Chris Jordan's Blog

Google Being Sued by Paypal

2011-05-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

“PayPal, the online payment king, didn’t exactly laugh and cheer when Google announced its new “mobile wallet” for Android phones yesterday. Instead PayPal filed a lawsuit against Google and two former PayPal executives now in charge of mobile payments at the search giant. The complaint alleges “misappropriation of trade secrets, and “breach of fiduciary duty.”

Read More: Google Being Sued by Paypal

Vox Amp and Watkins Guitar

2011-05-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Vox Amp and Watkins Guitar

Making a Garden Pond

2011-05-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

How to make a garden pond? Well I knew all the principles and I’d made one before. This pond, however, was going to be a bit different and was going to be a prominent feature in the garden.

The Beatles: Strawberry Fields NOT Forever

2011-05-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Beatles: Strawberry Fields NOT Forever

Shocked Beatles fans have expressed their anger at the famous Strawberry Fields gates being removed and replaced with replicas.

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Vajazzling: Pubic Bling

2011-02-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

What is Vajazzle, Vajazzling or Vajazzled?

According to the Urban Dictionary:

“Vajazzling: The act of applying glitter and jewels to a woman’s nether regions for aesthetic purposes.

“The transfixion felt by the pointless wonder of vaginal glitter.

“Feeling her Swarovski jewellery wasn’t enough, Sue started vajazzling for added bling effect.
“Did you see that chick’s crotch crystals? They’re vajazzling!””

The Three Most Expensive Cars in The World: $11m to $30m

2010-05-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Three Most Expensive Cars in The World: $11m to $30m

The Death of Graffiti Artist Banksy

2010-05-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Death of Graffiti Artist Banksy

Incredible Picture of Lightning Over Icelandic Volcano

2010-04-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

In the UK and across Europe the news of the moment is about the volcano in Iceland which is putting ash into the skies and closing airports across the continent. But a photograph has just been published which shows how awesome nature can be, with forked lightning bolts alongside the rising plume.

Incredible Picture of Lightning Over Icelandic Volcano

Amazing Art: Eric Joisel Turning Paper Into Dollars

2009-12-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

When talking of art and paper in the same sentence one immediately thinks of sketching or painting. If the word origami is also introduced then the topic may become uninspiring as a pastime to keep children occupied.Not in the hands of Eric Joisel. He has turned this into an exciting art form and his pieces now command thousands of dollars.

Origami is taken from two Japanese words that, as Eric Joisel explains on his website, simply means fold and paper. That is: no cuts no glue.
Eric has spent hundreds of hours developing his sculptures and techniques. In fact when asked how long a piece takes to create his answer is “35 years.”

Amazing Art: Eric Joisel Turning Paper Into Dollars

The 10 Strongest Beers in The World

2009-12-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

The 10 Strongest Beers in The World

You Know You are Having a Bad Day When...

2009-11-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

There are some days when you know you should never have got up in the morning. You just know you are going to have a bad day. There are some days when you do not know you are going to have a bad day but have one anyway.Whether they knew it was coming or not, these people were definitely having a bad day:

You Know You are Having a Bad Day When...

Tom Tom or Dumb Dumb? When Sat Navs Go Wrong

2009-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Some thought that sat navs would do away with using maps whilst driving. However it is now becoming apparent that it is perhaps some of the drivers who use sat navs that we should be getting rid of.

Here are the tales of some drivers who took the words of the satnav as gospel, when they should have remembered one of the satnav’s own favourite phrases:
“Turn around when possible”!

Tom Tom or Dumb Dumb? When Sat Navs Go Wrong

The Magic and Myths of Mirrors

2009-11-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

"I looked in the mirror and what did I see...."

What does one see when one looks in a mirror? Is it merely as the song says "...a nine stone weakling with knobbly knees..." or is there more to be seen in a mirror than one's own reflection?

Mirrors have a certain mystique about them which gives rise to beliefs, magic, myths legends and superstitions.

Amongst many things they have been seen as a "tool of the devil", a "catcher of souls", a harbinger of things to come, a portal to another dimension and a source of bad luck.

