As an American and a Vermonter that lives less than an hour's drive from the Canadian border, I am a little embarrassed as to how little I know of Canadian history. What I learned today was about the Halifax Explosion. On December 7th, American commemorate Pearl Habor Day, but on December 6th, Canadians do so for the Halifax Explosion.
On December 6th, 1917, amidst World War I, two ships collided in Halifax harbor causing the largest unintentional explosion in the history of the world. 2,000 people died and 12,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed when 500 acres of the city were obliterated. The explosion caused a tsunami, the gust of wind from the blast knocked over trees and shot a fireball into the air. The very next day, during rescue operations, 16 inches of snow fell on the town.
The Norwegian ship the SS Imo, carrying relief supplies for war victims, collided with the French supply ship the SS Mont-Blanc. The French ship was carrying munitions including TNT, picric acid, benzol and guncotton. The harbor was particularly crowded during the war due to a U-boat net that surrounded the harbor and increased traffic due to the war.
I know I am ignorant of Canadian history and my ears perk up whenever I hear something interesting about our neighbors to the north. Regardless of how ignorant I am not, watching this video makes me feel knowledgeable:
Asking Americans about Canada
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Who was Georges Méliès?
If I had to list my favorite film directors, I would have to put Scorsese in my top five. His latest film, Hugo, is not your typical Scorsese film in that it is not about gritty characters like gangsters, boxers or cab driving veterans. It is a children's film based on the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Can he pull off a children's film? Some say no, that the film is too slow and children get bored half way through. Regardless, I look forward to seeing it.
One of the main characters in the film is Méliès (portrayed by Ben Kingsley). This is a fictitious portrayal of a real person. Georges Méliès was a French illusionist who by the 1896 became interested in the new art form of film. He started making films using some of his illusionist techniques. He is attributed with creating some of the first science fiction films ever and being the first special effects specialist. He created over 500 films from 1896 to 1913 ranging from 1 to 45 minutes long. Without the use of a Mac that is a lot of work. He was one of the first film editors and dabbled with out-of-the-box techniques like over-exposing film. Most of the films didn't have any plot whatsoever ... they just showed off his illusions ... a person disappearing, a person growing very large, a man turning a skeleton, a trip to the moon, a trip to the sun.
I had never heard of him before Hugo was released but I am familiar with this film, Viaje a la Luna (in english Trip to the Moon). You might be as well. It is about a bunch of astronomers who build a rocket to the moon (loosely based on works of Verne and HG Wells). Perhaps Scorsese was drawn to this book because of the Méliès character. Think of Hugo as an homage ... for what else is special effects other than illusion?
One of the main characters in the film is Méliès (portrayed by Ben Kingsley). This is a fictitious portrayal of a real person. Georges Méliès was a French illusionist who by the 1896 became interested in the new art form of film. He started making films using some of his illusionist techniques. He is attributed with creating some of the first science fiction films ever and being the first special effects specialist. He created over 500 films from 1896 to 1913 ranging from 1 to 45 minutes long. Without the use of a Mac that is a lot of work. He was one of the first film editors and dabbled with out-of-the-box techniques like over-exposing film. Most of the films didn't have any plot whatsoever ... they just showed off his illusions ... a person disappearing, a person growing very large, a man turning a skeleton, a trip to the moon, a trip to the sun.
I had never heard of him before Hugo was released but I am familiar with this film, Viaje a la Luna (in english Trip to the Moon). You might be as well. It is about a bunch of astronomers who build a rocket to the moon (loosely based on works of Verne and HG Wells). Perhaps Scorsese was drawn to this book because of the Méliès character. Think of Hugo as an homage ... for what else is special effects other than illusion?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
He's Dead, Jim
I know a woman who recently lost her partner. His name was Jim. In the weeks to follow her loss, she noticed a message on her computer, "He's Dead, Jim," when she shut down her computer. Her first inclination was "spooky," the second inclination was that someone was playing a very cruel joke. Because she couldn't consistently reproduce it, I asked her to take a picture of it so that I could troubleshoot it. It was flashing on her screen so even getting a picture wasn't easy. This isn't exactly what it looked like, but close enough:
After googling the message I figured out that this happens when you are using Google Chrome as your browser. If you shut down your computer while Chrome it is still open, this message comes up. I couldn't reproduce it on my PC but it does happen consistently on hers now that we know what is causing it.
Apparently, an engineer at Google thought that it would be funny to use Dr. McCoy's words (when talking to Jim Kirk) in this message without considering how many people out there know someone named Jim and who will some day die. Stumbling on this at the wrong time, could be a very shocking experience.
I found this on Youtube. It is a compilation of all Dr. McCoy's death pronouncements from the original Star Trek: He's Dead, Jim.
After googling the message I figured out that this happens when you are using Google Chrome as your browser. If you shut down your computer while Chrome it is still open, this message comes up. I couldn't reproduce it on my PC but it does happen consistently on hers now that we know what is causing it.
Apparently, an engineer at Google thought that it would be funny to use Dr. McCoy's words (when talking to Jim Kirk) in this message without considering how many people out there know someone named Jim and who will some day die. Stumbling on this at the wrong time, could be a very shocking experience.
