Geek Quote of the Day
Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.
Archive for January, 2010
Review: Mansfield Park and Mummies
Book: Mansfield Park and Mummies: Monster Mayhem, Matrimony, Ancient Curses, True Love, and Other Dire Delights
ISBN-13: 978-1607620471
Author: Jane Austen and Vera Nazarian
Publisher: Curiosities
Genre: Parody / Humor
Release: November 16, 2009
Length: 568 pages (Paperback)
Rating: B (85)
Verdict
Mansfield Park and Mummies is a hilarious satire. Nazarian puts a Monty Python spin on one of the most deadly dull classics of English literature and succeeds in transforming it into a hilarious farce, while still remaining true enough to the tone of the original tale that its deliciously ridiculous premise never overtakes the authenticity of its tone.
If you liked Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you need to read this book. It’s a pitch perfect encore.
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Pros: The irreverent tone is perfectly executed. Tongue-in-cheek humor and vivid visuals read like a theatrical play.
Cons: Very long, even with hilarious sub-plots. Why always Jane Austin?
This Day in Geek History: January 23
1959
Robert Noyce of Texas Instruments conceives the idea of an integrated circuit. In 1968, Noyce will found Intel with Gordon Moore and Andy Grove.
1983
The action television series The A-Team premieres on the NBC network with the episode “Mexican Slayride.” The series will become a cultural icon of the eighties, garnering a significant cult following. The series will run for ninety-eight episodes over five seasons. TV.com entry
1985
Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh Office, which included the first AppleTalk network and the LaserWriter laser printer. A US$50 kit will be available for connecting a Macintosh to the 230kbps Appletalk network. The LaserWriter is priced at US$6,995.
Apple Computer officially renames the Lisa 2/10 computer to Macintosh XL. Price: US$3,995
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Geek Quote of the Day
“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”
- - The Book of Merlyn by T.H. White, 1977.
Geek Media Round-Up: January 22, 2010
Art
- Bathsheba Grossman is a sculptor who uses cutting-edge technology to render math and science inspired scultures in three dimensions.
- Fandomania has compiled a gallery of Bayonetta fan art from Deviant Art.
- The Huffington Post The Most Amazing Libraries In The World.
Film
- Interview: The LA Times profiles Mel Gibson.
- Interview: The UK Telegraph interviews Mel Gibson.
- Den of Geek picks the Top Ten Stephen King Adaptations.
- Film Junk explains the Five Gold Standards that Make a Great Sci-Fi Film.
- The SciFi Squad counts down The Top Ten Sci-Fi Experiments Gone Wrong.
- Sci Fi Wire explains How Spielberg and Lucas inspired Legion’s battling angels.
- Velcro City has found a photo taken during a break in the filming of Metropolis.
- Watch a YouTube video of The 100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes of All Time.
Link Round-Up: January 22, 2010
Resources
10 Best Alternatives to the iTunes Store – The iTunes Store changed how we buy music, but it’s not the only option. MacLife looks at how nine other MP3 stores stack up to discover if anything can actually replace iTunes.
FollowBase – Twitter is becoming an integral part of the web and companies are finding it more and more important to let users reach them via Twitter. FollowBase is a website that aggregates those companies in one place and lets you receive customer support on Twitter.
KML Tutorial – One of the great things about Google Earth is how extensible it is using KML. You can use it to show off placemarks, build 3D structures, track wildfires or hurricanes, and much more. Google Earth can be used as a scientific visualization platform.
Nerrot – A torrent search engines that takes its que from Google in its minimalist design. If you’ve used any of the more famous torrent search engines, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with Nerrot.
StayFocusd – StayFocusd is a free download that works wherever Chrome Extensions do. Rather than set individual time limits for each site, StayFocusd asks for a total amount of time you want to let yourself spend on all your non-productive sites, then times you.
Thumba – A fast image editor that allows you to manipulate images on the go without installing any software/plug-ins to your computer.
Top Tools For Tracking Topics on the Web – Tracking topics on the Web can be a painful process, due to the amount of noise and difficulty of filtering it. To help you out, RWW has selected and categorized the leading topic-tracking tools.
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Geek Quote of the Day
All I ask is one thing, and I’m asking this particularly of young people: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism, for the record, it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.
- - Conan O’Brien in his parting remarks
On the final episode of The Tonight Show, January 22, 2010.
This Day in Geek History: January 22
1889
The Columbia Phonograph Company is formed in Washington, D.C.
1908
Edouard Bélin uses his Bélinographe, a system able to send remote photographs over telephone and telegraphic networks, to transmit a photograph 1,700km from Paris to Bordeaux to Lyon then back. The historical event takes twenty-two minutes.
1939
The Uranium atom is split for the first time using the cyclotron at Columbia University, in New York City. The break through will lead to the creation of the atom bomb in Manhattan Project.
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