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Flippersmack Issue 22
O=
/) FLIPPERSMACK 022
`= culturemag for a penguin generation
http://www.flippersmack.com/
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The holidays have been really hectic. SlapAyoda and I went to Boston
for week over Thanksgiving. Best vacation ever. We saw the MIT Robotics
Museum and kicked it in Salem. Now we're planning a New Years trip to
New York. The next issue will be our Holiday special, so send articles
in! We want to hear about your best and worst Christmases and how you
celebrate the holidays. Email your submissions (anything Holiday
related!) to pinguino@comicartist.com.
I don't have time to write about this.. but after you're done reading
Flippersmack, you need to look at this link. It's AMAZING and
INCREDIBLE. This is IT. You must read about IT. Then talk to us on the
meeplist about how great IT is.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,186660-1,00.html
There has been an influx of amazing movies this Winter season. This
issue, we'll be taking a look at Harry Potter, Donnie Darko, Waking
Life, and K-Pax! We can't wait 'til Lord of the Rings, though; Burger
King has some really good toys for it that speak and light up. The
goblets they have are cool too. Vanilla Sky and The Majestic look like
great movies coming up, based on the trailers.
Join us on the MeepList; it's a Yahoo Group for all you Flippersmacking
penguins out there.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/penguinlist/
pinguino
[pinguino@comicartist.com]
tABLE oF cONTENTS
[movie] K-PAX ......................................... pinguino
[movie] Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ........ SlapAyoda
[movie] Donnie Darko ................................. SlapAyoda
[movie] Waking Life .................................. SlapAyoda
[poem] Trackless Mouse ................................ pinguino
Photoshop Tennis ...................................... pinguino
Get AMPEd on Taurine .................................. pinguino
An Introduction to Telus' Terminating Test Lines ..... The Clone
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K-PAX [movie review]
by pinguino (pinguino@comicartist.com)
Prot (Kevin Spacey) is a patient in a mental institution who's
convinced that he's from another planet. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) is
his doctor, who has to prove to Prot that K-Pax, the planet Prot claims
to be from, doesn't exist. Prot is the most convincing delusional that
Dr. Powell has come across. As Dr. Powell grows closer to Prot, he
pushes harder find Prot's true identity, and uncovers a murder mystery
from years long past. Meanwhile, Prot helps his fellow patients begin a
road to recovery by giving them something that they never had before:
hope.
K-PAX is a touching movie, directed by Iain Softley. If you can see it
in a theater, do so, but definitely grab it when it hits video. This
movie from Universal Pictures took top placement in the box offices its
opening weekend. It's the kind of movie that you'll think about for a
few days. It also has made people look at the world around them,
realizing the beauty of their everyday surroundings. Overshadowed by
Harry Potter and some of the other Winter hits, K-Pax is an amazing
movie you don't want to miss.
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [movie review]
by SlapAyoda (slapayoda@yahoo.com)
Having not read the books (somewhat purposely), and definitely a bit
leery of the "Harry Potter phenomenon", I can honestly tell you I went
into this movie with fairly low expectations. Coming out of this movie,
however, my opinion had been entirely changed. I am currently about
three quarters of the way done with reading the first book. The movie
is that good. If you enjoy the books, you've probably already seen it,
and most likely loved it; if you haven't read the books, it will send
you out to the bookstore the next day.
The basic story, which should be well-known by now, follows young
wizard Harry Potter during his first year at Hogwart's - a school for
young practitioners of magic. A great story on it's own, filled with
wonderful characters and a fantastic world for them to inhabit, this
movie truly brings the magic of the book to life. Not since Willy
Wonka's Chocolate Factory has a children's movie been so recognizable
as an absolute instant classic. The flawless representation of the
characters by a varied cast of wonderful British actors young and old,
the breathtaking and magical locations, the brilliant costuming, and
faithful dialogue all serve to draw the viewer into a new universe,
captivating and entrancing.
Even if you have serious doubts about Harry Potter, you should go see
this movie. It is a wonderful movie for all ages in the vein of Willy
Wonka and The Wizard of Oz.
-.x.x.x.-
Donnie Darko [movie review]
by SlapAyoda (slapayoda@yahoo.com)
Donnie Darko is what can only be described as an instant cult-classic
movie. This is evidenced by the fact that there are two Yahoo! Groups (
http://groups.yahoo.com/ ) mailing lists about the movie already, one
about the movie itself and one about the website for the movie. That
website, http://www.donniedarko.com/ , is in my opinion the most
original and engaging website for a film to date.
Written and directed by 26 year old Hollywood newcomer Richard Kelly,
the script had been making the rounds in Tinseltown for awhile before
Drew Barrymore read it and immediately agreed to produce it under her
company, Flower Films. A vastly different and original script, now
backed by a major star (who cast herself into one of the supporting
roles), Donnie Darko was certain to have an impact in Hollywood. Though
currently in small-scale release (check the website for your local
showing), it has not yet achieved wide release. Though with a growing
fanbase and many supporters, it may some day see the wide release it
deserves.
