Corona Model 4
Posted in Culture, Flickr, Photos on May 31st, 2009 by Michael
Not quite sure when it was build but it seems to hail from the 1920s, put a new ribbon in and now it is typing wonderfully again.
[Photo] Spring in Stanley Park
Posted in Flickr, Photos on May 24th, 2009 by Michael
A history of Weed
Posted in Culture, The Internet, Video on May 22nd, 2009 by MichaelCorona Model 4 Typewriter (black)
Posted in Fun, Geek, Life, Photos on May 19th, 2009 by MichaelBought it off of Craigslist for $50, it is in working order (though could use some cleaning) and comes with a wood / leather case and a brush (original?).
Looks like it was either bought in Calgary or Regina…. It clearly has travelled.
[Video] Galaxy Rising
Posted in Photos, Video on May 18th, 2009 by Michael Tags: Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises, Texas Star Party, Video, vimeo, William CastlemanA tale of two photos
Posted in Culture, Flickr, Life, Photos on May 16th, 2009 by MichaelThe Original:
The Edit by Evan:
[Review] Start Trek (J. J. Abrams)
Posted in Culture, Movies on May 10th, 2009 by MichaelThere will be spoilers
When I heard that J. J. Abrams was going to direct the next Star Trek movie I was a bit…. confused let’s just say. As much as I enjoy Abrams TV work (minus Lost) most of it did not strike me in the vain of Star Trek. He is good in taking old Genre’s and pay homage to it but he hardly did push the old paradigms forward.
Watching his “vision” of Star Trek I have to say Abrams is exactly Abrams. This is not so much a new entry into the Star Trek canon as it is a fan movie with a really really big budget.
The movie takes us back to the “Genesis” of the Kirk legend, we get to experience his birth (literally) and both his and Spock’s youth as they are growing up and, eventually join Star Fleet.
The movie during all of this never seems to take itself to serious. Kirk is the rowdy and much more edgy than his Shatner incarnation and Spock is deeply emotional and seems to have a (romantic?) relationship with Ohura.
The movie also makes “light” of a “favourite” plot device of many recent Star Trek writers: Time travel. The good news is, Abrams and his writers seem to realize just how overused of a plot device it is and such did not press the big “reset” button at the end of the movie. What this also means is that should there be another movie in the franchise dealing with “TOS” it will be in a different universe / timeline and open new opportunities.
Many critics have pointed out the “ultra modern” design that has very little resemblance to the original production design, and this is certainly true when it comes to the Bridge design which has taken many modern cues while still somewhat retaining the old 1960s flair (lots of white and primary colours), but the rest of the Enterprise is much more industrial looking. In fact this is where the movie at times turns into a “made for TV” episode, large industrial environments that clearly are “alien looking” and yet still from this world. Heavy pipes and controls all brightly lid. These are the moments when the movie receives Abrams signature of “cheap TV productions” and gets the flair of a fan film more than anything else.
I have to admit though that I do love the new design of the Enterprise A, it is more elegant, more stylish and not by accident reminds me of a 1960s American Sedan. Whoever designed it, Kudos, it is a very pretty ship.
Lastly, both Bones and Scotty are also part of the crew. While Bones comes “on board” relatively early on we have to wait quite some time before we see Simon Pegg as the new Scotty. Sadly, much like he did in the last Bond movie, his appearance is cut way too short and he is not really given enough room to become Scotty.
So what’s left at the end?
Make no mistake, the movie is highly entertaining, that is if you are not a hard core trekkie that cannot laugh about their own show. Most of the characters are a caricature of the heroes they are supposed to become later in their life. This does not make the movie a bad movie, quite the contrary, it is a remarkable fresh take on the series but it also only works because most people are at least knowledgeable enough about Star Trek to “get it”. But most die hard’s will loathe Abrams for what he has done. This is not your “classic” Star Trek, it certainly is not ToS, it is something new, an homage to the 1960s cult TV show but not the next coming of Star Trek, this, will have to wait for a while.
Headline Writing FAIL!
Posted in Life, Musings on May 3rd, 2009 by Michael
I have to wonder if the writer of that headline even for one second wondered about the double meaning? I walked past by at first, then my brain kicked in and I went back and read the thing.
Seriously, no one double checked these flyers???
Funny little coincidences…
Posted in Flickr, Musings, Photos on May 2nd, 2009 by MichaelLately several people mentioned to me (independently) that my shots reminded them of Fred Herzog. I hadn’t really known anything off / about him but to my surprise I just realized he was born in Stuttgart as well and came to Vancouver via Montreal (back then the port of entry into Canada for many as today is Toronto) and Toronto.
I don’t know if I am really “like” him in my style, though I think we have similar interests: Life. But am I really that different from all the other “Street Photographers”?
