How it started: Bored in the afternoon at home on my day off and decided to enjoy some quality 80’s action……in goes The Running Man.
The Running Man: A 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Paul Michael Glaser. The general plot involves a former police officer framed of the massacre of innocent people in the year 2019. Schwarzenegger (who plays the lead character, Ben Richards) is forced to take part in a popular TV show called The Running Man, where the contestants (called Runners) must avoid being killed by gladiator-like killers (called Stalkers). The film achieved moderate success at the time of its release. Patrick Swayze was one of the original lead candidates for the role of Ben Richards. The film was adapted for the screen from a novel of the same name by Richard Bachman.
Richard Bachman: Richard Bachman is the pseudonym used by Stephen King. When King’s writing career began, it was common practice to have not publish more than one or two books per year. King’s passion led him to develop a pseudonym under which he could publish additional books. The literary style of the two authors led many to believe that Stephen King was the author behind the Bachman pen name, but King attempted to cover his trail by dedicating his 1984 novel “Thinner” to Claudia Inez Bachman and including a phony author photo on the dustjacket. King’s move to a pseudonym was also done to see if his literary style would hold up with the general public even if his name was not associated with a novel. There are 7 “Bachman Books” thus far, including a personal favourite of mine: “The Long Walk”.
The Long Walk: A 1979 novel by Stephen King penned under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. The Long Walk is a fictional work where 100 teenage boys are randomly selected to take part in the ultimate marathon called The Long Walk. Each walker must travel at 4 miles per hour or receive a warning. Warnings can be accumulated for a variety of other reasons (including deviating from the designated walk course). If a contestant has received 4 warnings within an hour, he is ticketed. The novel intentionally leaves the concept of being ticketed as a fairly ambiguous term, but it is later made clear that to be ticketed is to be executed by soldiers monitoring the walk. The winner of the contest is the last one to survive and will receive anything they wish for the rest of their life. You have to read this book as it is an interesting view into the dystopian future.
Dystopia: The term dystopia refers to a fictional society that is the antithesis of a utopia. Where a utopia typically characterizes society as both successful and happy, a dystopia is usually illustrated with poverty, violence, worldwide ruin, and more often than not, an overruling dictatorship. Dystopias are particularly popular in critical literature (most notably George Orwell’s 1985) and movies (THX 1138).
Coheed and Cambria: In March 1995, Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever joined Nate Kelley to start a band called Beautiful Loser. When Stever left (leaving Sanchez, Nate Kelley, and Jon Carleo) the band, the trio renamed themselves as Shabutie. The band would make slight member changes and release The Penelope EP in 1999. A marked changed occurred at the end of the year, when Nate Kelley left the band, apparently upset with a drunken performance done by the band (a problem that has repeatedly plagued the band even during recent shows). When Josh Eppard joined the band, they released another album titled Delirium Trigger, which marked the beginning of Coheed and Cambria. This lineup worked together to release 3 albums: The Second Stage Turbine Blade, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, and Good Appolo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. In November 2006, Josh Eppard and Michael Todd left the band, although Michael Todd returned in April 2007. Taylor Hawkins, drummer for the Foo Fighters, aided in recording the drum tracks for the 4th album: Good Appolo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow which was released in October of 2007. Often classified as emo, the band is more appropriately described as a progressive rock unit, particularly considering the eclectic nature of their music. Claudio Sanchez, lead singer and guitarist, also has a side-project called The Prize Fighter Inferno. The Prize Fighter Inferno is relevant in that it ties into the story of Coheed and Cambria as related to a fictional story called The Amory Wars, on which all musical work by Coheed and Cambria is based upon.
I will talk about The Amory Wars tomorrow. It’s a long story and deserving of it’s own post.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
November 6 - Funny Or Die, Louis CK, TV Funhouse
Bit shorter one tonight...short on time as always.
