TV: Serials: An influx of demons indicates a war between decent psychics and them, on Supernatural

.
Supernatural is a 10 pm Thursday series of episodes with a detailed backstory, quite well filled-in for regular viewers since the serial was launced in Sep2k5. The main characters are brothers. The older brother Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles) takes up his father's task to become a hunter--that is, a demon hunter. In contrast, the younger Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) had aspired to go to law school. But with a personality difference established between the two, they "travel the country looking for their missing father and battling evil spirits along the way."

Sam Winchester is a college student bound for law school, determined to escape his family's past - unlike his older brother, Dean. Ever since they were little their father has been consumed with an obsession to find the evil forces that murdered his beloved wife, and [thus, dad] recruited his two young sons to help .... They have grown up as hunters of the supernatural.

And there's the rub! That much-abused word "supernatural" which merely amounts to one side of a philosophoical issue on the view that splits "nature" from what isn't nature (hence, supernature) and hints for some of an Unmoved Mover God or, to universes of cosmic forces or entities with super-human (supernatural) powers.

Sam escaped this way of life after high school, and now has a happy life with his girlfriend, Jessica [but she doesn't show up, nor is referenced in tonite's episode], and a promising future career. Dean, however, stayed behind with his father to join him in his "hunting".

TV, by Anaximaximum

After Dean arrives for Sam's help when their father goes missing, Sam must join his brother to find dad. His one weekend trip to search for the missing John Winchester becomes an ongoing quest after a horrible tragedy ruins any thought of a happy life for Sam.

The two brothers, bound by tragedy and blood to their mission, travel across the country encountering terrifying and dangerous forces most believe to be nothing but superstition and folklore, such as the Lady in White, the Indian beast known as the Wendigo, Phantom Travelers who cause plane crashes, Bloody Mary, and many more.

From Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG ( Charlie's Angels , The O.C. ), writer/executive producer Eric Kripke ( Boogeyman ) and Robert Singer ( Midnight Caller ).

I missed the title of this week's offering, whose gloomy scenes and alleged "drama" labelled "sci-fi" ended up being just above the mediocre--and, in that sense only, "good" (the ratings system stacks the possible categories). You couldn't tell,however, fromt the fan-club rating results--"perfect," "superb," etc.

TV: Serials: NCIS projects to the top of my chart in looks but writing goes for cuteness, twitchiness

.
I like mainstream TV's NCIS a detective story with a naval twist. The acronym spells out to: Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The show launched on CBSin 2003, a spinoff of the previous JAG which featured military lawyers and had a certain conceptual gravitas. What is justice, and so forth.

The NCIS show has always been well camera'd; it has the lush colour work of any series produced by Donald Bellasario. But this evening's episode underlined the show's writerly twitchiness. And cuteness. It's all just too thick with froth, undermining any real suspense in the story-line. If looks were everything, on the other hand, you could forget twitch and cuteness.

TV, by Anaximaximum

Presumably, the intention is to add humour, but I find the result something of an overdose. Funny, no; cutesy, twitchy, yes. Dramatic force, undermined.

Tonite's episode, "Singled out," was a repeat of Season 4's Episode 3 (Oct3,2k4).

Aesthetics: Music: As older rappers claim hiphop is dead, Christian hiphop grows and spreads its limited vision of the Gospel

.
The Courier Post in Camden, New Jersey ("South Jersey" across the Delaware River from Philadelphia) carries a Q & A article by its columnist Kim Mulford, "On a (holy) roll--Everything you ever wanted know about Christian rap music."

While thirtysomething rap stars complain hip-hop is dead, holy hip-hop is growing.

Since Christian rap began two decades ago, the genre has improved in quality and quantity, while gaining acceptance among churches and the music industry.

In April, for the first time, the prestigious Grammy Awards will include a category for "best rock gospel or best rap gospel."

Next week, 125 Christian rap artists from around the country will perform during a music-and-worship fest in Atlanta called Holy Hip Hop Week. Organized by Holy Hip Hop Inc., the event highlights performers from dozens of cities and will be aired nationally (though not locally) on the cable network iLifetv.

Still, gospel rap rarely gets radio play. Here, then, are answers to questions you never knew you had about hip-hop's holy rollers.

Q: I've never heard a Christian rap song. Is it any good?

A: "The music has gotten much better than when it first started," says Caresa Northern, an Atlanta promoter who operates a Christian nightclub and handles booking and marketing for Holy Hip Hop Inc. "It's more in tune to what's going on in society today. If you heard (gospel rap artist) Canton Jones, you would think it was Jay-Z."

Q: What are the lyrics about?

A: "They rap about their relationship with God, about being holy," says Northern. "They rap about (treating) their body as a temple, about not having premarital sex . . . about how the devil is trying to attack them, how God saved them . . . just what pertains to their life."

The discourse in answer to this above question starts well but then devolves rapidly into a negative tone. The whole approach sounds anti-holistic and defensive. Where's the great vision of the reach of the Gospel into every nook and cranny of everyday existence? What of finding vocations in serive to God and humanity...doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, athlete, painting, opera singer, journalism. The write-up says "just what pertains to their life." Whose life? I don't know any young people who are getting married to avoid premarital sex. I don't know any who equate horniness with the devil making a special attack on them. What about their schools: are the rappers rapping for better schools? For the freedom to go to a Christian school with broad horizons rather than God/Devil dualism? The root of hiphop seems so meagre, no wonder it's often so very uncreative in either its Gangsta or Christian forms. It cultivates mediocrity both poetically and musically, whether Christian or Gangsta. Excellence should be its goal for authentic performers; and all-of-life-redeemed should be its horizon of hope and mission.

Q: That can't possibly be cool. These guys sound like nerds, not "gangstas" who know anything about the 'hood or the "real" music industry.

