Last June, I blogged about a male chaffinch that was constantly attacking his own reflection in our windows. Well, he’s back. He clearly hasn’t learned. And the warm weather seems to have triggered the behaviour a couple of months earlier as well…
Year: 2007
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BrightEarth: Crisis in Darfur
The Google Earth application continues to be a springboard for new ways of presenting information. Declan Butler, in Nature, describes the BrightEarth project, which is using Google Earth to raise awareness of the human tragedy in Darfur. -
Museum Of Art
BibliOdyssey draws our attention to the fact that the artist Sergey Tyukanov has a new web site devoted to his works: the Museum of Art. It’s definitely worth a visit, although I very quickly killed the annoying muzak… -
Dr. Jane Goodall
Another plum from TED: the wonderful Dr. Jane Goodall. Another insight into non-human cultures, and a heartfelt plea for homo sapiens to assume a role of stewardship. -
A Hallmark Of Culture
This is an interesting article, originally from the New York Times, on chimpanzee culture. I particularly like the quote: "Socially transmitted adjustable behaviour is a hallmark of culture". It has the ring of truth for me.But I’m less convinced by the statement made by a Dr. Matsuzawa: "Humans can’t do it," he said, referring to a memory task, "Chimpanzees are superior to humans in this task". I suspect that the difference between a trained chimpanzee and a trained human is less than he might like to imagine. -
Some People…
Some people make me want to scream out loud. A case in point is Anne Atkins. Fortunately there are folks such as Tom Hamilton on hand to point out exactly why Mrs. Atkins makes me want to scream long and loud. Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. -
Bug Testing
A month ago, I blogged about the ongoing saga of a conflict between Microsoft’s Windows Home Server and the version of CA Anti-Virus 2007 for Windows Vista. Namely, that a Vista computer won’t boot up correctly when both the CA software and the connector software for Windows Home Server are installed on it. The computer just hangs.I see that today the various reports of the issue from different users, and corroborated by yet other users, have been marked by Microsoft in their bug feedback system as "Closed". And the reason given? "Not Reproducible". This is either evidence that people invent reasons to meet their bug-fixing targets, or proof that Microsoft developers live in a different universe to the rest of us mortals. Colour me as not impressed. -
Public Art
I’m sure that there is a whole volume waiting to be written about the public art that is to be found in The Netherlands. Some is striking, but much of it makes me go "I beg your pardon?". Yesterday, for example, I was cycling through a neighbourhood in the nearby small town of Aalten and I came across this…
There was not a word of explanation as to who the artist was, or what his/her intentions might have been. Merely an official notice stating firmly that it was forbidden to climb upon the art. Says it all, really. -
Dennett On Consciousness
There’s been another batch of video talks posted up on the (revamped) TED website. Some real plums in here. For example, here’s Dan Dennett giving an eloquent presentation on consciousness. -
Leaping Shampoo
The Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society does it again. This time with a video that demonstrates the Kaye Effect using shampoo… -
James Nachtwey: Witness
I linked to a picture taken by James Nachtwey in a recent posting of mine. Nachtwey was recently awarded a prize at this year’s TED. Here is his acceptance speech, in which he illustrates his ability to be a witness. It’s worth watching. -
The Animated Bayeux
I wonder what the seamstresses of the Bayeaux Tapestry would have made of this version of their masterpiece? I suspect they would have liked it…(hat tip to From The Heart Of Europe for the link) -
Unseasonal Weather
I thought that April was supposed to be the month of showers. We’ve had very little rain this month, and currently we are having temperatures of 22 – 24 degrees. The result is that everything in the garden is earlier than normal. For example, here’s two photos of the same tree in blossom. The first was taken last year, on May 4th. The second was taken today. So the blossom is almost three weeks earlier this year. We may be in for a long hot summer…
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Skin Lane
I mentioned a little while back that Neil Bartlett had a new book out, Skin Lane, and that the reviews sounded good.Well, I’m here to tell you that the reviews were right. The story is simply superb. It grips from the opening prologue and never lets go. A retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, it is set in London in 1967 and observes the events centred around a certain Mr. Freeman (known to his colleagues as Mr F). Mr F works as a cutter in London’s fur trade, and in that year of 1967 – a year that has a special significance for those of us who grew up gay in Britain at the time – he becomes possessed of an obsession that will irrevocably change his life, and the life of those around him.The whole novel reads as though you are caught in a dream (or nightmare) helplessly watching the events play out. I was reminded of the writings of Angela Carter at times. Almost as important as the players in the story is the setting. London itself becomes another character, through the descriptions of the places and the times. Bartlett’s descriptions of the fur trade are convincing – Skin Lane itself is actually Skinners Lane, which was indeed the centre of the fur trade in London.Highly, highly recommended.Ps – for Chris and Ed: Bartlett will be reading from Skin Lane at the Brighton Festival on May 18… -
Scarred For Life
Sometimes, I really despair for people’s ability to grasp a sense of proportion.The latest example comes from a world that I know little about – American basketball. Still, when did that ever stop me… Yes, I grant you that the comment, that a female basketball team were "nappy-headed hos" by a radio host, Don Imus, was completely crass and insensitive. But for one of the team, Matee Avajon, to state that his comment has "scarred me for life" is so ridiculous as to make me despair.Oh, yes, Matee Avajon, scarred for life? Like this, you mean? Think again. -
Quantum Feminism
I’ve often bemoaned my irritation with management speak here. But the irritations are merely pinpricks in comparison with some of the writing that can be found lurking under the stone of PostModernist critique.Here’s a particularly fine example penned by Carolyn G. Guertin, Senior McLuhan Fellow at the University of Texas. Reading it gives me the feeling of repeatedly bashing my head against a brick wall – and I feel so much better when I stop. Luckily, Ophelia, over at ButterfliesAndWheels, pricks Guertin’s pomposity in an effective manner, and David Thompson literally rips it to shreds. -
The Line…
…between genius and madness is very fine indeed. Take the inestimable Dr. NakaMats, for example.
Geoff Coupe's Blog 