So why am I disappointed?

First of all I’m not a fan of Ron Perlman. I think he’s a less than outstanding actor who only got the Hellboy role because he’s big and ugly – just like Hellboy. Still he executed it reasonably well in the first film. I wasn’t going to let my dislike of Perlman though stop me from enjoying the film.

It’s other things…

The story is pretty standard but that also shouldn’t stop the enjoyment if it’s well executed - and that’s the crux of the disappointment. It is not well executed.

The script is pretty awful. It may have been the aim to joke it up but there’s no flair to it and mostly ends up being cringe-worthy. All of the punch lines feel forced or manufactured. Perlman himself delivers standard unfunny and predictable quips. The scene with his controller begging him to be discrete just seems like filler, for example, there’s no life or interaction. The only comedy in such sequences is that the pair are almost like Stooge or Laurel’n’Hardy.

There’s no chemistry between Big Red (Ron Perlman) and Liz (Salma Blair) even though there’s a major plot device with the Ms Blair being pregnant. In fact, it seemed that Blair was just not interested – her delivery was sub-par. In the first film she was much more brooding and dangerous, were-as in this one she seems hormonal (I guess understandable given her condition) or swinging to be an unconvincing GI-Jane type character, a role in which she sounds flat and wooden. To top her character’s performance off even her fire effects were much sexier in the first film! They made the fire more natural looking with warm hues rather than the cold ethereal blues tinge of the previous.

Some sequences are just well, boring and nonsense, such as the early tooth faerie scene. The modus-operandi of the dental-pixie is explained before suddenly they swarm out of the walls. The intrepid crew then stands and fights, shooting off handguns at a swarming mass of faeries. What’s the use in that? 9mm rounds vs a thousand creatures isn’t going to work no matter how good the shot is. Of course a number of Agent Expendables expire as we are treated to Blair and others getting their daily trigger practice. All pretty pointless really.

Another example is the elemental forest god that’s thrown at our hero. It’s just countered way too easily. A couple of shots with Red’s hand-cannon and it’s down and out. Oh that’s it then.

The biggest downfall though is the chronic under use of the main bad-guy – Prince Nuada. The elfin Prince is played by ex-boy-band-member Luke Goss (ex of Bros). His main remit seems to be to wander around in the occasional scene going “I’m bad and going to kick your human butts into never-never-land”. Goss though actually does sound menacing and has a sinister level accent in which he delivers his lines and it’s a crime that the potential wasn’t further exploited. In fact his performance promises that he actually has ability (more than when he was boy-banding) and I reckon there’s a most excellent James Bond villain in his future.

Of course the creature effects themselves are stunning and rich. The Angel of Death is fantastic. The elves, from their costumes to the ogham writing that is etched on their skin are a treat but they don’t save the film from being just ordinary.

Unfortunately Hellboy II delivers just a standard morass of fantasy fayre that’s not a patch on the original.

Stephen Hawking requires (or should!) no introduction.  Quite possibly the most important (and famous) physicist since Einstein he was going about the business of tumbling the gods’ and the universe’s secrets before being afflicted with motor-neurone disease.  It’s unfathomable to think that now, at 66, he’s still able to globe-hop.

Hawking’s talk felt short, and the audience waited with baited breath on his every electronic word.  It was quite spectacular – you could not hear a pin drop (even if our ears could hear such high frequencies).  It’s clearly evident that he has a very dry sense of humour too.  As he discussed the drive to investigate the origins of the universe (sic creation) he mentioned that a papal edict said it was permissible to discuss what came after the start of the universe, but not the instant of creation.  He wittily remarked that he was thankful that there was no longer the Inquisition as he showed a picture of himself behind bars.  The way he delivers such, even with the electronic voice, just immediately makes you not think about his condition at all, a subtle talent that must enable him to communicate effectively with others when otherwise they’d be tip-toeing around him.

