBrqNvQqJKA/Td7aWUWhJiI/AAAAAAAAAXo/PX3du2B-Xzk/s320/jason-momoa-as-conan-in-conan-the-barbarian.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Plus, the movie's also got Rose McGowan in it. I love Rose <3 She was so good in that ridiculous Grindhouse flick, <i>Planet Terror</i>. She is one of my favs.<br />
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You might not recognize her right off the bat in <i>Conan</i>, though, because she looks like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UgE6Fgs3WZc/Td7awACec5I/AAAAAAAAAXw/aiFKBSc37gg/s1600/rose-mcgowen-conan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UgE6Fgs3WZc/Td7awACec5I/AAAAAAAAAXw/aiFKBSc37gg/s1600/rose-mcgowen-conan.jpg" /></a></div><br />
She'll probably die a very dramatic and gruesome death since she is rumored to play one of the bad guys. But she's quite good and being the evil seductress type, so it'll be fun for sure.<br />
<br />
One more thing: the new Conan, Jason Momoa, is also in the new <i>Game of Thrones</i> series on HBO I blogged about not too long ago. He plays Khal Drogo, another bare-chested warrior.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sx_Dp__0RlA/Td7bkYKcuTI/AAAAAAAAAX0/vnLsZEBDbkg/s1600/Khal-Drogo-game-of-thrones-18305596-1280-720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sx_Dp__0RlA/Td7bkYKcuTI/AAAAAAAAAX0/vnLsZEBDbkg/s320/Khal-Drogo-game-of-thrones-18305596-1280-720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm looking forward to the movie, if only for the sake of viewing some escapist cinema, which I think we all need a little of these days.<br />
<br />
What do you expect from the new Conan movie? Think it'll be a flop? Or think it'll be fun?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-15096129982802543422011-05-23T11:54:00.000-07:002011-05-23T11:59:49.993-07:00Heavy Metal LoverOccasionally I hear a song that would fit <i>perrrfectly </i>in the movie version of a book or books I've read. Lemme just share one example with you. (If you are avid readers, you occasionally do this, too, right?)<br />
<br />
So if you live on Planet Earth and have any sort of inkling about what goes on in the music realm, you'll know that today Lady Gaga has released her album <i>Born This Way</i>. Gaga has also done something new and uploaded all the tracks on her new album to VEVO, which is YouTube's "channel" (I guess you could call it) that's devoted to "official" musicians. You can basically listen to her whole album in good quality on there, and it's been loaded legally because Gaga did it herself.<br />
<br />
Now, I go back and forth with Lady Gaga. One minute I think she's great, and the next I'm either totally confused by something she's said publicly or feeling like she does things just for the sake of publicity. But right this minute, however, I am #1) impressed with her generosity to share all the new songs for free, and #2) I'm also kinda diggin' the new album. Might have to get it even. <br />
<br />
So back to what I was getting at in the beginning of this post... I've read several paranormal books recently that involve highly erotic club scenes. Books like the Anita Blake series by L. K. Hamilton and the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, for example. Gaga's new song "Heavy Metal Lover" on the new album would go perrrrrfectly with any one of these sizzling dance scenes in books like I've mentioned--whether hot werewolves, sensual vampires, or lust-worthy faeries are involved. So whoever out there is in the process of making any of these books into movies needs to contact Lady Gaga asap and get her to agree to the use of this song in said club scenes:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lyN5157_Xos" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I mean, if I were in a club, and say, a mouthwatering paranormal being wanted to dance with me, and this song was playing, I might have to oblige. Just sayin'.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-bzyWlp1PA/Tdqugnu46qI/AAAAAAAAAXY/YL5E4tzfnjU/s1600/AnitaBlake1j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-bzyWlp1PA/Tdqugnu46qI/AAAAAAAAAXY/YL5E4tzfnjU/s640/AnitaBlake1j.jpg" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Anita Blake comic version</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Happy Monday, everybody!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-65774851388841650522011-05-17T07:31:00.000-07:002011-05-17T07:36:23.665-07:00Chuck E. Cheese's Sued!?One of my favorite places to go as a child was Chuck E. Cheese's. It was THE place to have a birthday party, THE place to eat great pizza, and THE place to have fun. Even the slogan says, "Where a kid can be a kid!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWWjtUQvsks/TdKDAnB9UaI/AAAAAAAAAXI/J6e9Qwvg7eM/s1600/Chuck+E.+Cheese%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWWjtUQvsks/TdKDAnB9UaI/AAAAAAAAAXI/J6e9Qwvg7eM/s320/Chuck+E.+Cheese%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
But now, a mother of two claims Chuck E. Cheese's is where a kid can develop a gambling problem. And she's suing the Dallas-based chain for $5 million.<br />
<br />
<i>Whaaaat?</i><br />
<br />
<i></i>That was my initial reaction. I thought, <i>But it doesn't promote gambling! Everyone I knew in elementary school loved that place! I sure don't have a gambling problem. What the hell?</i><br />
<br />
