Saturday, April 9, 2011

Storm: The Animated Movie


Via Boing Boing, via @donttrythis.

30 comments:

kamapuaa said...

This is possibly the best thing I've ever seen.

Litcube said...

Yes! That *was* awesome. How often have we been there?

Galspanic said...

As the token "believer" in Magic© and Fairies™, Here's what was especially funny for me.

Whenever Pone or Fuge start talking about how stupidly immense and awesome the universe is, and how we should really try to get more accurate assessments of how amazingly awesome and stupidly enormous said universe/s is/are, I go to that "isn't this enough?" part.

Just sayin'!

Mr. Pony said...

So you're saying that because we believe the natural world to be more amazing than the pretend world of astrology and past lives and alternative medicine, that we should call for the immediate cessation of further exploration of said natural world, because it has already beaten the pretend world in terms of awesomeness?

I'm not sure I agree with that reasoning. I think the natural world as we currently understand it is more awesome than the pretend world, and I would like to know more about this natural world. I'm choosing one line of thinking over another, and then pursuing my line further.

Mr. Pony said...

Wait, what Magic and Fairies stuff do you believe in? Actual magic and fairies?

Galspanic said...

Can't you find a little room in your heart for mystery, Mr. Pony? Can't you find some room for make-believe? Do you always have to know the answer to everything?

Can't the universe just be awful god-damned humongous? Do we have to know how fucking stupidly huge the universe is? Or how ridiculously tiny to the point of non-existence small the wait...what are those super ridiculously tiny particles called? The ones that change from matter to anti-matter? Those ones.

What is this going to do for us when we can't even feed the children genetically modified corn because some people say that God won't be pleased when in fact they would rather cause a stink to make time to generate more revenue so that they can launch another genocidal campaign on neighboring villagers?
Won't someone please think of the neighboring villagers? Or what about all those ghost corpses caused by electromagnetic radiations? Why aren't we thinking of the ghost corpses?
or whales...why aren't we thinking about whales.
Are problems so hopeless on Earth that you have to keep looking at the stars, Pony? Why, why must you always watch the night sky like that?

Galspanic said...

Pony, look at that polar bear sitting on that chunk of ice in the middle of the water. See his big black eyes staring back at you. See his wet shiny nose. Look as he paws nervously as the land mass drifts ever farther away.

Don't you feel anything?

That's the magic I'm believing in, Pony. The magic of caring. The fairies of compassion.

Galspanic said...

There are people on this planet right here that don't know, and don't want to know how magnets work.

And you look towards the sky.

Mr. Pony said...

Those tiny particles you don't want to know anything more about may one day provide the alternative energy needed to reverse the damage done the icecaps by people who are similarly content to burn rocks as fuel. What are the compassionate believers doing for the polar bears, except loudly pretending to feel their deaths? Or denying that global warming is even happening?

Do I have to know the answer to everything? Feeding our own curiosity helps us all, friend; with as much psychic return as any faith, and generating real-world solutions, to boot. And by the way, I refuse to believe that you feel content with ignorance of any kind. I'm going to chalk that up to momentary laziness or sleep deprivation.

Lungclops said...

Wait, we never found out whether he got to fuck Storm.

Galspanic said...

Pony, why do you hate magic?

Mr. Pony said...

Magic as fictional science is fine by me, when it appears in fiction.

When used as a term to shirk the responsibility of understanding one's own world, or by a liar selling easy solutions to the lazy; that's when my problems with the word "magic" surface.

Galspanic said...

When you son was afraid of monsters in the valley, why did you tell him that the monsters had all been chased out of the valley? Why didn't you just tell him that monsters didn't exist?

Mr. Pony said...

I was just thinking about that the other day, and kind of regretting it. Given his psychology at the time, it was the most effective way to make him believe the valley was safe. I could tell him the valley was free of monsters, without the additional overhead of having to explain that monsters didn't exist.

Furthermore, it would have been difficult to explain that it's possible that something you can imagine can also not exist. This is a very difficult thing for children to grasp, and some adults, too; which I think is at the heart of this problem.

I also wanted him to have some respect for his uncles Fugu and Galspanic, which is why I told him you had chased them out of the valley.

I understand that this was manipulative, and lazy, and kind of evil of me to do. I will tell him the truth when he gets home from school, that you, Galspanic, believed really hard that you were chasing monsters out of the valley, while Fugu looked on, puzzled at what you might be waving your arms at.

Mr. Pony said...

I acknowledge that I am part of the problem.

Mr. Pony said...

Galspanic, why are you in love with Magic?

Galspanic said...

