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ADigitalMan

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26-Sep-2004
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14-Jun-2025
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Post
#135065
Topic
katrina
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/135065/action/topic#135065
Time
Here's the question everybody is starting to ask: FEMA has had billions of dollars pumped into it to prepare us for exactly this scenario. And FEMA has screwed the pooch on the whole operation. Mike Brown is going to be run out of Washington on a rail. But it goes beyond that. For the second time in this president's tenure, he hung out on an extended August vacation at The Ranch, ignoring growing disgust with the Iraqi stituation and not listening to the citizens about a looming Oil crisis. For the second time, his vacation has ended with a massive crisis (this time forcing him to leave The Ranch a couple days early, poor thing) in our nation that caught our government unawares and unprepared.

But this time, there is nobody to bomb. This time the fault lays squarely on Washington.

In the years before this hurricane The Army Corps of Engineers has been asking this President for $208M to reinforce the levees, because they were decaying and were in dire need of repair. The President authorized only $10M. Now we're having to pay $20 Billion (with a "B") for starters just to straighten out the mess that could have been avoided had the proper resources been allocated in the first place when the Corps requested it.

As for the here-and-now, I'm pissed on two fronts:
1) Where are all the relief workers? If the news networks can get their people, fuel, and security into the area, why can't the Federal Government?

2) Since the news media CAN seem to get into the area, why can't they put down their high-and-mighty objective coverage and actually get involved with the relief effort? If you're getting into the area to cover it, bring some damn food and water to share while you're at it. Don't just take pictures of people dying, do something to help them. These are your fellow citizens who granted you that first amendment. Journalistic ethics my ass -- what's ethical about a policy of non-involvement when fellow citizens are dying in front of your very eyes?

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Post
#134902
Topic
How do you rip DVDs?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134902/action/topic#134902
Time
Womble MPEG Video Wizard lets you edit the MPEG2 stream without the need to convert to AVI or recompress back to MPEG2. Preserves the original video perfectly. If you need to manipulate the video in any way, then converting to AVI is necessary. However, just converting the pieces you need to change is recommended unless you have terabytes of hard drive space to use for all the iterations.
Post
#134860
Topic
katrina
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134860/action/topic#134860
Time
When we say "military being deployed to The Gulf" it conjures up images of heading to Iraq. But my wife's cousin, a Naval chopper pilot just received that he's being deployed to The Gulf -- Of Mexico. We're about to see our own miltary (not National Guard, Military) being deployed on our own soil. That's how bad the situation is, and with the growing crime and violence in New Orleans, I expect things will get worse before they start to get better. Reports are coming in that before the bussing started, refugees were already abandoning the "safety" of the Superdome because of rapes and violence occuring there inside the dome.

Tragedy can bring out the best in good people, but it also brings out the worst in bad people. Unfortunately, New Orleans has more than its share of bad people and the evidence is showing.

My thoughts and prayers are especially with the innocent people caught up in what's rapidly becoming a war zone. The loss of life from a hurricane is bad enough. The loss of life (or innocence) at the hand of somebody taking advantage of mass desperation is abhorrent.
Post
#134819
Topic
Brosnan is no longer Bond, Daniel Craig is now Bond.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134819/action/topic#134819
Time
I read this article in the Hollywood Reporter yesterday that states some weeks ago Martin Campbell asked Clive Owen to play 007 (Campbell recently directed Owen in Beyond Borders) but Clive turned down the part. Wilson and Broccoli apparently cannot come to terms with who they want to play Bond.

I love the part that says Broccoli didn't find Jackman masculine enough. This has to be the most asinine statement I've read. Given Jackman's cigar-chomping, lack-of-shaving, ass-whooping Wolverine (who got totally ripped for X2), and given Roger Moore & Pierce Brosnan's nancy-boy effections when playing Bond, Babs B. is clearly talking out of her ass.
Post
#134810
Topic
How George would write the OT if he wrote them now
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134810/action/topic#134810
Time
(Maybe I'll just revise the whole script and post it).

LUKE: I can't understand how we got by those troopers. I
thought we were dead.

BEN: The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. You
will find it a powerful ally. Not to mention the fact that all of
the Stormtroopers are clones. They used to be pretty smart, but
they've gotten dumber in the past 20 years. They were once good
shots too, but not so much any more. I think it's because of the
fact the original source material for the clones was beheaded by a
great Jedi Master named Mace Windu 25 years ago in the first battle
of the Clone Wars. Your father and I were there. I thought I'd
mention him since he was a very important person in our galaxy's
history that you otherwise probably won't hear about.

