A great father and son activity; send a camera to space and get it back.

I'm mad about science and space exploration. I was around when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. So when I saw this story about a father teaching his son about space by building and sending a high definition camera with a weather balloon to the outer atmosphere, I knew it was cool story to blog. Here's the gist of the story.

Like many youngsters, and those young at heart, seven-year-old Max Geissbuhler and his dad dreamed of visiting space -- and armed with just a weather balloon, a video camera, and an iPhone, in a way they did just that.

The father-and-son team from Brooklyn managed to send their homemade spacecraft up nearly 19 miles, high into the stratosphere, bringing back perhaps the most impressive amateur space footage ever.

The duo housed the video camera, iPhone, and GPS equipment in a specially designed insulated casing, along with some hand-warmers and a note from Max requesting its safe return from whomever may find it after making it back to solid ground. All told, father and son spent eight months preparing for their homemade journey into space, in hopes of filming "the blackness beyond our earth."

Then, one day in August, Max and his father headed out to a nearby park to see their dreams realized. After attaching their equipment to a 19-inch weather balloon and switching on the camera, they watched as their simple craft disappeared high into the sky.

After a little over an hour, the craft reached the stratosphere, 100 thousand feet overhead, and captured some incredible footage of space before the balloon popped and fell back towards earth. They found their spacecraft 25 miles away from where they had let it go -- stuck up in a tree.

Although the camera's battery died some minutes before touching down, the footage the camera returned is impressive. And despite the fact that the craft didn't technically reach the boundaries of space, Max and his father are undoubtedly proud of their accomplishment.

Here's their extraordinary video.

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Alternate Version of Star Trek second pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", to be released in 3rd season DVD.

The forthcoming DVD release of Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 3 includes a pilot episode previously only available on the bootleg circuit. Apparently a German film collector found a print of this alternate version of the second Star Trek pilot, titled "Where No One Has Gone Before," and brought it to Paramount. Above are some clips from that alternate version of the pilot, which has never officially been released until now.

The alternate version is in three parts with 1970s-style act breaks, an entirely different version of Captain James T. Kirk's opening monologue ("But now a new task. A probe out into where no man has gone before") and music that contrasts from the famous opening theme and an extended action sequence.

From the (press) release:

This version of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was completed in 1965 and features archived footage that was not included in the pilot episode ultimately broadcasted. Never-before-aired, this newly recovered version is believed to be what was originally screened for NBC, and the basis for their decision to broadcast STAR TREK.

From Memory Alpha, more background on this alternative version of the pilot episode:

There is a different, pre-broadcast cut of ("Where No One Has Gone Before") in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution. This unique cut includes a few brief scenes trimmed from the aired cut of the episode, different opening titles, and a unique closing theme. The alternate closing theme can be heard on the GNP Crescendo CD Star Trek: Original Series (Volume 1) "The Cage" / "Where No Man Has Gone Before". The pre-broadcast cut is commercially available only in bootleg form, although it has been screened at numerous conventions. Paul Carr was credited as "Navigator" in the end credits of the original cut. The version on the first season box set may contain the alternate ending theme, but does have the changed credits. This cut will be finally be available commercially on the Season 3 Blu-Ray set.

Here's some of the scenes on a vhs bootleg version. Enjoy!

It's Guy Fawkes day!

"Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot."


Guy Fawkes, the only person to enter Parliament with honest intentions!

Happy Guy Fawkes day!

Another installment of Max Blast of the Past!

While digging in my You Tube account, I came across this video. It's edited to Van McCoy's version of the theme song for Star Trek, written by Alexander Courage. It's a throwback to the 70's (The song was actually made in 1976 for the album "The Real McCoy". I used to own that album on 8-Track!) It made me so nostalgic, that I'm sharing it with you. Why? Beacuse I like torturing you, that's why! And beacuse I like Star Trek.

Enjoy!

The coolest pic you'll see all day today!

Enjoy the weekend!

Pic courtesy of Warren Ellis and Wil Wheaton
Yup! That Wil Wheaton!

First Hispanic apointee to the Supreme Court is a Puertorrican from the Bronx!

President Barack Obama has made his choice. To substitute retiring Justice David Suiter, the President has chosen 54 year old Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court.

Here's a snippet of the news item...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama chose federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice on Tuesday, praising her as "an inspiring woman" with both the intellect and compassion to interpret the Constitution wisely.

Obama said Sotomayor has more experience as a judge than any current member of the high court had when nominated, adding she has earned the "respect of colleagues on the bench, the admiration of many lawyers who argue cases in her court and the adoration of her clerks, who look to her as a mentor."

