Blast from my past

This meant nothing to me at the time, but now...!

The Hands resist him

The Hands resist him is a painting, painted by Californian painter Bill Stoneham in 1979. I recently found a thread about it online as well as a video which suggests that the painting maybe "haunted". I'm not too sure about this, but the picture really scares me!

The glass door behind the boy (who is flippin scary, and is also the painter age 5)is meant to represent the door before this world and the world of dreams, and the doll is meant to be the boy's guide through the door. The painting was put on Ebay in 2000, and the sellers also mentioned that the painting may be possessed and that during the night the figures leave the painting. The doll in the painting is also said to have turned red.

Ridiculous meme? Regardless of if this picture is haunted, the boy and the doll really scare me.

Wiki entry

A creepy video

Sir David Attenborough Picture of the Day

Oasis attacked on stage

It's worth the wait trust me. Though I would've gone for Liam first...

The Corpus Clock

"The Corpus Clock has been invented and designed by Dr John Taylor for Corpus Christi College Cambridge for the exterior of the college's new library building.

It will be unveiled on 19 September by Prof Stephen Hawking, cosmologist and author of the global bestseller, A Brief History of Time.

The £1 million timepiece, known as The Corpus Clock, has been commissioned and designed to honour John Harrison, who was famously the pioneer of Longitude and inventor of the esoteric clock mechanism known as a grasshopper escapement.

The clock has been designed by the inventor and horologist Dr John Taylor and makes ingenious use of the grasshopper escapement, moving it from the inside of the clock to the outside and refashioning it as a Chronophage, or time-eater, which literally devours time." - Chronophage

Apparently it's stopped several times already...

Sir David Attenborough Picture of the Day

Think about it

Granny Squares!

144 squares later, I'm ready to start sewing the little buggers together... (the part I'm not looking forward to!) Then I'm going to edge each newly created larger square (of nine mini squares) with more brown. Cos I love brown.

And then I can make Arigurumi :)

Frodo is grea.....Who is THAT??!

Me and the Sham have recently taken a liking to the wonderful Flight of the Conchords, and through this discovered the wonders of Figwit! And when i was wonders...i really just mean we discovered him. From Wiki:

Figwit is a fan-derived name for an unnamed elf extra in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings triology, played by actor and musician Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords and The Black Seeds fame. The name Figwit derives from an acronym for "Frodo is grea...who is THAT?!?", a phrase coined by fan Iris Hadad.Though he only appeared for about three seconds in the first film, Figwit's popularity soon blossomed, with Hadad stating that "[the fan site] got a lot of emails from people who thought they were the only ones who had noticed that handsome, dark-haired elf".Figwit's physical appearance and demeanor are the source of much of his popularity: he has been noted for his "lithe and graceful" movement, "enigmatic broodiness", "haughty demeanor", and "pouty" looks. His fan website proclaims him "in a word, gorgeous. Or another, stunning... hypnotic... stupendous... captivating... take your pick."

McKenzie has stated that the Figwit obsession is "weird", though he is "flattered".He has remarked that "it's so hilarious because it's been propelled by so little ... I'm famous for doing nothing."

Isnt fandom a wonderful thing? *sighs* Go here for much nerdy joy: Figwitlives.net

Here be a picture of FOTC. Lovely.

A Nicky Harrison dilemma

Who would she be rooting for?

Sir David Attenborough Picture of the Day

'The Living Planet' series began in 1984. This picture captures a moment during David's visit to NASA for the episode entitled The Sky Above.

The Creepy Gnome

I first heared about this through Arbroath. In case you know nothing about it:

A TOWN in South America is living in fear after several sightings of a 'creepy gnome' that locals claim stalks the streets at night.

The midget - which wears a pointy hat and has a distinctive sideways walk - was caught on video last week by a terrified group of youngsters.

Teenager Jose Alvarez - who filmed the gnome - yesterday told national newspaper El Tribuno that they caught the creature while larking about in their hometown of General Guemes, in the province of Salta, Argentina.

