NASA are making noises about hiring a "Planetary Protection Officer", and I was thinking of applying for it, on the principle that the fox knows best how to get into the chicken coop. It would also give me access to the inner councils of your planet's most powerful politicians and scientists; know your enemy. All valuable preparation for the inevitable, if slightly-delayed, arrival of my compatriots with their starship invasion fleet.
I also refer to the weather today, which has been unseasonably ghastly. Perhaps Art can illustrate?
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| You should be able to see to the hills! |
There you go, Quiet Earth. Quite apposite, don't you think?
Well, as usual, this has nothing to do with anything that comes afterwards. Though if Pub Quiz is still on for tonight I may wow Phil and Rosie with that photo. Sorry the website one is a photograph but I haven't got the patience or time to mess around with Dropbox et al.
Now, the motley needs to be shoved out into mid-stream with it's balancing pole removed.
More Of The Time Machine (1960 Version)
Further to this film, your humble scribe was watching it again, because I can, and to admire the stop-motion, which is where director George Pal cut his cinematic teeth. Then that classic quote comes up:"Atomic satellite homing in - THAT'S important!"
Prior to last night and this quote, where the scene abruptly jump cuts to show a distant cityscape, I'd never noticed anything - because my eyes were misdirected.
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| Upper left in the sky |
This is interesting for two reasons: 1) Satellite design and 2) Nuclear war-fighting strategy.
"Tell us in excruciating detail, Conrad! Tell us!" I hear you clamour, so - not being entirely sure if that's sarcasm or not - I shall expound.
1) Although set in 1966, the film was made in 1960, just a few years after the Sinisters put Sputnik into orbit. What did Sputnik look like?
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| Sputnik with human for scale |
2) Because the one thing you avoid in waging war with Big Bang Bombs is nuking your opponent's cities, for rest assured they will return the favour. Can we thus assume that the initial phase of the Third Unpleasantness has been and gone, and that both sides are now explicitly targeting civilian populations? For we do see ARP wardens on the streets, and it would take a while to get them mobilised and deployed*.
Yes, this is a whole lot of supposition and speculation based on a one-second film clip. Welcome to BOOJUM!
More Tasteless Tat
Yes, more of that word-salad I was inspired to scribble, inspired by the Twitter title #DrugTakingFilms. I don't promote drug abuse, bar the caffeine you get in a litre-pot of loose leaf Darjeeling, so remember to just say NO!
The Cruel E
Pork Chop Pill
Miami Vicodin
Apotcalypse Now
The Empire Strikes Crack
Mary Pill Poppings
The Bongest Day
Twelve O'Clock Highs
Meth Becomes Her
Herbie The Love Drug
Herb The Love Bug
Well there you have it, until the next film title challenge comes up, which I will probably succumb to because I an WEAK!
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| Herbie. Whom I always found very menacing |
I did notice a bit of a flaw in "Leviathan Wakes", that very interesting sci-fi novel by James Corey. A vast generation ship is being built at Tycho Station for the Mormons (!), which is intending to blast off and head for Tau Ceti, only nobody knows what they'll find when they arrive there, centuries after launch.
Welllllllll - we can use Hubble and Kepler and gravitational lensing and star-wobble to determine whether other stars have planetary systems as of right NOW. Given that LW takes place a whole heck of a lot in the future, and in space - are you telling me their telescope technology is no better than ours?
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| The Nauvoo and Tycho Station |
I think that's enough for tonight, time to go make tomorrow's lunch, scarf some scoff and see if Pub Quiz is on. Chin chin!
* We shall gloss over the fact that they are wearing cast-off crew uniforms from "Forbidden Planet"
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