The Martian is the first published novel by American novelist Andy Weir.
It was originally self-published in 2012 before Crown purchased the rights and re-published it in 2014. A science fiction novel, it follows the fictional American astronaut Mark Watney as he becomes stranded alone on Mars and must improvise in order to survive.
It has been described as an Apollo 13 meets Cast Away. A film version directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon is scheduled for release in November 2015. …
A wise cracking goofball avoids the cliche of going mentally ill in solitary confinement.
Firefly is an American space western drama television series …
The series is set in the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, and follows the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a “Firefly-class” spaceship. …
Firefly premiered in the U.S. on the Fox network on September 20, 2002. By mid-December, Firefly had averaged 4.7 million viewers per episode … It was canceled after eleven of the fourteen produced episodes were aired. …
TV Guide ranked the series #5 on their 2013 list of 60 shows that were “Cancelled Too Soon“. …
The post-airing success of the show led … Universal Pictures to produce Serenity, a film based on the series …
In 2005, New Scientist magazine’s website held an internet poll to find “The World’s Best Space Sci-Fi Ever”. …
It kept me going. But I won’t join the cult. It’s as cheesy as Startrek without anywhere near the quality of TV’s greatest Science Fiction series, Battlestar Galactica. The one launched 2004 with Edward James Olmos.
Space CowboyNope, this is not Richard Castle.
In the series, Mal is a former Browncoat sergeant and the captain of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. The character was named #18 in TV Guide’s Greatest Sci-Fi Legends list in 2004. …
Steve Jobs, more than other one person, disrupted and reinvented the personal computer industry, animated motion pictures, music sales, retail stores, mobile phones and tablet computing.
–1976. STEVE JOBS and STEVE WOZNIAK form Apple Computers and build their first personal computer . . . in Jobs’ parents’ garage.
–1977. Apple releases the Apple Two, which becomes the first widely-used personal computer in the world.
–1984. Apple launches the Macintosh, a desktop computer with the screen built in.
–1986. Jobs buys Pixar Animation Studios for $10 MILLION. In 1995 they release “Toy Story”
–1998. Apple releases the iMac. It becomes the fastest-selling personal computer ever.
–2001. Apple introduces their first retail store and releases the iPod.
–2003. Apple launches the iTunes music store. This began the transition away from illegal digital music downloading and toward people LEGALLY listening to music again.
–2007. Apple introduces the iPhone
–2010. Apple introduces the iPad
–2011. Apple . . . the company Jobs started in his parents’ garage . . . is briefly the world’s most valuable company.
Steve Jobs was a complete jerk. But he done good with Pixar. 🙂
… Pixarbegan in 1979 as the Graphics Group, part of the computer division of Lucasfilm before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986 with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who became its majority shareholder.
The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $7.4 billion, a transaction which made Jobs Disney’s largest shareholder. …
Inadequate sales of Pixar’s computers threatened to put the company out of business as financial losses grew. Jobs invested more and more money in exchange for an increasing portion of the company, reducing the fraction of ownership by the management and employees until after several years he owned essentially all the company …
Steve admired and respected John Lasseter as an artist. He could not say NO to the guy.
Rich guys that hand you money expect results. As do Mafia kingpins.
Citizen Koch is a 2013 documentary film directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal concerning the political influence of American plutocrats following the Citizens United ruling, and of the Koch brothers in particular. …
The film received acclaim from critics and won numerous accolades – most recognizing the performances of McConaughey and Jared Leto, including the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making it the first film since Mystic River (2003) to win both awards.
… a nomination for Best Picture. As of March 2014 it grossed over $32 million in box office revenue against a budget of $5 million. …
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 93% based on reviews from 177 critics, with an average score of 7.7 out of 10, with the site’s consensus stating, “Dallas Buyers Club rests squarely on Matthew McConaughey’s scrawny shoulders, … might be a career-best performance …
Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiographical work written by South African President Nelson Mandela, and published in 1995 …
The book profiles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison. Under the apartheid government, Mandela was regarded as a terrorist and jailed on the infamous Robben Island for his role as a leader of the then-outlawed ANC. He has since achieved international recognition for his leadership as president in rebuilding the country’s once segregated society. The last chapters of the book describe his political ascension, and his belief that the struggle continues …
His childhood name was Rolihlahla, which is loosely translated as “pulling the branch of a tree”, or a euphemism for “troublemaker“.
Indeed, many of the most winning anecdotes are stories of how the now sainted man bungled, cheated or lied.
Mandela oversaw the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate crimes committed under apartheid by both the government and the ANC, appointing Desmond Tutu as its chair. To prevent the creation of martyrs, the Commission granted individual amnesties in exchange for testimony of crimes committed during the apartheid era. Dedicated in February 1996, it held two years of hearings detailing rapes, torture, bombings, and assassinations, before issuing its final report in October 1998. …
Though Mandela was influenced by his older contemporary, Gandhi, he did not subscribe to Gandhi’s non-violence. Nelson felt that non-violence worked in India because the British government was reasonable. But that it would not work in South Africa government.
Mandela said that he actually didn’t know Gregory very well. But did state:
“He was one of the most refined warders. Well-informed and courteous with everybody. Soft spoken. Very good observations. I developed a lot of respect for him.”
Yet another “book-length scavenger hunt” featuring Robert Langdon, professor of symbology at Harvard University.
Yet another beautiful, talented young woman — Sienna Brooks — somehow pushed into Tom Hank’s life.
Inferno received mixed reviews from critics. But the important and thoughtful plot did keep me going.
Scenes in Florence and Istanbul kept me going, as well.
If you liked the other Dan Brown books (as I did), you’ll like this clone.
Sony Pictures has dated a film adaptation to be released on December 18, 2015 with Ron Howard as director, David Koepp adapting the screenplay and Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon.
Rick McCharles 