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Here are more scenes from the Edwardian Ball and World's Faire 2011 last month in San Francisco, where the man with the Goldfish Bowl Helmet caught our attention. The Los Angeles version is scheduled for March 5th. -Thanks, Mark Day!
Miss Cellania's Blog Posts
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This project has something for everyone: those who enjoy gadgets, bicycles, graffiti, overthinking, steampunk, art, and/or rainbows! Creator Akay calls it a "complicated technical solution to aide in simple acts of vandalism." Read more about it at Underwire. Link -via Laughing Squid
Excuse me, did the Oregon Trail really go through Los Angeles? Jeff Wysaski of Pleated-Pants created this thought-provoking street poster. Link -Thanks, Jeff!
Lovina, a bakery in Tokyo, will make a birthday cake for your dog. Not just a dog cake, but a cake that looks like your dog! See more pictures of birthday dogs and their custom-made cakes at Japan Probe. Link
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This creative video from Do the Green Thing maps the way we walk through our lives. The point is to walk more and drive less for the good of the environment, but the video is entertaining even without an environmental message. Link -via the Presurfer
Think about it: when someone hugs you, it lasts about three seconds. If they hold on longer, you know something else is going on, like a child not wanting to go to sleep at bedtime, or a lover craving closeness. A study of Olympic athletes congratulating each other confirms the three-second rule. But it's not just a rule for hugs -almost everything we do happens in three-second durations!
The Olympic hugging study was produced by watching videotapes of televised athletes. They tended to hug their coaches a bit longer than three seconds, their opponents for a bit less, but they averaged out at, yes, three seconds. Link -via J-Walk Blog
(Image credit: Flickr user Craig Maccubbin)
Crosscultural studies dating back to 1911 have shown that people tend to operate in 3-second bursts. Goodbye waves, musical phrases, and infants' bouts of babbling and gesturing all last about 3 seconds. Many basic physiological events, such as relaxed breathing and certain nervous system functions do, too. And several other species of mammals and birds follow the general rule in their body-movement patterns. A 1994 study of giraffes, okapis, roe deer, raccoons, pandas, and kangaroos living in zoos, for example, found that although the duration of the animals' every move, from chewing to defecating, varied considerably, the average was, you guessed it, 3 seconds.
"What we have is very broad research showing that we experience the world in about these 3-second time frames," says developmental psychologist Emese Nagy of the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom.
The Olympic hugging study was produced by watching videotapes of televised athletes. They tended to hug their coaches a bit longer than three seconds, their opponents for a bit less, but they averaged out at, yes, three seconds. Link -via J-Walk Blog
(Image credit: Flickr user Craig Maccubbin)
I've found myself watching a lot of Law & Order reruns lately, mostly because you can find it most hours of the day on various TV channels. Now we have statistics that track the outcomes of the cases in each season. Not only that, but they are compared with what was actually going on in New York City at the time -the NYC murder rate and the politics of municipal law enforcement. Some of the changes in the show over time reflect the real world, and other changes were made for the TV audience. Read the analysis at, appropriately enough, Overthinking It. Link -via Metafilter
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Snooky seems to be a bit touchy. But the story has a happy ending. -via Buzzfeed
While some cities are buried under snow, a road in Cambridgeshire only looked that way as it was covered in duck feathers. A truck carrying the feathers caught fire and spilled its load on the A14.
A ruptured diesel tank caused the fire in the lorry, which was carrying the duck feathers on the A14 near Hemingford Grey.
The westbound carriageway of the road was shut after being covered in the white feathers and a rolling roadblock was in place eastbound.
Diversions are in place but motorists are advised to avoid the area.
The truck was destroyed, and the feathers went everywhere. Link (with video) -via Arbroath
German designer Manfred Kielnhofer designed this chair of plexiglass and light tubes. What an eye catcher!
Light art object or cosy chair? Get two features in one. Once put in the lobby, in the hall or in your shop – the interlux (or plexi-tube) chair will be the perfect eye catcher.
You can also change the light tubes easily – so you can change the colours and enjoy different atmospheres. Try a fresh green in spring, a warm orange in autumn and a golden shine at Christmas!
More photos of the interlux chair are included in a page about Kielnhofer's similar chair made of tubes fashioned from recycled newspapers. Link
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Googy is the title character starring in a new Channel 101 webseries. There's no lessons, no dark twists, just silly, happy fun! Read more about it at Urlesque. Link -Thanks, Anastasia!
Ten movies are in contention for the 2011 Oscar for Best Motion Picture. While we suppose they are all good films, there is no movie that can't be improved by being rendered in Lego! An art collective by the name of Old Red Jalopy re-created the posters for all ten Best Picture nominees in Lego form. I love this poster for 127 Hours! See all ten posters at NextMovie. http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/2011-best-picture-nominees-lego-form/ -Thanks, Andie!
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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
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.
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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
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