My memories of Chuck E. Cheese's include eating delicious pizza and chocolate cake. It was a place where I could get lost in my imagination, especially in the ball pit where there were winding tunnels, twisty slides, and hideaway areas where I pretended to be in a futuristic space ship or escaping evil villains in an alien cave.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CWKCe-E3uq0/TdKE52tQUYI/AAAAAAAAAXM/2VsV5Jl0ry4/s1600/ballPit_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CWKCe-E3uq0/TdKE52tQUYI/AAAAAAAAAXM/2VsV5Jl0ry4/s320/ballPit_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
But after scanning through the news story (<a href="http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/05/14/chuck-e-cheese-gambling_n_861785.html?ir=Food&icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl10|sec3_lnk2|63300">click here to read it</a>), I'm not sure what I think about the whole thing.<br />
<br />
It's true, there are games there that you have to pay for with tokens. And to get the tokens, you put quarters or dollar bills into a machine, which gives you tokens in exchange. And then with the tokens, you play these games (basketball, crane, ski-ball, etc.) that will give you tickets if you win. And with the tickets, you can get cool prizes like pencils and bouncy balls or, if you have a ton of tickets, things like radios and lava lamps.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what I think about all this, actually. I can kind of see the mother's point that some of the game machines are similar to adult gambling machines in casinos. But then I can also see how she's blown this claim out of proportion, when she says that Chuck E. Cheese's leads people to develop an actual gambling addiction later in life.<br />
<br />
So I guess I'm on the fence on this issue.<br />
<br />
What do <i>you</i> think? Do you think Chuck E. Cheese's deserves to be sued? Or do you think it's an unfair accusation?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYs6KcfNyOw/TdKGRWTo6jI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/Apn44iW5Zw8/s1600/CHUCK_E_CHEESE_COUPON.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYs6KcfNyOw/TdKGRWTo6jI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/Apn44iW5Zw8/s1600/CHUCK_E_CHEESE_COUPON.JPG" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-14162890875355795442011-05-03T11:38:00.000-07:002011-05-03T11:38:42.642-07:00Slickest Keyboard AroundLater this summer, the new Cool Leaf keyboard will go on sale here in the US, and whoo-boy, is it awesomely sci-fi-looking.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rO-qiylYMPA/TcBJdCua-oI/AAAAAAAAAWU/NstvorlXwvI/s1600/minebea-leaf-keyboard-thumb-550xauto-61362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rO-qiylYMPA/TcBJdCua-oI/AAAAAAAAAWU/NstvorlXwvI/s400/minebea-leaf-keyboard-thumb-550xauto-61362.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It uses a touch panel, which is supposed to give off a small vibe sensation to let you know you've touched the keys correctly. And it's got this spiffy mirror finish that makes for really easy cleaning. If you get one of these babies, you won't have to buy those air dusters to clean around dusty keys; all you'll have to do is wipe it off like a glass window.<br />
<br />
Minebea is releasing the keyboard in Japan this month. When it reaches the States it'll cost around $300. Yes, pricey. I'll probably have to pass on it for the time being so I can afford to fill up my Honda. But it's still going on my Wish List because it's so fabulously <i>futuristic!</i><br />
<br />
What about you? Would you want to own a keyboard like this, or do you think you'd prefer an old-fashioned keyboard with keys you have to press down?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-76301121559608536982011-04-30T14:28:00.000-07:002011-04-30T14:28:43.317-07:00Understanding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5fYI6s_Erw/Tbnl6nLD2EI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/6BSZ95eTBB8/s1600/kai+and+rie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="387" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5fYI6s_Erw/Tbnl6nLD2EI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/6BSZ95eTBB8/s400/kai+and+rie.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have more intelligent conversations </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">with my dog </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">than I do </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">with most people.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How 'bout you?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-85284520408422389762011-04-28T12:14:00.000-07:002011-04-28T12:19:26.266-07:00Feel the Inspiration of Ghost Towns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ScY0132reVk/Tbm60nq63WI/AAAAAAAAAWM/ahLR_OmVuSk/s1600/hashima-hell-1303852309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ScY0132reVk/Tbm60nq63WI/AAAAAAAAAWM/ahLR_OmVuSk/s400/hashima-hell-1303852309.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was browsing AOL headlines and came across this really cool picture feature on ghost towns. (<a href="http://www.gadling.com/2011/04/27/the-worlds-ten-creepiest-abandoned-cities/?icid=maing-grid7%7Caim%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk1%7C59165">Click here for feature</a>.