I found this on Youtube. It is a compilation of all Dr. McCoy's death pronouncements from the original Star Trek: He's Dead, Jim.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Neil deGrasse Tyson and the Titanic Sky
James Cameron's Oscar winning film, Titanic, is famous for being accurate. Everything from the design of the ship, the chandeliers, gown design and plate settings are historically accurate. The film is supposed to be scientifically accurate as well. For example, how the ship sank was a painstaking detail that Cameron wrought over ... the angle of the ship as it sank, the speed of the sinking and the affects of the impact. When you go around claiming how accurate your film is, there are going to be people looking for things that are wrong. One of those people is Neil deGrasse Tyson (my favorite astrophysicist), the director of the Hayden Planetarium.
The HMS Titanic sank in the Northern Atlantic on the 14th of April, 1912. There is only one set of stars that should have been visible on that night. Yet this film, that totes scientific and historical accuracy, had the wrong set of stars in the sky. Not only were they the wrong stars, but that star pattern that hangs over Kate Winslet shoulder at the end of the film, just doesn't exist. Only half the pattern exists, the rest of the sky is a mirror image of the first half of the sky. He got lazy here perhaps hoping that no one would notice or care.
It is nice to have some pull. In 2012 a revised 3D version Titanic will be released for the film's 15th anniversary. The correct sky is in the new release of the film. James Cameron has bumped into Tyson a number of times. I think Cameron might just be sick of Tyson bringing it up.
The HMS Titanic sank in the Northern Atlantic on the 14th of April, 1912. There is only one set of stars that should have been visible on that night. Yet this film, that totes scientific and historical accuracy, had the wrong set of stars in the sky. Not only were they the wrong stars, but that star pattern that hangs over Kate Winslet shoulder at the end of the film, just doesn't exist. Only half the pattern exists, the rest of the sky is a mirror image of the first half of the sky. He got lazy here perhaps hoping that no one would notice or care.
It is nice to have some pull. In 2012 a revised 3D version Titanic will be released for the film's 15th anniversary. The correct sky is in the new release of the film. James Cameron has bumped into Tyson a number of times. I think Cameron might just be sick of Tyson bringing it up.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Romney in '68
In 1966 Gallup polls there was a Romney at the top of the pack. Not Mitt obviously, but his father George. He was ahead of the ex-vice president Richard Nixon by almost 10 points and was considered a shoo in for the Republican nomination for presidency. With Johnson not running for reelection and the Kennedy's out of the picture, the Republican nominee would sail to the presidency. So why didn't he defeat Nixon for the nomination? It appears that Mitt and George have something in common .. their inability to adhere to a political position.
George Romney was the Governor of Michigan and a successful businessman. He was popular and handsome but had a tendency to go off on tangents. Also, his Mormon religious affiliation was an issue with a largely Protestant populace. The more Americans got to know Romney, the more Nixon gained in the polls. Nixon was not popular but he was a known entity. It wasn't until an old interview with Romney was released that he plummeted. He was asked by a Michigan newspaper reporter about why his opinion on the Vietnam War had change. He was pro war until he flipped to anti-war. He explained his initial support of the war as being "brain washed" by the American military. He was a staunch anti-war candidate from there on end. It wasn't the anti-war stance that sank him, but the use of the term "brain washed." Both Nixon and the Democrats road this to Romney's easy defeat in the primaries. You could say it went viral in an era prior to the Internet.
Romney came in fifth in the primaries and polled 40% below Nixon by November. At the convention, he refused to give his delegates over to Nixon. This is something that Nixon never forgot. If not for this move, Romney may have been VP over Agnew and Ford and may have eventually been president.
George Romney was the Governor of Michigan and a successful businessman. He was popular and handsome but had a tendency to go off on tangents. Also, his Mormon religious affiliation was an issue with a largely Protestant populace. The more Americans got to know Romney, the more Nixon gained in the polls. Nixon was not popular but he was a known entity. It wasn't until an old interview with Romney was released that he plummeted. He was asked by a Michigan newspaper reporter about why his opinion on the Vietnam War had change. He was pro war until he flipped to anti-war. He explained his initial support of the war as being "brain washed" by the American military. He was a staunch anti-war candidate from there on end. It wasn't the anti-war stance that sank him, but the use of the term "brain washed." Both Nixon and the Democrats road this to Romney's easy defeat in the primaries. You could say it went viral in an era prior to the Internet.
Romney came in fifth in the primaries and polled 40% below Nixon by November. At the convention, he refused to give his delegates over to Nixon. This is something that Nixon never forgot. If not for this move, Romney may have been VP over Agnew and Ford and may have eventually been president.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Film Rating System
I don't pay a lot of attention to the ratings on films. Whether a film is rated G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17 has little affect on me. I am in my 40's and I don't have any children. But sometimes I have to scratch my head as to why a film is rated what it is. If you are at all curious about this, I suggest you check out the film This Film Is Not Yet Rated which you can stream via Netflix or IFC's web site.