How I got started: Again, a Seinfeld link here. I was watching an interview with Jerry Seinfeld on PBS where he was asked by Charlie Rose if he had considered doing anything via the internet. Jerry proceeded to talk about how the internet was better than TV in some respects because there were very few limitations, but that he didn't think he would be doing something soon. When asked if there was anything he liked out there, he mentioned that he liked Will Ferrell's "Funny Or Die" website. Having never been (how the hell have I not heard of this), I took a quick browse.
Funny Or Die: Funny or Die is a website founded by Gary Sanchez Productions, a company belonging to Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Intended to rival YouTube, it supports many established and upcoming comedians, who may submit their own videos. Users may vote on each video, choosing whether they are funny and consequently stay, or are not funny and die. There are a large number of well-known celebs that have videos there, including Lil Jon, Jimmy Fallon, James Franco, Jeremy Piven, Judd Apatow, Michael Cera, and Louis CK to name a few.
Louis CK: Louis CK is a stand up comedian, writer, actor, producer, and director. His actual last name is Szekely but is shortened to CK as it is easier to pronounce. His writing credits include Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Chris Rock Show, Pootie Tang, and Down to Earth. Louis CK also had a short lived sitcom on HBO called "Lucky Louie" that was unfortunately cancelled after its first season. Louis CK has also starred in an hour long HBO special titled "Shameless" where his standup largely covers the frustration borne from raising a daughter and having a wife who won't blow him enough. His work with Robert Smigel on SNL's TV Funhouse has been ongoing.
TV Funhouse: TV Funhouse is a cartoon skit that runs during Saturday Night Live that frequently satirizes public figures, corporations, and the government. A February 10, 2001 episode parodied NFL linebacker Ray Lewis' involvement in an Atlanta homicide. Lewis was not permitted to say the famous line "I'm going to Disney World" and the skit suggested that Disney was making it up to him by placing him in various Disney movies, usually involving Lewis running away from the scene of a dead Disney character.
How I got started: Again, a Seinfeld link here. I was watching an interview with Jerry Seinfeld on PBS where he was asked by Charlie Rose if he had considered doing anything via the internet. Jerry proceeded to talk about how the internet was better than TV in some respects because there were very few limitations, but that he didn't think he would be doing something soon. When asked if there was anything he liked out there, he mentioned that he liked Will Ferrell's "Funny Or Die" website. Having never been (how the hell have I not heard of this), I took a quick browse.
Funny Or Die: Funny or Die is a website founded by Gary Sanchez Productions, a company belonging to Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Intended to rival YouTube, it supports many established and upcoming comedians, who may submit their own videos. Users may vote on each video, choosing whether they are funny and consequently stay, or are not funny and die. There are a large number of well-known celebs that have videos there, including Lil Jon, Jimmy Fallon, James Franco, Jeremy Piven, Judd Apatow, Michael Cera, and Louis CK to name a few.
Louis CK: Louis CK is a stand up comedian, writer, actor, producer, and director. His actual last name is Szekely but is shortened to CK as it is easier to pronounce. His writing credits include Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Chris Rock Show, Pootie Tang, and Down to Earth. Louis CK also had a short lived sitcom on HBO called "Lucky Louie" that was unfortunately cancelled after its first season. Louis CK has also starred in an hour long HBO special titled "Shameless" where his standup largely covers the frustration borne from raising a daughter and having a wife who won't blow him enough. His work with Robert Smigel on SNL's TV Funhouse has been ongoing.
TV Funhouse: TV Funhouse is a cartoon skit that runs during Saturday Night Live that frequently satirizes public figures, corporations, and the government. A February 10, 2001 episode parodied NFL linebacker Ray Lewis' involvement in an Atlanta homicide. Lewis was not permitted to say the famous line "I'm going to Disney World" and the skit suggested that Disney was making it up to him by placing him in various Disney movies, usually involving Lewis running away from the scene of a dead Disney character.