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's all about some of the eeriest abandoned cities all over the globe. Sometimes I wonder if we really are all connected by some underlying consciousness because just yesterday I was thinking about how much I enjoy (and maybe even want to write) stories about the world in a state of dystopia--stories about a possible future in which few humans are left, and the world's cities are abandoned, leaving those few survivor souls to carry on or die in the vastness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To me, the whole ghost town look is like melancholy art. I find a certain beauty in it. Just imagine the immense quiet that would accompany an entire town being abandoned. Imagine the thoughts that might float to your brain as you stand in the midst of such a graveyard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my favorite books is <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Road-Cormac-McCarthy/dp/0307265439">The Road</a> </i>by Cormac McCarthy. The images McCarthy creates in his abandoned world are haunting and will stay with you for a long time after you close the book. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What do you think of ghost towns? Creepy? Beautiful? Both?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Oh, and if you've never read <i>The Road</i>, you need to get your butt to a bookstore and check that one out. It's absolutely amazing.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Thursday, everybody!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-85802494427187345462011-04-27T15:09:00.000-07:002011-04-27T15:09:33.617-07:00Got Myself a New SongEvery once in a while, I discover a new song. And it becomes MY song. These songs are the type of songs that resonate on a level beneath your skin. They swirl around you like electricity and dive through you--you just <i>feel</i> them until they are a part of you--and you say to yourself, "Yeah! That's MY song!"<br />
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Here's the song that is currently MY song. I've been jamming out to in my car with the windows down, even at 6:30 a.m. while on the way to work:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ew57ZIVVUSQ" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Do any of you have a past or current YOU song?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-77412735774783857702011-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:002011-04-21T09:59:11.346-07:00That Place Between Sleeping and Awake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-TqhXsGfG0/TbBhqTSlboI/AAAAAAAAAWI/5XqV06mSG-g/s1600/giant-house-spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-TqhXsGfG0/TbBhqTSlboI/AAAAAAAAAWI/5XqV06mSG-g/s200/giant-house-spider.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Last night I woke up about midnight in a sweat--the house was too hot and humid, and I had to go to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
I lifted the covers to get out of bed, and I saw what I really hope was only a lingering dream image.<br />
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A giant spider, I'm talkin' the size of my hand, scurried away from me, from under the covers, across the mattress.<br />
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Drowsy beyond belief, I stumbled out of bed, rubbed my eyes, and shook out all the covers, whimpering at not being more alert.<br />
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I found no traces of my arachnid guest, and I suppose I'll never know if I dreamed it or not.<br />
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If it was a dream, it was more of a hallucination occurring after waking, which doesn't happen very often. I wonder what it could mean.<br />
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And if it was real...well, I just flat don't want to even think about it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-75205112970838450492011-04-14T09:14:00.000-07:002011-04-14T09:15:25.593-07:00Ke$ha's Unicorn PartyI never thought I'd be doing a blog about Ke$ha. But the world continues to surprise me with its strange, unexpected delights. <br />
<br />
Browsing through the world of YouTube this morning, I discovered that the pop star's latest hit "Blow" has one of the most ridiculous (and nonsensically funny) music videos EVER.<br />
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The song's the type of techno, blood-pumping hit that usually has a dance club setting video to go along with it. Instead, Ke$ha is hanging out in a Gothic-style room with a bunch of unicorn-headed folks. The unicorns were too much to resist--I had to blog about it.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YCEH78eGn-Y/Tacb2D6xosI/AAAAAAAAAWE/SJISWzH28aw/s1600/110225-kesha-unicorn_0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YCEH78eGn-Y/Tacb2D6xosI/AAAAAAAAAWE/SJISWzH28aw/s320/110225-kesha-unicorn_0.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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AND James Van Der Beek is in the video. (Cue hearts in the eyes of young girls across the globe)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oWkVfo-AT2w/Tacaxl2pg4I/AAAAAAAAAWA/hWrt_u6ed_M/s1600/james_van_der_beek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oWkVfo-AT2w/Tacaxl2pg4I/AAAAAAAAAWA/hWrt_u6ed_M/s320/james_van_der_beek.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br />
If you're not familiar with James, he's a teen idol from the late 90's show <i>Dawson's Creek</i> and the movie <i>Varsity Blues</i>. He's also the subject of a lot of jokes because really, with a name like that, how can one resist? And Ke$ha can't either.<br />
