The Government Is Really Spying On You

After 2001, at the behest of the President George Bush, Congress passed a bunch of laws that were designed to find terrorists by any means necessary including spying on phone calls, email and internet activity, often with little or no oversight. While vocally Congress talked about how these immense powers would never be abused, it would never be used to spy on Americans and other noises of "trust me!". Of course since them we have learned that Americans have been spied on from the very beginning and that FBI and other agencies would use their powers not so much to stop terrorists but as fishing exhibitions against whoever they were targeting for whatever reason. Long story short, people were given power and they abused it. The old adage about power made real. Yet despite know people will abuse the power they are giving, we still act amazed when we discover it is happening.

Everything Wrong With Superman Returns

Next week finally brings a new Superman film to theaters with The Man of Steel. So CinemaSins decided to release Everything Wrong With Superman Returns in 6 Minutes or Less. The film, released back in 2006, was a bit of a critical debacle. Which is actually a shame because Brandon Routh actually did a good job in the role of Superman/Clark Kent as did most of the cast (except Kate Bosworth who excelled at looking good but not making a good Lois Lane). Sadly the problem was the story and the inconsistent rules of the story when it came to Kryptonite. The choice to essentially retell the first Superman movie while lathering on the homage in boring ways was just to much for the actors to overcome. A little homage is great but when go so far as to lift the entire story and retell it again, it can be a bit much. Also, no kids. Really, thats just plain dumb.

Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters Trailer #2

Below is the latest trailer for Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters which is a sequel to Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. The books are a fun read and I like the first film (does hurt that Alexandra Daddario is gorgeous) so I plan on checking it out.

How Iron Man 3 Should Have Ended

An amusing take on some of the story ideas from Iron Man 3. I especially like the idea of the super powered Pepper Potts replacing Stark on The Avengers.

Lifesize Lego Star Wars X-Wing

To promote the Cartoon Network's The Yoda Chronicles, LEGO has built its largest model ever with their life-sized Star Wars X-Wing made almost entirely from Lego. The stats on this model are very impressive. It contains 5,335,200 Legos, weighs 45,980 pounds, its dimensions are 11"H x 44"W x 43"L, and took 17,366 hours (4 months) to build. It is a replica of the X-Wing set #9493 but at 42x larger then it. It includes a scaled up version of the mini-fig Luke and R2-D2 made out of more Lego bricks. The model is designed so it can be broken down for transportation. It premiered today in New York's Time Square and will spend the rest of the year at Legoland California Resort. A hand-on tour of build can be found at Brothers-Brick and a look at the Time Square event and video of the build is at Gizmodo.

Xbox One Announced

Today Microsoft officially revealed the Xbox One, the next generation console that will compete directly with the Playstation 4. Much like the PS4 announcement, Microsoft focused almost entirely on the entertainment and TV aspect of the system with only a slight mention of games. This decision by both companies makes a lot of sense really since E3 is just weeks away and will be entirely focused on video games. Unlike the PS4 announcement, Microsoft showed off more then a controller, they showed off the system itself (image left). No price point was provided with a release date expected around Christmas 2013.

Specs:
- 8-core Jaguar x86-64bit AMD CPU, DirectX 11.1 graphics
- 8GB DDR3 RAM (think old was 512MB)
- 500GB HDD (old started at 4GB and went up), not swappable but external storage supported
- Blu-ray drive (old system was HD-DVD)
- 3.0 USB, 3 802.11N antennas
- HDMI 1.4 passthrough (so HDMI in from cable box, out to TV)
- 1080p and 4k video, 7.1 surround sound

The Wolverine Trailer #2

A new trailer for The Wolverine, coming out on July 26th. If the lovely woman in the beginning looks familiar, that is Famke Janssen as Jean Gray, the character that died in X-Men 3 and Logan loved. As for the movie itself, I have to admit, can't say I am excited about it. It looks like it might be good but for me the block comes from the comics. I never liked the "Samurai" Wolverine stories that took place in Japan. They all were variations of the same "I must restore my honor!" while killing a bajillion ninjas. Still such a story on paper gets boring over and over but done will on the big screen can be an enjoyable action film. I will likely be there opening weekend regardless of my reservations.

Pacific Rim Theatrical Trailer

This is probably one of the films I am most looking forward to this summer. The scale and scope just makes it seem like it will be a really fun film. Because of the scope, I am giving serious consideration to seeing it in IMAX as might be one of the few films worthy of that extra large size.

Man of Steel Trailer #3

Below is the latest Man of Steel trailer. I am a comic book nerd but have to admit I can't get excited about this film. Part of it is little confidence in Warner Bros to get it right (to many executive cooks in the kitchen interfering) and part of it has to do with the trailer itself which just makes the film seem depressing and boring. This isn't to say I will not see the film, its just not achieving that level of excitement where I am ready to pre-order tickets for a 12:01a showing. Instead I will simply watch it whenever I get around to it.

Linkfest - RIP Roger Ebert

It has been a while since the last linkfest. Sadly this one starts with the dead of a legend, goes to a great Lego creations, then comments about Veronica Mars movie, Google Reader closure, and finally a fan made trailer for Calvin and Hobbes.