A: Not true. A number of gospel rap artists were once secular stars. Mr. Del (aka Delmar Lawrence) from Memphis, Tenn., left the controversial and platinum-selling rap group Three 6 Mafia to become a Christian rapper. Christopher Martin, formerly "Play" in the 1980s-early '90s group Kid n' Play, is hip-deep in holy hip-hop.

Gospel rap now claims as its own Kurtis Blow, the first rap artist accepted by the mainstream (remember 1980's "The Breaks?")

Pop Music Scene, by Owlie Scowlie

Q: What are sales like?

A: Not huge, but it's getting better, says Danny Wilson, founder and CEO of Holy Hip Hop Inc. (The organization's first compilation CD was nominated for a Grammy in 2004.)

"We're still dealing with the fact that people don't know anything about it," says Wilson.

The Gospel Music Association reports Christian rock and hip-hop music accounts for about 25 percent of all Gospel music sales. Gospel music recently posted double-digit sales growth and is expected to increase as churches diversify their music ministries.

Q: Hip-hop doesn't belong in church. Aren't Christians supposed to be singing hymns and praise-and-worship music?

A: Holy hip-hoppers are using their music to reach people who are turned off by traditional church. The genre slowly is being accepted by churches as an outreach tool for youth. Insiders such as Cross Movement and Holy Hip Hop would like to see more churches embrace it.

"What I think "church' has to understand is that hip-hop is here to stay," says Wilson. "It wasn't created by man. It was created by God. It's an opportunity for you to use it as a tool to bring people close to God."

Q: Who are some up-and-comers in Christian rap?

A: Those on the move are Canton Jones, Shei Atkins from Houston (her song "I Got Shot" is taken from her personal life), Tony Stone, Lecrae and T-Bone.

Q: Are there any Christian rappers in South Jersey?

A: Absolutely. Cross Movement Records, a Christian nonprofit company founded in 1997, is based in Deptford. The group The Cross Movement is known as one of the forefathers of holy hip-hop and has released six albums, some of which placed on the Billboard charts.

South Jersey is home to Vigilant Multimedia & Entertainment, a nonprofit organization which promotes local Christian rap artists. VME held monthly holy hip-hop concerts in Camden before moving its venue to Philadelphia a few months ago.

Christian rhythmn-and- praise hip-hop artist Modern Day David (aka Lawrence Williams) lives in Willingboro. His self-titled sophomore album is addictive. (Check it out online at www.mddmoderndaydavid.com)

Also, a new Christian rap artist from Raritan, Somerset County, will be performing at the Holy Hip Hop Awards next week. Prophetess (aka Tamara Lanza) has been writing gospel rap for about a year.

Q: Where can I find Christian rap?

A: Some gospel rap CDs are in wide distribution in stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy. You also can download songs from iTunes or eMusic. Free music can be heard at soundclick.com. Or check Altared Lives Radio, an Internet radio gospel station (www.altaredlives.org).

If you like it, buy it. Churches also can invite Christian rappers to perform. Northern from Holy Hip Hop does booking for about 200 artists.

"Just support the artists," Northern urges. "For half those artists, that's their lifeline . . . . That's their livelihood."

Isn't hiphop actually more the parading of attitude than anything else? Doesn't Christian hiphop parade the same damned attitude all gussied up in Bible verses? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I've overlooked something in the new trend, as hiphop itself enters into decline simply because of its poetic and musical poverty.

Technics: Consumer Economics: Amazon's 'dynamic pricing' shifts price on books you indicate you may really want

.
At TechDirst, Mike has the goods on Amazon's bad-business practices, traced by a little "economic geekery." The article: Citizen Journalism Bites Into Amazon's Attempts At Dynamic Pricing" (Jan4,2k6). The operative doctrine, not mentioned, is "marginal utility."

In economics classes, at some point, you learn about the idea that dynamic pricing could be very efficient. If you could charge each person at the price point where they most valued the good (assuming that it was above the cost for the good), you could maximize your profit. People who valued a good very highly could be charged a lot more, while those who would still buy it, but only at a small premium could also be sold the product. That way you maximize both the number of sales and the profit. Sounds great, if you can pull it off. However, it makes one very big assumption: that the information flow is asymmetric. Only the seller knows the prices and the buyers don't compare. Because, if buyers can compare, or see the fact that sellers are changing prices based on how desperate you are, they get pissed off -- and having angry buyers isn't good for business. This was clearly seen way back in 2000 when Amazon started experimenting with dynamic pricing. Depending on who you were, it would offer somewhat different prices on certain goods. The economic geek in me thought that was a cool idea (and an opportunity to try to do some arbitrage), but the consumer in me thought it was bad -- and many consumers agreed with that side. The anger over the plan forced Amazon to apologize and shelve it.

Technotes, by Owlie Scowlie

So, it's interesting to see a new story suggesting that Amazon may be fiddling with its prices again, even to the point of potentially putting small increases on books that people put in their shopping carts to think about, but don't actually purchase. However, where this gets really interesting is in a separate discussion of that original article that wonders if a bunch of people could team up with the data they all have from Amazon associate fees to determine if this is actually happening, and if so, how it works. What this shows is the flipside of the original point on dynamic pricing. Since it really only works when you have asymmetric information, what happens when that information flow is broken down by new tools, data and communications systems? In other words, the very concept of "citizen journalism" can actually impact the economics of a market by gathering and spreading information flow beyond what would normally be available.

