Once again, Colin Campbell failed. The NHL had a chance, with the David Koci and Jarkko Ruutu incidents, to have their cake and eat it too. They had a chance to crack down, with  tough suspensions, on questionable boarding hits while there was no serious injury.

When will the NHL crack down on this, the most serious of offenses? Boarding, as defined by Rule  42

A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards. The severity of the penalty, based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee.

There is an enormous amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees. The onus is on the player (or goalkeeper) applying the check to ensure his opponent is not in a vulnerable position and if so, he must avoid the contact. However, there is also a responsibility on the player with the puck to avoid placing himself in a dangerous and vulnerable position. This balance must be considered by the Referees when applying this rule.

There is the rub, it’s up to the refs to define what is a “vulnerable position.” Rule 42 continues,

42.2 Minor Penalty – The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a minor penalty, based on the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of boarding an opponent.

42.3 Major Penalty – The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a major penalty, based on the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of boarding an opponent (see 42.5).

42.4 Match Penalty – The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player or goalkeeper attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent by boarding.

42.5 Game Misconduct Penalty – When a major penalty is imposed under this rule for a foul resulting in an injury to the face or head of an opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed.

42.6 Fines and Suspensions – Any player or goalkeeper who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts under Rule 42and/or Rule 44, in either Regular season or Play-offs, shall be suspended automatically for the next game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

Once again, I pose this question to Colin Campbell, do you not think that if the referee thought the level of violence of the hit warranted a game misconduct, shouldn’t that be suspendable on it own merit?

Koci received a five minute penalty for boarding, so, there is a little wiggle room with him.  However, Ruutu was issued a game misconduct for his actions in Carolina’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

What will it take for the NHL to get serious about boarding? A broken jaw? A broken neck? Someone dying? You tell me, Colin, what’s it going to take to crack down on boarding?

It starts in locker rooms all across the country.  It is helped along by certain media vultures. It’s compounded by often poor and indecisive refereeing. And it’s stamped at the end of the line by the man with the power; Colin Campbell. Of course I’m talking about the integrity of hockey in the NHL.

To clarify, anyone who points at the current NHL and says we’ve lapsed into a league of violence and brutality is wrong. Any game with that pace and physicality is going to breed some violent guys. Look at Maurice Richard, look at Ulf Samuelsson, Tie Domi, Marty McSorley, the 1970’s Flyers.  Violence is, and always will be a part of hockey. What it comes down to is how well does the league deal with offenders?

This isn’t an argument for or against fighting, or head shots, or the instigator rule. We’ve done that all before. What it’s meant to do, is question the practices for how the league patrols and protects it’s players. I want to be the first to say that Colin Campbell is probably a bigger cancer for hockey than Gary Bettman, and that’s saying a lot.

All you have to do is look at his recent track record, and you can see the glaring inconsistencies and biases that has created a culture of distaste among hockey fans around the league. As a Bruins fan, I can tell you that the lack of punishment in both the Scott Walker and Mike Komesarik incident in last years playoffs certainly stung as I watched the Bruins play without Milan Lucic due to suspension.

In the same playoffs, Daniel Carcillo (who I am no fan of by the way), received a game suspension for a punch he administered to Max Talbot immediately following a face off.  Later in the same playoffs, Mike Cammalleri was given a free pass due to the fact that he was not a repeat offender.  Oh I didn’t mention? He slugged Havlat in the face.

I feel as though my anger over the issue is causing me to ramble, so I’ll attempt to regain the point. Colin Campbell is single handedly creating a culture in the NHL that certain players and teams are exempt from the same scrutiny as others.  My single solution? SUSPEND EVERYONE. I don’t care if you’re Chris Pronger, Derrick Boogard, or Sidney Crosby. If you’re playing in an NHL game, and you make a blatant attempt to maim another player (and no I don’t mean in a fight or with a big hit) you will face a minimum suspension of 5 games. 2 offenses in one season? 10 games.

I don’t want to hear about that suggestion being too harsh either. These guys are elite athletes being paid millions of dollars to play a GAME. If they can’t control themselves, then they should be dealt as swift and solid a penalty as someone who does it all the time.  It’s obvious that there’s clear cut offenses, and some that are less clear. But what do we have to lose by sending a message that you can’t skate with your knee out?

Mr. Campbell, I have every expectation that you will never read this, and that’s fine with me. But if you do, I would love to know why we can’t just have a zero tolerance policy. You want to LOOK like you’re cleaning up the game? Don’t allow your players to get away with career ending garbage.

Not even a week after I posted my original “Headhunter” article, my prediction came true. Alex Ovechkin did end up injuring someone severely from his style of play. The juciest dish about this particular situation is that Karma played a central role in our little hockey drama, as the player Ovie sidelined was none other than ‘The Great 8′ himself!

Last night Ovechkin initiated a knee on knee hit against Carolina Hurricane Tim Gleason. While Gleason went down on the play, it appears as though Ovechkin suffered the worst of the fallout, struggling to get up, and ultimately needing to be helped off the ice by his teammates.

This incident marks the second time in a week in which Ovechkin has been thrown out of a game. If that isn’t a wake up call for Colin Campbell, I don’t know what is. As I stated last week, Ovechkin plays with a lack of regard for player safety, even his own. Well Ovie, you got what you deserved. Maybe this will teach you a lesson. I just wanted to say that I told you so!

Update: Nicklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings is out for at least a month due to a MCL injury to his left knee. The injury was a result of the “tripping” by Laraque. I don’t care to know that individual’s first name.

Fact: Players were in the neutral zone. Laraque attempted to hit Kronwall and failed. Upon failing in his hit attempt, Laraque stuck out his knee and leg hitting Kronwall behind the left knee. This move caused a “trip” to Kronwall, who forcefully fell on the ice.

According to NHL Live! (with EJ Hradek and Don LaGreca today!) there is an NHL issue regarding the trip that Laraque had on Niklas Kronwall. As I previously wrote, I disagreed with the “tripping” that Laraque of the Montreal Canadiens did against Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings.

Laraque was scheduled for an in-person meeting with Colin Campbell of the NHL. Laraque waived his right, so he didn’t have to appear for the face-to-face conference (WHIMP!). Usually, when a meeting is scheduled with Campbell, it is for penalties that result in a five-game suspension.

I think Laraque deserves more than a lousy five-day suspension, if that is what he receives. This sort of play needs to stop. I don’t care what team it occurs on. It is a dirty, cheap shot that does not belong in any level of hockey.

I don’t think the “new” post-lockout system is working at all.

How many blown calls can you make in one week, you may ask? Well, the NHL officials seemed hell-bent on setting a precedent this week, from Detroit not getting a goal while the puck was in the net and the somewhat even more blatant example was the ref STARING AT THE PUCK IN THE NET and blowing the play dead against Toronto. Not only that, but there’s hardly any consistency in regards to hits to the head, this player gets suspended, this player doesn’t. It’s almost like players have to draw straws in Colin Campbell’s office for him to make a decision on whether or not what they did was worthy of a suspension.

Egghead, Gary Bettman said on the NHL hour, his daily show broadcast on XM and simulcast on NHL.com, that “if a ref intends to blow the whistle, the play is dead.” Well, then, I ask you, Mr. Bettman, why give them whistles at all? They can run around the ice saying “I INTENDED TO BLOW MY WHISTLE BUT SINCE I DON’T HAVE ONE, THE PLAY IS DEAD.” That is the most asinine thing I think I’ve ever heard. A play shouldn’t be dead until the whistle is blown, plain and simple. If that doesn’t fit into the NHL’s already ridiculous and always wavering set of rules, then I propose those calls be sent to the War Room, and have the decision made there, since, well, the refs on the ice are too incompetent to call the game themselves.

