November 2011
1 post
3 tags
Reaction to Peter Roebuck's death
I have been curious about how the media have reacted to the suicide of the well known cricket commentator Peter Roebuck. It reminds me of how people in the arts world treated rumours of molestation on the set of Hey Dad! That’s why I’ve posted these thoughts on my arts and culture blog.
September 2010
1 post
7 tags
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis, one of the true stars from Hollywood’s golden era, has passed away. Not unlike war veterans, their numbers are really dwindling now. It won’t be long before they’re all gone.
He certainly had a mesmerizing quality on screen. As this article states, he was excellent in The Boston Strangler.
It was a very strange movie that - almost an art movie, with lots of snazzy...
August 2010
8 posts
4 tags
Posterous and Onsugar also worth checking out
Like many using Tumblr, I’m heavily into blogging, and have tried several different platforms over the years.
Needless to say, Tumblr is an excellent tool. And if you haven’t had a look at Posterous yet, then you definitely should. Onsugar is another user-friendly blogging site well worth checking out.
4 tags
Thoughts on Mark Latham's reporting spot
Here in Australia there’s been a lot of talk about how former Labor leader Mark Latham did a spot as a reporter last Sunday night. He was almost universally derided for the segment.
However, I thought Latham’s Sixty Minutes gig wasn’t all bad.
5 tags
Eddie Munster actor now dating long-time fan
Most of the stories we read about celebrities’ relationships are pretty depressing. They’re always breaking up or betraying each other. And whenever a fan enters the life of someone famous, it’s usually as a stalker.
That’s why it’s kind of sweet to learn that Butch Patrick, the child actor who played Eddie Munster, ended up dating a fan who wrote him a letter 45...
7 tags
5 tags
Montana Fishburne in porn flick
The daughter of respected American actor Laurence Fishburne has acted (if that’s the right word!) in a porno. Not surprisingly, he is not very happy about her decision.
She says that she didn’t do it to hurt her father. Of course it’s possible that she just did it without thinking. But she must have known it was going to hurt him. He’s a very well known man; her actions...
4 tags
Kristy Fraser-Kirk versus David Jones
My jaw nearly hit the floor when I heard that Kristy Fraser-Kirk was suing David Jones for a massive $37 million because she was allegedly sexually harassed by the company’s former CEO.
Rather than highlight the problem the astronomical claim trivializes it, in my opinion. While she may have gone through some unpleasantness it was pretty mild in comparison to what is described in other...
4 tags
Posterous blog
One site that often gets compared to Tumblr is Posterous. So to try that tool out I’ve started a blog there.
My first impressions are that it’s also very simple and user-friendly, Tumblr has more elegant design. It’s just more enjoyable using a site that is so user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
Change of approach
I’ve had a bit of a change of heart about this site. I started out with the purpose of just linking to quirky and interesting articles. But I think I might start to use it in a more freewheeling way and just write about anything and everything.
June 2010
2 posts
Amazing photos of sea serpents
Here are some amazing pictures of oarfish. The species can grow to an impressive length and it has a unique and quite spectacular head, crowned with long spines.
When you look at these photos it seems pretty clear that, as the page states, this was the inspiration for the “sea serpents” of times long past.
Human brains similar to those of parrots
It seems that human brains may have more in common with those of parrots than other animals closer to us in an evolutionary sense. They can mimic our language, after all.
They also seem to have rhythm. Have a look at this amazing video of Snowball the dancing parrot. He certainly feels the beat and can dance a lot better than I can!
May 2010
5 posts
Red, white and blue deemed to be racist colours
Yet another amazing case of political correctness from Britain. This time it involved a poster in the colours of the national flag. They were deemed to have “racist connotations”.
Full article here.
Widespread belief in alien life
It’s obvious that a lot of people are fascinated by the possibility of life on other planets. The huge popularity of so many science fiction movies confirms that. But it’s surprising just how many people actually believe that aliens exist and are present on Earth. This vast survey concludes that 20% of people do.
Pipe cleaner art
I just found another artist creating works from everyday materials. This one uses pipe cleaners.
Aging brain functions better in some ways
So many of the articles I’ve read about the health effects of aging are depressing. That’s why I was pleased to find this one, about how the brain actually does improve in some ways as you get older.
Cities made of staples
Here’s another unusual and highly original artist. His name is Peter Root, and among other things he creates small cities made entirely of staples.
Maybe he should have an exhibition of his work with this guy?
April 2010
6 posts
Internet audiences not segregated politically
Because the internet allows for the expression of very specific political points of view, it seems logical that web surfers would tend to find what they agree with and read that and nothing else. However this doesn’t seem to be the case, as this interesting article explains.
Experiences, not possessions, bring happiness
We’ve all heard that cliche that ultimately pursuing material wealth is a recipe for misery, or at least that it won’t make you happy in itself. Well, this has been confirmed by recent research.
It seems that experiences can bring lasting joy, while acquiring longed-for material possessions bring only short-lived feelings of happiness.
Human stare emits measurable energy
Everyone knows the creepy feeling that they’re being stared at - as well as the even creepier realization that the feeling was justified! But there has never been a scientific explanation for why that happens. A respected psychiatrist believes that it’s because the staring eye emits an energy beam, and that he can prove this scientifically.
Reason for South Park's success and longevity
Interesting article about why South Park continues to be successful. It’s to do with its creators being “call-out specialists”.
Sex shop for Muslims
Islam has a reputation for being extremely conservative when it comes to sex. However, at least one businessman is attempting to challenge this stereotype by opening a sex shop for Muslims.
Painful words
Interesting article about how merely saying certain words can evoke pain response in the brain.
March 2010
2 posts
Bees busy buzzing bombs
In London, bees are being trained as bomb and drug detectors.
Amazingly tiny sculptures
Here’s an amazing story about a guy who builds models so small you almost can’t see them. In fact, he’s built stuff that he’s inhaled in the past. Amazingly dedicated, and skillful.