Click image for a larger version.
Evelyn de Morgan belongs to the rare breed of female classical painters. Her Pre-Raphaelite style is as powerful and enchanting as that of her male colleagues.
Click image for a larger version.
Evelyn de Morgan belongs to the rare breed of female classical painters. Her Pre-Raphaelite style is as powerful and enchanting as that of her male colleagues.
The Most Beautiful Goat in Saudi Arabia
That’s what happens when you religion represses women and sexuality – you find alternative objects of adoration. Although looking at birds, planes and trains ain’t not that much better.
Click image to learn about the full horror of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
I heard many times that our oceans are badly polluted – but this THING really is as impressive as it is a HUGE shame for us humans.
Compared to garbage on land it’s much harder to get rid off. But most of all: nobody feels responsible, because every small piece of land belongs to a country. But the Oceans belong to everybody and nobody – so we give a shit about it’s decline and pollution …
Who do so many designs look the same these days?! Because most designers use the same tools and are too lazy to develop their own styles.
The easiest example to illustrate my point is the Photoshop colour palette. So many lazy designers simply use the first twelve colours in that thing – and don’t bother developing their own colour palette.
That is why we see so many designs using these primary and vibrant colours. It’s any easy choice and mistake to make – and equally boring …
I adore Mister Cohen for his talent to spot societies awkward taboos and hitting them hard. His Borat was already brilliant and I think Brüno will just as painful to watch.
Click images for larger versions.
I usually hate advertising – but this Volkswagen campaign is smart, modest and perfectly plays with the memories many people have in relation to this car.
Wimbledon – the Ladies take the court. But they grunt – a lot! This is more like a soft porn instead of a civilized tennis match.
Although the BBC says the grunting is getting less …
So the days are already getting shorter – on the 21st June is the longest day of 2009. I wouldn’t know it since our weather is so shitty and skies are almost constantly grey. Instead of summer we have constant autumn. Everybody has their finest sweaters on …
With that kind of weather I won’t dance naked around the block like a proper Hippie to celebrate the old rite of passage.
| 1. Click player below to start the music.
2. Click the image to dive into the art. 3. Study for four minutes this great study of madness and anger. |
Illya Repin is a revelation for me. His panoramic paintings are strong and full of harsh realism. They are more like an ancient newsreel showing the human condition without false romanticism – although he has painted some "nice" art as well.
The Madness of Ivan the Terrible is a perfect subject for an artist with such rare talents. Ivan is one of the darkest human characters you can imagine. His life was nothing short of hell on earth – for himself and thousands of his underlings.
I am actually surprised that Hollywood has discovered his story yet – he would make a great movie of blood and tears. Russian cinema obviously has made some movies about him – the great Sergei Eisenstein made a two part saga of Ivan the Terrible.
You can watch part I here and part II here.
Click image for a bigger critter.
Nature adapts slowly to change – it is not working on the same speed level as human technology races ahead and changes the environment.
Whole ecosystems are killed by small natural and unnatural changes. That is why fast climate change or the intrusion of foreign species (by human infrastructure and colonization) are so deadly.
And we human often think complex enough to see what consequences our "better lifestyles" have for nature.
We certainly can’t live without nature and a healthy ecosystem – in the long run we can only loose. Nature will recover, even when it takes millions of years.
Nature works in long time spans, we don’t.
The current protests in Iran have been triggered by the presidential election, but the underlying cause has nothing to do with politics. It’s all about age and change.
Iran’s last revolution was powered by the protesting against the "evil" status quo and the dirty regime of the Shah. It was less about establishing religious rule by the Mullahs, but about freedom.
The old revolutionaries are now old men sitting on their laurels and thanks to their self inflicted isolation clueless what’s going on in the world.
60% or Iran’s populations is under 30. Young people who didn’t participate in the great revolution and the great wars (against the American Devil and Saddam). They are more interested in an international lifestyle, the internet and plastic surgery.
As much as the old guard clings onto power they also defend their old ideas who society should be shaped. But Iran’s power structure is badly constructed (like all fundamentalist systems) and offers no ways of renewal and reform … apart from another revolution or pressure from the streets.
