NATO's Stance on Women
"women are a resource, very often an untapped resource, that we need to put into conflict" [youtube]
An interesting choice of words. Any more interesting and she'd be advocating battery farming of women. Newly appointed Norwegian diplomat, Mari Skåre, doesn't beat around the bush and seems adament that as part of her new role as NATO's "Special Representative for women, peace and security" she will do her best to fulfil NATO's "need" for women to be "put into conflict".
Eggs on a Fence Post
Spotted these a while back. Not sure what animal they belong to, but perhaps some moth or butterfly.
It Looks Like You Lost, But The Rules Are Stupid
This is an old story now [buzzfeed.com], and one that probably no-one cares about, but I see it so badly commentated on that I have to give my 2-cents. South Korean fencer, Shin A Lam, controversially lost to German, Britta Heidemann, in an Olympic bout deciding on who went into the final round. I don't know anything about fencing, I don't care about fencing, I have no interest in either side. I do like truth however, and attempting to get to the bottom of things.
The rules of fencing seem woolly to me. Why have such accuracy in an electronic clock if it's the voice of an official that starts the timer. Also dodgy is the fact that if this score hadn't been accepted, Shin A Lam would have won based on some ridiculous pre-game coin-toss rule, that comes into action in the case of the scores being a tie. I don't care about the unfairness or any of that, I'm just investigating the 1 second of controversy. I also don't care that the game should have finished before this as the clock read 0 but the time-judge set it back to 1 second (they actually set it back to 1 minute at first). That's something the Korean team should have protested about before hand, as it was completely outrageous. These are the facts that I've garnered in the last half hour of reading, but all that concerns me is whether that hit really registered in under one second.
The mistake most people made, who analysed this, is to use the video from the television feed. Even if the graphic systems were tightly synced to the score system, there would still be a noticeable delay in updating details (accurate timer countdown etc.). And as I show in the GIF above, even the one "real-time" marker that people used (the red light in the head gear) has a delayed reaction time.
The round starts after the referee shouts "Allez" and a beep sounds (there's that woolly timing thing again). In my analysis I have given the benefit of the doubt and started timing at the "ah" syllable of Allez. I'm using a video made by someone in the audience [youtube.com], to eliminate the delay in televised graphics as mentioned earlier. There's a lot of talking but you can clearly make out the referee saying "En garde. Prêt. Allez" [beep isn't very clear though]. The only issue with this video is that it appears to have been filmed at 25 frames per second but then encoded at 30fps meaning that every 6th frame is a duplicate of the 5th. This isn't a problem though because even though there are extra frames in there, the frame rate has been increased to match (e.g. you could put in 70 extra duplicate frames and run the video at 100fps but it's still only one second).
The hit was registered (podium light) just before the 30th frame, and therefore before the one second mark. Interestingly, it took an extra three frames for the second scoreboard to show the hit, possibly exemplifying how slow the televised graphics would take to update. Also, if one goes on the muffled "beep" as a guide and focuses on the body language of both fencers and referee, the hit is inside the time even more so.
There are still things to pick about with my [and indeed any ones] analysis. Details with the camera (rolling shutter, audio sync etc.), the exact start time, but given that the judges took 45 minutes going over all their own data and first hand footage, I guess there's enough margin of error to assume that the score was legitimate. The real issue is with the build up and how fair that was. The rules and execution seem ramshackle. To have it all set up with electronic time pieces, and electronic hit detection, and then rely on a human to say "go", and add on time as they want, just makes it seem all very silly. Very silly, and very tragic in this case.
Experiments in Additive Colours, Refresh Rates, and Persistence of Vision
[ catrgb.swf ]
I was thinking about that experiment most people did in school at some point: the spinning colour wheel [hometrainingtools.com]. If you spin a piece of paper fast enough, which has the primary "additive" colours on it, you will see it turn white. It has to do with our perception of the magic of visible electromagnetic radiation. I thought I might try a digital version of it.