But what are these beliefs, myths and superstitions and where do they come from?

The Mystique, Magic, Myths and Superstitions of Mirrors

Halloween Stories: Four Tales of Horror and Humor for The Haunting Season

2009-10-11T05:46:00.001-07:00

‘Tis All Hallows E’en’ again and time for the witches and ghoulies to come out. It is the time to turn off the lights, ignite a candle and, in the flickering light, settle down with tales of waking spirits, haunted places, demonic possessions and other stories to make your heart go bump in the night.Alternatively, you could creep up behind someone else who is doing this and shout “BOO!”!

Amazing Sand Art: Run The Beasties are Coming!

2009-10-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

All is not as it appears on the beach and there are certainly some unexpected beasties and characters there these days.

Dear Grandma
Having a lovely time, here on holiday at Amityville-On-Sea.
I am sending you some photographs to show you how wonderful and exciting it is.
You were right when you said there are lots of interesting creatures to see, and fun things to do beside the sea.
I made a new friend called Tom and we were making sand castles today when out of the sand popped a dragon….

Amazing Sand Art: Run The Beasties are Coming!

The Mystery of The Doll That Grew Old in The Attic

2009-10-01T23:01:00.001-07:00

It is the thing that Hollywood Horror films are made of. Even more particularly it is reminiscent of Oscar Wilde’s The picture of Dorian Gray.

An unnamed family, similar to any other average family, did what all families do as the children start to grow up. They had to decide that the outgrown toys, cluttering the kid’s rooms, should be got rid of or stored away. As usually happens, with many things that were cherished by the children, several of them were stored away in the attic. Amongst them was a doll. An ordinary baby-faced doll.........

Amazing Art: 10 Stunning Works of Sand Art

2009-10-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Around the world there are some amazing examples of sand art appearing in competitions, exhibitions or just purely for the art. Here are 10 of the best and most stunning.

10 Fabulous Photographs of Birds in Flight with Web Sources

2009-10-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

We can only admire the birds of the air from a distance as they take off, soar, swoop and dive. Here, ten photographers use their skills to show us what these feathered aerial acrobats look like in fabulous close up shots. This article also gives reference points to find more information about the birds and the sources of the photographs.

Amazing Old Bangers: 10 Interesting and Unusual Antique Guns

2009-06-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Even when it comes to weapons mans creative and dare I say artistic, ingenuity comes to the fore. If it is possible to have one weapon, then why not turn that weapon into two by fixing a blade or a club on it? As for pistols – let’s have six barrels, a muff pistol, a palm pistol, or a ring pistol. This is a look at some interesting and some unusual antique guns that gunsmiths have created in the past. Also here, is the gun described as “the most beautiful gun in the world” and the story of how it came to be in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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How to Make a Barbecue From a Washing Machine

2009-06-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

An idiot’s guide. Absolutely simple. No skills or special tools needed. Yes I am serious and no it’s not a joke. From an everyday washing machine you can have a spinning, rotating wood burner and barbecue! Read on for picture by picture instructions.

Cutting Edge Weapons: 10 Unusual Knives, Swords and Blades

2009-06-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

In this age when we think of weapons, we tend to think of aircraft, electronic guidance systems, bombs and missiles. Sophisticated star wars systems may come to mind or huge warships and aircraft carriers or even chemical or nuclear weapons. Of course that has not always been the case.

From man’s earliest days the blade has been the basic form of weapon whether for hunting, defence or warfare. For close combat and ceremonial occasions it is still in use today: the dress sword of the mounted officer or the bayonet of the infantry. If you are lucky enough to be Knighted you may even get a tap on the shoulders by the British Queen with a ceremonial sword.

I would like to make it clear at this point, that this article takes no stance on the use of weaponry.
My own beliefs and convictions are not included here. This is a look at some of the non standard, more interesting and curious forms that blades have taken, with historical, geographic and cultural differences. I use the term blade because some of the forms shown cannot be described as knives or swords.

