Blind Spot

So, despite all the warnings and forecasts the apocalypse, end of the world or whatever you might like to call it, failed to transpire.  As many people pointed out at the time, however, when people say the end of the world is coming they almost always mean the end of humanity as a species, rather than the entire third rock going pear shaped.

So, will it happen any time soon? Who can say but it sometimes pays to keep a sharp pair of eyes about you. Steven, the hero (I guess) of Blind Spot couldn't see how his day could get any worse, but that's because he was is looking the wrong way. Blind Spot is a short film by Matthew K. Nayman, a director and cinematographer from Canada.

Serial Taxi

A young businesswoman is caught in inclement weather and decides to hail a cab.  As she starts her journey her social media alerts inform her that there is a taxi killer at large.  Immediately she begins to question her safety as her driver begins to act in ever stranger ways…

Serial Taxi was created by Paolo Cogliati and produced at Ringling College of Art and Design, 2013.  I have to say, I think this is excellent work.  OK, I might have seen the end coming but it is so skilfully done that I didn’t!  Paulo is unfortunate enough to have his name dot commed by another, so you can find his work and resume at his website paoloanimates.com. Serial Taxi also has its own website if you want to read more about it.

The Remarkable Giraffe Weevil of Madagascar

No, this isn’t the monster from a new Ridley Scott film – it is something that our very own Ark in Space, planet Earth, has thrown up.  Called the Giraffe Weevil for reasons that take no soon-ness to become obvious, it lives in Madagascar where it has carved out its own small niche.  The male has evolved this gigantic neck to fight off rival suitors for mating rights. Perhaps a little OTT but the Ark in Space has the story together with a very cool gallery of photos. If you are wondering why you have never heard of it before, that's because it was only discovered in 2008.

Image Credit Wikimedia

The Katskhi Pillar

Deep in the Caucasus region, where Western Asia and Eastern Europe meet, the small country of Georgia has a number of surprises. Not least is the Katskhi Pillar, a 130 feet high limestone monolith. Even more surprising than the monolith itself, however, is the fact that there is a church on its apex.

It is not a large church by any means – space alone demands its diminutive size. The top of monolith, known locally as the Pillar of Life, has an area of just 150 m2. The church – or more likely a hermitage – was made in the ninth or tenth century and lay abandoned from the thirteenth century onwards. Surprisingly, there are no records (official ones at least) of the monolith being climbed after it was deserted until as late as 1944.

The Overview Effect

Fred Hoyle, the English astronomer said in 1948 “Once a photograph of the Earth, taken from the outside, is available… a new idea as powerful as any in history will be let loose.”  Twenty four years later the Blue Marble photograph was taken by astronauts on the Apollo 17 mission and has become one of the most extensively circulated photographic images ever taken. 

The photograph has stirred a sense of wonder in countless millions of people. Yet what must it be like to be the photographer?  Over the decades since we first ventured in to space, astronauts have recounted the perspective-altering experience of seeing the Earth from the outside.  Reactions vary, of course, but a common feature is one of awe, a new or renewed understanding of how all life is connected and – perhaps most importantly – an acute sense of responsibility for the environment. It is called The Overview Effect.

Overview by the Planetary Collective is a short film which recounts how The Overview Effect altered the outlook of five astronauts, Edgar Mitchell, Ron Garan, Nicole Stott, Jeff Hoffman and Shane Kimbrough. It’s twenty minute long but every second is worth it.

Stanley Pickle

Stanley’s life works like clockwork – literally.  He lives within his own self-contained world but everything changes when he spots a girl from his bedroom window.  This charming stop motion short movie is something of a bittersweet tale – one of loneliness, isolation and, finally, freedom.  I am sure that the end will put a smile on the most cynical of faces but I still have to wonder how Stanley’s life came to be as it was in the first place!

Stanley Pickle was shot entirely on a stills camera on 2 sets and 2 locations. The film premièred on to the festival circuit in June 2010 at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it picked up the McLaren Award for New British Animation, followed by Oscar qualification at the US première LA Shorts where the film won Best Experimental.  It was directed by Victoria Mather and stars Drew Caiden who surely has the most expressive face on film since Jim Carey.

Le Marais

Le Marais is a district of Paris which, were you to choose, could be a holiday destination in itself.  Although it seems to be seen more and more as simply the gay quarter that should tell the seasoned traveler something – gay districts usually take root in neighborhoods which are diverse, cultural and historic (and therefore interesting to the curious). Le Marais is all of those – and more.

So, take a tour through Le Marais on something typically French – a skateboard.  Seriously. Filmmaker Thomas Guerrin followed an (unnamed) boarder through the streets of Le Marais (using a glidecam + 5D III) capturing, in this unusual way, the architecture and feel of the place. He captures the people too – Le Marais has long been home to Jewish and Chinese communities and he captures these as well as other categories more typical of French life, such as the older lady with her host of pampered dogs!

It is difficult enough to capture the spirit of a place without being on a skateboard, but Guerrin  artfully captures the essence of Le Marais in all its variety. I have yet to see a better advert for my favourite Parisian district.