What’s actually troubling to me, is that EVERY OTHER SPORT has an established set of rules that everyone can figure out. In the NHL, what looks like a penalty, probably isn’t, and what is a penalty, probably seems harmless. In that case, what looks like a goal in the NHL, apparently isn’t anymore.

The past few seasons, it’s been “the refs are still getting used to the new rules” but hey, guess what? It’s not acceptable anymore. Learn how to call a game, or find another occupation. The league needs to stop making excuses for the refs and force them to own up to the decisions they make on the ice, every other sport has a sense of accountability, apparently the NHL is devoid of all logic and sense.

Un informatore racconta: i dati chiave relativi al petrolio sono stati distorti sotto la pressione degli Stati Uniti.

Terry Macalister guardian.co.uk,
Monday 9 November 2009 21.30 GMT

Secondo un informatore presso l’Agenzia dell’Energia Internazionale (IEA) il mondo è molto più vicino a rimanere senza petrolio rispetto a quello che dicono le stime ufficiali. L’informatore afferma che è stata deliberatamente sottovalutata la carenza di petrolio per paura di scatenare panico sugli acquisti.

L’alto funzionario sostiene che gli Stati Uniti hanno svolto un ruolo influente nel favorire la sottovalutazione del tasso di diminuzione dei giacimenti esistenti, mentre si è esagerato sulle possibilità di trovare nuove riserve di petrolio.

Le accuse sollevano seri interrogativi circa l’esattezza delle ultime stime  dell’organizzazione World Energy Outlook (nrd rapporto redatto annualmente dalla IEA, l’Agenzia Internazionale per l’Energia) sulla domanda e l’offerta di petrolio che sarà pubblicato domani (ndr 10 novembre 2009 scaricabile qui) e che viene utilizzato dal governo britannico e da molti altri governi per dare un indirizzo ai loro consumi di energia e per le loro politiche sui cambiamenti climatici.
In particolare si chiede che la previsione dell’ultimo World Economic Outlook si ripeta anche per quest’anno e che la produzione di petrolio possa essere aumentata dall’attuale livello di 83 milioni di barili al giorno a 105m di barili al giorno. Alcuni critici hanno sostenuto che questo non può essere suffragato da prove certe e dicono che il mondo ha già superato il picco della produzione petrolifera.

Ora la teoria del “picco del petrolio” sta guadagnando il sostegno delle istituzioni dell’energia globali. “L‘IEA (Agenzia Internazionale dell’Energia) nel 2005 ha predetto che le forniture di petrolio sarebbero potute aumentare ad oltre 120 milioni di barili al giorno entro il 2030, anche se l’anno scorso (2008) è stata costretta a ridurre gradualmente questa previsione prima a 116 milioni poi a 105 milioni”, ha detto la fonte IEA, che non ha voluto essere identificato per timore di rappresaglie all’interno della sua compagnia. “La previsione di 120 milioni di barili era una sciocchezza, ma anche il numero di oggi è troppo alto da poter essere giustificato dalla IEA”.

“Molti all’interno dell’organizzazione credono che mantenere le forniture di petrolio tra i 90 e i 95 milioni di barili al giorno sarebbe impossibile, ma si teme che possa diffondersi il panico sui mercati finanziari se le cifre fossero ulteriormente ridotte. Gli americani temono la fine della supremazia del petrolio perché metterebbe in pericolo il loro potere sull’accesso alle risorse”, ha aggiunto la fonte.
Una seconda fonte IEA (senior), che era anche disposta a dare il proprio nome, ha detto che una regola fondamentale presso l’organizzazione era che fosse “indispensabile non fare arrabbiare gli americani”, ma il fatto è che non c’era abbastanza petrolio nel mondo come era stato detto. “Siamo [già] entrati nella zona del ‘picco del petrolio’. Credo che la situazione sia davvero critica”, ha aggiunto.
L’IEA riconosce l’importanza dei suoi stessi dati, che vanta sul suo sito: “I governi IEA e l’industrie di tutto il mondo si affidano al World Energy Outlook per avere una base coerente su cui si possano formulare politiche e piani di attività di progettazione “.
Il governo britannico, tra le altre, usa sempre le statistiche IEA piuttosto che le proprie per sostenere che non vi è minaccia per le forniture di petrolio a lungo termine.

L’IEA ha detto stasera che i critici del picco del petrolio avevano spesso erroneamente messo in dubbio l’esattezza delle sue stime. Un portavoce ha detto che non era in grado di pronunciarsi in anticipo sul rapporto 2009 che sarebbe stato rilasciato domani.

John Hemming, il deputato che presiede il gruppo parlamentare All-Party sul picco del petrolio e del gas, ha detto che le rivelazioni hanno confermato i suoi sospetti e che l’IEA ha minimizzato che il mondo sta esaurendo rapidamente il petrolio e questo ha profonde implicazioni sulla politica energetica del governo britannico.
Ha aggiunto che era anche stato contattato da alcuni funzionari IEA non contenti del suo indipendente scetticismo sulle previsioni. “Il ricorso ai rapporti dell’IEA è stato usato per giustificare chi sostiene che le forniture di petrolio e gas non raggiungeranno il picco prima del 2030. E’ chiaro ora che questo non è vero e le stime IEA non possono essere invocate a sostegno”, ha detto Hemming.
“Tutto questo dà un peso ai colloqui di Copenaghen [cambiamento climatico] e un urgente necessità per il Regno Unito ad accelerare il passo verso un futuro con una economia più sostenibile [basso tenore di carbone] se si vogliono evitare gravi perturbazioni economiche”, ha aggiunto.

L’IEA è stato istituito nel 1974 dopo la crisi petrolifera nel tentativo di cercare di assicurare l’approvvigionamento energetico in occidente. Il World Energy Outlook viene prodotta ogni anno sotto il controllo del capo economista dell’IEA, Fatih Birol, che ha difeso le proiezioni da precedenti attacchi esterni. Alcuni critici spesso, sul picco del petrolio, hanno messo in dubbio i dati IEA. Ma ora fonti IEA, che hanno contattato il Guardian, dicono che Birol ha sempre più tenuto testa a domande sulle stime all’interno dell’organizzazione.

Matt Simmons, uno stimato esperto dell’industria petrolifera, ha da tempo messo in discussione i tassi di declino del petrolio e le statistiche fornite da Arabia Saudita per i suoi giacimenti. Ha sollevato interrogativi sul fatto che il picco del petrolio è molto più vicino di quanto molti hanno accettato.
Il mese scorso il rapporto Britannico “Energy Research Centre” (UKERC) diceva che il picco della produzione mondiale dell’estrazione di petrolio convenzionale potrebbe andare in declino prima del 2020 – ma che il governo non ha fronteggiato il rischio. Steve Sorrell, principale autore del rapporto, ha detto che le previsioni suggeriscono che il picco della produzione di petrolio non avverrà prima del 2030 “nella migliore delle ipotesi ottimistica e nella peggiore delle ipotesi plausibili”.

Ma già nel 2004 ci sono state persone che davano avvertimenti. Colin Campbell, un ex dirigente della francese Total ha detto in una conferenza: “Se il vere stime  [sulla riserva di petrolio] dovessero venir fuori ci sarebbe il panico sui mercati azionari … ciò alla fine non soddisferebbe nessuno”.