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Light and Water: The Photography of Dave Wilson LRPS

2009-05-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

There are many varied elements that make a good photograph. For me, three of those elements are light, water and contemporary photographer Dave Wilson.

The use of light and knowing how to use it, is the difference between a pleasing photograph and a superb photograph. Add the reflective qualities of water, with its ability to not only reflect the image but the light itself, and the skill of the photographer to interpret it and it becomes a work of art.

The Warrior Queen

2009-05-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show: Blooming Lovely

2009-05-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

In May of each year in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, in London, is the world’s most famous gardening event. It is the Great Spring Show held by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Nowadays most people know it as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

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A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

2009-05-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

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Crash Rocks 7 Stars

2009-05-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Was it a comet, a meteorite, or possibly an alien spacecraft?

No it was just Chris and Phil.
The boys were back in town and didn’t the audience know it.
For the second time in two weeks “The Original Seven Stars” pub rocked to the sound of “Crash”: Chris Bannister and Phil Ashcroft.On both occasions these popular, talented, professional musicians played to standing room only, in what is Leyland’s smallest pub.
And what a night they gave us.

Read full review with YouTube video

Reflectimg on Nature

2009-05-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

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Amazing Art: The Dynamic Driftwood Horse Sculptures of Heather Jansch

2009-05-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Her understanding of her subject and her perception of the finished work create monumental sculptures that are awe inspiring.

“From the beginning my twin passions were drawing and horses and my hero was Leonardo da Vinci. I dreamed of becoming an artist living in wooded foothills with clear flowing water at my doorstep and horses grazing all around.” Heather Jansch

The Amazing Epic 3D Street Art of Edgar Mueller

2009-05-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

Imagine waking up one morning, opening the curtains and where once had been a busy street is now a huge fissure in the surface of the earth with molten lava pouring into the broiling waters hundreds of feet below…..

The Amazing Hand Art of Guido Daniele

2009-05-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished that amazing works of art or a wildlife safari were within arms reach of you? Well it’s possible, almost literally, in the hands of Guido

Daniele.

The 58-year-old Italian artist who studied in both Italy and India creates amazing works using the hands and arms of models. His “handimals” show the outstanding ability of this artist.

See Artwork

The Corpse That Would Not Lie Down

2009-05-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

The humorous story of the undertaker and his assistant and the night that probably haunted them forever.

"....They placed him on his back on the preparation table. In the dim light of the room he made for a strange sight. While his back and his feet touched the table, his knees were raised and his arms reached up towards the ceiling. ......."

Sunbathing on a Greek Island

2009-05-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sun, sea, sand and sunbathing, nothing could be more idylic and relaxing. Could it?

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St. Helen's Dream: A Cultural Landmark

2009-04-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

The dream of miners from St Helen's in Merseyside was finally realized with the completion of the sculpture “The Dream” on April 22 2009.

10 Offbeat, Bizarre and Wacky Facts

2009-04-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

Whether its flicking through the pages of a magazine or surfing the net, it never fails to amaze me how often I discover a fact that raises my eyebrows, and makes me blurt out “I don’t believe it!” or “Well I never knew that!” Here are just ten of those offbeat, bizarre and wacky facts.

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The Ghost in the Outside Toilet

2009-04-08T15:49:00.001-07:00

This is my story. It is the true story of one dark night and how as a child, together with my two younger brothers we confronted that which was beyond our worst nightmares: the ghost in the outhouse in my grandmother’s back yard.

read more | digg story

The Ghost in the Outside Toilet

2009-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

In the Shadow of Jack the Ripper: The Lambeth Poisoner

2009-03-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Three years had passed since those dark days of 1888, when Jack the Ripper had last stalked the gloomy gas lamp lit streets and dismal alleyways of the East End of London, hunting down, killing and mutilating his victims. The women of the street were now once again able to carry on the oldest trade without the fear of the shadow of the murderous serial killer looming over them.Little did they know that this was not to last.

“I am Jack……”.

