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Picture Postcard: Neumayer Station Antarctica

9 Aug

August 9, 2011

This eerie picture was taken from a webcam in Antarctica. It looks like a sci-fi base but it is a real research base, Neumayer Station. Here is the summary from

http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/stations/neumayer.shtml

Nationality: Germany

Location: Ekström Shelf Ice, Atka Bay, northeast Weddell Sea

Position: 70°39’S, 08°15’W

History: The first “Georg von Neumayer” Station in the Antarctic was established in 1981 on the Ekström Shelf Ice as a research observatory for geophysical, meteorological and air chemistry measurements, as well as a logistics base for summer expeditions. Georg von Neumayer, whom the station is named after, was an important promoter of Germany’s research activities in Antarctica. The new station, inaugurated on February 20th, 2009, was built to modern standards and with state-of-the-art technology, will enable the continuation of long-term measurements by the scientific observatories for meteorology, geophysics and atmospheric chemistry, as well as the establishment of new research projects.

Information: The snow-covered Neumayer Station is located on shelf ice that is 650′ (200m) thick and almost completely flat. All that can be seen from the distance are the towers of the station entrance, which project 6-7′ over the snow. The shelf ice margin, where supply ships moor, is 6 miles (10k) away. The station consists of two parallel steel tubes, each of which is 26′ (8m) in diameter and around 300′ (90m) long, in which containers are inserted to accommodate living quarters, kitchen, mess, hospital, various laboratories, workshops, radio operator’s room, sanitary facilities, two power supply stations and a snow melting plant.

Science: A research observatory for geophysical, meteorological and air chemistry measurements as well as atmospheric ozone monitoring.

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Late Night Movie House of Crap: Zardoz

4 Aug

August 4, 2011

I have never seen this movie. I became interested when I saw it listed on Fox Movie Channel. Here is the description I got from my TiVo:

An exterminator of Brutals lands in the Vortex and mates with an Eternal in the year 2293

Right.

As my brother put it, that description didn’t bring enough to the table.

Here is what IMDB has to say:

In the far future, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity’s achievements.

That’s a bit better but still doesn’t do it for me. Let’s see the plot summary.

In the distant future Earth is divided into two camps, the barely civilized group and the overly civilized one with mental powers. A plague is attacking the second group, after which its members cease to have any interest in life and become nearly catatonic. When Zed, one of the barbarians, crosses over, the tenuous balance in their world is threatened.

It is starting to sound like MST3K material to me but this is no way to judge a movie. Let’s see the trailer.

Oh wow.

The takeaway from that trailer? James Bond in a red diaper.

But I love those credits. LOVE them! They remind me of an old video game, and I am not the only one.

 And James Bond in a red diaper?

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