Principium Consumers Hub

Meanwhile, in an entirely separate story, it seems that these same "users" are outing another secret Amazon policy. Slate has an article about Amazon's secret price guarantee, where they'll match the lower price if the site happens to drop the price of something you bought within 30 days of purchase. The company doesn't officially state that policy anywhere, but Slate found out about it from a user in Amazon's forums, who discusses the policy. Again, this would appear to mess with Amazon's attempt to keep the information flow asymmetric, preventing them from being too aggressive in dynamic pricing.

Tags: Amazon's scam

• technics
• economics
• consumereconomics
• dynamicpricing
• marginalutility
• bestbusinesspractices
• Amazonscam

Arts: Music: There are new tastemakers around, and Big Music corporations don't yet know how to cope

.
New York Times music reporter Jeff Leeds analyzes the techniques being used nowadays to thwart the system of of the Biggies in determining musical taste to suit their own ease in making profits. It's been notorious how the manufacturers of musical recordings of pop music in all genres have controlled, despite their own "competition" among themselves, what music-lovers may here.

At pandora.com visitors are invited to enter the name of their favorite artist or song and to get in return a stream of music with similar “DNA,” in effect a private Internet radio station microtailored to each user’s tastes. Since the service made its debut last November, more than three million people have signed up.

Besides Pandora, there's Last.fm, Launchcast and Rhapsody. These links are to the frontpages of the websites; you'll have to navigate to the online personalized radio service of each.

But they are tuning in to more than a musicologist’s online toy: [these] services ... have become the latest example of how technology is shaking up the hierarchy of tastemakers across popular culture. In music the shift began when unauthorized file-sharing networks like the original Napster allowed fans to snatch up the songs they wanted, instantly and free.

Pop Music Scene, by Owlie Scowlie

But the field is also full of new guideposts: music blogs and review sites like the hipster darling Pitchfork have gained influence without major corporate backing. And customizable Internet radio services ... are pointing users to music far beyond the playlists that confine most FM radio broadcasts.

All told, music consumers are increasingly turning away from the traditional gatekeepers and looking instead to one another — to fellow fans, even those they’ve never met — to guide their choices. Before long, wireless Internet connections will let them chatter not only on desktops, but in cars and coffee shops, too. And radio conglomerates and MTV, used to being the most influential voices around, are beginning to wonder how to keep themselves heard.

Technics: Visuals: Giving a Guest Pass to Flickr non-members for special access to a specified series of your Flickr photos

.
For any Flicker member-user who wants to give special access to a certain set of pictures, an access expanded to that a certain set of friends who themselves aren't Flicker members but whom you want to offern a chance to enjoy the photoworks ....



As a special guest on Flickr website, using Guess Pass, you can view the Anaximaximumphotographicus copyr+t set of pix, a set that belongs to the brand refEpix for refWrite.

Guest Pass

How do I share my photos with people who aren't Flickr members?

Well, you can always share any public photos you have in your Flickr photostream just by grabbing the URL from your browser's location bar and popping it an email. Anyone can see your public photos anytime, whether they're a Flickr member or not.

But! if you're looking to share private photos with people, you should try using a Guest Pass. You can grant anyone access to the entire contents of one of your sets, including any private photos it contains.

TechNotes, by Owlie Scowlie

Go to the set you'd like to share, where you'll see a "Share this Set" button. Then we'll help you either send an email to friends via Flickr or make a special web address (URL) that you can share around.

The Guest Pass is actually just that URL., This means that whoever sees that URL will be able to access the set and all the photos inside it.

The first 3 photos of the set are currently accessible to Flicr members and also to nonmembers who get their Anaximaximphotogrphics Guess Passes for use until the designated expiry date of each pass allowed. Congrats to Anaximaxium.

Tags: Flickr Guest Passes

• aesthetics
• arts
• technics
• photos
• computers
• Flickr
• refEpixFlickrseries
• FlickrGuestPass
• Anaximaxiumphotographics

Technics: Online: Google's Gmail has a glitch that for a tiny percentage of users means all mail goes poof!

.
ZDNet.com just published a post by Marc Oliphant entitled "Is Gmail reliable?" (Dec29,2k6)

About 18 months ago, I lost access to my Gmail account for a few hours when an early version of Greasemonkey caused a glitch that made Google think there were an inappropriate number of simultaneous logins being made to my account. The problem was resolved quickly enough but I was devastated for those few hours by the thought that all the information I had stored in that account might be lost. Fast forward to present times and there are reports that a "small number" of people have seen their Gmail accounts vanish and they may be permanently gone.

There's plenty of discussion going on surrounding this glitch led by TechCrunch and Om Malik. With an additional year-and-a-half of data stored in my Gmail account, I got more than a little concerned about what losing that information might mean to me. So I did the only reasonable thing I could think of and reset my Gmail account's POP3 settings to download all of my mail locally. Every bit of it.

I think it's finally finished now - no, another 682 messages just arrived as I'm writing this! It's taken about 16 hours for all the mail that's arrived so far to come down from Google's servers and for me to wade through a lot of cruft that I'm sure was important to me at one time but is pretty much history and not content I'm likely to ever need again. What I find most interesting is how much Gmail has impacted my e-mail habits as it relates to the information I send and receive in that environment.

Technotes, by Owlie Scowlie

There's a message on the Trash page in Gmail that asks, "Who needs to delete when you have over 2000 MB of storage?!". I guess I've been subliminally conditioned to accept that notion relative to my Gmail context in stark contrast to how I handle my business mail in Outlook on my PCs or Mail.app on the MacBook. Because my company uses IMAP mail, I have an always up-to-date and synchronized view of that mail store from any device I use, and I practice my idiosyncratic approach to GTD by converting actionable e-mail messages into tasks and appointments to keep my Inbox empty.

Perhaps it's the lack of real integration between Gmail and Google Calendar (which I don't use all that often) that prevents me from taking the same approach in my webmail. Or maybe Gmail has allowed me to tag and archive with abandon because everything seems to work regardless of how much stuff I allow to accumulate.