Standing next to Obama at the White House, Sotomayor recalled a childhood spent in a housing project in the Bronx as well as her upper-echelon legal career: "I strive never to forget the real world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government."

Barring the unexpected, Senate confirmation seems likely, given the large Democratic majority. If approved, she would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the current court, the third in history. She would succeed retiring Justice David Souter.

More on this historic event HERE!

A Puertorrican, from the Bronx, in the Supreme Court! This gives meaning to the word "E Pluribus Unum" (From Many, One)

Welcome to the Real United States of America!

Use the Force Luke! Float that little ball!

Very soon, probably before Christmas, you'll be able to begin you Jedi training as a Padawan. Behold the Jedi Mind Control Training Machine.

Watch this as the machine is tested by the people at the Washington Post.



Hey, I'm impressed. I'm getting one! Still Star Trek is cooler now than Star Wars. Can I get an Amen to that!

And the box office champion this week is...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Angels & Demons," the new movie based on Dan Brown's popular novel about conspiracy in the Catholic church, racked up $152 million in global ticket sales over the weekend, but failed to match the start of its predecessor "The Da Vinci Code."

Distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday the $150 million sequel earned about $48 million during its first three days of release in the United States and Canada, reaching No. 1 on box office charts and eclipsing last week's champ, "Star Trek," which slipped to No. 2 with $43 million.

Guided by the studio, box office pundits had expected "Angels" to open in the $40 million to $50 million range, and Columbia said it was thrilled with the result.

The sequel should pass $150 million in domestic ticket sales, said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution at the Sony Corp unit.

Still, the popular "Da Vinci Code" opened to $77 million in 2006 on its way to a domestic haul of $217.5 million.

"Angels" also earned $104.3 million from No. 1 starts in 96 countries, down from the $147 million start for "Da Vinci."

Inevitably, the new film failed to replicate the buzz of the first movie. "The Da Vinci Code," based on another best-selling book by Brown, generated a firestorm of criticism with its premise that Jesus impregnated Mary Magdalene and that church officials tried to keep their bloodline secret.

The Vatican -- along with most critics -- ripped the film, but took a more measured tone against its sequel. Columbia said the first book sold twice as many copies as the second one, a clear indication that the second movie would come up short.

"On the other hand, 'Angels' absolutely was a far more cinematic book than 'Da Vinci Code' was," said Bruer.

POOR REVIEWS AGAIN

In "Angels & Demons," Tom Hanks returned to the series as a Harvard professor on a mission to save the papacy, and Ron Howard is also back directing the film. And much as they were with "Da Vinci Code," critics were scathing.

On website rottentomatoes.com that collects criticism and scores movies said the film earned only 38 percent positive reviews.

The Washington Post's John Anderson said: "What the movie is supposed to accomplish -- laying out a fairly complex mystery in a way that creates suspense -- is precisely what it doesn't do."

Still, Bruer expected the film to hold up well in coming weeks, as a rare adult thriller in a summer marketplace dominated by youth-skewing pictures like "Star Trek" and Thursday's upcoming release of "Terminator Salvation."

Columbia was also bullish about overseas prospects, noting it was the biggest international opening for a film since "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008.

Germany was the top market, contributing $12.7 million -- about the same as the opening for "The Da Vinci Code." Italy was also steady with $11.4 million. But Britain accounted for $9.7 million, down from $15.7 million for "Da Vinci." Spain ($7.1 million) and Japan ($6.9 million) also saw sizable drops.

"Da Vinci" finished with $540.7 million internationally.

Meanwhile, "Star Trek" lost just 43 percent of the audience from its opening round at box offices last week. Total sales rose to $147.6 million. The sci-fi reboot was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.

"X Men Origins: Wolverine," which kicked off the lucrative summer movie season two weekends ago, was down one to No. 3 with $14.8 million. The total for the superhero picture rose to $151.1 million, with foreign fans kicking in an additional $144.5 million. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Philip Barbara)

