My Golden Compass Daemon - a Monkey!

I don't know too much about The Golden Compass, other than it's supposed to be the atheist's answer to The Chronicles of Narnia. I'm guessing that's an overly simplistic reading of the story, though.

A feature on The Golden Compass website that was linked by Neatorama.com caught my attention enough to visit the site. It is a seemingly meaningless set of questions that help determine the animal spirit, or Daemon, that best corresponds to your soul qualities, or some crap like that.

After trying it though, I have to assume that there really is some type of magic involved, since it revealed my Daemon counterpart to be a wonderful primate by the name of Lysandra, characterized as modest, solitary, fickle, assertive, & flexible monkey. Get out of my head, Golden Compass!

Even The Monkey Buddha has Daemons.

Scare Tactics - Human Rat

I saw this clip on a VH1 "Best TV Pranks" show & it made me laugh out loud.

I almost think that the guy who's being pranked is acting... but I'd probably scream like a girl & run like hell, too, if I saw this little freak.

Monkey King Game

Nothing like a mindless, cannon-shooting monkey game to soothe the soul.

Monkey King Game

Google Goes Green

Right after I posted about the most promising developments in "Green" Technology, the current giant of the tech world, Google, announced an extensive renewable energy program...

I'm glad I have such powerful influence on these big companies, hahaha.

Google: "Powering a Clean Energy Revolution"

If any organization has the power & money right now to really jumpstart the process to wean humanity off the black lifeblood of Dick Cheney that we call 'oil', it is the company with the motto, "Don't be evil." This is, of course, the direct opposite philosophy of Bush, Inc. - "Be nothing but evil."

Yahoo - "Google's Green Initiative"

Green Technologies

This design now available at
The Monkey Buddha Bazaar
www.cafepress/monkeybuddha

Green has always been my favorite color. One of the reasons is that it is the color of the woods, nature, and plants. I was way ahead of the current environmental movement now known, of course, as "being green".

In light of my last post about the costs of the Iraq war I thought it would be good to show how that money should be used. I've come across some very interesting green technologies that I think have the potential to change human civilization in a major way if adopted on a wide scale. Click on the links to see the articles & the great illustrations.

Plasma Waste Convertor
• I posted previously about Joseph Longo's Plasma Incinerator which I read about in Popuular Science magazine. This is a machine that is as simple in concept as it is revolutionary in function.

Popular Science: "The Prophet of Garbage"

Algae Energy Harvesting
• I saw a show about green tech on the Discovery Channel featuring this development, that is as green as it gets! By farming massive amounts of energy-collecting algae, biodeisel and other products can be created. Perhaps the engineering concepts behind this article on vertical farming could also be combined with this method of algae production.

Popular Mechanics: "Pond-Powered Biofuels"

Solar Collector Sheets
• Just like e-paper, the cheaper this nano-solar technology becomes, the closer we are to having society transformed by its benefits.

Popular Science: "The New Dawn of Solar"

Magnetic Levitation Wind Turbine
• This is an example I'm amending to this post because it is a great example of how modern technology and insightful design can produce leaps in innovation.

Inhabitat.com: "The Super-powered Magnetic Wind Turbine"

Here's a few other green breakthroughs worth mentioning:
• BoingBoing.com: "Micro Generator Feeds off Ambient Vibrations"
• Neatorama: "MIT Students Create Electricity from Grass Clippings"
• BoingBoing.com: "Mushrooms as Insulation Material"

Iraq = 2.4 Trillion Dollars

$2,400,000,000,000

Unfortunately, this figure may be lower than the actual amount of taxpayer money spent on blowing up Iraq. These kind of numbers are barely comprehensible in a practical sense, so analysis like this slideshow on Boston.com can give an idea of the amount of money being dumped into the sands of the Mideast and stuffed into the pockets of corrupt officials & war profiteers.