R.I.P. Roger Ebert (6/18/1942-4/4/2013)
Today the entertainment industry lost a legend in the form of long time movie critic Roger Ebert. The 45 year veteran of the Chicago Sun-Times didn't have an opinion he wasn't willing to share (about all forms of entertainment), died today from cancer. To say Ebert loved the movies would be an understatement. Probably not words in the dictionary that can describe that love. Even when he hated the movie, I suspect he loved that it existed and added a little bit to the collected culture even if seen by few. Ebert, the other half of Siskel &, rose to fame starting with his review television show in 1975 that eventually morphed into "At the Movies" with its famous thumbs up or thumbs down reviews. Even after losing his lower jaw in 2006 to cancer, the critic continued to share his opinions about all forms of entertainment. Well except video games which he didn't consider art to the consternation of video games fans worldwide. That his opinion on the subject matter shows that even the current generation of kids knew who he was and cared what he thought. There really doesn't exist a critic today of his caliber and fame and in this age of dispersed entertainment, I doubt there will be one again. While Ebert probably didn't influence many of our entertainment choices, I suspect his influence on Hollywood was quite large. So by relation, the impact of Ebert on our day to day entertainment choices will likely never be known. Condolences to his family, I suspect he will be watching from on high, watching ever movie that comes out from now until the end of time.

The First Honest Cable Commercial

For your amusement. Note: Not safe for work.

Playstation 4 Announced

Sony has announced their next generation console and if it lives up to the promise of its presentation, then console future is looking pretty good. And that is before Microsoft announces their next gen (rumor is anywhere from this year's E3 to next year). The press conference was about two hours long and ironically did not show the actual final product, provide a price or a release date other then Holidays 2013 (so likely early November 2013). Instead it was about its potential features and possible launch games but still a hell of a start.

Specs:
- custom 8 core x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU with 1.84 TFLOPS AMD Radeon graphics engine (current gen is at 1.76 TFLOPS)
- 8GB GDDR5 RAM (for comparison the PS3 has 512mb so a 16x increase in RAM)
- Build-in hard drive (sizes not announces)
- 6x Blu-ray/8x DVD drive
- USB 3.0 ports (number not specificed)
- Ethernet, b/g/n Wi-fi and Bluetooth 2.1 (essentially same as PS3)
- HDMI, analog AV-out, and optical S/PDIF audio output (so essentially same as PS3)
- DualShock 4 controller with touchpad, gyroscope, accelerometer, vibration, lightbar with 3 LED lights, mono speaker, micro USB port, headset port, battery
- Playstation 4 Eye with two 1280x800 camera, 85 degree field of view

Linkfest - Goodbye Arcades and the PS2

For once a linkfest without politics. Mostly because just don't feel like talking about it since the year has opened with more of the same. If had hope that Senator Reid would grow a pair and alter the filibuster rules to return to the more transparent "Mr. Smith" style that Republicans eliminated in 1971 (I think) then might be more involved but I suspect this year will end up looking like last year. In any event, below is a look at the Superman S-shield, goodbye to the PS2, death of the arcade, data caps sucking, behind the scenes of the Avengers and Red 2 trailer.

120 Superman S-Shields from 75 Years
An interesting infographic that shows off the Superman shield from every year including the variations that would pop up from year to year and in movies and cartoons. Of note is while the shield mostly remained static for 60+ years, the last 10 years brought about the most constant change in design which makes since only because DC is constantly engaging in gimmicks to maintain their audience. As for the picture to the left, those represent the highlights of the 120.

Linkfest - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

The year is almost done and fortunately the Mayans were wrong as we are all still here. The problems remain but so does hope for the future. In the last post of the year we look at another cool Lego creation, info on data caps being scam, Wal-Mart hell, great Stephen Colbert interview, Google's year in review, and the Man of Steel.

Lego The Legend of Zelda Map
The image is a Lego re-creation of the map for the classic NES game The Legend of Zelda. From Michael Kuroda, the map re-creation really isn't that large with it being 256 Lego studs wide by 88 studs high.

Data Caps are Cash Cows and Unnecessary
Hit the link to read a little bit about how cable companies and telephone service providers lie when they claim tiered data systems are necessary because of a need for data caps. The reality is the cost to move data gets cheaper every year. Also the cost of the transmission remains the same whether 1 megabyte of data is moved or 1000 megabytes. Long story short, the more you use the internet should not cost you more because it doesn't cost the service providers more. They just pretend it does because its an easy way for them to charge more while providing nothing more thereby increasing their profits. The upper management gets their huge bonuses while having done literally nothing for their customers. Its a scam so next time a company or a politician pretends otherwise, don't believe them.

Newtown: "These tragedies must end."

I am not a parent so I can't grasp what these parents and the community of Newtown, Connecticut are going through. As a human being I am just sad and my heart aches for the pain that has been caused. Twenty-six dead. Twenty of them first graders, children who had not lived long enough to deserve anything but our patience and love. All wiped out because Adam Lanza took several assault weapons from his mom, killed her, and then preceded to walk to Sandy Hook Elementary and began his assault on innocence. We probably will never really know why. I have no words for what happened. I wish I did.

