Trelobita

odditiesoflife: The Amazing Underwater Forest of Lake...

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:22:01 -0400

The Amazing Underwater Forest of Lake Kaindy

What makes Lake Kaindy truly remarkable is that it contains an underwater forest. Visible on the lakes surface are the tall, dried-out tops of submerged Spruce trees that rise above the water’s surface like the masts of sunken ships. They are the only sign of the amazing frozen forest below the water’s surface.

The water is so cold (even in summer the temperature does not exceed 6 degrees) that the pine needles remain on the trees, even after a hundred years of being submerged. During the winter, the lake freezes and becomes a popular spot for ice diving.

The lake is 400 meters long and is located in Kazakhstan’s portion of the Tian Shan Mountains, about 129 km from the city of Almaty. The lake was created after an earthquake in 1911 triggered a large landslide blocking the gorge and forming a natural dam.

therapsid: unimodus: heir-of-breasts: half of star trek the animated series is kirk’s face being...

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:20:35 -0400

therapsid:

unimodus:

heir-of-breasts:

half of star trek the animated series is kirk’s face being too close on the screen when he doesn’t need to be in the shot

i’m crying it’s true

chllin with Uruha and my BFF on da enterprise LOL #me #space #captain #hot #sexy #vulcan #boyfriend #enterprise #alien #planet #galaxy #universe #cosmos #starbucks

Filmation had a habit of using weird shots like this where a character’s entire face takes up the frame. You see it in He-Man and She-Ra too. I’m still trying to figure out why they did that. Maybe because they worked on these series during a time when tv screens were smaller and it looked a little less weird to see a whole face? *laugh*

shroomyloomyland: That awkward moment when you moonwalk into...

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:57:45 -0400

shroomyloomyland:

That awkward moment when you moonwalk into MJ

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Fri, 24 May 2013 00:55:58 -0400

Marvelous Thirst: No. 5: "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind"

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:54:33 -0400

Marvelous Thirst: No. 5: "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind":

marvelousthirst:

From 1984.

Story by: Hayao Miyazaki
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

For a long time, Miyazaki has been known in the Western press for creating films with “strong female characters,” a phrase grounded in a history of tacit sexism. I count myself blessed that I grew up never being surprised to hear that a woman was a doctor, a politician, or a soldier, or that a woman could sit with me and enjoy a classic James Bond film — rife with female objectification — and come away from it entertained, despite both of us being wary of its sometimes disturbing cultural context. Women and men are meant to be together and respect each other, but we so often alienate ourselves from each other with walls built on silly expectations.

Big production companies like Disney fear the powers of both genders’ typical preferences — boys like cars, girls like fairies, boys like robots, girls like ponies, etc. — and so they cater to one gender at a time, in effect cutting off a lot of opportunities for developing frames of reference for positive male-female interaction. I understand that reinforcing gender differences is a matter of cultural identity for a lot of people, but it’s still stupid that Disney changed the name of “Rapunzel” to “Tangled” because they were afraid boys wouldn’t want to see it — stupid not because of the decision made, but because of the creeping cultural necessity for it.

I think most mature adult men would agree that watching “Ever After” will not make you any less of a man. In fact, it might make you more of a man and less like the stereotypical emotionally stunted ape. I feel like most mature adult women would agree that watching “Ip Man” will not make you less of a woman. In fact, it might make you more of a woman and less like the stereotypical swooning schoolgirl. And whether you like or dislike these movies does not really define anything except your values and your tastes. As far as I know, chromosomes remain unaffected. Therefore, why don’t we go ahead and expect that maturity from our children? Give them some credit. When you set high expectations for people, they are more likely to live up to them.

I have five nieces and six nephews ranging in age from 1 to 16, and I have shown them my favorite Ghibli films intermittently for a few years now. All of them, regardless of gender, have enjoyed what they saw. My boys have watched the adventures of Chihiro, Haru, Arrietty, Satsuki, Sophie, and Nausicaa with joy and awe on their faces, and only once have I heard one of them ask to watch one with a boy as the main character, but after seeing all of these films, I understand why. I am struggling right now to think of a male character in any entertainment medium who is as amazing a role model as Nausicaa. In bygone days, I might have said Spider-Man, but such is not really the case anymore (GROAN!). It’s a testament to the elemental awesomeness of Ghibli characterization that my nephew was wanting a male role model, but in the context of movies like this. Why? Here is what we learn from “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”:

To be a hero is to fly into danger unflinchingly for the sake of your family, your community, and any stranger who needs saving, even if that person appears to be your enemy.