How can anyone justify an operation that produces at least $9 billion in 'lost' funds? It's outright robbery, and Congress & the rest of our supposedly representative government is either negligent or complicit.

Fellow Americans, we must rise up!!!

No? Oh, okay.

Dancer Optical Illusion

I love optical illusions and visual novelty of all kinds. This illusion of a rotating ballerina kept me busy for a while. The direction which you first perceive the dancer to be spinning supposedly reflects your dominant brain hemisphere.

However, I've confirmed that you can also change the apparent direction. I did this by flicking my eyes away for an instant, by clicking the animation for a moment to freeze it, and by scrolling until only the legs the dancer was shown. The rest is up to your mind changing its perception.

I found this to be as thought-provoking as the Magic Eye images. Something that you are looking at instantly and completely changes form, direction, or context due to nothing other than a change in the perception of the individual. Click below to see the illusion:

AU Herald Sun: "Right Brain vs. Left Brain"

Crisis: Historic Jack Daniels Could Be Dumped!

I've been too distracted with killer robots to realize that there are other horrific things going on, like this heart-wrenching story:

"Historic Whiskey Could Go Down Drain"

In one of the endless examples of law enforcement defying common sense and good taste, Tennessee "authorities" might pour hundreds of bottles of the crazy person's liquor of choice down the drain. Some of the bottles of whiskey is over a hundred years old & as Christopher Carlsson, a spirits collector, said, "A lot of these bottles are priceless. It's like having a rare painting."

I think Kyle MAcDonald's response if the rallying cry for this travesty:

"Punish the person, not the whiskey," said an outraged Kyle MacDonald, 28, a Jack Daniel's drinker from British Columbia who promotes the whiskey on his blog. "Jack never did anything wrong, and the whiskey itself is innocent."

It's enough to make me want a shot of Jack Daniel's whiskey...

If you look close,
you can see a tear of pure whiskey on his cheek.

Apple iTablet 'Confirmed' by Asus

After my last post, I don't go to sleep with my mind full of tortured biomechanoid hybrid creatures... Instead I'd rather dream of the day when a (non-invasive) touchscreen Apple iTablet will make its way into my hands. The iPhone (that I refuse to switch to AT&T for & spend $400 on) is basically a ubiquitous teaser to what could be the last personal computer I ever need. I might be forced to a buy a Mac Mini soon for practical purposes, anyway, but speculation like this is slowly driving me mad...

Engadget: "Apple Tablet 'confirmed' by Asus?"

Oh crap, I didn't even click through the link to the more detailed story on CNET with a picture that makes me want to put my hand into the screen:

"Apple Tablet PC is Real, Says Asus"

Robot Wars: Rise of the Mothbots

When I wrote the post about Britain's delayed Skynet launch, I forgot about another insane development I saw in the buildup to a possible Terminator sequel, that takes place in the real world. Recently I've been noticing news about purely robotic military developments. However, like cockroaches & monkeys, the moth is the latest biological creature to be assimilated into the silicon borg engulfing our planet. I have always had a love and curiosity for science & technology, but damn, this shit is just crazy.

"Mothbot: Moth Controls Robotic Vehicle"
technovolgy.com

Behold, the soul-destroying, godless realities of Mothbot & Robo-roach:

"Heeeeelp ussss!!!! HEEEELLLLPP UUUUSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!"

"Snowflake" Pattern Generator

www.zefrank.com
Snowflake Generator

I would consider this fun virtual toy more of a Hypnotic Mandala Generator than a Snowflake Maker. Whatever it's called, it's pretty cool. Going from the 2D to 3D Rotate gives some indication of the complexities presented by our multi-dimensional existence.

It reminded me one of the great book, Flatland, where 2 dimensional beings must try to imagine the extra dimension from which a sphere was appearing and disappearing into. In only two dimensions, the sphere appeared to be a point expanding into a line and shrinking back into a point. The thought of the theoretical extra dimensions of our reality is enough to make your head spin.

