Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Words Fail
Censor Scooby Doo?
"The Bush administration has decided that people with bad hearing have bad judgment, too, and need special guidance from the federal government.
So the U.S. Department of Education is declaring about 200 television programs inappropriate for closed-captioning and denying federal grant requests to make them accessible to the hearing-impaired.
"The department made its decisions based on the recommendations of a five-member panel. Who the five members are, only the government seems to know, and it isn't saying. But the shows they censored suggest a perspective that is Talibanesque.
"The government is refusing to caption Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, apparently fearing that the deaf would fall prey to witchcraft if they viewed the classic sitcoms.
"Your government also believes that Law & Order is too intense for the hard-of-hearing. So is Power Rangers. You can rest easy knowing that your federal tax dollars aren't being spent to promote Sanford and Son, Judge Wapner's Animal Court and The Loretta Young Show within the deaf community. Kids with hearing problems can forget about watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, classic cartoons or Nickelodeon features. Even Roy Rogers and Robin Hood are out.
"Sports programming took a heavy hit, too. The government has decided that people with hearing problems don't need to watch NASCAR, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or Professional Golf Association tournaments."
"The Bush administration has decided that people with bad hearing have bad judgment, too, and need special guidance from the federal government.
So the U.S. Department of Education is declaring about 200 television programs inappropriate for closed-captioning and denying federal grant requests to make them accessible to the hearing-impaired.
"The department made its decisions based on the recommendations of a five-member panel. Who the five members are, only the government seems to know, and it isn't saying. But the shows they censored suggest a perspective that is Talibanesque.
"The government is refusing to caption Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, apparently fearing that the deaf would fall prey to witchcraft if they viewed the classic sitcoms.
"Your government also believes that Law & Order is too intense for the hard-of-hearing. So is Power Rangers. You can rest easy knowing that your federal tax dollars aren't being spent to promote Sanford and Son, Judge Wapner's Animal Court and The Loretta Young Show within the deaf community. Kids with hearing problems can forget about watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, classic cartoons or Nickelodeon features. Even Roy Rogers and Robin Hood are out.
"Sports programming took a heavy hit, too. The government has decided that people with hearing problems don't need to watch NASCAR, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or Professional Golf Association tournaments."
AskOxford: Tolkien and the OED
AskOxford: Tolkien and the OED
"In a much-publicized media and phone-based poll conducted by the BBC over the last few weeks and culminating in a grand finale on Saturday 13 December, J. R. R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings was voted Britain's favourite novel, beating Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which was also on the final short list.
"Most readers of The Lord of the Rings know that J. R. R. Tolkien was a Professor of English Language and Literature, but few know that before he became a professor, Tolkien spent some time working on the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary. The Dictionary evidently enriched Tolkien's mind; he later said that he ‘learned more in those two years than in any other equal period of my life’."
"In a much-publicized media and phone-based poll conducted by the BBC over the last few weeks and culminating in a grand finale on Saturday 13 December, J. R. R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings was voted Britain's favourite novel, beating Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which was also on the final short list.
"Most readers of The Lord of the Rings know that J. R. R. Tolkien was a Professor of English Language and Literature, but few know that before he became a professor, Tolkien spent some time working on the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary. The Dictionary evidently enriched Tolkien's mind; he later said that he ‘learned more in those two years than in any other equal period of my life’."
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Julius Schwartz, RIP
The passing of a man who's like will never again be seen in the worlds of comics. It would be easier to list the things that he didn't do than what he did do. Along with Stan Lee, Julius Schwartz was responsible for what we now know as the "silver age" of comics. He will be missed. Click here for the AP wire service obituary.
Julius Schwartz Tribute at DC Comics
Julius Schwartz, one of the best-loved and most influential members of both the comics and science fiction communities, died Sunday morning, February 8, in Winthrop Hospital in New York from complications from pneumonia. Schwartz was 88 years old.
Schwartz, who was popularly called "a living legend" and served as DC's Editor Emeritus, will be remembered as one of the founders of science fiction fandom, as a comic-book editor whose vision spanned five decades with DC Comics, and as the architect of comics' Silver Age, revitalizing the careers of such super-heroes as Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern and The Justice League of America.
"DC has lost a living legend this weekend and a true original," says Paul Levitz, DC's President & Publisher. "Julie was an editor who entertained and educated millions over three generations, performed the near-impossible feat of getting great work out of his contributors without ever ruffling their feelings, and taught many of us our craft. If the measure of an editor is the respect of his peers, he was immeasurable — for his peers who loved and respected him were often legends in their own right. Most of us were simply left in awe."
Check out further tributes at Mark Evanier's site.
And here is the one from Neil Gaiman's site.
Another rememberance at Mike Grell's site.