And the Box Office Champion this week is...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The new "Star Trek" movie beamed up an estimated $72.5 million in North American ticket sales its first weekend in theaters, dominating the box office and re-energizing a 40-year-old science-fiction franchise.
That figure far surpassed the opening grosses posted by any of the previous 10 "Star Trek" films, even when adjusted for inflation, and kept up a robust pace for the second week of Hollywood's summer moviegoing season.
Combined with $4 million grossed from Thursday evening's preview screenings, "Star Trek" tallied $76.5 million in U.S. and Canadian receipts through Sunday, according to its distributor, Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures studio.
Last weekend's top box office entry, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," still ranks as the biggest film opening so far this year, with $85 million in its first Friday-through-Sunday tally.
But the launch of "Star Trek" slashed deeply into "Wolverine's" second weekend of business, sending the superhero adventure from News Corp's NWSA.0 20th Century Fox to a second-ranked $27 million.
By comparison, "Star Trek" seems poised to hold fairly steady next weekend given that its ticket sales rose from Friday to Saturday, a sign of strong word-of-mouth buzz, said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com.
The $130 million film ranks among the best reviewed movies of the year, and one of the most well-received by critics of all the "Star Trek" pictures.

"PLAY LONG AND PROSPER"

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the latest film is intended as a "reboot" of the original 1960s television series, with updated special effects and a story line that explains how the crew of the galaxy-hopping Starship Enterprise, including Captain James T. Kirk and his half-Vulcan first officer, Spock, first met.
Leonard Nimoy, who originated the Spock character on TV, dons pointy ears again and even recites the Vulcan salutation, "Live long and prosper," for a featured appearance in the new movie as an elder Spock.
Despite early pre-release tracking data showing weak anticipation levels, the film seems to have won over both older "Trekkie" fans of the franchise and younger moviegoers on whom financial success depends, Paramount executive Don Harris said.
"The way this film is being received ... it looks like the movie will play long and prosper," he said.
"Wolverine," which stars Hugh Jackman reprising his role as the ferocious but conflicted superhero with steel claws, has received far-less glowing reviews than "Star Trek." Marking the fourth title in the "X-Men" series, its 10-day tally stands at $130 million.
Although ticket sales for its second weekend dropped 68 percent from its opening three-day stretch, Fox executive Chris Aronson said the studio was pleased. "It's what franchise movies do, and given the competition in the marketplace, it's right in line with expectations," he said.
The 12 highest-grossing movies this weekend collectively amassed nearly $141 million in North America, up almost 20 percent from the same weekend a year ago, while year-to-date revenues and attendance are also up by double-digits.
Rounding out this weekend's top five films were the romantic comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," with $10.5 million, the thriller "Obsessed," at $6.6 million, and the comedy "17 Again," with $4.4 million. The only other new wide release, the comic crime yarn "Next Day Air," opened at No. 6 with $4 million.
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

What? Is Peter Jackson going to release another LOTR film. No! But if he could, it would look like this!
The Hunt for Gollum is an unauthorized 45-minute fan-film set in the Lord of the Rings universe, set to premiere at the Sci-Fi London film festival. It's the second film from indie director Chris Bouchard, whose previous effort was a low-budg zombie flick called "Human Residue," and he appears to have leveraged his success with that feature, recruiting an immensely talented group of effects wizards, sculptors and artists (it's impossible to say much about the acting and writing based on the trailers, but I hope they're on par!). The whole thing is being produced for £3000 ($8,000) -- but it looks like a million! The story was inspired by an appendix to Lord of the Rings, in which Tolkien explains "what Aragorn and Gollum got up to before the trilogy began."

Trailer 2 - The Hunt For Gollum at SCI-FI-LONDON
by HuntForGollum

Via Boing Boing

How has the Batman logo changed thru the years.

I have a confession to make. Yes I'm a geek and yes I dig Batman. So in the interest of maintaining my geek up, I have found this video that chronicles the changes that the Batman logo has gone thru since the 1940's.

Enjoy!

"El Agua Milagrosa"

Coming to a hotel, house and infomercial near you! It's electrolized water, and it's changing the way we use household cleaners and degreasers.

It's a kitchen degreaser. It's a window cleaner. It kills athlete's foot. Oh, and you can drink it.

Sounds like the old "Saturday Night Live" gag for Shimmer, the faux floor polish plugged by Gilda Radner. But the elixir is real. It has been approved by U.S. regulators. And it's starting to replace the toxic chemicals Americans use at home and on the job.

The stuff is a simple mixture of table salt and tap water whose ions have been scrambled with an electric current. Researchers have dubbed it electrolyzed water -- hardly as catchy as Mr. Clean. But at the Sheraton Delfina in Santa Monica, some hotel workers are calling it el liquido milagroso -- the miracle liquid.

That's as good a name as any for a substance that scientists say is powerful enough to kill anthrax spores without harming people or the environment.

More on this breakthru here!

I hope it comes here soon!