He said: “We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning.

“I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking.

"Suddenly we heard something - a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones.

"We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid."

Jose added that other locals had come forward to say they had spotted the gnome.

He said: “This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out - just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now.

"One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital.”

The Sun

See it here:



Is this for real? If it is, then you've got to feel sorry for the 'gnome'... But they do look very sinister, especially dressed in a 'pointy hat'. Bad choice of dress, I say...

The spirit photographs of William Hope

These photographs of 'spirits' are taken from an album of photographs unearthed in a Lancashire second-hand and antiquarian bookshop by one of the Museum's curators. They were taken by a controversial medium called William Hope (1863-1933).

To read more about him and to see more of his photos, please visit The National Media museum on Flickr.















































'Most Haunted' couldn't do better really...

David Attenborough Picture of the Day

The Travel and Exploration Unit was created by the BBC to manage the miles of film brought back from expeditions all over the world. This 1962 image shows, from left to right, Harry Hastings, production assistant, David Attenborough, editor of the Unit, and Brian Branston, Producer.

Doesn't he look dapper?

Deadwood

When I first heard of Deadwood I was convinced I wouldn't like it, in the same way that I didn't like Goodfellas; unjustified violence, not one likable character and generally quite depressing. Determined not to write it off before I'd even seen it, and knowing the historical significance of a lot of the characters and the town itself, not to mention being a fan of Brad Dourif and John Hawkes, I rented the first disc of season one from LoveFilm.

Deadwood is an outlaw camp established in a time of Civil War and in 'Indian' territory. There's little more than a saloon and some tents, and calling the shots is the owner of 'The Gem', Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane or Lovejoy as I like to fondly remember). He's a ruthless, sly man, who doesn't think twice about slitting a man's throat and feeding him to the pigs. Doing his dirty work are Dan Dority (part time bar tender, part time hitman) and E.B. Farnum, owner of Deadwood's only hotel. Swearengen's 'Gem' is a saloon and a whore-house. In fact every woman bar one in the first few episodes is a whore. There's a camp doctor Doc Cochran (Brad Dourif) who seems to be the only moral man there. Swearengen pays him to take care of the whores but Cochran isn't in his pocket. In fact he's one of few people with the guts to stand up to him.

New in camp are; life-long friends, now business partners Sol Star (John Hawkes) and Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) who are looking to open a hardware store, Mr. and Mrs. Garrett (Molly Parker) from New York City looking to prospect gold, and Wild Bill Hickock and his companions Calamity Jane and Charlie Utter, seemingly there to just drink and gamble.

The first few episodes establish the characters and in this way, anyone new to the show shouldn't give up on it. I was tempted to after watching Swearengen beat up his favourite whore Trixie and after growing weary of the sight of tits of all sizes in the background of every scene set in 'The Gem'. But this rough start really gets you rooting for the underdogs as the women start to establish some independance, and Bullock, a former Marshall in Montana, starts making people answer for their dirty deeds and protecting the vulnerable people.

Nine episodes in and I would say that I officially love this show. I would even say that I kind of like Al Swearengen in a funny sort of way. Despite its appearances; filthy, foul-mouthed and immoral in places, Deadwood is very funny too. Upon accepting his innevitable role as Sheriff, Bullock stands on Swearengen's balcony. Swearengen turns to leave and says to Bullock: "I'm gonna walk past that bloodstain that mysteriously appeared and go oversee my business interests."

Another highly recommended show.

To read more about the show and more eloquent descriptions of the characters, visit the official Deadwood HBO site here.

Click thumbnails for (slightly) larger versions. Left to right; Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock, Cy Tolliver, Doc Cochran, Alma Garrett, Al Swearengen, and Trixie.

David Attenborough Picture of the Day

I've decided to turn 'David Attenborough Quote of the Day' into a picture instead. There are much more of those and they speak for themselves really...

