jedidog

Nice job. What are you using to make these great images. The Lord of the rings looks cool.

That's a very important point you made about the transport costs,as you say; shipping beef from Canada to New Zealand the amount of fuel consumption, air pollution (and water polllution) must be phenomenal even if we consider the amount of shipment. Yet, some countries are being criticised for not exporting, importing enough to create a freerer market. But if we are to reduce fuel excess it important to make such things ecologically cost effective. On a smaller scale walking to the local abc store rarther than driving. The small things all add up. So it is a global community problem with a global community solution.

Is it coincidence that there are so many news events of increased extreme weather events, for example; hurricanes, typhoons, droughts, etc ? Looking at localized events it may be easy to think it is just the regular occurrences for example; hurricane season. But looking at it globally it really starts to look as if the world is changing. This year we?ve had very hot summers in the U.S, and Europe and floods in Ethiopia and China. The main concern is that Ethiopia is always regarded as a drought ridden place, yet now there is flooding? There are increasing temperature changes in the oceans and we are seeing forest fires, early spring blossom (And late Summer animals). All in all it?s certainly is changing. This is not to say that this is all a bad news discussion, but rather, it?s a mystery how it?s all happening but there doesn?t seem so much recognition of the global patterns. We see news events one after the other about floods, coral bleaching and stormy weather, but there doesn?t seem much news about the link of all these events. Add, to this the increase in large scale events such as hurricanes, severe droughts, and floods. It seems the world is definitely changing in climatic terms; the question is where is it heading? Can we expect more extreme weather ahead, or just more of the same? The bigger problem is that such events affect economies and population movements. Consider this, if an area is ravaged by hurricanes people are forced to move, then there is the cost of the support and relocation, etc. If these events happen more frequently we can expect more expense and population movement. As global events the global community, for example, the United Nations should perhaps be addressing this with strategies for support and aid knowing that these events are going to either increase or stay at the level they occur now. I also heard that animals such as polar bears are now becoming restricted in their movement because of the colder climate reduction in the northern areas, and that a brown polar bear was found (is this a freak gene event or slow adaptation?).

The worldwide literature and appearances of dragons in many different cultures, stories, poetry, illustrations, art, architecture cannot be simply coincidence. To be dismissed as simply a fantasy creature does not consider that for all myths and legends there is some truth behind it, albeit a more dilute version. Never the less, by the very instances of so many dragon encounters worldwide, and historically accounts it appears that there may be some truth to the argument that dragons existed. If we consider the extinction of the tasmanian wolf, the dodo and the great auk it could be argued that dragons are too big to have simply vanished, but if we look at the literature, dragons appear in many cultures up to the 13th century. Consider then that over time many creature have become extinct, often by hunting, it could be that dragons were hunted to extinction. Add to this the similarity of dragons to dinosaurs and we may start to see some credibility to the case. Perhaps not so far as great winged beasts but again looking at early diagrams of the rhino and elephant and how fantastic they appear. The bggest problem is that the evidenceis circumstantial, there is no concrete proof, we have no bones, skin , teeth, footprints,ect (or if we do it is attributed to dinosaurs) yet, it cannot be ignored that dragons appear so widely across so many cultures and globally. So, did they ever exist? I think yes, perhaps not as thetraditional imagery but perhaps as large lizards ratherlike the komodo dragons?

The idea of a tv series of Star wars sounds strange, it's rather like the reverse of Star trek (tv series to film). I somehow feel the transfer to tv will not work so well, remember Indiana Jones? Star wars was made for the big screen , not the tv screen. yes, we still watch the star wars movies on the tv, but a tv series? It will dilute down the epic of the films. As a star wars fan I think it would be great to see more, but as a movie goer I think to move it over to small screen would not do it justice. Readers can continue the saga in text format, leave the star wars saga as the big screen format it was intnded for. And as for George, I really think after all these years working on Star wars, he's perhaps doesn't want the saga to be distilled to tv. Tv series become movies for want of big bucks scenes to do it in reverse doesn't really make do the film justice or seem the right path take for an epic in science fiction moviedom.

