Thursday, July 30, 2009
Boo!
Another video from the geniuses behind SomeGreyBloke. And even though he doesn't actually talk in the video, the expressions speak volumes. I have seen way too many conspiracy wingnuts on YouTube. They've done an excellent job satirising the type.
(And I feel I should point out the satire just in case anyone thinks I support anti-Masonic sentiments. Since I do actually work for an organisation that is funded by just such a fraternity, I wouldn't want anyone to misunderstand. Yes, sad that I should feel it necessary, but after all, they put 'caution: contents hot' on coffee these days, too, you know?)
My favourite part (other than the ending) was the shots of 'I love you' gestures in American Sign Language interpreted as Satanic. That's rich. :)
An excellent Kentucky blog
Check out Unusual Kentucky, which chronicles interesting historical bits, strange symbols, odd happenings, and the like, all with regard to our Commonwealth.
'[B]efore something really bad happened'
Court records: Starved kids lived a nightmare: Kids found starved, bruised and sexually assaulted in a Dallas motel
Abneris Santiago finally called relatives and told them that she feared for her life and the life of her children. She told authorities she had to do something 'before something really bad happened.'
I'm assuming she meant death, for three of her four children were found locked in a motel bathroom where they have been kept, starved and in one case continually sexually abused, for at least nine months, allegedly by the mother's boyfriend, Alfred Santiago. Their life was torture, and from the news account, their mother did very little to end the situation. Now both mother and boyfriend are in jail facing charges. The three children and their healthy one-year old half-sister (the child of both Santiagos) are in foster care, being treated. They were unable to hold down food when fed, and had to be watched for food hoarding. They had taken to keeping food hidden in things like shampoo bottles during the time they were kept in their prison.
I don't know how these children are going to recover. Physically a lot can be done, and with remedial schooling they can catch up with their peers, but they're going to have to have intensive therapy to help with their emotional and mental states. Their torturer sounds like a monster, and their mother (although I have some small sympathy for her due to her own abuse) weak, ineffectual, and slow to protect her children. The man should never be around another child again and be locked away for the rest of his life. I think it would be better if the children remained together (at least the three older ones), but not necessarily with their mother--perhaps with relatives, as the family responded after that phone call by alerting police and an uncle met the police and went with them to the motel room.
This is so sad.
Abneris Santiago finally called relatives and told them that she feared for her life and the life of her children. She told authorities she had to do something 'before something really bad happened.'
I'm assuming she meant death, for three of her four children were found locked in a motel bathroom where they have been kept, starved and in one case continually sexually abused, for at least nine months, allegedly by the mother's boyfriend, Alfred Santiago. Their life was torture, and from the news account, their mother did very little to end the situation. Now both mother and boyfriend are in jail facing charges. The three children and their healthy one-year old half-sister (the child of both Santiagos) are in foster care, being treated. They were unable to hold down food when fed, and had to be watched for food hoarding. They had taken to keeping food hidden in things like shampoo bottles during the time they were kept in their prison.
I don't know how these children are going to recover. Physically a lot can be done, and with remedial schooling they can catch up with their peers, but they're going to have to have intensive therapy to help with their emotional and mental states. Their torturer sounds like a monster, and their mother (although I have some small sympathy for her due to her own abuse) weak, ineffectual, and slow to protect her children. The man should never be around another child again and be locked away for the rest of his life. I think it would be better if the children remained together (at least the three older ones), but not necessarily with their mother--perhaps with relatives, as the family responded after that phone call by alerting police and an uncle met the police and went with them to the motel room.
This is so sad.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A tiny video rant before bedtime--but not of me, thankfully
I love Party Girl. I'm pretty sure that's where this clip is from.
I can't believe I just did this...
I didn't feel like writing tonight. This actually took more effort, and may scare you away, especially with that still (with the fish it gave me the option to choose the still; I didn't see it this time, and of course it would be THAT face!) but here's my first attempt at a video entry:
Let the mocking begin (as I'm sure it will)!
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PS I hope the penicil drawing exercise of Leda and the Swan behind my head isn't some sort of YouTube violation. It never occurred to me when I shot this that it was there, in all its nude glory as Zeus in the form of a swan copulates with His latest desire. It could be worse, I suppose. I have a great deal of original artwork in my house (not my own) including a very large erect penis in a painting against my the living room wall that is nearly two-feet long (the penis, not the painting; the latter is about 5-6 feet square). I think my mother nearly swallowed her teeth when she saw it for the first time. My grandmother might actually have apoplexy if she saw it. I've had it so long, I don't think about it, and besides, it's important for the meaning of the work and very well done.
PPS I have a tiny little girl voice when I'm nervous (well, most of the time, but it's worse when I try public speaking or recording anything). I also apparently close my eyes, let my eyes wander, and look away an awful lot, as YKWIA pointed out in an analysis of the video. Must work on that. Thank the Gods I never actually made it to my orals in school. It was the main reason I dropped out before going for a phD. So for those who never understood my anxiety...here's why. Imagine trying to demonstrate knowledge with my swiss-cheese memory AND poor speaking skills. I shudder.