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Greatest thing of all is James goes right along with putting himself at the center of the goofiness in her zany video. He makes fun of himself, which wins him major cool points in my book. He even...well, you'll just have to watch.<br />
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And since I'm having issues finding the embedding code, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFWX0hWCbng">click here to watch the "Blow" music video</a>!<br />
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It's a strange one--don't say I didn't warn you! Have a thrilling Thursday, all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-40706468800276414292011-04-12T09:37:00.000-07:002011-04-12T09:41:31.419-07:00Blood...Scented...Perfume?I shouldn't be surprised.<br />
<br />
Really.<br />
<br />
I shouldn't.<br />
<br />
Not with the vampire craze of the past decade.<br />
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Not with the hundreds of thousands of novels and movies and comics and TV shows. <br />
<br />
I should be totally NOT surprised at this.<br />
<br />
But I am.<br />
<br />
We humans, in all our creative and semi-twisted glory, have a new addition to our world of colognes: Blood-Scented Perfume.<br />
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It comes in A, B, AB, and O! So many to choose from... I wonder if a person should stick with the kind that matches his/her own blood type, lest it clash and, well, knock the cosmos off balance or something.<br />
<br />
But, yeah. Blood-scented perfume. **inhales** Just imagining it makes me...recall getting teeth pulled and having a really acrid taste in my mouth that I didn't much care for since blood isn't high on my list of smelly-good things. <br />
<br />
Regardless of that, this stuff should be a hit, right? <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uTx_nRpVCpM/TaR-JOxriII/AAAAAAAAAV8/S2p5goUCHjM/s1600/lestat+and+louis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uTx_nRpVCpM/TaR-JOxriII/AAAAAAAAAV8/S2p5goUCHjM/s400/lestat+and+louis.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys just <i>thought</i> a yummy human dinner was outside, but no! It's only someone's discarded blood-scented perfume bottle. How disappointing. Better luck next time, boys!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
OK, seriously. Am I the only person who thinks this is kinda zany? Or do any of you readers think its cool and are interested in getting some for yourself? Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I'll stick with my fav perfume, which is called "<a href="http://www.perfumezilla.com/images_product/lancome-miracle-eau-parfum-spray4082.jpg">Miracle.</a>" It's a little less, erm, metallic... <br />
<br />
To read more about the new blood-scented perfume, click <a href="http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/860574-vampires-rejoice-blood-scented-perfumes-launched">here</a> for the full article.<br />
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Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-44979024961103825962011-04-09T16:27:00.000-07:002011-04-09T16:27:03.455-07:00Deep Ellum Art Festival SpotlightsLast weekend I breezed through an art festival in Dallas, in the area known as Deep Ellum.<br />
<br />
Though I didn't buy anything (isn't this economy doing such charming things to our pocket books?), I did grab a few cards from the artist/vendors that I thought were particularly unique.<br />
<br />
Here are three artists that stuck out to me, examples of their work, and their websites:<br />
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<br />
1) David Pound.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8NFRyOIikkQ/TaDqMQocgWI/AAAAAAAAAVw/bcbmCOv6sNI/s1600/Stoplooklisten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8NFRyOIikkQ/TaDqMQocgWI/AAAAAAAAAVw/bcbmCOv6sNI/s320/Stoplooklisten.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://twentyheads.com/">twentyheads.com</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2) Jeff:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PxU_cAjJT5w/TaDqjtyxlRI/AAAAAAAAAV0/M7JI19o12yY/s1600/558x400-1659044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PxU_cAjJT5w/TaDqjtyxlRI/AAAAAAAAAV0/M7JI19o12yY/s320/558x400-1659044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.studioseidel.com/">www.studioseidel.com</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3) Drew Mounce</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TzMGyG-ui00/TaDq6y_cWgI/AAAAAAAAAV4/VcbQGKgrJi4/s1600/TWWNTB.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TzMGyG-ui00/TaDq6y_cWgI/AAAAAAAAAV4/VcbQGKgrJi4/s320/TWWNTB.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lefthandart.com/">http://www.lefthandart.com</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do give them a visit! They'll inspire your creativity and entertain your brain. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope everyone's having a great weekend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-44633774270816519632011-04-07T07:13:00.000-07:002011-04-07T07:13:52.606-07:00Creeptastic Real Clone-botsWe are living on the verge of science fiction times. Hiroshi Ishiguro is the creator of the Gemenoid robots, robots which he fashioned after three living, breathing humans (one being himself).<br />