In either case, the implications of losing all that history and information rattled me. And so I'm downloading, scanning, deleting, and archiving my Gmail locally. Better to be safe than sorry. I can afford a few hundred megabytes of storage more than I can the loss of years of accumulated correspondence. Google is saying the glitch has only affected a small number of accounts and they're hard at work trying to figure out what went amiss. That's all well and good and exactly what they should be doing. In the unlikely event that this problem is not so isolated (or that I'll be unlucky enough to join that "small number" of affected accounts), I'm changing my approach to make sure I don't wake up to find my stuff vanished.

Back to the triage.

My strategy is to use Gmail basically for the technical lists to which I subscribe, like TidBITS, CSS daily digest, and I use Gspace storage. I also get my Google Alerts on various self-defined news searchterms, but I delete almost all of them from Gmail as soon as I get a chance. All this stuff comes thru also to my Mail.app, but I filter it into trash without even reading it. That leaves only a few strays from people who use Gmail for personal or professional direct correspondence. These I filter into their appropriate personal mailboxes. I wouldn't want to cope with Marc's superabundance, regarding which he has no mention of spam.

Sports: Car racing: NASCAR 4-part DVD documentary a hit among US troops in Iraq & Afghanistan

.
Washington Times carries AP's Jenna Fryer article on the documentary "NASCAR videos 'golden' for troops" (Dec17,2k6):

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- John Warner set out to make a simple movie about NASCAR driver Wendell Scott.

By the time Mr. Warner was finished, the filmmaker had spent $3 million of his own money to create a four-part DVD documentary that traces the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing from its early days through the 1960s.

Mr. Warner knew "The Golden Era of NASCAR" was a film of which he could be proud. Narrated by his father, Virginia Sen. John W. Warner, the film is truly a labor of love.

But when he received a thank-you letter from a U.S. soldier serving in Afghanistan who used the film to fill his idle time, the younger Mr. Warner realized just how special it was.

Now he's donating 10,000 copies of the set -- which retails for $79.95 -- to Operation Gratitude. The nonprofit will include the DVD in Christmas packages it sends to deployed U.S. troops.

"Documentaries by nature are very passion driven, and to get the whole story on film is a very powerful thing," Mr. Warner said. "And then I got this letter from the brother of a friend of mine who really enjoyed the story, and it really touches you to know that something you have done can bring joy to other people."

Mr. Warner enlisted help from his stepmother, Elizabeth Taylor, who penned a letter that will be included with the DVD sets. She also included one handwritten letter to commemorate the 200,000th care package that Operation Gratitude will mail out.

"Millions of people around the world are remembering you each day in their prayers. I want you to know that I am one of them," Miss Taylor wrote in the three-paragraph letter.

Sports, by Sportikos

"Please believe that as you travel through harm's way, you are valiant, loved and respected. I wish you safety in the days ahead and a warm reunion with those you love."

Getting Miss Taylor to contribute to the gift "only took a phone call," Mr. Warner said, as the actress was pleased to help.

"This was something that is important to me, especially since the films touch on all the World War II veterans who helped create NASCAR," Mr. Warner said. "This is just one way that a civilian like myself can give back."

A Virginia native, Mr. Warner was introduced to NASCAR when his father stumped for votes at stock car races with Miss Taylor, the elder Mr. Warner's second wife.

The racing interested the young Mr. Warner, who launched a career of modest success racing sports cars. But when he retired four years ago, he needed a new project and turned his attention to telling the story of Mr. Scott, the first black driver to win a NASCAR race.

"There was no book written on him -- there still isn't -- which is very unusual for a man who is the Jackie Robinson of racing," Mr. Warner said. "So I called up his daughter, and we talked for hours, and it really became a passion of mine to tell his story."

But in researching Mr. Scott, Mr. Warner uncovered story upon story of other NASCAR pioneers. He interviewed more than 50 old-timers and their families and interspersed it throughout the film with his father's narration, which is done in a perfect Southern drawl.

Mr. Warner didn't make "Golden Era" to get rich, and with a willingness to give copies of the set to any deployed serviceman who asks, his profits are continually shrinking. But that won't shy him away from another project -- he would like to focus on NASCAR through the 1970s next -- and it won't spoil the joy "Golden Era" brought him.

"The one thing that was amazing is that Southern people by nature like to tell tall tales, and a lot of them are what had gotten me interested in the project," Mr. Warner said. "And they all turned out to be true. That was the amazing thing -- every one of them was true. I was just astounded."

Tags: NASCAR Golden Age

• aesthetics
• sports
• NASCAR
• troopsAfghanistan
• troopsIraq
• DVDs

Aesthetics: Arts: World's first luxury underwater hotel, Hydropolis, is being constructed under Dubai's waves

.
A remarkable architectural project has been announced for the waters off Dubai, the architecturally well-known Gulf State. DesignBuild-Network, the online website for "everyone in the building design and construction" industries recently features a project called Hydropolis.

Currently under construction in Dubai, Hydropolis is the world's first luxury underwater hotel. It will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London's Hyde Park.

"Hydropolis is not a project; it's a passion," enthuses Joachim Hauser, the developer and designer of the hotel. His futuristic vision is about to take shape 20m below the surface of the Arabian Gulf, just off the Jumeirah Beach coastline in Dubai. The £300 million, 220-suite hotel is due to open at the end of 2007 and will incorporate a host of innovations that will take it far beyond the original blueprint for an underwater complex worthy of Jules Verne.

