The Stumblng Tumblr

Stańczyk by Jan Matejko; source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Stanczyk_Matejko.JPG
Jul 06
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‘The most marvelous book of images ever composed,’ was how Spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel described [Fritz Lang’s famous silent film from 1927, ‘Metropolis’.]
  • no small compliment that, from a man whose own filmic images could be pretty marvellous themselves
  • the quotation comes from this interesting story about the discovery in Buenos Aires of an original version of the film, a version long thought to have been lost

  • the above image of a promotional poster for the film is from here

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Jul 05
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just wondering whether the threat might have been more effective if reversed
the image is from here

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  • just wondering whether the threat might have been more effective if reversed
  • the image is from here
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there’s something faintly comic about this announcement by the US Mint via this that it will soon be issuing a silver dollar in honor of Louis Braille, which coin will contain characters in Braille
you may remember this post by the Stumblng Tumblr in MAY about a lawsuit contested unsuccessfully by the US Treasury because its banknotes were incapable of being distinguished from one another by the blind
the above image of the reverse of the coin is from here

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  • there’s something faintly comic about this announcement by the US Mint via this that it will soon be issuing a silver dollar in honor of Louis Braille, which coin will contain characters in Braille
  • you may remember this post by the Stumblng Tumblr in MAY about a lawsuit contested unsuccessfully by the US Treasury because its banknotes were incapable of being distinguished from one another by the blind
  • the above image of the reverse of the coin is from here
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
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Police called out to a 999 call [ST: the number to ring in Wales for emergencies] about an unexplained object in the night sky solved the mystery straight away for their operator - ‘it’s the Moon, over.’

  • so increased academic requirements for the police have worked after all; too bad they’re not being required for emergency callers too
  • the quotation’s from here; the image, showing the call being  received, is from here

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7 Control of conduct within World Youth Day declared areas

(1) An authorised person may direct a person within a World Youth Day declared area to cease engaging in conduct that:
(a) …
(b) causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a World Youth Day event, or
(c) …
(2) A person must not, without reasonable excuse, fail to comply with a direction given to the person under subclause (1).
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(3) A person is not guilty of an offence under this clause unless it is established that the authorised person warned the person that a failure to comply with the direction is an offence.
(4) In this clause, authorised person means:
(a) a police officer, or
(b) …

  • what you’re seeing quoted above is clause 7 of the World Youth Day Regulation 2008 (New South Wales) (from here)
  • the Stumblng Tumblr’s mentioned before World Youth Day, to be held in Sydney shortly; you may remember that it isn’t for youth, but for Catholic youth, and that it doesn’t last a day, but six days (hey, at least the world bit’s right—one out of three ain’t bad)
  • well, it seems now that Catholicism’s also taken on the status of an established religion for the occasion
  • annoying or inconveniencing a participant in the occasion can lead to a criminal conviction
  • yell out, “My dad’s red shoes are better than your Father’s”? off to the paddy wagon for you
  • the image above is from here

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Headline of the (here insert unit of time) candidate


“Psychologists to Counsel [Neapolitans] on Garbage Crisis”

  • from here
  • it’s probably cheaper than removing the garbage

  • the above image of garbage on a street in Napoli is from here

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Jul 04
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people in an English field of lavender

the image is from Getty Images, found here

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  • people in an English field of lavender
  • the image is from Getty Images, found here
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Oz’s own Kylie Minogue, “The Singing Budgie”, has just received a British honour, an OBE
she was presented with it by Prince Chuck; the Stumblng Tumblr wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Chuck took the gig just because he knew Kylie was involved; you can watch His Suaveness trying to put the hard word on her here

the image of Kylie as she was dressed at Chuck’s particular request to receive the honour (just kidding!) is from here

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  • Oz’s own Kylie Minogue, “The Singing Budgie”, has just received a British honour, an OBE
  • she was presented with it by Prince Chuck; the Stumblng Tumblr wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Chuck took the gig just because he knew Kylie was involved; you can watch His Suaveness trying to put the hard word on her here
  • the image of Kylie as she was dressed at Chuck’s particular request to receive the honour (just kidding!) is from here
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
  • recently, in honour of Canada Day, the Stumblng Tumblr presented a Joni Mitchell song
  • because of the different national sensibilities involved, for American Independence Day, he presents “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”

  • the audio clip and the image above are both from here
  • here’s the Wikipedia entry for the song, which tries to glide lightly over the fact that the melody is merely a knockoff of the British national anthem, God Save The King/Queen
  • you’ll notice from the record label that the performers are the Billy Sunday Chorus
  • here’s Billy’s Wikipedia entry; unfortunately, the chorus doesn’t get a run in it
  • Billy’s main claim to fame in the Stumblng Tumblr’s eyes is his inability to shut down Chicago in the 20s: see the song “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)”

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