(vimeo link)
Kirby Ferguson's series Everything is a Remix started with a look at how songs are recycled from past tunes. This second installment is about movies, and how everything old is new again. Among other movies, you'll see visual illustrations of the influences you read about in the article In The Beginning: Star Wars. Note: After the credits roll, another movie is analyzed, starting at the seven minute mark. http://www.everythingisaremix.info/?p=58 -via Metafilter
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From Self-Segregation to Institutionalized Racism, Why Bulgaria's "Gypsies" Have Struggled to Integrate
ROMA AROUND THE WORLD
To understand the Roma, it's best to start with the basics. Long ago, Europeans saw the Roma's dark skin and assumed they'd come from Egypt -hence the name "gypsy". In reality, the word is a misnomer. The Roma actually come from the Indian subcontinent, and they slowly migrated toward Europe early in the second millennia CE. Today's pockets of Roma are scattered all over the world. Not only do they constitute the the largest ethnic minority in Europe, they also rank as the fastest-growing ethnic group in many countries around the world.
Because the Roma have such a wide diaspora, it's difficult to define their culture and traditions in any certain terms. They do have their own language, called Romani (closely related to Punjabi and other Indian languages), though countless dialects exist. Influenced by whatever society surrounds it, each Roma community is different from the next.
One common value, however, is the importance of the extended family. Beyond simply "sticking together," most enclaves practice long-held Romani social behaviors based on purity laws, called marime. For instance, many Roma feel virginity is essential in unmarried girls. Furthermore, parts of the human body (particularly genitalia) are considered impure, so clothing must always be worn to cover the lower half of the body -and these clothes must even be washed separately. As a result, tradition Romani woman are easy to identify, based on the long skirts they wear to cover their lower halves and the head scarfs they use to cover their hair. Notoriously suspect to outsiders, many Roma also fear their children could be made impure by outside influences.
All in all, the Roma provide an interesting cultural case study because, while they're extremely good at settling into a nation, they struggle to assimilate into a society. The Roma are isolationists -a community with a rich past but without any real sense of a homeland. The result has been a kind of ongoing identity crisis for them. And in Bulgaria, it's made them particularly vulnerable to hardship.
THE GREAT DIVIDE
Today, Bulgaria has one of the highest concentrations of Roma in the world. Official government tallies place the Romani population at approximately 370,000, although other researchers say that figure is closer to 750,000.
Whatever the exact number, there is a very defined -and very unpleasant- cultural, social, and economic divide between the Roma and the rest of Bulgarian society. As in most of Eastern Europe, the Roma in Bulgaria tend to live in ghettos and rundown squatter communities, well-separated from the majority population. With unemployment estimates as high as 80 percent, the Roma are blamed for one out of every four crimes. Only 12 percent seek higher education, while 18 percent are fully illiterate. In addition, they have limited access to insurance and other social benefits. And while there is one elected political party devoted to addressing Romani problems and concerns, it wields very little power. Even more distressing, however, is the Bulgarian educational system, which has been tremendously unfair to its Roma students.
TWO SIDES TO THE COIN
To be fair, not all of the blame for Bulgaria's "Roma problem" should fall on racism or discrimination. The Roma protect their culture fiercely, and that sometimes deters them from learning the Bulgarian language or from getting mainstream jobs. Consequently, many Roma can be found begging on the streets, which leaves most Bulgarians feeling pestered. All of this has led to a national sense of resentment toward the Roma, which can be detected from the language. "You gypped me" is a common pejorative phrase there, just as "gypsy's work" is slang for a job not well done. And no matter what, Bulgarians probably won't stop referring to the unpopped kernels at the bottom of the popcorn bag as "gypsies."
Simeon Blagoev, Roma Affairs expert at Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture (and a Rom himself), explained the situation to the World Press Review in these words: "Historically, the Roma have failed to integrate well into the society, but now they must choose between assimilation and misery."
