Yeah, I can't wait to see Aragorn jump in his classic car and reap holy hell among the Orcs with that giant windmill/fan blade thing a ma jig. Too bad they didn't include that part in the trailer.
He also seemed to be missing his metal hand/gauntlet.
What is the *best* way to see LOTR? I mean, is it better to see the movies without having read the books? What if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the series, not even having read reviews or having seen a trailer? How would this impact your viewing of the films?
I've read the trilogy cover to cover over 30 times, several times in the past year. I had a pretty specific set of images in my mind around what various characters, scenery, monsters, etc. would look like. I also had my own ideas of how to improve the plot of the movies so that they would work better on screen.
What I have found, after thinking about it, is that Peter Jackson has made some changes to the movie for some obvious reasons: 1) He is NOT HERE to faithfully reproduce the books in movie format. He is here to transfer their spirit and infuse his own unique take on them. 2) He made the movies to make money for his studio. 3) He made the movies to make money for himself. 4) He made the movies to impart Tolkien's vision to as many people as possible. i.e. the "masses". 5) He wants to be able to make more movies in the future, through the success of these.
If you had hundreds of millions of dollars to throw away, maybe you could go and make the movies to be completely faithful to the original text, but keep in mind, you DON'T. Don't jump on PJ because he had to make some compromises on time, characters, and plot to make it more appealing to Joe Shmoe car mechanic.
You have to wonder... what do they do with these gigantic models after the premiere? I can just see driving up to PJ's house, and getting the living shit scared out of you when you come around a corner in the drive and here is this giant cave troll about to smash your car in.
Seems like the definition of the word "mainstream" needs to be more explicit for the purpose of their paper.
My inference of their meaning is this: End user software - meaning that it is installed on at least 50% of all end user workstations, business or otherwise.
As mentioned, the only thing coming close to this that I am aware of is Mozilla.
Maybe mIRC? (Is this open source?)
Anyway, it all seems to come down to the lowest common denominator. The guy makes a good point, in that Linux people / open source people (sorry, I know, lumping two groups together, BAD me) do seem to be rather self-absorbed and tend to create projects devoted to themselves.
Will this kind of development become "mainstream"? Personally, I believe so. We are seeing some major strides in the open source arena on the server side. The Linux architecture is really starting to shape up and provide the kind of stability for a GUI to live in.
Once you have the standardized GUI for everything else to live in, i.e. you don't have to port your application from one GUI variation to another, it makes it easier to concentrate on the end user experience, which is where making open source projects "mainstream" really needs to happen.
I've seen a couple of comments so far relating to the fact that if the actual copyright holders came forward and sued these offenders, or if this Danish organization turned these offenders names and evidence over to the copyright holders for suing, that it would be just fine.
What I think some people are taking offense to is the fact that Danish organization which is threatening and invoicing these people does not own the copyrights! Where does this organization get the right to pursue other people for illegally downloading content? This is vigilantism, pure and simple.
I personally believe that downloading music / movies, etc. is illegal, is justifiably illegal, and that copyright holders do deserve to be compensated for their works. Nor do I believe that just because those copyright holders cannot get their heads out of their asses and deliver their content in a sensible manner is any justification for stealing.
Please note that Mordor is surrounded by mountains.
Later in the books, when they pass the "moontower" or Minas Morgul, also note how difficult it is for 2 people, much less an entire ARMY, to pass over these mountains. The only way for the Western army to gain access to Mordor is through the gates, and the only way for the armies of Sauron to get out is also through those gates. From the descriptions of the valley that the gates are contained in, this is a fabulous place for an ambush. Please keep in mind that maps are not always the end all be all of what it should have looked like.
Oh my GOD. I am going to die. I cannot breathe. I am laughing so hard, tears are rolling down my face.
Thank you for posting this.
I really need to stop reading/. at work.
More information on WETA and their infrastructure
on
Massive Two Towers Battle
·
· Score: 3, Informative
Here is an interesting article which addresses some of WETA's other issues in creating the film, and talks a little about their uses of Linux as their core OS.
I couldn't find a google cache or mirror for time's site, and they to be/.ed. If anyone can grab the page and post the text here, I think that would help ease the congestion.
This huge line of carts all stuck together, some kid pushing them toward the supermarket. Suddenly the mass of carts, i.e. beowulf cluster, becomes sentient. "No, please don't take me apart! Don't let those kids ride in me anymore!" "noo... I'm melting, what a world...."
While the probabilities may be small, this is the only event that could result in the extinction of our species.
I disagree. There are a number of events that could eliminate the human race, along with pretty much all life on earth:
Sun going Nova
Supernova
Black Hole passing close by
The moon's orbit getting interrupted, and crashing into the earth.
Virii
Earth's core exploding, etc.