There are only a few locations in the world where such a grandiose dream could be realised. A high proportion of today's architectural marvels are materialising like fanciful mirages from the desert sands. We have come to expect extravagant enterprises to be mounted in the Middle East, and especially in Dubai. "This venture could only be born here in Dubai," says Hauser. "It [has] a very open-minded, international community - and that's what makes it so special."

The land on which Hydropolis is being built belongs to His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. It was his last free beach property on this stretch of coast. The project is a fantastic one, yet Sheikh Mohammed's success record with comparable schemes instils confidence that science fiction can become fact. With his support, several companies have been formed to kick-start this phenomenal project, and around 150 firms are currently involved.

"There have been many visions of colonising the sea - Jules Verne, Jean Gusto and several Japanese architects - but no one has ever managed to realise this dream," says Hauser. "That was the most challenging factor, and that's what makes it so fascinating. Despite being a dream of mankind for centuries, nobody has ever been able to make living underwater possible."

Underwater hotel design

The original idea for Hydropolis developed out of Hauser's passion for water and the sea, and goes much deeper than just building a hotel underwater. More than just curiosity, it is a commitment to a more far-reaching philosophy. "Once you start digging deeper and deeper into the subject, you can't help being fascinated and you start caring about all the associated issues," he explains. "Humans consist of 80% water, the earth consists of 80% water; without water there is no life."

Hydropolis reproduces the human organism in an architectural design. There is a direct analogy between the physiology of man and the architecture. The geometrical element is a figure eight lying on its side and inscribed in a circle. The spaces created in the basin will contain function areas, such as restaurants, bars, meeting rooms and theme suites. These can be compared to the components of the human organism: the motor functions and the nervous and cardiovascular systems, with the central sinus knot representing the pulse of all life.

The ballroom, located at this nerve centre, will have asymmetrical pathways connecting the different storeys along ramps. A large, petal-like retracting roof will enable the staging of open-sky events. Staircases, lifts and ramps will provide access to the ballroom, while flanking catering areas will supply banquets and receptions.

Hydropolis Land Station

In order to enter this surreal space, visitors will begin at the land station. This 120m woven, semicircular cylinder will arch over a multi-storey building. On the lowest level passengers board a noiseless train propelled by fully automated cable along a modular, self-supporting steel guideway to Hydropolis. A just-in-time and on-demand logistical system will facilitate efficient supply of goods to the hotel.

The upper storeys of the land station house a variety of facilities, including a cosmetic surgical clinic, a marine biological research laboratory and conference facilities. On the lower levels are the staff rooms, goods storage and loading areas, and hotel and parking areas.

The land station also includes a restaurant and high-tech cinema screening the evolution of life in the ocean and the history of underwater architecture. As a finale, the screen will open to reveal the real-life Hydropolis. A viewing platform at the front opening of the spanning roof will allow views of the architecture as well as the light shows of Hydropolis.

Architecture, by Archibald

Marine Architecture

This structure promises to be a conceptual as well as a physical landmark. While human beings accept the existence of water, we have only a superficial appreciation of its significance. "We waste it, go swimming in it and generally take it for granted," says Hauser. "Humans could actually live self-sufficiently underwater, generating energy, nurturing food supplies and so on. This is why we are starting a foundation to demonstrate something of the importance of water in our lives.

"My general plan was to create a living space in the sea. My initial proposal was a deep-sea project, which looked very different. I had to adjust to the local reality of the natural surroundings and change to a shallow water construction.

"We want to create the first ever faculty for marine architecture because I believe that the future lies in the sea, including the future of city planning. I am certain that one day a whole city will be built in the sea. Our aim is to lay the first mosaic by colonising the sea."

Hauser plans to incorporate many different elements associated with the sea. The cosmetics will be ocean-based, the cinemas will screen films that focus on aquatic themes and a children's seaworld will educate as well as entertain.

He views his creation as a place where those who do not dive - or do not even swim - can experience the tranquillity and inspiration of the underwater world. "We are expecting around 3,000 visitors per day in addition to the hotel guests. The aim is to inspire people to develop a new awareness of the sea."

As well as emphasising the positive aspects of water, Hauser also believes we are systematically destroying marine life, and thus wishes to draw attention to various dangers and problems, such as the loss of algae and the destruction of the coral reefs.

Funding and Development

Dreams, however fabulous, remain unfulfilled without the cash to support the commitment. "The hardest part of the process was finding sponsorship to the tune of €550 million," admits Hauser. "That's what brought me to Dubai. Still, it was a battle which took two-and-a-half years and proved tougher than developing the project itself. No bank would pay such an amount. It's a risky investment, as there are no pilots. We had to convince investors that it is safe and will bring returns on investment."

With official blessing, the Dubai Development & Investment Authority (DDIA) established a framework to handle grants and authorisations. Once the financial backing was guaranteed, the sonar analysis of the seabed complete and 7,000 anchors in place, construction began in summer 2005.

"We are sure that this hotel will set a precedent," says Hauser. "Crescent-Hydropolis is now planning a chain of underwater hotels, and nine countries have shown interest. Some will be the realisation of my initial deep-sea design." Hauser has even chosen to make his permanent home in Dubai. "And that won't change after the project [is finished], regardless of where our next project will be. The infrastructure is exceptionally good here - and it seldom rains!"

Key Players

Crescent Hydropolis Holdings LLC were the original intellectual property rights developer and are acting as the project developers, with SIBC Industrial Building Consultants as the global project managers.

Consultation has come from Q3A+D Limited as architecture and design consultants and Siemens I&S IS Facility & Systems Engineering as the technical engineering consultants. OSTSEE-KONTOR GmbH are providing the marine and naval surveying services.

Design, architecture and interior scenery is being provided by 3-Deluxe System Modern GmbH. The underwater foundation, tunnel and access way will be the work of DCN Duik Combinatie Nederland B.V.

