One Is Amused!

The Queen; Now In Jelly

Title: The weirdest and most wonderful Diamond Jubilee memorabilia

Subject:  Ranging from art by Andy Warhol to fancy sick bags, all for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Web Address: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-weirdest-and-most-wonderful-diamond-jubilee-memorabilia-7800170.html

Date: 10 June 2012

Summary:

By now, everyone in and outside the UK knows of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The celebrations are huge and many citizens join in to celebrate the Queen's lengthy rule. There is a jelly mould made, the Queen's visage is the mould which makes for some uncomfortable slicing of the jelly. What part to cut of first? There is also a special ice flavour made in the Queen's honour; Coronation Chicken flavour ice cream. Yes, chicken flavoured. It has been described as 'perversely delicious' it is certainly an experience to remember. But not all are weird and silly, there is a painting by Andy Warhol made in 1985. It is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth and it is being auctioned on the 11^th of July.

Andy Warhol's Painting of the Queen

Opinion:

I have not even described half the stuff they made in her honour. The gallery the Independent is fun to see and read, there are sick bags with the Queen's face on them and the description “Bling It Up” for when you have partied a bit too hard and even walking aids with festive English flags printed on them. I think it is nice to see the country celebrate despite all that had been happening, the whole crisis can bring anyone's spirits down. It is good to see there are still things to be just plainly happy about and that people can still simply laugh about. And I must say, now I AM curious about that chicken flavoured ice cream...

Cash = Happiness? NO!

Title: Why more cash won't make you happy

Subject: Pay rises seen as a sign of failure by neurotics, says study

Web Address: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/10/neurotics-pay-rise-success

Date: 10 June 2012 

A pile of cash

Summary:

Everyone is a little neurotic. It is not an illness as some might think, just a normal human behavioural tick. Most only have it a little, like where you put specific things, others have to knock the door three times before entering. Study shows that the more neurotic you are the less money will make you happy. In fact, it will make you unhappy if you are not careful. An increase in money, especially when it comes to pay rises, is a way to measure how good you have been doing. The more neurotic you are the less that rise will prove you did well, instead it shows you you have failed to reach the proper goal. You will as if that rise was not high enough, that it means you have not done well enough.

Opinion:

When people think about money, most will think the more, the better. Of course we all know the 'money will not make you happy' thing, but we still think it would help. Think of all the things you could do and have if you had piles of money! But these results suggest that we see money more as a device to measure our successes or failures rather than as a means to achieve more comfort. They do connect this to how neurotic you are, the more this will affect you. I am not sure how neurotic I am, but I am not sure this so called 'rule' would apply to me. I would convert money to fun as quickly as possible, and frankly, I am quite good at that.

Sharply Dressed

Title: Jewels to die for

Subject: A new exhibition looks back to a time when men were dressed to kill

Web Address: http://www.economist.com/node/21556204

Date: 2 June 2012

Summary:

Swords were made to fight with, right? Wrong! In the Renaissance people, or should I say guys, started wearing swords as a fashion statement. The more elaborate the design, the more jewels it contained, the higher the men's status was. Basically it was the biggest jewel in his wardrobe. To make the sword more fabulous they thinned it down and made it a slim and long sword; the rapier. With these, men dueled and actually killed each other for usually not as romantic motifs as we imagine. Later this changed into first to draw blood instead first to kill, and later still guns took the place of rapiers. Dueling with rapiers became a sport, now known as fencing. An exhibition has opened for this sport in London.

For example; this belonged to a very, very posh man

Opinion:

Now, do not fool yourself in thinking these swords were only for show, the sword had been civilized, not pacified. Opposed to the clunky swords used in battle, these swords were designed to thrust, not slice. Dueling became a rage and thousands died of stab wounds each year. More than a century passed before duels would be formally ended with the first cut to draw blood. Like all fashion things, the rapiers too fell out of fashion. Now, men do not just walk around with swords or guns (at least, not in Europe) but I guess less people die of ill-fought duels now.

Dwarfs Snubbed By Dwarves

Title: Fury as Snow White filmmakers snub dwarfs

Subject: Dwarves in the new Snow White & The Huntsman film are not played by actual dwarfs, which infuriates midget actors.

Web Address: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4357457/Fury-as-Snow-White-filmmakers-snub-dwarfs.html

Date: 6 June 2012

Before I start, let me explain the confusing difference between "dwarves" and "dwarfs", both a plural form of dwarf. The from dwarves comes from the famous author Tolkien, and this way of writing the plural form tends to be used for fictional or mythological types of dwarves. The form dwarfs, however, tends to refer to people with dwarfism, a growth disorder. Now, on to the story.

Dwarves, but not dwarfs. Yeah, confusing, I know.

Summary:

Everyone knows the story of Snow White and her seven dwarves, and in the upcoming film Snow White & The Huntsman they are clearly present. Just one little thing; the dwarves are not played by dwarfs, but people of a normal height. Their height is altered by clever use of camera angles, special effects and digitally pasting the heads of these actors onto the bodies of real dwarfs. The Beacher's Madhouse midgets are protesting that this is the same as “Universal casting a white actor to play a role written for an African-American person and digitally changing the colour of their skin”. They are planning a 100-midget march to Universal's offices.

Opinion:

At first I thought it was a little exaggerated, I mean if you look at the famous trilogy of Lord of the Rings you will see much of the same. The hobbits are played by normal-sized people even though they are supposed to be half the size of humans as are the dwarves. Again, this is altered by the use of camera angles, special effects and the use of children doubles. The core difference I find is however using the bodies of midgets to just stick the head of the actor on it. Is it really that different from digitally altering someone's skin colour? I can imagine that as a midget with ambitions to become a great star good roles are far and few between.