Avatar and other things

Avatar

I sat transfixed for nearly 3 hours watching this movie. I sent silent prayers into the universe that all the nasty old humans would be crushed and sent packing back to earth – or even just annihilated, never to be heard from again. I loved the blue beings of Pandora, their swishing tails knocked my little socks off and their tree house appealed to all my girlhood dreams of doing a Swiss Family Robinson for the rest of my life. The creatures and plants of Pandora are simply splendid, stunning and the floating islands just incredible. So why is everyone getting their knickers in a knot about this movie….. it is a science fiction movie with a simple message and story line. It has incredible movie technology that makes everything look really life-like. It is believable science fiction – I think that is an oxymoron. You cant compare the movie to Titanic…it is so totally different, in fact there is not much you can compare Avatar to. Even if this “sort of thing” is not your “sort of thing” do yourself a favour and go and see it. It is a feast for the eyes and you don’t have to angst over plots, sub-plots, counter-plots or Cameron’s infantile potting training dramas and rejection by his mother. It is entertainment folks, with a nice feel good message.

Aliens

They (whoever they are) have just done a survey of people in SA they didn’t ask me if they believe in extraterrestrial life. Well it would appear that at least 30% of the adults people surveyed believe there is life out there. I am not sure if they believe in 3 headed monsters, blue beings or a lonesome amoeba like creature. But just the same it is quite interesting. I have always been seriously interested in life on other planets and have been acutely disappointed, that given my interest, I have never been chosen as an abductee. And I have driven on many a lonely road at night, with the window down, yelling “come and get me” – but so far not a sausage….Some things really suck.

Exploration to Mars

The little tractor/robot goodie they sent to the surface of Mars has finally stopped moving. It was supposed to “live” on the surface for a few months and 6 years later it has been going strong, tootling around sending all sorts of data back to mother earth. Well nearly strong….it had lost a wheel and had some other mechanical impairments, sort of bravely limping around these past few months; and finally, the other day, came to a grinding halt – but it is still transmitting data, albeit one directional. Brave little fellow.

And on this subject….. I read the trilogy Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars a few years ago. Now this is really honest to goodness believable science fiction. In fact, so much so, that I wonder why NASA even bothers to send unmanned spacecraft to Mars. They should just read the books…all the stuff they are finding out now from years of analysis and astronomical amounts of money is contained in the books. It also details how to go about colonizing other planets. Amazing stuff.

The Moon Station

Wow – this is so exciting. I will definitely apply for a job there. They will need sweepers, cleaners and bottle washers. Would you go? Bearing in mind there might be no coming back.

Global Warming

Is Global Warming becoming the new Christianity? There are believers and non-believers. There are passionate crusaders. There are passionate non-believers. But the bottom line is that when there are bucks to made, egos to placate, power to be held onto then there will enough people and scientists around to fuel the fires of disbelief.