Less ambitious but still quite interesting is the underwater Red Sea Underwater Restaurant, Eilat, Israel. The facility is already in regular use.

Tags: Dubai's underwater hotel

• architecture
• buildingunderwater
• underwaterbuildings
• hotel
• restaurant
• Dubai
• EilatIsrael

Aesthetics: Arts: What is it about TV's character played by Vincent D'Onofrio, I don't like?

.
Rather, what is about this character that I detest? Smart-alecky pop-Freudian analyst, Detective Robert Goren, head honcho of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, who is written up in the show's scripts on the assumption that he is always r+t, and because he's so blantantly smart, also always knows he's r+t. Thus, this copdick has the r+t to bully and badger and blackmail his victims (of course, they're always guilty, but in real life such a cop would not be jailing the guilty only). Could there really be any such copperdicker? Over all, L&O: CI totters on a poor script with black and white characterizations, not enuff grey, with the benefit of the doubt always going to D'Onofrio (yes, you guessed it, I'm prejudiced against the character but can't keep separate in this case, that the actor is actually someone else).

TV, by Anaximaximum

There's an axe being ground thru-out the narrative structure of each episode, the entire series, and in the end I put it all at the feet Dick Wolf, the creator of the show. Not all his creations are this bad, by any means. But I think perhaps he gets to create too many and in D'Onofrio's incessantly insulting transcendent omnipotent Freud he's created a deeply amoral prime time TV show.

Immediately following the broadcast of today's episode (which is no different from the usual in this series), another episode series by the same Dick Wolf takes to the screen on the Omni2 channel seen here in Toronto. This second series is actually, with the D'Onofrio-starring offering, part of a set of four.

Dick Wolf, one of television's most respected drama series creator/producers, is the architect of one of the most successful brands in the history of television Law & Order. Wolf serves as creator and executive producer of the four Law & Order drama series from Wolf Films and NBC Universal Television [1.] Law & Order, [2.] Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, [3.] Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial By Jury [launched] in the 2004-05 season. In addition, he is creator and executive producer of NBC's courtroom reality series Crime & Punishment, which chronicles real-life cases prosecuted by the San Diego District Attorney's office. ...

Wolf's Law & Order [multi]series continue to re-write the annals of television history. With more than 320 episodes under its belt, Law & Order – now entering its 15th season on NBC – is the longest-running current drama series on television. It has received 11 consecutive Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominations – the record for most consecutive series Emmy nominations in the history of television (tied with Cheers and M*A*S*H) – and won the coveted Emmy in that category in 1997. With NBC's most recent pick up (through 2005-06), Law & Order will become the longest-running police series and the second-longest running drama series in the history of television, behind only Gunsmoke. Law & Order's other accolades include: the highly coveted Peabody Award; multiple Emmys; the Crystal Apple Award from the New York City's Mayor's office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting; the Writer's Guild Award for Television and numerous other high ranking tributes.

Really? The Writer's Guild Award for Television? Oh, that doesn't include the D'Onofrio writing/acting debacle.

Tags: TV's Law&Order

• aesthetics
• arts
• TV
• dramaseries
• detectivestories
• D'OnofrioVincent
• WolfDick

Aesthetics: Arts: Napster announces its free-chosen music awards for 2006

.
Complete List of 2006 Napster Award Winners

Napster U.S.


Most-Played Artist
Jack Johnson

Most-Played Song
"Dance, Dance" by Fall Out Boy

Most-Played New Artist
Carrie Underwood

Most-Played NapsterLive Session
Natasha Bedingfield Rising Star Arctic Monkeys

Most-Played Self-Published Artist
Jadox

Unstoppable Artist
Scott Joplin

Most-Played Cover Song
"One" by Cowboy Junkies (originally performed by U2)

Most-Played Alternative Artist
Coldplay

Most-Played Alternative Song
"Dance, Dance" by Fall Out Boy

Most-Played Blues Artist
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Most-Played Blues Song
"The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King

Most-Played Christian Artist
Third Day

Most-Played Christian Song
"Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot

Most-Played Classical Artist
Andrea Bocelli

Most-Played Classical Recording
"Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)" by Andrea Bocelli

Most-Played Comedy Artist
Weird Al Yankovic

Most-Played Comedy Recording
"White & Nerdy" by Weird Al Yankovic

Most-Played Country
Artist Rascal Flatts

Most-Played Country Song
"What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts

Most-Played Dance/Electronic Artist
Madonna


Most-Played Dance/Electronic Recording
"Everytime We Touch" by Cascada

Most-Played Folk Artist
Damien Rice

Most-Played Folk Song "
The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice

Most-Played Hip-Hop Artist
Eminem

Most-Played Hip-Hop Song
"Ridin'" by Chamillionaire

Most-Played Jazz Artist
Norah Jones

Most-Played Jazz Recording
"Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones

Most-Played Latin Artist
Shakira

Most-Played Latin Song
"Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira

Most-Played Pop Artist
Jack Johnson

Most-Played Pop Song
"Move Along" by All American Rejects

Pop MusicScape, by Owlie Scowlie

Most-Played R&B Artist
Mary J. Blige

Most-Played R&B Song
"Unfaithful" by Rihanna

Most-Played Reggae Artist
Sean Paul

Most-Played Reggae Song
"Temperature" by Sean Paul

Most-Played Rock Artist
Nickelback

Most-Played Rock Song
"Dance, Dance" by Fall Out Boy


Most-Played World Artist
Enya

Most-Played World Song
"Only Time" by Enya

Napster U.K.