"Hyperspace Oyssey"
Dr. Michio Kaku
(one of my favorite authors)

Breaking Robot Army News: "Skynet" is Delayed...

Rarely does a story cause feelings of both hope and dread, but this is one of them. I've been one of the people taking notice of the growing threat of a unstoppable cyber-army of our own creation. So, I was relieved to see on neatorama.com that the UK delayed the launch of a military communications satellite named Skynet. It was, of course, either named by British scientists with a sick, apocalyptic sense of humor or with their heads up their asses.

What I find dreadful is that this is only a singular omen of the possible "Technocalypse" that awaits us if we don't somehow start practicing better "Cybernethics". (The fact that both of those words in quotes are already used online is almost as scary, though.)

"Skynet Military Launch is Delayed"

"It's Only a Delay...

We're Coming."

The Monkey Buddha Bazaar - Now Open

The Monkey Buddha Bazaar

Well, I have been trying to get an online store started on Cafepress.com, and I've finally got a few designs up & the basic setup done. I added a link to the top of my list on the side of the page. Hopefully, I will be motivated to continue generating more creations if I get some shoppers through ads & word of mouth.

This blog is mainly for my own amusement & mental release, but I'd like to be able to get my art out there in a meaningful way, as well. Click below to visit "The Monkey Buddha Bazaar":

Animated Vader Drawing

I was testing out my new Epson CX8400 scanner/printer I got on sale, so I decided to scan a simple pen & ink drawing exercise I did in college (see above). It's a progressive line drawing of the infamous mask of the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. Once I digitized it, I decided to use Adobe ImageReady to create an animated GIF (click on image below). The age of motion graphics is really only beginning...

Iraq - An Intergalactic War?

Since my last post was about aliens & war, I had to post this wild article I came across. It turns out oil, Israel, and money aren't the only motivating factors behind the Iraq invasion...

"Researchers Suggest Iraq war was Centrally Motivated
from an Extraterrestrial-inspired Religion"

This editorial gem summarizes various other theories/stories I've seen which suggest that the land known as Ur, Uruk, Babylon, Mesopotamia, The Fertile Crescent, The Cradle of Civilization, the Garden of Eden, & now called Iraq was once an epicenter of extraterrestrial interaction with human beings. Here's a link to a much more detailed account of our mysterious alien-influenced past: The Babylonian Brotherhood.

Were the ancient sky gods, depicted in legends from around the world, some kind of beings from another world or dimension? Is the visible return of these advanced races through inter-dimensional portals in sacred areas of the world an imminent possibility? These questions are much, much too crazy for me to even pretend to answer, but I find them to be fascinating & terrifying to consider. The one thing I've learned is never rule out anything as completely impossible. It makes the world to be a much more interesting place. At the same time, though, I can never completely believe any of this kind of out-there creative speculation. I guess I'm a weird mix of skeptical pragmatist and open-minded conspiracy buff.

The Reptilians: Humanity's Historical Link to the Serpent Race

"The War of the Worlds" Cover Designs

The War of the Worlds - Book Cover Collection

Although I'm fortunate to have a job with a high creative output, I am also a passive sponge for the infinite world of design & visual information. Therefore, it's like finding a treasure trove when I come across something like this awesome gallery of cover art from a century of "The War of the Worlds" editions.

The whole collection is filled with art inspired by a story of technology, war, space, and the fear and wonder of our own fragile situation in the universe. There are so many cool covers, but here are a few that I think are really great for really different reasons:

left to right: 1899, 1975, 2003

Monkey Wars

As if the imminent Robot Wars weren't bad enough to add to the state of global chaos...