Having just watched 'millions' about two boys who find a million, what would you do if you found a million?I guess the answer depends if you are a child or an adult, and of course your circumstances. And how would you spend it without drawing attention? Or perhaps getting attention is what you want? Today a million may be a lot or a little depending on your perspective and situation. Perhaps it woudl be the most fastest best computer ever? a very small rock on your finger, or an even small rock of an island (very small) or maybe just hoard in under the mattress (for those who can't trust the banks).

An expanded solar system. Why have 1 when we can have 2 when all the debate is over they sure should rename that 2003 UB313 planet. It definitley needs character you know, imagine a dwarf planet convention, hi pluto, this is ceres, charon you already know, oh...and 2003 ub313!

that's so true, the whole bond scenario woudl become very strange, what about the ongoing situation with miss moneypeeny, and meeting all those beautiful international spies (women), a female bond would be strange.

I heard on the buzz that they are thinking of making another Doctor who movie now that the new seasons are so successsful ? It's the perfect recipe for a story. You never have to worry about hiring actors, actors quitting, leavin,etc. Just pop in another reincarnation. But why as a Time lord why does he always have the same gender, and white caucasian features? Is this the genetic make up, or a decision by the tv producers? I know that there has been a lot of debate about making james bond into a woman?! So what of Doctor who? Is it perhaps time for a big make over? Interesting, the graphics have certainly improved since the days of cardboard daleks, but it always seems that they are just catching up with the blockbuster movie effects. It must be the trickling down of technology, and of course money- the old; big money shots cost...well, big money. But then, as technology moves the effects become cheaper to do.So Doctor who and where? despite being a U.K icon and institution (albeit a brief appearnce in the states in the tv movie version) could he perhaps become more international? I guess, it's a wish list, but it always depends on budgets. Still, the locations are definitely better than those old quarry pits and disused factory settings!

So Pluto is no more! It appears (no pun intended) that Pluto has been ranked down to the status of dwarf planet. Can you imagine if you are inhabitant of Pluto, not to say that a Plutonian would call it's planet Pluto,but for this off beat discussion let's assume they are Plutonians and they call it Pluto. How would they feel? Hey guys, we thought you planet wasn't worthy so we're making you a dwarf planet! You're no longer on the board of the planets of the solar system.On a more serious angle, this will mean a rewriting of the encylopedias and science books - remember Pluto? Well - he left! This certainly isn't the first time the books have to be rewritten so in some ways it shouldn't come as a surpise. But the debate is still going on, Pluto is not out yet. Still, on a positive note Pluto can have its own 'club' along with the other dwarf planet - Ceres - A kind of fringe movement - rights for size-challenged planets! It seems the big planets are just trying to bully there way in again. Perhaps the smaller planets could have their own system? Still, if there's going to be any chunk of rock to blame it should be 2003 UB313 - being a few hundred km bigger than Pluto it caused all the problems.The debate continues

awesome graphics! And a nice range of ideas and themes, did you use photoshop or a combination of graphics packages to achieve this?

With the deluge of superhero movies and the evolution of special effects in movies, where does the unbelievable become the believable? It appears from recent movies such as x-men 3 that we can now make actors younger! Something actors have long strived for, but ultimately will this lead to them becoming redundant as the CGI takes over. Perhaps by 'scanning' in an actor's features, etc it will not be necessary to hire them. The problem is that as special effects have increased in complexity, the viewer has become more critical of the quality. What was excepeted as "Wow' 5 years ago is now seen as average.Although it is not to say that we should as the paying viewer accept low quality special effects (especially when billed as excellent, case point; king kong).

Just looking at those cool templates on teh coomunity, how do you make them, and what is teh best package for them? I use Photoshop a lot but wondered what's the best way (yes, I'm a beginner)

it certainly was a scary movie, I think saw was probably more scarythan saw 2? perhaps it was the originality of it?