Is it magic that I'm in love with? Or is it the ability to accept that there might be more to universe than all the recordable particles? Why are scientists at CERN hunting for a "God particle"? Are they having a bit of fun, or are they so unsure that they require this proof, this data to help themselves sleep at night? Because what if? What if, Pony?

Regarding monsters, I was wondering when you were going to shut down that part of your son's open mind. So, what I'm getting from you is that it's ok to use the supernatural to make fictional accounts to amuse ourselves, but not to help explain problematic mysteries? Interesting what a few generations of science at the forefront of Western cultural vogue has done to our societal habits. But I understand, after all Science has had to contend with religion all these centuries, it needs the spotlight for a few.

Speaking of generations, what of so-called "alternative" medicine? Isn't it a bit presumptuous to consider it to be potentially harmful and unreliable when it's been a standard and accepted practice in other parts of the world for centuries? It is impressive what a quantum leap Western medicine has made though, what with going from leeches to nuclear medicine in just a few centuries while alternative/holistic medicine has just been. It must be hard for you sky-watching men-of-science to not be able to trust anything until you've run it through all the possible tests you can run as long as its by your standards.

Interesting that the "hero" of this animation can already spot the "loony" by seeing a tattoo. Wow, what a red flag! What does that say about people of science? Oh, but it's ok, because he's a hiply coiffed dude who drinks wine! He's cool, yet safely within the box! Sure he might be smug, might go on a rant or two, but it's ok, because he's in the right! Take that, you tattooed druids of the dark "bullshit" supernatural world!

Looking at this and reflecting for a second, I wonder why the symbiotic nature of midichlorians in Star Wars was so vehemently and hastily dismissed from the canon. Is it because it just didn't feel right to people because they were brought up thinking one way? Hard to break those ingrained habits. Even though they were built into the culture not even half a century ago. Ironic, since the symbiotic nature between beings seems so much more rational, logical, explainable...scientific then there being people who are just somehow better at controlling mysterious energies than other people.

Mr. Pony said...

Look; science is as old as religion. Both are ancient human endeavors. They both explain the world--they just use different definitions of the word "explain". Science strives to create models that can be predict the behavior of the natural world, and religion/superstition/mythology makes up stories that reinforce culture for artistic, monetary, and political gain.

As for alternative medicine, like the thing says, if it's proven to work, then it becomes medicine. Do I hold the proofs used by my culture above those used by another? Yes, I do.

Your other points (midichlorians are stupid, Minchin is smug, and the fact that you knew all along I would eventually harm my son's mind) I'm not going to touch, because I agree with you, I agree with you, and because I can't fucking believe I'm hearing such self-righteous, ignorant bullshit from you, even in what is probably a pretend argument (respectively).

Galspanic said...

So what tipped you off that it was a troll?

Mr. Pony said...

I just hope you knew you were trolling before I did.

Galspanic said...

Actually I was fishing for Fugu. I was surprised when you actually took it and ran with it. Seriously, why did you continue after the first 'graph? You know I'm not a long distance runner with these wall of text discussions!

Galspanic said...

I really did think Minchin came off as smug though.

Mr. Pony said...

I think you're spending too much time among teenagers. Also, your shock at me taking what you say seriously is weird.

Galspanic said...

I'm not disputing that I'm spending too much time among teenagers, but please. My argument didn't appear serious in the least.

Mr. Pony said...

Well, I agree, but I've heard echoes of it from you before, so I couldn't be totally sure. Maybe this was you coming out to Fugu and me. I mean, I couldn't believe you were saying such stupid things, or making such flaccid arguments, but I try to take you seriously, brother; so I spent a lot of time choosing my words carefully so as not to offend your apparently fragile and insecure belief structure or to mock your apparently poor rationalization skills.

And all you have for me in the end is a nyaa-nyaa I fooooooled you? Thanks, buttface!

Galspanic said...

Hoo boy, you know I told you already I was initially trolling for Fugu, hoping to get him out of his cave and get some fresh air. I figured you were too crafty to take what I thought was obvious bait. I mean it's not like science needs you to protect it, right?
Man, you seem kinda defensive and grouchy, Pony. You know what might help with that? Acupuncture!

Mr. Pony said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv64DgrnISA

Mr. Pony said...

Let's just ignore that ending, okay?

Galspanic said...

Sorry, I missed a day there. So if I'm understanding this puppet show correctly, you are no longer taking my views and opinions about life and the universe seriously?
Well, ok. But how is that any different from up until now?

Mr. Pony said...

On a related note, Mercury is in retrograde, and this is likely the cause of all of our problems.