Fonte

Homepage World Energy Outlook (IEA)

Scarica il rapporto WEO del 2009

Metteri i miei soldi sul sole e sull’energia solare. Che fonte di energia! Mi auguro che non ci sia bisogno di aspettare fino all’esaurimento del petrolio e del carbone per affrontare il problema.
- Thomas Edison, 1931

“Non siamo bravi a riconoscere le minacce lontane, anche se la loro probabilità è del 100%. La società che ignora [il picco del petrolio] è come la popolazione di Pompei che ha ignorato le avvisaglie del Vesuvio”.
- James Schlesinger, ex Segretario Usa all’Energia

“[La relazione 'World Energy Outlook 2006'] rivela che il futuro energetico in cui ci troviamo di fronte oggi, basato su proiezioni delle tendenze attuali, è grossolano, insicuro e costoso”.
- Claude Mandil, direttore esecutivo dell’Agenzia Internazionale dell’Energia

“Il vero problema è che noi usiamo troppo petrolio. E’ così semplice e così difficile. Se vogliamo davvero ridurre la nostra vulnerabilità per l’aumento dei prezzi il modo migliore per farlo è quello di ridurre il consumo.”
- Richard Heinberg, autore di Peak Everything

Quotes

Traduzione: Code Name Jumper

Pubblicato anche sul sito Come Don Chisciotte

http://wp.me/plKDA-uh

James Wisniewski, come on down – you’re the next contestant on The Price is Irrelevant Because Colin Campbell’s Judgement on Hockey Morality is Arbitrary, Inconsistent and, Frankly, Screwed Up Eight Ways From Tuesday (Don’t act like you don’t watch).

During a Ducks power play in last night’s Coyotes-Ducks tilt in Glendale, Wisniewski gave a hard elbow to the jaw of a streaking Shane Doan, who was moving with the puck in the Ducks’ zone, in a collision that sent both skaters to the ice, but left Doan stumbling to regain his footing shortly thereafter:

Doan would eventually return and get his vengeance in a grudge match that saw Doan land a few punches on Wisniewski before pile driving him to the ice and landing once last haymaker before the stripes intervened. (Maybe if either of the jerseys said “Crosby” on the back, they’d have intervened as quick as they did in Pittsburgh last night, where the refs’ moved quicker than Kyle Wellwood chasing a ham sandwich so as not to subject pretty boy Sid’s Travolta Face to any potential punishment.)

Here’s Doan’s retaliation:

I suspect we’ll be hearing from Campbell’s NHL Disciplinary Lottery Balls shortly, and I wouldn’t hold my breath for any particular result. The max fine ($2,500) is as likely as a pat on the head and a “Now, Jimmy, go apologize to Shane.”

In related news, the Coyotes won said matchup, extending a three-game win streak and moving them into a tie for 2nd place in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Kings. MVP goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was the 1st Star after stopping 32 of 34 shots through regulation and overtime, then pitching a shutout in the shootout, stoning Anaheim supersnipers Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne. (SHB-fave Sami Lepisto was the 3rd Star.). Both Los Angeles and Phoenix sit one point back of division-leading San Jose and will face off in Glendale Monday night. Center Icers should definitely tune in, and look for yours truly during any action in the corners at the bottom right of your screen. I’ll be the guy explaining to Rob Scuderi exactly what a Sally he is.

UPDATE: a credible-quality video finally made it to YouTube. You no longer need suffer my embarrassing digi-cam recording of my circa-1993 TV screen. Check it out up there.

UPDATE, Episode II: The NHL has thrown a 2-game suspension at Wisnewski today. He’ll miss upcoming games against Pittsburgh and Nashville, and should be available for Saturday’s game against…Phoenix. Keep your head on a swivel, Jimmy.

I’ve been getting out to sea on a small yacht named Morag. Morag belongs to the Darroch family who have old family ties to the island.

Alasdair Darroch arrived on Jura with family earlier in the summer in order to compete in the hotly contested Jura Regatta. (Alasdair, Archie and Jeanie can be seen in the photo sailing Morag on a balmy summers day). Morag is a veteran, having been sailed by the Darroch family at the Regatta for decades. Due, I imagine, more to my possession of a Land Rover with a tow bar than my sailing prowess, I was enlisted to help prepare Morag for the race. So began a whole summer of Morag related adventures! The first job was to tow Morag down to Craighouse. A gridlock situation developed on the Jura road as the trailer collapsed beneath the boat, blocking the road completely until we were able to enlist Martin Boyle with his massive digger to lift her free. The effort was well worth it as by the end of regatta day we were celebrating a double victory.

During the summer months Morag had been happily moored on an anchor in the Craighouse bay. On arrival back from the recording sessions at Crear, the plan was to get her out of the water for the winter with the help of Alasdair who was bringing up a new trailer. To our concern, the evening forecast brought news of gales coming in from the West. A step outside the front door confirmed that it was already getting blustery and obviously too dark for us to even think about transferring Morag to a more secure mooring. We’d have to sit it out and hope that Morag’s very generously specified anchor would do it’s job.

During the night I was kept awake by the old roof creaking in the gales and, in addition to my usual concern that it might suddenly take off to give me an uninterrupted view of the stars, I found myself thinking of Morag, on her own in the bay. First thing the next morning I rang Jack and Rhona Paton who live on the shore in Craighouse and have a close view of her. ‘Hope it isn’t to early to call, I just wanted to check that Morag has survived the night’, I said. Rhona put the phone down and went to have a look out the front window. I had been expecting a quick reply to my question. There was silence. Followed by muted discussion in the background probably involving Jack and their son Angus. Rhona came back to the phone. ‘I can’t see her’, she said.

Rhona went to have another look out to sea, this time with the aid of some glasses. More moments passed. With a Westerly wind Morag could have been blown over to the mainland, unless she had been broken on the rocks of Goat Island on her way out of the bay. Either way, it wasn’t looking good. ‘OK, we think we can see her. She’s dragged her anchor across the bay and seems to have come to a standstill just this side of Goat Island – but it’s terribly blowy out there so she may not survive for long’.

A few phone calls later and we were standing on the end of the big pier with Colin Campbell. It was so gusty that we could hardly stand up (you can see the pier and Goat Island in the photo). Morag certainly was in great peril. Remarkably her anchor must have snagged a rock as the sea shallows towards Goat Island and she was holding fast, for now. We decided that it was too dangerous to take any of Colin’s boats out to try and rescue her. Colin retreated to his van and made a call to his father, Bill.

Bill arrived a few minutes later to take to the water in his fishing trawler, ‘Ceanothus’. Within minutes we were on our way out to Morag and planning the rescue. Assuming we could get close enough, Colin would jump aboard Morag, take a rope from Ceanothus and cut the anchor loose so that we could tow her to safety. Although initially I had been assuming it would be me doing the jumping, I was quite relieved when Colin volunteered – he is certainly more sea-dog than I!

All went to plan. Our rescue mission complete, we clambered back on the pier. Morag was safely secured to one of the big mooring bouys in the bay, and we all felt a sense of relief that we had managed to save her from a certain, and rather violent, end.

Colin and Bill gave such an air of confidence, and Ceanothus felt so steady, that it had been easy to forget that we had been out in a Force 8 gale.

Never a dull day in Jura!

Hugh

According to Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health. Because nutrition operates as an infinitely complex biochemical system involving thousands of chemicals and thousands of effects on your health, it makes little or no sense that isolated nutrients taken as supplements can substitute for whole foods. Supplements will not lead to long-lasting health and may cause unforeseen side effects. Furthermore, for those relying on supplements, beneficial and sustained diet change is postponed. The dangers of a Westen diet cannot be overcome by consuming nutrient pills.

It is not that these nutrients aren’t important. They are, but only when consumed as food. Isolating nutrients and trying to get benefits equal to those of whole foods reveals an ignorance of how nutrition operates in the body. A recent special article in the New York Times documents this failure of nutrient supplements to provide any proven health benefit. I am confident that we will continue to discover that relying on the use of isolated nutrient supplements to maintain health, while consuming the usual Western diet, is not only a waste of money but is also potentially dangerous.
 
