April fooled fourth

This morning I fell for April fools' pranks. Not once but four times.

First, I visited a colleague on the other side of our floor. He had the local Canberra Times newspaper, which usually prints a serious article on the front page. None could be found. He then mentioned reports about bats in the local area and mentioned seeing some in the tree that could be seen through the window. He insisted there was one just hanging in a branch. I looked and looked and could not see any. Five minutes later...

The second time was when a colleague mentioned that a staff member whom she supervised would be leaving on promotion to another area. My colleague is also going on annual leave in a few weeks so her team would be down from three to one. While I was trying to work out how to fill the 'vacancy' as quickly as possible...

Meanwhile, I had received an email from another colleague who knew about my regular consumption of weißwurst. She mentioned media reporting about "another round of Gammelfleischskandal in Germany" and that Das "Bild is calling it the Schwarzwurst Skandal". So I looked...

Finally, the big boss' executive officer came around to tell me that he wanted to talk to me about something urgent and important. So I grabbed a notebook and a pen while trying to figure out what it could be. Upon arrival at his office, I peered in only to find the prankster sitting in his chair.

I must have had 'gullible' printed on my forehead this morning.

Meanwhile, some of the better pranks today were from
- Lonely Planet on non-human translations of its guides
- The Guardian on their new approach to the monarchy and new live blog
- Google's new Gmail Motion
- Richard Branson buying Pluto
- The Independent reporting about Cristiano Ronaldo being traded by Portugal to Spain
- BBC's 3D radio
- The Sun reporting about gorillas being given iPads
- The Telegraph reporting about ferrets being trained to lay cables for broadband
- Artline's new tweeter pen
- IKEA's Hundstol (see video below)



There is always the possibility that any one of those mentioned above could be serious.

James Creedon from France24 in his international press segment for today seemed to enjoy it a bit more

Refuse, fuse to chair, confuse

From Bellaire, Ohio, WTRF 7 News on Monday reported that a 43-year old obese man who had not moved from a chair in two years had become fused to it. Officials discovered the man's condition after housemates sought assistance when he became unresponsive.



Within the Bellaire community, questions are now being asked how this could have happened.

WTRF 7 News is told by several sources that the man insisted on living his life in his chair, insisted that his girlfriend bring him food and soft drinks.

Someone should have sought help rather than allow another human being, despite their own choosing, to live in such a condition.

the Double Down down under

In April last year, I wrote about the launch of KFC's Double Down sandwich (without any bread) in the United States.

At the time, there were no plans to make it available outside of the United States.

From tomorrow (30 March), the Double Down will be available in Australia for four weeks only (but six weeks in Tasmania). According to KFC's media release, resulting in considerable media coverage, it is being marketed to "young men left unsatisfied by traditional burgers".

See
- The Age
- Herald Sun
- Courier Mail
- Crikey

It will be a hit in terms of sales. The male-bonding over 'Double Down' 'ManTime' might be a different story.

A trans-dimensional paradox loop

In this two-part clip for 2011 BBC Comic Relief (Red Nose Day), the TARDIS materalises inside itself. While a comedic piece, the trans-dimensional paradox loop is a fascinating concept.





See previously - an explanation of the chameleon circuit and an explanation of trans-dimensional engineering.

football - round 1

Fremantle  3.5  6.8  8.14  13.16 (94)
Brisbane Lions  4.5  8.6  10.7  14.8 (92)

GOALS
Fremantle: Mayne 2, Walters 2, Pitt, Mundy, Hill, Lower, Fyfe, Sandilands, Suban, Ballantyne, Bradley.
Brisbane Lions: Brown 3, Beams 2, Banfield 2, Rich 2, Polkinghorne, O’Brien, Bewick, Clark, Lester

BEST
Fremantle: Pavlich, Sandilands, Mundy, McPhee, Mayne, Fyfe
Brisbane Lions:  Black, Leuenberger, Rich, Rockliff, Merrett, Brown, Hanley

INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: Power (back, replaced in selected side by Beams), Brown (nose), Staker (ankle)

Umpires: Donlon, Stewart, Kamolins

There was some first class effort by first-gamers and younger players who managed a few goals. Unfortunately, despite leading for most of the game, Fremantle was able to overcome the tired legs of the Brisbane Lions' players in the last few minutes to snatch victory in a close game.

Pictures by Getty Images (Chris Hyde)

Simon Black with a handball under pressure

Mitch Clark with a handball before being tackled

Ryan Lester's first game

Matthew Leuenberger with some great ruck work

Jess O'Brien

Brent Staker with a chest mark

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd attended the game (picture from Brisbane Lions, flanked by club CEO Malcolm Holmes at Mr Rudd's right, and club Chairman Angus Johnson at his right).

Australian (rock) music for President Obama

During an official visit to the White House, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard gave President Barack Obama a gift of Australian (rock) music on an iPod on behalf of the Australian people. The full playlist (reported in The Australian by Ben Packham) by song (and originating album though not necessarily the original release) included

Paul Kelly
• To Her Door (Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits: Songs from the South, Vols 1 & 2)
• From Little Things Big Things Come (Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits: Songs from the South, Vols 1 & 2)

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
• Bapa (Gurrumul)
• Wirrpangu (Gurrumul)
• Djarimirri (Gurrumul)

Temper Trap
• Sweet Disposition (Conditions)
• Love Lost (Conditions)

Panics
• Don’t Fight It (Cruel Guards)

Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males
• Star of the Sea (Drowning in the Fountain of Youth)

Hilltop Hoods
• The Hard Road (The Hard Road)
• The Nosebleed Section (The Calling)

John Butler Trio
• Funky Tonight (Grand National)
• One Way Road (April Uprising)
• Used to Get High (Grand National)

Angus and Julia Stone
• Big Jet Plane (Down the Way)

The Herd
• I Was Only 19 (The Sun Never Sets)