Amigurumi

Wiki - "Amigurumi (編み包み, Amigurumi^? lit. Knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. Amigurumi are typically cute animals (such as bears, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc.), but can include inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. Amigurumi can be either knitted or crocheted. In recent years crocheted amigurumi are more popular and more commonly seen."

This is our new favourite thing (Bek and me). We spent all of last night frowning at low-quality YouTube videos trying to figure out how it's done, not talking to each other as we tensely counted each stitch and swore when we lost count and had to unravel again. Crochet and foul language - who'd've thought the two would be linked...?

So, as it's so fun, easy and inspiringly adaptable I thought I'd put some information here for anyone else who might be interested in giving it a try. I think I'm going to make some cute animal Christmas tree baubles... pandas, cats and polar bears...

Amigurumi tutorial (part one)
Amigurumi tutorial (part two)
Free patterns
Cupcakes and other animals
Amigurumi Kingdom
Amigurumi cactus pattern (and others)
More crochet cacti
Roxycraft patterns
Ana Paula Rimoli Etsy shop

Mac Vs PC

In an article in The Guardian, Charlie Brooker points out that the use of the comedians Mitchell and Webb in the UK 'Mac Vs PC' campaign for Apple is curious. They both star in the sitcom Peep Show in which, to quote the article's author, "Mitchell plays a repressed, neurotic underdog, and Webb plays a selfish, self-regarding poseur". He goes on to say, "So when you see the ads, you think, 'PCs are a bit rubbish yet ultimately lovable, whereas Macs are just smug, preening tossers.'"

I love you Charlie Brooker. Though I do have a mac... but that's not the point here.

Rowena - For Bek and Jed

And for any other fans of Black Books that may happen upon this...

Lone Demos

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act made it illegal to demonstrate anywhere near Parliament without official police permission, so if you feel strongly about this then become part of the monthly MASS LONE DEMONSTRATIONS to highlight the danger and stupidity of having this law in a democracy.

You don't have to demonstrate AGAINST anything - you can demonstrate FOR things too - Christmas leave to be for the mandatory 12 days, the right to wear odd socks and purchase them singly, for the Government to give more money to provide clean water in the 3rd world, the right to have free weekly therapy on the NHS... whatever.. Taking part in this is 100% LEGAL and peaceful - you're not going to get into any trouble providing you apply to demonstrate using the correct form.

Some of my favourites:

Mark Thomas: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola

A new book revealing details of Coca-Cola's problematic practices globally, including India, has just been released. "Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola" is authored by Mark Thomas, a well known comedian and political activist from the UK. Mark Thomas traveled to several countries - India, Colombia, Turkey, El Salvador, Mexico, United States - to meet with and report on the campaigns against Coca-Cola. Mr. Thomas uses a campaigning brand of comedy to relay serious issues about Coca-Cola - the violent suppression of trade union leaders in Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia, the use of child labor in sugar cane fields in El Salvador, and the water shortages being experienced by farmers across India who live around Coca-Cola bottling plants.

This guy seems awesome - I particularly loved his parts in UK film 'Taking Liberties'. Visit his site here. There's a review of the book here.

Chinese Olympics + Tibetan Torture = Coca-Cola Profits

San Francisco: Responding to a question about Coca-Cola's sponsorship of the Olympic Torch Relay, Mr. Isdell, CEO of Coca-Cola, defended the sponsorship by referring to the Olympic Torch as a symbol of hope and openness.

Banner in Sydney, Australia

Ongoing protests around the Olympics Torch Relay to highlight China's occupation of Tibet is a refreshing reminder that no amount of "feel good" advertising and "brand" associations can whitewash the reality - that the Chinese government suppresses human rights in Tibet.

