Today's X-Files Quote

SCULLY: Right, but what am I looking for?

MULDER: Anything strange, unexplainable, unlikely... boyfriend?

DER FÜHRERBUNKER

What is remarkable (to me) about Hitler's bunker was just how tiny it was. Clearly it wasn't designed as a long-time living area. See for yourself here.

Bonus link on the Nazi Party Rally Grounds.

Political Theology

"All significant concepts of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts." - Carl Schmitt, Political Theology (trans. George Schwab), p. 36

The essential argument here is that - for example - equality before the law is based on a secularized religious notion of Christian equality. I think there is something to do be said for this idea but it is a bit reductionist for my taste. More specifically it doesn't fully illustrate the radical difference between the modern and the ancient polity.

Hello Kitty!

TOKYO - Japan’s cutest cat in glittering crystal decorates NEC Corp.’s new pink laptop in the Japanese electronics maker’s latest effort to woo working women.

Wouldn't a lot of working women be turned off by this thing?

Ducks Win

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Anaheim Ducks were born on the silver screen and came of age by capturing the shiniest of silver cups.

This must drive many Canadians crazy.

Pakistan Media Situation

EMERGENCY media controls were signed into law by embattled President Pervez Musharraf yesterday in a desperate attempt to thwart the "revolution by television" taking place in Pakistan against his rule.

...

PAKISTAN'S President, Pervez Musharraf, has cracked down on the country's television networks in a move against growing calls for a return to democracy.

This needs as much attention as the media situation in Venezuela.

Yet More...

Nessie footage? I post, you decide.

The Return Of...

Gary Brolsma!

Edit:

Oh, and just for comparison sake here is the original.

Nessie

Amazing new Loch Ness monster footage!

Troy

I saw a short portion of the movie Troy today. If I recall correctly one of the scenes which was missing from the movie (but is in the Iliad) is Hector's concern over Andromache losing her freedom. Interesting that the notion of freedom is found so early.

Of course the movie differs from Homer's epic in a number of ways. That is not say that it was a bad movie. I thought that it was pretty good in comparison to a lot of what Hollywood has created out of classical texts.

Japanese Holdouts

So, I wonder what it is like to spend nearly many years* in the jungle waiting for your comrades to return?

*Close to thirty for a few.

Batman v. Alien v. Predator?

Impressive.

Edit:

FWIW, Alien v. Predator (playing poker).

Mini-Gun

Scroll to the bottom of this page for a discussion of the mini-gun used in the movie Predator. The scene where it is fired by an individual in a standing position never did make much sense to me.

See the scene for yourself here.

Bigfoot

Is this actual footage of a bigfoot attacking a human? You decide!

Edit:

Is this footage from another attack? Or just a clever hoax?

Public Understanding Of Science

So, what does the public know about science? Well, if this poll (taken in 2001) is any indicator, both the European (or rather, E.U.) and American publics still have a lot to learn. Also note that at least with regard to the thirteen questions asked in the survey those answering for the E.U. performed more poorly on most of the questions than did the American respondents. For me the question that disturbs me the most is that concerning the nature of our planetary system - that is whether it is heliocentric or not. That the survey produced such large numbers of Americans and Europeans answering that the Sun revolves around the Earth (over 20% and 30% respectively) scares me somewhat.