The Grand Telectroscope

Over the long holiday weekend, my boyfriend and I went out to Brooklyn to see this interesting art exhibit called the Telectroscope. Multimedia artist and sculptor Paul St. George created an art installation that links London to New York City. In each city there is a steampunk-esque telescope device that protrudes from the ground, allowing visitors to look down into it’s lens. There they will see the city, and people who are standing in front of it in the other city, via a HD camera and broadband setup.

St. George also concocted an interesting fictional back story for the exhibit where he says that this project was based off of the plans of his great-grandfather Alexander Stanhope St. George, who was said to be an eccentric Victorian engineer. Alexander is said to have come up with these plans after tunnels were found on a mid-Atlantic island that were dug to entomb French prisoners of War, or to aid escaping slaves. Paul says that he found these plans and decided to follow through on his great-grandfather's.

The telectroscope in NYC resides on a pier under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side. It looks as if it was pushed up onto the dock, complete with rocks and wood planks surrounding the base of the scope. At the front there is an area for people to stand (or queue for the Brits) to get their chance to look out at London. New Yorkers get to see the Tower Bridge in the background, and Londoners get to see the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s very fun to look down this long tube and see people smiling and waving back at you in real time. My boyfriend got a kick out of writing on a white board “Manchester United #1” and finding out that one gentleman on the other side is not a fan.

I was able to get some photos of the Londoners (who may or may not have been posing), and what looks like fireworks in the background. Once I have them uploaded I’ll post them here for debate. Was there some holiday yesterday in the UK that would be cause for fireworks?

This has been my favorite exhibit of the summer so far!

Top picture courtesy Stephanie Summers; Bottom picture from Wikipedia

This is happy news

Lori Drew, the mother who created a fake myspace account in order to gain the trust and then harass a young girl, who wound up hanging herself has been indicted. Article here on CNN.

When I first read about this story on Fark, I was shocked and appalled by the actions taken. Granted, kids doing something like this happens, but for an adult, who knew that this girl suffered and was on medication for depression to do this was completely out of line. And I wasn't the only one upset. The legions over at Fark quickly did detective work and found this woman's name (which wasn't originally listed), home address, phone, business information and other facts. The power of the internets. I always find it interesting to watch that happen... amazing how quickly an online mob can amass members and information.

Anyway, glad to hear that this woman is going to do some time for being a failure as an adult.

Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

Fark is always great for random funny political news... take for example this article, where the author makes fun of Hillary's campaign using a Monty Python reference. In the Fark thread, cue the comments involving images and the following from user saintstryfe:

Howard Dean: Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
Barack Obama: Here's one.
Howard Dean: Ninepence.
Hillary Clinton: I'm not dead!
Howard Dean: What?
Barack Obama: Nothing. Here's your ninepence.
Hillary Clinton: I'm not dead!
Howard Dean: 'Ere. He says he's not dead!
Barack Obama: Yes, he is.
Hillary Clinton: I'm not!
Howard Dean: He isn't?
Barack Obama: Well, he will be soon. He's very ill.
Hillary Clinton: I'm getting better!
Barack Obama: No, you're not. You'll be stone dead in a moment.
Howard Dean: Oh, I can't take him like that. It's against regulations.
Hillary Clinton: I don't want to go on the cart!
Barack Obama: Oh, don't be such a baby.
Howard Dean: I can't take him.
Hillary Clinton: I feel fine!
Barack Obama: Well, do us a favour.
Howard Dean: I can't.
Barack Obama: Well, can you hang around a couple of minutes? He won't be long.
Howard Dean: No, I've got to go to the Romney's. They've lost nine today.
Barack Obama: Well, when's your next round?
Howard Dean: Thursday.
Hillary Clinton: I think I'll go for a walk.
Barack Obama: You're not fooling anyone, you know. Look. Isn't there something you can do?
Hillary Clinton: [singing] I feel happy. I feel happy.
[whop]
Barack Obama: Ah, thanks very much.
Howard Dean: Not at all. See you on Thursday.
Barack Obama: Right. All right.
[howl]
[clop clop clop]
Who's that, then?
Howard Dean: I dunno. Must be a king.
Barack Obama: Why?
Howard Dean: He hasn't got shiat all over him.

Fark user Magorn also uses the Black Night skit... which also really fits the situation:

Hillary Clinton: Right. I'll do you for that!
Obama: You'll what?
Hillary Clinton: Come here!
Obama: What are you going to do, bleed on me?
Hillary Clinton: I'm invincible!
Obama: You're a looney.
Hillary Clinton: The Hillary Clinton always triumphs! Have at you! Come on, then.
[whop]
[Obama chops the Hillary Clinton 's last leg off]
Hillary Clinton: Oh? All right, we'll call it a draw.
Obama: Come, Michelle.
Hillary Clinton: Oh. Oh, I see. Running away, eh? You yellow bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you. I'll bite your legs off!

I'm rooting for Obama, but I must say this whole race is just... annoying. Can someone just declare the winner for the nomination already? This really feels like it's being dragged on longer than it should have. I'm starting to get into the frame of mind "wake me when it's over" and then I'll look in more detail at policies and whatnot.

And now for something completely different...

From BBC News: Seal attempts to have sex with a penguin

The 100kg seal first subdued the 15kg penguin by lying on it.

The penguin flapped its flippers and attempted to stand and escape - but to no avail.

The seal then alternated between resting on the penguin, and thrusting its pelvis, trying to insert itself, unsuccessfully.

After 45 minutes the seal gave up, swam into the water and then completely ignored the bird it had just assaulted, the scientists report.

Why a fur seal would indulge in such extreme sexual behaviour is unclear.

I know why... Interspecies Erotica. Not just related to donkey shows in Mooby's anymore.

In all seriousness though, the article is pretty interesting. The animal kingdom seems to be a lot more perverted than one would have you think. Apparently "sexual harassment" is common among animals in the same species, but this is the first recorded harassment between two different classes of vertebrae.