A Cultural Landscape: Yorkshire Sculpture Park

2009-03-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Artists understanding of how objects occupy and define space, together with 500 acres of varied landscaping, makes for an “incredible international gallery for modern and contemporary sculptures that challenges, inspires and delights”.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is situated in the 500 acre Bretton Estate at Wakefield in the county of Yorkshire. Designed in the 18th and 19th centuries, the landscape has topographical height variations of over 21 metres (66 feet) and has a mixture of woodland areas, water, formal gardens and open spaces (as well as four indoor galleries) It is this variation that creates a rich environment for some of the best contemporary sculptures created by international artists

Carnival: Dirty Jenny in Aalst! (Carnaval: Voil Jeannetten En Aalst!)

2009-03-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

All the world loves a party and what better way to party is there than a carnival. Especially if you are a cross dresser living in Belgium and can take to the streets as Voil Jeannetten or Dirty Jenny. This well-kept secret is a brilliant example of a spirit that the Belgians keep well hidden. Introverts should strictly stay away!

Black Holes and Revelations: Creative Commons and NASA’s Stunning Images

2009-02-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sourcing images, such as NASA’s stunning space pictures shown here, can be like a black hole, sucking in time and error. Here is a guide as to how to go about it the right way, and a blatant excuse to show some amazing images.
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Hilarious Flashmob Craze is Spreading Around the World

2009-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

The latest (to me and those taking part): hilarious craze, for hundreds or thousands of people to get together and wind-up the general public.

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. Picture yourself in a public place. For example, at your local railway station. Nothing special is happening, other than the fact that there seem to be a lot more people around than usual. Everybody is going about their business, either coming or going.
All of a sudden more than half of the people freeze as still as statues.
What’s going on – has somebody thrown a magic boomerang and time has stopped for them, but not for you?
It appears so; they don’t even flinch when you poke them. By the time that you have tried to figure out what is going on, they are off, moving about again. Now you’re the one that is standing still, with your mouth open like a fish; thinking “what the ….”

A Healthy Exercise for People Aged 40 and Over

2009-02-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

It may be psychological, but when we reach that 40 years milestone we don’t feel as sprightly as we should. Here is an exercise routine that you may find puts a spring back into your step.

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Who Removed the Videos From my Article: Warner Music or YouTube (Google)?

2009-02-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

Without my knowledge I found that a number of videos had gone missing from a music article I’d written. Who had removed them and why? The prime suspects turned out to be the Warner Music Group, YouTube and Google.

Five Mysteries and Surprises in Everyday Domestic Routines

2009-02-04T03:30:00.000-08:00

In our every day domestic lives, there are routines that we constantly stick to, often, almost as if on auto pilot. But once in a while something pops up that is either an unsolvable mystery or simply makes you go “What the...?”.

Everyday many people go to work with jobs that require a great deal of skill, patience and concentration. Others will need the ability to deal with awkward customers or to solve unexpected problems. Perhaps to have to try and figure out why an engine or a piece of equipment has stopped working; how to overcome the problem and how to fix it. Or even deal with a patient without patience.
But whatever the calling in life, at the end of the day we can put all this aside. We know that we can return to the domestic haven we call home.
Here we know there shouldn’t be any sudden surprises. Nobody will be wanting answers as to why the bus, train or aircraft was late. There are no unruly pupils “kicking off”, or customers wanting to know why there isn’t a price label on the tin of baked beans. The boss won’t suddenly be demanding more production or bringing a target date forward, to the day before yesterday.
At home there are our comfortable routines that we constantly stick to, often, almost as if on auto pilot.
We open a door and walk into a room. We sit down. We stand up. We go up or down the stairs (unless you live in a bungalow: okay, for the pedantic – a bungalow that hasn’t got a cellar!) We eat a meal.
. Get undressed and take a shower or a bath. Go to bed. Get up in the morning. Go to the bathroom. Clean our teeth. Get dressed.
There may be routines around the home that seem more like chores. We may not enjoy doing such things as washing, drying and ironing the laundry; dusting the shelves and furniture, vacuuming or washing up. But like them or loathe them, they don’t take too much thinking about. There is nothing new or different and we perform these actions without giving them a thought. In fact, the one thing that all these things have in common is that, they take up no head space. The mind can wander off to think about other things whilst doing them.
But sometimes something pops up that is either one of life’s unsolvable mysteries, or simply makes you go “What the…”

10 Amazing Music-trivia Facts You Never Knew

2009-01-23T18:09:00.001-08:00

So you thought you knew about music? Well I bet you never knew these!

