Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Happy New Yaaarghh
Monday, 29 December 2008
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Optical Illusions
Spinning wheels...
If you focus on the picture, all the wheels start to spin (in both directions). However, if you then concentrate on a single wheel, that wheel will stop whilst the others keep turning.
Look closely, the orange circles are the same size...
An illusion that plays on our perception of relative size. The first central circle appears smaller than the circle on the right yet they are identical in size. This is the Ebbinghaus Illusion.
First described by the British psychologist, James Fraser, in 1908 this is known as the Fraser Spiral Illusion. The overlapping black arcs appear to form a spiral; but, the arcs are simply a series of concentric circles.
An example of the Zollner Illusion. The long black lines are in fact parallel to each other. The illusion is created by the shorter lines being at an angle to the longer lines, this creates the impression that one end of the longer lines is nearer to us.
In this image, the two shapes are in fact identical in size. The Jastrow Illusion was discovered by Joseph Jastrow, the American psychologist, in 1889.
First discovered in 1860 by Johann Poggendorf, the Poggendorff Illusion, illustrates how the brain can be tricked by the interaction of diagonal and horizontal lines. At first viewing, one assumes that the blue line is a continuation of the black line. However, on closer viewing it is actually the red line.
Known as White's Illusion, is a counterintuitive illusion. When a grey rectangle is mainly surrounded by black it should look lighter. In this case, the grey rectangles are exactly the same shade of grey.
A Motion Illusion. The brain's reaction to the colour contrasts and position of the shapes is such that this static image appears to be moving.
More HERE
Friday, 26 December 2008
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Monday, 22 December 2008
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Friday, 19 December 2008
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Viva Glasvegas!
Thanks to Mark from The Daily Mirror, I got to see the wonderful Scots who are Glasvegas on 15/12/08 in the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast. Support - White Lies. (Tickets bribed with promise of a review).
Picture the scene, it’s Christmas – you’re heating your leftover Supernoodles in a foil tray over a dying candle. All alone – your dog has just died. Your ma is in the nuthouse. Your da’s gone. You wander over to the cooker in the Father Ted-like kitchen and switch the gas on. Just as you’re being succumbed by the fumes, a Glasvegas track is played over the tranny…wait! You do have a reason to live, everything is kinda shite, but they will sing you all better. You remove your head from the oven, full of groggy new hope… you go to the window of your tenth floor flat, part the dingy curtains, open the window for a gasp of fresh air - then fall out of it.
*Whistley wind noise*
Flowers and football tops opens the evening. Stage lighting makes them appear like figures from a film. A damn good film. The lights were timed to be blinding and disorientating just at the right moments, as you get stunned by the music. All songs were very well received especially Geraldine, Go Square Go and Daddy’s gone. A steady steam of songs, James Allan was note perfect, a great live band. Setlist included It’s my own cheating heart that makes me cry, Lonesome swan, Polmont on my mind, Please come back home, Ice cream van, A snowflake fell (and it felt like a kiss)and Stabbed.
My only complaints are I never got to hear their version of “Everybody’s got to learn sometime.” One of the most endearing gigs I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Slogan Generator
Your Slogan Should Be |
 I have seen the whole of the internet. Champagne for the Brain. |
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Friday, 12 December 2008
Samuel McLaughlin - my executed neighbour
After reading a post on Look At This... I dug out a few photos I'd taken a few years ago of an old local house (two fields away from me) formerly habitated by the second last person to be hanged in Ireland.
The official story goes like this...
Date of Execution:- Tuesday, 25th July, 1961
Location of Execution:- Belfast
Hangman:- Harry Allen
Assistants:- Royston Rickard
Tried At:- Antrim
Trial Dates:- 24th - 29th April, 1961
Trial Judge:- Mister Justice McVeigh
Crime:- Murder
Victims name:- Nellie (Maggie) McLaughlin
Age:- 32
Location of Murder:- Lislabin, Cloughmills, County Antrim
Date of Murder:- Tuesday, 18th October, 1960
Method of Murder:- Battered/Strangled
Relationship to Killer:- Wife
In 1950, Samuel McLaughlin married Nellie Girvan, who preferred to be called Margaret, and the couple then went to live in Derby. In due course, the relationship cooled and in July 1959, Nellie returned to her mother's house in Lislabin. She did go back to Derby after some weeks but by Christmastime she was back in Ireland and this time the split from her husband appeared to be permanent.