Julius Schwartz Tribute at DC Comics
Julius Schwartz, one of the best-loved and most influential members of both the comics and science fiction communities, died Sunday morning, February 8, in Winthrop Hospital in New York from complications from pneumonia. Schwartz was 88 years old.
Schwartz, who was popularly called "a living legend" and served as DC's Editor Emeritus, will be remembered as one of the founders of science fiction fandom, as a comic-book editor whose vision spanned five decades with DC Comics, and as the architect of comics' Silver Age, revitalizing the careers of such super-heroes as Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern and The Justice League of America.
"DC has lost a living legend this weekend and a true original," says Paul Levitz, DC's President & Publisher. "Julie was an editor who entertained and educated millions over three generations, performed the near-impossible feat of getting great work out of his contributors without ever ruffling their feelings, and taught many of us our craft. If the measure of an editor is the respect of his peers, he was immeasurable — for his peers who loved and respected him were often legends in their own right. Most of us were simply left in awe."
Check out further tributes at Mark Evanier's site.
And here is the one from Neil Gaiman's site.
Another rememberance at Mike Grell's site.
Deposit or Withdrawal?
Make sure you click the link for the photos too...
Deposit or Withdrawal?
"A Friesian cow took a detour from a wedding where she was meant to be a guest of honour, wandering into a German bank where she was caught on security cameras sidling up to the tellers. Top German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Friday published four robber-style photos of the cow, named Paula, strolling into the Sparkasse savings bank in Wunstorf, a small rural town in northern Germany. REUTERS/Handout/Sparkasse Hannover "
Deposit or Withdrawal?
"A Friesian cow took a detour from a wedding where she was meant to be a guest of honour, wandering into a German bank where she was caught on security cameras sidling up to the tellers. Top German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Friday published four robber-style photos of the cow, named Paula, strolling into the Sparkasse savings bank in Wunstorf, a small rural town in northern Germany. REUTERS/Handout/Sparkasse Hannover "
Monday, February 09, 2004
Electronic Arts, Marvel Sign Game Development Deal
Electronic Arts, Marvel Sign Game Development Deal
"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. on Thursday said it has signed a deal with comic book publisher Marvel Enterprises Inc. to develop a series of fighting games pitting newly developed EA characters against Marvel superheroes like Spider-Man.
"Redwood City, California-based EA, the world's largest independent game publisher, said Marvel would act as licensing agent for the new characters and would publish comic books based on them.
"The games are under development at EA's studio in Canada and the first one is expected to be released toward the end of calendar 2005.
An EA spokeswoman said the deal includes more than 100 of Marvel's superhero characters, such as Spider-Man and the X-Men. However, it does not include the Hulk or Punisher characters."
"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. on Thursday said it has signed a deal with comic book publisher Marvel Enterprises Inc. to develop a series of fighting games pitting newly developed EA characters against Marvel superheroes like Spider-Man.
"Redwood City, California-based EA, the world's largest independent game publisher, said Marvel would act as licensing agent for the new characters and would publish comic books based on them.
"The games are under development at EA's studio in Canada and the first one is expected to be released toward the end of calendar 2005.
An EA spokeswoman said the deal includes more than 100 of Marvel's superhero characters, such as Spider-Man and the X-Men. However, it does not include the Hulk or Punisher characters."
Friday, February 06, 2004
Yahoo! News - Surgeons Operate on Baby With Two Heads
Yahoo! News - Surgeons Operate on Baby With Two Heads
"SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - A team of surgeons began operating Friday on a Dominican infant born with a second head, a risky surgery that doctors say they believe to be the first of its kind.
"Led by a Los Angles-based neurosurgeon, the medical team planned to spend about 13 hours removing Rebeca Martinez's second head, which has a partially formed brain, ears, eyes and lips. "
"SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - A team of surgeons began operating Friday on a Dominican infant born with a second head, a risky surgery that doctors say they believe to be the first of its kind.
"Led by a Los Angles-based neurosurgeon, the medical team planned to spend about 13 hours removing Rebeca Martinez's second head, which has a partially formed brain, ears, eyes and lips. "
You Just Can't Trust A Punk Somedays
Lydon walkout leaves ITV in the lurch
"Former Sex Pistols star John Lydon will not be allowed to return to I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! after storming off the jungle contest in the middle of the night, throwing the show into a temporary crisis.
"ITV bosses have been forced into emergency action and are working out a damage limitation plan to plug the gap left by Lydon, who was the favourite to win the show."
"Former Sex Pistols star John Lydon will not be allowed to return to I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! after storming off the jungle contest in the middle of the night, throwing the show into a temporary crisis.
"ITV bosses have been forced into emergency action and are working out a damage limitation plan to plug the gap left by Lydon, who was the favourite to win the show."
Thursday, February 05, 2004
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