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The Incredible Story of Strange Fruit

2009-01-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

Marion, Indiana, 1930. Three black men accused of murder and rape, were taken from custody by a mob. Two were mutilated, murdered and hung from a tree. This is the story of Strange Fruit and those involved in its planting and cultivation.

The Seed
The events leading up to, and the night of, August 7th 1930. Marion, Indiana.

(The quotations are James Cameron's own words, from his 1982 autobiography, “A Time of Terror: A Survivor's Story”)

Two 19 year olds, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith persuaded 16 year old James Cameron to join them in a robbery at a local “lovers’ lane”. Handing the younger boy a gun, they found a car parked there. Inside was white factory worker, Claude Deeter and his girlfriend Mary Ball.When James realised that he recognised the man as one of his regular shoe-shine clients, he declared that he wanted no more to do with it, and handing the gun back to the others, ran for his home. As he ran off he heard two gunshots fired.

Within hours the three had all been arrested and taken into custody.

Rumours quickly spread that three black men had committed a murder and robbery and raped a white woman. A mob, numbering thousands, swarmed to the Grant County Courthouse with torches guns and any tool that lay to hand that could be used as a weapon, to "get those goddamn Niggers." Ku Klux Clan members were among the throng and many police officers mingled amongst, and joked with the crowd.

Despite there being a reported fifty armed guards in the building, the mob smashed down the doors, grabbed Thomas Shipp dragging him out into the street and beat the life out of him.
It seemed “all of those ten to fifteen thousand people were trying to hit him all at once.”They dragged his body with a rope, hauling it in front of the windows of the cell of Abram Smith, they went for him next.

He too was beaten and mutilated.

“Those who were not close enough to hit him threw rocks and bricks. Somebody rammed a crowbar through his chest several times in great satisfaction." The bodies of the two men were dragged with ropes to the court house square and hung from a tree.
Returning to the jail, the lynch-mob grabbed James Cameron and "mauled him all the way to the square." The crowd were baying for him to be strung up. He was dragged to the tree and a noose put around his neck.

An unknown woman’s voice called out over the crowd. "Take this boy back. He doesn't have anything to do with any shooting or raping."
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The Mystery of the Screaming Man

2008-12-03T14:47:00.001-08:00

For almost 130 years, the 3000 year old mummified remains of a man, his face contorted into an agonising scream, has perplexed scientists and Egyptologists alike. Does modern science now have the answers about this tormented soul?

In 1881, 300 miles south of Cairo in the Deir El Bahri valley, tombs, hidden from the world for centuries, were uncovered.
Here were discovered the remains of some of Egypt's greatest pharaohs: Rameses the Great, Seti I and Tuthmosis III.
Yet puzzlingly amongst these great pharaohs in an unmarked and unadorned sarcophagus lay the body of a man whose face was frozen in agony.

The hands and feet were bound and the body was uncharacteristically wrapped in a sheep or goat skin:surprisingly, as this was seen as being ritually unclean.
In 1886 three men tried to uncover the mystery on “man E” as he was now called.
They were Gaston Maspero, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, the physician Fouque and chemist Mathey. During the autopsy they reported that he smelled worse than usual and his internal organs had been unusually “flash mummified” with quick lime rather than by traditional methods. Fouque concluded that he had been poisoned,
“the last convulsions of horrid agony can, after thousands of years, still be seen”
But who was he, and why had he been bound so tightly that the binding marks were visible on his bones? Why had he been entombed in such a way that his soul would be damned and barred from everlasting life?

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Gun Dogs are Shooting Their Owners

2008-11-30T09:47:00.001-08:00

"If I told you that gun dogs are living up to their names and shooting people, you wouldn’t believe me. But it’s true. Across the world, there are reports of dogs turning the gun on their owners."