The principle here is similar to that of commercial DLP image projection [wiki]. I've taken an image of a cat and reduced it down to it's red, green, and blue components. I've then set them in a repeating sequence where you can alter the speed (framerate) that they cycle through. If you set the frame rate to closely match your monitors refresh rate, you will notice that the image adopts a somewhat "real colour" image. This has to do with image persistance on your retina, and not something funky with your monitor. You can prove this to yourself by flicking your eyes around the screen. You'll catch breif glimpses of the seperate colours. Lots of people find this "rainbow effect" annoying, myself included [riemann's cut]. It becomes especially abhorrent when watching a media display device utilising DLP.
If you increase the frame rate beyong your monitors refresh rate, you'll begin to see secondary colours of yellow, cyan and magenta appear [note: there may be Flash-within-browser restrictions that limit this rate]. The effect works best on CRT monitors but it will work on LCD too.
It's all very exciting. This experiment has surely been done a million times, but now with cats.
Scissor Sisters - Invisible Light
"Invisible, I cannot pass by the Gate of the Invisible, save by virtue of the Name of Light."
I've been watching and listening to this almost constantly for the past few days. At first glance the video looks like a fan-made montage of footage from films of 1980's, but as you continue to watch you relaise it's too complex and well fitting for that. Some might feel the need to Google to see if all the footage was shot for the video; indeed it was [wiki].
The video compromises of a selection of nightmarish vignettes, interlaced together, devoid of narrative or logic. As mentioned, the video is styled in an early 80's manner, resembling that of a Spanish or Italian horror film of the time. It's steeped in references to dream analysis, sex magick and the occult, which makes sense, as the song itself is a reference to Aleister Crowley's "Lamp of the Invisible Light" [hermetic.com]. I guess these are all the reasons that I was drawn to the video. Being a fan of films from that period, I actually find the video more satisfying than a film somehow. Perhaps because it being only 4 minutes long, it doesn't suffer from the expectation of delivering an understandable story line, that was often just used as padding in films of this ilk.
Some Equine Related Novelties
I came across a Russian artist that felt so inspired by the Hidez equine suit, which I spoke of in the past [Riemann's Cut], that she made a quick painting of a horse wearing one [deviantart.com]. Ольга Кобрина has created some other very nice pieces in digital and traditional media for you to check out [https://sites.google.com/site/artmadeo/].
Speaking of Russians and horses...
The anatomy of a mechanical horse...
The anatomy of a plastic horse...
How we will browse the internet of the future...
Darcey Bussell: 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremony
Well-loved retired British ballerina, Darcey Bussell [wiki], led a large troupe of dancers that took part in a performance which heralded the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, at the 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday 12th. Along with Bussell, four male principle dancers from the Royal Ballet took center stage. They were Gary Avis, Edward Watson, Nehemiah Kish and Jonathan Cope.
It was hard for me to appreciate the spectacle at the time because I was watching it live on a rather dodgy internet stream, which didn't lend itself to fast movement. I later acquired an illegal HD copy (I think it's frightful that we have to break the law to see something as universal as the Olympics, but anyway...), and I gave it a good viewing.
The televised content is impossible to get past internet censors, so enjoy this audience member perspective of the routine instead. *
I'll refrain from comment on the entertainment value of the rest of the ceremony but the "Phoenix/Spirit of the Flame" dance piece was wonderful. Bussell looked fabulous, and while it wasn't the most strenuous of routines, she looked as if still in her prime. The costumes, hair and make-up were delightfully rich and acerbic.
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Some, perhaps, may say the descending Fire Bird device looked tacky, but that's only because you retrospectively get to see it's workings up-close and brightly illuminated. For people in the stadium, the stage-craft would be obfuscated, and they would have just enjoyed a theatrical entrance. Speaking of stage-craft, I have to give the production full credit for managing to create an enchanting atmosphere in such a huge arena. The lighting and everything else was spot-on.
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Other complaints I heard, came at the backing dancers. There were one or two snide comments, on Twitter and elsewhere, ranging from the disparaging: "they should have used professional dancers", to downright insulting: "Looks like they're fattening up the turkeys for Christmas." Most unfair and unwarranted.
Behind the scenes video of the dancers rehearsing. Via [roh.org.uk]
I've love to think that there was some sort of "behind the scenes" documentary filmed (or even just a fly-on-the-wall camera following Bussell on the night) that will end up on Youtube, but I think the video above is the most we'll ever see, unfortunately.