November 5 - Monitors, Komodo Dragons, Island Gigantism/Dwarfism, Wrangel Island (Siberia), Ada Blackjack
I'm sharing this on the 6th but this is my journey from last night that really inspired me to finally go forward with this. It's a long journey but very interesting.
How I got started: Kind of a funny start on this path...I was watching Seinfeld ("The Abstinence") and for whatever reason, the end scene where David Letterman is telling Jerry about the time his uncle was attacked by a monitor really caught me.
Monitors: Are the family Varanidae, a group of carnivorous lizards. Some Varanid lizards have venom in their saliva. They are believed to be very intelligent, being able to count up to at least six. The Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard and a member of the Varanidae family.
Komodo Dragon: The largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 metres. The largest known Komodo Dragon was 10'3" and weighed 365 pounds. They have roughly 60 serrated teeth that are up to 1" long. These teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue, which becomes lacerated during feeding. From this, virulent bacteria grow in their mouths. They can run at up to 20 km/h and can swim up to 15 feet deep. The Komodo Dragon is considered a vulnerable species. The great size of the Komodo Dragon can likely be attributed to Island Gigantism.
Island Gigantism: This is a biological phenomenon where the size of animals isolated on an island increases dramatically over generations. This is a good example of an evolutionary trait due to environment. As an example, a herbivore that is large in size would often be impeded by it's size when it attempts to escape a predator; however, the small size of an island typically leads to a small number of predators. Thus, the herbivore may grow very large due to the lack of opposing predators. Almost all examples of this evolutionary trait are extinct due to the expansion of the human race. Two living examples include the giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands and the Komodo Dragon. Island gigantism is the inverse of island dwarfism.
Island Dwarfism: Island dwarfism tends to occur amongst very large mammals. This is an evolutionary trait where a species tends to adapt to the small number of resources available on an island. Typically, a smaller animal needs less resources and is thus more likely to survive in a situation where resources are relatively limited. The Woolly Mammoths discovered on Wrangel Island, Siberia are one of the more famous examples.
Wrangel Island: This island located in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea. It is only 7300 square km and is home to the Sovetskaya Mountain, which is about 3596 feet tall at it's highest point. It has been shown that woolly mammoths survived on Wrangel Island until approximately 1700 BC, but these mammoths were substantially smaller due to the effects of Island Dwarfism. The island is known as a World Heritage Site. In 1921, Russian Vilhjalmur Stefansson sent five settlers to the island to claim it for Canada. The only survivor of the expedition was the Inuit Ada Blackjack.
Ada Blackjack: An inuit born in Alaska on May 10, 1898. In 1921, she joined an expedition across the Chukchi Sea to Russia's Wrangel Island with four others. Rations quickly ran out and game was scarce, so on January 28, 1923, three of the men made an attempt to travel 700 miles across the frozen Chukchi Sea to Siberia for help and food, leaving the fourth ill man and Ada behind. The ill man was afflicted with scurvy and died in April 1923, while the three men who left for Siberia were never seen again. On August 19, 1923, a former colleague of Vilhjalmur Stefansson rescued Ada. Ada's survival drew great media attention, which she did not particularly care for. Steffanson and his colleague exploited Ada's story to publish many successful books and articles, none of which earned a penny for Ada.
So there is the first one. Keep your eyes peeled for more and I hope you enjoyed the trip.
How I got started: Kind of a funny start on this path...I was watching Seinfeld ("The Abstinence") and for whatever reason, the end scene where David Letterman is telling Jerry about the time his uncle was attacked by a monitor really caught me.
Monitors: Are the family Varanidae, a group of carnivorous lizards. Some Varanid lizards have venom in their saliva. They are believed to be very intelligent, being able to count up to at least six. The Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard and a member of the Varanidae family.