Jimmy Barnes
• Red Hot (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• That’s Right (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• Hallelujah (I love her so) (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• That’s How It Is (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• Keep a Knocking (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• Reconsider Me (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• Shake Rattle & Roll (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• Rockin’ Pneumonia (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• A Fool In Love (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• You Can’t Judge a Book (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• I was Made to Love Her (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• Young Blood (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)
• My Baby Just Cares for Me (The Rhythm and the Blues Album)

Ian Moss
• Good Times (Soul on West 53rd)
• Standing in The Shadows of Love (Soul on West 53rd)

Dan Sultan
• Your Love is like a Song (Homemade Biscuits)

INXS
• Never Tear Us Apart (Platinum Greatest Hits)
• Need You Tonight (Platinum Greatest Hits)
• The Loved One (Platinum Greatest Hits)
• New Sensation (Platinum Greatest Hits)

Xavier Rudd
• Let Me Be (Solace)
• Better People (White Moth)

Midnight Oil
• King of the Mountain (Blue Sky Mining)
• Blue Sky Mine (Blue Sky Mining)
• Beds are Burning (Diesel and Dust)
• Short Memory (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)

Nick Cave (and the Bad Seeds)
• Into My Arms (The Best Of....)

Troy Cassar–Daley
• Bow River (Standing On the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel)

Kasey Chambers
• Pony (Wayward Angel)
• The Captain (The Captain)

Jessica Mauboy
• Burn (Been Waiting)
• Time After Time (Been Waiting)

Crowded House
• Now We’re Getting Somewhere (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• World Where You Live (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Weather With You (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Something So Strong (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• When You Come (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Four Seasons in One Day (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Distant Sun (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Sister Madly (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Better Be Home Soon (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Mean to Me (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• It’s Only Natural (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Fall At Your Feet (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)
• Don’t Dream It’s Over (The Very Very Best of Crowded House)

Kylie Minogue
• Confide in Me (Ultimate Kylie)
• Where the Wild Roses Grow (Ultimate Kylie)

Megan Washington
• How to Tame Lions (I Believe You Liar)
• Sunday Best (I Believe You Liar)

Bliss n Eso
• Bullet and a Target (Flying Colours)

Yothu Yindi
• Treaty (radio mix) (Tribal Voice)
• Djapana (sunset dreaming) (Tribal Voice)
• Dots on the Shells (One Blood)

Cat Empire
• Hello (The Cat Empire)
• Days Like These (The Cat Empire)

Hunters and Collectors
• Holy Grail (Cut)
• Throw Your Arms Around Me (Natural Selection)
• When the River Runs Dry (Natural Selection)
• Do You See What I See (Natural Selection)

Augie March
• One Crowded Hour (Moo You Bloody Choir)
• Janelle (Standing on the Outside)

Missy Higgins
• Scar (The Scar)
• The Special Two (The Special Two)
• Steer (On a Clear Day)

James Morrison
• Chameleon (Scream Machine)
• God Bless the Child duo with Deni Hines (The Other Woman)
• St Louis Blues (Quartet)
• St James Infirmary Blues (Tribute to Louis Armstrong)

Powderfinger
• These Days (Odyssey Number Five)
• Burn Your Name (Golden Rule)
• My Happiness (Odyssey Number Five)
• Baby I’ve Got You on My Mind (Vulture Street)
• Lost and Running (Lost and Running-Single)

Bernard Fanning
• Wish You Well (Tea & Sympathy)
• Songbird (Tea & Sympathy)
• Watch Over Me (Tea & Sympathy)
• Thrill Is Gone (Tea & Sympathy)
• Wash Me Clean (Tea & Sympathy)
• Which Way Home? (Tea & Sympathy)
• Hope and Validation (Tea & Sympathy)
• Down to the River (Tea & Sympathy)
• Yesterday’s Gone (Tea & Sympathy)
• Not Finished Just Yet (Tea & Sympathy)
• The Strangest Thing (Tea & Sympathy)
• Sleeping Rough (Tea & Sympathy)
• Further Down the River (Tea & Sympathy)
• Believe (Tea & Sympathy)

Clare Bowditch
• Message to My Girl (She Will Have Her Way: The Songs of Tim and Neil Finn)
• Modern Day Addiction (Modern Day Addiction)

Guy Sebastian
• Like It Like That (Like it Like That)
• In the Midnight Hour (The Memphis Album)
• (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (The Memphis Album)

Living End
• All Torn Down (The Living End)
• White Noise (White Noise)

Silver Chair
• Straight Lines (Young Modern)
• Tomorrow (Frogstomp)
• Ana’s Song, Open Fire (Neon Ballroom)

Wolfmother
• Joker and the Thief (Wolfmother)
• Woman (Wolfmother)

Tame Impala
• Solitude is Bliss (InnerSpeaker)

Eddy Current Suppression Ring
• Which Way to Go (Primary Colours)

Tina Arena
• Chains (Don’t Ask)
• To Sir With Love (Songs of Love and Loss)

Savage Garden
• To the Moon & Back (Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden)
• Affirmation (Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden)

Lior
• This Old Love (Autumn Flow)
• Tumbling into the Dawn (Tumbling into the Dawn)

Christine Anu
• Island Home (Stylin’ Up)
• Sunshine On a Rainy Day (Come My Way)
• No Woman No Cry (Liberation Blue Acoustic Series)

GANGgajang
• Sounds of Them (GANGgajang)

The Go-Betweens
• Streets of Your Town (16 Lovers Lane)

Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter
• Little by Little (Ruby)
• Coolman Baby (Ruby)
• Nagarrindjeri Woman (Ruby)

Archie Roach
• John Pat (Journey)
• Too Many Bridges (Journey)
• Liyarn Ngarn (Journey)

The Waifs
• London Still (Up All Night)
• Lighthouse (Up All Night)
• Bridal Train (A Brief History)

Renée Geyer
• Heading in the Right Direction (The Ultimate Collection)
• Stares and Whispers (The Ultimate Collection)
• It’s a Man’s Man’s World (The Ultimate Collection)

Saltwater Band
• Compass (Malk)
• Djarridjarri-Blue Flag (Djarridjarri)
• Arafura Sea (Gapu Damurrun’)

The collection certainly reflects the Prime Minister Gillard's taste. No doubt, she was ably assisted by the Australian music industry in compiling the collection.

