2012 is a new movie coming out next summer about the end of the world (starring John Cusack, of course. Who better to break the news?)

Brilliant trailer.
Music from The Shining (says Kottke.)

I used to have recurring nightmares about giant waves. Still do occasionally.

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A man (see arrow) is about to be killed by a tsunami as it sweeps over Hilo’s Pier 1 on April 1, 1946. This man was one of 159 people killed by the wall of water, which was set off by an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands which registered 7.3 on the Richter scale.

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Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai

© Burstein Collection/CORBIS
Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt van Rijn

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Image of the Mayan calendar.

Unrelated, I found this image while browsing “ocean enormous”.
What an incredible scene.

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SS United States Arrives in Manhattan
A huge cordon of tugs accompanies the new superliner United States past the New York skyline, June 23, as the 73 million dollar passenger ship completes her shakedown cruise from Newport News, Va. New York gave the new queen of the nation’s merchant fleet a royal welcome upon her arrival, turning out helicopters, fireboats, and blimps for the occasion. At Pier 86, West 46th Street, Moran tugs completed the entire docking operation in 25 minutes.

↑Gorgeous shot of Eiffel in his workshop. Click for a slightly larger view.

Original caption:
Gustave Eiffel is shown in his work room, experimenting with aerodynamic balance to find the exact pressure of the tower against the four caissons which support the four huge piers. Interest in the Eiffel Tower, called one of the seven wonders of the modern age, has been revived because of France’s plans to honor the great designer and builder of the forerunner to the skyscraper. The huge tower, 984.25 feet high, and completed in 1889, is still the tallest structure built by man. On April 29, the City of Paris will unveil a monument and bust of Eiffel by the famous sculptors, Auguste Perret and Andre Granet, erected at the base of the Tower. Eiffel is known as a great visionary and was forced to battle against architects and others of the time, who said the wind would destroy his tower, as that of Babel was destroyed. Since its completion in 1889, 13,153,921 pers

↑ From Somebody Up There Likes Me.

↑ in Harper.

↑ From Winning

↑ Debating Charlton Heston on nuclear power freeze.
Video of the debate

Newman on racing.

A couple quick anecdotes which I think summarize the man fairly well:

Newman’s film career almost ended with his first movie — he considered his performance in the sword-and-sandal 1954 drama “The Chalice” so mediocre he paid for a page-size ad in a Hollywood trade publication to apologize.

(From Brietbart)

Newman’s Own regularly receives — and rebuffs — acquisition offers from larger companies, and it always raises profits by more than 10 percent annually. How big can the enterprise become? To Mr. Hotchner, the idea of watching Newman’s Own double in size over the next few years is particularly appealing. ”Think of what we could do with the money,” he says.

Mr. Newman thinks this over, rocking harder on the creaking swing. ”I just want to be able to give away more than Dick Cheney got in tax relief,” he says. ”That’s what I want.” And after a slight dramatic pause, he and Mr. Hotchner burst out laughing.

(From the NY Times)

He will be missed.