His talk was way to short for my liking though, as they all were and I was left wanting more.

Michael Griffin, as the NASA administrator seems out of place with this group but his title beguiles the fact that he’s also a clever fellow, with a PhD and more degrees than you can wave a set of simultaneous equations at he’s head of quite possibly one of the most important organizations on Earth.  NASA, be it not a stooge of the US Government must surely promise and be at the vanguard of the future of humanity.  Unfortunately being the NASA Administrator incurs wrestling with the politic beast, and he’s not without his share of controversy.  The inevitable question though is when will mankind again be stepping on another planetary body.

Gross is a super-string proponent and particle physicist.  Those kinds of chaps that get to play with very small very fast things and usually make them collide.  I won’t even try to explain strings – I don’t know anything more than urban colloquialisms on such other than they try to explain things with extra dimensions that have been entwined.  They’re a candidate for explain the whole shebang.  Science though is not without its rigorous debate (which is a good thing) and this field is a hot topic.  There’s not much he could say in the time allotted, other than it’s very interesting.

George Smoot on the other hand crammed a whole lot into his slot, I think principally by talking very fast!  He gave potentially the most scientific talk as he discussed his research (and for what he won the big Nobel Prize for) on Relics of Creation or the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation and his mapping of the universe.  This I found fascinating – having had a discussion about such with a chap at work.  The discussion was

• What actually is the CMBR?
• Why is it everywhere?
• What does it mean?

All in all – a fascinating evening, if not just a wee bit too short.

The weekend had an exciting start for the factory Yamaha team when Lorenzo became a ballastic projectile. He lost rear-end grip, slid then in that most dangerous of occasions it bit again and he high-sided.  When you see accidents like this the only impression is that it’s going to hurt - and it did.  He was whisked off to hospital to find he’s chipped/broke some more bones.  With all that in mind he put in a valiant effort to qualify fourth – his worst performance of the season!

Edwards had put his second string Yamaha on pole with a committed display, asking the question again of if he can convert it to a win.  Rossi wasn’t far behind him and finally a performing Stoner rounded off the top three.  Toseland was at his usual place of late in 7th.

Edwards got a good start to the race but Stoner slipped by into the first corner to take the lead, but it was very short lived as Edwards took it back immediately.  The usual hustle-and-bustle was occurring in the pack.  Everyone had decent starts apart from Toseland who for some reason went backwards and slipped to 9th.

Rossi then Pedrosa got passed Edwards who just didn’t seem capable of staying with these too.  Soon Rossi and Pedrosa had carved a significant lead with the little Spaniard keeping Rossi extremely honest – maybe the Italian Revenue Service need to employ him too!

Milandri seemed to be much happier with his Ducati and was mixing it around 6th and entertaining those behind him with showers of sparks from knee-sliders.  Dovisioso too was mixing it up in that middle pack.

Stoner eventually got passed Edwards and placed himself in a solid 3rd.  Curiously the Ducati wasn’t dominating on a track where it slaughtered the opposition last year.  Clearly everyone has caught up, or the Duc’s have somehow not moved forward as much as they expected.

The race then settled down into a holding pattern with only a couple of minor battles.  Edwards managed to out-brake himself which pushed him back.  Toseland slipped further and further back and West, on the Kawasaki, managed to imitate Edwards.

In the latter third of the race either Lorenzo’s painkillers kicked in or the pain had become so bad that he became immune to it because he put in a charge which pushed him forwards to fourth position.  By this time Pedrosa had backed off and Rossi secured his first win since the middle of last year.

Pedrosa moves forward in the championship with Lorenzo performing some good damage limitation.  Rossi ignites his championship chances with a win showing there’s life in the old dog yet.

It’s an open season.

