Monday, May 31, 2004

Another article about the mea culpa of the New York Times, about bad reporting in the run-up to the Iraq conflict. The NYT was just one out of a number of players who should have known better than blindly supporting the drive to war based on lies.

Monday, May 24, 2004

Some time ago I reported on a conference in Cuba, to remember and discuss the Cuban missile crisis 40 years after it happened. This is another report of a close shave with nuclear war, prompted by a deffective Russian radar system. People tend to overestimate the competence and common-sense of civil and military leaders, while sub-estimating the risk of accidental, or purposeful, nuclear war.
A thoughtful article by Susan Sontag on Bush's government stance on, and the public acceptance of, violence and torture.

Sunday, May 23, 2004

This small island off the coast of Japan used to house a thriving community of coal miners. In 1974 the coal ran out and the island was abandoned. This site has two photo galleries, of the island during its downfall in 1974 and another from the abandoned island. The latter pictures show a desolate scenario where Man seems to have gone extinct.

This photo gallery reminded me of my last visit to Venice, when I saw a strange fortress-like island off the main one. Later I found it to be Venice's San Michele island, the city's cemetery since 1810.

Friday, May 21, 2004

The story behind an amateur nerd and his gargantuous project of a computer-generated movie, and how it is now being finished as a big production. I wonder if, and when, it will become practical to create a whole film single-handedly using a personal computer.

Saturday, May 15, 2004

A cool fun/educational kit which enables you to build a fuel-cell model car.

Wednesday, May 12, 2004

The essay referred to below is available on-line here.
A chilling reminder of the dangers of U.S. military power - an extract from an article in the Guardian:
"In 1992, General Colin Powell, chairman of the joint chiefs, awarded the prize for his strategy essay competition at the National Defence University to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Dunlap for The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012. His cautionary tale imagined an incapable civilian government creating a vacuum that drew a competent military into a coup disastrous for democracy. The military, of course, is bound to uphold the constitution. But Dunlap wrote: "The catastrophe that occurred on our watch took place because we failed to speak out against policies we knew were wrong. It's too late for me to do any more. But it's not for you."

The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012 is today circulating among top US military strategists. "

Saturday, May 08, 2004

An article about the genius of Nabokov and his novel Pnin. He's one of my favourite writers, and coincidentally I'm just awaiting delivery of this novel...

Friday, May 07, 2004

An interview with Pedro Almodovar, in which he speaks about his new film, elections in Spain, and his maturing as a film-maker.

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

I've just re-watched the film 'Chungking Express' by Wong Kar Wai. It is very good, it seems a bit of a Hong Kong take on the French Nouvelle Vague. It actually tells two stories, I like the second much better. His later 'In the mood for love' is a much bigger production with great atmosphere and sound-track of Argentinian tangos.

Sunday, May 02, 2004

An European patent which can be described well as the Doomsday Device of Dr. Strangelove.
Um blog de um grupo de artistas de Viena: monochrom. This video was found there, it shows an unfortunate encounter between a deep-sea robot and a crab.
A dispatch from within Falluja, describing the situation there.

Saturday, May 01, 2004