Now it seems that monkeys in India (who obviously haven't realized their Monkey Buddha nature) are engaging in vicious attacks that are being answered with bigger monkeys, trained by humans! Here's the article BoingBoing linked to:

BBC: "Monkeys Attack Delhi Politician"

Of course, the invasions of Afghanistan & Iraq could also be considered "The Monkey Wars"-

Comedy Central's Lineup is Gold

Tonight Comedy Central has had a lineup of the hands-down funniest shows ever created. The multi-episode "Imagination Land" South Park story is the craziest TV possible, with appearances by the multitude of characters. The cast of Imagination Land's esteemed Council of Nine is hysterical by itself: The Narnia Lion, Morpheus from the Matrix, Popeye, Jesus, Wonder Woman, Zeus, Gandalf, ummm.. Luke Skywalker, hmmmm, c'mon memory... &... someone else. Anyway, Sarah Silverman's Program is living up to her stand-up & real-life sense of humor. Then there's the greatest show pairing ever, The Daily Show and Presidential Candidate Stephen Colbert. Comedy Central has put together an awesome night of programming.

The really revolutionary aspect of all these shows, though, is the unfettered creative freedom to express the craziest and most taboo human ideas and experiences. By revealing the absurdities of the human condition, great comedy frees the soul by breaking down the psychic confines of the thought structure known as the ego.

This is definitely a golden age of artistic expression. As a professional artist, the infinite sea of creative novelty engulfing the human race can be overwhelming to consider. I mean, how can you come up with something more original than a fat little asshole like Cartman freezing himself so he can awake when the Wii is released, but goes too far into the future & is captured by various science-worshiping factions including a race of intelligent otters?!?!

Come with us, Time-Child...

Ghetto Fried Chicken by Ms. Peachez

My friend Dan forwards me some wacked out stuff, but this might take the cake. I can't help but post this madness for posterity & my own amusement.

The Weng-Weng Rap had a certain amount of coolness to it. However this music video is nothing but crazy. I actually wasted a few seconds of my life and read some commentary about the negative racial & gender implications of this apparently highly-controversial piece. My argument would be that this video is as offensive as a whoopie cushion. It is so silly and laughably insane that it makes the human species as a whole look stupid... which makes it great.

Regardless, I would not get near this maniac, or anything that 'it' was cooking! Where the hell are these kids' parents at?!?!

"Fry That Chicken" by 'Ms. Peachez'
(...who appears to be a chicken-crazed
ghetto transvestite of some sort).
Oh well - turn up the bass, grab a drumstick,
and get down with Ms. Peachez!

"You like the wing? Yep!
You like the thigh? Yep!
You like the white meat? Yep!
You like the leeeeg? Yep!"

Stephen Colbert for President

Sorry Dennis Kucinich & Ron Paul, but my true ideal candidate has parted the pool of contenders- like a modern political Moses.

Stephen Colbert for President

I was watching the Daily Show, & Stephen Colbert announced... the possibility... of choosing.. whether or not... to run for President. 15 minutes later, on his own show, he made the big announcement. Although I would rather have an insightful artist/satirist as a leader than a corrupt politician/CEO/lawyer, some are wondering "can he take the heat?"

I think he should really campaign as a write-in & win the whole goddamn thing. Unfortunately, like Howard Stern's failed bid for Governor of NY, I don't think the brilliant comedic mind of Stephen Colbert is destined to lead us into a 'truthier' future from the Oval Office, which is currently being used as a monkey cage.

Speaking of Stephen Colbert & The Monkey:

The Growing Robot Army

A few months ago I posted about the coming Machine Wars that threaten the very future of humanity. I was horrified, but not surprised, to find that the size and scope of the Cyber Army is expanding to the point of no return. God help us all. No, really... HELP!!!

As an exercise in complete futility,
I am going to link again to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

washingtonpost.com
"Dragonfly or Insect Spy?
Scientists at Work on Robobugs."

wired.com
"Navy Plots Unmanned,
Heavily Armed Fleet"

Data Backup for the Apocalypse

The one thing that's always bothered me about keeping a blog is the impermanence of the media.

In the event of a much-anticipated Armageddon / End Times / Singularity, the work of millions of people would disappear. Perhaps we are in the process of developing a Hall of Records type depository where the recorded thought patterns of humanity can be stored.