Younger Iranians simply want a "normal liberal lifestyle" without all the suppression from the old and their agents of power (the religious police and revolutionary guards).
Revolutions have the habit of eating their own children – in this case grey haired old men unable to face the future.
A recent strike in London forced many people to commute the old fashioned way: by foot or by bike. Substitute buses picked up the moving masses and many people remembered the fabulous idea of car sharing.
It gave us a glimpse into the future of mass transport: we eventually have to use our own bodies again or "share" more.
While oil prices going up again using a car will be unaffordable for many and even public transport will become more expensive as well.
Unless we change from a oil based transport system to a renewable energy transportation will become very expensive. But also urban planning has to be improved in the US and Europe to many cities have sprawled to far apart, making daily live more like a long commute / drive from home to work and back.
Cities and communities used to be more integrated: living, shopping, learning, entertainment and work much closer together.
It is a sign of decadence of the fashion world to make a disorder adorable. Fat ladies in the audience might wish to loose and be young again – but idolizing an unhealthy body type is sick …
Click images for more gold.
The interior of the Opera Garnier opened 1875 shows was real splendour and richness means.
Buildings like these – mostly created in the final days of "old Europe" – show all the might, culture and richness of these old imperial nations.
In these days the splendour of the nation was no longer just a privilege of Royals and the ruling elite. Opera houses and museums were opened to the public – which meant mostly the emerging bourgeois middle class.
I think Mr Ustinov is a genius and all around artist. His Nero is one of the most memorable performances ever. His face spiel within a small scene just lasting a few minutes is incredible!
Friday Fright Night! Time for another cheesy horror movie with some great actors: a very young Jack Nicholson and a very old Boris Karloff.
Enjoy!
I know that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a big hero for many Iranians, but has he really advanced the country? His fight with almost all other nations has been a fashionable, but has it not distracted from his failings in terms of social justice, the Iranian economy and development of the nation?
Now that oil price has fallen Ahmadinejad looks weak and his achievement dwindle. He has failed to raise many Iranians from poverty.
His foreign policy has made your country an outcast in the world. Do you really want to call such despotic countries like North Korea your allies?
Does a country with such a rich history and culture really need atomic weapons for it’s national identity?
Just a good American Citizen getting rid of some "evil" people …
Another deadly and politically motivated shooting in the US by a right wing "person". I am trying to avoid the usual expression "right wing nut", because it makes the murderer seem like "just a crazy person", who would have killed no matter what was his political affiliation.
But exactly the opposite is true!
Like the murder of a doctor George Tiller who performed highly controversial abortions and many other attacks motivated by racism, anti-semitism and religious reasons it is right-wing-hate has driven these killers.
For decades right-wing-propagandists like Rush Limbaugh, O’Reilly and "religious" leaders like Pat Robertson have used hate and extreme prejudice to drive their agenda. As masterful speakers they often used bloody and hateful attacks on their foes.
Lesser creatures in this pandemonium of so called protectors or "Life" and "Family Values" had no problem to call for the death of political opponents like the killed abortion doctor or foreign heads of state.
For example Dr. Tiller was shot in Church while praying.
So those "right-wing-nuts" have not been simply crazy people doing terrible things (therefore the right-wing could wash it’s hand in innocence), BUT it was the hate speech, the religious dogmas and disconnect from reality that drove them to do such insane stuff and call it "justice".
I only preach the word of the Lord …
Just like Timothey McVeigh there are many people in the US who more than willing to believe such propaganda and finally act upon the constant whispers of hate – by either bombing or shooting "their opponents" and "evil-doers".
Too many silently support such killings against "fags", "jews", "pinkos", "communists", "niggers", "socialists" and "Killers of Babies" – in their minds those hurt or killed by their compatriots had it coming anyway. They deserved the pain!
Their rationalisation is either based on their odd form of Christianity (it’s oke to wear weapons and execute people, but not to support health care and other social services to the poor) or their racist form of the American Dream (whites have to succeed, all other minorities are only tolerated and are disposable).
Jesus wasn’t into weapons, he was into healing the sick and connecting / touching the outcasts … or was he?!