Mila is a whole raw food.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                              

DATE:  SEPTEMBER 18, 2009                                                                                            

CONTACT:  PUBLIC RELATIONS 772/221-1403                      

2009-2010 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers

Continues at Blake Library Oct. 11

Producer/director Colin Campbell will screen

 and discuss his film, Pants on Fire, second film in six-month series

 (Stuart, FL) – Martin County Library System will present “Pants on Fire” with producer/director Colin Campbell as part of the Southern Arts Federation’s Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers at the Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, FL on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. in the John F. Armstrong Wing. Following the screening, Campbell will engage the audience in a discussion about the film and his career.  Light refreshments will be served during the reception. Admission is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required.

Second in a series of six films to be presented by Southern Circuit at the Blake Library through April 2010, “Pants on Fire” tells the story of Brad Spoofer, a pathological liar on a quest for glory. Brad quit the Feed Barn Etc. back in Nebraska and moved to L.A. to become a movie star. His Hollywood career, however, has been a dismal failure. He’s the guy on the street corner dressed like a pirate and hawking mattresses. To save face, he’s been telling his naïve friends back home that he’s a movie star whose blockbusters are all about to be released in theaters. When his buddies decide to surprise him with a road trip to L.A., he has to scramble to prop up the illusion. Luckily, he scores a house-sitting gig for a wealthy couple in Bel Air and is able to keep the lie going, until he foolishly claims to be friends with the guy who played Pedro in “Napoleon Dynamite.” His awed buddies clamor to meet their idol. In the meantime, Brad has fallen for Lucy, a cute painter who decorates trash cans for a living and who mistakenly assumes Brad is a rich actor living in the hills. As his lies multiply and his checks bounce, he has to dodge the thug who took his headshots and never got paid, woo the girl, keep his job and, somehow, deliver Pedro.

Colin Campbell is a writer and director for theater and film. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his short film, “Seraglio,” which he wrote, directed and produced with his wife, Gail Lerner. “Seraglio” also won Deauville’s Grand Prix and First Place Audience Award at Algarve International Film Festival and the New Haven Film Festival, and ran for two years on HBO. Other award-winning shorts he has directed are “S.U.V. Luv” and “The Speeding Ticket.” His production of his play, “Golden Prospects,” was nominated for five LA Weekly awards and was Critic’s Pick in TimeOut NY, L.A .Times and L.A. Weekly. His screenplay, “Harrow Lake,” was chosen for Film Independent’s 2005 Screenwriters Lab and was recently optioned by Paranormal Media. Colin regularly writes and directs for Instant Films, where he’s won Best Writer, Best Director and numerous Best Film Awards. He has directed for the Mark Taper Forum’s New Works Festival, ASK Theater, and the Actors Gang. He has been a Resident Artist at Harvard’s Institute on Arts and Civic Dialogue, and a Guest Artist at Cal State Fresno. He has an MFA in theater directing from Columbia University. “Pants on Fire” is his feature directing debut.

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit regional arts organization making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975.  Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from the Southern Arts Federation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and local partner organizations The Arts Council, Inc., The Friends of the Blake Library in Stuart, Inc. and the Martin County Tourist Development Council.  Special support for Southern Circuit was provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  For more information on the Southern Arts Federation and its programs visit www.southarts.org.

The 2009-2010 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers continues at the Blake Library November 15, February 14, March 14 and April 11.  Bookmarks with a schedule and description of films are available at all Martin County libraries.  To learn more about the Martin County Library System call 772-221-1403, pick up a Library Connection at any branch library or visit the library Web site, http://www.library.martin.fl.us.

END

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." --Author Unknown

Hello New Vegan,

What an exciting and life affirming trip you have ahead of you!  There’s so much joy in the days ahead, but I also know that changing the way we eat and live can seem daunting at first.  I remember a time when no one I knew was vegetarian or vegan, and I felt very much like I was forging this path alone.  Now that I have new habits, new traditions, and new favorite foods, it can be easy to forget that there was a time when change seemed overwhelming.  Take heart.  With the growing pains of creating new habits comes the peace that is living a life in line with your own values and in a way that honors your health, well being, and respect for other living beings.  To you, New Vegan, I offer these insights and tips from my own experience.

1. Focus on your goal.

What is inspiring you to make the journey into a more compassionate way of living? Keep learning. It empowers us to do our best..

Consider what are the most compelling reasons to you to go vegan and keep learning.  It keeps us inspired and empowered.

Listen to the Vegetarian Food for Thought podcast.  (It’s also available for free on ITunes.)  Get out in the sun, go on a walk with your Ipod or MP3 player, and learn about all of the reasons why people choose this lifestyle.  When I felt alone in this new vegan world, Colleen’s voice in my ear buds kept me grounded.  She has over a hundred episodes.  Find one that interests you and start listening.

Read books by leaders in the health field like T. Colin Campbell’s China Study and Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live.  Stay abreast of news and research that is continually coming out about the healthfulness of a plant based diet and stay aware of the abuse that continues to exist within animal agriculture.  Read Food Revolution by John Robbins.

Visit animal sanctuaries in your area or plan a vacation to visit one.  The first time I held a chicken in my arms at Animal Acres, I felt overwhelmed with both grief and relief.  Her body was so small and fragile.  I was acutely aware of how vulnerable she was and how much lighter her body felt than my own companion animals at home.  I also thought of how many chickens I had eaten in my life and how freeing it was to appreciate her beauty while knowing I was no longer contributing to the slaughter of others like her.  Like the story of the person walking up the sandy beach throwing starfish back into the water, all the while knowing he couldn’t save all of them, when I look into the faces of the sheep, goats, cows, and pigs I remember, “It makes a difference to that one.”

2.  Identify Your Cravings.

Consider the root of your craving.

Sometimes I’ll hear people say that their body knows what it needs because they had a particular craving.  Studies have shown that these cravings generally aren’t based on nutritional deficiencies, no matter how much we’d like believe that our body really needs a bar of chocolate.  Research points to the idea that cravings are based more on our emotional state than nutritional needs.  We crave foods that are familiar.  We crave sugar, salt, and fat.  If these cravings were accurate pictures of nutritional deficiencies, we’d all be craving antioxidant rich leafy greens; however, which is more common in your life—hearing about someone craving a cookie or someone craving kale?

Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages have no cholesterol and 26 grams of protein.

When cravings hit, identify the craving.  Do you want something fried?  Savory?  Salty? Sweet?  If it’s a toothsome texture you’re wanting, try out a plant based meat.  I recommend Field Roast or Tofurky brands.  Although I advocate a diet based on whole foods, I think having a processed food on occasion is an acceptable indulgence.  I like those two brands the best, because their ingredients are largely whole foods based and not a hodgepodge of chemicals.  Top the sausages with all of your favorite condiments like stone ground mustard, organic ketchup, Vegenaise mixed with prepared horseradish, pickles, or sauerkraut.

Spaghetti and Beanballs from Veganomicon

If you have a hankering for barbecue, try pressing and frying tofu and then baking it with barbecue sauce.  If you’re jonesing for a hearty Italian feast, try noodles with lots of sautéed vegetables in pasta sauce and a side of homemade beanballs from Veganomicon.

After new habits and traditions have been created, you too may forget that there was a time when eating healthful plant based meals wasn’t second nature.  Take heart in the knowledge that your palate will change. Keep introducing delicious whole foods into your diet, and you’ll begin to crave and desire them.  Just relax and give yourself time to adjust.

In the meantime, introduce yourself to some new cuisines and foods.  Check out Happy Cow or Yelp and find some vegan, vegetarian, or vegan-friendly restaurants in your area.  Discover the deliciousness of Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Ethiopian, Mexican, Cuban, and Indian cuisines.  Many times if we leave our standard American fare, we see that there are lots of naturally vegan foods in the cuisines of other cultures that are vibrant and satisfying.

Think about your favorite foods and consider ways to veganize them.  Enjoy burritos?  How about a bean burrito with salsa and avocado in a whole wheat tortilla?  Buy a new vegan cookbook or two.  Plan to make at least one new recipe a week.