Komodo Dragon: The largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 metres. The largest known Komodo Dragon was 10'3" and weighed 365 pounds. They have roughly 60 serrated teeth that are up to 1" long. These teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue, which becomes lacerated during feeding. From this, virulent bacteria grow in their mouths. They can run at up to 20 km/h and can swim up to 15 feet deep. The Komodo Dragon is considered a vulnerable species. The great size of the Komodo Dragon can likely be attributed to Island Gigantism.
Island Gigantism: This is a biological phenomenon where the size of animals isolated on an island increases dramatically over generations. This is a good example of an evolutionary trait due to environment. As an example, a herbivore that is large in size would often be impeded by it's size when it attempts to escape a predator; however, the small size of an island typically leads to a small number of predators. Thus, the herbivore may grow very large due to the lack of opposing predators. Almost all examples of this evolutionary trait are extinct due to the expansion of the human race. Two living examples include the giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands and the Komodo Dragon. Island gigantism is the inverse of island dwarfism.
Island Dwarfism: Island dwarfism tends to occur amongst very large mammals. This is an evolutionary trait where a species tends to adapt to the small number of resources available on an island. Typically, a smaller animal needs less resources and is thus more likely to survive in a situation where resources are relatively limited. The Woolly Mammoths discovered on Wrangel Island, Siberia are one of the more famous examples.
Wrangel Island: This island located in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea. It is only 7300 square km and is home to the Sovetskaya Mountain, which is about 3596 feet tall at it's highest point. It has been shown that woolly mammoths survived on Wrangel Island until approximately 1700 BC, but these mammoths were substantially smaller due to the effects of Island Dwarfism. The island is known as a World Heritage Site. In 1921, Russian Vilhjalmur Stefansson sent five settlers to the island to claim it for Canada. The only survivor of the expedition was the Inuit Ada Blackjack.
Ada Blackjack: An inuit born in Alaska on May 10, 1898. In 1921, she joined an expedition across the Chukchi Sea to Russia's Wrangel Island with four others. Rations quickly ran out and game was scarce, so on January 28, 1923, three of the men made an attempt to travel 700 miles across the frozen Chukchi Sea to Siberia for help and food, leaving the fourth ill man and Ada behind. The ill man was afflicted with scurvy and died in April 1923, while the three men who left for Siberia were never seen again. On August 19, 1923, a former colleague of Vilhjalmur Stefansson rescued Ada. Ada's survival drew great media attention, which she did not particularly care for. Steffanson and his colleague exploited Ada's story to publish many successful books and articles, none of which earned a penny for Ada.
So there is the first one. Keep your eyes peeled for more and I hope you enjoyed the trip.
About WILT
I have been meaning to do this for a really, really long time and am finally jumping into it. First, why blogger? Answer: free, easy, reliable.
Now what is the point of this blog? Over a year ago, I noticed a trend in my online activities. I would browse, say Digg or Wikipedia, and read articles on various websites. From each of those respective articles, I would jump to a new one, learning various things along the way. But I realized not long after that I was reading so much so often that I was not satisfactorily retaining enough information. Realizing that retention is increased through repetition, I decided I should start logging information. A blog is the natural choice here as it allows me to document my own journey and share this with others.
So there you have it. WILT is about What I Learned Today. Expect at least one entry every day, with the possibility of several more. Yes, I have too much free time (or at least have my laptop too close at all times) but this should be a bit of fun!
Now what is the point of this blog? Over a year ago, I noticed a trend in my online activities. I would browse, say Digg or Wikipedia, and read articles on various websites. From each of those respective articles, I would jump to a new one, learning various things along the way. But I realized not long after that I was reading so much so often that I was not satisfactorily retaining enough information. Realizing that retention is increased through repetition, I decided I should start logging information. A blog is the natural choice here as it allows me to document my own journey and share this with others.
So there you have it. WILT is about What I Learned Today. Expect at least one entry every day, with the possibility of several more. Yes, I have too much free time (or at least have my laptop too close at all times) but this should be a bit of fun!
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