Fish Tales

Yahoo! News

This big one did not get away. Thai fishermen netted a 646-pound catfish believed to have been the world's largest freshwater fish ever caught in Thailand, a researcher said Thursday.

The nearly 9-foot-long Mekong giant catfish was landed May 1 by villagers in Chiang Khong, a remote district in northern Thailand, and weighed by Thai fisheries department officials, said Zeb Hogan, who leads an international project to locate and study the world's largest freshwater fish species.

He confirmed it was the heaviest fish on record since Thailand started keeping such statistics in 1981.

The fishermen had hoped to sell the fish to environmental groups, which planned to release it to spawn upriver, but it died before it could be handed over and then was chopped up and sold in pieces to villagers as food.

That's a lot of fried catfish!

Movie Trivia # 034: The Devil Made Me Do It

In National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), the word "Satan," which is written on a blackboard, looks totally different from one shot to another.

This and other Movie Trivia posts brought to you by Roman Soldiers Don't Wear Watches by Bill Givens.

My Latest Creation

Because a few people are interested in what I draw, I'm posting this.



Feel free to rip me a new one in the comments area.

Movie Trivia # 033: The Nom-de-Steam Vanishes

In the 1938 version of The Lady Vanishes, dear old Dame May Whitty's Miss Froy writes her name on the steam-frosted train window. But a few shots later, the writing has moved to another place, and is entirely different. And, just to continue in the great tradition of continuity errors stretching across the years, in Cybill Chepherd's 1979 remake of the same film, her dress shoes magically become her trademark running shoes as she chases the train.

This and other Movie Trivia posts brought to you by Roman Soldiers Don't Wear Watches by Bill Givens.

Restored Past

A long time ago, my dad told me about a guy that could get the data I had on the old computer out for me. The catch was I would never see the machine again, as it was going to be donated to a church mission trip. Having no use for a machine that I accidentally fried from the power source inward, I pretty much went for it.

Today, I got three CDs back with what data was on the computer. Turns out that most of the data on the old hard drive was corrupt to the point where I lost several files. I thought I had more than 3 Gigs worth of MP3s on there, but apparently my memory must have gone foggy. Still, I was surprised to see what was restored and burned on to a CD for me.

Something else surprised me too.

Among the random collection of files and MP3s that I found, I stumbled upon four images. Two were of James, and the other two were of a younger and more bad ass Bill. The pictures took me by surprise. I know the pictures are old, because they definitely do not look that way. Looking at them made me remember some good times I had talking with them, as well as all the bad times we went through.

I was even reminded looking at their pictures that these are the people that don't want to meet me anymore because I am obviously an idiot.

I then did a quick study of the pictures and found that I could use them for other reasons. I've been collecting random pictures of various models, both professional and pornographic, to practice drawing off of over the summer. I may call my model back eventually, but I don't want this to become a weekly thing.

In any event, there was a picture of James that had an interesting pose that I am thinking about drawing after my current project (which will be posted on this site because two people wanted to see the picture I drew recently with the model I had). The only one of Bill's that was interesting was one that could be considered child pornography if it wasn't a personal candid shot of Bill being Bill. I may copy that as best as I can and submit that to Gaia. After all, my fellow members of the gay community love looking at skinny and lean little anime boys.

I miss them, though. I'm like a beaten puppy that doesn't know when to run away. They probably don't give a damn about me these days. Oh well.

Boy, 4, Dies After Riding Epcot Attraction

Yahoo! News

A 4-year-old boy died after passing out aboard Walt Disney World's "Mission: Space," a ride so intense that it has motion sickness bags and several riders have been treated for chest pain.

The sheriff's office said the boy did meet the minimum 44-inch height requirement for the ride at the Epcot theme park, which uses centrifugal force to simulate twice the normal force of gravity.

In 2003, Disney began placing motion sickness bags in the ride.

During an eight-month period in 2003-04, six people over age 55 were taken to hospitals for treatment of chest pain and nausea after riding "Mission: Space," though none of them was found to have any serious problem.

Signs warn visitors about the intensity of the "Mission: Space" ride.

"For safety you should be in good health, and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions that can be aggravated by this adventure," one sign on view last year said. Signs also warn pregnant women not to go on the ride.

Disney officials said in a statement after the boy's death that they were "providing support to the family and are doing everything we can to help them during this difficult time."

Sad. Disney is suppose to be a place of happiness. This family won't ever be happy now, especially when they see this ride advertised on the next holiday special that airs on ABC.

Good Day With A Model

For awhile now, I've been trying to get a live model for me so I can draw them. Male if at all possible. Nothing really came up.

Then a few days ago, the one person that didn't freak out about it contacted me and said he was interested again. He said that all his money problems were gone for the most part and he was still interested if he thought I was too.

Well, today was that day, and I have to say for someone I just met, I felt like I've known him for a while. After drawing him, we played several video games and other things. It was probably the most fun I've had since the end of the semester.