3.  Create a community.

In this non-vegan world it can be easy to feel barraged by ads, images, and ideas that are antithetical to your goal of living more compassionately.  Just as people who are looking to adopt healthier behaviors like exercising and eating right are encouraged to surround themselves with others who support them rather than sabotage them, so would I encourage you to surround yourself with people who understand and respect your goal to live a fully compassionate life.  Find a few like-minded people and feed those friendships.

Good places to look include vegetarian forums and websites like Meetup.com.  See if there’s a Meetup group in your area for others with vegetarian interests.  In LA there are vegetarian and vegan Meetup groups for those who want to go to vegan restaurants, out for drinks, hiking, and more.

Attend functions like vegetarian pride parades, vegan cooking classes, animal rights conferences, health fairs, and animal sanctuary gatherings.

Best of luck on your journey, New Vegan.

Be kind with yourself.  I know it can feel like a struggle when we do something out of the ordinary, but where has ordinary gotten us anyway?  Ordinary factory farming?  Ordinary heart disease?  Ordinary diabetes?  Ordinary cancer?  We deserve extraordinary.  Small decisions in our day to day existence can have a big impact in our lives, in our hearts, and in our world.

Just as a firefighter may not be able to save every person in a burning building, isn’t it still worth it to do the work?  Isn’t it worth it if you can save just one?  I wish you peace and perseverance as you enact change in your own life.  We can let the world decide what is right or we can choose for ourselves.  One thing is for certain, change is inevitable.  We can be the change we wish to see in the world, or we can let the world change us.  The choice is ours.

All the best,

Cadry

Set for release: November 13, 2009

An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.  Written by Roland Emmerich & Harald Kloser. Directed by Roland Emmerich. Starring  John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, George Segal, Oliver Platt, and Morgan Lily.

FOR THE JAPANESE TRAILER CLICK HERE!

Video on Demand

Make Up Department
  Gitte Axen … makeup artist
  Beth Boxall … makeup artist
  Anita Brabec … makeup artist
  Cara Doell … hair stylist
  Amanda McGowan … assistant makeup artist
  Thomas Nellen … makeup department head
  Connie Parker … key makeup artist
  Lisa Taylor Roberts … personal hair stylist: John Cusack
  Lisa Taylor Roberts … personal makeup artist: John Cusack
  Forest Sala … hair stylist 

Designing Movie Creatures and Characters

Special Effects Department
  Jim Boulden … animatronic animals
  Dan Cervin … special effects motion base technician
  Dennis Dallen … special effects artist
  Damian Fisher … mold shop supervisor
  Brent Gloeckler … special effects lead sculptor
  Allan B. Holt … mold maker: creature effects
  Robert Luo … technical director
  Aimee Macabeo … special makeup effects artist: creature effects
  Dale Shippam … special effects technician
  Mike Vézina … special effects supervisor
  Cam Waldbauer … special effects coordinator
  Joel Whist … pyrotechnician