Virtual Journeys: Exploring the World Through Digital Experiences

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Once upon a time, if you wanted to explore the world, you'd have to book a flight or several flights, along with trains, buses, and perhaps even rental cars. Times have really changed, with digital technology making it possible for us to travel to all corners of the globe without ever leaving our homes. Whether you strap on a virtual reality (VR) headset to go on a simulated journey through some of the world's most iconic landmarks or use augmented reality (AR) to mix up the real world with digital elements, there have never been more ways to see this planet.

Today, we have online platforms at our fingertips that allow us to visit museums, historical sites, and other global destinations from our computers and mobile devices. All of this technological progress has opened up the world like never before, making travel a possibility for just about anyone with a stable internet connection. In this article, we look at how digital experiences are giving us a new way to see the world. 

Online Gaming and Virtual Exploration

While online gaming isn't the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of digital travel, it's one of the best ways to experience the world. Many games have incorporated elements of virtual travel, giving players an opportunity to explore real-world locations or fictional worlds inspired by them. Think about the popularity of Las Vegas and its casinos. 

While many people have visiting Las Vegas as a destination on their bucket list, depending on where they live, it might take years of planning to ever get there. That's where online casinos come in. Technology has made it possible for these virtual platforms to recreate the Vegas experience on computer, tablet, and smartphone screens around the world. For those who like spinning the reels, online slots provide an authentic experience, with online casinos boasting large catalogs of themed games for players to choose from. 

As VR and AR become more advanced, more online casinos will incorporate these technologies, making the experience even more like the real thing. Beyond online casinos, games like Assassin's Creed allow players to explore historical settings that have been recreated to a point where they're hard to distinguish from what one would see in person. The immersive environment created in these types of games gives players a chance to experience the world without traveling. 

Virtual Reality and Travel

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The travel industry has gone all in with incorporating VR into its diverse offerings, allowing its customers to engage in interactive experiences that simulate real-world environments. VR travel allows people to tour famous landmarks like the Great Wall of China and the Louvre Museum without having to buy an expensive plane ticket or travel a long distance.

One example of this trend is the National Geographic Explore VR, which lets users go on virtual expeditions to iconic locations like Antarctica and Machu Picchu. With their VR headsets strapped on, they can kayak around icebergs, explore ancient ruins, and interact with these sites as if they were there in person. Blueplanet VR Explore is another way for people to travel virtually to destinations they might not be able to visit in person, all while learning about the environment. Brink Traveler is another popular VR travel app that offers a fully immersive 3D experience where users can visit natural wonders around the world with virtual guides and even take pictures if they want to. 

Augmented Reality and Cultural Exploration

AR travel is a slightly different experience than VR travel in that it overlays digital information onto the physical environment instead of creating an entirely virtual environment like VR. When it comes to virtual travel, AR enhances how the user views reality and adds interactive elements like text, images, and animations. You might see AR being used at cultural and historical sites to add additional context and information to the monuments visitors are exploring. Museums and historical sites are increasingly adopting AR to create interactive exhibits. They provide visitors with an AR-enabled device that allows them to view historical events, artifacts, and structures in their original context.

Welsh Kid's Ensemble Choir Performs for King Charles III

 

King Charles III recently visited the Senedd in Cardiff to mark the 25th anniversary of devolution in Cymru (sometimes known as Wales). His plan - to make a speech reflecting on the quarter century and looking to the future.

However, the show was somewhat stolen...  Before his speech and the ceremony, there was a performance of the song Safwn yn y Bwlch by Ysgol Treganna Ensemble.  It's a beautiful rendition of a powerful and popular song and, quite rightly, has been doing the rounds on Instagram and TikTok.  As the viewing public only got a minute or so of the ensemble's performance on the news channels, however, I thought it best to show the complete song as they sang it in competition at the Youth Eisteddfod of 2024.  It's sung in four parts (or voices) and the harmonics, particularly when the age of the singers is taken into account, is a joy to behold, as well as the expressive (and typically Welsh) facial performances. Little wonder that they were chosen to perform it in front of the King and Queen on 11 July.

Screenshot (c) S4C

Some of the lyrics are reproduced below.  I do love how this hymn to independence (craftily?) made it into the Senedd celebrations. 

'The dawn of independence is breaking!' 

'We shall not move one inch until Wales is free. 

'Wales is in our blood, we stand for Wales, Her freedom lies within.' 

'We stand in the breach... we stand for our nation, our language, our children, our folk. Together we stand as one.'

The King did deliver some of his speech in Welsh.  You might call it lip-service (literally) to the language as his prononciation of the iaith yr nefoedd (language of heaven) has not improved since his investiture as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle back in 1969.  That sounds a little like sour grapes (and possibly, it is) but he's had a long life in which to get to grips with the language.

Apparently, once the children had finished singing Safwn yn y Bwlch, the Llywydd of the Senedd, Elin Jones, said to the king - "follow that!" which produced a grin before he launched into his speech.  Sometimes, you jusr know when you've been upstaged.