Also worth mentioning was the music by David Arnold, which was very effective. A great mix between symphonic ensemble and electronica. There were all kinds of things running through it, perhaps even a hint of the Prodigy's "Firestarter" and few other influences thrown into the mix. It went very well with Alastair Marriott's and Christopher Wheeldon's choreography; a perfect blend of flow and lockstep, creating an engaging audio-visual synergy.
In case it wasn't clear: I loved it. I've watched it umpteen times since it aired and I just can't tire of it. It's such a shame that it wasn't shown in the American coverage of the ceremony. A real pity that this and the 7/7 dedication in the Opening Ceremony were cut from broadcast, on the grounds that people "wouldn't be interested". Of course people wouldn't be interested, how are people supposed to be interested in something that they never get to see!
* I discovered that the official Olympic Youtube account now has a 1080p version of the televised event available for viewing. Not sure if it's geolocked. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsGQ8C64WlQ ]
Psychic Flathan: Everything You want Him to Be
Flathan's Twitter account has since been deleted.
"It comes totally out of my mouth without thinking..."
Bill O'Herlihy: [insert thought provoking title here]
Bill [wiki] was 51 when he hosted RTE's coverage of the 1990 World Cup. If that doesn't frighten you, nothing will. Hang on, I was 9 in 1990; that's even more frightening. In 2054 I'll be the same age as Bill is now, but that's if we're all still alive by then. I may have to spend the rest of the evening re-evaluating the concept of time travel, from the relative safety but discomfort of my wardrobe. It you were trying to evade time, where would you hide, and could you graph it in the form: safety / comfort. I will emerge when it's the future, or when I get hungry, whichever is soonest.
Agony on the Amiga
I thought I might mention a game that was available for the Commodore Amiga in the early 1990's. Published by Psygnosis [wiki], it was similar in atmosphere to Shadow of the Beast 2 [wiki], which is not surprising since much of the production team were involved in both titles. It was another one of those games that I never owned a full copy of, but played the demo so much that it became part of gaming nostalgia for me. The game was "Agony" [wiki], a side scrolling shooter where your played the character of an owl. Most memorable were those Shadow of the Beast styled parallex scrolling graphics, dramatic music cues, and fluid owl animation.
It's no surprise to me that when I'm asked to think about owls, I will nearly always remember Agony, or get a flash of the Psygnosis logo in my mind, a logo which is perhaps one my favourite company logos of all time, certainly favourite of the gaming industry [psychosis.png]. A follower on Twitter requested a "sweary owl" for her birthday a few months back [twitter]. Not knowing if she were serious or not I did it anyway. And so, I took a background graphic from the game, layered on an owl on top, and banged in a "fuck" graphic for good measure. I like the way it came out actually, it took a bit of effort but it wasn't "fucking agony". Ahem yes.. I'll get my coat.
My Favorite Pussy Riot Performance
Not sure what stealing a chicken and shoving it up your vagina has to do with a political protest, but I give them kudos for not worrying about developing a dose of Campylobacteriosis of the crack. As a wise old Russian babushka once said though: "Don't be Putin that up there."
I'm also not sure if PETA would agree with it as a performance piece. Paul McCarney has given his support to the group now as well, stating that he supports all forms of artistic expression. Perhaps eating hamburgers is art now. I wonder what Linda would have to say about it all. Mung basted chicken, who knows, it could be a delicacy.
Let's enjoy the entire reel of Pussy Riot fun-times. Oh look at all those performances where the authorities just turned a blind eye to them. Isn't it odd how they sang the same anti-Putin songs in various locations around Moscow, including outside the Kremlin, and nothing was done about it. Gosh, is it really possible that they did something more illegal than just "singing a song"? If this were really about freedom of expression, wouldn't they have been arrested and tried after the very first, or second, or third... performance? Hate Crime and Blasphemy laws might be stupid, but other countries have them too, and unfortunately for the Pussy Riot people, desecrating a church's sanctuary is a red line offence in Russia.
Broadly speaking though, I don't mind people giving Russia a hard time over the criminal sentence. While most of the protesting voices I've heard have been largely ignorant about the details of the case itself, I must agree with the outcry over the sentence given. It reflects how much the church has encroached on Russian law. Letting this case look like it's some sort of personal vendetta against Pussy Riot is also atrocious. You'd have thought in all the years of the ham-fisted PR dealings of the Soviet Union, Russia's ruling class would have realised how powerful "soft-power" is and that a little bit of spin and subterfuge goes a long way: "Let the thieves keep the rope that they have stolen, for eventually they will hang themselves with it".