However, it is disappointing that she has omitted excellent groups such as The Church, Matt Finish, Dragon, The Saints, Australian Crawl, Mondo Rock, AC/DC etc. Oddly, she has included Jimmy Barnes but not his earlier band, Cold Chisel. Indeed, the golden age of Australian rock and pop music was in the late 1970s and most of the 1980s.

Sarkozy unsure whether France is secular or not

James Creedon from France24 (1:45 minutes into the video of Friday's press review) gives a neat summary of French President Nicholas Sarkozy's landmark speech at Puy-en-Velay on Thursday, 3 March 2011.



In his speech, Sarkozy spoke about France's Christian heritage

C'est ainsi qu'entre 2009 et 2010, 47 des 86 cathédrales appartenant à l'État ont bénéficié d'une opération de restauration. Dès cette année d'autres chantiers majeurs seront ouverts, comme celui de l'abbaye de Clairvaux, autre lieu exceptionnel et témoignage vivant de l'apport de la Chrétienté à notre civilisation. En disant cela je ne fais simplement que rappeler une évidence : l'apport de la chrétienté à notre civilisation. Dans un tout autre genre le familistère de Guise, rare exemple de ces utopies sociales qui ont passionné le XIXe siècle va faire l'objet d'importants travaux.

Here, he talked about state funding of the restoration of cathedrals and the contribution of Christianity to (French or western) civilisation.

In all his insistence that France is secular, particularly in relation to a perceived Muslim/Islam issue, it is an unusual step and an attempt to appeal to Christian voters.

The question remains, either France is a secular state or it is not.

See
- full speech (in French)
- editorial in Le Parisien (newspaper in French)

Blade Runner stars for A*Men

Back in September 2008, I wrote about paralympian Oscar Pistorius as an athlete to watch at the Beijing Paralympic Games. As it turned out, he won gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres (T44) sprints.

Pistorius has recently been chosen as the new face Thierry Mugler's fragrance for men A*Men. It is an inspiring choice.

The 30-second commercial clip was directed by Ali Mahdavi


A behind the scenes look has also been produced


Pistorius the Blade Runner is indeed a star.

Vegemite lite.

I've previously written about Vegemite and Marmite, that wonderful yeast spread that has been a mainstay of generations of children (and adults) in Australia and Britain.

In mid-2009, Kraft launched a milder version of Vegemite, blended with cheese (subsequently named Vegemite Cheesybite) in an attempt to lure new consumers.

Kraft has just launched 'myfirst Vegemite' without much fanfare aimed at younger children, of a watered-down version, to wean them slowly to full-strength Vegemite. Salt content has been reduced by 50 per cent in the new product with more iron and B vitamins.

The new product is sold in a smaller jar (150g) for $3.99 so is certainly more expensive.

Traditional Vegemite sustained generations of Australian children with little adverse affect (everything in moderation), so another variation in product appears to be yet again another marketing exercise.

Vegemite is an acquired taste. Not all adults (as parents) eat it but they should really provide it as an option for their own children.

See reports in Sydney Morning Herald (two).

Sporthocker

Sporthocker (Hockern in Germany) is a relatively new sport that originated in Germany in 2001 where a stool is used to perform tricks used in skating, juggling, acrobatics, dancing and even parkour. The completion of tricks is signified by sitting on the stool.

The sport really took off in late 2007 when a specially designed stool was created by brothers Michael and Stephan Landschütz from SALZIGdesign (priced from €100). Popular contests called Hocktoberfest have been held since 2007.

The Landschütz brothers talk about the sport (as finalists for 2011 ispo BrandNew awards)


From Hocktoberfest 2010, a finals performance


SALZIG Sporthocker Events' Hock Hart 16-18 April 2010
Ein sonniges Wochenende von Hockerern für Hockerer


News report from MDR Fernsehen on 19 August 2010 in which some Hockerer und Hockerin talk about and demonstrate some skills


Skateboards are so yesterday.

Berlin has lately become a centre for new sporting trends. Chess Boxing also originated in Berlin.

It's a pity that the only Australian media reporting of the sport was so disparaging.

Ewe are smarter than ewe think

The Public Library of Science's international, peer-reviewed, open-access, online publication PLoS ONE has reported that sheep are actually far more intelligent than their reputation holds. Abstract

A. Jennifer Morton, Laura Avanzo
Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Two new large animal models of Huntington's disease (HD) have been developed recently, an old world monkey (macaque) and a sheep. Macaques, with their large brains and complex repertoire of behaviors are the ‘gold-standard’ laboratory animals for testing cognitive function, but there are many practical and ethical issues that must be resolved before HD macaques can be used for pre-clinical research. By contrast, despite their comparable brain size, sheep do not enjoy a reputation for intelligence, and are not used for pre-clinical cognitive testing. Given that cognitive decline is a major therapeutic target in HD, the feasibility of testing cognitive function in sheep must be explored if they are to be considered seriously as models of HD. Here we tested the ability of sheep to perform tests of executive function (discrimination learning, reversal learning and attentional set-shifting). Significantly, we found that not only could sheep perform discrimination learning and reversals, but they could also perform the intradimensional (ID) and extradimensional (ED) set-shifting tasks that are sensitive tests of cognitive dysfunction in humans. Their performance on the ID/ED shifts mirrored that seen in humans and macaques, with significantly more errors to reach criterion in the ED than the ID shift. Thus, sheep can perform ‘executive’ cognitive tasks that are an important part of the primate behavioral repertoire, but which have never been shown previously to exist in any other large animal. Sheep have great potential, not only for use as a large animal model of HD, but also for studying cognitive function and the evolution of complex behaviours in normal animals.