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If you take a look at the video, you can tell which are the robots and which are the people, but I'm still impressed with how lifelike the bots still are.<br />
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With the way we continue to advance technologically, imagine how these Gemenoid robot clones will look in the next, say, 10 years. Will they be indistinguishable from their human twins?<br />
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Go ahead and click on the video--it's slightly on the creepy side, but still cool as heck.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J71XWkh80nc" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-41080184056985265392011-04-01T15:10:00.000-07:002011-04-01T15:11:00.702-07:00Why It's Time for Hover CarsIt is time for some brilliant mind to invent the hover cars we see in movies. And not just because they're cool but because they'd make life SO much easier!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_uBXvUJxirM/TZZJyuf3TtI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ub92kCAbEZc/s1600/Valerian_FifthElement2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_uBXvUJxirM/TZZJyuf3TtI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ub92kCAbEZc/s320/Valerian_FifthElement2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <i>The Fifth Element</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Let me give you a really good example of why we need this invention a.s.a.p. This week, I was headed on the highway to meet my little sister for a shopping day at the mall. (Little back story: last year my parents adopted 3 wonderful children from an agency and gave them a permanent home. My parents are in their late 50's but they love children and I commend them for giving a home to these kiddos. Plus, my youngest brother, whom I grew up with, was adopted, so our family is really big on that.) Returning to my tale...<br />
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So my sis was reeeally looking forward to this little mall trip with me, and I felt bad about having to cancel on her once before--I told her we'd go during Spring Break when she was out of school, but I ended up getting scheduled to work every single day. So on our rescheduled day, I got on the highway a couple hours early in order to beat rush-hour traffic.<br />
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<i>No prob,</i> I thought. <i>I'll just take a book so I won't have to deal with all those friggin' cars.</i><br />
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Little did I know...that morning, a drunk driver drove into oncoming traffic on that same highway, hit a tanker, and the tanker exploded, melting part of the highway. The city completely shut down part of that highway, and traffic was backed up like I've never seen.<br />
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I ended up getting stuck in the stretch of about two miles, with no hope of exit, for three hours. Three. Whole. Hours. All I could think of was my sis, wearing the little dress she'd picked out in advance, clutching her little Jonas Brothers purse, wondering why I'd flaked out on her again.<br />
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It was heartbreaking!<br />
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As I tried to fight back tears, other cars were overheating, running out of gas; it was crazy! I was so glad I'd filled up recently, and even gladder that I'd gone to the bathroom before setting out on that misadventure. Not to mention, the whole incident was horrible in that the tanker driver didn't make it, and he leaves behind a wife and three children. The drunk driver is now being faced with involuntary manslaughter, as he should... (Please don't drink and drive, people.)<br />
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I wound up finally turning around, my step-father so graciously bringing my little sis to the mall near my house, though it was a much farther drive for him. He's such a good person. I was late, but I wound up having just enough time to get some good shopping done with lil sis before the mall closed, though it goes without saying that by that time I was totally exhausted.<br />
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So I'm thinking...if we had hover car capabilities, we wouldn't be stuck in a three-hour traffic jam. We could just hover over all that mess and be on our merry way. Not to mention, the tanker driver might have been able to avoid the hit if he could've just hovered over that moron!<br />
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Of course, new laws and regulations would have to be put into place so people wouldn't just hover up and hit one another in the air, but to be freed from being ground-bound, to me, has so many possibilities that could free us up. As the world grows and grows in its population, why pack the streets like sardines when we could have multiple lanes up in the air?<br />
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Just a thought...<br />
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Would you drive a car that had hovering capabilities? Or do you prefer to stick with your wheels?<br />
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By the way, my soon-to-be released new bounty hunter novel is set in the future, and guess what? Cars totally hover in the book. ;)<br />
