Archive for August, 2010


Looking Back: The Baltimore Comic-Con

Filed Under: Comics, SciFi Pulse by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 31, 2010

Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Baltimore Comic-Con, held in the Baltimore Convention Center. Sadly, it is near the field where the Baltimore Ravens were playing a pre-season football game, which caused the parking prices to triple. Still, it was a fun outing. Look for more of my reflections on SciFiPulse.Net today!

This article appeared in the Baltimore Sun before the Comic-Con started on Saturday, but it still has some good things to say about it:

>>A comic con for comic fans

At a time when the big comic conventions are trying to be all things to all people, Baltimore’s tries to keep its focus narrow

By Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun

When it comes to his Baltimore Comic-Con, organizer Marc Nathan takes that word “comic” seriously. The annual fan gathering is a comic-book convention, he stresses, not a pop-culture convention or a cool stuff convention or a famous people convention.

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‘To Beam, Or Not To Beam?’

Filed Under: Science Fiction, Star Trek by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 30, 2010

Being a Star Trek fan means I look at the world through different eyes. And I like that.

For instance, I don’t look at Shakespeare the same way others do because of references in the show to the writer being a Klingon. That is a perspective that actually makes sense, given the Bard’s penchant for murder.

Well, it had to happen: Shakespeare is being performed in Klingon right here in the Nation’s Capital. Here’s the Washington Post’s article about that:

>>How the Washington Shakespeare Company came to offer Shakespeare in Klingon

By Peter Marks, Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Don’t you love that remarkable moment when roSenQatlh and ghIlDenSten exit the stage and Khamlet is left alone to deliver the immortal words: “baQa’, Qovpatlh, toy’wl”a’ qal je jIH”?

No? Well, it always kills on Kronos. That’s the home planet of the Klingons, the hostile race that antagonizes the Federation heroes of “Star Trek.” We learned back in ’91 in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” that the Klingons love them some Shakespeare. Or as he’s known to his ridged-foreheaded devotees in the space-alien community: Wil’yam Shex’pir.

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‘Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure Of All’ 2 Of 2

Filed Under: Animation, Science Fiction by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 29, 2010

Yesterday, I posted the first five portions of Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure Of All. I hope you will stick around for the last four, which I am putting in order below:

Part 6:

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‘Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure Of All’ 1 Of 2

Filed Under: Animation, Science Fiction by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 28, 2010

In honor of the Baltimore Comic-Con that I’m attending this weekend, I thought I would share a really good animated adventure featuring the classic character Flash Gordon. This movie, called Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure Of All, was made by Filmation, a company that made a LOT of cartoons in the 60s and 70s. This was one of their best.

It is broken into nine parts so it can appear on YouTube. Today, I’m posting the first five; tomorrow will have the last four. I know it is a little grainy since it has been translated from videotape, but please take time to enjoy this film.

Part 1:

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iTunes U Downloads Go Over 300 Million

Filed Under: Computers/The Web, iPod, iPhone, iPad, i by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 27, 2010

Online eduction is becoming a big thing. And why not? You can learn things according to your schedule, targeting your specific interests. You can even learn while riding the bus or Metro. It’s a perfect way to expand your horizons.

I’ve been a big fan of iTunes U, in which one can download for free all kinds of classes to listen to. One class I downloaded recently was about C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite writers. I learned a lot about his history and his theology, which was very helpful in my understanding of the man and his works.

Here’s a story about iTunes achieving a certain accomplishment, having 350,000 files anyone can  access:

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Will We See The New iPods September 1?

Filed Under: Computers/The Web, iPod, iPhone, iPad, i by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 26, 2010

These days, it seems like Steve Jobs says to jump, and we all ask, “How high?”

Now that the iPad is doing brisk business, it is time to revamp to beloved iPod. Here’s a story about that:

>>Apple likely to show off new iPods Sept 1

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Apple Inc. is expected to show off a snazzier line of iPods on September 1, as speculation mounts the consumer electronics giant may also unveil plans to reinvigorate its long-neglected TV project.

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‘Beat Whitey Night’ Happens In Iowa

Filed Under: Beliefs, What-everrr! by Wayne Hall — 1 Comment
August 25, 2010

I try not to let the negative news stories dominate my perspective, as I mentioned yesterday, but every once in a while, I feel something must be put under the spotlight.

In my 100th entry, I talked about diversity and how I believe in that word. Unfortunately, some people take the word to mean only one group can be racist, and another can’t. Sadly, here’s an example of black-on-white violence in the heartlands:

>>Police say it’s ‘very possible’ attacks near fairgrounds had racial overtones

Des Moines police are trying to determine what led to a series of attacks outside the Iowa State Fairgrounds over the weekend that included the assault of two police officers.

At least three people were arrested Friday through early Monday morning. Other arrests may occur as officers investigate the incidents, officials said.

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Some Good News On A Bad News Day

Filed Under: Beliefs, What-everrr! by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 24, 2010

It’s really easy to let the negative be your focus and even your obsession. When something happens, it is so appealing to say how hard something was to get done or how imperfect the other person you have been dealing with is. But I just don’t believe that accomplishes much. In fact, I think it makes getting good things done all the harder!

For today’s entry, I was scouting through the news to see what caught my eye, and there was nothing but awful stuff–things that make me feel dirty even considering mentioning on here. So, when I came across a really good news story, it brightened my whole day!

Here is that story as it appeared on AOL.com:

>>3-Year-Old Saves Dad By Walking To Fire Station For Help

(Aug. 23) — When her father collapsed in their living room, 3-year-old Alesaundra Tafoya knew what to do.

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Paying For The Privilege Of Blogging

Filed Under: Computers/The Web by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 23, 2010

One of the things that has made the Internet so popular is that it’s free! Anyone can pretty much, within reason, do anything they want on here. However, that may not always be the case.

Here’s a story about a blogger having to pay for her use of the Web:

>>Philly requiring bloggers to pay $300 for a business license

By Mark Hemingway

It looks like cash hungry local governments are getting awfully rapacious these days: View full article »

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Heynabonics = Speaking The Lingo Of Northeastern Pennsylvania

Filed Under: Beliefs, What-everrr! by Wayne Hall — Leave a comment
August 22, 2010

I was born in Scranton and raised in Taylor, Pennsylvania, just outside that city. It used to be a coal mining area, but the coal ran out decades ago. The town is always asking, “Now what?”

Like every region, that area has developed there own way of speaking. Below is a video about Heynabonics:

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