Entertainment stuff from the week 23-29/12/13

A creepy hello to my sinister and nasty readers!


The Torygraph has reported that the Cuntryside Alliance has declared the RSPCA to be "sinister and nasty". LMAO
https://www.facebook.com/SaveMe2010/posts/725625824123204

That's the same Cuntryside Alliance that represents regionalist xenophobia, technophobia, capitalist farmers' selfishness, animal-blood sports, and inter-species genocide; calling the same RSPCA that puts great efforts into actually improving the lives of animals without the terrorising behaviour of organisations like PETA and Hunt supporters, "sinister and nasty"!

Pot, kettle; kettle, pot... except this kettle's chrome. You have to laugh, don't you :-D


Here's a pretty good quiz from Richard Wiseman's blog. Have a go:

Can you cross out five letters in the sequence below and still be left with two English words?

F F I R V I E L D E T A Y P T U Z E Z R S L E

Answer at the bottom...


'Snow Falls In Cairo For The First Time In More Than 100 Years: Report'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/13/cairo-snow_n_4441049.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green

It's the first time in 100 years, that snow has fallen in Cairo, according to the Los Angeles Times. Is there any verification for that?

I didn't find any. But it did sleet a bit, in Alexandria, in early 2013. This year!

'It Snows in Alexandria'
http://egyptianchronicles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/it-snows-in-alexandria.html

Plus, it regularly snows, up in the mountains, so funnily enough, Egypt is not unfamiliar with snow. And because both Alexandria and Cairo are on the Nile Delta, it seems unlikely that one would get sleet, and the other not, for as much as a century!

But if there's one thing we can take from this news, it's most definitely that winter disproves global warming!

Freak occurrences are certainly better indicators of long-term trends than the long-term trends themselves, haha ;-)

No, but seriously - the IPCC's report on Climate Change has been chosen by RiAus as one of their top-5 news stories for 2013:

'A Week in Science Top 5 science stories of 2013'
http://youtu.be/07-g9HgWHxA

Every year that goes by, more pollutant pours into the atmosphere, through human activities, making the increasingly-precise predictions also increasingly bleak.

But the Climatic Change obstructionists march on, unaffected...


Vladimir Putin -  Russia's President - has pledged to release from prison the two remaining members of feminist punk band Pussy Riot, the members of Greenpeace who illegally boarded a Russian oil rig in the Arctic, and "former oil tycoon" Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Pussy Riot release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25490067
Greenpeace release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25524589
Khodorkovsky release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25483856

Khodorkovsky was imprisoned on the grounds of fraud, theft and money laundering, but is considered by some to have been imprisoned for campaigning against Putin's government, and thereby being a political prisoner.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25450785

It's thought that these releases are happening now, in a bid to ease the pressure on the Russian State, for its Human Rights abuses, ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics of Homophobia, which is planned for February. The official line is that they're being peculiarly compassionate because it's the 20th anniversary of their constitution. I'm not sure i believe that.

But don't be distracted! These are only a few people - their releases are not as valuable as a change in Russian Law; specifically, the repeal of the recently-enacted homophobic ones.


'Walking with Dinosaurs (film)'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_with_Dinosaurs_%28film%29

New Scientist has made me aware of a film, produced using the same startlingly-realistic production values of the BBC's 1999 series 'Walking with Dinosaurs'
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL50KW6aT4Ugx6C3hr36Onjvwv6NO723gI

It's not actually a documentary - it's got characters, voiced by actors, and all that rubbish - but it seems they have gone to efforts to make it realistic.

There are no Tapejaras in it, though (wrong time period) but there is a Quetzalcoatlus, whose human name derives from the Nuhuatl language for 'tail-feather' (quetzal) and 'serpent' (coatlus) via the Aztec god Quetzalcoatlus.

'The science behind Walking with Dinosaurs'
http://youtu.be/oYU_JOPzJYY

The 2011 series 'Planet Dinosaur' was also pretty awesome :-)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL50KW6aT4UgwyxBDgijhjvZxsIxRM71d5


Here's something else that there's evidence about:

'Celebrities and health: The good, the bad, and the ugly'
http://youtu.be/8SkXqXjwwNo

I'm so proud of the British Medical Journal. Usually, presenting the truth about quack claims is left to Skeptic/Rationalists.

"Best of British", as the xenophobic bigots say, hehe :-D


Speaking of bigots...

'UK set for first Scientology Church wedding after Supreme Court rules it a ‘place of worship’'
http://wwrn.org/articles/41315/

Christian cultists opposed the inclusion of Scientological superstition as "a Religion" because everyone knows it's batshit crazy... apart from Scientologists, of course.

I think this ruling might help secure advances for humanity, overall, however, as Courts and Politicians will be forced to accept that either they treat all batshit Religion with the same contempt, or be outright glaring hypocrites.

...Politicians, of course, are fine with hypocrisy, as long as it's mealy-mouthed, two-faced hypocrisy that doesn't draw too much attention. They won't like this!

