by cameron | May 31, 2007 | energy, energy debate, environment, science, singularity, technology
Didn’t expect THAT, did you?
I’m prepping for my chat with Vint tomorrow morning and happened upon this recent interview with Kuzweil on CNNMoney where he says:
“These slides that Gore puts up are ludicrous,” says the man who once delivered a tech conference presentation as a singing computer avatar named Ramona. (That stunt was the inspiration for the 2002 Al Pacino movie “Simone.”) “They don’t account for anything like the technological progress we’re going to experience.”
I guess he means that accelerating technological progress will allow us to generate power using fossil-fuel substitutes and undo the damage we’ve already done. He might be right. I hope he is. I still don’t think that means we should stop doing what we can do now to change our behaviours though.
By the way… I’ve got something VERY exciting in the works for TPN’s audience regarding carbon offsets. Stay tuned.
by cameron | May 24, 2007 | energy, energy debate, Podcast, science, science vs religion
Rod Adams, host of TPN’s Atomic Show, joins me today to talk about nuclear energy vs solar and religion vs science.
Don’t forget to make use of my new comments line – +613 9016 9699.
If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed and leave us a voice comment!
The G’Day World Theme Song is “Save Me†by The Napoleon Blown Aparts.
by cameron | Apr 30, 2007 | Christianity, climate change, energy debate, environment, media 2.0, movies
While I was working out today I watched “Land Of The Dead“, George Romero’s 2005 4th zombie flick, starring Aussie actor Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento and John Leguizamo. What a great way to pass a couple of hours of otherwise-boring exercise.
Two things I loved in particular with the “Making Of” doco.
1. Romero talking about how Hopper decided he wanted to play the part of the bad guy, Kaufman, as Donald Rumsfeld and the way Romero yells “Exactly! This is about the Bush administration!” Too many directors are oh-so-politically correct (even now!), but not George, oh no. He tells it like it is!
2. The other thing I loved was George’s glasses:
When I saw the Ocean’s 13 trailer, with Elliott Gould wearing the same glasses, George Burns glasses, I said “I’ve got to have some!”
Anyone know where I can get some? Without real lenses of course. I have 20/20 vision (not like the rest of you geeks out there… how come I’ve read more books than the rest of you put together, I sit in front of a PC all day, and I *still* have 20/20?).
******
Kevin Rudd is pitching himself at the ALP conference as “Mr 21st Century”. Yet, at the same time, he is content to wear his Anglican Christianity on his sleeve. I find it impossible to take anyone seriously who tries to position themselves as 21st century yet clings openly to a 2000 year-old mythology about a miracle worker who could fly.
That said, I admire his cojones in commissioning an Australian version of the Stern report. Do we really *need* another Stern report though? Isn’t one Stern enough Stern? Let’s face it – we call know not doing anything about climate change will be BAD. REALLY BAD. And those that continue to dispute that issue, aren’t going to be convinced by one more report, any more that Rudd will drop his Christianity by one more book pointing out that there is no evidence to support his mystery faith. It’s a waste of money.
******
I see Dom Carosa’s been busy launching yet ANOTHER new site – NICE SHORTS. I stumbled on this (yes, using Stumble Upon) last night and watched a great clip by up-and-coming Aussie filmmaker Gabriel Dowrick.
His short film, “The Lord Is My Shotgun” is very impressive. I’ve got Gabe coming on G’Day World later in the week for a chat. I think he’s about 21 and has made something like 20 short films as well as a recent straight-to-dvd zombie slasher horror feature called “Nailed”.
******
Did TWO – count ’em – TWO workouts today. 45 minutes on the xtrainer at 9am and then another 30 minutes at 5pm. Don’t want to be a fatblogger. I cannot for the life of me get interested in working out at 6am, so I tend to wake up, do email for a few hours, take the kids to school, and THEN get on the machine. And watch zombie flicks. I can pretend I’m running away from the flesh-eating zombies. SPEAKING of which… am I the only person who is surprised that with those rotten teeth they all seem to have, the zombies still manage to rip huge chunks of flesh, tendon and bone out of their victims? Shouldn’t their teeth just fall out when they try? Now there’s an idea for a postmodern zombie flick – the zombie’s attack, their teeth fall out, and everyone falls over laughing while the zombies spend the rest of the film trying to gum people to death….
******
by cameron | Apr 29, 2007 | Iraq, Uncategorized
Retired Army Lt. Gen. William Odom said today:
“The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place,” he said.
“He [Bush] lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies.”
According to Wikipedia, Odom is “a former U.S. Army 3-star general, and was Director of the NSA under President Ronald Reagan” and has called the illegal invasion of Iraq “the worst strategic blunder in the history of U.S. foreign policy”.
I just thought these are a good couple of quotes for folks like Mike who seem to still have this idea of the USA being Mr All-White-Guy John Wayne on a white horse wearing a white hat protecting the nice white lady from the terrible injuns.
Even at least one US 3-star general thinks is was a really, REALLY bad idea.
by cameron | Apr 24, 2007 | Iraq, Uncategorized
Eddie Van Halen has new teeth!
******
Thanks to everyone who commented, emailed and IMd about my dark clouds yesterday. Really, there is nothing to worry about. Today I’m back on top, thinking more about “the future” and less about “the past” (neither of which really exist, of course, other than mental constructs in “the now”). It’s part chemical, part psychological. The questions I’m asking myself today are better than the self-pity dialogue I had yesterday. Today’s it’s all about “what can I do differently?” rather than “how the hell did I end up here?”.
******
John Howard won’t pull Australian troops out of Iraq because he doesn’t want the US to be “humiliated”. It’s this kind of muddled thinking which has totally undermined Australia’s credibility on the world stage. Our continued involvement in the tragedy of Iraq, our refusal to sign Kyoto, our treatment of refugees in internment camps, and our treatment of our indigenous people have left Australia’s international reputation severely lacking. Humiliated? The US has already been humiliated by Iraq. I can’t see how acknowledging their mistake is going to lead to more humiliation. We teach our children that admitting a mistake is the first step to learning from it and resolving it. So it tells you a lot about a government’s willingness to learn and grow when it cannot admit its own mistakes. Do they think history will punish them more for admitting a mistake than for perpetuating one?
******
by cameron | Apr 23, 2007 | Australian media, Australian politics, censorship, climate change, Culture Jamming, energy, energy debate, environment, freedom of speech, Melbourne, movies, Podcast
No guest today, just a bit of a chat about:
Robert Rodriguez’s cooking show on the Sin City Recut DVD
this report that less than 7% of Australians believe cosmetics advertising
a review of “The Receipt” by Will Adamsdale and Chris Branch, currently showing in the Melbourne Comedy Festival
ExxonSecrets, a site that helps you follow the money behind the climate change skeptics
my review of George Romero’s 1985 classic “Day Of The Dead”
my review of Danny Boyle’s current film “Sunshine” starring Aussie actress Rose Byrne and Cillian Murphy
the spoof website MiningNSW which the Mining Council of NSW has been trying to shut down
and then I finish with a little chat about my friend, the darkness, and what to do about it.
Don’t forget to make use of my new comments line – Aussies can dial into +613 9016 9699. The rest of you can either pay international charges (cmon, what price can you put on being on my show??) or just start begging me to set up an international number.
If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed and leave us a voice comment!
The G’Day World Theme Song is “Save Me†by The Napoleon Blown Aparts.
