Beehives and black holes
May. 29th, 2008 08:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tardis_stowaway-CBS has put all three seasons of original Star Trek online streaming for free. Nifty! Now we don't need to buy DVDs or get lucky finding a rerun to engage in some classic fandom or laugh at predictions for the future like all the women wearing absurdly short skirts and beehives. Ha, ha! How ridiculous. Oh, wait:
Beehives and dangerously high hemlines are, disturbingly enough, happening now. Star Trek also predicts that in the future people will be able to talk people far away simply by flipping open a handheld communication device. Wait a second. We're living in the future! Where's my friggin' flying car?
-This time of year, when it stays light really late, teaching an astronomy elective is difficult. We stall for time until it's dark enough to use the telescope by showing educational videos from youtube. One of them is about black holes, but about 17 seconds in there's a random image of Old School daleks. Every single time I show it I have to fight to stifle my giggles to avoid explaining my extreme Whovian geekdom to a bunch of sixth graders. It doesn't help that usually right before the black hole video we show a video of solar life cycles that has animation of the sun expanding to engulf Earth.
-Speaking of black holes, here's a segment of a NPR report on the Large Hadron Collider and the worries that it will produce a black hole containing a neat ultra-short story about what would happen if a black hole did result but could be contained, a potential doom for earth in a stasis chamber for the rest of human existence on this planet.
-Finally, a movie meme grabbed from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
honorh:
1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
There are several, but the prize for most viewings probably goes to The Princess Bride. It's my favorite movie, and it never gets old.
2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater.
All three Lord of the Rings movies. Opening midnight show for each, even if I had a final to take the following morning, followed by at least one more in-theater viewing and goodness knows how many DVD viewings.
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Ewan McGreggor
4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Rob Schneider
5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
Based on a college tradition of showing it every year right before classes, I quote extensively from The Graduate. Also, when talking with my Dad or brother we will quote Goodburger at each other. "You're a chicken! Moo, moo!"
6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
I went into Rent and The Phantom of the Opera already knowing all the lyrics from the stage show soundtracks. For musicals that began as movies, I know the vast majority of Moulin Rouge.
7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Naming a movie musical from which I know any lyrics that I haven't sung along with would be a harder task. I not only sang but also danced back when I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show with film and live actors at a nearby women's college. Frank. N. Furter was played by a plus-size black woman who totally owned the part.
8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
The Prestige.
9. Name a movie that you own.
Love, Actually
10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting skills.
Does it have to be a movie actor? Can I say Billie Piper? If not, I loved Alanis Morissette's cameo in Dogma.
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Lots! Most recently, a double-feature of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man.
12. Ever made out in a movie?
This is going to sound ridiculous, but I'm not sure. It's been a few years since my last boyfriend. We were both generally content with holding hands and actually watching the film, but there may have been exceptions.
13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet got around to it.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
14. Ever walked out of a movie?
Not in a theater.
15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
The list is long. The one that says the most about me is An Inconvenient Truth. Yes, I am sufficiently nerdy and sappy to cry at Al Gore giving a powerpoint about climate change. Shut up.
16. Popcorn?
Rarely. More likely a Coke or some candy.
17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
When living on my own, every few months. When I visit my parents, we often go weekly.
18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man. Drive-in, baby!
19. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Most of my favorites are fantasy/sci-fi or comedy, but I'll watch all sorts.
20. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Ummm...Aladdin? There were many before that, but I don't recall.
21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
I don't know if I would unsee it, but I really didn't like The Squid and the Whale.
22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
It's really bad in addition to being really weird, but I had a ton of fun watching The Warriors, a cult movie about a gangs in the 70s, including one gang that dresses in baseball uniforms and mime makeup.
23. What is the scariest movie you've seen?
The Blair Witch Project. Or, for a different interpretation of scary, No End in Sight, a documentary on the Iraq War.
24. What is the funniest movie you've seen?
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Beehives and dangerously high hemlines are, disturbingly enough, happening now. Star Trek also predicts that in the future people will be able to talk people far away simply by flipping open a handheld communication device. Wait a second. We're living in the future! Where's my friggin' flying car?
-This time of year, when it stays light really late, teaching an astronomy elective is difficult. We stall for time until it's dark enough to use the telescope by showing educational videos from youtube. One of them is about black holes, but about 17 seconds in there's a random image of Old School daleks. Every single time I show it I have to fight to stifle my giggles to avoid explaining my extreme Whovian geekdom to a bunch of sixth graders. It doesn't help that usually right before the black hole video we show a video of solar life cycles that has animation of the sun expanding to engulf Earth.
-Speaking of black holes, here's a segment of a NPR report on the Large Hadron Collider and the worries that it will produce a black hole containing a neat ultra-short story about what would happen if a black hole did result but could be contained, a potential doom for earth in a stasis chamber for the rest of human existence on this planet.
-Finally, a movie meme grabbed from
honorh:1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
There are several, but the prize for most viewings probably goes to The Princess Bride. It's my favorite movie, and it never gets old.
2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater.
All three Lord of the Rings movies. Opening midnight show for each, even if I had a final to take the following morning, followed by at least one more in-theater viewing and goodness knows how many DVD viewings.
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Ewan McGreggor
4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Rob Schneider
5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
Based on a college tradition of showing it every year right before classes, I quote extensively from The Graduate. Also, when talking with my Dad or brother we will quote Goodburger at each other. "You're a chicken! Moo, moo!"
6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
I went into Rent and The Phantom of the Opera already knowing all the lyrics from the stage show soundtracks. For musicals that began as movies, I know the vast majority of Moulin Rouge.
7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Naming a movie musical from which I know any lyrics that I haven't sung along with would be a harder task. I not only sang but also danced back when I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show with film and live actors at a nearby women's college. Frank. N. Furter was played by a plus-size black woman who totally owned the part.
8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
The Prestige.
9. Name a movie that you own.
Love, Actually
10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting skills.
Does it have to be a movie actor? Can I say Billie Piper? If not, I loved Alanis Morissette's cameo in Dogma.
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Lots! Most recently, a double-feature of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man.
12. Ever made out in a movie?
This is going to sound ridiculous, but I'm not sure. It's been a few years since my last boyfriend. We were both generally content with holding hands and actually watching the film, but there may have been exceptions.
13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet got around to it.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
14. Ever walked out of a movie?
Not in a theater.
15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
The list is long. The one that says the most about me is An Inconvenient Truth. Yes, I am sufficiently nerdy and sappy to cry at Al Gore giving a powerpoint about climate change. Shut up.
16. Popcorn?
Rarely. More likely a Coke or some candy.
17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
When living on my own, every few months. When I visit my parents, we often go weekly.
18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man. Drive-in, baby!
19. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Most of my favorites are fantasy/sci-fi or comedy, but I'll watch all sorts.
20. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Ummm...Aladdin? There were many before that, but I don't recall.
21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
I don't know if I would unsee it, but I really didn't like The Squid and the Whale.
22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
It's really bad in addition to being really weird, but I had a ton of fun watching The Warriors, a cult movie about a gangs in the 70s, including one gang that dresses in baseball uniforms and mime makeup.
23. What is the scariest movie you've seen?
The Blair Witch Project. Or, for a different interpretation of scary, No End in Sight, a documentary on the Iraq War.
24. What is the funniest movie you've seen?
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