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Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for stopping by today!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-88520611510905947472011-03-30T04:12:00.000-07:002011-03-30T14:30:39.926-07:00Bigfoot Raises a Stink in NCJust in case you thought Bigfoot sightings were a thing of the past, think again!<br />
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Ol' Sasquatch got caught on camera by a man traveling a local road. The man claims Bigfoot smelled like something "between road kill and skunk."<br />
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ABC News covered the story; to read it click <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/bigfoot-sighting-north-carolina-man-posts-footage-sighting/story?id=13220103">here</a>. (That link also has the video.)<br />
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Course, debunkers are already claiming it's a false. They primarily say that the movements are too human-like and not ape-like enough. View yourself to form your opinion.<br />
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One legend has it that the people of mythological (???) Atlantis created the Sasquatch with their advanced science. The first reported sighting we know of was by a man in Canada in 1811. No carcases have ever been found, though some questionably large footprints discovered over the years have led many to believe Bigfoot is a fact and not fiction.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUWixOtHyrc/TZKT5YCBmBI/AAAAAAAAAVo/JANGwToOFvg/s1600/bigfoot_by_freakydude1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUWixOtHyrc/TZKT5YCBmBI/AAAAAAAAAVo/JANGwToOFvg/s320/bigfoot_by_freakydude1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Do you think Bigfoot could still be out there, roaming our North American countryside? Or do you think the whole thing was a sham to begin with? <br />
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Have you ever seen anything mysterious in the woods you couldn't explain? Whether a new visitor to the <i>Speculative Window</i> or a frequent follower, feel free to share all your strange stories in the comments section.<br />
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May your <b>Wednesday</b> be good and <b>Weird</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-12236291101147181832011-03-28T08:27:00.000-07:002011-03-28T08:27:42.862-07:00Thor Soon to Thunder into Theaters!All right, I'll admit it. I am a sucker for good comic book movies.<br />
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Some film-goers might be tired of the Marvel/D.C. invasion into Hollywood, but I am perfectly happy with it. I am especially excited about the upcoming movie Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth in the title role.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6YGRFfjpZs/TY-UR8ifG9I/AAAAAAAAAVk/wIaVb1PoXpg/s1600/Chris-Hemsworth-Thor-Movie-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6YGRFfjpZs/TY-UR8ifG9I/AAAAAAAAAVk/wIaVb1PoXpg/s400/Chris-Hemsworth-Thor-Movie-2011.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br />
The movie also stars Natalie Portman--<i>H</i>a<i>ve you SEEN her in </i>Black Swan<i>? Frickin' Amazing!</i>--and one of my all-time favorite actors, Sir Anthony Hopkins.<br />
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Looking forward to this flick, which I hope is as good as the preview makes it seem, I did a little research to try to find out why comic creator Stan Lee chose Thor, of all gods and goddesses in the world, for his super-hero universe. Turns out, he was trying to one-up himself and create someone stronger than his character The Incredible Hulk.<br />
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I found this quote on www.comicbookmovie.com:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><i>"How do you make someone stronger than the strongest person? It finally came to me: Don't make him human — make him a god. I decided readers were already pretty familiar with the Greek and Roman gods. It might be fun to delve into the old Norse legends... Besides, I pictured Norse gods looking like Vikings of old, with the flowing beards, horned helmets, and battle clubs. ...Journey into Mystery needed a shot in the arm, so I picked Thor ... to headline the book. After writing an outline depicting the story and the characters I had in mind, I asked my brother, Larry, to write the script because I didn't have time. ...and it was only natural for me to assign the penciling to Jack Kirby..."</i></span><br />
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The original Thor from Norse mythology, as many of you know, is of course the famed god of thunder. The son of "All-Father" Odin, Thor is the strongest of the principle race of Norse gods. He's the protector of both realms, mortal and immortal, and if you mess with him, he'll make you really wish you hadn't.<br />
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Norse god Thor became more popular than his father, Odin, because he, unlike dear ol' Dad, did not require human sacrifices. This would've been a perk, especially for those on the sacrificial waiting list.<br />
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The day of the week "Thursday" was actually named after Thor--how many of you knew that?<br />
