I am intrigued with this blog thing and want to try it out myself. My name is Mark Gaulding and I live in Palm Desert, CA. I love books, music, theater, film, food, animals, travel. Oh, and did I mention books? I hope to hear from you!
Houston has always been the country's space capital heretofore. But now that the space shuttle program has ended and the future of NASA's objectives are uncertain, Houston stands to lose it's pre-immenence in Space development.
Virgin Airlines owner Sir Richard Branson will begin commercial space travel in the next couple of years (assuming no setbacks) via his Virgin Galactic company.
A spaceport has already been constructed: Spaceport America. It is located in the White Sands Missile Range, near the cities Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences, located in Sierra County, New Mexico. Spaceport America has been constructed.
Houston's bid to build the largest spaceport would help retain it's importance in the future of space exploration. Should the city's proposal for the port be accepted it would be operational in 2024. The project has been dubbed "Space City USA". If built it would be the world's hub for commercial space
travel which is a consumer market that seems to be quite appealing for the 1%-ers of the world (the only percentage of the world's economic demographics that seems to be growing at a disproportionate rate). Virgin Galactic will begin offering commercial flight for $250,000. The flight will be about 2.5 hours, but weightlessness will be for only 6 minutes. See the video below of the space flight:
Personally, I wish I could win a position on the one-way ticket to Mars competition. I think any other planet would be a better alternative to this fucked up world we live in! (IMHO)
Here's more photos illustrating Houston's proposed Space City USA.
I love this. Somehow I think that we as a nation have devolved to such a point that we could never see this great idea to fruition. But maybe United Arab Emirates or China will. This technology advances our world in such a remarkable way. We had a SST aircraft and it flew for many years but nothing was developed to replace it and it was retired a few years ago.
This proposal seems logical to the lay mind. I've worked in businesses that utilized and I've been a customer of banks who used the pneumatic tube systems from the past. We still haven't figured out how to take a human or living being and translate it into something digital that can be translated electronically. Until that can be done, this seems like a revolutionary design. Send we humans in a little tube at very high speeds, just as we did with the pneumatic systems of the not so distant past.
From wired.com:
[ET3] wants to revolutionize transportation. Again. The serial entrepreneur envisions a future where mag-lev trains in enormous pneumatic tubes whisk us from Los Angeles to New York in 45 minutes. Need to be in Beijing tomorrow? No problem. It’s a two-hour ride away
Daily Mail
As crazy as it sounds, Musk is merely updating an idea that’s been around since the early 1900s, and at least one company is working on a functional prototype. But according to Wired sources, his involvement won’t be nearly as hands-on as Musk’s other endeavors at Tesla Motors and SpaceX.
The engineering behind the Hyperloop is similar to the old-school pneumatic tube systems used by banks to suck your deposit to the teller at the drive-through. But naturally, it’s more complicated than that.
A massive vacuum tube — mounted either above ground or even under water — would be combined with a magnetic levitation system used on conventional bullet trains. That means no friction, no wind resistance, no chance of collisions, and insanely high speeds:http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/07/ford-transit-supervan/
The proposed train would travel at 400 mph transcontinentally and 4,000 mph internationally. Based upon those speeds, ET3 suggests that you could travel between NY-LA in 45 minutes and ultimately New York to Bejing in two-hours. Elon Musk, the owner of ET3, one of the companies exploring this technology, described this train thusly: "a cross between a Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table. It is interesting. This technology is based upon proposals in early 20th century for "vactrains" which never reached fruition. It also provides a very cost efficient alternative to the best technology we have today. "The tech entrepreneur claims that his hyperloop super train could be three to four times faster than a Japanese bullet train." (1)
These kind of ideas are so rare in this day age. We seem to be stuck in 1950 in this country, despite some advances. But this kind of hyper-liberal thinking is what created the technologically-advanced world that we live in today. Alas, we haven't advance spiritually. But this blog is really about celebration. This is an exciting concept using old technology which was quite successful and moved our civilization forward (if not spiritually). Sure, we could wait for physicists to finally discover how to break down living beings to the atomic level and then transport them digitally, as we do with documents, photos, etc. I love this concept. Here's more photos and be sure and check out the video below:
Zach contributed to a wedding video proposal for a couple in the UK. Zach is utterly charming. And so is the video. I couldn't see the groom very well, but based upon his amazing proposal artwork on camera, I'd marry him in a second (as well as Braff).
Check out this charming video where "Scrubs" actor (and hottie) proposes to the this dude's wife. I found it on Huntington-Post in an article titled: "Matt Hulbert Gets 'Scrubs' Star To Help Him Pop The Question".
Hulbert also enlists family and friends to contribute their vote for a "Yes" answer the proposal in video and then compiles it all into the most beautiful and clever representation of love...without being disgusting. Although, it might be self-serving. Hulbert's career as a "graphic designer" into a larger trajectory as a result of this.