LUKE: Do you really think we're going to find a pilot here that will
take us to the planet Alderaan, which the princess mentioned in her
holographic recording that Artoo played back for us in your hut?

BEN: Well, most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. Only
watch your step. This place can be a little rough. Stop. Think.
Take a deep breath. People go in here to hide, not to run.

LUKE: Yes master. I am ready for anything. I am trying.

THREEPIO (in annoying Guido-stereotype used car salesman voice, voiced
by Robert Dinero): 'Dis way, Artoo.

INTERIOR: TATOOINE -- MOS EISLEY -- CANTINA.

The young adventurer and his two mechanical servants follow
Ben Kenobi into the smoke-filled cantina. The murky, moldy den
is filled with a startling array of weird and exotic alien
creatures and monsters at the long metallic bar. At first the
sight is horrifying. One-eyed, thousand-eyed, slimy, furry,
scaly, tentacled, and clawed creatures huddle over drinks. Ben
moves to an empty spot at the bar near a group of repulsive
but human scum. A huge, rough-looking Bartender stops Luke and
the robots.

BARTENDER: We don't serve their kind here!

Luke still recovering from the shock of seeing so many
outlandish creatures, doesn't quite catch the bartender's
drift.

LUKE: What do you mean when you say that?

BARTENDER: Your droids. They will have to wait outside. We don't want
them here. Droids have not been trusted on the outer rim territories
since the invasion of the battle droids on the outer rim planet of Naboo
about 35 years ago. I thought I'd mention that since it is a very
important part of our galaxy's history that nobody seems to discuss
these days.

Luke looks at old Ben, who is busy talking to one of the
Galactic pirates. He notices several of the gruesome creatures
along the bar are giving him a very unfriendly glare.
Luke pats Threepio on the shoulder.

LUKE: Why do you not wait out by the speeder. We do not want any
trouble while we are in here looking for a pilot who will take us to
the Princess' planet of Alderaan.

THREEPIO: You got it, boss.

Threepio and his stubby partner go outside and most of the
creatures at the bar go back to their drinks.
Ben is standing next to Chewbacca, the Wookiee that Yoda
knew back in Episode III, who is now apparently a mercenary.
Ben speaks to the Wookiee, pointing to Luke several times
during his conversation and the huge creature suddenly lets
out a horrifying laugh. Luke is more than a little bit
disconcerted and pretends not to hear the conversation between
Ben and the giant Wookiee.
Luke is terrified but tries not to show it. He quietly sips
his drink, looking over the crowd for a more sympathetic ear
or whatever.
A large, multiple-eyed Creature gives Luke a rough shove.

CREATURE: Wanna buy some death sticks?!?

The hideous freak is obviously drunk. Luke tries to ignore
the creature and turns back on his drink. A short, grubby
Human and an even smaller rodent-like beast join the
belligerent monstrosity.

HUMAN: You wouldn't buy his death sticks. So he doesn't like you.

LUKE: I'm sorry.

HUMAN: I don't like you either

The big creature is getting agitated and yells out some
unintelligible gibberish at the now rather nervous, young
adventurer.

HUMAN: (continued) Do not insult us. You just watch yourself. We are
wanted men. I have the death sentence in twelve systems.

LUKE: I will be careful than.

HUMAN: You will be dead. I am now going to pull out my gun and shoot
you.

The rodent lets out a loud grunt and everything at the bar
moves away. Luke tries to remain cool but it isn't easy. His
three adversaries ready their weapons. Old Ben moves in behind
Luke.

BEN: This little one isn't worth the effort. Come let me buy you
something...

A powerful blow from the unpleasant creature sends the
young would-be Jedi sailing across the room, crashing through
tables and breaking a large jug filled with a foul-looking
liquid. With a blood curdling shriek, the monster draws a
wicked chrome laser pistol from his belt and levels it at old
Ben. The bartender panics.

BARTENDER: Please refrain from using blasters in my establishment!

With astounding agility old Ben's lightsaber sparks to
life and in a flash an arm lies on the floor. The rodent is
cut in two and the giant multiple-eyed creature lies doubled,
cut from chin to groin. Ben carefully and precisely turns off
his lightsaber and replaces it on his utility belt. Luke,
shaking and totally amazed at the old man's abilities, attempts
to stand. The entire fight has lasted only a matter of seconds.
The cantina goes back to normal, although Ben is given a
respectable amount of room at the bar. Luke, rubbing his
bruised head, approaches the old man with new awe. Ben points
the the Wookiee.