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The movie's release date is May 6, 2011, which is a Friday... I wonder if they'd consider knocking it back a day in honor of the bearded deity? Maybe? <i>Psst! Any Hollywood execs out there reading this? Move it back to May 5!</i><br />
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Oh, and just in case you haven't seen the trailer, be sure to click <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1197233-thor/trailers/">here</a> to check it out.<br />
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As far as comic book adaptations go, do you think this one will be a good one?<br />
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What famous mythological deity would you like to see in comic book and/or movie form?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-52966650170304521932011-03-25T04:15:00.000-07:002011-03-25T09:34:33.098-07:00Explore the Robot World of "Porkchop"We all deal with grief in different ways.<br />
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Some ways are deeply destructive, others profoundly productive.<br />
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Artist Leonard Zimmerman Jr. (alias "Porkchop") suffered a painful loss in 2006 when his partner passed away. Instead of letting that grief take over his life, he channeled it into some of the coolest robot art I've ever seen. That's why this week's <b>Futuristic Friday</b> spotlight is all on him.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0CrthqZquUA/TYupTu2eQVI/AAAAAAAAAVg/1JvAXXAuoCE/s1600/you_look_like_a_good_idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0CrthqZquUA/TYupTu2eQVI/AAAAAAAAAVg/1JvAXXAuoCE/s320/you_look_like_a_good_idea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Zimmerman, who lives in Augusta, Georgia, loves what he does, and in a short <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZXkgUV-0o">documentary</a> on YouTube, he encourages all artists to follow their passion: "Just get out there and do it." He also mentions how lucky he was to have parents who encouraged his abilities when he was younger, and he strongly encourages other parents to do the same.<br />
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One of the main things I admire about Porkchop is that he likes to make people smile with his work. In a world where many artists rely on the often ugly and uncomfortable shock-factor, he is a breath of fresh air. Stephen Uhles of <i>The Augusta Chronicle</i> describes Zimmerman's work as combining "pop-culture kitsch with hard emotion and extraordinary levels of skills and talent."<br />
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His robots have no gender, no race, and thus, no prejudice. Their existence is simple. It doesn't involve hatred or bigotry--just the kaleidescope of life's many colors.<br />
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When I imagine a better future for humanity, that type of world is just what I hope for.<br />
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Be sure to click through his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZXkgUV-0o">gallery</a> to see more of his delightful work.<br />
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Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by the<i> Speculative Window</i> today!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-23697031731820478302011-03-23T15:55:00.000-07:002011-03-23T20:32:10.699-07:00Sammy Hagar: Alien Abductee?Welcome to <b>Weird News Wednesday</b>. This week's topic of speculation is Sammy Hagar's announcement that he was abducted by aliens--the details can be found in his new book:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9-JaK0jwEMI/TYp0IcgfccI/AAAAAAAAAVY/k5w42NM5CKY/s1600/red_sammy_hagar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9-JaK0jwEMI/TYp0IcgfccI/AAAAAAAAAVY/k5w42NM5CKY/s320/red_sammy_hagar.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For a link to check it out on Amazon, click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-My-Uncensored-Life-Rock/dp/0062009281/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300848824&sr=1-1">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let me inform those of you who are not well-versed in classic rock, Sammy Hagar is mostly well-known for being the 2nd lead singer of the group Van Halen. He's a Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer, and he also has the nickname "The Red Rocker." Right now he's making music with the supergroup Chickenfoot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But back to the alien thing...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In his new book, Hagar discusses how when he was only four years old, he saw what he thought to be "a car with no wheels...floating across a field." He now believes it was really a UFO.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WzmlTGp6nNM/TYp1oARcI4I/AAAAAAAAAVc/F88Isvz3-b0/s1600/ufo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WzmlTGp6nNM/TYp1oARcI4I/AAAAAAAAAVc/F88Isvz3-b0/s320/ufo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Later experiences of his include being "plugged in" to actual aliens from other planets, as well as seeing another ship and two creatures (though he couldn't see their faces).<br />
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"They were connected to me," he says, "tapped into my mind through some kind of mysterious wireless connection...They were tapped into my brain and the knowledge was transferred back and forth."<br />