1. V. ROSSI     ITA     Fiat Yamaha Team     44′08.061
2. D. PEDROSA     SPA     Repsol Honda Team     + 3.890
3. C. STONER     AUS     Ducati Marlboro Team     + 15.928
4. J. LORENZO     SPA     Fiat Yamaha Team     + 22.494
5. M. MELANDRI     ITA     Ducati Marlboro Team     + 26.957
6. N. HAYDEN     USA     Repsol Honda Team     + 28.369
7. C. EDWARDS     USA     Tech 3 Yamaha     + 29.780
8. T. ELIAS     SPA     Alice Team     + 30.225
9. L. CAPIROSSI     ITA     Rizla Suzuki MotoGP     + 31.440
10. S. NAKANO     JPN     San Carlo Honda Gresini     + 35.969
11. A. DOVIZIOSO     ITA     JiR Team Scot MotoGP     + 36.246
12. J. TOSELAND     GBR     Tech 3 Yamaha     + 43.191
13. R. DE PUNIET     FRA     LCR Honda MotoGP     + 43.442
14. J. HOPKINS     USA     Kawasaki Racing Team     + 45.855
15. S. GUINTOLI     FRA     Alice Team     + 46.330
16. A. DE ANGELIS     RSM     San Carlo Honda Gresini     + 50.593
17. A. WEST     AUS     Kawasaki Racing Team     + 1′05.593

* picture source: MCN.

First a note…

This was written at the back end of last year. I like to share my thoughts on what I’m listening and this album was so good that it deserves posting here. Also, sharing this is something I’ve been wanting to do for a good while and putting it up on this site for a while. So here goes!

Intro

Hmmmm we do not know what we’re dealing with here. Or so the meme is planted by this track and it certainly promises. Short at 1m53s, there’s no real melody, I mean, it’s just an intro but just tease and tease and some fat bass. The smile begins as your hearing exactly the sound that makes you go “this is going to be a good album.”

Serenity Now

Oooo the Intro runs straight into a big rolling fat sounding bass kick. The kind of bass that is a point mass, dark, a true singularity. Trombone-ing bass lines are layered on top as it ticks along at 135bpm. The groove continues. The track starts to come alive a bit more at the 1.54 mark. Still minimal sounding with the bass and the trombone-ing but some new phrasing is kicking in. There’s almost a tech-noir feel to this. Of course now at 3mins, more is happening - the layers are piling on. The intro meme is planted again, just for good measure, and there’s now a push to this - an early go-getter that gains momentum and drive. More detail is piled on then at 5.17 there’s a rush of energy and the bass changes. Treacle for the ears - the bass is glooping in.

I want to eat this track.

Psychic Experience

A hollow sounding start before the bassline starts. Sounds different to the previous track and that methodical bass is going at what appears to be the standard barometric 135. The beat increases till the main voices are started at 1.25. This track is incredibly well engineered. Actually scratch that - it’s incredibly well crafted. There’s detail all over.

It really is taking me somewhere by 3.30 – and reminds me of a long forgotten memory of when lived in Liverpool – a goth girl grabbed my hand in a darkened ally in the depths of Liverpool’s underground - off to an opening in the wall of an alley for the musical delights within. Oh what a good time that was! Where was I?

It communicates very well a sense of more to come. At the 5.19 mark there’s a real sense of impending delivery - the ears prick in anticipation - subtle melody creeps up from the swirling synth as more and more is added. Oh yes baby - show me what you got! It also doesn’t let up - energy and drive all the way passed 9mins.

Sao Paulo

Aptly named - definitely starts with a South American sounding beat before a cheeky change at the 1min mark - suddenly a bit more purposeful and darker. Listening to it you could easily be in the deep forests and it doesn’t take much to imagine Mayan warriors stomping around a tall fire. Ace is really delivering with each new tack. Mid stomping drums add a gusty feel to it. Definitely feels a top a temple that peeks out above the forest canopy – as you step and weave, close your eyes and picture the stars above, green tree canopy below - the sound of the forest audible between the beats. I just adore the sounds that are in at 6.30. Have to say - reminding me of a New Order remixed track - a real classic sound.