So, what is the film actually about? Well, since this is a movie that
relies greatly on the interpretation of itself by the audience, I'm
going to refrain from disclosing plot details. You will spend much of
this film analyzing the scenes and characters to try to figure out what
it is really about. In fact, as you read this, there are hundreds of
people trying to uncover the meaning of this movie on the Internet.
Unlike Waking Life (reviewed below), however, this movie does have a
solid narrative and plot. It's about a high-school teen in the late
1980's and his demonic, talking 8-foot tall bunny rabbit.
That should be enough to encourage you to see the movie. So go see it,
already.
-.x.x.x.-
Waking Life [movie review]
by SlapAyoda (slapayoda@yahoo.com)
"Waking Life is more than just an interesting moment in the history of
film technology. The technology has allowed this particular story -- a
story that probably wouldn't have worked in any other form -- to be
told." -- Richard Linklater
Waking Life, directed and written by Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed
and Confused), starring some notable (yet sometimes barely
recognizable) faces such as Ethan Hawke, Steven Soderbergh, with
Linklater himself, and animated by a team of 30 animators, is an
all-together fresh approach to the film process used to present a wide
range of ideas and philosophies to the viewer.
The process is described as a new form of rotoscoping, an animation
technique that dates back to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But this
is no Disney animation. Linklater shot the entire movie in digital
video with a Sony handheld camera, and hired a team of digital artists
to animate the movie on top of that footage, using Mac workstations and
Wacom tablets. The end result, after an estimated 20,000 hours of
animating (for about 100 minutes of footage), is an animated film that
doesn't feel like an animated film at all. Though often filled with
humorous details (such as a talking duck), the animation is very true
to the personality of each character and what the character is saying.
Every character in this movie has his or her own philosophy on life,
and as such, are animated with a unique and individual style.
The film is, much like Slacker, not so much a medium for a particular
story, as it is a presentation of ideas and themes. The entire film
consists of the audience following the unnamed protagonist as he
discusses, as Douglas Adams put it, "life, the universe, and
everything", with everybody he meets, occasionally deviating from this
path to listen in on the similarly-themed discussions of others. If it
is -about- anything at all, it is about the search for meaning in life.
As the character progresses from conversation to conversation, he
realizes that he feels like he is trapped inside a dream. Through
dialogue alone, the film begins to develop a sense of urgency. One
might have the complaint that before this moment, the film seems
aimless and slow. Indeed, the character himself refers to his
conversations as rather boring. It is much like being dropped into the
middle of something - at first his life (or dream) seems shapeless, but
your mind begins to work out the order of it after a short while.
Many of the ideas, dealing with such topics as existentialism and
predestination, will be familiar to anyone who has taken a college
course in philosophy. Even so, Waking Life uses these ideas to form an
enormous impact on the viewer. I left the theater curious about my
surroundings, feeling somewhat cleansed and ready to take on life. At
the risk of sounding either corny or new-age, Waking Life is less a
movie and more an experience.
Hunt down this film in your city and see it now.
-.x.x.x.-
Trackless Mouse
by Pinguino (pinguino@comicartist.com)
arms reaching to the sky
a black canvas devoid of life
somewhere a star shines bright
with misty eyes i cannot see
endless arms groping hopelessly
i could trip over a tiny rock
or walk into a leafless tree
or shrink into a bottled charm
following orders mindlessly
yet determination fuels my veins
pushing me in direction unknown
the finish line seems to far away
my friends tell me its not so
-.x.x.x.-
Photoshop Tennis
by pinguino (pinguino@comicartist.com)
A new sport that's been catching on in graphic design circles is
Tennis. Photoshop Tennis. Photoshop Tennis is a game between two
graphic artists. It began in the offices of Coudal.com, an advertising
and design company in Chicago. This is where the majority of the live
matches happen.
( http://www.coudal.com/ )
To play, the first artist creates an image, usually a Photoshop layer.
He sends the digital file to his competitor. The competitor modifies
the layer and sends it back. As the rounds take place, an announcer
posts his comments and the spectators score each round. Photoshop is a
graphics application standard to the design industry, and some of the
best artists have virtually gathered at Coudal to compete.
Photoshop Tennis is very competitive, and growing in popularity.
Recently, Zhixel from Hivehaus and Penguin Palace took on Skrike from
Echo23. Check out their match here: http://www.echo23.com/tennis/
-.x.x.x.-
Get AMPED on Taurine
by pinguino (pinguino@comicartist.com)
Energy drinks have swept the nation by surprise. RedBull, one of the
first drinks on the market, is growing in popularity at bars and clubs,
when ordered mixed with Vodka. High-school athletes like the extra
boost they get from these drinks, attracting controversy over the
summer when kids started to dehydrate to the point of hospitalization.
Energy drinks do have a problem: they all taste awful. Until now.
Mountain Dew started distributing a new drink last month in Southern
California called AMP. It tastes a lot like Mountain Dew; you can
hardly taste the other ingredients you normally find in energy drinks:
taurine, ginseng, and guarana. It can be found in local 7-11's and
other convenience stores, and is the same size as RedBull. One of the
major differences between Amp and RedBull, aside from taste, is that
Amp contains a large amount of caffeine. Mountain Dew is known for its
level of caffeine, and Amp will get you more hyper than other leading
brands. Track some down tonight!
