Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Gonorrhoea is becoming more drug-resistant

Sex infection gonorrhoea risks becoming "superbug" - Healthzone.ca
The sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea risks becoming a
drug-resistant “superbug” if doctors do not devise new ways of treating
it, a leading sexual health expert said.

...

Anti-vaccinationist family breaks out with measles in Vancouver

Measles outbreak in Metro Vancouver - The Globe and Mail
Excerpts:

The centre said Tuesday that there have been 10 confirmed and four
suspected cases of measles in the past two weeks.

Eight of those
cases stem from a single household, while two others are believed to
have come from out-of-country visitors in February or early March.

Dr.
Monika Naus, the centre's immunization director, said the risk remains
low for the general public because most B.C. children receive the
measles vaccine between their first and second birthdays.

None of
the people who caught the disease had had the two doses of vaccine
required for full protection and many weren't immunized because of
philosophical objections.

“Most years, we see no cases of measles
in B.C. because our vaccination rates are high,” Naus said in a written
statement.

...

“Whether it's measles, mumps, rubella, or a host of other
vaccine-preventable diseases for which we have vaccines, the best thing
anyone can do is to make sure that their vaccinations are up to date,”
she said.

“Two doses of measles vaccine are 99 per cent effective
against the disease. Those are pretty good odds.”

In the summer of
2008, about 200 cases of mumps were recorded in B.C.’s Fraser Valley.
Health officials said at the time the illness began with a religious
group that shunned immunization.


Sunday, March 28, 2010

Battlefield Earth movie screenwriter apologises

Friday, March 26, 2010

Snake Oil? Scientific evidence for popular dietary supplements

Pages of trippy fractal images

New Swiss Sci Fi Movie "Cargo" Looks Very Promising

A Tim Burton Malificent live-action movie?

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Brother from Siberia - a possible new branch of ancient humans

Is human ancestor in Siberia new member of family tree? - thestar.com
NEW YORK, N.Y.—In the latest use of DNA to investigate the story of
humankind, scientists have decoded genetic material from an unidentified
human ancestor that lived in Siberia and concluded it might be a new
member of the human family tree.
...
This undated photo provided by the journal Nature shows a view from a rock above Denisova cave to the excavation field camp in in Altai Mountains of southern Siberia. Scientists have decoded DNA from a human ancestor that lived in Siberia 30,000 to 50,000 years ago _ possibly a new member of the human family tree.
Excavation camp in Southern Siberia in the Altai Mountains.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Vamps movie

Sigourney Weaver vampire queen in new movie - Vamps

Monday, March 22, 2010

Another step closer to finding a habitable planet?

Cool steampunk dinosaur movie

Sunday, March 21, 2010

4,000 year old mummies found in China

Texas takes another step backwards into ignorance

State of denial: Revisionist education in Texas - Parentcentral.ca
Excerpt:
the amendments will overturn a broad array of long-standing tenets and beliefs about U.S. history and society, rejecting the constitutional separation of church and state, promoting a Judeo-Christian interpretation of the motivations that inspired the country's founding fathers, dropping references to Latino heroes and accomplishments, and justifying the red-baiting, anti-Communist extremism that overran large tracts of the U.S. body politic during the 1950s, spearheaded by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Meanwhile, founding father Thomas Jefferson – unpopular with conservatives because he championed the division between religion and politics – is to be downplayed in classrooms. Conservative heroes such as Schlafly (known for her opposition to feminism) and Gingrich (leader of a Republican renaissance in U.S. politics) will now be promoted to U.S. students for their beliefs and accomplishments.

Jackson, a Confederate general in the American Civil War, is to be singled out as "a role model for effective leadership." But references to Latino heroes are to be played down, a move that would presumably affect the legacy of Cesar Chavez, the late Mexican-American civil rights activist whose birthday is now marked as an official or optional holiday in several U.S. states, including Texas.

Oh, yes – and the mainly black hip-hop musical style will no longer be considered "a significant cultural movement" among Texas youth. Country and Western will be celebrated instead.




Friday, March 19, 2010

Earths may be more common than we think

‘Earths are common,’ NASA scientist says - thestar.com

We are surrounded by dozens of habitable planets. We just can’t see them yet, according to a researcher.

In his new book, How to Find a Habitable Planet, geoscientist Jim Kasting suggests that the chances that each of the stars you see in the sky is being rotated by a planet capable of sustaining life are surprisingly high.

...
This image made from video provided by NASA shows an artist's rendition of what an Earth-like planet might look like.


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Monster - movie updates

First Impressions of "Monsters": A Quarantined Mexico Packed With Aliens - Monsters - io9
The advance word (more like hopeful speculation, really) was that this would be the "Mexican District 9," but Monsters is a much more modest and subdued affair, and perhaps its greatest accomplishment is the establishment of its intriguing new mythology.

...



Death star in the Oort Cloud?

It's been known all along, but here it is official: Vaccines don't cause Autism

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Periodic Table of sci-fi shows and movies

Monday, March 15, 2010

Killing Joke tour delayed until Fall

Killing Joke’s ‘XIII: Feast of Fools’ album, 30th anniversary tour dates delayed until fall | 80s alternative music, college rock, indie // slicing up eyeballs
Reconstituted postpunk act Killing Joke this week announced it will push back the release of its forthcoming reunion album XIII: Feast of Fools from April until early September, and also will delay its lengthy 30th anniversary tour of Europe and North America until later this year.

...

The delay calls off 24 shows in April, May and June, and, so far, the band only has rescheduled what were to be the first two dates: Edinburgh and London. Ferguson notes that, “Of course, all tickets will be honored to the rescheduled shows.”