BTW, the French made the wrong decision, when they classified Scientology as "a cult" and somehow not a religion!?

The only difference between a cult and a religion is connotation - a superstitious, authoritarian, factionalistic movement is called a cult when there's a cult leader who has ultimate say about what goes on.

A superstitious, authoritarian, factionalistic movement is called a religion, when that person's dead... or never existed in the first place!

If you find yourself wondering "what the hell is this Scientology thing, anyway?" then here are some resources:

'Scientology - Circus of the Stars'
http://youtu.be/DwiYjQyu0Tw

'Stupid Things Scientologists Say - Longer, more Gay version' (And the whole of the rest of this channel has good stuff on Scientology, too)
http://youtu.be/iUSKjy3BgrI

'Anonymous vs Scientology'
http://youtu.be/cuHF_br-DBs
'Scientology- Because it matters'
http://youtu.be/550sVAr_qPQ
'Scientology vs Godwins Law'
http://youtu.be/MYG5ayrd040

'Scientology: James Randi on L. Ron Hubbard' (Randi's so old, he can talk personally about the founding fathers of Scientology. The rest of this channel is about Scientology, too)
http://youtu.be/Oj-w09kpQcY

'Gruen Planet - The Master, Scientology, and Tom Cruise'
IMO, superstitions are the best examples of marketing that there have ever been. Think about it: there's the lights, the red carpet, the velvet curtain, the celebrity endorsement, but the display case... it's empty. There's no product. From religion to quackery and back again, it's pure marketing. If superstitionists are creditable for anything, it's that. Maximally manipulative marketing.
http://youtu.be/mToinfjfZyo

...and an outright silly one. FSM bless The Chaser :-D

'Chasers War on Scientology'
http://youtu.be/_rn7NVRpQSo


And here's a story that combines quackery and Scientology:

'Miami chiropractic office must quit making its staff practice Scientology following complaint'
http://wwrn.org/articles/41373/

Well, superstitions do tend to clump together :-D


...oh, and David Cameron stole this comedian's joke:

'David Cameron Stole My Joke'
http://youtu.be/AMCQ--KMFU0

Or, more likely, one of his aids spotted it, thought "that'll go down well at PMQs" and wrote it in.

They don't write their own speeches, you know.
http://www.wisegeek.com/do-politicians-ever-write-their-own-speeches.htm
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/why_dont_politicians_write_their_own_speeches/


...saving the most grim and hard-to-read stuff 'til last, as usual...


Probably one of the most important awards to win, Brighton & Hove City Council has won the 'Overall UK Loo Of The Year Award'. Yay for them :D
http://www.loo.co.uk/news/index.php

I suppose we shouldn't underestimate the value of sanitation, however. Thorough handwashing practices in UK hospitals has demonstrated an 80% reduction in contractions of MRSA. Simple as that!

Undoubtedly, however, this is an advert for the toilet industry. And no, when it comes to my contribution to advertising them... i wash my hands of all responsibility... with soap :-D


------------------------------------------------------ of the weeks

Word Of The Week: mondegreen -- a mis-hearing of a word or phrase, resulting in a new meaning. Mondegreen itself is derived from a mis-hearing of "I'm on the green"

Etymology Of The Week: tipple -- meaning drinking a little alcoholic beverage; probably from Norwegian 'tipla' meaning 'to drink slowly or in small quantities'

Perversely Popular Industry Of The Week: The Artificial Skin Cancer (Tanning) Industry

Joke Of The Week: How many atheists does it take to change a lightbulb? Two: one to actually do the job; and a second to film it so that religionists don't claim a god did it!

Cocktail Of The Week: Screaming Orgasm (Orgasm + Vodka)

------------------------------------------------------ contemporary stuff

Lots of stuff, all jumbled up. Enjoy.... :-P

'YouTube Rewind: What Does 2013 Say?'
I recognised more than i did last year... is that a good thing? I'm not so sure :-D
http://youtu.be/H7jtC8vjXw8

'Why The Germans Can't Get Enough Of English Markets'
"And then we went and bought plugs" :-D
http://youtu.be/f6m9tvs3PhU

'How to train a deadly komodo dragon'
http://youtu.be/QLgs1xwlc6I

'Great animated illusions' via Richard Wiseman
https://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/great-animated-illusions/

'Funny bodies move like laughing people'
http://youtu.be/9MZwQdxIo1s

'Jack Dee - Unwanted Christmas Presents'
http://youtu.be/U0-bXtakp3k

'Simon Cowell: I DID start the fire (song) starring Jon Culshaw'
Jon Culshaw! He's best known for Dead Ringers's TV and Radio series, but his skills are best demonstrated in this video: http://youtu.be/zMLjQjtcjkk
http://youtu.be/9iqXbAApIVQ

