Ro-bits

Trying to get a better idea of robot's imitating human movement vs actual human movement, I've been watching assorted clips of the Honda ASMIO and the Sony QRIO. While doing so I came across this suprisingly "Aww..." inducing clip.


Meanwhile, I also discoverd that a cluster of QRIO's performed in Beck's video for "Hell Yes". This gave me untold joy and perhaps it will do the same for you?

Macbeth at Regents Park Open Air Theatre

The temperature was perfect and a cool breeze played through the trees the whole time. I'd have taken picures of the show in progress but it was so good that I completely forgot to! What I saw of Regents park while we found our way to the theater was also rather impressive, I'll have to return with my camera during a sunny day and give it a do over.

Oh! The reason the set may look a bit odd is because they chose to make the play anachronistic, with the usual period dress during court scenes but a mixture of Scottish military get-ups from the 17th through 20th century during most every other scene. It was a bit of a surprise when, in the opening battle scene, the King came swinging in on a jeep!

This country is also doing bad things

America deserves a whole hell of a lot of critical attention but, as this article from the Ottawa Citizen which not all of you may have read points out, it realllly is far from the only country that does.

Shibbidy shabbita don't let the monsters grab at ya

Two weeks 'til Athens, two weeks 'til Athens!

Ahem.

Sorry it's been a bit quiet lately, mostly I'm finding myself consumed with job hunting this past little while. But tonight I'm going with someone to see an open air production of Macbeth, in Regents Park, and I'll be sure to bring my camera.

Meanwhile, I found a very good and easily digestible article put out by a UK based group of scientists with a long, distinguished history, The Royal Society - A Guide to Facts and Fictions about Climate Change. Give it a peek, I dares ya.

Misanthropists unite!

Although, by definition, I'm not sure if they could!

The new season of Big Brother is on the way and from the depth in which it has permeated all forms of media in London, you'd think God had announced A)That he actually exists and B)He's swinging by for the taping of the first episode, where he'll finally clear up which religion is right about him.

Naturally, I tripped over some of this while perusing the BBC this morning and the entry for the first two contestants was just too vomitous NOT to share.
****
NAME: Sam and Amanda
AGE: 18
OCCUPATION: Students
Sam and Amanda are the first set of twins to enter the house. They have their own "Twin Song" which they use to introduce themselves to boys.
-As well as studying social work in Manchester the twins also work as promotions girls in a nightclub.
-They "find politics confusing" and until recently had never been abroad.
-They both believe that "men should always buy women drinks".
****
I was once highly amused at the idea of someone singing a song which would end the Earth - but now I find it hard to laugh, having discovered what that song will be.

It will be: The "Twin Song".

Bonus Points: THIS
*ALSO*: A somewhat relevant Cat and Girl strip!

Bits and Bobs and Bikes

One thing to know if you ever plan to live in or do a bike tour through London is that regular sized bikes are not allowed on the tube - the just take up too much space. This, amongst other factors I'm sure, has helped fuel the rise of folding bikes. They are pretty fun little guys, mostly resembling BMX's, and generally cost as much as a new bike of comparable quality. On Sunday I was riding the escalator in Liverpool station when I saw someone standing in front of me with a folded up example. It stood on the step in front of him and was about the size of a modest trash bin - the like you'd find by a desk in someones study. I guess you could say that I stalked him in that I kept track of him from the station doors to the street so I could watch him unfold it. No special key seemed to be needed and it took him only about 30 seconds. Depending on where the winds of employment take me, I might look into one for myself.

Though I can't help being a little hesitant, foolishly, because of something else I've been seeing in regards to bikes and London. I'd say about every third bicyclist that I've seen on the street has been wearing a face mask air filter thing (rebreather?). When I see someone sitting directly behind an eighteen-wheeler I guess I can understand, but the implications - as well as the imagery - just creeps me out. It really reminds me of one of the old clean air advertisements from the early 1990's where a bunch of lawyers with personal air masks are strolling through a street where everything is a shade of brown or grey while a homeless begs for change so he can suck a few precious gasps of clean air from a kind of vending machine (Ten points if anyone can find a clip of it). At least there are plans for this, such as the Low Emissions Zone (which is the vast majority of London, but for a few communities which lay outside of the M25 highway that encircles the city), the Emissions Influenced Charges Proposal and the steady increase of congestion charges.

It's all well and good that we've made fun of them alot

As much as they may amuse us, popular humor shows making fun of Scientologists do not - at least directly - impede those lunatics.

Luckily, Tom has put something under my nose that can. All British citizens and expatriates are being called upon to sign this petition pleading that Scientology does not gain official status as a religion in the UK.

To those of you who read this and would be able to sign it, or could pass it along to someone who could, please do. If this seems like I am being unfair by singling them out, well, let's just say that they really have established themselves as fair game and leave it at that.

Rain, rain go away...

Though I shouldn't complain as A)I'm staying inside to write, anyways, and B)apparently I'm in England?

In other news, Giles Peterson's excellent weekly show has alerted me to the existence of a really enjoyable electronic soul group called The Elektrons (the Myspace tracks are decent but their segment on Giles' show was really something). They have a show on the 6th at a different Brick Lane venue which I will check out, provided the steaming entrails of my weekly sacrifice to the disembodied ghost of Carl Sagan tells me that it shall be so.