No. Soft-power is just not Russia's way. They still go at things hammer and tongs, fire and brimstone. They haven't a clue; not a single clue. Maybe Putin thought his little: "They shouldn't be judged too harshly" soundbite would cut it. It didn't. Putin has to be more like Barry Obama and demand that everyone gives him an "Amen" at the end of his speeches. He needs a few lessons in social programming. Maybe that's where the Church comes in...
If one good thing does come out of all this, it's to prove once and for all that Russia Today is indeed an impartial broadcaster, and not just a spokeshole for the Russian government, as Western shills like to propagate. The entire case was covered, from the pre-case build-up, to the arrests outside after the verdict given. There was no spin put on it, and dissenting voices were aired. Some of the most disturbing information about the dealings of the case also came from RT. Journalists from other Russian media however (names not mentioned but let's just say they are on the radio) have been rather scathing of the group. Calling them all sorts of vulgar derogatory names and saying that they got off lightly with 2 years of imprisonment. It's interesting to hear the mix of opinions from Russians about the case, which has completely divided the nation, although in polls taken recently, the group enjoys only a small percentage of active support.
Finally lets look at the complex chronology of the situation: The West supports a group, that oppose a group, that the West once supported, when the Soviets opposed that group. It's a classic case of the old switcheroo once again. Back in the 1980s American tele-evangelist, Pat Robertson, loved to spout about how "God will destroy Russia!". Given the way the Churches infecting-fingers are making their way into Russian governance, in a queer and quite ironic way, he might eventually be right.
Let's enjoy the entire reel of Pussy Riot fun-times. Oh look at all those performances where the authorities just turned a blind eye to them. Isn't it odd how they sang the same anti-Putin songs in various locations around Moscow, including outside the Kremlin, and nothing was done about it. Gosh, is it really possible that they did something more illegal than just "singing a song"? If this were really about freedom of expression, wouldn't they have been arrested and tried after the very first, or second, or third... performance? Hate Crime and Blasphemy laws might be stupid, but other countries have them too, and unfortunately for the Pussy Riot people, desecrating a church's sanctuary is a red line offence in Russia.
Broadly speaking though, I don't mind people giving Russia a hard time over the criminal sentence. While most of the protesting voices I've heard have been largely ignorant about the details of the case itself, I must agree with the outcry over the sentence given. It reflects how much the church has encroached on Russian law. Letting this case look like it's some sort of personal vendetta against Pussy Riot is also atrocious. You'd have thought in all the years of the ham-fisted PR dealings of the Soviet Union, Russia's ruling class would have realised how powerful "soft-power" is and that a little bit of spin and subterfuge goes a long way: "Let the thieves keep the rope that they have stolen, for eventually they will hang themselves with it".
 |
| Lenin used to cause quite a "riot" whenever he took his "pussy" out for a walk. I think that joke has been done elsewhere. Well that's Communism for you. |
If one good thing does come out of all this, it's to prove once and for all that Russia Today is indeed an impartial broadcaster, and not just a spokeshole for the Russian government, as Western shills like to propagate. The entire case was covered, from the pre-case build-up, to the arrests outside after the verdict given. There was no spin put on it, and dissenting voices were aired. Some of the most disturbing information about the dealings of the case also came from RT. Journalists from other Russian media however (names not mentioned but let's just say they are on the radio) have been rather scathing of the group. Calling them all sorts of vulgar derogatory names and saying that they got off lightly with 2 years of imprisonment. It's interesting to hear the mix of opinions from Russians about the case, which has completely divided the nation, although in polls taken recently, the group enjoys only a small percentage of active support.
 |
| Back in the 1930's, Stalin had the original cathedral demolished, and planned the erection of a glorious Palace of the Soviets. Due to the war, that plan was never completed however and the foundations were eventually turned into a massive swimming pool. Then they decided to rebuild a cathedral there again in the 1990s. Gluttons for punishment. |
Julian Assange: Superstar
♫ I remember when this whole this began.