Most-Played Artist
Snow Patrol

Most-Played Song
"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley

Most-Played New Artist
Arctic Monkeys

Most-Played NapsterLive Session
The Feeling Rising Star Infernal

Most-Played Self-Published Artist
Suzanne Ciani

Unstoppable Artist
Frank Sinatra

Most-Played Cover Song
"One" by Mary J. Blige (originally performed by U2)

Napster Germany

Most-Played Artist
Nelly Furtado

Most-Played Song
"No, No, Never" by Texas Lightning

Most-Played New Artist
Texas Lightning

Most-Played NapsterLive Session
Akon Rising Star Chamillionaire

Most-Played Self-Published Artist
Humberto y Sus Amigos

Unstoppable Artist
Elvis Presley

Most-Played Cover Song
"One" by Mary J. Blige (originally performed by U2)

Napster Canada

Most-Played Artist
Coldplay

Most-Played Song
"You are Beautiful" by James Blunt

Most-Played New Artist
Gnarls Barkley

Most-Played NapsterLive Session
Default Rising Star KT Tunstall

Most-Played Self-Published Artist
David Barela

Unstoppable Artist
Johnny Cash

Most-Played Cover Song
"The First Cut Is the Deepest" by Sheryl Crow
(originally performed by Cat Stevens)

Sports: American Football: Washington Redskins losing to New Orleans Saints in pro NFL game

.
I picked up the game in the 2nd quarter, when the Redskins were leading--Washington 13, New Orleans 10. Michael Lewis takes the kickoff way back in the Saints defense zone, runs the ball 26 yards before he's taken down by the Redskins. But in the next scrimmage, a Saints man is taken down again. There's "a breakdown of protection." Again. And now the Saints drop a pass.

Sports, by Sportikos

The Saints are in big trouble, tho now there's only a 6 point advantage for the Redskins. Saint Reggie Bush picks up some yardage, but it gets squandered in the next play. Time out. Redskins' Rogers blocks a Saint pass into the endzone. The time's just about gone ... and it's the Redskins 16, Saints 10. A dismal day for the Saints, but still they lead 'Skins in the natonal NFL standing.

Tags: Clooney's neo-filmnoir

• aesthetics
• sports
• footballproUSA
• RedskinsVsSaints

Sports: Soccer: I'm watching the English Premier League football clubs. Aston Villa vs Bolton with a 1 lead

.
The game is warmly-fawt but seems a bit sloppy. The crowd is at h+pitch, gloriously noisy thru-out. The clock is ticking 85:49. Four minutes added. Anelka seems the big gun for Bolton in this English Premier Cup game, a real frenzy hurtling toward conclusion, Bolton Wanderers 1, Aston Villa O.

Sports, by Sportikos

I'll have to check out the Premier Cup's website, and look into Bolton. I saw them play last week against West Ham United in the Barclays Premiership.

To bone up on the league, part of the official Football Association, you mite try these source:

The Premier League's Surprise Team
Premier League website
Official write-up of today's game Sat Dec16,2k6

Tags: English football (soccer)

• aesthetics
• sports
• footballUK
• soccer
• EnglishPremierCup

Movies: Neo-noir: Clooney's 'Good German' a style-flick mimicking '1940s Hollywood romantic thriller'

.
Christian Science Monitor's film critic Peter Rainer (Dec15,2k6) whacks movie "The Good German" in theatres now. He says the flick, starring George Clooney with Cate Blanchett, is 'sytle over substance." It "makes an earnest attempt but can't save the film from its emptiness" (MELINDA SUE GORDON/WARNER BROS.)

"Not so 'Good German'"

Director Soderbergh goes for a 1940s noir feel, but loses story.

Movies, by Anaximander

"The Good German" is a prime example of a movie made by highly skilled and intelligent filmmakers that nevertheless seems misguided from the get-go. In attempting to make a movie that mimics a 1940s Hollywood romantic thriller, director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Paul Attanasio have concocted what amounts to perhaps the most elaborate film-school exercise ever mounted by a major studio.

Whew! That do sting!

Tags: Clooney's neo-filmnoir

• aesthetics
• arts
• film
• filmnoir
• Hollywoodromanticthriller
• ClooneyGeorge
• stylefilm

Sports: American Football: Pro battle between Buffalo Bills (31) and NY Jets (13)

.
I watched the Buffalo Bills vs NY Jets game, on TV, this Sunday afternoon. The Bills put into play such skilled and heavy-duty gents as Justin Miller (who intercepted, ran to recover 92 yards -- an eventlet that will enter the history books).

Sports, by Sportikos

Lee Evans, Nate Clements, Mike Nugent kicked 38 yards using the last second to HalfTime, to gain field goal pointage. In the second Half, one name and image stands out as a huge part of the victory: Willis McGahee.

I honestly can't remember all that about the Jets. The final score says itall: Bill 31; Jets 13.

Climb the ladder in the standings, Bills. Bull buffaloes all. Go!, Bills

Technics: Cellphones: Appligos blog dollops the dope on non-identical iPhone twins coming in 2007

.
refWrite's brother blog, Appligos carries the latest info on Apple's cellphone project as discussed on Slashdot and AppleInsider. Scheduled for release in 2007, analysts predict the marketing of two versions of iPhone that will be tied to .Mac (the annual-subscription online multifeature Web 2.0 suite).

Technotes, by Owlie Scowlie

One can't help wondering if the iPhone developments will eventually lead to a development parallel to the huge success of iPod, but to make it so eventually, iPhone would not be able to prachute into the lead as did iPod which displaced the the longtime market-occupant Sony Walkman, largely due to iPod's connection to the iTunes Music Store. Instead, iPhone would have to slug it out for every mile of market share against all the handheld miniphones called "mobile phones"--still, none of them have a tie-in to .Mac.