Stimulator

An interesting start - some very interesting samples being played that are lighting the lights in my deep memory storage. A gothy sounding wail that suddenly just erupts with more of that delicious fat pulsing bass that’s been EQ’d a bit, and an electronic/transformer whine. Lurv-ly - have some more of that thank you very much. This track follows the feel so far- I like dancing in the night and it just smacks of darkness - but not bad darkness – a velvety cloaked darkness full of harlequin masks.

Presence

We’re pushing onto the sixth track and Ace Ventura is really exploring the darker groove. This track is delicious. The sound is spatial, swirling, enveloping and pulsing as it swirls around before the eye of the storm passes and oh my hat. Big big big big thumping bass and high hats. This track is taking no prisoners as it stomps. It’s timed really well - we’re about 50 mins into the album and the brain has tone as its locked on and target pickled. Groove launched. Synthy waves cascade through this track trying to liberate the body from the hypothalamus’s control as by 5.40 we are really given a bombardment of sound. There’s real sweet variation and inflexion - 7mins is awesome.

Suddenly thinking of M.A.R.S Pump up the volume? No but … suddenly a slightly different sound. The previous acts had us pushing deeper, darker groovy sounds and now this is a turning track - a bigger orchestral sound. Rather than focusing on dark grooving beats this is more up - but still very, very technical. It’s definitely a climax moment for the middle tracks.

Tromboning bass is all around when then some new voices start near half way. It’s the chase, a don’t drive the bus under 55mph moment with Sandra Bullock at your side as it then rolls into more New Order like sounds - do I cut the red wire or the blue? I don’t know!!!!!!

The Light

We’ve definitely broken through. We’re treated with a dawning vista of clouds, shafts of brilliant sunlight - the day is coming and we’ve survived as we smile at each other. It’s slow starting compared to the other tracks. I find this track a little out of place right now - I was really enjoying the journey inwards - all the tracks up to this made you look within. This one is making you look outwards and I’m not sure I want that. Maybe it’s my mood. I like it - but it’s sweeter tasting than the dark savory fayre that’s just been sampled. Intensity is built up by midway with keyboards, hats, the bass is reduced apart from the now familiar trombonwa-wa-wa-wa-ing.

This is a cheeky track - at one point not my favourite - but at another a delicious listen and something to share. Yes, a sharing track definitely and sharing is caring!

Exposed

What can this track deliver after the previous mind benders? It starts off for over a minute with what is a concerted effort at a rush before the bass kicks in at 1.12. It’s a slowly layered track. The bass is going (again at the obligatory 135) but there’s a lot in the mid. Swoosh, swirl, reverb, some EQ’d bits and highs. Strangely I’m finding there’s too much going on and in places it hides the bass before it comes back in full force at 4mins. Then all is crystal clear and exposed - you’re thinking “hmm nice track” before Ace Ventura manages to pull a blinder with high grade stompy-grooviness.

At 5.12 you can’t stop moving. You were cheated into thinking the end had come but know - there’s still more to come and you’re not done with yet. This is definitely a day time track. New sounds that are uplifting - the hand that pulls you up.

You can probably guess from the above that I like this album.

Actually no - I don’t like this album - I think it’s absolutely amazing. It’s an incredibly well crafted, well thought out work. It’s almost opus like in that it stands best as a whole. Individually the tracks are good but string them together and a story is being told.

Like following the rabbit down the hole you go - deeper and darker for an adventure. There’s no let up. Ace Ventura must have been sitting tweaking and whittling away at this for a good while. I can’t think of an album that has taken me on this kind of listening journey - not in a long while (New Order Substance comes to mind but that’s cheating). Each track forms and extends the narrative.