In October 1960, Samuel himself went over to Ireland and whilst it appeared that he, his wife and Jean Girvan, his mother-in-law, were all getting on quite well together, Nellie did take out a summons for maintenance against her estranged husband and, on October 14th, he was ordered to pay Nellie £3 a week. From the outset Samuel said he would not pay a penny and told anyone who would listen that he had no intention of parting with any money.
On Monday, October 17th, Samuel, Nellie and Mrs Girvan all went out for a few drinks together. The following day, Mrs Girvan went to visit her sister, leaving Samuel and Nellie alone in the house. After all, they still seemed to be getting on reasonably well.
Samuel was next seen, riding his motorbike, on the afternoon of October 19th. He visited the house of a friend, Thomas McCarroll and when the topic of conversation moved on to the court order recently taken out against him Samuel remarked that he wouldn't be paying as he had murdered his wife. He later repeated this story to other people, including another friend, Mr McKay.
News of this supposed murder reached the ears of the police and at 5.25pm., on that same day Special Constable Norman McIntyre forced an entry into Jean Girvan's house where he found the battered body of Nellie McLaughlin. She had been beaten with a broom handle and throttled by means of a stocking which was still tied around her throat. The bedroom was said to have resembled an abbatoir.
Arrested on October 20th, and put on trial for murder, McLaughlin claimed that he was so drunk that he had no memory of killing his wife and did not know what he was doing. This led to the first trial, which opened on February 6th before Mister Justice Shiel, ending after five days with the jury unable to reach a verdict.
A second trial was ordered and this time, after a deliberation of two hours and 20 minutes, the jury decided that McLaughlin was guilty. His execution was originally set for May 17th but this was postponed after an appeal was entered. Once that had failed a new date was set.
More
Full set of photos here
The official story goes like this...
Date of Execution:- Tuesday, 25th July, 1961
Location of Execution:- Belfast
Hangman:- Harry Allen
Assistants:- Royston Rickard
Tried At:- Antrim
Trial Dates:- 24th - 29th April, 1961
Trial Judge:- Mister Justice McVeigh
Crime:- Murder
Victims name:- Nellie (Maggie) McLaughlin
Age:- 32
Location of Murder:- Lislabin, Cloughmills, County Antrim
Date of Murder:- Tuesday, 18th October, 1960
Method of Murder:- Battered/Strangled
Relationship to Killer:- Wife
In 1950, Samuel McLaughlin married Nellie Girvan, who preferred to be called Margaret, and the couple then went to live in Derby. In due course, the relationship cooled and in July 1959, Nellie returned to her mother's house in Lislabin. She did go back to Derby after some weeks but by Christmastime she was back in Ireland and this time the split from her husband appeared to be permanent.
In October 1960, Samuel himself went over to Ireland and whilst it appeared that he, his wife and Jean Girvan, his mother-in-law, were all getting on quite well together, Nellie did take out a summons for maintenance against her estranged husband and, on October 14th, he was ordered to pay Nellie £3 a week. From the outset Samuel said he would not pay a penny and told anyone who would listen that he had no intention of parting with any money.
On Monday, October 17th, Samuel, Nellie and Mrs Girvan all went out for a few drinks together. The following day, Mrs Girvan went to visit her sister, leaving Samuel and Nellie alone in the house. After all, they still seemed to be getting on reasonably well.
Samuel was next seen, riding his motorbike, on the afternoon of October 19th. He visited the house of a friend, Thomas McCarroll and when the topic of conversation moved on to the court order recently taken out against him Samuel remarked that he wouldn't be paying as he had murdered his wife. He later repeated this story to other people, including another friend, Mr McKay.
News of this supposed murder reached the ears of the police and at 5.25pm., on that same day Special Constable Norman McIntyre forced an entry into Jean Girvan's house where he found the battered body of Nellie McLaughlin. She had been beaten with a broom handle and throttled by means of a stocking which was still tied around her throat. The bedroom was said to have resembled an abbatoir.
Arrested on October 20th, and put on trial for murder, McLaughlin claimed that he was so drunk that he had no memory of killing his wife and did not know what he was doing. This led to the first trial, which opened on February 6th before Mister Justice Shiel, ending after five days with the jury unable to reach a verdict.
A second trial was ordered and this time, after a deliberation of two hours and 20 minutes, the jury decided that McLaughlin was guilty. His execution was originally set for May 17th but this was postponed after an appeal was entered. Once that had failed a new date was set.
More
Full set of photos here
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