I saw this on boingboing & thought that it's as good a start as any.

Nuclear Hardened Data Center

Of course, in the face of a cosmic cataclysm, such precautions (along with the rest of the entire human legacy) will be erased like a drawing in the sand.

If things become so bad where this type of backup is needed, people aren't really going to be worried about screwing with computers...

Movie Spoiler Graphic

Taking graphics to a lighter side, I thought this T-shirt graphic was funny.

One sign of great art is a maximum amount of meaning packed into the design. Looking at this collection of spoilers uncompresses the vast amount of info that these movies contain. Even though I'm not an avid movie-goer I can figure most of these out.

Threadless Spoiler Tee

Death & Taxes

"Death & Taxes" is a visual representation of how our tax money is allocated by Congress.

Being the militaristic empire that rest of the world has learned to despise, half of our tax dollars are put toward the "Defense" Department... where valuable resources & bright people's minds are wasted finding new ways to murder other human beings.

Never Trust A Monkey

...but only if it is a War Monkey.

from Propoganda Remix Project

WW3 or Jail

I saw this graphic on Bartcop.com. I thought it perfectly summed up the danger humanity faces from having America's 2 criminal madmen backed into a corner & looking for another murdering spree to try distracting the world from their horrific misdeeds.

"Making the Same Mistake Twice"

"US Opposition Political Leaders Issue
Urgent False Flag Warning"

There's only one remedy for the terminal cancer that is the Bush Administration, and the only doctor pushing an effective cure is Dr. Kucinich:

H. Res. 333: Impeaching Richard B. Cheney,
Vice President of the United States,
for High Crimes and Misdemeanors

God's Inbox

I thought this was pretty funny. What messages would be in the email inbox of 'God'? (in this case, the personification of the Judeo-Christian deity called Yahweh or Jehova)

Personally, I would mark everything as 'Spam' and take a nap for several billion years. Actually, that may explain our current situation...

click to enlarge

Ancient Art Tech

It's strange how a discipline, such as art, can change so drastically over time. My major technical concern is learning creative software & techniques. During the design process, I don't usually have to deal with materials other than my screen & printer. Back in the day, though, the creative process was much more of a pain in the ass. From making your own pigments and brushes, to simply not having access to the most revolutionary information tool ever created, the Internet. Just looking at the trouble monks had to go through to make ink is much more than my lazy ass would feel like dealing with. Although new media have been developed in recent times, art through the ages has always expressed the endless potential of the human mind.

Monastic Ink:
Linking Chemistry & History

Scholars Give Us Antiquity -
the Colorized Version

Thank goodness I'm living in the age of decadent electronic devices... The only problem would be if some kind of cosmic electromagnetic catastrophe were to destroy all electronic media, alot of my work would instantly disappear. My only consolation is that the rest of the world be wallowing in analog-only hell with me. One thing I'm pretty sure will outlast me is the original stone & metal version of Da Vinci's Challenge I made as a senior design student. Working on that project made me really respect the integrity of the materials & the people who are experts at working with them.

The Jenna Bush Paradox

Well, it takes alot to really shock me, but my mind has been officially blown.
I've pondered the vast perplexing nature of reality from nanostructures to cosmic cycles, but nothing could prepare me for the personal paradox that faced me a little while ago when Jenna Bush popped up on my TV screen talking to Larry King -

Because it's almost unbearable for me to watch her father The War Monkey speak for more than 30 seconds, I must say I was stunned to find Jenna Bush to be completely captivating & authentic.
Has the bad karma simply run out in the Bush bloodline?!?

Although I always thought Barbara was much hotter, I always recognized both the Bush twins for at least being very good-looking. In her interview, though, Jenna came across as articulate, compassionate, and very insightful. My brain could not wrap around the sheer absurdity of there being a Bush that I find really likable. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. I will go on record, though, as saying that I would seriously yank out Dubya & put Jenna in the Oval Office instead. Right now. (I'd be fine with a damn monkey in there instead, so it's not saying much- but still...)