This part of white American society is stuck in a 1950’s fantasy of it’s own history: in an Illusion of an Golden Era, when nobody talked about civil rights, minorities slaved away in the background, when Gays where invisible and apart from Commies there were no threats to the great American White Dominance.
The American Civil Right movement had to rip "justice" from White Americas hands. The US still is not an equally fair and just society too all sides. Programs like affirmative action did almost as much harm as good, but many measures like these were necessary to ENFORCE equality. Some parts of White America couldn’t handle the equal treatment of "niggers" and the quest for gay rights (see the still raging debate about Gay Marriage that as already been settled in most Western Nations).
Obama? Osama? It’s all the same to them …
One only needs to observe the effect Obama’s election had on this part of American society: they went nuts!
"The Slaves have become the Masters – run for your lifes!"
Obama hate is their favourite hobby, gun sales in their areas of America soared and the rhetoric’s of their hate preachers went off the scale.
Plus the bad economic situation didn’t help either. And since Wall Street is obviously money business which is traditionally associated with the Jews it was their fault once again that America was going down.
"Niggers, Jews and Fags want America to fail!"
How to deal with a thing called the "future" …
This part of White America simply has no true answers to a changed planet: the effects of globalization and multi-ethic societies.
They can’t cope with another strong religion in their own country and abroad (there are over a billion Muslims world wide to "tolerate").
They can’t cope with the coming success of gay rights movement as much as they couldn’t prevent black/civil rights movement.
Maybe fighting a war without Gay Arabic translators is a bad idea?
They can’t cope with the competition from "brown" countries like India and Mexico taking away their jobs (as an effect of so called "Free Markets" established by their Republican politicians).
They can’t cope with the flood of Latinos to their own country and that they will be just another minority in the USA.
They can’t cope with global organizations dedicated to our planets unification and peace like the UN and EU.
It’s all "evil" to them taking away their "Freedoms" and "American Values" …
Welcome to the 1950’s!
The pseudo-religious rage of the so called "True Americans" makes them unable to connect to real America that is happening right now.
It is their pathos of false morals that makes them unable to cope with ANY change and progress – just like it happened before to Christianity in medieval Europe, Muslim societies in India and the Middle East as well as China’s and Japan’s bureaucratic Imperialists.
Which Gun can you recommend for American fundamentalists?
When a former majority shrinks it’s leftovers are always in danger of radicalization, because they can’t connect to present situation.
If you look at the American conservative party you can see that effect. They very busy clinging to past ideas while their movement shrinks and shrinks. The more they dig into the past the more the greater the disconnect. The bigger distance creates more anger and estrangement.
The movement get boiled down to it’s hardcore followers who lack more and more exchange with less radical elements of society so soften them up and reconnect them. The disconnect makes them feel unable to influence society and alienates them even more.
Instead of political tool they resort to violence to make themselves heard and enforce their radical visions for society.
This is not terrorism born out of suppression – like it happened in Palestine. It is terrorism of the fundamentalism – trying to enforce "eternal truths" upon the people and destroy "unbelievers" and new "evil" ideas.
Where do you stand true American?
The Conservative movement as well as American Society has to recognize the split and correctly name the fundamentalist fringe what it is: a backward and orthodox part of itself.
I am wondering if the American Department of Homeland Security (a term that would have made Goebbels proud) is as eager fighting violent American fundamentalists as Islamic ones?
Just imagine if a Muslim American would have shot a Christian in his Church! The outrage would have been huge and there would have been violent revenge.
But when a good American shoots a Baby-Killer – that’s a different story …
Dear America look at yourself – whatever happened to fair and balanced?
To it is still a mystery why the sculpting has lost the top spot to painting. Until the early Middle Age sculpting reigned supreme in the visual arts, but then it slowly lost to paintings.
Sure you can show much bigger and fantastic scenes on canvas than you can show in stone, but sculptures are real and have a life-like power to them images simply lack.
PS: Does anyone know the artist?
Click the moth for a bigger image.
I am constantly amazed by the colours of insects and the Leopard Moth is simply a cool bugger. Looking at my pink skin I feel pretty boring and monochrome right now.
