Liu Bolin/Harold and Maude

I very much like Chinese artist Liu Bolin's 'Hiding in the City' series. This short video talks about the political ideas behind it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/video/2013/feb/19/china-art-liu-bolin-invisible-man

In 2005 his art studio was torn down by the government and he wanted to protest in response to this He says being an individual is about your relationship with your surroundings and not letting them swallow you up (like they do in his art work). His art work is commenting on a persons choice to either just be a dot in history or make your mark on history. This sentiment, reminding me of my favourite scene from my favourite film 'Harold and Maude' - the flower scene. See here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0FX_ROcNV4

The Spare Bedroom Tax

Sounds good in principle... but in practice it is NOT! (A statement which can be applied to many Tory policies, although many of them just sound bad altogether!)

So what is it all about?

Council housing residents who have a spare room will be given two options...either move into smaller council housing or pay a tax on the spare room. Sounds good? Hmm not so much. Why?

1. Firstly 90% of them don't have the option, as there won't be the smaller properties available for them to move into, so they will be forced to pay the tax even if they don't even want the spare room!
2. For those that do have another room available, this could mean moving far away from their home area (possibly hundreds of miles!) that they have grown up in, their children go to school in and where the rest of their family live, who they might depend on for childcare.
3. This will affect families who have had a child die so are left with a spare room.
4. A third of those affected by the spare bedroom tax will be disabled people.
5. For those who are forced to keep or choose to keep the spare room, this will leave many with an impossibly small amount of money to live on.
6. There won't even be an exemption for divorced parents who want the spare room for when their child/children come to stay with them

I'm sure the list of negative consequences could go on.

Another problem is that planners are sitting on land and not building on it until they think the rent/sale prices will rise. The government should force them to build now or sell to another developer. Reminds me of the Housemartin's song 'Build'. See here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMPMiLddsuE

Pope Benedict XV!

Pope Benedict was a particularly conservative pope who refused to change the church's traditional lines on celibacy, homosexuality, abortion and contraception. He is now though the first Pope to resign in 600 years and his resignation will mean that future popes will be free to resign when appropriate. I like the quote from The Independent, that I read in The Week; 'Pope Benedict's resignation could be the most modernising act he has ever committed'. Here is a picture of the young Pope Benedict:

2012 DA14/Melancholia

I was shocked to read in this February's National Geographic, that the recent asteroid that passed us by (2012 DA14), was at its nearest to us, ten times closer than the moon. Interestingly, NASA, have put out a statement, saying that the meteorite that hit Russia causing many injuries coincidentally on the same day had no connection with DA14. An unfortunate consequence of reading about all this this was that it brought back to me images from the deeply disturbing film 'Melancholia'. A film that I watched months ago but still can't quite shake off. It depicted the end of the world, in a very silent, cold, but excruciating way. It is chilling. If you are going to watch it, brace yourself (for impact).
P.s. I'm so scared of this film, I am not going to include a picture from the movie in this post, as it will disturb me.
P.p.s On the same topic of asteroids, as the Earth runs short of its precious metals due to their high demand in industry, entrepreneurs are already gearing up to start mining asteroids which have these metals in abundance.

From the 'I SAW YOU' Bristol Webpage. I love reading these....(Happy Valentine's Eve!)

I saw you...You were Joy, the beautiful girl in 51 on the Saturday night waiting for someone. I was Robbie, the poet full of gin. You gave me your number and ten minutes later I dropped my phone in to the club toilet, bye bye phone. Here's hoping kismet brings us back around; you seemed nice xx

I saw you...ginger bearded boy with the scuffed burgundy trainers at the Watershed watching Life in a Day on your own. You have a nice face I wish my face had said hello to it.

I saw you...well I wish I had seen you so I could say a big thankyou for returning my handbag after I left it in the shopping trolley at Westbury Park Waitrose last Saturday. Everything was in tact including the £20 cashback! May good karma come your way!

I saw you...Victoria in paperchase. i am buying fictitious reletives birthday cards just to see you.

I saw you...quite often in sainsbury's but then not for a while. Then one day I looked up and there you were, walking towards me with a bag of carrots. It was overwhelming and I didn’t know what to do. I remember thinking I should say something but I didn’t. I don't work there anymore. You had lovely brown eyes. It feels like a shame is all.

I saw.... your message "I saw you briefly, and it broke my heart all over again. I would give anything to see you again, I am so sorry I missed my chance. For what it's worth - I am completely yours now. If only you still wanted me..."
Not sure if this is the person I'm thinking of but if it is I'm just a message away as I've always been, so please just text me

I saw you...A vision dressed in black leather coat and long boots with gleaming black hair walking though the cabot circus saturday 20th August ,I loved your look so convincing ,although you probably didnt see me .I would welcome the chance to rectify that ,do these ads ever work I wonder

I saw you...on the number 7 bus from Staple Hill Going to the town centre. The most beautiful, tall brunette lady I have ever seen. Hair done up, cream jacket and denim jeans. Feel free to get in touch and let me know if you know I exist :) I'm 6ft 5 with brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing a grey jacket and jeans.

I saw you.... pretty girls of Bristol in all of your petite, early 20s glory.
There are so many of you and yet I find myself too paralysed by fear to approach any of you.

Concerning Quote...

A concerning quote I just heard from an American official speaking on radio 4...

'There comes a point when killing civilians becomes unproductive'

When's that then??! When you start I'd say!

Brilliant Live Act!

This is Anda Union. A ten-membered Mongolian vocal and instrumental band. Saw them last night at St George's Hall Bristol. Love them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLy0IRy2-aQ

Crow in Crisis

Walking along a street in central Bristol this morning, I saw two fire engines in the middle of a main road, that had been cordoned off. I saw the ladder being raised up to the top of a building with a fireman on top of it. But the building was not on fire. Instead a crow had got caught in a wire net that had been put up there to stop sea gulls nesting. The fireman cut the crow out of the wire and lowered it in, where the RSPCA were waiting to the receive it. We then saw them cut the remaining wire off the very disheveled crow and put him in a cage. I thought that was very nice of the emergency services to do all for one trapped bird.