Citation: Morton AJ, Avanzo L (2011) Executive Decision-Making in the Domestic Sheep. PLoS One 6(1): e15752. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015752

Editor: Georges Chapouthier, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France

Received: October 13, 2010; Accepted: November 21, 2010; Published: January 31, 2011

So due to ethical issues with testing on macaques, it was acceptable to test on sheep and the studies inadvertently revealed that sheep have a higher brain function than first thought.

Perhaps it would worth undertaking comparative studies with pigs and dogs. Despite claims of pigs being more intelligent than dogs, they are still bred for food. Raising the status of sheep is unlikely to save their chops.

See also New Scientist.

International press review

James Creedon from France24 also reviews the international (non-French) media. The one for 8 February 2011 is quite entertaining.



Our linguistically talented James is back to wearing glasses.

Egypt and Tunisia: Being caught unaware

The most startling revelation about the unrest in Egypt and the Tunisian revolution were the admissions by the governments of the United States and France that they were caught unaware. Understandably, resources tend to be prioritised based on strategic importance. A country like Tunisia, comprising a comparatively small population of 10.5 million, with a stable though dictatorial government and secular society with a proven record of controlling what it considered an Islamist threat would appear to be of lower importance.

The US State Department were certainly aware of the events unfolding in Tunisia, but may have underestimated how it would turn out, such as President Ben Ali's sudden and unexpected flee out of the country. Perhaps embassy staff, whose main interlocutors tend to be host government officials, were too comfortable with a long-term understanding of the intentions of the Ben Ali government, instead of listening to public mood. They would have found the blog by The Guardian's Brian Whittaker interesting reading. His columns in The Guardian are also worth a read.

More surprising is France's admission, given there was so much reporting and analysis by the French media including access to much content on Twitter by participants (labelled with hashtag #sidibouzid) written in French. Literacy levels are high in Tunisia and many speak French in addition to, and often in preference, to Arabic.

Even during the events of Tunisia, there were already low-scale levels of unrest in a number of countries in north Africa (Maghreb) and the Middle East over similar concerns. It should not have been a surprise that Egypt would be next in terms of the scale of protest activity. Egypt already had a 'martyr' to the cause since 13 June 2010, which has provided a focus for mobilisation, particularly through the internet. The protest planned for 25 January 2011 was known in advance but it was the strength of the larger protest on Friday a few days later that seemed to take many by surprise.

Analysis by some tried to compare Egypt with Tunisia. The BBC even went so far as deeming the "contagion spreading to Egypt" unlikely due to lower literacy and lower internet penetration. Of course, early analysis of what took place in Tunisia over-emphasised the role of the internet and social media, in particular Twitter and facebook. Out of a total population of about 80 million, 17 million internet users might be be considered low penetration. However, this analysis did not consider the possibility that many of the internet users themselves may reside in greater Cairo with an estimated population of nearly 10 million people. It only takes a few million well connected people, along with word of mouth to mobilise.

Amidst skepticism and misreading of the situation, Professor Amin Saikal, Director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic studies at the Australian National University, had suggested Egypt as being the next most vulnerable following Tunisia as early as 17 January 2011 while I had picked it a day earlier.

Lastly, public mood was largely misread. Egyptians, like others around the world except those in China and other countries practicing censorship, had also witnessed what happened in Tunisia. It became a driving force for political action.

This post was also published in Crikey on 7 February 2011.

Dalek Week

It's Dalek Week at the BBC.

Viewers voted for their favourite Dalek scenes. This one is from Victory of the Daleks


How Daleks came to exist was explained in the 1975 episodes of Genesis of the Daleks. This is a clip of Sarah Jane Smith seeing Davros, the Dalek's creator, for the first time.


See more - BBC Doctor Who Celebrating the Daleks

A law against flatulence

The Malawi Democrat has reported that the Parliament of Malawi will table a bill to criminalize farting. However, Solicitor General Anthony Kamanga earlier claimed there was no such law intended. As reported

“The Local Court Bill confers jurisdiction on local courts, inter alia, to try offences under Section 198 of the Penal Code which reads: Fouling Air: Any person who vitiates the atmosphere in any place so as to make it noxious to the public to the health of persons in general dwelling or carrying on business in the neighbourhood or passing along a public way shall be guilty of a misdemeanor,” Kamanga, who is also Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, said.

“How any reasonable or sensible person can construe the provision to criminalising farting in public is beyond me, and to claim, as some people have, that the bill is (an) introduction (of) an offence on farting is not true,” he said.

The Malawi Democrat cites Justice Minister George Chaponda's interview on Capital Radio where he indicated that an anti-farting provision would ensure decency.

Something stinks in all this.

French press review

I haven't written in this blog lately, instead spending a lot of time monitoring global media and Twitter to check out developments in Egypt. I have also been tweeting a lot on the topic.

Staying with the France24 theme, they have a brilliant review of the French and international media, presented by James Creedon.

This is the latest, for 3 February 2011.

Behind the scenes of a news broadcaster

France24 is one of my major sources of news (online print and online live streaming), in addition to several Australian news services, BBC News and CNN on subscription television.

It was therefore interesting to watch a behind the scenes view of the workings of France24 shown by Francois Picard.



News anchor Jessica Lemasurier also shared one of her secrets.

Upright locomotion by Western Lowland gorilla

From Aspinall Foundation's Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent (South East of England), a male silverback Western Lowland gorilla named Ambam was shown walking upright as filmed by Johanna Watson. See 'Gorilla Walks Like A Man' (Aspinall Foundation)





According to keeper Phil Ridges

Ambam's father Bitam used to display the same behaviour if he had handfuls of food to carry. Ambam also has a full sister, Tamba, and a half sister at Howletts, who also sometimes stand and walk in the same way. All gorillas can do it to some extent but we haven't got any who do it like Ambam and he is quite a celebrity at the park.