'Birding at the Museum: A Tour with Stephen C. Quinn'
A tour of the dioramas, at The American Museum of Natural History
http://youtu.be/AhrniwfiYkQ

'Tabletop volcano crackles with lightning'
http://youtu.be/PaLNrA9vYgc

'How to make cheese using armpit bacteria'
Delightfully disgusting :-D
http://youtu.be/NFPYy0m-GJ8

'Bouncing Liquid'
Probabilty says this has been fapped to. Very pretty, though :O)
http://youtu.be/SstY_Usuwxs

'This Video Will Hurt'
Brilliant, and absolutely true. Although they did miss a trick: they could have explicitly stated the fact that the placebo/nocebo effect should be considered a property of the subject - not the thing that's being done/given to them.
That means it's fraudulent to claim that a 'medicine' "works by the placebo effect", for example.
http://youtu.be/O2hO4_UEe-4

'Security pants'
NOT a banned commercial. HeadmunsTV appears to be a Thai comedy channel :D
http://www.illegaladvertising.com/post/70579576802/security-pants
For people who hate staring at silly pixellage:
http://youtu.be/TyNVpvZRwIY
{Gasp! She's not even naked :D }

'Amazing T-Rex Illusion!'
I'd worked out which trick this employed by the time i saw the 8 T-Rexes. Will you work it out?
http://youtu.be/A4QcyW-qTUg

'Oil of Wintergreen'
How to make a seasonal scent, for a wintry time of year. Sorry for the guys in the Southisphere, but i suppose you could have a go, anyway :-)
http://youtu.be/VTLnNWQhSMI

'Cassetteboy V Pewdiepie'
I don't even know who that guy is, and it's still funny :D
http://youtu.be/PCLxsKpxnsE

'The Mystery of the Red Cards' - Richard Wiseman
http://youtu.be/QpvEmNKyg9A

'Gingerbread Optimus Prime'
http://twicr.tumblr.com/post/70797653430/gingerbread-optimus-prime-selected-as-a-finalist

'A Working LEGO Hot Rod'
What do you get if you put 300,000 lego pieces together in just the right order, and then whack tyres on it? A working lego hot-rod!
And look at that baby go - air-powered 0-Max in less than a second, and a top speed of almost 5 mph :-D As usual, with lego, most of the fun must lie in the construction :-D
http://www.ripleys.com/weird/daily-dose-of-weird-wtf-blog/amazing-science/a-working-lego-hot-rod/

------------------------------------------------------ non-contemporary stuff

'Get Naked'
A funny advert for Four Seasons Condoms. "Cum again!" :o)
http://www.illegaladvertising.com/post/69573843787/get-naked

Appropriately followed by...

'Vatican misspells Jesus on Pope Francis commemorative coins'
Yahweh's guiding hand, eh... Lesus Christ :-D
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/vatican-misspells-jesus-on-pope-francis-commemorative-coins-8873629.html


'Saturday Night Fry - Floric 19'
http://youtu.be/pgN9WIoFZPE

'Saturday Night Fry - A Lady of Consequence'
http://youtu.be/JBwpW21sfNk

'Saturday Night Fry - Into the Underworld'
http://youtu.be/YhnoYins_kI

'Saturday Night Fry - Don't Be Dirty'
http://youtu.be/T0TVOpChUnQ


''Prove It!' The National Revue company sing "When I'm 64" - forwards and backwards'
http://youtu.be/rwUUOSWThrc

'Arthur Smith singing Jingle Bells... backwards!' (my upload)
http://youtu.be/iMiNWET8nmM


'Time-Lapse Auroras Over Norway'
Beautiful stuff
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131229.html

'Appearing camel!'
I bet you didn't know camels breed this way! Once every 6 minutes, the world camel population doubles - that's why everywhere they live is desert - they're the mammalian equivalent of locusts :-P
http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2013/12/25/appearing-camel/

'Best magic video ever?'
I sense irony in the title, but contend that it might well be true - after all, Debbie McGee never gave us sideboob like that :-D
http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2013/12/24/best-magic-video-ever/

'50 wonderful photos'
Yes - i like that one, too - but i also like the porpoise murmuration, and the lightning. Good pics :-)
http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/50-wonderful-photos/

'TOP 20 of 2013 : Part Two' - Ripley's
http://www.ripleys.com/weird/daily-dose-of-weird-wtf-blog/unbelievable-but-true/top-20-of-2013-part-two/


'Not The Nine O'Clock News - I Like Trucking'
http://youtu.be/w9lmCpIzhFo

'Mr Bean - Blind Date'
No - that's not Debby Mcgee - it's Rowan Atkinson. But they do look similar, don't they :-P
http://youtu.be/VPkh8lxnxmQ


The answer to this week's quiz:

Remove the letters in "five letters" from the sequence, and you get:

F F I R V I E L D E T A Y P T U Z E Z R S L E

  F   R   I     D     A Y P   U Z   Z     L E

"Friday puzzle"

Did you get it?

.