To be a leader is to represent an image of loyalty, calm, and courage before your people, even when they are angry and abused.

To be an agent of positive change is to learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of your forebears — to not merely fight adversity, but study it, discover its functions and causes, and educate others.

Nausicaa represents all of these things. She recognizes the underlying attitudes that caused the catastrophes of long ago and she creates a beacon of hope for the peace-loving people of the valley. My favorite thing about her, though, is that she seeks the truth about the toxic jungle that has laid waste to the planet, and when villains arrive to destroy even more, she opens their eyes with her heroic example. Violence does occur in the film, but only as the recurring symptom of human nature. It never represents the key to solving everyone’s problems.

I fear I’ve written too light a synopsis here, but movies should be seen, not read. This movie was released in 1984, before Studio Ghibli technically existed, but it’s Miyazaki’s first opus, an invitation to an era of thoughtful, complex, emotional animation and storytelling. “Nausicaa” suffers a little from the lower production values of its time, but it lives up to Ghibli standards.

Doing the usual “best character” thing here would be futile, as Nausicaa is pretty obvious. I think I can safely say she is one of my favorite superheroic characters in all media, and I would name her Ghibli’s second best overall character in the films I’ve seen.

As for “best scene”: I’m moved by the scene in which Nausicaa is struggling to go on at the edge of the acid lake, but the part of the film that probably enchants me most is Nausicaa’s first appearance investigating the shell of an Ohmu (giant insects that occupy the toxic jungle). Everything about the story’s environment is unique and dangerous, but Nausicaa just happily glides in and does her thing. It’s a pleasant, inductive approach to telling what ends up being a pretty complex tale.

I just recently found out that the film is based on an elaborate manga by Miyazaki that continues the story and tells it with much more attention to plot details and the philosophy of the conflict. I would love to cozy up to this world and these characters even more. #christmaspresentideas

tacgnol: thedepthofme: when you know you’re doing it...

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:48:30 -0400

tacgnol:

thedepthofme:

when you know you’re doing it right

jfc

bluepueblo: Water Spout, Liguria, Italy photo via...

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:53:34 -0400

bluepueblo:

Water Spout, Liguria, Italy

photo via besttravelphotos

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Thu, 23 May 2013 16:07:05 -0400

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Thu, 23 May 2013 15:02:58 -0400

idiotsonfb: nerd humor.

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:52 -0400

idiotsonfb:

nerd humor.

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Thu, 23 May 2013 14:50:55 -0400

ikaotaku: 「カヲシンの日！」/「ぽろん＠連弾H31」のイラスト [pixiv]

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:18:59 -0400

ikaotaku:

「カヲシンの日！」/「ぽろん＠連弾H31」のイラスト [pixiv]

asktiaandesme: lascocks: east-idegengar: I can’t pick my...

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:15:47 -0400

asktiaandesme:

lascocks:

east-idegengar:

I can’t pick my favourite

these are things i would write

all of these belong in family guy

Martian Panorama

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:15:12 -0400

Martian Panorama

prettybirds: Kaka Parrot

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:11:12 -0400

prettybirds:

Kaka Parrot

realmonstrosities: revereche: awrrex-stein: revereche: As...

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:01:24 -0400

realmonstrosities:

revereche:

awrrex-stein:

revereche:

As much as that look like a puppet, that is actually a real bird he is holding, and that is wonderful.

Potoos are muppet birds!

POTOOS I forgot the name D=

I just found out this sings the blues! Check it out!

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Thu, 23 May 2013 02:59:48 -0400

iamtheworldsforgottenboy: Two of my favorites in one episode....

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:55:10 -0400

iamtheworldsforgottenboy:

Two of my favorites in one episode. Thom Yorke and Space Ghost.

Knifin’ Around - Space Ghost Coast to Coast

And Bjork! This is my favorite episode of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. :-D

aikainkauna: #you really should see this movie #it’s a woman’s...

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:39:00 -0400

aikainkauna:

#you really should see this movie #it’s a woman’s face with conrad veidt #all pornstaches aside it is very well written and acted

^^^

To my terror, I am starting to sexually respond to Connie’s pornstaches, though. That’s just one of the risks involved when you watch this movie, but a fairly minor one in comparison to the risks of a) being unable to stop rewatching the film because of all the evil little details of awesome and b) having your soul eaten by Torsten Barring.

Dear God, his hands and what they are doing… O_O

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Thu, 23 May 2013 02:37:57 -0400