There are so MANY vignettes in this short video. Somehow, it's Braff's star power and charm, though, that truly sets the tone.
Personally, I found the two dudes, one who worked for EasyJet Airlines, filmed several "responses" in glorious European cities.
This is really a wonderful show of love. And evidence of many talented people.
Terrafugia, a Massachusetts based firm, has announced they are developing a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle called the TF-X which could, in theory, hop over traffic and fly for 500 miles. The vehicle would cost approximately $300,000.
The TF-X will travel at 200mph powered by a 300 hp jet engine. On the ground, the TF-X is a plug-in hybrid and drives like any other automobile. I'd love tooling around in this and all of the stares and gapes it would garner.
It also can take off vertically.
The car on the street and highway with the wings folded.
Here's a video:
The company also offers a propellor version of this car/aircraft know as the Transition®. This version is in a more advance stage and is a more economical version.
Since La Beyonce has not yet responded to reports that she lip-synced at Obama's second inauguration on Monday, I thought this very interesting analysis, by a fellow singer Mike Doughty, was fascinating. It will be interesting to see what the real story is. But either way, his observations were so cogent.
I read today that Aretha Franklin laughed when she heard Beyonce lip-synced. Whether she lip-synced or not it's irrelevant as the song we heard performed WAS sung by Beyonce and no one else. The only question I have is if she lip-synced, why did she have the beautiful, dramatic moment when she tore out the earpiece?
Kudos also to Kelly Clarkson who gave a magnificent performance at the inauguration. Did she or did she lip-sync?
POSCRIPT: Although Slate Magazine and Wall Street Journal are insisting Beyonce did NOT cheat, CNN is insisting that she did. I guess we'll have to wait for confirmation from Beyonce herself (see today's 1/24/2013 article in the Huffington Post.)
I went to see Argo this week. It is at this point the best film I've seen this year, however, I have yet to have see some of the other front-runner, like Lincoln or Les Miserables.
This film is not the type of film I usually go to or enjoy, because these films can be very intense and nerve-wracking. I don't mind sadness, I don't mind dark or esoteric films. I want to be transported out of my own dreary existence when I watch a movie.But being nervous isn't my idea of an alternative state. Thus, I typically shun testosterone films.
But Argo is just so damned good, in every way that I have to rave about it (good script, good directing, good performances, good casting, fascinating and riveting story) because it transcended my usual dislike for "thrillers". I hate to even use that term because it really is so much more than the typical thriller. So much more and so much better.
If you didn't already know it, the movie was produced by (along with George Clooney), directed by, and stars Ben Affleck. It is a complete virtosity of multi-tasking and talent.
The movie also includes an all-star cast including: John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Victor Garber, Chris Messina, Bryan Cranston and the most ubiquitous actor of the year, Alan Arkin.
The movie is loosely based on the true story about six staff members who escape the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 when the compound was stormed by Iranians and the 54 staff members were taken and held hostage for 444 days. These lucky staff members who escaped capture were working in the embassy's visa applications offices which opened directly onto a street. They were able to escape easily, unlike the hostages who were in more remote locations on the embassy compound. They find refuge at the Canadian Ambassador to Iran's private residence.
Ben Affleck portrays Tony Mendes the CIA agent who was assigned to devise and execute the harrowing responsibility of rescuing the six staff member from the Canadian Ambassador's residence and then getting them out of the country. This story is so extraordinary.
Affleck delivers a performance that is as masterful and nuanced, similar to George Clooney's performance in last year's The Descendants. Affleck certainly deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and Best Director and the film will most assuredly be nominated for Best Picture, at the very least (although I suspect Affleck will be nominated only for Best Director). It currently has four Golden Globe nominations (Best Picture - Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Arkin).
This is such an entertaining and intelligent film. Don't miss it. I also should say that another of my favorite movies this year, surprisingly, was Skyfall. Two non-chick flick favorites in one year for me....that's unprecedented.
Oh, and "Argo Fuck Yourself" (see the film...it's utterly charming in this movie the use of my favorite work "fuck"). Best line of the decade!
As an aside, I should mention how fantastically good-looking Affleck is in this film. He has a shirtless scene which displays what is one of the best hairy chests in Hollywood (and under seen), in my opinion. He is simply magnificent looking in this movie, especially his full, dark beard. He is complete eye-candy every moment he is on screen, despite that his character smokes (which true for the time--I did the same thing in the late 70s). Sorry for gushing. But he deserves it.
Affleck in his younger days. Age has definitely been kind to him.
The Bug and I went yesterday to the Cinémas Palme D'Or here in Palm Desert to see The Sessions, starring John Hawkes, the brilliant Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Rhea Pearlman and Adam Arkin, to name just a few.