I hope we do it again, but this time I have to remember to call home. My sister got on my ass about how she was the only one that didn't know where I was or when I was coming home. She was just looking out for me as if no one else does. No one else does.

Less skin is back in for young Americans

Yahoo! News

SKIN IS OUT

Less skin is back in for the young American.

U.S. fashion experts say a trend toward modesty is evident in new fall styles for clothing aimed at girls in their early teens, and will become more common with spring 2006 designs.

"We're seeing skirt hemlines that are at the knee and are very demure, very proper pants, prim tops and large pearl necklaces," said Gloria Baume, fashion market director for Teen Vogue. The magazine showcases fashion and photography much like its parent publication Vogue.

Baume, who said she looks to European fashion runways to spot what will be hot for American teens, said designers have been focusing on "ladylike and almost old-fashioned" styles that were inspired by the 1950s.

That would phase out the belly-baring, skintight numbers championed by the likes of Britney Spears. "There is nothing form-fitting about the latest fashions," Baume said.

Does that mean the low-rise jean fad is over?

"I hope so," said Baume. "I don't like them. That style has been around for four years and I think girls are getting tired of it."

You and me both. Finally! No more 12-year-old girls dressing like sluts the moment they get a chance!

Movie Trivia # 032: Not-So-Close Encounter

The Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr encounter is not so close when they approach Devil's Tower in Steven Speilberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). The two see it for the first time when they climb over an embankment, but are stopped by the military as they approach the site. The Problem is that they were closer to it the first time when they're stopped. Notice, too, how the license plate on their station wagon changes several times as they break through the roadblocks.

This and other Movie Trivia posts brought to you by Roman Soldiers Don't Wear Watches by Bill Givens.

Gems from the Test Roll

For more pictures, make sure to visit
Photographic Memories.

Man, I've been lazy!

Yesterday, I uploaded the pictures from the test roll up on flickr but didn't bother to blog them until now. They are now available for your viewing pleasure and comments.

After looking at what prints I got back, I'm kind of happy that the camera is still in working order. No light leaks or film problems of any kind. The shutter speed control and the ASA setting control are kind of sticky, but that is nothing a little force can't deal with.

The only thing that I noticed doesn't work right is the counter. The little arrow now points between the two marks. This means that I can't tell if I am on frame 4 or frame 5. This also means that I shouldn't even bother looking at that and just shoot until I can't advance the film any farther. With this day and age of digital cameras and instant result, I need to be more conservative with my film. I mean they are now like $4 a roll or something to that nature!

Well, at least the camera still works.

Madagascar Review

I haven't blogged in a while. Too many distractions. I'll probably write about them when the summer is drawing to a close. In any event, yesterday was a good time to put up an entry, but like I said, I was distracted.

My sister kept asking if I wanted to come with her and the little kids she was babysitting to watch Madagascar. You know, that movie about zoo animals that end up on the island of Madagascar by some twist of faith. Well, I did go along and this is what I think about it.

As far as the acting goes, this isn't a Shrek as far as the acting goes. The characters are way too flat. They don't really change that much over the course of the film. In fact, the acting doesn't make me care about the characters at all. If anything, everyone sold what the character's main personality is. You will be able to figure out most of their traits before the big key event that gets them stuck on the island.

The animation is really stylized. For some reason, I think they must have struck a deal with Pixar, because most of the people in the first part of the movie look similar to their "Universal Man" model. The only thing I can say about the animation that bugs me is that there were several times I noticed things on the characters that just didn't look right, in particularly the upright walking and anthropomorphic way the animals presented their body language. The only animals in the film that can get away with it are the penguins and the monkeys.

Humor is kind of average. This film is aimed at the family, so as such there are a lot of family jokes. There are also a lot of pop reference jokes in there as well. Surprisingly, the most laughs come from the side character, which I think is a mistake. This means that the audience is not laughing during the bulk of the movie. In fact, I found myself more interested in the penguins than in then actual main cast. That doesn't mean that the main cast doesn't have their fair share of jokes. It is just they are not as funny. On top of that, the two comedians in the opening credits (Chris Rock and Cedric the Entertainer) had to kill any trace of their humor in order to play their characters.

Music is your stereotypical pop music with little to no original score. The music isn't much of anything as far as ambiance or emotional scores go. If anything, they are just there to add to the humor of the film.

As far as plot goes, it isn't all that engaging. It's cute, but there are way too many characters for anyone to write a single plot that involves all of them. But it does it's job in keeping the kid's attention on the film.

On average, I enjoyed the film. Would I see it again? Not in it's full cut, but there are some scenes that I wouldn't mind watching. I can see why my sister took her babysitting kids to the movie. Because it does it's job.

Movie Trivia # 031: The Big Hand Is On The...

In a classroom scene in My Life (1993), the theacher tells the class that it's 2:30, but the clock on the wall behind her says it's 2:55.

This and other Movie Trivia posts brought to you by Roman Soldiers Don't Wear Watches by Bill Givens.