Entertainment

Trailer: Brazil (1985)

Brazil is Terry Gilliam’s epic sci-fi film. A bureaucrat in a retro-future world tries to correct an administrative error and himself becomes an enemy of the state.

Released in 1985.
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro, Derrick O’Connor — via Youtube

Rights, Technology

Crypto Daddy Phil Zimmerman says surveillance society is DOOMED

A killer combination of rapidly advancing technology and a desire for greater privacy among the public should condemn current surveillance state to an historical anachronism, according to PGP creator Phil Zimmermann.

In an extended talk at Defcon 22 in Las Vegas, Zimmermann said it might seem as though the intelligence agencies have the whip hand at the moment but mankind had faced this situation before. He also said the abolition of slavery and absolute monarchy, and the achievement for civil rights, also once looked unlikely but were achieved.

Zimmermann praised the release of information by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, saying his efforts have alerted the populace to the real state of affairs and made people much more concerned about privacy. The revelations had also forced the technology industry to up its game and provide products to meet that demand, he opined — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Entertainment

Brian Blessed: I turned down Doctor Who

Veteran actor Brian Blessed has said he turned down an opportunity to take the lead role in the BBC’s Doctor Who because he was too busy.

The 77-year-old, famed for his booming delivery, said he was offered the role in the early years of his acting career, although he now says he would not hesitate in playing the Doctor.

Blessed went on to take a guest role in the programme in 1986 in a story called Mindwarp, playing the character of King Yrcanos, at a time when Colin Baker had been cast in the lead.

In an interview for Radio Times, he explained that he was approached to star in the show in the mid-1960s, suggesting he was asked to step in as a replacement for William Hartnell who launched the show, and was eventually succeeded by Patrick Troughton in 1966.

Blessed said: After I was in Z Cars, the head of BBC serials took me aside and said, We’re thinking of having a young Doctor Who and we’d like to cast you. But it clashed with other things.

Asked what his reaction would be now, he said: I’d jump at it — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Weird, Wildlife

Tyrannosaurus Attacked by Flamingos / Google Campus

This statue of a fossilised Tyrannosaurus Rex stands on the Google Campus. His name is Stan. The Googleplex is also infested with a flock of plastic flamingos, which have ganged up on the dinosaur to pick the bones clean. Stan seems to not mind at all — via Neatorama

Craft, Wildlife

Olive the Crochet Octopus Puzzle / Dedri Uys

Olive the Crochet Octopus Puzzle is the latest in my Amigurumi Amish Puzzle Animal series (Amamani for short). She is based on my free Crochet Amish Puzzle Ball Pattern, and as such comes apart into 3 segments that have to be assembled or built to form an octopus — via Look At What I Made

Craft, Wildlife

Plush / societysedso

Plush is a somewhat friendly octopus hand made from bubblegum pink and mint green polymer clay. Each leg is jointed to the body with metal eye rings and jump rings. The hardware is reinforced with glue making it sturdy for versatile positioning — via Etsy

Design, History

150 TAP / Vespa

Quick, what does the word Vespa bring to mind? If you say cute lil’ scooter, you probably haven’t seen this image above of the Vespa 150 TAP (for Troupes Aéro Portées), a Vespa scooter modified for use with the French paratroopers in 1956. It’s probably safe to say that this is the deadliest Vespa in the world. The military scooter is powered by a single-cylinder 146 cc two-stroke engine. It sports a M20 75 mm recoilless rifle, US-made light anti-armour cannon, and storage for some ammos. The scooter would be parachute-dropped from airplanes, accompanied by a two-man team who’d scoot along in absolutely menacing style — via Neatorama

Photo: C Galliani/Wikimedia

Wildlife

Mr Sneaky Evildoer / Igor Shpilenok

This is Mr Sneaky Evildoer. He lives near the Bogachevsky-Kronotsky estuary, in the best place there can be for the happy fox life. Abundance of fish, swans, ducks around makes the life easy. All the foxes of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve would love to live here… But Mr Evildoer does not allow them. He is a dominant male, the strongest and the smartest of local foxes, so he imposes his will on others. Sometimes he tries to dictate his wishes to people — via 500px

Design

Giant Leap / Permafrost

40 years after man made his first impressions on the dusty lunar surface, we release the Giant Leap rug through our Stories by Permafrost collection. We would like to think of it as a tiny tribute to an enormous achievement — via Permafrost