While not an official contributer to 'Of Two Minds,' Shelley's sidekick is an African Grey parrot named Pepper. His heros are Irene Pepperberg, Alex, and Rachel Carson. He spends his time learning Mandarin and writing the Great American novel.
Sizzzzzle.....
Category: Popular Culture
Posted on: July 15, 2008 9:45 AM, by Steve Higgins
Sizzle follows Randy Olson as he tries to make a movie about global warming. The main characters are an outrageously stereotypical new age gay couple and the thug life camera crew who are there to supply a comic foil to both Olson and the pretty boring scientists who get interviewed about global warming. It's a very strange contrast between the fake characters (who are REALLY fake) and the scientists trying to sound professional and only talk about global warming.
The movie is billed as a mockumentary but it doesn't quite fit the bill of a mockumentary since it's about a serious topic they are trying to support yet making fun of themselves at the same time. Usually a mockumentary is making fun of the people AND the topic. The movie itself relies on cheap stereotypes and lame jokes and situations where Olson throws temper tantrums to get a laugh.
My overall impression of the movie wasn't great, but there were a number of entertaining or thought provoking scenes. I very much enjoyed the global warming denialist scientist from Honduras (I think) whose name is very long and I can't remember. He was so outrageous and ridiculous that it was hard to believe that he wasn't one of the silly characters that played the comic foil. But he was real. He was crazy looking, crazy acting, just nuts! He bragged about his publications, cigars, his ambasadorship (or something like that), and was just a riot.
Another set of scenes I enjoyed were the New Orleans clips where they talked to the common person about the effect of global warming in the wake of the horrible flooding. The people were honest and pulled at your emotions. While I enjoyed this bit of the movie it made me realize I was ultimately unsatisfied with the earlier part of the movie where the scientists gave their little schticks. I didn't really get enough data from them to know what to think about global warming. I was told what to believe and that global warming delialists are silly people so I should believe the Olson crew. But I was never convinced of what I should believe. Then again, I'm a scientist and I want data... lots and lots of data.
Anyway, Sizzle might be worth a viewing when it comes out. There are a number of interesting viewpoints and stories - even if most aspects of the movie don't ultimately work.
Environment
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
Here's one of the best articles I've read in a while on the subject
http://s3.amazonaws.com/word_secret_directory/docs%2F328192.pdf?Signature=pDei%2FNRFkz69nLnncMgSd%2BjkAfY%3D&Expires=1216507464&AWSAccessKeyId=0QDQ3FGYV5Q7TY85W4R2
Here's your answer, it's a new science. If the implications weren't so huge, the media would have not run so far with it (doing science no favors at all). Some of those who study global warming are kicking themselves for the name; "Extremes in Climate Phenomenon" might have been a better label for it.
To make matters worse, BBC reports that the next 10 years are going to be cold due to normal weather systems, so that might be the death blow to the "cred" of this phenomenon.
Answer: read the article, but otherwise it's still a mystery.
ps Brilliant, funny global warming blog by chemist friend of mine:
http://trilobitessawstuff.vox.com/library/posts/tags/global+warming/
Check out her "Jackass of the Day" post.
Posted by: Maya, C.V.T. | July 19, 2008 6:53 PM