This album is the bar setter of progressive trance, setting it at, in my view, a very high level. The problem with something like this is that there are those that come before, and those that come after – but few are truly comparable. Deep, purple coloured rich velvet sounds. Unlike some of the really good albums of late that are spectacular yet still have the odd weaker moment, every track on this delivers.

Album of 2007.

Go get it at:

• psyshop.com
  
• Saiko Sounds
• Iboga Records

So what’s next. Well firstly there are other notable mentions which will be put up, but we’re already a large part of the way through 2008 and there’s even more new releases. Watch this space…

Qualifying had seen all the usual suspects in their usual positions. Lorenzo snatched pole, Pedrosa – his not-so-best-buddy countryman was second with Rossi third. Filling out the rest of the places was Hayden, Edwards, Toseland for the top six. Just behind them was the well performing Dovisioso, a strangely out of position De Puniet and then Stoner. The low position of Stoner wasn’t to be unexpected. He and the Ducati had a difficult race at Estoril last year and this was going to be an exercise in damage limitation- ride a solid race and bag points – that’d be as good as a win for them.

The cat was thrown amongst the proverbial pigeons though when, as the bikes did their warm up lap, rain was seen and drops appeared on the cameras. Numerous mentions of rain on visor could be heard from the commentators as the prospects of a rain affected race loomed. It clearly scuttled Capirossi as he managed to miss his grid slot and take Stoner’s position at the grid. That was soon rectified by some back peddling and the with the lights out, the race was on.

Pedrosa stormed off into the lead at the first corner as everyone got off although notably Toseland had a bad start and went backwards, suddenly finding himself down around 11th. Pedrosa’s surge to the lead though was curtailed as he became ensconced in a fight with Lorenzo and Rossi who both overtook him, then on the 2nd lap Rossi went by his young upstart of a team mate to take the lead.

Rossi tried to push and either break away from the following pack or try to drag them with him and force them to use up their rubber or fall off but neither plan worked and with a not insurmountable gap the Bridgestone shod Yamaha circulated at the head.

Further back action was happening a plenty. Toseland, learning the track and what his bike can behave like in trying conditions, was his usual combative self and was embroiled in a pitched battle to recover from his poor start. Fighting with Stoner and Capirossi he moved forward to then mix it with Dovisioso whilst Stoner seemed to be inexplicably neither here nor there until it was seen that some loose electronics were dangling from the front fairing.

Hopkins had a blinder of a start and was chasing behind Edwards by mid race and putting in an impressive showing, finally, on the Kawasaki. Dovisioso had squeezed passed Toseland and moved forwards too. It must be a shame for the young guy as he’s really riding rather well yet most of the attention is on the other newcomers. That being said he pushed too hard by mid race and the front folded and down he went. Admirably he owned up saying he pushed too hard. A couple of laps later Hayden did the same.

Whilst all this was happening Lorenzo had quite brilliantly dispatched Rossi through the chicane and started to push hard and showing no respect for his team mate, the seven times world champion. Pedrosa didn’t want his country man to get too big a lead and he too piled on the pressure and was soon passed Rossi aswell and set about chasing down Lorenzo.

It was soon evident by the way Lorenzo was able to control that gap though that this was his day. Pedrosa did an excellent job of keeping him honest but clearly the lollipop sucking Spaniard was telling everyone that he’s arrived in MotoGP in a big way with such a masterful ride. He wasn’t troubled again and took the flag. Pedrosa was not far behind to take second.

Rossi was unable to stay on the back of Pedrosa and had to settle for third place. Behind him was a creditable Edwards and Hopkins. Finally Kawasaki have seen some reward - will this make them bring the screamer engine anytime soon to a race? Next was Stoner, who had overcome his wayward box of tricks to pass Toseland.