Do you remember when Wikileaks was all about changing the world and uncovering the truths covered up by governments? Do you remember that; I do. So what has happened to it. All I ever here from Wikileaks now is about Julian Assange himself: Julian's plight, Julian's asylum, Julian's mother, Julian's unsheathed cock...
♫ You've begun to matter more than the things you say.
Julian Assange has become the Jesus Christ of whistle blowing. A cult leader of sorts. Wikileaks is Julian; Julian is Wikileaks. If you follow Wikileaks on Twitter the majority of what you'll get are Tweets about the status of Assange, and links to articles about how rape is not rape in Sweden.
♫ It's all gone sour.
Whether Assange is the maker of his own mess, or whether it is engineered by "authorities", the rape issue is tarnishing the whole cause, and the only person that can fix this is Assange himself. I feel that the only way to resolve the issue is to just bite the bullet and hand himself over to Swedish authorities (defeatist perhaps, but I go further than that). I think he should be questioned [and if it transpires, tried in court] and then immediately extradited to America (but wait, there's more!).
♫ For the sake of the nation, this Jesus must die.
I think Julian Assange should go to Sweden, be extradited to America, tried and and convicted of terrorism in an American court, and given a death sentence. That would be an amazing catalyst for something much greater than Wikileaks. I think even the most naive of us know that scenario won't play out though. If Assange ends up in America, we're unlikely to hear of him again.
♫ Damned for all time.
Playing out all possibilities it's conceivable that what Assange is more afraid of is NOT being extradited to America, instead being merely found guilty of rape and perhaps serving time in a Swedish prision. This would evaporate the notion that he is the "great persecuted one", being hunted down by America. This scenario could be played out no matter of his guilt or innocence, or whether he was "set up" or not. Potentially, I think this would be the most damaging to his cause.
"You've begun to matter more than the things you say." It was this line from "Jesus Christ: Superstar" that popped into my head when thinking about Assange recently. Other lines from the musical have been included where appropriate.
As I finish writing this, there are continuing reports of increased police activity outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where Assange is apparently holding up. If British police officers cross the sovereign Ecuadorian threshold to arrest Assange, it could prove to be a very interesting diplomatic precedent indeed.
The Blogger Cogs of Doom
Tunisia: Post Arab Spring
It seems like a distant memory now, but the Tunisian "Arab Spring" of 2010-2011, brought great changes to the country, although perhaps not what the protesters had all hoped for. The origins of the Tunisian Arab Spring lay fundamentally as an economic revolution, but these days you will probably see it described as some sort of liberation process from a ruthless tyrant. This is nonsense of course. Secular Tunisia was one of the most liberal of Arab states, something only the religious zealots would have complained about. What of it though, the people made their stand.
So how are things now. Well, the people of Tunis, where Tunisia's Arab Spring begun, are complaining that nothing has changed [google.com/afp]. They thought if they toppled the government jobs and affluence would suddenly spring forth, like the jinni from Aladdin's lamp. It hasn't, and now they've gone on strike and protest, once again demanding that "change" occurs. What they have gotten for their troubles however, is a glimpse of a new path to Sharia Law.
A new constitution is being drawn up and after countless delays it's hoped that it will be in place before March 2013. Not all are happy though [euronews.com]. The new constitution brings a greater integration with Islam and a new approach to the perception of female citizens. Tunisian women are already protesting the proposed wording of the status of women. Article 6 of the existing Tunisian constitution (est. 1957) states that: "All citizens have the same rights and obligations. All are equal before the law." [richmond.edu]. The proposed new constitution states that "women are 'complementary' to men". By itself, this may seem innocuous, but by dividing citizens into sexes, it clears the way for law makers to come up with all kinds of inequality rulings.
What does the future bring for Tunisia- It's reported that "extremists" are calling for a female athlete, who won a silver medal in this years Olympics, to be stripped of her citizsenship because she wasn't wearing a sheet while competing [sportsillustrated.cnn.com]. While this will probably fall on deaf ears, I see this kind of protest gathering momentum in the future. Look at Libya after the "Arab Spring" thawed the secularism from their constitution, and reintroduced Sharia Law. Women are "free" now. Free to vote... in their hijabs [telegraph.co.uk]. It's funny though, women didn't have to wear veils in the Libya under Gadaffi's rule. Women were also allowed drive (still punishable in Saudi Arabia), women were allowed education (numbers of women availing of higher education equalled that of Libyan men), the right to choose who they married (and were allowed to divorce at their own free will) [observer.ug]. Ah but, Gaddafi was a mad man, don't forget.Roll on Sharia Syria...
