Monthly Archives: May 2011

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIXiuw8sny4

After the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater’s performance of Hamlet, actress Marina Golub slips and falls on stage in front of the audience.

Cue a rather wonderful, spontaneous act of solidarity by the rest of the cast.

And, just like that, fail becomes win.

via

Lady Gaga is now demanding that photographers surrender the copyright of photos taken at her concerts – and photographers are incensed.

Washington, D.C. website TBD.com made this practice public on Friday when they published the release form given to their photographer Jay Westcott. In addition to standard release restrictions regarding the use of images shot at her concerts, the document states that any photos taken at the show  become the property of Lady Gaga. This an especially bold demand as the government has established that copyright exists the moment when a work is created, which in this case is the moment when a photographer clicks their shutter button.

Good luck with that, Miss Germanotta.

Photographers Respond to Lady Gaga’s New Copyright Demands (Rolling Stone)

via Boing Boing


Body language expert Peter Collett, author of The Book of Tells, shares with the Guardian our relief that the President left her ‘nappy pat’ at home.

When the Irish president, Mary McAleese, shakes hands with people, she frequently uses her left hand to pat the other person’s hand during the handshake. This is a “nappy pat”, and I have seen her use it with the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, as well as with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. The nappy pat pretends to be affectionate and inclusive, but its real purpose is to remind the other person who is in charge.

McAleese was well drilled for the meeting, because when she greeted the Queen she managed to suppress her natural impulse to pat her on the hand. Instead, she dutifully extended her arm, grasped the Queen’s hand formally and welcomed her to Ireland. There was no bending of the knee or dipping of the head – nothing that might suggest an unequal relationship between the two countries.

No Upper Hand In Symbolic Handshake (Guardian)

Peter Collett

On tonight’s Prime Time, a slew of new details regarding former Anglo Irish Bank CEO, David Drumm’s financial dealings emerged in the light of his current bankruptcy case in the States.

Here’s the best one (drum roll): David Drumm has received a tax rebate from the Irish Revenue Commissioners to the tune of €11,886.95.

David Drumm. Tax rebate. €11,886.95.

We’ll just leave that there.

David Drumm/Sean Dunne Report (Richard Downes, Prime Time)

(Photocall Ireland)