UNION-IZED
Fortunately, the European Union (EU) seems to be providing light at the end of this bleak tunnel. For the pas few years, Bulgaria has vied earnestly for membership into the EU -mostly for the economic lift, but also for worldwide inclusion and respect. Before it could gain full membership, however, the country was forced to deal with its human rights "inconsistencies," such as school segregation. So in 1999, the Bulgarian government drafted the "Framework Programme for Full Integration of the Roma in Bulgarian Society," which finally acknowledged the need for the Roma to have the same rights and freedoms as all Bulgarians.
Don't forget to feed your brain by subscribing to the magazine and visiting mental_floss' extremely entertaining website and blog today for more!
(Image credit: Flickr user Dominic Rivard)
To the ill-informed, the word "gypsy" evokes images of tarot cards and nomads wandering on horses through grasslands. But the Roma people (as they're properly called) have a complex culture that, even today, struggles to earn respect in Eastern Europe -particularly in Bulgaria. For more than a century, the Roma have sought basic human rights and equalities, but have gained little ground. Fortunately, change is on the horizon. With Bulgaria's recent admission into the European Union, the Roma finally find themselves on a hopeful path.ROMA AROUND THE WORLD
To understand the Roma, it's best to start with the basics. Long ago, Europeans saw the Roma's dark skin and assumed they'd come from Egypt -hence the name "gypsy". In reality, the word is a misnomer. The Roma actually come from the Indian subcontinent, and they slowly migrated toward Europe early in the second millennia CE. Today's pockets of Roma are scattered all over the world. Not only do they constitute the the largest ethnic minority in Europe, they also rank as the fastest-growing ethnic group in many countries around the world.
Because the Roma have such a wide diaspora, it's difficult to define their culture and traditions in any certain terms. They do have their own language, called Romani (closely related to Punjabi and other Indian languages), though countless dialects exist. Influenced by whatever society surrounds it, each Roma community is different from the next.
One common value, however, is the importance of the extended family. Beyond simply "sticking together," most enclaves practice long-held Romani social behaviors based on purity laws, called marime. For instance, many Roma feel virginity is essential in unmarried girls. Furthermore, parts of the human body (particularly genitalia) are considered impure, so clothing must always be worn to cover the lower half of the body -and these clothes must even be washed separately. As a result, tradition Romani woman are easy to identify, based on the long skirts they wear to cover their lower halves and the head scarfs they use to cover their hair. Notoriously suspect to outsiders, many Roma also fear their children could be made impure by outside influences.
All in all, the Roma provide an interesting cultural case study because, while they're extremely good at settling into a nation, they struggle to assimilate into a society. The Roma are isolationists -a community with a rich past but without any real sense of a homeland. The result has been a kind of ongoing identity crisis for them. And in Bulgaria, it's made them particularly vulnerable to hardship.
THE GREAT DIVIDE
Today, Bulgaria has one of the highest concentrations of Roma in the world. Official government tallies place the Romani population at approximately 370,000, although other researchers say that figure is closer to 750,000.
Whatever the exact number, there is a very defined -and very unpleasant- cultural, social, and economic divide between the Roma and the rest of Bulgarian society. As in most of Eastern Europe, the Roma in Bulgaria tend to live in ghettos and rundown squatter communities, well-separated from the majority population. With unemployment estimates as high as 80 percent, the Roma are blamed for one out of every four crimes. Only 12 percent seek higher education, while 18 percent are fully illiterate. In addition, they have limited access to insurance and other social benefits. And while there is one elected political party devoted to addressing Romani problems and concerns, it wields very little power. Even more distressing, however, is the Bulgarian educational system, which has been tremendously unfair to its Roma students.