Belinda Bedeković Returns!
The Power of Space!
After a long hiatus, the Croatian musician (made [in]famous by the "Borat" film in 2006) makes a stunning return with a blitz of Youtube videos [youtube] and a new look to her website [belindabedekovic.com]. The videos include a 15 minute "interview" where she speaks about her life and music. She appears to have splashed out on some new equipment too, including a Roland AXSynth keytar and a green screen. This is indeed a great day!
"I don't like to shake hands because, some people tend to squeeze your hand when shaking... I am really afraid for my fingers."
Liberty Insurance Misogyny
Questionable graphics included in a Liberty Insurance [ libertyinsurance.ie ] television advertisement.
The Summer Olympics in High Definition
Australian cyclist, Anna Meares, keeps an eye on Ukraine's Lyubov Shulika, following close behind. Click to enlarge
HDTV isn't new, nor is London 2012 even the first Olympic Games to be shot in HD, but it is the first Games where one can sit down in their living room, and watch it live on Irish HD terrestrial television. I have been busy recording DVB MPEG stream snippets whenever I get the opportunity.
I'm an old-school "vid-capper" [wiki], spending much of my time in mid to late 1990's making horrendous quality digital images from VHS cassette tapes. I still have six or seven 3-hour tapes of the Atlanta 1996 Games. It was Atlanta '96 that started off my vid-capping craze actually. In recent years I keep myself busy screen-capping netcasts [Riemann's Cut].
Comparing then and now, there is a huge leap in not just quality, but also ease of capture. Back in the bad old days, there were noisy RCA composite video connections, and slow computers to deal with. Now it's all done from the original digital stream contained on a flash drive. The streams are interlaced, which is a little bit annoying, but easily dealt with, and the quality is [relatively] phenomenal . Inspect this 100% crop of the screen-cap above:
All kinds of details shine through with HD, it gives a new perspective on things; a new depth. And apparently parts of this years Olympics have been shot in Ultra High Definition [wiki] which introduces outrageous resolutions such as 4 and 8 thousand scan lines, or for people in the megapixel mindset, 8MP and 33MP, respectively.
When UHDTV becomes mainstream, we're going to need very large flash drives; very large indeed.
London 2012: Michael Phelps Pays a Visit to His British Relatives
Alternatively: a very strange gangbang gay porno. "to me, to you, to me" [Michael Phelps] [Chuckle Brothers]
Oscar Pistorius and His Carbon Fibre Legs
A little debate emerged over the inclusion of a South African athlete in this years Olympics, who previously ran in the Paralympics. The controversy surrounds his artificial legs and whether they boost performance or not.
This leads me back to the point of my original tweet. My issue was over the apparent discord in rulings by the IAAF and IOC on the issues of performance enhancement. Too often have we heard how an athlete has lost a medal, or placing, or been banned because of a suspicion of performance increase, or use of nasal decongestant when they had a cold. Keeping track of what is what can be difficult, and if you're not careful you can find yourself being a drug cheat without knowing it! Caffeine is now a legal substance, but before 2005 it was banned. Athletes were punished for having as little as a cup of coffee's worth of caffeine in their blood. One wonders if the lifting of this caffeine ban was in anyway influenced by the hypocrisy of having one of the major Olympic "partners" being a caffeinated beverage, but that's for a different discussion.
The issue is tricky, as it's hard to find a similar analogue to base it against. If we look at swimming, there is a long history of swim suits being banned for their performance enhancing features. It's different for swimming, because it's easy for a swimmer to swim with and without the aid and have the two times compared, and for obvious reasons, you are unable to do this with artificial legs. How much faster or slower would Pistorius run with biological legs? Just because he doesn't win, doesn't mean he's not getting an unnatural advantage, and if this is so, he may be depriving an athlete (without such an advantage) a spot in the Olympic finals.