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Banksy Punked Paris Hilton: Cunning Stunts

2008-11-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

“You could stick all my s*** in Tate Modern and have an opening with Tony Blair and Kate Moss on Rollerblades handing out vol-au-vents, and it wouldn't be as exciting as when you go out and you paint something big where you shouldn't do." - Banksy.
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Banksy: How to Make Millions with Spraycan and Stencil

2008-11-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Urban Graffiti artists studio works and the prices they are achieving.

Banksy in Bethlehem: Art and the Barrier Between Two Nations

2008-11-07T17:43:00.001-08:00

Banksy's visit to the West Bank brought up a string of controversy, on both sides. His art, however, remains appropriately controversial and intriguing.

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Obama and Mccain: Mamba and Cocaine Got Anagrammed in Run Up to Election!

2008-11-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Twisting the words.

TO FIND OUT THE TWISTED TRUTH, Read more

The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, U2, Muse: My Generation

2008-10-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

In the Right Place at the Right Time
To see this post with the music videos click below
http://www.musicouch.com/Genres/Rock/The-Beatles-Eric-Clapton-Led-Zeppelin-Black-Sabbath-U2-Muse-My-Generation.318235

Saucy Seaside Postcards

2008-10-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

A stay at a British holiday resort always involved a look at the postcard racks outside the shops that lined the seafront.
As a young lad the scantily clad women on the cards were eye opening and as a slightly older young lad, the innuendoes were well worth a titter behind the card rack.
To view click below
http://www.socyberty.com/History/Saucy-Seaside-Postcards.306531

Urban Graffiti Artist Banksy Opens a Pet Shop

2008-10-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

To Read the article with pictures and video, click below
http://www.newsflavor.com/Alternative/Urban-Graffiti-Artist-Banksy-Opens-a-Pet-Shop.294779

Four Classic Quotes to Memorize for Halloween or How To Get Thrown Out of the Neighbourhood

2008-10-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Click below to view

http://www.socyberty.com/Holidays/Four-Classic-Quotes-to-Memorize-for-Halloween.297345

Scary and Wonderful Vision

2008-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Very Spooky!!!
http://www.picable.com/Concepts/Scary-and-Wonderful-Vision.297225

Banksy Storms New Orleans: Banksy vs the Grey Ghost

2008-10-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

“I came to New Orleans to do battle with the Gray Ghost”.

On August 28th 2008, the day before the third anniversary of the storm, the controversial British, urban guerilla graffiti artist Banksy travelled to New Orleans.

To read more and see Banksy's pics click link
http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/After-Katrina-Banksy-Storms-New-Orleans-Banksy-vs-the-Grey-Ghost.292447

Banksy in Bethlehem: Art and the Barrier Between Two Nations

2008-10-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

Banksy visit to the West Bank brought up a string of controversy, on both sides. His art, however, remains appropriately controversial and intriguing.
http://www.newsflavor.com/World/Middle-East/Banksy-in-Bethlehem-Art-and-the-Barrier-Between-Two-Nations.287989

A Beautiful Sunset

2008-10-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Photo
click on the link to view
http://www.picable.com/Art/Photography/A-Beautiful-Sunset.279743

Urban Graffiti as Art: Banksy

2008-10-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

The work of the British urban guerrilla artist known only as Banksy.

To many the sight of a wall scrawled with spray paint is an eyesore and depressing.It purports a careless society. It reminds us of vandalism and thugs on the streets.

But what if the graffiti was intelligent, thought provoking or just plain funny? Such is the work of the British urban guerrilla artist known only as Banksy.

To read more and see more of his images click below

http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Urban-Graffiti-as-Art-Banksy.279497

My High Priestess

2008-09-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

We met when we were 17. When we were 18 or 19 she dumped me for a few days. I wrote this then.
To read the poem click below
http://www.authspot.com/Poetry/My-High-Priestess.256599

Fingal’s Cave and the Incredible Architectural Rock Formations of Staffa

2008-09-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

The amazing rock formations on, under and around the Hebridean Island of Staffa.