Bush Twins Photoshopped in Maxim

I Love You, Weng Weng

Weng Weng!
I love you, my Weng Weng!
Come to me and kiss me!
I love you, Weng Weeeeeeeng!!!!

Of course, these lyrics may seem absurd at first glance,
but you cannot watch this video and not want to sing it.



"Weng Weng Weng Weng,
2 foot 9,
He'll kick you in the nutsack
from behind..."

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1755976

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
"Warriors Briskly with Courage"

I randomly came across this fascinating Japanese print of what appears to be a startled monkey scribe about to be reprimanded by an angry human, who obviously doesn't appreciate the novelty of a writing monkey.

Anyway, I looked into the background of the 19th century artist, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who was the last master of a Japanese woodblock printing technique called Ukiyo-e. His life story and his other works are equally impressive. The design, textures, and content of his prints are truly masterful & beautiful. As he was living in an era of change from feudal to modern Japan, he was subject to the great social and forces that inspire such great art.

"The night clouds dissolve
Hotei pointing at the moon
holds no opinion"

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
One Hundred Views of the Moon
"Moon of Enlightenment"

Blogger Play

Blogger Play

As I was logging in to Blogger, I saw on the main page a description of Blogger Play. As a graphic artist and a visual information junkie, this website is like optical crack to me. It is basically a real time slideshow of images being uploaded to Google's servers. The never-ending flow of pictures are as random and as fascinating as the infinite realm of human experience. The universal mind continues to connect and expand...

Lone Monkey
Random photo seen on Blogger Play
(from Lizzy's Blog)

Evolution of Apple

I consider the Macs I use at home & work to be extensions of my mind. It truly amazes me how much creative potential and information can be unlocked through our magic light boxes.

Often, I feel like my life has run directly parallel to the development of personal computing tech. I was born around the time the Apple II came out. In elementary school, my family had the simple Commodore 64, which we only used to play games. Then around Middle School we got a Windows 3.1 PC that I knew sucked, even at the time, if for nothing else than that I had to learn some DOS programming language.

I knew there would, one day, be computers that were actually user-friendly and productive, but when?!?!

What I didn't know was that the Apple Computer was out there, giving ideas to Microsoft to rip off. In high school physics I was exposed to Macs for the first time. Going into college I had a PC with Windows 95 and eventually got a version of Photoshop that I started to teach myself. As an engineering student in college, I was forced into using PCs only, which in retrospect may explain why I ended up wanting to get wasted all the time. I came to my senses and switched to the Mac-friendly & Paul-friendly major of graphic design. For only taking 5 years to graduate, my wonderful parents got me the innovative G4 Cube, my first Mac. At home I now have a single processor G5 PowerMac that is unacceptably slow. "Give me quantum processing or give me death!" At the very least, I have vowed to not buy another Mac until the iTablet comes out, but Steve Jobs is not making it easy at all. Presenting the iPhone was like a sick taunt...

Anyway, this chart from tofslie.com is a detailed look at the greatest product line, ever.

We'll Make Great Pets

Perry Farrell thought aliens would be the ones to domesticate mankind, but perhaps our future overlords are destined to be beings of silicon that we help create. The internet/telecommunication grid is like an embryonic structure that has been connecting and forming like a vast brain for an entity that we can't even imagine.

Do not read this article
unless you want you want your head to explode.

Reason Magazine
"Will Super Smart Artificial Intelligences
Keep Humans Around As Pets?"

"My Pet Human"
karmasoup.org

This is probably more like it:

Hillary Calls Cheney 'Vader'

Hillary Clinton can spew meaningless political platitudes at times & is supported by corporate interests, but calling Dick Cheney "Darth Vader" on national TV is enough to get a vote from me. She isn't exactly correct, though, since Cheney is more like Emperor Palpatine...