-.x.x.x.-
'An Introduction to Telus' Terminating Test Lines'
by The Clone (theclone@hackcanada.com)
Disclaimer: The content within this file is for informational and
entertainment purposes only. Unauthorized access of the
test systems spoken about in this file may get you in
trouble with local and/or national law enforcement.
By reading this, you agree not to try any of this.
Definition: "Test numbers are dialups to testing equipment or test
features set up by the phone company or private entities."
Introduction:
Back in early 1999 when the 403/780 area code split went on, Telus
decided to set up a series of test numbers called "Alberta Terminating
Test Lines" in the 403 and 780 area codes. Since the split affected
millions of landline/cellular customers, Telus thought that permissive
phone numbers would be the best way to keep the information flowing
between employees. Alberta Terminating Test Lines gave Telus techs the
ability to call up a private number and leave detailed messages
regarding any technical issues (problems) that may have arised with 780
to 403 (and 403 to 780) long distance call routing.
To this day, Telus still uses Terminating Test Lines as a way for local
and long-distance carriers to communicate. By dialing up the specific
number, you will be greeted by an automated female voice; "You have
reached an Alberta 780 Terminating Test Line", followed by an Octel
system voice telling you that you either have messages waiting (which
it then plays it for you), or it'll tell you: "No messages are waiting.
Please try again later. Thank you. Good-bye."
Default Prefixes:
These prefixes are in the 780 area code only. If you have a list of
Alberta Terminating Test Line prefixes the in 403 area code, please
pass them on and I'll add them to this particular listing. More
prefixes are being added as more Terminating Test Line numbers are
discovered.
Prefixes;
423-XXXX
425-XXXX
428-XXXX
429-XXXX
455-XXXX
459-XXXX
--
Additional Terminating Test Lines:
British Columbia;
(604/778), Overlay: NPA 778 introduced for service on 11/03/01.
778-510-XXXX (Call-Net Communications, Southwestern B.C.)
778-610-XXXX (Telus, Southwestern B.C.)
778-810-XXXX (AT&T Canada, Southwestern B.C.)
Ontario:
(905/289), Overlay: NPA 289 introduced for service on 06/09/01.
289-210-8378 (Bell Canada, Southern Ont.)
289-510-8378 (Call-Net, Southern Ont.)
289-810-8378 (AT&T Canada, Southern Ont.)
Other Test Numbers:
[ Taken from "ALT.PHREAKING FAQ 1.41",
http://members.tripod.com/~SeusslyOne/ ]
1004 hz test tone - This is a vanilla 1004 hz tone. Nothing too useful
here, without a loop analyzer anyway.
ANAC - This test dial up will read off the number of the line youare
calling from. On rare occasions you will find ANACs with a DTMF
response for use with remote test terminals.
DATUs - DATUs (Digital Audio Test Units) are a godsend to technicians
and phone phreaks everywhere. DATUs allow a caller to monitor lines
(don't get too excited), open and short pairs, and put trace tones on
the pair. While it might not sound too exciting, it has more
applications than most people think.
Loops - These numbers exist in linked pairs. Call one number and you'll
get a tone. Call the other number and you get dead silence. If both are
called at the same time they make a connection. It used to be that you
could then talk over this connection, but now there are filters that
block speech placed on most loops.
Ringback - Calls back the originating number in an annoying fashion.
Dialing all the touch-tone digits in order (starting with 1 and ending
in # going across the keypad rows) will generate 2 tones saying the
keypad is ok.
Milliwatt test - These are 1004 hz tones sent out at 0 db. Milliwatt
tests are used to check for line loss and other complex tests.
Sweep Tones - Tone sweeps are a test tone ranging from 304hz to 3204hz.
A common use for sweep tones is to check for infinity-transmitter style
taps. Dial up a sweep tone. If an audible clicking is heard during the
sweep then a transmitter could be installed on your line. Telco
maintenance uses sweep tones to check for the presence of loading
coils, and other such nasties that eat high frequency tones in order to
qualify a line for high speed services.
Quiet termination - This feature connects the caller to a port with
fixed resistance, 600 ohms or 900 ohms being the most common. There
should be nothing but dead silence on connection. Clicks, static or
crosstalk will be clearly evident if a noisy line is used to dial this
test.
I hope this paper was of interest and of benefit to you. Test numbers
are quite interesting little toys to play around with, while traveling
through the land of the telephone system. One never knows what they can
find until they start actually taking the time to hand-scan...
(see: http://www.nettwerked.net/files.html | "Scanning (Manual)").
Peace out!
Thanks to Phlux for the additional input.
Support Phlux's HASH project ( http://www.hackcanada.com/hash.txt ).
+-----------------------------------------------------+
Flippersmack (c) 2001 Flippersmack All Rights Reserved.
Flippersmack does not condone any of the acts in this collection of writings.
Your dog has a frompy nose.
Don't forget about IT.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,186660-1,00.html