BEN: This is Chewbacca. He's first-mate on a ship that might suit our
needs.

CHEWBACCA: Rarrrghh Rarrrghhhaaahhh Rowrrr!

LUKE: Ben, can you please translate what he is saying? I thought all races
in the galaxy spoke to each other in Galactic Standard Auberesh.

BEN: Nothing of consequence. He just noted that he fought with a great Jedi
Master named Yoda in the final battle of the Clone Wars. Yoda is was the
head of the Jedi Council, which was a governing body that oversaw all
aspects of Jedi life in the Old Republic. I was on that council as well.
Yoda taught the man who taught the man who taught me. Those other men are
dead now, but I thought I'd mention them since they are a very
important part of our galaxy's history that nobody seems to discuss
these days. Yoda's still alive too. But I'm not going to tell you about
all of that now. With the training I've undergone for the past 20 years
since you were born, I know I'll have plenty of time to get into that later.

LUKE: Thank you for your wisdom and insight, Master Kenobi. I pledge myself
to your teachings. Now let us find this pilot who will take us to Alderaan.
Perhaps one day the princess and I will meet and I will find her to be as
beautiful in person as I have found her to be in the holographic message
Artoo played for us.

BEN: I accept your pledge to be a Jedi. So you know, a Jedi shall not know
fear, nor anger ... nor love.

LUKE: Then I must not c
Post
#134719
Topic
Oil Storm
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134719/action/topic#134719
Time
Anybody on this forum have a Diesel car converted to WVO? That's got to be the coolest idea I've heard since Mr. Fusion.

Edit: WVO is "Waste Vegetable Oil" for the uninitiated, and basically you can run your diesel engine on the slop you get from the back of the Waffle House. No joke. A good article about it is here. Again, this isn't a joke.

If my car was a diesel I'd get my conversion kit tomorrow.

Edit 2: Here too.
Post
#134604
Topic
***The ADigitalMan non-Star Wars DVD Info and Feedback Thread***
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134604/action/topic#134604
Time
It should be noted that HP3 is Anamorphic. The deleted scenes were FF but some very nice peeps from VideoHelp taught me how to use Gordian Knot to properly do upsizing while not noticibly losing quality. I really love how HP3 came out. It took some serious figuring because a couple of those scenes were presented as "unfinished." I hated having to edit out the part of Neville losing the password to Sirius, but I was glad to find a new location for the rest of that particular scene. And then Harry's joke candy in the Great Hall ... it was fun finding a sound effect to make that scene work.

I hope there's an hour of deleted scenes for HP4. I fear there will be next to nothing. We shall see in May I guess.
Post
#134630
Topic
How George would write the OT if he wrote them now
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134630/action/topic#134630
Time
EXTERIOR: TATOOINE -- DESERT.

Jundland, or "No Man's Land", where the rugged desert mesas
meet the foreboding dune sea. The two helpless astro-droids
kick up clouds of sand as they leave the lifepod. The
lifepod in the distance rests half buried in the sand.

THREEPIO (in annoying Guido-stereotype used car salesman voice, voiced
by Robert Dinero): How
did I get into dis poodoo? I really don't know how. We
seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.

ARTOO (in modulated Billy Barty voice): I hate sand.

THREEPIO: I've got to rest before I fall apart. My joints are almost
frozen.

ARTOO: I agree with you fellow counterpart-droid.

THREEPIO: What a desolate place dis is.

ARTOO: Come on this way, counterpart-droid.

THREEPIO: Where are you goin'?

ARTOO: Over to the rocky part of the terrain. Hop on this flying
repulsorlift disc so we can avoid the difficulty of the terrain.

THREEPIO: Well, I ain't goin' dat way. It's much too rocky. Dis way
is much easier.

ARTOO: That's where humanoids actually are, counterpart-droid.

THREEPIO: What makes you t'ink dere are settlements over dere?

ARTOO: Because I come fully equipped with radar sensors that are picking
up electro-tachyon impulses emitted from the midi-chlorians that
reside in the cells of all living creatures.

THREEPIO: Don't get technical wit' me.

ARTOO: Now hop on this repulorlift so that we can hover quickly. I
have been assigned a very important assignment from the princess who
was aboard the ship that we just launched from to deliver some critical
data to an old man who lives here.

THREEPIO: What mission? What choo talkin' 'bout? I had just
about enough of you! Go dat way! You'll be malfunctionin' wit'in a
day, you nearsighted scrap pile!