What I do have is anger. This just happens to often and in almost every case it seems to involve weapons of war. Not defense, not even hunting but weapons specifically designed for soldiers at war and thanks to the efforts of the NRA and the Republicans, have someone become classified as needed for home use. Weapons of war do not belong in any home. I know, Fox News and the Republicans will say "Now is not the time." Which is bullshit. They have no problem throwing random darts at the board and blaming movies, TV, video games and anything else they can make up on the fly. We have no idea what interests Lanza had to even hazard a guess on his motivations. If they have time to spew their theories, if many of them can hop on Fox News and decide the solution is to turn teachers into armed guards, then now is most definitely the time to talk about getting these weapons of war out of the hands of civilians and only in the hands of those trained to use them only at times specified by our nation's interest.

Still Here

I am still posting, just have not had anything specific felt like posting on the Eras End blog. Been busy trying to keep up with the Star Trek and The Hobbit news but hopefully start posting again here soon.

Linkfest - America Votes

Hopefully this will be the last political heavy post for a while but who knows for sure. Other then the election there is links to an awesome Lego Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield, Iron Man 3 teaser trailer and cool time lapse of a space shuttle on the streets of LA.

Lego Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield
Hit the link for 7 images of this beautiful and detailed shield built by Remi. Makes you wish that Lego would get the license and release a version of their own. (via Brothers Brick)

Obama Re-Elected
Tuesday Barack Obama was re-elected as President of the United States. He won by a comfortable margin taking 5 out of 6 battleground states (Florida too close to call). He also won the popular vote by a fairly typical margin of around 51% to 49%. Basically it was a repeat of 2008. Despite what the pundits may say, really the DC status quo has been maintained. As a result the gridlock and difficulty in getting anything done will continue. The GOP retained the House and the Democrats still have the Senate by about the same margin so sadly the filibuster will continue to be used to death requiring 60 votes to get anything done.

Remove Ads from Echofon for Firefox (Updated)

Thanks to new limitations that Twitter has forced on third party developers, Echofon had to discontinue their awesome desktop apps including Echofon for Firefox and Echofon for Windows. Twitter is trying to reach point where they are the only source for any tweets and only their apps can be used, which is unfortunate as their apps tend to suck. To me Echofon is one of the best and recommend it for whatever version you can find. If you are lucky enough to find a copy (since they removed it from Mozilla and their own site), below are instructions on how to remove ads from Echofon for Firefox. This might work for the Windows version too but have not tried it. Or to put it another way below is a crack for Echofon without needing an email or license key. If don't already use it, make sure to check out Echofon for iPad, iPhone and soon Android.

1) In a new Firefox tab, type: about:support then hit enter
2) On the screen that comes up, click the button that says "Show Folder".
3) Open the "Extensions" folder

Apple's New October Announcements

Today Apple announced their next slate of product refreshes just in time for Christmas. The iPad mini with 7.9" screen was officially announced. The iPad 3, just announced back in April, has been discontinued and replaced with the iPad 4. The Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro also received updates. Below is summary with links to more details.

iPad Mini The iPad 2 in a smaller shell with different power port and improved front camera - Screen: 7.9", 1024 x 769 pixels
- Size: .68 pounds, 7.78" x 5.3", 7.2mm thick
- Other: dual band Wi-Fi, bluetooth, Lightning port, 10 hour battery life, 1.2MP front camera, 5MP camera, A5X chip
- Price: $329 (16GB), $429 (32GB), $529 (64GB), +$120 for cellular

Linkfest - Batcave, Taxes, Time-Lapse, and The West Wing

This linkfest is politics heavy (election coming up after all) but to start things light there is a look at a cool Batcave. After that the politics kick in with look at why tax cuts without strings do not work, the lies of Romney/Ryan and an essay about failings of both parties. If want to skip the politics, after those links to info on the update Nook HD, a cool time-lapse video, and brief reunion of the West Wing cast. Massive Lego Batcave
Hit the link to view a gallery of a gorgeous Lego version of the Batcave. The huge structure was built by Carlyle Livingston II and Wayne Hussey over the course of six months. It took over 20,000 Lego and weighs more than 100 pounds. It has little touches like built in lighting, motors to the Batmobile turntable, rotating costume and weapon walls, and moving Batplane lift. (via Brothers Brick)

Tax Cuts Without Strings Do Not Work
The Romney/Ryan ticket is proposing a 20% tax cut, mostly for the rich, with little means to pay for it. They claim it will boost the economy. They are wrong. The human condition along is why it will fail, even if ignore the failure that the last six tax cuts had on boosting the economy. This isn't to say a tax cut can't work, but it must be done with conditions or incentives. This is not a new idea, the states do it all the time. They offer tax cuts if corporations move their headquarters, build a factory, create jobs, buy supplies from a company in the states, whatever. That has proven to work.