Visual Effects Department
  Dave Adams … lead environment modeler: Pixomondo, L.A.
  Laide Agunbiade … senior lighting and compositing technical director
  Papavramides Alexandra … digital compositor: Double Negative
  Dalia Al-Husseini … visual effects: Double Negative
  Enrico Altmann … model maker
  Lindsay Anderson … roto/paint artist
  Jeff Atherton … associate visual effects producer: Hydraulx
  James J. Atkinson … digital effects artist
  Jarrod Avalos … matchmover
  Keziah Bailey … matchmove artist
  Scott Balkcom … digital compositor
  Andrzej Bandurski … junior technical director: Pixomondo
  Anthony Barcelo … digital compositor
  Andra Bard … bidding producer: Digital Domain
  James Battersby … visual development artist
  Dominik Bauch … visual effects artist
  Geoffrey E. Baumann … on-set survey lead: Digital Domain
  Travis Baumann … digital compositor: Gradient Effects
  Eric M. Beaver … digital compositor
  Brian Begun … senior compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Stephen Bennett … digital compositor: Double Negative
  Krista Benson … digital compositor
  Frank Berbert … digital compositor: Double Negative
  Niki Bern … lead compositor
  Andrea Biklian … visual effects coordinator
  Muhittin Bilginer … visual effects technical director: Double Negative
  Markus Boos … visual effects artist
  Rene Borst … digital matte painter
  Jamie Bowers … texture artist
  Tatjana Bozinovski … compositor: Pixomondo
  John Bozzalla … manager of production services
  Jamie Briens … effects technical director: Double Negative
  Margaret Bright-Ryan … digital artist: Digital Domain
  Dan Browne … systems admistrator: Evil Eye Pictures
  Kevin R. Browne … visual effects
  Kari Brown … technical director: Double Negative
  Nik Brownlee … compositor: Double Negative
  Matt Brown … lead production services technician
  Erik Bruhwiler … compositing supervisor: Hydraulx
  Tom Bruno Jr. … director’s post-viz/previs
  David C. Bryant … technical director: Scanline VFX
  Shannan Burkley … matte painter
  Andrew Cadey … visual effects technical director
  Colin Campbell … senior technical director: SPI
  Marco Capparelli … animator
  Debbie Carlson … digital supervisor: Scanline VFX
  Christine Carr … visual effects producer: Gradient Effects
  Bernard O. Ceguerra … senior technical director: SPI
  Daniel Chamberlin … visual effects artist
  Stephen Chan … assistant data wrangler
  Daniel Chavez … visual effects coordinator: Hydraulx
  Adam Chazen … production assistant: Pixomondo
  Vanessa Cheung … lead matte painter
  Jeremy Cho … digital paint & roto artist
  Eric D. Christensen … visual effects producer: Factory VFX
  Sun Chung … texture artist
  Patrick Clancey … digital opticals
  Yilun Zhu Cleve … digital compositor
  Michael Clive … technical director
  Chad E. Collier … render i/o administrator: Digital Domain
  Andrew M. Collins … matchmove artist
  Drew Collins … lead matchmove artist: Double Negative
  Matthew Collorafice … visual effects supervisor: post office visual fx
  Shane Cook … compositing supervisor: Gradient Effects
  Cameron Coombs … Inferno artist: Hydraulx
  Lee Croft … senior digital compositor: Technicolor Beijing
  Will Cunningham … lead crowd technical director
  Dennis Dallen … lead compositor
  Nick Damico … visual effects
  Minh Huyen Dang … lighting and compositing technical director
  Alistair Darby … matchmove artist: Double Negative
  Jonathan Davies … visual effects technical director: Double Negative
  Yoshi DeHerrera … visual effects artist: 3D scanning & modeling
  Ante Dekovic … digital compositor
  Peter Demarest … digital compositor
  Brian DeMetz … visual effects technical director: Final Light VFX
  Andrew Dickinson … fluid technical director: Scanline VFX
  Michael Dillon … digital intermediate assistant producer
  Gareth Dinneen … digital compositor
  Dan Dixon … senior digital artist
  Matthew Doll … digital compositor
  James Dornoff … visual effects production manager
  Christina Drahos … digital compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Derek Drouin … visual effects editor: Pixomondo
  Nathan Dunsworth … nuke technical director: Uncharted Territory
  Minh Duong … modeler
  Daniel Eaton … senior cg supervisor
  Scott Edelstein … on-set data collection (vancouver : Digital Domain)
  Joël Einhorn … fluid technical director: Scanline VFX
  Tamer Eldib … modeler
  Mohsen Eletreby … visual effects editor: Hydraulx
  Brett Ellis … technical director
  Volker Engel … visual effects supervisor
  Marcus Erbar … technical director: Hydraulx
  Thilo Ewers … digital matte painter
  Kenneth Fanning … effects technical director: Double Negative
  Joe Farrell … senior digital artist
  Paul Fedor … senior texture artist
  Chad Finnerty … animation lead: Digital Domain
  Felix Fissel … systems administrator
  Richard Fox … digital compositor
  Mike Foyle … digital compositor
  Antonio Freire … production accountant
  Robert Freitag … lighting technical director: Uncharted Territory
  Andreas Frickinger … 2D technical director: Pixomondo
  Quentin Frost … senior technical director
  Eric Galoob … visual effects editor
  Shannon Blake Gans … visual effects producer: New Deal Studios, Inc.
  Ignacio Garcerón … visual effects
  Demitre Garza … paint artist
  Demitre Garza … rotoscope artist
  Brian Gazdik … visual effects: Digital Domain
  Jack Geckler … animator: Digital Domain
  Gillian George … digital artist
  Sotiris Georghiou … visual effects: Double Negative
  Jack Shahram Ghoulian … senior IT manager
  Deborah Giarratana … visual effects executive
  Matthew Gilson … digital matte painter: Hydraulx
  Geoffroy Givry … digital compositor
  Geoffroy Givry … visual effects: Double Negative
  Steven Glazer … senior production services technician
  Lisa Goldberg … visual effects producer: Sony Imageworks
  Stuart D. Gordon … digital effects artist
  Christina Graff … visual effects producer: Crazy Horse Effects
  Paul Graff … visual effects supervisor: Crazy Horse Effects
  Gavin Graham … cg supervisor: Double Negative
  Robin Scott Graham … digital compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Don Greenberg … compositor: Hydraulx
  Jon Green … matte painter: Digital Domain
  Annemarie Griggs … digital producer: Pixomondo
  Jon Grinberg … visual effects editor
  Michael Grobe … CG supervisor
  Greg Groenekamp … senior digital compositor
  Ben Grossmann … visual effects supervisor: The Syndicate
  John Grotelueschen … senior production services technician
  Dean Grubb … effects technical director
  Miguel A. Guerrero … senior visual effects artist
  Alex Guri … digital compositor
  Brian Hajek … compositor
  Jason M. Halverson … digital compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Yasser Hamed … shader writer
  John H. Han … visual effects supervisor: Scanline VFX
  Pete Hanson … studio manager
  Michael S. Harbour … digital compositor
  Ahmed Hassan … effects animation
  Petr Hastík … digital compositor
  Jongwoo Heo … effects animator
  Peter Herlein … integration lead
  Nick Hiatt … lead matte painter
  Dylan Highsmith … visual effects editor
  Sebastian Hirsch … matte painter: ScanlineVFX
  Sebastian Hirsch … senior digital artist: ScanlineVFX
  Dark Hoffman … digital matte painter
  Finlay Hogg … compositing artist: ScanlineVFX
  Eloisa Honrada … roto/paint artist: Evil Eye Pictures
  Michael Honrada … roto/paint artist: Evil Eye Pictures
  Josiah Holmes Howison … digital compositor
  Alexander Hupperich … senior digital artist: Scanline Vfx
  Nathan Hurlburt … digital compositor
  Kenneth Ibrahim … effects & pipeline technical director
  Atsushi Imamura … visual effects
  Isaac Irvin … lighting artist
  Pasha Ivanov … visual effects
  Travis Wade Ivy … digital compositor
  Andreas Jablonka … senior digital compositor: Pixomondo
  John L. Jack … executive producer: Evil Eye Pictures
  Josh R. Jaggars … visual effects producer
  Jonathan Jamison … visual effects production assistant
  John K. Jenkins … senior lighting/compositing
  Jan Jinda … senior cgi artist: UPP
  Will Johnson … compositor: Digital Domain
  Phil Jones … visual effects supervisor: Technicolor Beijing
  Jaimie Lee Jota … digital production manager: Digital Domain
  Georg Kaltenbrunner … visual effects technical director: Double Negative
  Chris Kesler … matte painter/ concept artist: Double Negative
  Val Kharitonashvili … effects technical director
  John Kilshaw … visual effects supervisor
  Dave Kim … 3D coordinator
  Nicholas Kim … digital compositor
  Oliver Kirchhoff … matchmoving artist: ScanlineVFX
  Katharina Koepke … visual effects project manager
  Eric A. Kohler … archive editor: Hydraulx
  Marcin Kolendo … digital compositor
  Dean Koonjul … digital compositor: Double Negative
  Zsolt Krajcsik … visual effects
  Tomas Kral … senior cgi artist: UPP
  Anthony Kramer … digital compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Benjamin Krebs … digital compositor: Double Negative
  Daniel Kruse … digital lighter: Hydraulx
  John Kubasco … animator
  Alexander Kucera … visual effects coordinator
  Christian Kugler … matte painter
  Martin Kulig … matchmover: Pixomondo
  Steve Kullback … visual effects producer: Pixomondo
  Thilo Kuther … visual effects executive producer: Pixomondo
  Joosten Kuypers … senior lighting and compositing technical director: SPI
  Joshua LaCross … digital compositor
  Billy-Vu Lam … animator
  Donna Lanasa … lighting artist: Digital Domain
  Mark Larranaga … digital compositor