This was truly a remarkable film in almost every way. I had some vague idea of the story because I had seen the trailers. But it is really one of the most tender and beautiful films I've seen in many years.
The film is based upon an article titled "On Seeing A Sex Surrogate" which written by Mark O'Brien published in The Sun magazine in the 90's.Sun Magazine (suggestion: see the movie first then read the fantastic article).
Mark O'Brien was just a boy when polio left him almost completely paralyzed from the below the neck. He overcame his disability and went on to complete his bachelor's degree in English at University of California at Berkeley and went on to join the Graduate School of Journalism at Berkley. He became a writer and a poet.
Mr. O'Brien spent most of his life surviving in an iron lung. He was able to live in his own home, but required a team of paid caretakers to ensure his survival in every way.
The article he wrote in The Sun spoke to his deep-seated feelings of shame about his sexuality. This shame seems to have been created from a family who was very puritanical in its views regarding sexuality, as well as his own physical deformities. Because of his sexual shame, he remained a virgin throughout his very professional and and social life.
The film begins with O'Brien's (played brilliantly by Hawke) who in his late 30's begins to explore his latent sexuality. He enlists a new priest at his local church as a sounding board and ultimately a dear friend (played equally brilliantly by Macy). O'Brien struggles with his issues but bravely confronts them and eventually researches and finds a professional sexual surrogate (Helen Hunt).
I don't want to spoil this film with the plot that happens after this. This was more information than I had when I saw it and it was a perfect wonderful movie, even though I was rather naive going in.
This movie is simply the most beautiful, tender film I have seen in a very long time. Hawkes, as O'Brien, delivers a performance of such virtuosity and at the same time such poignancy. By the end of the film, I found the character of O'Brien utterly a beautiful, erotic and perfect sexual man. The actor brings a full gamut of emotions from his shame, to his fear of sex, to his shame in having sex, to his eventual success in such a beautiful way, despite the fact that he essential only has one physical attribute to use as an actor: his face and voice. And he is simply gorgeous.
Macy, in the role of the sweet priest who supports O'Brien through his struggles with his Catholicism and shame of sexuality, is perfect as well.
Perhaps the film's success on every level can be credited to Helen Hunt. I can't imagine any other actress on the planet who would have the human integrity and honesty that it takes to play her character, Cheryl, the sexual surrogate. Few actress ever appear on film in multiple full frontal nudity scenes. But Hunt does so in The Sessions, in the most simple, elegant and proud way. She was simply gorgeous. But, at no moment was I uncomfortable, nor did I feel the actress was. She brings a professionalism to the part that I suppose must be synonymous to the way real sexual surrogates do when working.
I cannot say enough positive things about this film, particularly the performances of Hawkes and Hunt and every other actor in the ensemble.. It is a flawless movie.
This is movie is very frank when it comes to sexuality. The interesting thing was that even though I was seeing the film with my 78 year old mother sitting next to me, I never felt uncomfortable (I think she felt the same way).
This is an astonishing video which features two virtual videos of people from around the world singing and compiled into a choral work, composed by the gorgeous Eric Whitacre. It is astonishing.
And Mr. Whitacre is awfully easy on the eyes too. Really. I mean who needs Brad Pitt.
photo from by Sibielusblog DANIEL SPREADBURY on AUGUST 4, 2009
I recently saw this amazing brilliant, heartbreaking and yet uplifting film. This is truly a must see.
Starring Logan Lerman (The Three Musketeers 2011), Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame playing the Hermoine Granger character from 2001-2011) and Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin-2011, these three actors truly propel this film to a higher level of excellence.
The film is essentially about being an outsider in high school. And about bullying. It's also about some kids who embrace their differences and find camaraderie of fellow wallflowers.
The hero of the film is Charlie (Logan Lerman) who is a 15 year old freshman who is entering high school for the first time. Charlie has had more than his share of tragedies. I won't spoil anything but to say that Charlie has been recently hospitalized for a mental issue.
As he suffers the indignities and horrors of high school that are inflicted by the idiot popular people he eventually meets and is befriended by seniors Sam (Watson) and Patrick (Miller) who make being a "wallflower" cool.
This movie is rather amazing in many ways. But perhaps the most significant ways are the intuitive script/story and the three main leads. Watson shines in her performance, showing that she has graduated to her master's in acting after her 10 year stint in the Harry Potter series. She is truly luminescent at times. A beautiful muse who casts a spell on Charlie (Lerman).
Her step-brother, Patrick, are sophisticated wallflowers. They immediately befriend him but after learning some of his story they truly take him in under their wings.
Lerman and Watson are absolutely the soul of this movie as is Miller. They are the perfect realization of these characters and the director has made a movie that Stephen Chobsky (novel, screenplay, directing) makes transcendent. The film encompasses so many contemporary issues: bullying, homosexuality, first love, alienation. But it does so in such a compassionate and thoughtful way that I was literally sobbing out loud in the theater at both the uplifting and sad parts, equally.
