This Picture

July 15th, 2053

The old Krebs' house was destroyed the other day to make way for a new technology research center.  I found this picture before we began construction.  The writing on the back says "Halloween, 1996."  It must be a photo of these kids before they went out Trick-or-Treating.

The boy in the back left of the picture is wearing a horrid rubber mask.  The flesh is turning green in some areas and the eyes over sized and bloodshot.  An imprint of his brain is visible on the top of his skull.  The young kid in the middle is also wearing a mask.  It's mouth is wide open with dull green teeth flared.  The last kid in the back row is dressed as a vampire, with a haunting mask of Dracula.  The grayish-blue skin is he creepiest part.  The fangs and blood trailing out the corner of the mouth complete the mask terrifically.

The two young children in the front of the pack are much less frightening.  The one on the left is wearing a fluffy tiger costume with a black nose and whiskers painted on his face.  The toddler in the front left of the photo is dressed as a classic character: Mickey Mouse, as depicted on the face of his brilliant red shirt.  A black bonnet with Mickey Mouse ears along with some face paint top off the costume to near perfection.  With his mouth agape and a wandering mind, he is completely oblivious to the fact of a camera on him.

I wish children still dressed in ridiculous costumes during Halloween.  The costumes I've seen in the past few years have been unoriginal.  Most are just a gore-show.  The older children don't even go out anymore, finding the act of Trick-or-Treating to be a childish game.

Making the First Down Visible to All

Watching professional football at home has some perks compared to being physically at the game.  Many have grown accustomed to the imaginary yellow first-down marker that is shown on the television.  New laser technology may soon allow the line to be visible to the fans and players at the game.

Alan Amron and Pat Summerall have developed a First Down Laser System that projects a line across the field that is visible in the stadium and on TV.  The NFL, being their main target, is intrigued, but not completely sold on the idea... yet.  The NFL right now has made it clear that they don't want to eliminate chains, but explained it wasn't a terrible idea.  They want physical proof of a first down.  League spokesman Greg Aiello said, "We have not been convinced that it would work for us, but we are open to further discussion after the season."

The new technology could be very important to the game of football.  A misplaced ball on a first-down measurement could be the difference between a winner and a loser.  The use of many cameras and replay technology has made the game more visible to audiences, and fairer on teams.  Could lasers be the next step in helping the referees, fans, and players?

The only problem I have with the idea, is the fact of spotting the ball.  The ball is marked down at a certain spot on the field where the player is tackled.  What would happen if the player was tackled before the marker, yet moves the ball ahead?  This is why the technology for determining a first down would be inefficient.

The idea of making a visible line for all audiences is alluring though.  Since most viewers are accustomed to seeing the yellow first-down line, being at the stadium and viewing it would be a plus.

http://news.msn.com/pop-culture/first-down-line-laser-next-for-nfl

Clown Prince of Crime

"Wanna know how I got these scars?"  If you have no idea where this quote comes from, you need to watch The Dark Knight.  The Dark Knight is the second movie in the newest Batman trilogy, and a movie that is definitely in my top 10 movies of all time.  The movie is about Batman trying to stop the Joker from wrecking havoc in Gotham City.  Heath Ledgers portrayal of this character was unimaginably powerful, some might say legitimately frightening.  

The Joker is a crazy villain, with really no purpose of his corruption except to prove his point. He is a crafty and crazy character, and quite horrifying at some times.  Almost always seen wearing his signature clown makeup, green hair, and scars running from the corners of his mouth up his cheeks.  He is usually wearing a ridiculous (awesome in my opinion) purple suit and green vest. 


Not only is his attire crazy, but his deeds are as well.  The movie begins with a bank robbery.  All of the robbers are wearing clown masks.  After the initial hold up, the robbers begin killing each other after they have done their part (eg. the guy who cracks the vault is killed after doing so).  The final robber remaining is the Joker himself, who drives away in a school bus full of cash.  Later on, he puts all the prisoners of Gotham on a ferry, and on a another ferry, he crams on the citizens of Gotham.  Each boat is rigged with explosives.  The criminals have the detonator for the citizens boat, and the citizens have the detonator for the criminals boat.  I won't spoil what happens, but you can see the point the Joker is trying to make.  It's a good idea, but  an atrocious way to make his point

"You complete me." This quote would usually make sense between two lovers, but this is what the Joker says to Batman.  He claims that neither of them would serve a purpose without the other.  With his crazy antics and ideas, his way to teach people is by corruption and explosions essentially.

"You know what I noticed? Nobody panics when things go according to plan.  Even if the plain is horrifying.  If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang-banger will get shot; or a truck-load of soldiers will be blown up... Nobody panics; because it's all part of the plan.  But when I say that one little old mayor will die?  Well, then, everyone loses their minds!"  This is one of my favorite quotes of all time.  After abducting the Mayor of Gotham, the Joker explains this idea to Batman.  Although a crazy way of doing it, he makes a good point.  Just think about it for a second.  Not many people focus the children dying in third world countries or the body counts in the war, but as soon as something out of the ordinary occurs, it horrifies them.  I'm not saying we shouldn't be scared of these events, but we shouldn't just focus on the ones that "aren't according to plan."