It was an excellent race and a well deserved win for Lorenzo who is showing everyone just how good he is. He’s made it absolutely clear that he’s there to win and not play second fiddle to Rossi. He’s now joint leader in the championship standings with Pedrosa who’s also riding masterfully. Rossi has his work cut out for him (again) and you have to wonder will he stay on it? So far he’s been out-ridden fairly comprehensively and with him on Bridgestone rubber, that seem to have been matched somewhat by Michelin, he’s managed to differentiate himself in the wrong direction. Although Ducati admitted and expected a difficult race they didn’t expect it to be this difficult and China can’t come soon enough for them. Stoner still managed to gather points and that could count at the end of the season – but it’s going to be long and hard for them as clearly the Yamaha/Lorenzo and Honda/Pedrosa packages are to beat. Worryingly Stoner is now struggling to set up the Ducati just as Milandri seems to be. They’d best be hoping it’s just a speed bump and not something more systemic.

The future of MotoGP has arrived and arrived with style.

1. Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 45′53.089
2. Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 45′54.906 1.817
3. Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 46′05.812 12.723
4. Colin EDWARDS USA Tech3 Yamaha YAMAHA 46′10.312 17.223
5. John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 46′16.841 23.752
6. Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 46′19.777 26.688
7. James TOSELAND GBR Tech3 Yamaha YAMAHA 46′25.720 32.631
8. Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 46′29.471 36.382
9. Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 46′31.357 38.268
10. Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 46′32.565 39.47
11. Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 46′54.395 1′01.306
12. Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team DUCATI 46′56.956 1′03.867
13. Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 47′02.614 1′09.525
14. Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team DUCATI 47′02.723 1′09.634
15. Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 47′04.631 1′11.542
16. Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 47′16.718 1′23.629

* picture source: MCN.

• It was a bit of a snooze-fest.
• Casey Stoner had a bad day today and neither he, nor the Ducati, seemed to have it in them. So the little aussi-automaton was forced to breath a lot of exhaust from everyone else.

The first reason is obvious – on a track described as “difficult to overtake on” (sounds a bit amazing for MotoGP) it seemed that in the Spanish sun no-one felt like racing.

Toseland was full of flu/bronchitis and had spent as much time as he could trying to rest and recuperate – to not much avail. His effort in qualifying in that light must surely stand out. His team mate, Edwards had managed to put his Tech3 Yamaha (sans pneumatic valve engine) next to the new wunderkind, Lorenzo, and Honda’s favourite son - Pedrosa. As good a superbike rider as Edwards was – he’s never really produced the goods in the prototype class and thus was expected to slowly slip backwards in the field to produce his usual, solid results.

Hayden seemed to be up at the sharp end again with the new Honda. So it was the usual suspects that made up the grid.

1. Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1′38.189
2. Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1′38.789
3. Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 1′38.954
4. Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1′39.061
5. Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1′39.064
6. Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 1′39.122
7. Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1′39.286
8. James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 1′39.334
9. John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 1′39.439
10. Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1′39.484
11. Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1′39.559
12. Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1′39.704
13. Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA 1′39.767
14. Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1′40.037
15. Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 1′40.088
16. Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team DUCATI 1′40.286
17. Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team DUCATI 1′40.939
18. Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1′41.027

On race day when the lights went out it was Pedrosa who got a blistering start, just like he did in Qatar and sped off into the distance. Unlike Qatar no one seemed either capable or in the mood to chase him down.

There was some movement in the chasers when on the second lap, Stoner had an uncharacteristic moment. He seemed to go in a bit hot and stood the bike up, forcing him to enjoy an excursion to the kitty-litter. He’d almost done the same the lap earlier, the front end shifting but this time he was off. He ploughed a course out but by that time he was stone (excuse the weak pun) last. It could be fun watching him carve the pack up until it was realized the Spanish TV producers were more focused on shots of Pedrosa, and Pedrosa, and oh, more Pedrosa!

Rossi put one on his young team mate a few laps later, and no doubt did it smiling like a demented sock-monkey as he put the young upstart in his place. It all could have gone disastrously wrong though if Lorenzo had been closer at the end because Rossi was either not paying attention or lost count and started to celebrate as he crossed the line at the end of the penultimate lap. That would have been funny to see him pop a wheelie as Lorenzo sailed by – but it didn’t happen and with much looking over his shoulder he was able to be sensible for the last lap.

