The answer to this question, for most of us whom have seen the movie, is simple: the Wachowski Brothers. However, tonight I stumbled on an article that contradics that statement. It seems that an African American woman by the name of Sophia Stewart actually penned the original manuscript that The Matrix is based off of, and has been in a court battle over copyright infringement. In adition to this, the article also suggests that Sophia is also responsible for the Terminator movies as well!

Stewart filed her case in 1999, after viewing the Matrix, which she felt had been based on her manuscript, “The Third Eye,” copyrighted in 1981. In the mid-eighties Stewart had submitted her manuscript to an ad placed by the Wachowski Brothers, requesting new sci-fi works.

According to court documentation, an FBI investigation discovered that more than thirty minutes had been edited from the original film, in an attempt to avoid penalties for copyright infringement. The investigation also stated that “credible witnesses employed at Warner Brothers came forward, claiming that the executives and lawyers had full knowledge that the work in question did not belong to the Wachowski Brothers.” These witnesses claimed to have seen Stewart’s original work and that it had been “often used during preparation of the motion pictures.

A quick search on Google for Sophia Stewart returns a ton of links. From what I can tell Da Ghetto Tymz appears to have the most information, including what appears to be PDF files of court documents. There is even reports that the movie had been edited from the original movie “that aired in theaterz March 31, 1999.”

…when [Sophia] first saw the movie back in ’99, she witnessed blatant theft and plagiarizm from her script, ‘The Third Eye’ written and copywritten back in 1983. Soon after, she contacted the Pirates informing them she was aware of the theft and a demand for credit and compensation for what soon became the most successfull movie franchise to date. Not too long after, Warner Bros. allegedly began released versionz of The Matrix edited from the 2 hour and 40 minute original.

….

Apparently, there are various scenes that are different from the later released version(s) which will enable you to know you have the original release:

* In the beginning of the movie, there’s an intro that scrolls up the screen just like in the movie Star Wars that layz out the plot. It speaks of a nuclear war that happened in the year 2110AD, where humanz were now used as fuel for the machines like batteries
* In the part where Neo barters for a stack of programz for programz of his. No money was exchanged like in the edited release(s)
* The girl in the beginning who came over Neo’s had a rabbit on her arm. In the edited version(s), she’s seen with the rabbit on her back shoulder blade

Now I remember seeing the movie opening day at a movie theater just outside Glenside PA with some friends, and I don’t remember those defferences, but I guess anything is possible.

In all honesty, in the end, I really don’t care who wrote the movie. If it is truly based off someone elses work though, they should be given proper credit. The fact remains that The Matrix is a great movie.

Having not read a lot of comics growing up it is surprising how much I actually know about comic book characters. With all the movies recently coming out based off of Marvel characters it would be nice to know even more. I somehow managed to help myself in this pursuit by accidentally stumbaling upon the Marvel Directory. This site is a database of (possibly all?) Marvel characters, contianing information on each individual and group. It is searchable by a number of categories including individual, locations, and strength levels, and is also browsable by alphabetical order. In adition you are even given the option to upload information should you happen to have any that is already not listed.

Identity theft is a serious issue for everyone. Having your identity stolen can cause serious harm for you and your loved ones. The most common damage caused by identity theft is financial. I happened to stumble upon this article over on MSN Money which offers a few good tips on how to help prevent identify theft from happening to you. In addition the article also contains links to good articles on keeping your Social Security number safe and cancelling credit cards.

It seems that a pair of engineers in London who are persuing their master’s degree have come up with an idea for a building-in-a-bag. The article over at wired.com explains that the idea is to have “a sack of cement-impregnated fabric. To erect the structure, all you have to do is add water to the bag and inflate it with air. Twelve hours later the Nissen-shaped shelter is dried out and ready for use. ”

This idea has huge potential for any situation where sturdy shelter is needed and needed soon. Such as war zones and areas ravaged by a natural disaster.

Aid agency chiefs have been impressed by the simplicity and economy of the idea. A bag weighing 230 kilograms (approximately 500 pounds) inflates into a shelter with 16 square meters (172 square feet) of floor space. Cost is estimated at £1,100 ($2,100), while an equivalent-size Portakabin (a type of portable building widely used in the United Kingdom) costs about £4,000 ($7,700). The same-size tent costs about £600 ($1,150).

The comparative cost and ease of use are substantial. This is one inovation in the area of concrete use that has great potential to help out in a lot of ways all over the world.