Measuring only one km by half a km, this rugged, uninhabited island got its name from the Vikings. Staffa means stave or pillar.

From volcanic origins this Island, ‘discovered’ by Sir Joseph Banks in 1772 and later visited by Samuel Johnson amongst others, amazes, with its rising columns of three to six sided basalt columns.

These were formed by the cooling lava shrinking and cracking vertically. Weather and sea erosion now leave us with what appears at first glance to be man made columns.

There are several caves on the island amongst which are Clamshell Cave and Cormorant Cave.

MacKinnon’s Cave, in a list of the world’s longest sea caves (by Dave Bunnell and Bob Gulden) is shown as being the twentieth longest at 180 meters long.
But perhaps the best known of all the caves on Staffa is Fingal’s Cave.....

To see all the images and read the article click below

http://www.trifter.com/Europe/Fingals-Cave-and-the-Incredible-Architectural-Rock-Formations-of-Staffa.269721

Diary From a Greek Island

2008-09-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

The beauty, pleasure, and fun of a Greek Island.

A 1:45am taxi pick-up, a 5am flight from Manchester Airport and a trouble free shuttle-bus got us to our hotel, in the resort of Nidri, for 11:30 am.
The room hasn’t got the premier view, but it’s clean and modernized (by island standards) and if you stand on tiptoe and crick your neck you can get a sea view. However the views of the shrubs and trees in bloom against the backdrop of the mountains are pretty impressive.
The local comedy builders have been involved in the modernisation and up to now they have forgotten to put the screws in the room’s inside door handle and the unfixed toilet seat has decided that its real calling in life is as a genital removing toboggan.
I don’t think that the hotel’s Mr Fix-it is a local because he repaired the door handle within 20 minutes of reporting it, but the seat remained a challenge for the rest of the week.
I’ve been told that the hotel doesn’t have safety deposit boxes because “it is safe” here on the island of Lefkas.
Mrs is asleep after the journey and I’m on the balcony – it’s very hot – but I’m in the shade and that is very pleasant. Perhaps I shouldn’t be eyeing up the lemons on the tree opposite and wondering if they’re ripe.
I’m restless and want to go and orientate myself with the area – perhaps I’ll accidentally cough very loudly to see if Mrs is awake.......

To view the article cick below

http://trifter.com/europe/greece/diary-from-a-greek-island-lefkas/

Mosaics: The Decor of Bygone Civilizations

2008-09-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

For most, with the wide range of materials and colours available, home decoration consists usually of a trip to the shop for paint or wallpaper, tiles, floor boards or carpets.
In bygone times this was somewhat different and archaeologists are uncovering mosaics from all over the world. We have been left with a wonderful legacy of wall and floor art.

To see more images and read the full article click below

http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Art-History/Mosaics-The-Decor-of-Bygone-Civilizations.271745

The Mystery of Bedlam Revealed

2008-09-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

If you ever heard the phrase "It’s like Bedlam in here", you may wonder what the expression really meant or where it came from. Is it a mystery to you? Here's the scoop.

If you look up Bedlam, most dictionary definitions include: Bedlam: ‘(fig) uproarious assembly, pandemonium. (adj) fit for a madhouse, resembling a madhouse’. However in the 1932 ‘The New Standard Encyclopaedia and world atlas’, published by Odhams press Ltd., it gives only the following definition:

Bedlam: "Popular name for Bethlem or Bethlehem Hospital. It was founded in London in 1247 as a religious house and went on to become a home for the insane, the first one in the country, in 1403. In 1676 it was moved from Bishopsgate to Moorefield and in 1815 to Lambeth. There it remained until 1930, when new buildings were erected at Monks Orchard, Beckenham….”

No mention of ‘pandemonium’ or ‘state of wild uproar and confusion’.
So how did ‘bedlam’ come to mean uproar and confusion?
It is most probable, and widely believed that over the years there has been a verbal corruption of Bethlehem to Bethlem to Bedlam. The word was used in the 1500s by William Tyndale.....

To read the full article click below
http://www.socyberty.com/History/The-Mystery-of-Bedlam-Revealed.260403