Hayden played the biggest get-out-of-jail card today, with a few laps to go he cranked the Honda over and made it into a tricycle using the combination of knee-slider and elbow protection as the third wheel. He lost the front end and it lay-down only for him to recover it and manage to continue. New leathers please!

Toseland seemed to be carrying on the schoolyard fighting with another gritty, rest-of-the-pack type fight and was unlucky to not claim fifth. After a race long chase and battle he had slipped passed Dovizioso, Hopkins and Capirossi only to be given a bit of treatment himself (not for bronchitis) by Capirossi who stole fifth back of him at the last corner.

Stoner’s bad day was further compounded by another offing, at the same corner he had fudged earlier and in the same manner, getting caught up in Nakana vs Vermeulen. What was more telling though was the way he sat in his garage at the end of the race – either he was just re-running all the incidents again in a measure of understanding or he was fuming/sulking. Hopefully not the latter – bad days happen in motor sport and you have to accept them like a spoonful of cod-liver oil – grimace, swallow and move on.

So Pedrosa won, and with all the furore over Lorenzo and others the forgotten Spaniard is leading the championship. Worryingly Suzuki seem to still be struggling to find the pace they started to show last year, as is Kawasaki (Hopkins is still sporting an injury). Stoner/Ducati aren’t infallible and Rossi can beat Lorenzo. Hayden is still Hayden and it was ultimately a normal day unlike the sparkling bright light race of Qatar.

The final classifications were:

1. Dani Pedrosa
2. Valentino Rossi
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Nicky Hayden
5. Loris Capirossi
6. James Toseland
7. John Hopkins
8. Andrea Dovizioso
9. Shinya Nakano
10. Chris Vermeulen
11. Casey Stoner
12. Marco Melandri
13. Anthony West
14. Alex de Angelis
15. Toni Elias
16. Sylvain Guintoli

* picture source: MCN

The program, cunningly titled Hitler’s Private World details how a computerised lip reading system was able to analyse the hand-held films taken of Hitler and his guests at the Bavarian mountain retreat known as the Berghof.

These films were silent, somewhat casual looking with a reasonably dressed Hitler sporting a suede fedora and chatting with various guests. If you didn’t know it was Hitler (and I hope that there is no one on this earth that doesn’t recognise him) it would seem innocuous, almost pleasant film from that golden age.

As the films are silent we don’t know what he was saying, but of course skilled lip readers have the advantage here as they can perform translations - but only to a point. The program details how when the target moves or is more oblique to the reader, it becomes more difficult to read and beyond a certain point impossible.

Frank Hubner, a speech recognition expert, who happens to be mute and deaf, created an automated lip reading (ALR) system that apparently improves on human reading. A mixture of computational linguistics, image processing and speech system it processes each frame of a film and builds up a complex model of the mouth movements - even when the target in the frame is rotated away from the camera. How exactly it does this I’m not sure but it’s fascinating. I can only surmise it’s mapping muscle/facial/jaw movements, when the angle is great, at critical points a kin to how finger print systems map such things as cusps (islands of minutiae) on the finger. It also recognises mouth shapes when the lips are more visible.

Once it has this model of projected lips shapes and movements and with a database of sounds/words to to these sequences \it is able to then generate the speech!

Hitler spoke - albeit in a standard computer dubbed voice. The program then took a more historical tone in how they wanted to hear Hitler’s conversational voice, not his great booming oratory that he used at rallies and public speaking. Only problem is that no recording existed of him speaking in private until the Finnish released a tape made when he visited their own fascist stooge in the 40’s. Apparently he’d been recorded having a private conversation in a railway carriage lamenting the ferocity and multitude of Russian forces - but it was his private speaking voice.