Oh my how you have change over the years! I was never much into Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, but her certainly is a cultural icon. But I am wondering if Disney can fight the decline of his popularity. Today Donald seems lame and odd compared to the Simpsons, Pokemons and many creatures from video games.
Call me old fashioned, but I consider June a Summer month. So where is the bloody sunshine and heat?! We have one ugly thunderstorm after another, everybody is wearing a sweater and miserable face. Fuck Climate Change! Give me Global Warming NOW!
Europeans always love to complain about the EU Parliament in Brussels. It seems that this charming Belgian City is the Root of all Evil in the world: ridicules laws and money wasted on expenses of 736 lazy MEPs representing about half a billion people.
The European Parliament is mostly filled with unwanted politicians, discarded by their national parties for various reasons and sent to Brussels for a very nice retirement.
How do my fellow European Citizens combat all that evil and incompetence? By voting for fringe parties who hardly have any political influence (to change anything) and often very questionable party programs.
The British BNP won’t accept coloured members and the Hungarian Jobbik Party ran on an Anti-Gipsy campaign.
I also hate to mention the one seat for the Swedish Pirate Party most nerds rant about: one Geek won’t make an impact in Brussels, especially when most countries have already sided with the big media companies. But at least it’s a weak impulse for good …
So well done Europe! Most of the other Idiots won’t bring sensible politics to the EU – they just create a bigger mess.
But EU elections are always a bit like the EuroVision contest: loads of freaky act nobody cares about. Most voters simply don’t care – turnout was miserable as usual with only 43%. So as usual the fringe parties got a boost, since most sensible voters stayed at home. Only the angry and the old went to do their citizen duty and cast their vote …
Overall I blame the voters for the mess in Brussels. The EU vote is not about punishing your local government for their mistakes (like the British scandals at the moment), but to vote for the best people to take care of Europe.
The EP has serious power – but it won’t act in a serious way unless voters pay attention and also force their local parties to send more competent politicians.
This amazing design is from Verner Panton and one of his Environments (check the page for this design and search for the video link). He designed this 1970 for a furniture fair in Cologne titled "How will we be living tomorrow".
So funny how all that futuristic concept art from the 1960’s and 1970’s all got it so wrong – except for Mr Kubrick’s amazing movie "2001". His conservative and dry Bauhaus-like vision prevailed.
Still I like the design above. Looks groovy and comfy, should be a great hit in a nightclub or chill out area. No drugs needed, just some nice ambient music and a few drinks to drift off …
Click for more details.
The Economist is one of the best magazines you can get your news, analysis and insights from. It’s the only piece of paper I have subscribed for years – and it’s worth every cent.
They also have great website with an excellent Audio- & Video section as well as podcasts (on iTunes as pictured above).
They have been slow to go digital – but now their offerings are simply brilliant. I especially love their topical Economist Debates, which focus on subject for several days with excellent essays and comments from smart experts and readers alike. Instead of the usual idiotic dribble those debates are often of the highest quality and quite provoking.
Spring 2009 has been a catastrophe so far: storms, rain, storms, low temperatures and storms. Thanks climate change – I had enough! I am afraid that our so called "summer" won’t be much better …
I am a huge fan of Maestro Doisneau’s sharp observations and all too human moments – even when they happen between two marble gods.
President Obama recently visited the Buchenwald concentration camp. Visiting such horrid places is often "mandatory" for visiting head of states here in Germany. It will help them to understand their hosts as well the dark side of human nature.
Concentration Camps are hardly a German invention, but with our efficiency ours were the deadliest – although I am sure that Chinese re-education camps, Soviet Gulags and Camdodian Khmer Rounge camps were equally terrible.
I have been to Dachau myself and received as a school boy many long and tough historical lessons on this subject. Germany guilt is deeply embedded in today’s German psyche.
Many Holocaust deniers have actually visited places like Auschwitz and Dachau – and didn’t accept the terrible reality of the massive killings there. You see what you want to see.
Still I think Germany should invite leaders from Muslim Countries to a very personal tour around several camps. I MIGHT hopefully change their attitude to Jewish History?!
If we can’t get those leaders then we should invite school classes from Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and many other major Arab countries and create some kind of reality show or documentary about the trip. It should be shown on Al Jazeera …
In that context we also should make such trips and a documentary to Gaza with Western school children and show this in Europe and the US.
