The Bulletproof Backpack / My Child's Pack; aka 'Why Are Americans So F**cking Scared?'

Via Metafilter:

My Child's Pack

Believe in God - Instantly

Via Nerd Approved.

Study: Iraqis May Experience Sadness When Friends, Relatives Die

Via the Onion:

Study: Iraqis May Experience Sadness When Friends, Relatives Die

Weekly World News Ceases Publication; Alien Disappointed

Via Metafilter comes the sad, sad news that the venerable publication, the Weekly World News, has closed down. 

Those of you not from the States may not be familiar with the WWN, it was something special; not just another weekly news magazine you'd glance at for a minute at the check-out line and then forget, but a shout-out from another world - an injection of the strange and surreal - a vital dose of manic, can-you-believe-it hyperbole; a gutterised mini-Burroughs screaming at you in your narcotised state that all was not as it seems.

The WWN made a big impact on me growing up - so much so that a News T-shirt was what I wore at my first wedding, (in Las Vegas of course - Elvis, who is still alive as any News reader will know, would approve).  This morning, on hearing the sad news, I rummaged through old suitcases, not opened for years, and found the shirt; presented above to give some flavour of what we've lost.

P.S. I'm really glad the Alien saw through Bush and Perot - it's a shame he won't be around to see this Bush out.

'John Walkers Blues' - Belfast Based Drama On BBC World Service Tonight

If you can tear yourself away from Harry Potter tonight, (Wayne - I'm talking to you here), why not head over to the BBC World Service at 8pm BST for 'John Walkers Blues'. 

I love the fact that the BBC still does Radio Drama and the plot, about a young man in Belfast who finds interest in Islam after the 9/11 attacks sounds intriguing!

Click Here to Listen to the Stream on the Web, (click on World Drama - available for one week after broadcast)

(Photo above:  another pic from taken during this strange experience)

'London Eyes America' - American Asks Londoners What They Think of U.S. Then Acts Out the Result

My favourite new blog is London Eyes America.  Rachel Parish, an American living in London, (and sister of our very own Unpaid Intern Erin / Whitey Can't Dance Girl), approaches Londoners - asks them what they think about the U.S., then dramatises the result. 

From her blog:

"I've travelled around several inner London Boroughs, with several different wonderful English women (Rose, Feyza, Liz, Sophie--thanks!!). We approach people, and ask them--whats the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Americans? We then get their permission to take their picture and record what they've said. That is what you see here. But thats just the tip of the iceberg... Next, a team of fabulous makeup artists will work with me to transform me into representation of these diverse ideas of what it means to be "American."

Go and have a look around the site, I think it's a wonderful idea, very 'LTA'; I hope she keeps it up!

(Photo above: Rachel dramatising 'Immaturity')

List of Cognitive Biases

You never know when this might come in handy:

List of Cognitive Biases

Project X Calls Again

Project X calls again Dear Listeners, so am off to London for the next 10 days.  I leave you with the photo above taken during the recent Lord Mayor's Parade.

The Lord Mayor's Parade, Belfast

Belfast - City Miscellaneous

The Lord Mayor's Parade, Belfast

Ack!  It's a runaway float at what turned out to be the Lord Mayor's Parade.  Luckily, no one was hurt.

Belfast - City Miscellaneous

Belfast - City Miscellaneous

One of the things I love about living in Belfast is that because I'm a stranger here, with most of my friends drawn from various ex-pat communities, (eccentric English actors, soused South African wastrels, Thai Dancers with a chip on their shoulder, etc.),  I usually have no idea what's going on.  So from day to day what I see in Belfast comes as a complete surprise. 

The fellow above for instance.  As I was wandering in Belfast City Centre on Saturday I came across a parade - a parade who's meaning, import and theme I could not devise.  I'm sure to the little ones lining the streets it all made sense - but to me it just seemed a random jumble - there was a gaggle of guitar strumming Portuguese students, a flat bed truck of Elvis Impersonators, a tribute to the Special Olympics and the gentleman above.

I felt like David Bowie's character in the Man Who Fell to Earth; Belfast truly is alien to me and I love it for that.