In addition this film has an ensemble cast which is absolutely wonderful including: Paul Rudd, Joan Cusack, Dylan McDermott (among many others).
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the script and the movie is the astonishing ending. I'm not sure that everyone will catch to what the story is going to tell a few minutes before the end, but it's startling either way. I started having a suspicion but I was still astonished at the end.
This film should be nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Lerman), Best Actor (Watson....because she has fucking earned a nomination) and Miller as Best Supporting Actor (although his screen time is about equal to Emma's but Lerman truly carries the movie).
Take a box of Kleenex. I was in "floods" as the Mitford Sisters used to say.
I'm a feminist. This sums up every reason why. Eve, of course, wrote The Vagina Monologues which I have yet to see in concert--I've only read the book.
At about 19 minutes short this lecture is worth every minute. Thanks to my friend Carla Tourin for sending me this amazing video. I sobbed my way through! Stunning.
Check out this great video from YouTube......Exponential Times?
I think it's exciting but as a species spiritually-speaking we're still cavemen using antiquated outdated mythologies. Which is frightening. If intellectually we can grow exponentially why haven't we been able to do so spiritually? Just saying.
This is an amazing musical video. Thanks for this from Flesh Addicted for this find! Cebu Dancing Inmates – Michael Jackson’s This Is It DVD. The “Thriller” routine of the Cebu dancing inmates captured audiences worldwide, including the King of Pop himself, the late Michael Jackson. Payne, along with two of Jackson’s backup dancers, taught the inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center new routines for a special dance video that will be released to coincide with the “This Is It” DVD launch.
The number was called “The Drill,” the last choreography Payne and Jackson collaborated on before the King of Pop died in June 2009.
The performance was uploaded on the video-sharing site YouTube last January 22. Accessed on the morning of January 26, the video clip had already been viewed 417,610 times. The number also showed the inmates forming a huge peace sign, possibly in remembrance of Jackson, who advocated world peace. Dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid also joined the inmates, who wore black “This Is It” shirts.
The choreographer said it was but fitting to include a special dance number from the now world-renowned Cebu inmates for the special “This Is It” DVD launch. The Cebu dancing inmates even made it to the “Michael Jackson Opus,” the only new publication that was approved and endorsed by Jackson himself and the estate of Michael Jackson.
This is a rather remarkable SHORT, short film. What do you think? Beautiful and sad in a very dark way though, huh?
Director: Joaquin Baldwin Running Time: 4'06 Country: U.S.A. Category: Drama
A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death.
Joaquin Baldwin is an Annie Award nominee director and animator from Paraguay. Living in Los Angeles, he is now finishing his MFA in animation at UCLA. He has received over 50 international awards for his animated films Sebastian's Voodoo and Papiroflexia, and also several grants including the Jack Kent Cooke full Graduate Scholarship in 2006. I've recently added star ratings capability for each of the postings. I love getting feedback and hopefully this is a quick and easy way for readers of this blog to respond. Be sure and leave your rating (1 to 5 yellow stars below). Or even better your comments.
It's a plane! No, it's a space ship. No it's a boat. A Boat? Yes, the WHY is quite simply the most magnificently realized yacht ever. Beyond comprehension.
Wally Yachts is no stranger to innovative, fabulous yacht designs but this one in particular strikes my fancy.
I've wanted a yacht, like I've wanted a jet, forever. I guess I'm lucky that I haven't had a chance to sink my money yet into a traditional yacht because this yacht, the WHY (Wally-Hermès Yacht) is a dream. It's not even remotely like a traditional yacht but more like a floating island. Almost as wide as it is long (58m x 38m or 190ft x 124ft), it seems like its half beachfront property.
And the soaring open interior.
One of my heroes (because he's so rich and he likes toys that I like/want), that cute Russian oil oligarch billionaire, Roman Abramovich (see previous listing here about all of the things this guy has that I'd like too), has a fleet of yachts, one of which, aptly named The Eclipse (the photo of boat below Abramovich pic), is the world's largest in the world at 557ft. His other yachts include: the Pelorus (377ft), the Ecstasea ( 282ft) and the Sussurro (161ft)....but I'll bet he'll be building the next world's largest, but a WHY version.
FEAST your eyes/dreams upon this. Couldn't you just sail away on this and NEVER come back? Bye bye Republicans! Bye bye radical fundamentalist Christians! Bye bye neo-Nazis! Bye Bye Dick Cheney!
So just retract those roofs and put the petal to the metal and blue skies from now on. Right? Watch the video below.
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Houston's bid to build the largest spaceport would help retain it's importance in the future of space exploration. Should the city's proposal for the port be accepted it would be operational in 2024. The project has been dubbed "Space City USA". If built it would be the world's hub for commercial space 
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