This film is about the MPAA (Movie Picture Association of America) and spends a lot of time on the decision process involved in rating a film NC-17 which is the rating that they give films that children are not allowed to see in the theater. They are not quite as explicit to warrant an X rating (aka pornography) and generally have more of a plot than an X rated film. NC-17 means no children under 17 admitted under any circumstances. There are not a lot of hard and fast rules about ratings. They are decided by a group of anonymous parents who watch the film and decide who should be able to watch it. The difference between an NC-17 rating and an R rating can mean millions of dollars because the NC-17 rating can limit the distribution of the film. Sometimes the offending scene is a few second long while other times, the entire film would need to be re-edited.
I find some of the decisions made by the MPAA to be very odd. They seem very concerned about sexual content and have little concern over violence. Boys Don't Cry, Blue Valentine and The Cooler, good films with relevant social commentary, were initially given an NC-17 rating due to some fairly innocuous sexually content. The Cooler received the rating due to the exposure of Maria Bello's pubic hair. Yet, the film Scary Movie is rated R and depicts a cheerleader being decapitated and her head thrown in a lost-and-found bin. If I were a parent, I'd be more concerned about gratuitous violence against woman (or violence in general) than a pubic hair.
This wouldn't be a problem with me if the MPAA didn't have a monopoly and since their raters are anonymous they are beyond scrutiny. If there were other pre-distribution rating agencies, people (parents in particular) and theater owners could choose the rating system that better suited their values and/or tastes. Until then, I don't take the ratings from the MPAA very seriously.
This film is about the MPAA (Movie Picture Association of America) and spends a lot of time on the decision process involved in rating a film NC-17 which is the rating that they give films that children are not allowed to see in the theater. They are not quite as explicit to warrant an X rating (aka pornography) and generally have more of a plot than an X rated film. NC-17 means no children under 17 admitted under any circumstances. There are not a lot of hard and fast rules about ratings. They are decided by a group of anonymous parents who watch the film and decide who should be able to watch it. The difference between an NC-17 rating and an R rating can mean millions of dollars because the NC-17 rating can limit the distribution of the film. Sometimes the offending scene is a few second long while other times, the entire film would need to be re-edited.
I find some of the decisions made by the MPAA to be very odd. They seem very concerned about sexual content and have little concern over violence. Boys Don't Cry, Blue Valentine and The Cooler, good films with relevant social commentary, were initially given an NC-17 rating due to some fairly innocuous sexually content. The Cooler received the rating due to the exposure of Maria Bello's pubic hair. Yet, the film Scary Movie is rated R and depicts a cheerleader being decapitated and her head thrown in a lost-and-found bin. If I were a parent, I'd be more concerned about gratuitous violence against woman (or violence in general) than a pubic hair.
This wouldn't be a problem with me if the MPAA didn't have a monopoly and since their raters are anonymous they are beyond scrutiny. If there were other pre-distribution rating agencies, people (parents in particular) and theater owners could choose the rating system that better suited their values and/or tastes. Until then, I don't take the ratings from the MPAA very seriously.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Napoleon at Elba
My knowledge of 19th century European history is rudimentary at best. For the longest time, I thought that Napoleon had spent the end of his days in exile on the island Elba. While he did spend time exiled on Elba, it was for a short amount of time and before his defeat at Waterloo. His end days were spent in exile on another, far more remote, island named St. Helena.
Napoleon went to Elba after his loss in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and abdicated from his title of Emperor of France. Elba appears to be a beautiful place. If I were exiled, it would nice place to spend my time. It is in the Mediterranean not too far from his native Corsica. He lived in a villa, no prison cell. He was given an escort of a 1000 men and the title of Emperor of Elba. In the nine months he was there he formed an army and navy, he ruled over the 110,000 people, developed the iron mines and resided over the island's social calendar.
After he escaped from Elba, he returned to Paris and was greeted by the people with cheer and was reinstated as Emperor. He then took up arms again and returned to the battlefield and met his biggest defeat at Waterloo in what is now Belgium. When he was sent to exile this time, it was not a cushy exile. No one wanted to ever see him again. He was sent to St. Helena because it was the one of the most remote islands in the British Empire. It was damp, windswept and mostly desolate. He spent the last five or so years of his life depressed and sickly.
Napoleon went to Elba after his loss in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and abdicated from his title of Emperor of France. Elba appears to be a beautiful place. If I were exiled, it would nice place to spend my time. It is in the Mediterranean not too far from his native Corsica. He lived in a villa, no prison cell. He was given an escort of a 1000 men and the title of Emperor of Elba. In the nine months he was there he formed an army and navy, he ruled over the 110,000 people, developed the iron mines and resided over the island's social calendar.
After he escaped from Elba, he returned to Paris and was greeted by the people with cheer and was reinstated as Emperor. He then took up arms again and returned to the battlefield and met his biggest defeat at Waterloo in what is now Belgium. When he was sent to exile this time, it was not a cushy exile. No one wanted to ever see him again. He was sent to St. Helena because it was the one of the most remote islands in the British Empire. It was damp, windswept and mostly desolate. He spent the last five or so years of his life depressed and sickly.
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