MPJ

Is Internet dangerous? Well, yes we know all the hazards of spending all the work hours behind monitor screens, browsing the web at home, doing social networking, playing online games, watching YouTube, staring at smartphone little displays or for whatever reasons we sit above our keyboards most of the time every day. That's indeed what we first think of all the negative aspects of mighty global network, but today I am not referring to all the potential medical issues inherited from too long sitting on the chair or everyday looking into LCD screen. I also don't mean the obvious social and/or physiological outcomes from letting the virtual world to take over the real one for more and more people every day. No, I mean the real danger. Did Internet overcome the pure network system and became a tool for mass destruction or a background tool for criminal activities? Can someone use the internet to hurt somebody or to perform a murder? Either directly or indirectly? Can some organisa

I probably mentioned before that I love reading and watching true Sci-Fi stories. The ones that have legacy in old Jules Verne fiction. The ones that predict the future and might be real some day. The red planet is no exception - when I see a title with "Mars" in it, I eagerly read the teaser, secretly hoping for a two hours of entertainment if it is a motion picture or two days if it is a book. Right at this moment, I am holding "The Martian" by Andy Weir*, the novel I was waiting to come into book shops for months. Especially when it was announced that Ridley Scott is taking the director's chair for the upcoming movie, later this year. This month, the crew should be located within one of the only places on Earth that resembles Mars perfectly. "Wadi Rum", a valley in southern Jordan, also known as "The Valley of the Moon" is currently a home for many trailers, including the one occupied by Matt Damon, who's playing Mark Watney, the main

In wide variety of entire expanse of science fiction genre, Martians are inevitable players. Even the most popular "Little Green Men" phrase from the early comic books, at the beginning referred to the aliens from Mars. However, this year, when it comes to motion pictures, two great master pieces will come to life and all without LGM in classical meaning of the word. There will be no aliens on Mars this time and all the Martians in upcoming movie and TV series will actually be humans. Moreover, the science in background is returning to the front door and accompanying stories will immediately be more valid, more plausible and more ... amazing. And this is what I like the most in good and old Verne's type of Sci-Fi. In short, give me more science and just a hint of fiction to spice the things up and I am happy. You probably already guessed, it is about filming amazing books I have already written about on the blog - "The Martian" by Andy Weir and "The

In short it goes like this: "There's a cat in a box... That has, like, a 50/50 chance of living because there's a vial of poison that's also in the box. Regular physics would say that it's one or the other. That the cat is either alive or dead, but quantum physics says that both realities exist simultaneously. It's only when you open the box that they collapse into one single event." This quote is me paraphrasing James Ward Byrkit, writer and director of the movie "Coherence" I've just watched. Although Erwin Schrödinger back in 1935, when he first wrote his famous thought experiment, invented pretty complex radioactive trap for the poor cat inside the box, I think that "vial of poison" and James' full description in the script is one of the best interpretation of the quantum paradox there is. The quantum weirdness is one of the most intriguing areas in science, that is still buzzing our minds for about a century now. I wrote ab

Have you ever felt (medically or ... some other way) sick and tried to find all the symptoms online? Desperately searching to find what's wrong with you and to catch the disease by its name and to seek for the ultimate cure on the net? If you did, don't worry, you are not alone. Internet is the smartest thing ever invented so its only logical to check your smartphone every time you need and everything will be fine. Or it seems... Well... Sometimes what you find online is too vague or written with too scholar words.. Other times it looks like you have symptoms of multiple diseases. Sometimes the cure you found online can only be bought on the other side of the planet. And in most cases not in regular or even legal pharmacies... What to do? Well, don't worry, there is a way out. Do what you did before the internet. Make the appointment with your doctor and if he or she is your good friend you will get out with the ultimate cure for every single disease out there. Th

"Summertime and the livin' is easy..." sang Ella Fitzgerald back in 1957 with tremendous help of one of the kind crispy voice of legendary Louis Armstrong. Even though the most famous lullaby ever, written by Ira and George Gershwin for the "Porgy and Bess" opera from the thirties of 20th century, is not really about the hottest season and happiness per se, one thing is for sure - whatever you do, summertime is definitely the period of year when everything is smooth and nothing dramatic is happening.. At least nothing intentionally. Pure R&R. Even the work hours are passing by somehow easy and without big turbulence. Humphrey Bogart in 'The Maltese Falcon'* As for me, ever since I decided to go low with my social online life, after just couple of weeks I noticed positive change in my daily routine. The feeling was almost like solving addiction of some kind and even comparable to the past when I said definite goodbye to cigarettes after leavin

I am now sure that I made a mistake. Due to many professional challenges and lack of free time several years ago I decided to watch “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons” instead of reading the books. I have no regrets though as the movies and Tom Hanks, being one of my favorite actors, in a leading role behind Robert Langdon’s brilliant mind, were perfect as well as the script and directing. However, with probably few exceptions, not even the best film out there can replace the book it was based on. Everybody knows that, so this time I didn't let myself to continue with excuses and bought remaining two "Robert Langdon" books, “The Lost Symbol” and new novel premiered just couple of months ago by the intriguing name “Inferno”. This vacation I read them both in a row. After last page I hate myself even more for not reading first two books in the first place. Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon Nevertheless, I feel that I need to say something about Dan Brown’s bril

Do you remember Sony's first cassette-based Walkman that was remarkably playing stereo audio magnetic tapes back in 80s? Yes, everybody had it at the time hanged on the belt with pair of shiny wires playing music directly to both ears in awesome stereo. Comparing to 21st century, who doesn't like the iPod, right? Well, not me. I never liked it and I always thought everybody was staring at me the moment I stepped out the house. Even today I am not using any mp3 players or iPods or smartphones for listening music on the go. I simply want to think while walking, it relaxes me and it's a great brain exercise. But let me get back to the Walkman of the 80s. I had couple of those as well, but on occasions when I carried one from home to school I wasn't listening the pop music. I had that one audio cassette with complete audio track from the movie "Star Wars" and I am not talking about sound track accompanies the movies - it was the audio of the complete film,

Last week was very exiting on the global scale regarding everlasting anti-piracy war. Only this time, instead of real criminals somebody else could really suffer. Somebody like Wikipedia for example. The whole activity raises more questions now and maybe the biggest one is who was the real target with this SOPA and PIPA last week and who was really responsible? Well, I have no doubts about that. It's the politics and politicians. With vast number of parliaments, congresses, senates or whatever these institutions are named in worldwide democracies, the biggest background activity known as political lobby will always be there. This works really simple, you have money and you want some law to be established to expand your business even more? Not a problem, just hire some advocacy firm to lobby your goal and over time, if you are persistent enough you will succeed - politicians belong to those people who "change their minds" easily. They don't really care if somebo

Addiction is a strong word, yes, but can it be implied to watching TV shows? I guess it might, if you are watching TV too much, whatever that means. If it can and if I count last couple of years then yes, I am mildly addicted to TV shows, as I am only doing it couple of days of week. Every week. Except for the summer. Hmm, maybe even on the summer. Lightly. Ok, I need help.... :) From time to time I am wondering why I like watching TV shows that much and the answer is simple really, I need something to distract me from regular daily routine and I always feel it's a good thing. After an hour or two of entertainment I always feel refreshed for the rest of the day. In the past I was enjoying movies in theaters, VHS tapes, DVDs, but they are short and doesn't give you much to think later. In movies you always have closure of some kind. TV shows are different. It's like ongoing movie happening every week, and I always have some thoughts and questions after it. What is goi