Killing Joke tour dates:

April 15: Picture House, Edinburgh, UK
April 16: Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK
April 19: Bataclan, Paris, France
April 20: AB Main Hall, Brussels, Belgium
April 21: Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
April 23: Werkstatt, Cologne, Germany
April 24: Grunspan, Hamburg, Germany
April 26: Lucerna Music Bar, Prague, Czech Republic
April 27: Mega Club, Katowictz, Poland
April 28: Palladium, Warsaw, Poland
April 29: Nosturi, Helsinki, Finland
May 21: Black Cat/9:30 Club, Washington, D.C., USA
May 22: Irving Plaza, New York, NY, USA
May 23: Paradise, Boston, MA, USA
May 25: Cabaret, Montreal, PQ, Canada
May 26: Phoenix, Toronto, ONT, Canada
May 28: Cro Foot, Detroit, MI, USA
May 29: Empty Bottle, Chciago, IL, USA
May 30: Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL, USA
June 2: Venue, Vancuover, BC, Canada
June 3: Shoebox, Seattle, WA, USA
June 4: Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR, USA
June 5: Regency, San Francisco, CA, USA
June 6: Witern, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Oct. 15: Picture House, Edinburgh, UK
Oct. 16: Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK




More Predators movie footage

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The next Planet of the Apes movies series remake is in the works

British Newcomer To Create Ape Supremacy - Planet of the Apes - io9
The prequel to the remake of Planet of the Apes has found a director.


An extened Avatar to be released to theatres in the Fall?

Avatar To Return To Cinemas In The Fall? - Avatar - io9

Cameron said,

The wildcard is that we might be re-releasing the movie this fall. It's kind of gotten stomped out (in theaters) because of Alice in Wonderland. The word we're getting back from exhibitors is we probably left a couple of hundred million dollars on the table as a result. The question is the appetite still going to be there after the summer glut of movies. We're going to assess that. We're talking about maybe adding in additional footage and doing something creative.

Slashfilm speculates that there could be up to 20 minutes of new footage available for the expanded Avatar, since Cameron has said he has five or six minutes of deleted scenes with finished effects, and another 15 minutes for which the effects were never completed — but they could be, if there was money to be made.




Thursday, March 11, 2010

Red matter star

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Predators movie - interview with Alice Braga

Repomen - movie - looks to be a bloody good time.

Update on the Thor movie - news on plot and list of cast members

Plot Synopsis Revealed for Marvel’s Thor | /Film
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Josh Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Clark Gregg, Colm Feore


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I love this outfit!

Ridley Scott's Alien prequel to be in 3D

EXCLUSIVE: Alien prequel WILL be 3D
Excerpt:

Put the rumours to rest as to whether H.R. Giger's metamorph will be truly leaping out of your screen in Ridley Scott's pending Alien prequel:

"Ridley's doing the next Alien in 3D." Christian told me.

When I asked the director if he thought the new prequel could set the Alien franchise straight again, he responded:

"I do. Ridley told me some of his ideas when we were here in Toronto. He has a very clear understanding of where this should go. They kind of stopped dead one of the greatest horror franchises there's ever been, and it had legs to go on. So I'm hoping he'll revive another three. The world certainly wants it, and the fans want it - everybody. "

Christian, who created the 'cannibalisation' technique of using stripped-out WWII bombers to dress SF movie classics Star Wars and Alien, is quite firm about the Alien prequel being in 3D, but less committed about it constituting the start of a new Alien trilogy. But it doesn't seem reasonable to presume that the 'trilogy' comment is completely random. So that's one rumour confirmed, but another springing up in its place, I guess.

Asked if he would have any involvement in Scott's new Alien movie, Christian responded:

"I hope so. I actually met Ridley here at the film festival. We had a chat to catch up, and he was going on about how much I'd 'got it' on the first one. I guess that's because of Star Wars, where I had a trained crew with me...and we learnt how to do it. It's not a technique that's easy to do - it's something I'd learnt. So [Scott] kept saying how I was the one responsible, really."




Friday, March 5, 2010

Another reason to legalize Marijuana

More summer fun for the whole family

Cool new movie to be filmed in Scotland?

Nerverackers - movie by Rodriquez - on hold

Predators movie info revealed

Egyptian Queen's burial chamber unearthed

Thursday, March 4, 2010

New detailed images of Earth

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Israel Apartheid: Plain and Simple

The Z-Files: Israeli Apartheid: Plain and Simple
Israel is an apartheid state and that is why they are losing legitimacy - by Judy Rebick, March 2, 2010
Click the link to read the post.
Excerpt:
Before Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) even began members of the Ontario Legislature and the Canadian Parliament are falling all over each other to denounce it. I can't remember another time when elected legislators formally denounced a student activity like this. Perhaps during the 1950's when McCarthyism was rampant but that was before my time.

Last week the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed a resolution denouncing Israel Apartheid Week submitted by PC Peter Shure who said calling Israel an apartheid state was "close to hate speech." While there were only 30 MPP's in the Legislature at the time, NDP MPP Cheri di Novo was one of them and spoke in favour of the resolution. This week a Conservative MP is introducing a resolution calling IAW anti-Semitic.

Before I deal with why these unprecedented attacks are taking place, I'd like to share with you a great talk I heard last night at Ryerson from Na'eem Jeena: , a leading activist and academic from South Africa who works for Palestinian solidarity. He told us that South African apartheid had three pillars of apartheid and Israel shares all three.

...