With this on file a voice actor was employed, and with the computer generated script the silent films were dubbed and Hitler spoke as Hitler, truly a disturbing moment.

It is disturbing because it somehow, humanises Hitler. Well, to an extent that a genocidal mass murder can be humanised. Here is the man that plunged the world in to war, prosecuted genocide on a mass scale and was ruthless in the extreme to his own countrymen and yet, he speaks in a soft voice about arbitrary things.

This is not the Hitler that stood before hundreds of thousands at Nuremberg, commanding and dominating but a man that was just - a man. Watching this sends the mind reeling because it is Hitler, not some uncle or pleasant gentleman. He flirts with Eva Braun, he chats about camera technology and even offers scathing judgment on Reich’s Marshal Goering being akin to a pig. Clearly that relationship was one of necessity and not friendship. You even see a peevish Hitler as he responds to Eva Brauns ministrations about an ill-fitting dress - “you talk about a dress that does not fit, imagine my problems.”

It’s just weird watching Hitler come to life as such. I’m not sure it’s a good thing - maybe it is, maybe it shows that behind every enormity of evil, we’re all just human, with human frailty (it is suggested that he suffered Parkinson’s Disease) and human needs. No supernatural bad guys driving us on - not exterior forces telling us to do the wrong thing. Just man, doing the evil that man does.

The technology that brought this to life though is fascinating - interesting - but the chilling revelations are even more fascinating. I’m sure you will be able to find a downloadable version of the program from some suitable torrent. Go watch it.

The start of the race saw the Dani Pedrosa surge into the lead from 8th place on the grid. Everything just seemed to click and off he went like a rabbit in front of a pack of hounds – and hounds they were – as the pack chased him down with relentless resolve.

The chase wasn’t without its own entertainment, there was plenty of overtaking. James Toseland introduced none other than Rossi to some World Superbike style overtaking maneuvers when paint was swapped as the Tech3 Yamaha slipped (read barged) passed the factory bike – something which must have put a smile on the Tech3 boss’s face (and many a JT supporter).

Of course, the antipodean rocketman Stoner dispatched those in front of him with ruthless efficiency to eventually be at the front and from there he was never really bothered.

The shiny-helmeted Lorenzo converted his pole position into a solid and superb second paying no respect to Rossi who must now surely know that there’s more people in the fight than just himself and Stoner.

Rossi’s woes were further compounded by Dovisioso on the Honda who, nearing the end of the race powered passed to steal fourth, demoting Rossi to 5th, just ahead of Toseland.

Disappointingly the Suzuki of Vermeulen and Kawasaki of Hopkins never really featured in the race. Clearly they have some work to do.

Question is – can anyone stop Stoner from just walking to another championship? On the form of this race the Ducati/Stoner combination appears unbeatable. Stoner really has continued the performance from last year when he notched up a gear to show his metal.

Lorenzo is clearly no slouch and one can’t help but think that Yamaha have put in situ a rider that will replace Rossi, who’s see-sawed with the notion of racing in other formats, and now appears to be being swarmed by new talent on the track – unlike his dominant position of a couple of years ago when no one could touch him.

Finally, JT’s performance can’t be overlooked – he outpaced and out blasted his team-mate, and fellow World Superbike champion Colin Edwards, who’s been in MotoGP for a good few years. Given the pedigree of what was ahead of him – he did well.

1. Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 42′36.587
2. Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 42′41.910
3. Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 42′47.187
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA 42′49.875
5. Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 42′49.892
6. James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 42′50.627
7. Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 42′51.737
8. Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 43′09.092
9. Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 43′09.590
10. Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 43′14.941
11. Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 43′20.871
12. John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 43′26.444
13. Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 43′26.458
14. Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team DUCATI 43′35.119
15. Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team DUCATI 43′35.517
16. Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 43′42.230
17. Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 43′11.483 (1 lap)

Not Classified
Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 31′26.773 (6 laps)

* picture source: MCN