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Friday Night Anime Block, Feature Edition: Wonderful Days

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Below you’re likely to find a 5min preview of Kim Moon-saeng’s masterpiece Wonderful Days (released dubbed in the US as Sky Blue), one of the most top-notch and best produced examples of Dystopian anime I’ve come across in ages (Thanks Matt!). Sadly, the original Korean subbed version, in all it’s stunning feature length goodness, appears to be only hosted by Veoh; who want you to download their particular player. Stuff like that always makes me more than a little squirrely.

This is one of those exceedingly rare times that I’m going to tell you its worth it.


Watch Wonderful days (ENG SUB) in Animation

(Ed.Note: both link and download tested clean to all 4 scans I ran, and seem to be working quite well. Nor has a full system scan returned anything untoward.)
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Jump Like Bitey

In the midst of an all-nighter induced haze trying to find much needed tutorials for my flash animation, I discovered this wonderful world.  Brackenwood is created by Adam Phillips.  I’m amazed at how much is created with just Flash and a graphic tablet.

There was no such thing as a Brontosaurus.

(6:42:31 PM) Cash Money: Did you see the video going around of Al Franken taking apart that woman from the Hudson Institute?

(6:45:19 PM) KahrlZero: This the thing about the senate health care subcommittee?
(6:45:25 PM) Cash Money: Yeah.

(6:45:19 PM) KahrlZero: Yeah, saw it.
(6:45:25 PM) Cash Money: Nice.
(6:45:32 PM) KahrlZero: This is an ugly business, my friend.
(6:46:38 PM) Cash Money: It is.
(6:46:57 PM) KahrlZero: I’m fairly certain that I’m going to get screwed.
(6:47:09 PM) Cash Money: As I told Alex (kid watched it with me), “these are sad times when only the comedians are making sense and acting rational. This speaks ill of our country as adults.”
(6:58:37 PM) Cash Money: But apparently when I write stuff like that for BoL, Nekogirl gets depressed.

(6:59:09 PM) KahrlZero: I do, too. I wouldn’t censor you for it, but it sucks the hope right outta me.
(6:59:52 PM) Cash Money: Well,
(7:00:04 PM) Cash Money: we as a generation are very wussy about this sort of thing.
(7:00:19 PM) Cash Money: “Oh shit? It’s not all hugs and rainbows? Run for the hills!”
(7:00:42 PM) Cash Money: We have been told that being sad or angry is Wrong®.
(7:01:01 PM) Cash Money: And that there is something Wrong® with us if stimuli makes us feel these things.

(7:01:01 PM) KahrlZero: It does make everything that every supportive, nurturing adult told us in the 80s an out-and-out lie.
(7:01:11 PM) Cash Money: Heh.
(7:01:14 PM) Cash Money: The 80’s WERE a lie.
(7:01:22 PM) Cash Money: There is no such thing as a Brontosaurus.

fujeira_1972_brontosaurus

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Are you a No or Yes?

No on 1 or Yes on 1?  Protect Maine Equality or Stand for Marriage Maine?  Same-sex marriage or traditional marriage?  Respectively.  November 3rd will be a big day for many in Maine, either way this goes…

This is the best question and statements surrounding this topic I have seen:

Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?  

The repeal effort has been led by the Roman Catholic Diocese. Bishop Richard Malone called same-sex marriage a dangerous sociological experiment.  The fact that gay couples have existed for generations, many of them raising children, counters this argument. Worse, however, is the church’s attempt to force its views on all Maine’s residents, whether they are Catholic or not. 

It is only natural that changing the definition of something as fundamental as marriage makes some uncomfortable. However, marriage has changed over time, interracial marriages were once banned, and men were allowed to have many wives, without harming heterosexual marriages. In a country where the divorce rate is too high and too many children grow up in dysfunctional and abusive families, encouraging more adults to commit to long-term, loving relationships is a positive, not a negative.

It is hard to see how allowing more people to marry will weaken marriage. Instead, it seems the strong desire of gay and lesbian couples to be married, rather than declared domestic partners, shows the value and importance of marriage.  - Snip its from an article in the Bangor Daily News, 10/17/09

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MARRIAGE AFFORDS unparalleled rights and benefits to people who commit to long-term relationships. All people, regardless of sexual orientation, should have an equal right to marry under the law. -Boston Globe, 10/25/09

 
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What’s that coming out of my speakers?

It’s a dreary Saturday afternoon looking out over the city in October with rain pelting my windows.  I always find myself listening to music and wanting to write when the weather presents its self as such.  Maybe I am convinced there is something important to write down.  Here is a bit of the music that is streaming out of this place today…

Enjoy!

We Now Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Broadcast: Pop!Tech ‘09

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If you’re not familiar with it, Pop!Tech is a yearly conference based in our very own Camden, Maine. It’s not a ‘Con, or and Event, but rather lives at a multidisciplinary corner somewhere North of Technology and East of Culture. Topics cover everything from the impact of technology on the arts, to the development and promotion of human culture, to recent developments in online security, to ideas around education reform. But what unites them all is a focus on thinking of the larger picture that any discipline can influence, and this year’s topic is billed as reimagining America. The design is to create a true synergistic environment to discuss art, culture, technology, and ideally motivate social change. The conference, which has been running for upwards of a decade,  is on through tomorrow. It’s gotten a bit pricey over the years, but luckily it’s also being streamed live as it happens, so hit the embed below. Any fan of big ideas will get a thrill out of this one, and after the jump are a few samples from previous years. Enjoy!

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The Continuing Education of Cash Money: What the hell was that CGC rating bar schtick in “Venture Brothers” all about?

BASEMENT OF THE SCIENCE BUILDING – It’s October and that means there have been very few reasons to get out of bed these days. The only one I can think of has been the promised return of “The Venture Brothers” on Adult Swim.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I really can’t say as we’re going to be friends… ever… but I will at least extend you the courtesy to you by of saying:

<<Warning, Potential Spoilers. Dingdong>>

During the first episode of this, our fourth season, entitled, “Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel,” you may have noticed some kinda cockamamie bar that would butt in on occasion [kaching!] with the labels “CGC Rating” followed by a number, a letter or two, and a dollar amount. Like this:

[kaching!]

I was left scratching my head for a long time and at first I thought it was some sort of FCC thing where the writers were predicting how much they’d be fined for this episode and that leads us to our titular question:
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