If you’re here, you probably like a lot of the same things I like. Geeky things, perhaps.

And, if you’re like most people, you probably don’t have a job doing something that you’re passionate about — maybe involving that very same geeky stuff I mention above.

Don’t you think it was about time that changed?

Stained glass TARDIS by Alexandria, via Craftster.
Webcomic is Pink Rhombus, by Josalynne Balajadia and Mark Nordstrom.

In perhaps the saddest news story we have ever borne witness to, The Huffington Post has run a story about a woman boasting that she went an entire twenty-four hours without spending any money. I do this without making an effort on a regular basis, and find it sad that somebody doing so is worth boasting about.

(by James Haefner)

The physics of Iron Man.

The FCC in the United States has decided that the programs you watch on your television will be allowed to control your television set.

What follows is a review of the movie Iron Man 2.

I very much enjoyed this movie — moreso than I did the original. If you are thinking of seeing it, go do that. Bookmark this review, and come back later. But don’t read this now — while not spoiler-heavy, it could still spoil the movie for you.

Are we down to just those who have seen it (or are willing to be spoiled)?

Good.

I enjoyed Iron Man 2 while I was in the theatre watching it. I am enjoying thinking back on it now, recollecting moments from the film. But I am also a little disappointed. Before the film began, there was the usual plea from the British Film Association. Or the British Film Institute. Or the police. Whoever they were, they were warning us against videotaping the film in the theatre. Stealing movies is bad.

Then the movie ground the idea into our heads for the next two hours.

Setting the scene

The movie begins with two scenes. One scene has our main villain’s father dying. He is angry as he watches Tony Stark on the television screen. “That could have been you,” he says to his son. It turns out that he co-designed the Iron Man power source, in the 1970s. Nevermind that this was 35 years prior, and has since been redesigned into a miniature form. He is angry — and his son is angry — because he was denied a chance to benefit financially from his discovery.

Respect intellectual property, says the film. Or else scientists (or their children) will be transformed into supervillains.

The second scene has our hero Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) brought before the US Senate. The Senate is trying to demand that he turn over the Iron Man suit to the US military. In a scene that clearly paints those wishing to take away Mr. Stark’s Iron Man suit as the bad guys, and those who do not as the good guys, the government tries to relieve Mr. Stark of his intellectual property.

Try to take intellectual property away, says the film, and you will be a bad guy.

The good guys and the bad guys

Tony Stark: Iron Man, our hero, defends his intellectual property and will not let other people use it without his explicit permission. He is an inventor, made rich, successful and famous from his inventions. He is holding a giant expo in which other inventors can share their inventions. Defender of his own intellectual property, embracing the spirit of discovery. Iron Man ought really to be IP Man.

Justin Hammer: The head of a rival weapons manufacturer, Hammer is the anti-Stark. Lots of money, but clearly not an inventor himself. Hammer tries to copy Stark’s designs, without success. He wants to get his hands on Stark’s Iron Man suits in order to copy them himself.

In the end, he hires our other bad guy, locks him in a room and berates him for not inventing on schedule. Hammer clearly doesn’t deserve his IP — he steals it and copies it.

Hammer is painted as a pathetic figure throughout the movie, start to finish. It does not seem like a coincidence that he is an individual who profiteers from the discoveries of others.

Ivan Vanko: His father was the co-inventor of a pre-cursor to a reactor that powers Iron Man. Which, of course, makes said reactor into a derivative work. Which means that he deserves all the credit for it. Or half the credit for it. Or something. In any case, this causes Ivan to be mad with rage, invent his own Iron Mannish technologies, and go on a murderous rampage, with Mr. Stark as his main target.

I don’t get it, either. But Ivan seems deserving of some respect, while his co-bad-guy (Hammer) is worthy of none. This is done through their characterization in the film, but the underlying message is that inventors are not to be trifled with.

The film overall

I really enjoyed Iron Man 2. But I cannot help being left with a bad taste in my mouth — like I just watched a two hour anti-filesharing ad by Marvel/Disney. The heroes respect (or try to respect) the intellectual property rights at play. Those who trod on them are painted in a bad light.

It is a very strange message to find in a superhero movie. But perhaps not that odd to hear coming from Hollywood.

(Image from Zany Pickle)