Let the mocking begin (as I'm sure it will)!
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PS I hope the penicil drawing exercise of Leda and the Swan behind my head isn't some sort of YouTube violation. It never occurred to me when I shot this that it was there, in all its nude glory as Zeus in the form of a swan copulates with His latest desire. It could be worse, I suppose. I have a great deal of original artwork in my house (not my own) including a very large erect penis in a painting against my the living room wall that is nearly two-feet long (the penis, not the painting; the latter is about 5-6 feet square). I think my mother nearly swallowed her teeth when she saw it for the first time. My grandmother might actually have apoplexy if she saw it. I've had it so long, I don't think about it, and besides, it's important for the meaning of the work and very well done.
PPS I have a tiny little girl voice when I'm nervous (well, most of the time, but it's worse when I try public speaking or recording anything). I also apparently close my eyes, let my eyes wander, and look away an awful lot, as YKWIA pointed out in an analysis of the video. Must work on that. Thank the Gods I never actually made it to my orals in school. It was the main reason I dropped out before going for a phD. So for those who never understood my anxiety...here's why. Imagine trying to demonstrate knowledge with my swiss-cheese memory AND poor speaking skills. I shudder.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thought for the day
gleaned from The Velveteen Rabbit, this was one of the first thoughts I had upon waking today:
Better to be real (and at the mercy of nature), even for a short time, rather than lasting for years as a semblance, but at the mercy of man.
Better to be real (and at the mercy of nature), even for a short time, rather than lasting for years as a semblance, but at the mercy of man.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Welcome (back) to the Village
A new Prisoner for a new generation. (And yes, there's still the giant bubbles).
I loved The Prisoner as a child, which I watched on public televesion in the late 70s (the programme came out in Britain the year I was born). It looks like they've gone to a great deal of trouble to capture the mystery of the original. This is a preview they did for Comic Con. It is a miniseries coming out on AMC in November, and this version stars Jim Caviezel as Number Six, and Ian McKellen as Number Two. I'm often dubious of remakes but I'm intrigued. I'll be watching.
I loved The Prisoner as a child, which I watched on public televesion in the late 70s (the programme came out in Britain the year I was born). It looks like they've gone to a great deal of trouble to capture the mystery of the original. This is a preview they did for Comic Con. It is a miniseries coming out on AMC in November, and this version stars Jim Caviezel as Number Six, and Ian McKellen as Number Two. I'm often dubious of remakes but I'm intrigued. I'll be watching.
Also in the news
Last British Army WWI veteran dead at 111
Harry Patch survived the Battle of Passchendaele, in which 70,000 of his companions died, during the War to End All Wars.
Harry Patch survived the Battle of Passchendaele, in which 70,000 of his companions died, during the War to End All Wars.
Patch didn't speak about the war until he turned 100, the Ministry of Defence said.
"He tried to suppress the memories and to live as normal a life as possible; the culture of his time said that he was fortunate to have survived and that he should get on with his life," a Ministry of Defence biography says.
"That suited Harry; he could 'forget' his demons, the memories of what happened to him and to his close friends."
In 1998, a television producer with an interest in the war talked to Patch, who then made the decision to speak of his memories, the Ministry of Defence said. He took part in a documentary on the war and began gradually to open up.
It wasn't long before Patch became a spokesman for his generation, speaking about the horrors of the war as well as his own emotions and reactions, the Ministry of Defence said.
"In speaking about his experiences, Harry began at last to come to terms with his war, and was at peace with himself and his memories," the Defence Ministry said. "His thoughts then turned to reconciliation, to the long-term effects of suffering and coming to terms with that suffering."
On a more serious note
It happened here in America, but it's far too common all over the world to blame a girl or woman for rape.
Family shuns girl, 8, after rape sparks outcry: Group of youths aged 9 to 14 seen running from shed, Arizona police say
Both the girl and the boys alleged to have raped her are Liberian. She is in foster care because her father apparently told authorities he didn't want her anymore. This has caused a furor, with even the president of Liberia weighing in on the matter. It's so sad, but unfortunately, not uncommon in many cultures.
Family shuns girl, 8, after rape sparks outcry: Group of youths aged 9 to 14 seen running from shed, Arizona police say
Both the girl and the boys alleged to have raped her are Liberian. She is in foster care because her father apparently told authorities he didn't want her anymore. This has caused a furor, with even the president of Liberia weighing in on the matter. It's so sad, but unfortunately, not uncommon in many cultures.
Yay! A new 'Simon's Cat' video!
Ah, you have to admire the feline ability to FOCUS.
Guess what? He now has his very own book, too, coming out October 1st. I'd certainly like to get one, as the short animated films by Tofield are so true to life, as anyone who has been owned by a cat knows, and it brings joy into my life every time I watch one. :) [Available at Amazon and Amazon.co.uk]
Guess what? He now has his very own book, too, coming out October 1st. I'd certainly like to get one, as the short animated films by Tofield are so true to life, as anyone who has been owned by a cat knows, and it brings joy into my life every time I watch one. :) [Available at Amazon and Amazon.co.uk]
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