Miraculous Tree Mark

"Tree-mendous: Disease Leaves its Mark
Inside Horse Chestnut"

This story about a tree-shaped mark found inside, of all things, a tree trunk reminds me of all the "imaginative" people who say they see holy apparitions in random irregular marks. If you convince enough people to see the face or figure that you see, you can probably make most of them believe its a miracle or sign.

"Woman 'Blessed by the Holy Toast'"

I used to sit on the school bus in the winter and imagine whole scenes in the frost of the window. When I would look out the window at night into the trees behind my parent's house, I would visualize faces & all kinds of forms. I guess it just annoys me that people don't realize that the significance of the form is created in their mind alone & it's not inherent to the perceived form. Basically, people are fooled by the pattern-making nature of their own brain.

Holograms are Virtually Here!

..pun intended...
There were a couple ideas in science fiction that always seemed to be waaay to technologically difficult to overcome anytime soon - teleportation, faster-than-light travel, laser guns, fighting robots, etc. In the mind-boggling time that we live in, these hurdles seem to be much more feasible with each passing day, approaching the information singularity, perhaps?. One future tech that I always thought to be especially tough would be holographic displays. Despite living in a holographic universe, the idea of creating images in thin air seemed far-fetched. Of course, human ingenuity can be surprisingly ingenious.

"Rendering for an Interactive
360º Light Field Display"

Link to story on Engadget


How appropriate that they chose an image of a TIE fighter,
since the next step for this technology is:

Twisted Metal Atomic Clown

At first, I thought this was just a cool graphic, demonstrating superb visual irony. Then I found out that it's an awesome ad for a new Twisted Metal game for PS3. Clowns are scary by themselves, but combined with the insanity of nuclear weaponry this is as nightmarish as imagery can get.

Osama bin Goldstein

Osama through the years: 2001, 2004, 2007


Being an expert in reality manipulation, as well as a complete skeptic, it is hard for me to look at these Osama videos and take any of it at face value.

I don't claim to know anything that I haven't experienced first-hand, and even that's questionable. Osama could be dead, he could be alive in Crawford, TX, he could be a hologram... none of these possibilities would really surprise me. All I know is that he has been The Terror Warriors' perpetual Emmanuel Goldstein and the timing of these past few videos have been, at the very least, suspicious. What I never understand is how the media & intelligence agencies have access to 'Al-queda' websites and members, but they can't pinpoint where these epicenters of Islamofascist terrorist propaganda are located.

Maybe Osama really did dye his beard before making a jihad video in the frontier regions of Afghanistan/Pakistan/Whereverstan. Maybe the CIA/KGB/Mossad now uses an advanced CGI 3D model of the dead Osama to make these propoganda videos... & they forgot to make the beard grey. Maybe Barak Obama is really Osama in disguise!!!! He needs to keep the shaved look as 'Obama', so he had to use a fake black beard for the 'Osama' look using the cave backdrop. That probably as feasible at this point as any other theory:

Star Wars: Then & Now

By far, my favorite movies are the Star Wars saga. The movies have enthralled me since I was a kid, but as I grow older and learn about the contributions of those like Joseph Campbell and Industrial Light & Magic, I really gain a deeper appreciation of the story and production as it relates to overall human culture.

As someone who uses Photoshop daily & enjoys the creative possibilities it provides, I am indebted to the wizards at Industrial Light & Magic who helped develop the original software. I came across this article that goes into great detail concerning the technological innovations that were developed in the production of such movies as Star Wars & Close Encounters:

"Star Wizards"
"How a handful of desperate innovators took special effects to new heights in two 1977 movies—Star Wars and Close Encounters"

The other interesting bit of current Star Wars news is a trailer for an upcoming game, Force Unleashed. They already have the new Def Jam game out, so besides this Star Wars game all the have to do is come out with the next Soul Caliber and I'll be forced to buy Playstation 3...