Monthly Archives: January 2016
Happy Monday!
One more…song?
The 2015 Steve Jobs movie, featuring Michael Fassbender (who actually didn’t look like the title character) is the latest cinematic treatment of the Apple co-founder who changed the way we perceive and anticipate technology.
In fact, this movie is almost ready to earn a permanent spot on our movie shelf (February 16th, to be exact).
After watching the past few movies about Mr. Jobs, the preeminent film still hasn’t arrived and, quite possibly, may never arrive at a theater near you. Fully capturing this tech icon’s life and career into a script as innovative and compelling as his products has proven an allusive task.
But what about a song?
The Maccabees did not write “Grew Up at Midnight” for Steve Jobs, but composer Daniel Pemberton (2015’s Steve Jobs movie) recognized how this song with a smashing crescendo paints the scene of a grand legacy coming into focus. And it was all sparked from an imaginatively ambitious youth.
The song was a perfect fit for the film.
This song is also a perfect fit for those who recognize the value in biting into an apple at midnight.
Have an Insanely Great Week!
Watching the Oscars in Black & White
The golden statue’s rust can be seen from across the pond.
The Academy Awards, set for its Sunday broadcast on February 28th, has been dealing with a bit of controversy because of an absence of nominations for black actors and actresses. Attempting to take the bird’s eye view of this issue, there seem to be two schools of thought on the matter.
Will Smith, who could have been nominated for his portrayal of the doctor that blew the roof off the head injury problem in the NFL in the film Concussion, has stated he and his wife will boycott the Academy Awards.
“We’ve discussed it and we’re a part of this community, but at this current time, we’re uncomfortable to stand there and say that this is OK.”
–Will Smith, Us Weekly
Michael Caine, the beloved 82 year-old British actor who was denied an Oscar nomination for his starring role in Youth, had a few things to say on the controversy. He spoke about the importance of nominating an actor based on performance and not skin color and that Idris Elba not receiving a nod from the Academy for Beasts of No Nation was surprising. He added a couple more thoughts.
“Well, look at me. I won the [European Film Award for] best actor [for Youth], and I got nominated for nothing else.”
–Michael Caine, The Hollywood Reporter
Plus this.
“Be patient. Of course, it will come. Of course, it will come. It took me years to get an Oscar.”
–Michael Caine, The Hollywood Reporter
And, perhaps, there’s a third point of view.
Ironically, the biggest star at the upcoming 88th Academy Awards will probably be Chris Rock.
Embrace Today
Throwback Thursday + National Hug Day =
Dave Matthews?
Dave Matthews Band released a music video for the upbeat song, “Everyday” released back in 2001. This video is a pleasant reminder of the tone music videos projected just a little more than a decade ago.
It’s just a hug.
Actually, we all know it’s much more.
Happy Throwback Thursday & National Hug Day!
A Funny Thing Happened with Pluto
(CBC News/NASA)
While researchers have no direct evidence of the object, they did see strange perturbations in the orbits of objects deep in the Kuiper Belt — the group of icy bodies in Pluto’s part of space — that seem to suggest the existence of a planet one to 10 times more massive than Earth that orbits the sun every 10,000 to 20,000 years.
–Miriam Kramer, “How to name the possible ninth planet in our solar system,” Mashable
This deep-space discovery/observation is an exciting revelation. The universe continues to surprise us in ways that reinvigorate our sense of exploration. Looking up at the stars at night, flickering at distances that seem deceptively close is an experience in itself. To read today that, potentially, a ninth planet in our solar system may be been spotted behind the curtain of space should make anyone’s mind expand to new horizons.
In a cool way, this discovery validates the incredible space journey depicted in the space operatic epic Interstellar from 2014. Without revealing any spoilers, one of the planets they visit (as seen in the trailer) is covered in ice with relentlessly freezing temperatures. And, as mentioned in the quote above, the potential new planet would likely have similar conditions. Not even opening the debate to whether or not astronauts could one day step foot on this planet-like discovery, one of the important first questions to ask is how long would it take to travel through space to Pluto and into its orbit?
The most advanced propulsion systems we have today [2015] require 10 to 15 years to deliver a 1.6-kilogram (3.5 lbs.) spacecraft into Pluto orbit.
–Tim DeBenedictis, “What Would It Take to Send People to Pluto?” Space.com
Whether or not we this mysterious planet-like mirror of Earth is deemed a planet, the fact that this is a scientific debate and that manned missions to Mars and Pluto are being considered with various scenarios and logistics spells an ambitious future for humans.
Or a doomed future for the people of Earth.
Hopefully, Interstellar isn’t entirely accurate in this regard.
Also, Goofy could work as a name for this prospective planet hanging around Pluto.
Why not have a sense of humor about this that’s literally out of this world?
Jimmy's Daily Planet 