Oh! So this is why we have 'small clothes'

Lawrence Ferlinghetti reads Underwear

Grow into these trousers... >>

Need something interesting to pass an hour ot two, or more?

Go visit openculture.com

The site is a vast repository of links to free audio and video in lots of categories.

So far I've watched a video about black holes, downloaded two audio books (Isaac Asimov's Nightfall and Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - there are many, many more I will get) and lined up a series of lectures called 'Science, Magic, and Religion' from UCLA. I'm off to dig through the philosophy section next. Then there's the movie list which is described as '420 Free Movies Online: Great Classics, Indies, Noir, Westerns, etc.'

Great stuff! Grow into these trousers... >>

Another great animation

This is very clever. The artist, in time-lapse, captures the words from an inspiring (though I could/would call it obvious) lecture in economics and management. Exploring the fact that 'carrots and sticks' is not the way to productivity or a happy workforce.

I know nothing about the artist/animator, the lecturer or the parent organisation: the RSA or Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

But it's bluddy clever!

RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us [10:48]

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Via Grrlscientist. Grow into these trousers... >>

Ukraine's Got Talent

This young lady has incredible skill. Her pictures come to life as she draws, in real time, to a rich musical soundscape. I don't know what else to say, I'm in awe.

Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation (Ukraine's Got Talent, Final) PART1 [4:47]


Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation (Ukraine's Got Talent, Final) PART2 [6:07]
Grow into these trousers... >>

Equality means being equal

A couple of days ago was International Women’s Day which was widely celebrated hereabouts.

I had never heard of this before, but it seems a cause I can fully support, so in the true gentlemanly tradition of making amends (next time, tell me beforehand) and in belated recognition of the day (hope it went well ladies) here is the courageous Wafa Sultan speaking on the dangers of Sharia law.

Wafa Sultan on Sharia


Wafa says she has a petition, but the clip is a couple of years old and I can't find it. I have signed similar things before though. Grow into these trousers... >>

A little something to chew on

Yummy. Or maybe not.



The nerd in me first thought of Klingons, but then I wondered what's the most revolting thing you have ever eaten?

My tale:
Many years ago I knew some Japanese chemists who each were working in the UK for a year at a time. One guy in particular became a good mate. He used to get food parcels from home and shared the best Pot Noodles ever, ever, ever! He also used to get bags of tiny, dried, silvery fish which he munched like crisps. They were just about acceptable, but not really to my taste. The worst of all, the most disgusting thing, was sun dried cuttlefish, which to my friend seemed to be a delicacy.


To me it was like chewing a ball of string flavored with rotten fish. Truly revolting.

I got my own back later with a chunk of Blue Stilton cheese which, to my great laughter, he spat halfway across the room. It's all a matter of taste. Grow into these trousers... >>

Play safe folks

Here's a couple of educational videos:

Durex Get it On Viral


And the best advert ever:

Sandwich - Durex Ad
Grow into these trousers... >>

A spectacular collision

Rocket sled hits family car - KABLAM!!! Woohoo!!

Go. Watch. Amazing. Video. Boom. ! Grow into these trousers... >>

Lost Generation?

I think not. Not while that generation is making videos like this.

Submitted to the AARP* U@50 challenge a couple of years ago, where entrants had to

create an original video (your "Video Submission") not exceeding two minutes in length that describes how you envision your future and upload it to YouTube

this video came second. Why it didn't win I can't fathom out. Take a moment [1:44] to watch, it's brilliant.



See the Uat50 YouTube channel for all the entries and big thanks to econoom for the tip.
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* AARP stands for American Association of Retired Persons according to Wikipedia. Their own site, even in the 'History' section, strangely fails to mention this. Grow into these trousers... >>

Great news - PZ Myers to write for The Guardian

Top UK newspaper The Guardian started a new science column last Monday and I have just learned that "leading American evolutionary biologist" PZ Myers is to be a monthly contributor. If you are a scientist, a sceptic or an atheist (or all three) and you are not following Myers' blog Pharyngula then you are missing out big time. He can be quite funny too.


The Guardian column will also feature:

• Simon Singh - Who seems to have kicked the ball rolling. I remember his 5 Numbers radio shorts which are still on the BBC website, go listen.


• Chris French - With whom I agree about recent wind turbine damage. He's also editor of The Skeptic.


• and Andy Miah - who's name rings a bell but just now I can't remember why. I'm looking forward to finding out though.

A good crowd to counter the vomit that the media normally chucks our way.

Combining this with the existing Bad Science column from Ben Goldacre makes a winner with me. Grow into these trousers... >>

Slightly too long and twee

But interesting nonetheless. From the same stable as yesterday's Skewed views of science, this clip looks at the way we compartmentalise ourselves.

Instruction Manual for Life

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Link via PZ Myers. Grow into these trousers... >>

Cochineal

The insectophile blogger Bug Girl has been posting about the red food colourant cochineal and a move to ban it's use in the USA because yuck!, it's made from insects. She points out widespread misunderstanding about the issue and the insect itself, even among people who should know much better.

Bug Girl has asked others to help clear the air by pushing up her posts on the search engines with a link or two. Go read her posts.

Job done. Grow into these trousers... >>

Monuments of unageing intellect

That line comes from the first verse of a poem by W.B. Yeats:

That is no country for old men. The young
In one another’s arms, birds in the trees -
Those dying generations - at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.

Sailing to Byzantium (1927)

I paraphrase - don't get so caught up in the immediate, in the satisfaction of desire, as to miss the true wonder of the world around you and the achievements of humanity.

Yeats' words, as true today as when first written, were used by Jacob Bronowski in the introduction to his awesome series on mankind's cultural evolution The Ascent Of Man (1973).

Although filmed long ago this still remains one of the best TV documentaries of all time. If you've never seen it, I urge you to set aside the time. If you have seen it you will know it is well worth seeing over and again.

PART ONE - Lower than the Angels [51:17]


Now head over to Online Documentaries 4 U for the next 12 episodes of this 'Monument of unageing intellect'. Grow into these trousers... >>

Next on my reading list

A welcome sight on the doormat today was a freshly minted copy of Albion Dreaming: A Popular History of LSD in Britain by my long-time friend Andy Roberts - (I'll call him Agg to avoid confusion).



Agg and I were part of the same clan as we emerged into consciousness through our teens. Looking back it was one hell of a roller coaster ride.

But we made it and as the years passed we both continued to probe the nether regions of reality, though in utterly different ways:
Agg through his sceptical interest in folklore, mythology, UFOs and other cultural phenomenon, and his deep understanding of their philosophical entanglement.
Myself with trying to work out how the hell algae make bile pigments and use them for photosynthesis.

I know Agg's writing style, and I know it's far better than his piano playing, so I'm looking forward to a good, well researched read. Grow into these trousers... >>

How and why and where did civilization begin?

A good question.
Online Documentaries 4 U is sctatching my itch just now!

The lost pyramids of Caral


'Where' is well understood: Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, Peru and Central America.

'How' and 'why' are interlinked I think. If you want to do something you will try to find a way.

"Why are you doing this?"
  "Because I can better feed my family"
"How are you doing this?"
  "By coming to work here"

"Why are you doing this?"
  "Because it's safer"
"How are you doing this?"
  "As fast as I f**king can" Grow into these trousers... >>