Threepio gives the little robot a kick and presses a button
that splits the repulsorlift disc into two parts. He hovers off
in the direction of the vast dune sea. Artoo hovers on his own
portion of the hover disc towards the rocky terrain.

THREEPIO: And don't let me catch you followin' me beggin' for help,
'cause you won't get it.

Duel Of The Fates plays as they go their separate ways.

THREEPIO: No more adventures. I ain't goin' dat way.

ARTOO: Hey wait, I've got rockets in my arms. Can't I just fly over this terrain?
Post
#134615
Topic
Oil Storm
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134615/action/topic#134615
Time
While politics are usually fodder for flame wars, I really feel the need to start this thread in the aftermath of Katrina. Jay & the mods, if you choose to lock this thread (especially if it gets out of control) I understand and respect that fully.

Did anybody see the movie Oil Storm that debuted on FX earlier this year? This movie was a fictional documentary that starts on Labor Day weekend 2005, after a category 4 hurricane wiped out the Gulf Coast, knocking out our main oil pipeline and halting oil imports into the US. The domino effect was a massive spike in gas and heating oil prices. That led to increased costs in trucking. That in turn led to exorbitant food bills, farming costs, etc. Within the year we enter a full on depression as a result of the hurricane. Saudi Arabia falls to a fundamentalist movement much like Iran did during the last oil crisis as a result of the Saudi family's pledge to get oil to the US on the cheap. The main Saudi pumping station is taken out by a terrorist-launched RPG, and we have to commit more troops to Saudi Arabia to secure the country while we're still fighting insurgents in Iraq. Back home, Farm Aid is cut. The lack of oil means machines cannot harvest and fertilizers cannot be produced. Heating oil supplies can't make it to the northeast in time for the winter and people are left freezing to death (literally) in their own homes during a massive cold snap in Boston. Russia agrees to supply us with oil, but then China underbids us and the tankers turn to another shore (this is another crisis we're facing in real-life if you've been reading the headlines for the past few weeks).

This film was spooky enough when it ran a few months back. But it was all I could think of all this past weekend. And now in the aftermath of Katrina, it is shaping up to be a true story.

Here's where I'm going to get on a political soapbox in the hopes of motivating you to think and act politically. If the Bush administration even looks at this movie, I fear they will dismiss it, in hopes of painting a rosy picture of the state of events, and so they don't have to admit how the administration's energy policies have failed to prepare ourselves for an oil crisis that is now about to smack us upside our gas-guzzling behinds. Detroit is still producing Hummers and Expeditions in spite of more fuel-efficient designs (even for our SUVs). We have not gotten serious about mass-producing alternate energy sources. We put a man on the moon in less than a decade, but we can't seem to mass produce a vehicle that is big and efficient at the same time.

Then I realized a very important point. Bush & Cheney have their private holdings very much tied up in oil and energy. When the price of crude goes up, so does their net worth ... measured in billions. There is a conflict of interest going on in the White House that is being ignored as the cost of energy gets dumped on the backs of the citizenry.

We need to discuss this issue, and PLEASE don't decend into name calling because you don't agree with my (or the opposition's) politics. This is a very real, very serious crisis unfolding before our very eyes.
Post
#134291
Topic
Brosnan is no longer Bond, Daniel Craig is now Bond.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/134291/action/topic#134291
Time
The history is that Kevin McClory co-wrote the treatment of Thunderball with Ian Fleming, upon which Fleming later based the novel of the same name. McClory was responsible for the whole concept of SPECTRE. He was the reason Eon had to stop using SPECTRE in its plots for the movies. In a nasty lawsuit, he won the rights to make Thunderball pretty much ad-nauseum. Never Say Never Again was the first of what was was planned to be MANY Thunderball remakes. McClory and Eon wound up in court again around 2000 and this time Eon won, not allowing McClory and Sony to make any more Bond pictures. More recently, Sony bought MGM, bringing both diverging franchises back under one roof, so McClory has been dealt a one-two punch. The likelihood of another McClory Thunderball remake is very very slim.

Incidently, I always took the line in Austin Powers about "Oh well, let's just do what we always do: Hijack a nuclear warhead and hold it for ransom" as a slam on McClory. After all, the man only had one plot and twelve scripts to rehash it over and over again. We got it the first go around. NSNA was an embarassment not because it wasn't well executed, but because it was Sean Connery remaking one of his own Bond outings. Octopussy outperformed it at the box office because it was original. Nothing more or less.