  Emma Larsson … visual effects line producer
  Mårten Larsson … visual effects lead
  Gary Laurie … matchmove technical director: Uncharted Territory
  James Travis Lawrence … lighting artist: Digital Domain
  Stafford Lawrence … animator
  Chris LeDoux … digital compositor: Scanline
  Sun Lee … matte painter: Hydraulx
  Mark Lefitz … senior technical director
  Alex Lemke … digital compositor
  Mohen Leo … visual effects supervisor: Digital Domain
  Kymber Lim … digital producer: Digital Domain
  Jirí Linhart … visual effects artist
  Elana Joy Livneh … visual effects assistant editor
  Gresham Lochner … digital compositor
  Dave Lo … senior modeler: Uncharted Territories
  Dave Lo … senior modeler: Uncharted Territory
  Nicholas Loizides … environment modeler: Uncharted Territory
  Venessa Loubert … previz coordinator
  Zachary Lo … digital compositor: Evil Eye Pictures
  Philip Lücke … digital compositor
  Keith Luczywo … associate production manager: SPI
  Robert Luo … technical director
  Zach Mandt … matte painter
  Marco Marenghi … animator
  Lisa Marra … visual effects coordinator
  Will Martindale … rotoscope artist: Double Negative
  Andres Martinez … visual effects
  Wendy Mashburn … digital production management: SPI
  Richard Matsushita … texture artist
  Kirk Mawhinney … modeler
  Eric McAvoy … digital compositor
  Matt McDonald … visual effects supervisor: Evil Eye Pictures
  John McGee … digital artist
  Allan McKay … fx artist: Pixomondo
  Chris McLeod … visual effects coordinator
  Naveen Medaram … digital compositor
  Naveen Medaram … visual effects: Double Negative
  Gurel Mehmet … digital matte painter: Double Negative
  Joel Román Mendías … executive producer: Scanline VFX
  Pieter Mentz … lead digital effects artist: Pixomondo
  Steven Messing … digital matte artist
  Scott Michelson … visual effects executive producer
  Justin Mijal … lead modeler
  Steve Miller … visual effects editor: Digital Domain
  Steven Miller … paint/roto artist: Hydraulx
  Michele Moen … matte painter
  Evangeline Monroy … digital production manager
  Alberto Montañés … digital compositor
  Alberto Montañés … visual effects: Double Negative
  Chris F. Moore … visual effects
  Lauren Morimoto … roto/paint lead
  Paolo Moscatelli … senior technical director
  Mohsen Mousavi … cg effects supervisor: Pixomondo
  Mohsen Mousavi … lead effects technical director: PIxomondo
  Kyle Mulqueen … digital artist: building modeler
  Dennis Murillo … IT assistant: Uncharted Territory
  Dennis Murillo … render wrangler: Uncharted Territory
  Mike Murphy … previs designer
  Howie Muzika … modeler: Digital Domain
  Alessandro Nardini … visual effects
  Salima Needham … digital compositor
  Chun Seong Ng … modeler: Hydraulx
  Vinh Nguyen … senior compositor
  Alex Nice … cg modeler
  Alex Nice … matte painting crew
  Lukas Niemczyk … visual effects artist
  Ian Northrop … integration artist: Digital Domain
  Ezekiel Norton … previsualization supervisor: Image Engine
  Jean Claude Nouchy … visual effects technical director
  Jordan Nounnan … previsualization artist: Proof
  Mike Ocoboc … digital compositor
  Cenay Oekmen … digital artist
  Cenay Oekmen … digital effects artist
  Peter Pace … matte painting supervisor
  Crystal Page … render wrangler: Pixomondo
  Eugene Paluso … visual effects artist
  Bruno Parenti … digital compositor: Hydraulx
  Daniel Pastore … matchmove artist
  Anuj Patil … senior technical director
  Andrew A. Paules … digital artist
  Patrick Perez … previs artist
  Christine Peterson … digital compositor
  Tobias Pfeiffer … visual effects editor
  Danielle Plantec … cg supervisor: Scanline VFX
  Leetal Platt … production assistant: Uncharted Territory
  Darren Poe … digital effects supervisor
  John Polyson … visual effects editor: Hydraulx
  Danielle Probst … visual effects coordinator: previz
  Ed Pulis … matchmove artist
  The-Hung Quach … texture painter
  Nigel Rafter … animator
  Nigel Rafter … visual effects: Double Negative
  Lance Ranzer … digital artist: Digital Domain
  Gal Ratner … visual effects: Pipeline Programmer
  Devon Read … digital compositor: Gradient Effects
  Julia Reinhard … compositing lead: Double Negative
  Thomas Reppen … digital artist
  Brett Reyenger … digital compositor
  Anthony Reyna … visual effects editor: Evil Eye Pictures
  Grover Richardson … roto/paint artist: Evil Eye Pictures
  Marc D. Rienzo … compositing supervisor
  Tim Riley … visual effects: Double Negative
  Brian Ripley … digital artist
  Rick Rische … matte artist: Uncharted Territory
  Gizmo Rivera … compositor
  Federico Rivia … lead texture artist
  Karl Rogovin … digital artist: Hydraulx
  Daniel P. Rosen … visual effects supervisor: Evil Eye Pictures
  Michael S. Ruscheinsky … compositor
  Olivier Ryard … digital compositor
  Ari Sachter-Zeltzer … cg effects supervisor
  Krystal Sae Eua … model/texture artist: Hydraulx
  Rhys Salcombe … additional modelling: Double Negative
  Miguel A. Salek … visual effects
  Nicole Samarron … digital compositor
  Joe Sambora … production assistant
  Christopher Sanchez … visual effects artist
  David Satchwell … digital effects artist
  Heather Saunders … visual effects production assistant
  Nabil Schiantarelli … compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Erick Schiele … senior technical director: lighting
  David Schoneveld … digital effects artist: Hydraulx
  York N. Schueller … character technical director
  Patrick Schuler … cg effects artist: Pixomondo L.A.
  Alex Scollay … visual effects artist
  Andrew E. Scrase … matchmove artist: Double Negative
  Kevin Sears … lighting artist
  Jason Selfe … lead compositor: Digital Domain
  Laura Sevilla … digital compositor
  Jeff Shank … digital effects
  Clancy Silver … digital compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Andrew Simmonds … digital compositor
  Andrew Simmonds … visual effects: Double Negative
  Sally Slade … digital artist
  Brian Smallwood … compositor: Scanline VFX
  Jeremy Smith … visual effects artist
  Ryan T. Smolarek … rebel unit
  Eva Snyder … junior compositor: Gradient Effects
  Maciek Sokalski … digital compositor
  Sepp Sonntag … modelling artist: ScanlineVFX
  John C. Sparks … visual effects artist: Double Negative
  Marion Spates … digital artist: Uncharted Territory
  Katie Spinelli … visual effects coordinator
  Bill Spradlin … lighting technical director
  Jiri Stamfest … matte painter
  Marc Steinberg … senior modeler: digital domain
  Jason Stellwag … digital artist
  Michele Stewart … visual effects coordinator
  Paul Venn Stirling … digital compositor: Double Negative
  Greg Strasz … additional visual effects art director
  Greg Strasz … texture lead: Uncharted Territory
  Colin Strause … visual effects supervisor
  Greg Strause … visual effects supervisor
  Frederick George Stuhrberg … 3D scanning
  Kristen Swanson … digital paint/rotoscope artist
  Hirofumi Takeda … digital artist
  Takashi Takeoka … compositing supervisor – post office visual fx
  Aaron Tankenson … manager recruiting
  Thomas Tannenberger … visual effects supervisor: Gradient Effects
  Olcun Tan … visual effects supervisor: Gradient Effects
  Dann Tarmy … digital lighting artist
  Dann Tarmy … look development artist
  Vahid Tehrani … visual effects artist: ScanlineVFX
  Rodrigo Teixeira … senior lighting technical director: Columbia Pictures/Uncharted Territory
  Scott Tessier … animator
  Cameron Thomas … compositor: Gradient FX
  Robert Charles Thomas … visual effects artist
  Gavyn Thompson … visual effects artist: Uncharted Territory
  Steve Tizzard … digital compositor
  Jon Tojek … visual effects
  Stefano Trivelli … senior compositor: Uncharted Territory
  Stephan Trojansky … senior visual effects supervisor: Scanline VFX
  Denis Trutanic … senior camera technical director: Pixomondo
  Greg Tsadilas … sequence lighting lead
  Melanie Rose Tucker … render wrangler
  Max Tyrie … senior character animator
  Andreas Vrhovsek … visual effects: Double Negative
  Christian Waite … digital effects artist
  Nancey S. Wallis … senior technical director: SPI
  Michael Anthony Oakley Walls … digital artist: Uncharted Territory
  Michael Anthony Oakley Walls … visual effects: Uncharted Territory
  Kyle Ware … visual effects coordinator
  Daniel Warom … digital effects artist
  Jun Watanabe … effects animator
  Marc Weigertr … visual effects supervisor
  Mark H. Weingartner … second unit director of photography: Paris/London
  John Welborn … software engineer
  Chris Wells … visual effects supervisor: hydraulx
  Neil West … senior matchmove artist
  Cameron Widen … pre-visualization supervisor: Image Engine
  C. Jerome Williams … paint/roto artist: Hydraulx
  Guy Williams … environment supervisor
  Deborah Wiltman … digital compositor
  Marco Wilz … digital artist
  Patrick Wolf … lead pipeline developer
  Leah Wouters … senior production services technician
  Alex Wuttke … visual effects supervisor: Double Negative
  Chris Qi Yao … texture painter
  Fikret Yildirim … digital artist
  Leanne Young … visual effects editor: Double Negative
  Joseph Zaki … visual effects
  Attila Zalanyi … effects technical director: Uncharted Territory
  Luca Zappala … senior technical director: Double Negative
  Christian Zurcher … visual effects artist: Uncharted Territory
  Paul Maurice … Lidar supervisor: Lidar Services (uncredited)
  Andrea Lackey Pace … manager of production services and resources (uncredited)
  Karen N. Sickles … recruiter: Digital Domain (uncredited)

