Nunc Scio » 2008

Archive for January, 2008

pop snark

OK, by Guns N Roses I of course mean Axl Rose and the various musicians he has paid/cajoled/kidnapped into working on the new LP. But you know what I mean.

Yeah, so ‘Chinese Democracy’ the long-delayed follow-up to 1993′s “The Spaghetti Incident?”, is done, mixed, and all set to come out this year. As well as having a terrible name, the album may also be available as a pay-what-you-want Internet download a la Radiohead. Of course, the crucial difference is that Radiohead made their album available online because they could, whereas Guns N Roses/Axl has no choice. The phrase ‘can’t give it away’ comes to mind.

But I suppose I shouldn’t be too quick to judge. At any rate, an album by something resembling Guns N Roses will be coming out this year somehow. This has at least the abstract potential to be interesting. Thanks to EM for the tip.

January 24th, 2008 by graeme | | 2 comments »

green bin

Three guys re-enact the storming of Omaha Beach

This pretty much speaks for itself. But I will add: awesome. Via Boing Boing. Learn more about Omaha Beach here.

January 24th, 2008 by graeme | | 2 comments »

green bin

So that’s what a sunken submarine looks like

io9 has some interesting pics of the ill-fated Russian nuclear sub Kursk up today:

You’ll recall the Kursk went down after some mysterious explosions in 2000. Although Russian officials deny it, some investigators claim some of the Kursk’s 118 sailors may have survived for days, even weeks, after the sinking. I can’t imagine living in that husk for more than ten minutes…although my claustrophobia would probably prevent me from getting on any submarine in the first place. More pics at English Russia.

January 24th, 2008 by graeme | | no comments »

green bin

Branson unveils commercial spaceplane

I’m not sure how I fell about commercial space travel. One part of me thinks it’s totally pointless, basically a tax on the rich and bored (boring?). Another part of me thinks it may give space exploration a desperately needed shot in the arm. And part of me just likes sexy spaceship pictures. Read the rest of this entry »

January 24th, 2008 by graeme | | 1 comment »

pop snark

Title for new Bond film confirmed

We’ve got two leading ladies. And now we also have a title.

The new Bond flick will be called “Quantum of Solace“. It promises to be a bleak outing, since the title literally means “An invisible amount of Comfort”. Rockin’!

January 24th, 2008 by graeme | | 5 comments »

the war on idiocy

Westboro Baptist Church to picket Heath Ledger’s Funeral

And speaking of religion gone mad:

Read the rest of this entry »

January 23rd, 2008 by graeme | | 6 comments »

the war on idiocy

Religion used as a cudgel in Afghanistan

Do you love freedom of speech? Of course you do. It’s fun, it’s democratic, and it allows me to publish all kinds of crazy nonsense on a blog.

You know who hates freedom of speech? Dictators, autocrats, and at least three judges in the Balkh region of Afghanistan. Yesterday, they sentenced a 23 year-old student, Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh, to death for printing- not even writing- several articles that ‘insult Islam’.

Let’s be clear. Sentencing anyone for insulting any religion, anywhere, anytime is idiotic. It’s equivalent to running someone over because they pointed out the third-act problems in the Lord of the Rings. But what really frosts my cookies is that this case isn’t really about religion at all. It’s about using religion to squash political opposition. Read the rest of this entry »

January 23rd, 2008 by graeme | | 2 comments »