The problem with simulations is that they keep you from learning the real deal. Sure not everybody can afford flying lessons or buy a Tank and blast their neighbours. Fair enough …
But so called "music and dance games" are dreadful – why not REALLY learn to play the guitar or take some dancing lessons. Sure it’s hard work, but much more rewarding than some virtual high scores.
The same applies to martial arts and combat games. Join the National Guard, the Police or a Shooting club if you like handling guns and combat. Or learn Judo, Aikido, Kung Fu or Karate in some local Dojo. Especially learning REAL martial arts can bring so much insight and fitness into your REAL life.
Playing games once in a while is nice, learning something for life is nicer …
Friday Fright Night – enjoy this cheesy classic horror flick. As usual Vincent Price makes this trashy movie quite amusing … enjoy!
Making friends and influencing the mad people of the Middle East. At least an American President that creates more friends than enemies …
BBC News: Kung Fu star Carradine found dead and Obituary
And another one of my childhood heroes departs this planet. David Carradine was amazing in "Kung Fu", which introduced many Westerners to the more serious and spiritual aspects of Martial Arts – in contrast to all those cheesy action movies before.
David Carradine was often wasted in many bad movies himself, but somehow he kept his dignity and aura of the Kung Fu Master.
Rest in peace O-Sensei!
I can’t wait to show my delicious curves at the beach and see all the fertile young females flee the sandy shores in disgust.
Good for me!
Less chicks means less drooling guys which means less noise …
I prefer my beaches empty and quiet.
After the first great depression all western nations tried to protect themselves from such horrible busts by creating checks and oversight for financial markets.
After World War II it was the consensus of western nations to share the wealth between workers and companies, because both Fascisms and Communism were popular with the "small people" because they promised more rights and equality for workers.
After just forty years of prosperity in the western nations regulations and social systems were discarded in favour of so called "free markets". The lessons of effective government were as much forgotten as the lessons of the great depression.
After just 25 year of new greed and globalization the next horrible bust exploded in all our faces – thanks to the "free markets", Maggie and Ronnie.
History will repeat itself, because every generation loves to play with fire and ignore the wisdom of their forefathers.
There have been hundreds of blonde starlets aching for fame and glory. They all tried to allure us with their blonde hair, red lips, boobs and bedroom eyes. But only a few were as special as Miss Monroe.
Her personality made her special, that mixture of innocence, neediness and sex appeal.
In a global market a diploma no longer guarantees your job security and a bright future. A graduate from China or India will do your white collar job as good as an expensive youngster from the USA or Europe.
I guess you can bridge almost any differences if you grow up together and really get to know each other.
I hereby officially quit being a Star Trek fan. No I have nothing against the new Star Trek movie – it’s as bad as most recent ones. I am just bored by the total lack of ideas and inspiration. Already with the dreadful series "Enterprise" the franchise had started cannibalizing itself by reinventing it’s past and trying to make it all fit somehow.
Now creating a new alternate storyline is certainly an easy way out – just take the original idea and mangle it for the "next generation" of viewers.
The different Star Trek series always had the stupid habit of copying old story plots and therefore repeating itself. But recycling story elements and old characters into an alternative universe to restart the series is too lame for me.
Gene Roddenberry tried a new approach to telling science fiction stories in the 60’s. Sure – some of his stuff was also terrible, but he broke many old taboos and created a great positive universe to literally inspire millions of people.
Exactly that lack of inspiration and new ground has so appalling – not just in Star Trek – but most TV series and movies.
All intelligent life forms seem to have forsaken the media business?
He is the first modern Prime Minister in Britain who wasn’t elected by popular vote. He simply took over from ever smiling Tony.
Gordon was never popular, he simply isn’t the buddy type, but he also always underestimated the need for good public relations.
Now the huge British expenses scandal has broken his back – and it’s actually a scandal he can hardly be blamed for. MPs from all parties did it.
But the Brits are sick and tired of the current political establishment and want their say … or better their vote.
I just hope Gordon is smart enough to call for new elections instead of waiting for "better times".