Spies In Space

In the 1960's, there was a top secret US program to put spies in space.  These "astro-spies" were to live in a space station whose main purpose would be to take highly detailed photographs of the Soviet Union.  The government figured the best way to keep this program a secret was to hide it in plain sight and, in 1964, President Johnson announced the ambitious plans for a Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) in which astronauts would run "scientific experiments".  There was no mention of the massive camera the size of a Volkswagen that was the real reason for this whole operation.

I learned about all this last night on a rerun of a NOVA special called "Astro-Spies" on PBS.  The program began shortly after Gary Powers was shot out of the sky in his U-2 spy plane in 1960.  The Air Force realized that if they put their spy camera in space, no one could shoot it down.  The plan was so top secret that it was not revealed until the 1990's, when by chance someone found an old astronaut spacesuit with a name on it that was not on the official NASA list of astronauts.  

While the US developed it's MOL program, Russia got wind of it and started their own spies in space plan, Almaz. While the MOL was cancelled in 1969 and never got off the ground, the Russian "lab" did make it into orbit with one crazy addition; it had a weapon attached to it to shoot other satellites or threats out of the sky.  The 23mm rapid fire cannon was fired once in a test but never at an actual target.

A Real Live Way Back Machine

If you want to have hours and hours of Internet fun, just check out this site....it's a virtual way-back machine on which you can travel a time line through the past of YouTube clips.  It's random, it's fun and it will have you procrastinating whatever you have to do.

A Fare Hike And A Metrocard Calculator

The MTA voted to hike fares on the subway and LIRR for the third time in 3 years.  Ouch.  The main pain will be felt by those with the monthly Metrocards which will jump 17% to 104 clams for an unlimited ride on trains and buses.  That card used to seem like a bargain.  The base fare will rise to $2.50 for single rides but multiple rides bought with a Metrocard will still have a volume discount.

In other fare news, a friend has pointed me in the direction of a useful little website which helps you figure out how to get full use of the money you put on your Metrocard. Figuring out those volume discounts can be a little complicated but this site makes it easy/breezy.  Worth checking out if you get annoyed, as I do, when you are left with random amounts on your card like 65 cents.

Only sixty years ago, 65 cents would have been worth 13 rides on the subway....now's it's less than a third of one.  

James Franco Makes A Beautiful Woman

There's a new movie out called HOWL in which James Franco plays Beat poet Allen Ginsburg.  Considering his past movie history of stoners and superhero villains I thought it might be a stretch but he's been getting great reviews.  But now comes his greatest role....as a woman.

Franco got all dragged up for the cover of the new Candy magazine, a new monthly devoted to all things trannie.  Who would have ever guessed James Franco, who is a very handsome man, would make such a striking woman.  He almost resembles one of those Robert Palmer chicks from that video.  But classier.

After studying fiction at Columbia, playing a nutty performance artist on GENERAL HOSPITAL, and even putting on his own art show, one wonders...is there anything James Franco can't do?

From Newburgh To Space And Back Again

A Brooklyn man and his two sons recently made a remarkable journey.  After weeks of building and testing, they drove up to Newburgh, NY and launched a spacecraft. It was essentially a weather ballon with a small insulated capsule attached to it that contained a Flip Cam and GPS locator.  The video below is testament to their remarkable feat.  It's also stunningly beautiful.


Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Hi-Fi Bri On Hiatus

This week I'm going to be on location working on a TV pilot and Internet access will be spotty at best.  So I'm going to have to take a short hiatus on my postings here.  However, the blog will resume it's regularly scheduled programming when I'm back online in NYC October 5th.  See you then!

Rocker Billie Joe Armstrong Makes His Broadway Debut

The front man of Green Day will be making his Broadway debut this week in a musical that he wrote himself, AMERICAN IDIOT.  Based on the band's album by the same name, Bille Joe will be stepping into the role of St. Jimmy for a short run, from Tuesday September 28th til Sunday October 3rd.  There had been some rumors about this but it was finally confirmed this weekend. You can bet that tickets will be selling briskly today for the rock musical, adapted for the stage by Michael Mayer, about three disaffected youths growing up in Bush years.

If the guest starring shows sell out, as they're likely to do, there is a rush ticket deal at the St. James theatre.  If you show up there at 6pm you can put your name in the lottery for front row seats for $27 bucks.  And that is a sweet deal given that some B-way tickets are closing in on $120 a pop.

The World Trade Center In Movies

The Bowery Boys recently alerted me to an unusual website which has put together a comprehensive list of films and TV shows in which the World Trade Center was featured during it's 30 year existence.  The creator of the site has also created a pretty through compilation of all movie posters that featured the twin towers, even if they were not in the actual movie.  My film about life in NYC after 9/11 WTC View is not on this list for the simple reason that, intentionally, the towers do not appear in the movie or in the poster/advertisments for the film.

An even more fascinating section of the site includes movies that were altered and scenes that were changed as a result of the 9/11 attack.  The site includes clips, some from DVD extras and some bootlegged.  One notable film missing from this list is the Nicholas Cage movie "Adaptation".  In 2002, I saw a very rough cut of the film in which the screenwriting class Cage's character attends takes place at the World Trade Center.  The film, which was shot in 2001, had footage of the towers and Cage entering the complex, though the interior was a generic looking university classroom.  Of course, this version of the film was never made public and the film went through a number of reshoots and re-edits before it's ultimate release in 2003.   

Teacher Who Inspired Rocker, Leonard Skinner Dies

This is becoming a trend here on Hi-Fi Bri.  Another notable obit caught my eye yesterday while scanning the interwebs.  Leonard Skinner, 77, a retired teacher from Jacksonville, Florida died.  If the name sorta sounds familiar its because it was used as the inspiration in the naming of the seminal rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The story goes that Mr. Skinner had an unruly student named Ronnie Van Sant who eventually got suspended from the Robert E. Lee High School where Skinner was the gym teacher.  Van Sant had a band that was originally called "One Percent" but they changed it in honor of (but more likely to mock) their former teacher who was, just guessing here, probably not a fan of that blasted rock'n'roll music.

Anyway, on hearing of the passing of their namesake, band member Gary Rossington had this to say:

"Coach Skinner had such a profound impact on our youth that ultimately led us to naming the band, which you know as Lynyrd Skynyrd, after him. Looking back, I cannot imagine it any other way. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time."

The Largest and Smallest Graffiti Tag Ever

This weekend, the TIMES arts section had a great article about a mysterious orange line of paint that had snaked it's way across Manhattan a few years back.  Turns out this line was an immense graffiti tag by an artist named Momo which actually spelled out his name.

As you can see on the map here, the mysterious Momo traced his name onto the city's grid using a bike that was surreptitiously dripping paint as he wove an 8 mile path from West to East.  Since it was originally done in 2006 the line has gone mainly unnoticed until the blog Best Roof Talk Ever posted about it last month.

The most fascinating mind-bender about this biggest tag ever is, of course, the fact that the tag cannot all be viewed at once.  The line of paint is relatively thin and nearly worn out in some spots.  But, as in all art, it's the thought that counts.