We think he might use it to get a height advantage to look over the wall when keepers come to feed him and standing up can also help him in looking for food generally in his enclosure as it gives him a better vantage point. Ambam can also carry a lot more food if he stands and uses both hands and walking on two feet also means he doesn't get his hands wet when it is raining!

Channel 4 News has reported that Ambam has become an internet celebrity.

Gorillas have short legs.

The Story of Eames Furniture

I've previously written about the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman and its launch in 1956.

German publisher Gestalten released a book in September 2010 about the designers, The Story of Eames Furniture. Publisher details

Release Date: September 2010
ISBN: 978-3-89955-230-0
Authors: Marilyn Neuhart with John Neuhart
Language: English
Features: 800 Pages, full cover, hardcover, 2 volumes in slipcase
Format: 25.5 x 29.2 cm
Catalog Price: €150,00 | US$199,00 | £140,00

In this unique 2-volume, 800-page book with more than 2,500 images, Marilyn Neuhart tells the story — to paraphrase Charles Eames himself — of how Eames furniture got to be the way it is.

The Story of Eames Furniture was written and designed by Marilyn Neuhart together with her husband John. Both have worked at the Eames Office in various capacities since the 1950s. They have looked after the house of Charles and Ray Eames since the designers’ deaths and have supervised the Eames Archive. More familiar with the material and protagonists than almost any other, Marilyn Neuhart has spent the last 15 years compiling the stories, images, and recollections featured in this book.

In this video from Gestalten, the Neuharts talk about the Eames and the book.


The Story of Eames Furniture: Marilyn Neuhart with John Neuhart - Interview from Gestalten on Vimeo.

The book is wonderful tribute to two of the greatest designers of the twentieth century. On my wishlist.

See also Brain Pickings and The Casual Optimist.

Rehabilitating former fighting dogs

From PBS Need To Know program, a story (inspired by Jim Gorant’s book The Lost Dogs) about what happens after fighting dogs are rescued. There is a backstory relating to an NFL football player who was imprisoned for involvement in dogfighting.

The most interesting part of this story is what happened to the former fighting dogs.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Read more.

For more information on dogfighting in the U.S., and what’s being done to combat it, check out these organizations:

Bay Area Dog lovers responsible about pit bulls
ASPCA: Ten ways to help end dogfighting
Best Friends
Humane Society: Dogfighting
Pit Bull Rescue Central

Thankfully, there is no (known) dogfighting culture in Australia, although this recent report from Townsville is worrying.

headline of the month

The last entry in my headline of the month was over three months ago. My first for the year. From France24

The weakest Linke: German far left party mired in controversy

A very clever way of combining puns in English and German. Linke is the German word for left (both directionally and politically, just as in English). From a French news outlet no less. Très bien.

Winnie the Pooh, as told by a young girl

in French and totally adorable.



via Huffington Post

Queensland floods - rain we no longer want

Most of Australia was gripped by drought for many years and the rains that broke the drought last year were hailed and welcomed. Unfortunately and more recently, rain continued and became a destructive force.

I've previously written (twice) about the Victoria bushfires of early 2009, the Haiti earthquake of early 2010 and the Pakistan floods of mid 2010.

The Queensland floods this week are a little closer to home. Unlike the rural small towns and villages that were affected by the 2009 bushfires, Brisbane is a large metropolis with a population of around 2 million people. Over the last 20 years, Brisbane and the Queensland south eastern corridor have experienced high population growth, primarily due to internal migration. Most Australians, therefore, would know of someone living in Brisbane.

I was born in Brisbane but now live and work elsewhere. My first home as a baby was located in a suburb, which is now mostly underwater. Two brothers live in the southside of Brisbane, that was thankfully largely unaffected. I also have numerous friends in Brisbane, many of whom moved there and many locals that I have befriended over the years.

I also visit Brisbane on a regular basis, supporting and attending home games of my football team the Brisbane Lions, while also catching up with family and friends. It is my home away from home.

The media reports over the last week have been difficult to watch and read.

This clip from the Courier Mail shows the effect of the flood.


The most heartbreaking story has been about 13-year-old Jordan Rice, who told a rescuer to save his 10-year-old brother instead, before being swept away with his mother. Brave, heroic, selfless and tragic. We weep for him and his sacrifice.

The most poignant words were spoken today by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh at one of her regular two-hourly press briefings

As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are.


We are Queenslanders. We are the people they breed tough north of the border. We're the ones that they knock down, and we get up again.

Here is the clip, which is worth watching.


The premier has been a pillar of strength, leading and reassuring her people at what is one of the worst times in the state's history. We salute her.

You can help by donating to Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal (provision is made for international donations).

Round-the-clock reporting is being provided by ABC News 24, which is (geo)unblocked and may be viewed online.

Gibberish

Prisencolinensinainciusol was a song composed by Adriano Celentano, a prolific singer and songwriter, and released in 1972.



The song has enjoyed a resurgence following a mention by Boing Boing in 2009 as an illustration of how English sounds to non-English speakers.

While that wasn't the intention of Celentano, it is certainly Gibberish and was not meant to mean anything.

Vivian Maier - unseen photographer

Broadcast by PBS affiliate WTTW on Chicago Tonight (22 December 2010), this story about Vivian Maier has left many historians and photographers gasping. Vivian Maier was a prolific photographer in Chicago, whose work is only now coming to light, following her death in 2009. There are more than 100,000 photographs by Maier still to be seen.



The majority of the collection is now owned by John Maloof, with around 12,000 held by Jeff Goldstein.