This brings up another point, are we worried about a large asteroid hitting the moon and fragmenting it or changing it's orbit? How likely is it?
I own one of these. So far, I have played Q3, RA3, UT, BF1942, AA:O, etc. at the MAXIMUM resolution, with FSAA set at highest rate, i.e. trying as hard as I can to get it to slow down. No go!
I haven't met a game yet which can slow my framerate below 90fps or so. Not only that, it's so crisp it almost hurts.
I'm all for early adoption, but geez... the low end GF4 ti can easily handle any software I throw at it...
Thanks for this comment Schnapple. I completely agree with your statement and the examples you cite. Who out there can cite an example of a brand new technology overnight oblitering the old? When cars came along, how many decades was it until the horse and buggy went out the door?
Just because it's exciting and "cool" and EVERYONE on/. is going to get one the second they hit the stores doesn't mean it's the end-all-be-all.
On reading the article, I got the impression that: 1) The type of radioctive isotope they are using, exposed or not, does not emit the kind of radiation that can penetrate your skin. 2) Even if you did manage to get a hold of a large number of these "batteries" and strap them to a grenade, wouldn't it be easier to obtain larger quantities of "raw" slightly radioactive materials?
I don't think terrorists are going to be a concern with this kind of power source.
Although I do think that using methane as a power source is sending the wrong idea.
I mean, start to run low on power, just pull out a little tube, shove it up your ass, and start powering up! "Honey, what are you doing with that tube up your ass?" "Oh, I'm just powering my cell phone."
Slashdot Mirror
I just about $h1t my pants when I read the above. All replaced with Targets... it took me a minute and then the guffaws began.
Someone mod this up... that just killed me.
Beautiful... keep it coming. (LOL!) God, I'm making me laugh now.
It's called suspension of disbelief.
The first time I saw this movie, I about jumped out of my seat in the theater, trying to suppress my urge to yell and scream about the plot holes.
However, even though there are some logical consequences that we see as obvious, it doesn't actually detract from the movie itself.
We just have to turn off that logical part of our brains that makes us twitch, and instead just say "there is no spoon" and enjoy the movie!
Yeah, I can't wait to see Aragorn jump in his classic car and reap holy hell among the Orcs with that giant windmill/fan blade thing a ma jig. Too bad they didn't include that part in the trailer.
He also seemed to be missing his metal hand/gauntlet.
"This is my BOOMSTICK!"
Anyone remember the AOD TC for Q2?
What is the *best* way to see LOTR? I mean, is it better to see the movies without having read the books? What if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the series, not even having read reviews or having seen a trailer? How would this impact your viewing of the films?
I've read the trilogy cover to cover over 30 times, several times in the past year. I had a pretty specific set of images in my mind around what various characters, scenery, monsters, etc. would look like. I also had my own ideas of how to improve the plot of the movies so that they would work better on screen.
What I have found, after thinking about it, is that Peter Jackson has made some changes to the movie for some obvious reasons:
1) He is NOT HERE to faithfully reproduce the books in movie format. He is here to transfer their spirit and infuse his own unique take on them.
2) He made the movies to make money for his studio.
3) He made the movies to make money for himself.
4) He made the movies to impart Tolkien's vision to as many people as possible. i.e. the "masses".
5) He wants to be able to make more movies in the future, through the success of these.
If you had hundreds of millions of dollars to throw away, maybe you could go and make the movies to be completely faithful to the original text, but keep in mind, you DON'T. Don't jump on PJ because he had to make some compromises on time, characters, and plot to make it more appealing to Joe Shmoe car mechanic.
You have to wonder... what do they do with these gigantic models after the premiere? I can just see driving up to PJ's house, and getting the living shit scared out of you when you come around a corner in the drive and here is this giant cave troll about to smash your car in.
wonder how much they could get on eBay for them?
Seems like the definition of the word "mainstream" needs to be more explicit for the purpose of their paper.
My inference of their meaning is this:
End user software - meaning that it is installed on at least 50% of all end user workstations, business or otherwise.
As mentioned, the only thing coming close to this that I am aware of is Mozilla.
Maybe mIRC? (Is this open source?)
Anyway, it all seems to come down to the lowest common denominator. The guy makes a good point, in that Linux people / open source people (sorry, I know, lumping two groups together, BAD me) do seem to be rather self-absorbed and tend to create projects devoted to themselves.
Will this kind of development become "mainstream"? Personally, I believe so. We are seeing some major strides in the open source arena on the server side. The Linux architecture is really starting to shape up and provide the kind of stability for a GUI to live in.
Once you have the standardized GUI for everything else to live in, i.e. you don't have to port your application from one GUI variation to another, it makes it easier to concentrate on the end user experience, which is where making open source projects "mainstream" really needs to happen.