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Prop Builders Molding & Casting

Copyright Laws Conflict with Internet Values

Colin Campbell’s article  Is the web’s free ride over? (MacLean’s 09/07/21), does not really review Chris Anderson’s latest, aptly titled book Free; rather, it describes the controversy surrounding the book’s release. Anderson claims the future of the internet will be in the universal exchange of knowledge where there is no direct cost to the consumer of that knowledge. The ease and low cost of copying and transmitting information electronically has, ironically, the effect of making the information is worthless, at least in terms of the open market. There are many objections to this assertion, especially from those who still rely on print media. Of course, money at some point eventually does change hands, usually after the online surfer has followed the links, encountered an attractive call to action on a website, and entered their credit card numbers. Nevertheless, for all practical purposes, the public domain is indeed becoming a giant free for all.

Andrew Potter’s When free becomes really expensive extrapolates from Anderson’s thesis and reminds us that “In the age of digital culture, it is not just access to art that has been democratized, but its production as well” (MacLean’s 09/07/13). Democratization is generally a good thing and a cut and paste world is indeed one of tremendous creative expression; it is also, Potter says, according to cultural theorist Walter Benjamin, a democratic dead end: with mass reproduction art looses all authenticity and uniqueness, resulting in mediocrity instead of excellence.  

Internet Copyright Law Absurd and Counter-Productive

U.S. Court of Appeals judge Richard Posner, Campbell notes, tries to defend intellectual property by arguing that copyright law “should be expanded so that people can’t link to stories” without permission, a rather strange tact given that the internet is all about getting traffic. If you want to retain your private rights to your material, the web is the last place to go. Even printed text, once the great bastion of semi-private thoughts, today ends up being digitalized, despite all efforts to enforce intellectual property rights. Then there is the problem of the paraphrase, a concept that is extraordinarily hard to define and even harder to legislate against.

With MacLean’s magazine publishing two online stories about the same book within eight days of each other, Benjamin and Posner should be proven correct by evidence that the articles are redundant and derivative. However, the two journalists took remarkably different tangents. What is more, the present electronic article has links to those two electronic articles which, in turn, are about excessive electrical linking–like a hall of mirrors. The screen you are looking at right now mirrors you, too.

Back to Basics with Intellectual Property

Jacques Ellul, in The Technological Society, portrays a farmer who, prior to the Industrial Revolution and the era of specialization, needs a plows and so designs, builds and uses one, ultimately creating an artifact that is highly personal to himself. After this point in history, however, art, science and culture started to diverge to the point where some of us might have trouble crafting any of the things we use or enjoy on a daily basis. But perhaps it is not too late, as Potter puts it, to return to “forms of artistic experiences that by their nature can’t be digitized.” Each one of us is an artisan. And, what is almost as good, we can all learn our crafts on sites like this one!

End of last month I was at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Society for Scientific Exploration, and enjoyed it thoroughly, as I always do. Partly it’s the intellectual comradeship with so many interesting people from very varied backgrounds; partly it’s hearing about intriguing matters that I knew nothing about before.

For me, two invited speakers, not yet members of the Society, were highlights at this meeting. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study (531 customer reviews on amazon.com with an average rating of 4+/5 stars!), presented stunning evidence of the health benefits of eating less than the amounts of animal fats that are typical in current American diets. It was also interesting to learn that he had successfully received grants throughout his career for cancer-related nutritional studies, when his actual interests and studies and findings had far wider significance for diets and nutrition in general; but “nutrition” is not a highly regarded field by those who distribute research funds. No sooner does one hear that then it becomes obvious enough. Where in the hierarchy within universities, for example, are Departments of Nutrition? So research funds are hard to get if you just want to study what people should eat and why.

A second high point was Jay Gunkelman on electrical measurements of brain activity, Quantitative EEG . Direct (d.c.) voltage levels modify the alternating (a.c.) voltages measured by EEG machines, and combinations of the two measurements permit sensitive and accurate control of anesthesia as well as offering data for intriguing insights into consciousness. For example, there has been some success in diagnosing among patients in a coma which ones might be candidates for successful reviving.

There were other interesting talks too, of course; and some not so interesting ones as well as some bad ones. I always think of it as analogous to the experience of ballet fans or opera buffs or book lovers or playgoers: You take in a lot of ordinary stuff, and put up with a certain amount of bad stuff, because occasionally you have so marvelously irreplaceable an experience.

The Society for Scientific Exploration was founded initially by distinguished astronomers, engineers, physicists and others to provide a disciplined forum for topics that the scientific mainstream ignored totally: UFOs, psychic phenomena, cryptozoology (Bigfoot, Loch Ness monsters) were the Big Three, but of course there are many others as well. The determination that the discussions be rigorously scientific led to stringent requirements for membership: PhD or equivalent, tenured university position or equivalent, respectable record of peer-reviewed publications in a mainstream field. I liked to joke that these requirements were supposed to keep out the kooks, when I knew quite a few kooks with all these qualifications. But in practice the respect for and insistence on evidence and logic has been very high, particularly in the Society’s Journal. At conferences, as in mainstream conferences, more speculative pieces are welcome. Moreover, membership is actually open to anyone who is interested, the original restrictive criteria having been limited essentially to voting rights, and there are now about 3 times as many Associate and Student members as there are voting ones.

As the years have passed, the Society has been discovered by scientists and others working in mainstream occupations who happened in some way to be so “out-of-the-box” that they could not get useful critiques from the usual mainstream sources. So we heard from Thomas Gold, the distinguished astrophysicist, about his at-last-accepted-after-much-rejection idea that the sense of hearing depends on an active and not a passive process; and about his not-yet-accepted ideas about the non-biological origin of the Earth’s oil and suggesting that life on Earth started deep down, not in the mainstream-accepted warm soupy pools at the surface. Other fascinating topics at conferences and in the Journal include ball lightning, correlations of birth dates with subsequent professional success, biological rhythms, and many more. There have also been discussions of the history and sociology and philosophy of science, especially the role of unorthodox ventures in the progress of science. One of the most appreciated features of the Journal of Scientific Exploration is the Book Review Section which covers an enormous range of intellectually fascinating material.

Of course there have also been many discussions of evidence relating to extrasensory perception, survival after death, the basis for UFO accounts, possibly artificial objects on Mars, and others where my own personal inclination has been to regard the evidence as in some way misleading or misinterpreted. Nevertheless, it has been enlightening, mind-expanding, a wonderful learning experience to find intelligent, sensible people of high conventional accomplishment who take a  serious interest in matters that I would never have looked at, had I not come to know and respect these people. It has been a rare and salutary education to recognize that everyone, myself included, may turn out to be mistaken even on something about which they have been very sure. Human beings are fallible, gaining new and deeper understanding of the world is difficult, science can only proceed by trial and error. But unless we explore beyond the boundaries of what is currently believed, we can only remain stuck with what we now understand — which no one, I trust, regards as eternally satisfactory.

Individuals like Colin Campbell or Thomas Gold who happen on the Society by chance often describe it in the most glowing terms, typically as the sort of organization that represents what genuine science ought to be, by contrast to the rather ossified and bureaucratic arrangements that have become the norm in mainstream venues. One of the other aspects that typically charms is the opportunity to interact in a meaningful way with people highly knowledgeable in so wide a variety of fields: such disciplines as sociology, music, history, literature as well as the “harder” scientific and engineering ones.

I look forward eagerly to next year’s meeting, even as it is still 11 months away. In the meantime, I am already relishing the opportunity this November to meet in person so many AIDS Rethinkers whom I have long admired from a distance.

National Hockey League Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell issued the following statement regarding the instigator penalty assessed to Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin at 19:41 of the third period of tonight’s Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final:

Following that review, Campbell said: “None of the criteria in this rule applied in this situation. Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight.  A suspension could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident.  Neither was the case here and therefore the one game suspension is rescinded.”

…oh. Okay.

Isn’t this why DC got suspended during our short playoff run?

Blatant favortism. Gotta love it. NOT.

P.S. Sorry for lack of updates. Our disappointing playoff fail + my entrance into grad school + work + life = lack of updates.

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Last day in traverse city, Me and Nathaniel went for a mash down yesterday. broke down at pirates cove, bum status.
awaiting departure.
getting nervous.
going to miss ashleigh very very much.
starting the tour with scattered thunderstorms. XXX

Get sic, COIN