John Maloof, Anthony Rydzon and Lars Mortensen are in the process of producing a full-length documentary film, Finding Vivian Maier. You can back the project through Kickstarter.


A book will also be published by powerHouse Books.

See also
- article in Chicago magazine
- John Maloof's website/blog vivianmaier.com
- Jeff Goldstein's website Vivian Maier Photography
- YouTube channel vivianmaierphoto (Maier also took some video films)

SOAP - The Show

Hot out of Berlin and following its success at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival comes Circle of Eleven's SOAP - The Show comes to the Sydney Opera House (click for ticketing information). Created in 2007 by Markus Pabst and Maximilian Rambaek, a bathroom is turned into a stage, where seven bathtubs allow performers to show their extraordinary gymnastic and acrobatic skills amidst the tubs and other paraphernalia.

The show runs from 4 to 23 January 2010 at the Sydney Opera House, followed by a tour to Blackpool/UK before returning to Berlin, then a tour to Amsterdam.

Below is a preview


An in-depth preview of Eike von Stuckenbrok's performance


More of Eike von Stuckenbrok in detail


The work may seem familiar, as Markus Pabst had created a similar piece for La Clique with bathtub acrobat David O'Mer, which has been a part of the Sydney Festival in 2006 and 2009.

Australian Didj Wentworth will perform on the straps as shown below (Michael Lanphear)


It looks stunning and breathtaking.

wasting food 4

I've previously written about wasting food. On Boxing Day (26 December 2010), Jennifer Rajca writing in the Sydney Morning Herald reported that annually "[a]cross Australia, about 4.45 million tonnes of food, worth $7.8 billion, is discarded."   According to Jon Dee, founder of Do Something! "each household throws away $1036 worth of food, or 585 kilograms, each year."

That is a staggering amount. There needs to be a more careful study that audits food by type such as fresh (including vegetable, meat and dairy), processed foods (including condiments and their expiry dates) and frozen foods. While I very rarely discard fresh food as they are usually consumed before they get to spoil, processed condiments such as mayonnaise with expiry dates that require refrigeration often expire with significant content in the bottle. Hence packaging sizes may be a factor on such items.

Relatedly, last month, Sophie Morris in the London Evening Standard reported about a wonderful concept called "The People's Kitchen". Extrait

Sundays start slowly in Dalston. The local hipsters have been up late. If not partying, they've been customising their latest vintage clothing finds, writing short films to release as virals or debating radical politics.

So it's gone 4pm when a crowd begins to gather around chopping boards and crates of onions and potatoes at Passing Clouds on Richmond Road, a newish venue that wants to offer all things to all-comers, be that a funk night, drum workshop, gin-soaked ragtime and swing afternoon, golden oldie film screening or, in this case, a tasty home-cooked Sunday feast.

The venue describes itself as a “collective of artists and musicians” but now a band of foodies are staging a weekly takeover dubbed “the People's Kitchen”. You can eat a leek and courgette tortilla, oozing runny eggs and fresh greens, curled up in one of the worn velvet and leather armchairs in front of a film, or grab a spot at the bar with a bowl of spicy aubergine pasta. Latecomers pile up plates of bread and cheese before settling in for the evening's jam session, a weekly event performed by some of Passing Clouds' regulars.

The food is all waste collected from Spitalfields Market and local businesses that would otherwise have been thrown away, and some of the people who have turned up to help out have experience in professional kitchens, so the food and environmental boxes are ticked. But, best of all, this Sunday lunch is completely free.

Read more. It is a fascinating read. Wasting food is just simply sinful.

Новый Год the meme

Новый Год (Novy God) means New Year in Russian. It was also the name of a song that was a huge hit for Russian boy band Стекловата (Steklovata) a few years ago.



Despite the catchy tune, the cheap effect of the video clip, has spawned a meme devoted to parodying the clip. Here are a selection

Attempted subtitling based on English phonetic interpretation (there is also a Swedish version)


Swedish miming 'tribute'


Brazilian trash version


Polish mime (one of the earliest ones)


More recently, from Allan Hyde via Twitter (actor in True Blood) of Gourmetfilm's tribute



There are many more on YouTube. World News website has aggregated a few.

Happy New Year!

Cruelty doesn't fly - PeTA advert banned

AFP via France24 has reported that a PeTA advertisement featuring Pamela Anderson, along with some nudity (bare bottoms) has been deemed inappropriate for showing at Hong Kong International Airport. Excerpts

An animal rights commercial starring former Playboy centrefold Pamela Anderson, which is banned at some US airports, has been deemed too racy for Hong Kong, one of Asia's busiest aviation hubs.

The advertisement, titled "Cruelty Doesn't Fly", features the scantily-clad former "Baywatch" star as an airport security guard who strips passengers of leather, fur and other skins.

and

The ad -- which also features comedian Steve-O, a star of the 'Jackass' movie series, and German punk icon Nina Hagen -- is already banned at airports in New York City and Boston, PETA said.

The animal rights group said it still hoping to run the ad in other Asia-Pacific airports, including Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney.

See also PeTA media release of 24 November 2010 following Boston (Logan) Airport's ban.

Whether you agree or not with PeTA's methods or messages, they do know how to gain attention.

Over-indulgent much?

Here is the content of a Christmas meal.

2 x 25lb oven roasted turkeys

2 x 15lb maple-glazed hams

10lbs of roast potatoes

5lbs of mashed potatoes

5lbs of steamed broccoli

5lbs of chopped carrots

5lbs of sweet corn

5lbs of roasted butternut squash

5 loaves of house-baked bread

4 pints of cranberry relish

4 pints of house-made gravy

5lbs of herbed stuffing

1 tray of mixed green salad with dressing

It could easily feed 15 people or more. In this case, it fed one person. Donna Simpson. See reporting in UK Sunday Mirror (26 December 2010). Excerpt

Donna, from New Jersey, USA, claims to be frustrated that she can't eat even MORE as she aims to almost double her weight to 1,000lbs (71 stone) in a bid to smash her current Guinness World Record. She has already gone down in history as the largest woman ever to give birth.