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To those of you who may have your doubts, he insists it "friggin' happened."<br />
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For a full interview from <i>The Guardian</i> on the subject,<i> </i>click <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/22/sammy-hagar-aliens-infiltratedmind">here</a>.<br />
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The book was ironically released on March 20, which I just learned is "Alien Abduction Day." Coincidence? Naaaah. Hagar knew what he was doing.<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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Think he's crazy?<br />
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Think he's telling the truth?<br />
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Do <i>you</i> believe in alien abductions?<br />
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As always, the comments section is open for you to share your views, and your weird news. Thanks for stopping by today!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-7190030966531417572011-03-21T08:29:00.000-07:002011-03-21T08:30:56.606-07:00Mytheon Brings Classic Mythology to LifeAre any of you out there gamers? Do you also like ancient mythology? Mytheon is a new online RPG that incorporates all the coolest mythological characters from Greece, Egypt and Rome.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j2ju0cgZ8Fw/TYdryFzeSvI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Y-6Uqcx0R04/s1600/mytheonlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j2ju0cgZ8Fw/TYdryFzeSvI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Y-6Uqcx0R04/s320/mytheonlogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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And best of all, it's FREE!<br />
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You play a "stonecaster" in the game, and your objective is to collect magical stones and learn to master their uses in order to defeat all the fun and fancy gods and goddesses. The stones let you summon awesome mythological creatures, like the Pegasus, which you can ride into battle.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0FIXmcAf5ZM/TYdshPVUA2I/AAAAAAAAAVU/xyuEaSrRqNE/s1600/mytheon-pegasus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0FIXmcAf5ZM/TYdshPVUA2I/AAAAAAAAAVU/xyuEaSrRqNE/s320/mytheon-pegasus1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pegasus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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All the details of the game are supposedly true to ancient myth, too, from architecture to story-lines to clothes. So if you're interested in mythology, this appears to be a great place to go not only to have fun but to learn about these myths.<br />
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Here's a good 10-minute video of the game in motion, complete with narration:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ql6KYTx8Vyg" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Want to check out Mytheon for yourself? Click <a href="http://www.mytheongame.com/">here</a>.<br />
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And just for fun, who is one of your favorite mythological characters? (I love Pegasus, but I'm also a fan of Anubis, too.)<br />
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Have a good one, folks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798269200691838396.post-60183153447704021532011-03-18T08:09:00.000-07:002011-03-18T08:21:06.006-07:00Cassini Spacecraft Captures Distant Weather ReportNASA's Cassini spacecraft has recorded some interesting activity on Saturn's biggest moon, Titan. It's raining there--methane rain, actually. And it's happening right on Titan's desert-laden equator.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--fAWUWlQyak/TYNwWRO7S8I/AAAAAAAAAVM/MxNQDR_-b8w/s1600/clouds_titan_300_196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--fAWUWlQyak/TYNwWRO7S8I/AAAAAAAAAVM/MxNQDR_-b8w/s1600/clouds_titan_300_196.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Titan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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The rain's are at low latitudes, which is interesting. So far this is the first time low-lat rains have been recorded there. Furthermore, the area has been dry for years, and is just now seeing rain. Scientists believe that the new weather is due to the changing of the seasons, i.e. the shifts in sunlight.<br />
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Scientists conclude from this new evidence that Titan's weather is similar to the weather over Earth's tropical oceans. They will continue to observe evidence to compare and contrast Titan's changing seasons to Earth's, in order to learn a little more about Saturn's moon.<br />
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Just think, 100 years ago humans may have not even dreamed that such study of distant worlds was even possible. Imagine what we will be capable of in another 100 years--or even 50--or even 20.<br />
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As we literally reach for the stars, anything's possible.<br />
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Happy <b>Futuristic Friday</b>, all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1