China is not the first government that has attempted to use the Olympic Games to gain credibility from a global audience. In 1936, the Olympic Games were held in Nazi Germany, and the Nazis had the same goal - to extract credibility from the world community. For Coca-Cola, however, the Olympic Games and the Torch Relay provide a tremendous marketing opportunity, associating its brand with the feel good games that has arguably the largest audience in the world. Coca-Cola has reportedly invested more that US$100 million into the Games. The promise of financial returns from the sponsorship are too great for any human rights or environmental concerns to put a damper on their plans.

Actual Coca-Cola Advertisement with Monks

While China hopes to benefit politically by hosting the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola aspires to profit financially from the Olympic Games. Coca-Cola, it seems, will sponsor just about anything, as long as it sees potential profits.

The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were used by the Nazis to paint a picture of Germany as a peaceful and tolerant Germany, even though the persecution of Jews, Romas and others deemed undesirable by the state in Germany had already started. The first permanent Nazi concentration camp had opened in Dachau in 1933 - three years prior to the Olympics - and Jews were not allowed to participate in the Games. Coca-Cola was a primary sponsor of the 1936 Games. And the first modern day Olympic Torch Relay was initiated in Berlin in 1936, and Coca-Cola was its sponsor at that time too.

While the magnitude of horror inflicted by Nazi Germany is unsurpassed and we hesitate to make comparisons with China's oppression in Tibet, one must raise serious concerns about corporate sponsorships that do not take human rights concerns into account, as was and is the case with the Coca-Cola company.

In fact, Coca-Cola's involvement in Nazi Germany went further. While the Coca-Cola company was supplying Coke to Allied soldiers on the war front, its German counterpart, Coca-Cola GmbH, was busy selling Coca-Cola to Germans. When Coca-Cola GmbH could no longer receive the syrup from the US after the US entered the war in 1941, it developed a drink using ingredients available in Nazi Germany called Fanta. It seems that Coca-Cola had hedged its bets. If the Allies won, Coca-Cola would rule the world and if the Nazis won, Fanta would.

Olympic Torch Run Arrives in Berlin, 1936

To be fair, Coca-Cola was not the only company to hedge its bets during World War II. But the extent to which companies will go to ensure future markets and profits, however unethical, is disturbing. And Coca-Cola's sponsorship of the Olympic Torch Run and the Beijing Games is just that - unethical and devoid of morality. It makes no difference whether Tibetans are murdered, tortured or intimidated by the Chinese government. Its mandate is to increase its sales in China, and it will do nothing to risk losing access to these emerging markets, particularly at a time when its sales in the US are declining as consumers become more health savvy.

The current protests around the Olympic Torch Relay are a perfect moment to scrutinize the role that corporations play in this day and age of globalization and send a clear message to the corporations that human rights must come before profits. On the one hand, there is increased talk of Corporate Social Responsibility - which is corporation's response to globalization - in which Coca-Cola figures prominently. Yet, when a pressing issue such as Tibet comes to the fore, Coca-Cola chooses to remain silent and endorse the Games for financial reasons, absurdly citing "openness" and "hope" to defend their involvement.

On March 20, 2008, over 150 Tibet support groups from around the world penned a letter to the Coca-Cola company labeling its sponsorship of the Games "tasteless" and asking it to ensure that the Olympic Torch does not go through Tibet.

If Coca-Cola is serious about being a good corporate citizen and even an average student of history, it must end its sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics to send a strong message that financial profits are secondary to human rights. Until then, we would encourage all torchbearers to cease being ambassadors for a company that is blind to everything except profits. And encourage consumers to think before they drink Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola's sponsorship, frankly speaking, is simply not Olympic in spirit.

Amit Srivastava is the Director of India Resource Center, an international campaigning organization based in San Francisco, USA.

India Resource Center works to support movements against corporate globalization in India, as part of a project of Global Resistance. Global Resistance works to strengthen the movement against corporate globalization by supporting and linking local, grassroots struggles against globalization around the world. Their goal is to ensure that those most impacted by globalization are engaged in and at the forefront of the movement against corporate globalization.

This is an old article but it's a good example of the kind of press IRC are producing. You can take action and read more here.