(Image credit: Flickr user Ferran Jordà)
The inequality in the Bulgarian school system goes back to the fall of Communism in 1989, when Roma children were given two options- attend a "gypsy school," populated exclusively by Roma, or attend a school for children with mental handicaps. Both were problematic, as the first served to further segregate the Roma from other Bulgarians, while the second herded smart, healthy Romani children into special-needs facilities. The schools were eventually desegregated in 2003, but that hasn't completely remedied the problem. There are still 15-year-old Roma kids attending the first grade, and many who can't speak or write anything that isn't in Romani.TWO SIDES TO THE COIN
To be fair, not all of the blame for Bulgaria's "Roma problem" should fall on racism or discrimination. The Roma protect their culture fiercely, and that sometimes deters them from learning the Bulgarian language or from getting mainstream jobs. Consequently, many Roma can be found begging on the streets, which leaves most Bulgarians feeling pestered. All of this has led to a national sense of resentment toward the Roma, which can be detected from the language. "You gypped me" is a common pejorative phrase there, just as "gypsy's work" is slang for a job not well done. And no matter what, Bulgarians probably won't stop referring to the unpopped kernels at the bottom of the popcorn bag as "gypsies."
Simeon Blagoev, Roma Affairs expert at Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture (and a Rom himself), explained the situation to the World Press Review in these words: "Historically, the Roma have failed to integrate well into the society, but now they must choose between assimilation and misery."
UNION-IZED
Fortunately, the European Union (EU) seems to be providing light at the end of this bleak tunnel. For the pas few years, Bulgaria has vied earnestly for membership into the EU -mostly for the economic lift, but also for worldwide inclusion and respect. Before it could gain full membership, however, the country was forced to deal with its human rights "inconsistencies," such as school segregation. So in 1999, the Bulgarian government drafted the "Framework Programme for Full Integration of the Roma in Bulgarian Society," which finally acknowledged the need for the Roma to have the same rights and freedoms as all Bulgarians.
(YouTube link)
On January 1, 2007, Bulgaria became the 26th member of the European Union. And in its brief time of influence, the EU seems to have advanced the cause of Roma equality. It's encouraged Roma representation at all levels of government, and has shown approval for the formation of over 350 Roma associations (both governmental and non-governmental). The hope is that, eventually, all this effort will lead to more jobs and economic opportunities for Bulgaria's most impoverished ethnic community. Any way you look at it, it's a long road ahead. But the good news for all Roma is that the path is being paved.
________________________________
The article above, written by Eric Furman, appeared in the September - October 2007 issue of mental_floss magazine. It is reprinted here with permission.Don't forget to feed your brain by subscribing to the magazine and visiting mental_floss' extremely entertaining website and blog today for more!
Do you ever have those days where everything goes wrong? That's what happened to an unnamed 19-year-old burglar in Australia. His plan was to rob a bakery while it was closed for the night. You know what they say about the best-laid plans...
When the hapless intruder discovered the security camera, he tried to cover it, but too late: his various falls were caught on camera. He eventually escaped, but when his face was publicized, he turned himself in. Link (with video) -via Arbroath
The young man broke into the shop, in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston, through a skylight and landed in a locked store room.
So he tried stacking up a number of containers on top of each other to try and climb out.
But they toppled over, throwing him to the floor.
Then he tried to climb shelves to get out, and they collapsed under him.
He fell to the floor several times, and ended up with a number of cuts and bruises.
When the hapless intruder discovered the security camera, he tried to cover it, but too late: his various falls were caught on camera. He eventually escaped, but when his face was publicized, he turned himself in. Link (with video) -via Arbroath
(YouTube link)
“Firefox has encountered an unexpected problem with windows.” is the obvious comment at YouTube. -via The Daily What
National Geographic News talks about Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil, and the weather. They include a look at the origins of February 2nd forecasting, which began with the Roman Empire, when folks considered the weather on Candlemas to predict future weather.
So have we've been using the wrong animal all these years? Should we instead say "Happy Hedgehog Day"? Link
(Image credit: Melissa Farlow/National Geographic)
Legend has it that the Romans also believed that conditions during the first days of February were good predictors of future weather, but the empire looked to hedgehogs for their forecasts.
These two traditions melded in Germany and were brought over to the United States by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. Lacking hedgehogs, the German settlers substituted native groundhogs in the ritual, and Groundhog Day was born.
