Transit of Venus, Millennium, Idris Elba and a Sesame Street classic! [I read stuff]

Wherein I read things, laugh [or not], and pass them on to you…

• Transit Of Venus:

Explanation: The rare transit of Venus across the face of the Sun in 2004 was one of the better-photographed events in sky history. Both scientific and artistic images flooded in from the areas that could see the transit: Europe and much of Asia, Africa, and North America. Scientifically, solar photographers confirmed that the black drop effect is really better related to the viewing clarity of the camera or telescope than the atmosphere of Venus. Artistically, images might be divided into several categories. One type captures the transit in front of a highly detailed Sun. Another category captures a double coincidence such as both Venus and an airplane simultaneously silhouetted, or Venus and the International Space Station in low Earth orbit. A third image type involves a fortuitous arrangement of interesting looking clouds, as shown by example in the above image taken from North Carolina, USA. Sky enthusiasts worldwide are abuzz about the coming transit of Venus on Tuesday. It is perhaps interesting to wonder whether any person will live to see — and remember seeing — both Tuesday’s Venus transit and the next one in 2117.
[Astronomy Picture of the Day/03 Jun 2012]

• Lance Henriksen Talks TRON: UPRISING and the “Big Push” for a MILLENNIUM Movie:

Is there any chance of their ever being a Millennium movie?

HENRIKSEN: There’s a big push on it, right now. They’ve written a book with interviews from everybody that was on the show, including [Frank] Spotnitz and me. That show was awhile ago. Ever since 9/11, the world has changed so radically that, if Millennium was made today with those characters, it would be a far more interesting show than the limited palate they had with serial killers. I love the idea of a non-judgmental character like Frank Black. He wanted to know why and how all these things happened, but he knew that judging someone for what they’d done was just going to get in the way of finding out things. Imagine that kind of morality and focus, like a master chess player, able to draw in details like beads on a string. It would be much more interesting now than it was then. I loved doing that show. The most important relationship in the show, for me, was between Frank and his daughter, and that actress is getting married now. I think it’s going to happen. I really do. I believe that. I would do it. There’s no reason not to.

What would you want to see happen?

HENRIKSEN: I want to keep moving the pressure in on Frank Black, in regard to a terrorist plot that keeps building and building and building. You’ll be gasping for air, wondering what the hell is going to happen to this guy. I’m looking forward to it. It’s crazy, if they don’t give it a shot. It doesn’t have to be a $30 million movie. There’s a lot of fans out there, in 65 countries, just pounding on the door. I can’t go to any country without them wanting to know when the movie is going to be made. It doesn’t matter where I am.
[collider/Christina Radish/02 Jun 2012]

• Idris Elba wants to compete in charity boxing match:

Elba wants to put his training to good use and is considering filming his work outs for a documentary and organising a boxing match to raise money for poor kids in his father’s native Sierra Leone. And he insists he’s not worried about ruining his good looks if he gets hit in the face – because Elba is convinced there will always be a need for actors to play less image-conscious characters.
[hollywood/03 Jun 2012]

• Remember this? – Sesame Street: 12 And Pinball Animation