Jacqueline was born when Donna weighed 38 stone in a dangerous delivery that required THIRTY doctors.

She spends up to £500 a week on food and gets through 12,000 calories a day - the healthy recommendation for women is just 2,000. Donna is proud that her blood pressure is "normal" but her doctor has warned that she will die if she continues her quest and she has dangerously high cholesterol levels.

She cannot walk more than 30ft at a time or stand for more than five minutes. She wheezed and appeared out of breath all through our interview.

She should get out more. Oh wait. She can't. Perhaps that is the problem.

Technology fruit

Ronnie Corbet was half of The Two Ronnies (one of the best comedy skit shows out of Britain) and features in this brilliant skit about fruit, or was it technology?

Esperanza. Mother of the Year.

Uploaded to YouTube by Edmonton Humane Society (Alberta, Canada) on 9 December 2010 - this is a lovely and inspiring story of a wonderful canine.



The story was picked up by Sylvia Strojek for The Canadian Press on 19 December 2010 and syndicated to a number of Canadian media outlets including Winnepeg Free Press. Excerpt

EDMONTON - She was a young, homeless single mom trying to raise a family of five, but true to the spirit of the season there was room for one more.

Esperanza had been badly injured when she was hit by a car, but the young shepherd-cross with the thick white coat was still managing to care for her newborn puppies — and a kitten — when she was found on a central Alberta reserve.

Criss Gerwing, who runs a small animal rescue group, discovered the dog earlier this month and couldn't believe it when the canine led her to her blended brood.

"I cried because she was in such bad condition with her leg, but she was obviously nursing her puppies and this kitten," Gerwing told a media outlet.

Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where veterinarians thought they'd have to amputate the mother dog's bad leg.

But local vet, Dr. Milton Ness, volunteered to do a special surgery that saved Esperanza's hind quarter.

He calls her a "special soul." Shawna Randolph at the humane society couldn't agree more.

"She is such a sweet, sweet dog. She has such a wonderful personality," Randoph said.

Read more.

It's a mystery why anybody would have dumped Esperanza in the first place. Such a sweet natured canine.

4'33'' remake from classical to pop

American composer John Cage (1912-1992), composed 4'33'' in 1952 for any instrument, or combination of instruments.

The first orchestral performance of the work was by the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 16 January 2004 at the Barbican Centre.



This year, there is a pop cover of 4'33'' by Cage Against the Machine, for this year's charity single in the UK.



I can't wait for the techno version.

... we're not in Kansas anymore.

A classic line from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz spoken by Dorothy to her dog Toto, was "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" followed by "we must be over the rainbow" [scene].

The phrase is often 'quoted' to express being far from home or the unfamiliar.

Rich Juzwiak, for his blog fourfour has patiently compiled the phrase as used in numerous films (click on link for list of films).



Are we ever in Kansas?

Wutbürger

Press release from Die Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS)/the Society for German Language, on the word of the year

Am 16. Dezember 2010 hat die Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache bereits zum 35. Mal die Wörter des Jahres gekürt und damit wieder einmal aufgezeigt, in welcher Weise diesjährige charakteristische Themen aus Politik, Wirtschaft und anderen Bereichen des gesellschaftlichen Alltags sprachlich markiert worden sind.

Ausgewertet wurde eine Sammlung von etwa 2000 Wörtern und Wendungen, hauptsächlich Belege aus verschiedenen Medien, aber auch Vorschläge von Außenstehenden. Hieraus wählte die Jury, die sich aus dem Hauptvorstand der Gesellschaft sowie den wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern zusammensetzt, zehn Wörter, die die öffentliche Diskussion wesentlich bestimmt und dieses Jahr besonders geprägt haben.

Für die Auswahl der Wörter des Jahres entscheidend ist aber nicht die Häufigkeit eines Ausdrucks, sondern vielmehr seine Signifikanz und Popularität: Die Liste trifft den sprachlichen Nerv des sich dem Ende neigenden Jahres und stellt auf ihre Weise einen sprachlichen Jahresrückblick dar. Als ein solches Zeitzeugnis sind die ausgewählten Wörter dabei mit keinerlei Wertung oder Empfehlung verbunden.

Wie in den vergangenen Jahren ist zu erwarten, dass auch die diesjährigen Wörter des Jahres im In- und Ausland mit großem Interesse wahrgenommen werden:

Als Wort des Jahres wurde Wutbürger gewählt. Diese Neubildung wurde von zahlreichen Zeitungen und Fernsehsendern verwendet, um einer Empörung in der Bevölkerung darüber Ausdruck zu geben, dass politische Entscheidungen über ihren Kopf hinweg getroffen werden Das Wort dokumentiert ein großes Bedürfnis der Bürgerinnen und Bürger, über ihre Wahlentscheidung hinaus ein Mitspracherecht bei gesellschaftlich und politisch relevanten Projekten zu haben.

Read more, for the other nine words in the top ten list.

Wutbürger describes people protesting or rebelling as a means of expressing their frustration at not being involved in political decision-making processes. There is not an English-language equivalent single word, though Wutbürger can be literally translated as angry citizens, but it means more than that, as so-described above.

See also Duden for a more official definition.

Definitely an apt description of the Zeitgeist of 2010.

A whiter shade of pale

From 1967. Procol Harum's debut song. It went to number one in many parts of the world and remains a classic today.



According to a BBC report, it is one of the most played songs in the UK in public spaces.

What a great opening to a song with

We skipped the light fandango
turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
but the crowd called out for more

Rest of lyrics

Supermassive black holes

Some lessons about supermassive black holes from the BBC. The immense gravity of a supermassive black hole is so destructive, that it distorts space-time to breaking point.

