Mazel Tov, Isaac Asimov!

The First One To Say "Isaac Who?" Dies Horribly
But then again, perhaps I shouldn't be so hasty.  I don't think there are any films of Isaac's work*, any significant films of Isaac's work, although I believe some Sixties television programmes did versions of his work.
     Okay, Isaac was an American science-fiction author (and professor of biochemistry) of almost frightening intelligence, who wrote for decades.  He got so successful he branched out into other forms of non-fiction, but what he had going for him were really, really awesom sideburns, viz

Shades of Graham Garden, in fact

     He was probably most famous for his "Foundation" trilogy, about a future human empire inspired by the Roman Empire - and it's fall.

More Of Matters Thermonuclear
Today, children, we look at the SLBM**.  I see those nattering popinjays who infest the corridors of power have been holding forth about Trident, although Conrad is pretty certain they think it's a triple-pronged weapon used by gladiators.
     Anyway, the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile is - get this! - a ballistic missile launched from a kipper submarine.  The Trident II can launch 24 MIRV'd missiles to give 192 warheads, of either 475 kilotonne yield or 100 kilotonne yield.

A Roman gladiator.  No, hang on a minute -

     Why is this significant?  Because nuclear missile-armed submarines operate very deeply and quietly in the ocean depths, so nobody knows where they are.  If President Gas goes off his trolly and orders an all out attack on the Evil Enemy, then their airfields and missile silos might very get well turned into gravel.  But not the submarines.  If they surface and either don't hear the "Hold" signal or hear the "Go" signal, why then!  President Gas is going to find out what the surface of the sun feels like.
     I shall possibly explain tomorrow why this is a good thing***.



Putin On The Ritz ...


Too much doom and gloom!  Lighten the mood!

"The Goon" By Eric Powell
I think I got Eric's name wrong before.  He's a generous chap, I'm sure he'll forgive me.  Hark at this:

Ah, what sweet irony!

     Subtle it is not, but this satirical swipe at mainstream comicdom - yes, Marvel and DC, that's your name on the arrest warrant! - is pretty hilarious.
     And the crowd-funded film got mentioned at the back of this TPB, so it's still on.
     The Goon.  Go on.  You know you want to.

Oh Boy, As One Door Closes, Another Opens!
(a.k.a. "Inherent Vice" By Thomas Pynchon Just Arrived)
Oh my soul Dave Grohl!

A bestseller?  No! That makes it less special!

     Well, that's "The Crying of Lot 49", "V", "Against The Day" and "Mason and Dixon" all read one after the other.  This one comes in at only 369 pages, so a nice short read.  What's it going to be like, I wonder, if it could be made into a film?
     I'll let you know.

The World Cup And "Revelations"
Dog Buns!  yet another impingement of the real world upon my manuscript. The BBC studio on Oxford Road is long gone, Our Lady's school in Royton got bulldozed, and now - NOW! - I learn that the World Cup in <thinks> er <thinks harder> um <thinks REALLY REALLY HARD> Dubai? is taking place in December, when my narrative has it occurring in summer.
     I dunno.  What should I do?  I still have to go back and do a second draft, once I get Eden Underwood out of the way.

"CONTACT!  Revs at fifty metres!"

"The Signal"
Watched this low-budget science fiction thriller again, and I'm only just beginning to understand the end.  Look away now as there are

SPOILERS!

Not just yet, but rest assured there are 

SPOILERS!

Spoilers big as potatoes!  Oh, no, wait a minute, that was the spiders on "The Gary Shandling Show".

     So.  At the end Matey with the bionic legs breaks through the physical barrier that has been presenting an image of the American south-west - and realises he's now in a space station of gigantic extent.  Doctor Damon reveals himself to be a robot - and NOMAD to boot.  I'm now listening to the commentary track.

Legless - but not in the drunk sense.

     Oh, the budget is $4 million, which sounds like a lot, but is about 1/10th of the average Hollywood budget.  The film never looks less than good, the DP got it right.  All told a really impressive film, well worth a watch.


* "I, Robot" doesn't count and "Bicentennial Man" features Robin Williams so it doesn't count either.  So there.  Disagree?  Then the exit door is RIGHT THERE!
**  Nothing to do with Sugar Leche Breakfast Man
*** Nuclear war-fighting.  Interesting but not necessarily sane.

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