At the moment, the story appears to be reported as "heros tale". This isn't something to complain about. I always liked the idea of less segregation in athletics, and on a purely trivial level, I like the look of the carbon fibre legs. Does this fix the dichotomy over this and obsessive drug testing? No. I think the best way to sum up the controversy for people who aren't convinced about it yet is to use China. If he were a Chinese athlete, who ran with artificial legs, how would the story be reported. Well obviously he was cheating, and his probably had his legs cut off by the Chinese government. Then we'd see all kinds of experts crawling out of the woodwork to say how much these appliances boost performance. This is not me being facetious. Already we had fantastic stories about genetically engineered Chinese athletes [dailymail]. How long before we had talk of evil Chinese terminator robot athletes.
There is a fundamental issue with ending the prohibition on drug use in athletics however. The problem is that if drug use were legal, athletes would be dropping like flies or growing extra appendages from taking all kinds of experimental concoctions. But then, if athletes (or governments) were willing to go through all this for performance gain, would they also eye-up the prospects of lobbing off a leg to gain an advantage. Allowing Oscar Pistorius compete might be the thin edge of a wedge, that opens Pandora's box, which is full of really tricky shit. Since Pistorius finished last in his heat, the debate on the matter will be kicked down the road.
* Suggested viewing material: "Bigger Stronger Faster" [imdb]
The First Image from the Surface of Mars
The cryptic looking image above is actually the first image sent back from the surface of Mars, in 1971. It came from the Soviet Union's Mars-3 lander module [wiki], the first man-made object to land safely on the Martian planet. Just a few days previous, the Soviet Union's Mars-2 lander became the first man-made object to [ungracefully] impact the planets surface.The image, while the result of an impressive feat., is universally accepted to contain no meaningful content, instead it's believed to be just noise. The transmission from the lander lasted just under 15 seconds before the signal was lost. The lander managed to transmit 70 scan-lines from the camera in that time. The tragic failure of both missions is believed to be the result of unavoidable Martian storms.
Included with each of the lander modules was a primitive "rover" device. This tethered unit would have scuttled out from the lander to get a better image of the surrounding area, and take measurements of the Martian environment, but because both landers became inoperative, the rovers were never deployed.Things have moved on greatly from the pioneering days of Martian exploration by the USSR. We have learned and seen so much from the subsequent Soviet, American, and International missions, and hopefully, tomorrow's "Curiosity" mission by NASA will bring us even greater insights on the planet. What I look forward to (although I will be well gone by then) is the day when we are in a position learn what was the exact reason for the failure of both Soviet landers. If we continue to pursue Mars, as we do now, I am sure that one day, we will discover their secrets.
Introducing: "Шан3"
Шан3 (Shanz3) [facebook] are a trio of musicians from Mongolia, whom I happened upon just last night.
By the way, this was originally mean't to be a post on folk music from the Tartar and Ural regions of Asia, but I somehow ended up browsing through Mongolian pop music instead. Keeping it classy!
I've listened to this a few times now, and I'm still not sure what I think of it. Mongolian women "rocking out" with their Shanz (sanxians) [wiki]. It's interesting, if nothing else. The obligatory head-banging scene is the best bit. From the three stage lights to the limp wristed drummer; this is all very harmless.
Maybe this is horrendous, but I find myself liking it. I've watched it so many times now that I've lost all impartial judgement, and I'm not exactly the best judge of these things anyway (after-all, I was originally planning to blog about how pleasant throat-singing is [that post will surely appear one day]). I think it's enjoyable enough, and it probably lies somewhere between the heights of Apocalyptica [youtube] and depths of Myleene Klass [youtube] (neither of whom I actually have much time for).The "lightweight" production is just about carried by the three women. I'm not sure if men would get away with it. Oh sure, there would be something twee and charming about three elderly Mongolian men playing along to a rock song. A kind of Asian ZZ TOP perhaps, but three angry looking young men might just cause a complete comical calamity (check out the awkward male backing band for example).
Their Facebook page doesn't have much information on the group. I'd very much like to know how they came about. Were they completely manufactured, or an existing folk group, transformed by some agency. Much like how they get the figs into the fig rolls, these are the important mysteries of the universe that may never be solved.
Finally, this is short example of the kind of music you missed out on, because I took the post in a different direction. Now aren't you happy. [ mp3 ]
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