Helping others when we earn more than we need

BBC News has reported about Dr Toby Ord, who has given away more than a third of his income to charity

Toby Ord is a university researcher earning not much more than the average salary. So why is he giving away £1m over his lifetime to help address global poverty? When Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg pledged to give away most of his wealth during his lifetime, some British commentators bemoaned the lack of philanthropy on this side of the Atlantic.

But an academic at Oxford University is living off little more than £300 a month in an act of charity-giving that is arguably more impressive than those of Zuckerberg, Gates, Buffett and co.

Toby Ord, 31, has in the past year given more than a third of his earnings, £10,000, to charities working in the poorest countries. He also gave away £15,000 of savings, as the start of his pledge to give away £1m over his lifetime.

And he's started a campaign to recruit, Bill Gates-style, other people to give up at least 10% of their lifetime's earnings in the same way. A year on, 64 people have joined his movement Giving What We Can and pledged £14m.

Given his personal sacrifice, it's difficult not to feel rather intrigued about the kind of lifestyle he can maintain while so much of his earnings is going elsewhere.

Read more. Dr Ord still manages a comfortable lifestyle while helping others.

Giving up luxuries to save lives is a great philosophy. Perhaps earning more money than is needed and acquiring wealth for the sake of it, are not what life is about.

The empty chair

Reported by PBS Newshour of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Award ceremony



In the speech by Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Oslo, 10 December 2010.

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2010 to Liu Xiaobo for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace. Such rights are a prerequisite for the "fraternity between nations" of which Alfred Nobel wrote in his will."

This was the first paragraph of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s announcement on the 8th of October of the award of this year’s Peace Prize.

We regret that the Laureate is not present here today. He is in isolation in a prison in north-east China. Nor can the Laureate’s wife Liu Xia or his closest relatives be here with us. No medal or diploma will therefore be presented here today.

This fact alone shows that the award was necessary and appropriate. We congratulate Liu Xiaobo on this year’s Peace Prize.

There have been a number of previous occasions when the Laureate has been prevented from attending. This has in fact been the case with several awards which have proved in the light of history to have been most significant and honourable. Even when the Laureate has come, he or she has several times been severely condemned by the authorities of his or her own country.

Read more

In an analysis for BBC News, John Simpson suggested that China should have thought through its reaction.

An alternative Chinese award, the Confucius Peace Prize, seemingly hurriedly created, has failed to win any credibility. See report by Steven Jiang of CNN.

"overcoming insurmountable odds"

An overused phrase is "overcome/overcoming insurmountable odds".

As 'insurmountable' means that, which, cannot be overcome, then clearly to overcome something insurmountable is impossible.

Worst than an oxymoron.

Random acts of culture

Last month I wrote about the best flash mobs. The unannounced and seemingly impromptu opera performances are amongst the best. In the United States, the Knight Foundation is funding 1000 Random Acts of Culture over the next three years to bring such performances into public places.

One of the best of the recent Random Acts of Culture occurred in Miami at Macy's, with 'Votre Toast/Toreador' from Carmen by Bizet, performed by Florida Grand Opera.

Random Act of Culture at Miami's Dadeland Mall from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

The baritone is Jonathan Michie who has a stunning voice.

Selling like hotcakes

I've often been confused by the phrase "selling like hotcakes", meaning selling quickly and in large numbers. I have never ever seen hotcakes, or just-cooked pancakes, sold in this manner. The Word Detective did provide a plausible explanation

The term “hotcake” is an American invention, dating back to the late 17th century (”pancake,” meaning the same food, is older, first appearing in England around 1400). To “sell like hotcakes” has meant “to be in great demand” since about 1839, and there doesn’t seem to have been any particular “hotcake fad” leading to the origin of the phrase. But hotcakes have always been popular at fairs and church socials, etc., often selling as fast as they can be cooked, so they make a good metaphor for a very popular product that sells quickly and in great numbers.

It seems rather strange to serve hotcakes (pancakes) at fairs and the like.  Perhaps the phrase should be revised or replaced with "flying off the shelves".

Beyond reasonable doubt 4: making the invisible visible

I've previously written about the death penalty. From Amnesty International

Troy Davis has been on death row in Georgia, USA for 19 years. He has already faced execution three times. Amnesty is now deeply concerned that a recent decision by a federal district court puts him back on track for execution, despite unresolved doubts about his guilt.

No physical evidence links Troy to the crime and seven out of nine witnesses on whose evidence he was convicted have since changed their testimony. In June, Troy was given an unprecedented opportunity to present new evidence at a hearing ordered by the US Supreme Court. However, the judge ruled that Troy did not meet the extraordinarily high standard for proving his innocence.

“This decision puts Troy at risk of execution and like all death penalty cases, any doubt will become meaningless once his life has been taken.” Amnesty International UK Director, Kate Allen

This is an innovative way of bringing the case to the public's attention

German street art collective Mentalgassi have teamed up with Amnesty International to highlight his case by creating unique lenticular fence posters across London.

Troy Davis: Making the invisible visible from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

Music track is 'Heart Monitor' by Worried About Satan.

The posters can be seen at
4-7 Great Pulteney Street (W1)
21 Great Pulteney Street (W1)
5 Berners Street (W1)
and there may be others up.

Being welcomed home at the airport

Airports are horrid places. Despite modern designs and a variety of retail outlets, they are in reality, inconvenient, sterile and often unwelcoming places. Often, we travel to and from airports alone, and even though there are many people also travelling, they are lonely places.

At the end of a trip away and returning home, there is nothing better than being greeted by a familiar face at the airport. However, many travellers also face the additional journey home alone, waiting for trains, buses or taxis.

In the absence of a familiar face, hopefully to take us home, it would be a joy to be greeted by song. Like this, at Heathrow Airport (London), Terminal 5.



Unfortunately, it was an advertisement for T-Mobile. Still, what a great idea for a flash mob.