So have we've been using the wrong animal all these years? Should we instead say "Happy Hedgehog Day"? Link
(Image credit: Melissa Farlow/National Geographic)
In the French village of Allouville-Bellefosse, an oak tree stands. No one knows for sure how old the tree is, but it is considered the oldest tree in France -botanists estimate 800 years. A fire hollowed out the tree in the late 1600s, yet it survived and sprouted leaves afterward. The people of Allouville-Bellefosse considered it a miracle and built a chapel and a staircase inside! Read all about it and see more pictures at Kuriositas. Link
(YouTube link)
This may look like the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but this girl is unlike any Red Riding Hood you've seen before. Would this concept make a good full-length film? There's also a video on how the wolves were created. -Thanks, Patrick A. Prejusa!
Transport yourself back to grade school -to 30 years ago when this Super Friends Valentine package hit the stores. Pages from the 11 x 17" book of valentines are scanned big so you can print, cut, and put these simple paper crafts together, such as putting wheels on Batgirl's Batcycle. Pages and pages are available at Andertoons. Link -Thanks, Mark Anderson!
It is once again time for our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog. Can you guess what the pictured item is? Do you know what it is?
Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you'd like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. Two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will win T-shirt from the NeatoShop.
Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?
For more clues, check out the What Is It? Blog. Good luck!
Update: The very first answer was the correct one. Berhard said it was a nutcracker, and he's right. Among many funny answers, the winner is The Professor, who claimed that due to budget cuts, this is the new Times Square New Year Ball Drop! Both win t-shirts from the NeatoShop.
"Refreshing" head wipes for bald guys? This strange product is real, although it's not something guys would admit using ...so of course it would make a horrible gift.
This is just one of a dozen gifts that say, "I have no idea how to shop for Valentines Day." Link
Don't worry ladies, there are plenty of ways for you to passive aggressively tell your man he isn't attractive enough. This great product can remind him that he's not only bald, but that he's disgustingly sweaty too. Hooray for destroying your lover's self confidence!
This is just one of a dozen gifts that say, "I have no idea how to shop for Valentines Day." Link
Dave Fields explains how the rash of internet infographics from the past couple of years differs from ...well, from what they should be.
A well done infographic has the power to capture one’s acute attention span and convey information that would have taken longer to simply read (oh no, not reading!). However, for every brilliantly thought out and well executed mashup of art and data, there now seems to be an influx of mundane and formulaic counterparts infesting the very internet that we hold so near and dear.
Here we have an infographic that explores commonalities between the seemingly vast expanse of contrived infographics that appear to have spawned in mass over the past year. If you’re an infographic purest, view at your own risk.
Yep, the rest is in the form of an infographic that manages to be more entertaining than most. Link -via Rue the Day
See also: Infographic
Eunice Sanborn, who outlived three husbands, was 114 years old when she passed away Monday at her home in Texas, according to caretaker David French. Or was she 115?
Either way, with Sanborn's death, the oldest person in the world is now 114-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia. Link
Census records show Sanborn was born on July 20, 1896, in Lake Charles, La., according to the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group, which listed Sanborn as the world's oldest person.
But French said Sanborn always maintained the Census Bureau had made a mistake and she was really born in 1895. She celebrated what she believed was her 115th birthday on July 20, Agence France-Presse reported.
Either way, with Sanborn's death, the oldest person in the world is now 114-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia. Link
(YouTube link)
The BBC has a TV program called Fast and Loose. It's a game show with a segment called Interpretive Dance, featuring David Armand, whom you might remember as the guy behind the hilarious interpretation of "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia. Now he has a regular job doing what he does so well. -via Arbroath
How true are these stereotypes? I have accounts at a half-dozen of these networks, but since I don't spend much time at any of them, it's hard to keep up with trends. Found, of course, at a Tumblr blog. http://-inthemourning.tumblr.com/post/2746308602 -via Buzzfeed
Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half made this video in support of her friends at the Huemul Conservation Project who are raising funds to study and protect the Humemul with the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race. http://www.patagonianexpeditionrace.com/en/donate.php
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