Tags: Appligos features Apple iPhone

• technics
• cellphones
• iPhone
• .Mac
• iPod
• iTunesMusicStore
• SonyWalkman

Sports: Pro Football: New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys

.
I've been watching the Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants game out of East Rutherford, New Jersey. Much a naif, I found myself siding with the red jerseys, which turned out to be those of the Giants who are lagging behind the Cowboys ahead by 3 points (10 Giants, 13 Cowboys). Brandon Jacobs (263 llb) cawt the pass by Eli Manning, with Jacobs moving his bulk some 20 yards at breakneck speed. Another tuff opponent on the losing side at the moment, would be a guy named Shockey. Then there's T C Barber.

Sports, by Sportikos

Tony Romo is the head honcho for the 'Boys team. Aside from Romo's, the only name I absorbed from the Cowboys is Martin Grammatica's--he's their kickisto. ... But now in a set of electric moves, the Giants have tied-up the score, 13-13. Yeah, team! (We're in the 4th Quarter, so things are thick and tense.)

Dallas scores again, 20 to NYG's 13. 2-minute warning. Shaving ad.

TC Barber receives from Manning and gains 28 yards for the Giants. Another yardage gain by Barber. Now, Burress scores another touchdown for the Giants. Tie again! A thriller of a pro-football game, American style.

A minute left, two time-outs. Cowboys in field-goal proximity, but get a 5-yard penalty. Which puts Dallas in question because Grammatica's range is doubtful now. Romo is whipping his boys into a final-moments frenzy. Grammatica comes out to the field for the field-goal kick, crossing himself, crossing himself again.

Giants take a time-out. Grammatica is crossing himself again, and again.

Grammatica takes his kick, puts Cowboys on top. Dallas 23, Giants 20.

1 second left. Giants make their play. Fizzes out.

Dallas Cowboys win.

Arts: Entertainment: Videogame presents Christian fndmntlism's tragic turn to false doctrine, training religious-hate terrorists of future

.
The Christian online journal, Ekklesia and other news sources repoirt the scandal of a videogame put forward as Christian, which actually promotes inter-religious hatred.

US Christians oppose violent fundamentalist video game

A range of Christian organisations in the United States are concerned that a major evangelical publishing house is promoting a video game which they say legitimates a violent and hate-filled world view based on religious fundamentalism.

At a press conference in Phoenix, Arizona, the Christian Alliance for Progress is joining with CrossWalk America, the Beatitudes Society and The Center for Progressive Christianity to protest the release of the Left Behind: Eternal Forces video game, a companion to the best-selling book series of the same name.

Critics say that the ideology of the game corrupts the Christian message and is based on distorted readings of scriptural texts which have been discredited by scholarship and are recent deformations of the Gospel tradition.

Many organisations and individuals are asking Tyndale House to disassociate themselves from the product. CAP’s letter declares:

“The Christian Alliance for Progress deplores the release of the video game Left Behind: Eternal Forces in which the game's object is to convert or kill any who stand in opposition to the ideology that the game and its companion book series seek to promote. We urge the game's sponsor, Tyndale House, a Christian publishing business which used to be concerned with sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, to recall its values and withdraw its support for such an un-Christian enterprise as this.

Videogames, by Owlie Scowlie

“The game, which comes with a copy of one of the books in the series, represents a relatively novel way of interpreting the book of Revelation and the biblical passages that treat the end of history and the coming kingdom of God, whose origin is less than 200 years old. It thus rejects the historic ways of reading Revelation and the coming of God's kingdom that have sustained followers of Christianity for two thousand years. It also rejects the insights of biblical scholarship and deliberately misreads Revelation as a book of prophecy, rather than the kind of literature it actually is, which is apocalyptic.

“Worse, rather than seeking to close the gap between neighbours, as Jesus did in his ministry, the game's purpose is to drive a wedge between people, teaching teenagers that what God intends is for them to slaughter those who do not share their beliefs. Because of the predominance of Christian fundamentalists on television and radio in the past generation, the American people have been left with the false impression that this strange way of interpreting the Bible is what Christians have always believed and taught. We are here today to challenge that view and to name it for the error that it is.”

refWrite urges all readers of goodwill to join in signing the online petition against the Tyndale House videogame Left Behind: Eternal Forces>/b>.

More Info:

Christian groups assail video game
Evangelicals petition against hate-teaching Christian fundamentalist video

Movies: Homosexscandal: See evangelist Ted Haggard at the movies! -- 'Jesus Camp' coming your way

.
Fired Evangelist Slams Gays in New Movie

Movies, by Anaximaximum

More later, but in the meantime, check-out refWrite's previous coverage in our occasional Morals, Mores, Manners column by Owlb, on rW page 2

Technics: Internet: Web2.0 is being called a "revolution" of transition in usage from desktop to online applications

.
A major new report on the so-called "Web2.0" phenom has been published under the title Web 2.0 Principles and Best Practices. It sells for USA$400, according to email newsletter Read/Write Web. The chief author is John Musser, with help from Tim O'Reilly and the O'Reilly Radar team (publisher is O'Reilly Media).

"These trends manifest themselves under a variety of guises, names, and technologies: social computing, user-generated content, software as a service, podcasting, blogs, and the read–write web. Taken together, they are Web 2.0, the next-generation, userdriven, intelligent web. This report is a guide to understanding the principles of Web 2.0 today, providing you with the information and tools you need to implement Web 2.0 concepts in your own products and organization."

Technotes, by Owlie Scowlie

There's now an annual Web2.0 Conference, but there's now also a differentiated Web2.0 Summit (the difference behind that designation should be obvious even to non-techie consumers of all things internettal).

More Info:

Why Web 2.0 Matters and How You Can Make the Most of It
Web2.0 (Wikipedia article)