I've seen a couple of comments so far relating to the fact that if the actual copyright holders came forward and sued these offenders, or if this Danish organization turned these offenders names and evidence over to the copyright holders for suing, that it would be just fine.
What I think some people are taking offense to is the fact that Danish organization which is threatening and invoicing these people does not own the copyrights! Where does this organization get the right to pursue other people for illegally downloading content? This is vigilantism, pure and simple.
I personally believe that downloading music / movies, etc. is illegal, is justifiably illegal, and that copyright holders do deserve to be compensated for their works. Nor do I believe that just because those copyright holders cannot get their heads out of their asses and deliver their content in a sensible manner is any justification for stealing.
Please note that Mordor is surrounded by mountains.
Later in the books, when they pass the "moontower" or Minas Morgul, also note how difficult it is for 2 people, much less an entire ARMY, to pass over these mountains. The only way for the Western army to gain access to Mordor is through the gates, and the only way for the armies of Sauron to get out is also through those gates. From the descriptions of the valley that the gates are contained in, this is a fabulous place for an ambush. Please keep in mind that maps are not always the end all be all of what it should have looked like.
Uh.. try here?? idiot
Oh my GOD. I am going to die. I cannot breathe. I am laughing so hard, tears are rolling down my face.
/. at work.
Thank you for posting this.
I really need to stop reading
Here is an interesting article which addresses some of WETA's other issues in creating the film, and talks a little about their uses of Linux as their core OS.
I couldn't find a google cache or mirror for time's site, and they to be /.ed. If anyone can grab the page and post the text here, I think that would help ease the congestion.
Thanks in advance.
OMG. I really need to not read /. at work. I just spewed coffee all over my monitor after reading this.
I suddenly could HEAR THE SONG IN MY HEAD. Now it won't go away.
My coworkers are staring at me.
*hiding behind cubical wall*
I only really started laughing when I realized that only a true geek like myself could possibly find this funny.
Now that was funny.
This huge line of carts all stuck together, some kid pushing them toward the supermarket. Suddenly the mass of carts, i.e. beowulf cluster, becomes sentient. "No, please don't take me apart! Don't let those kids ride in me anymore!" "noo... I'm melting, what a world...."
While the probabilities may be small, this is the only event that could result in the extinction of our species. I disagree. There are a number of events that could eliminate the human race, along with pretty much all life on earth: Sun going Nova Supernova Black Hole passing close by The moon's orbit getting interrupted, and crashing into the earth. Virii Earth's core exploding, etc. This brings up another point, are we worried about a large asteroid hitting the moon and fragmenting it or changing it's orbit? How likely is it?
I own one of these. So far, I have played Q3, RA3, UT, BF1942, AA:O, etc. at the MAXIMUM resolution, with FSAA set at highest rate, i.e. trying as hard as I can to get it to slow down. No go!
I haven't met a game yet which can slow my framerate below 90fps or so. Not only that, it's so crisp it almost hurts.
I'm all for early adoption, but geez... the low end GF4 ti can easily handle any software I throw at it...
It's a good buy (got mine for $89).
Remember Bill Gates and 640k??
I certainly need more than that!
Thanks for this comment Schnapple. I completely agree with your statement and the examples you cite. Who out there can cite an example of a brand new technology overnight oblitering the old? When cars came along, how many decades was it until the horse and buggy went out the door?
/. is going to get one the second they hit the stores doesn't mean it's the end-all-be-all.
Just because it's exciting and "cool" and EVERYONE on
Just think of it as another way to clean up the gene pool.
On reading the article, I got the impression that:
1) The type of radioctive isotope they are using, exposed or not, does not emit the kind of radiation that can penetrate your skin.
2) Even if you did manage to get a hold of a large number of these "batteries" and strap them to a grenade, wouldn't it be easier to obtain larger quantities of "raw" slightly radioactive materials?
I don't think terrorists are going to be a concern with this kind of power source.
Although I do think that using methane as a power source is sending the wrong idea.
I mean, start to run low on power, just pull out a little tube, shove it up your ass, and start powering up! "Honey, what are you doing with that tube up your ass?" "Oh, I'm just powering my cell phone."
"Who da man?"
"Yoda Man!"
"Who da idiot?"
"George Lucas!"
Does it bother anyone else that the phages that they suggest implanting in YOU are fed RAW MEAT just like YOU are made of to keep them alive?
Doctor: Uhoh - bacterial infection! Here, we have a new treatment!
You: Doctor, why is my arm disintegrating?
Doctor: Oh, don't worry about that, it's all a part of the treatment.
Interesting link about Colloidal Silver. Anyone else have any "medical" information on CS? http://www.colloidal-silver.com/whatiscs.htm