Millions of people will today mark the 17th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
30.8.14
29.8.14
Priority Seats for those who want to make friends
Public transport is not the best social environment you can think of. Staring, reading, silence, and nowadays playing with a smartphone is what most travelers do.
In Brazil they came with a new kind of priority seats to break this daily routine. You could call it social intervention 2.0 IRL.
These seats, marked with a label, are only available to people who wish to gain new experiences. For people who are ready for a new conversation.
For help to start a conversation some suggestions are given on post-its.
28.8.14
26.8.14
25.8.14
Tim McMorris - Life is Beautiful | Video & Lyrics
Hey now
Come on
Let’s go
The music’s playin’
I’ve got
To move on
To go out
No more delayin’
Pack my
Things up
Care free
Adventure’s waitin’
I’m headin’ out
Headin’ out to see the rest of the world
Yeah, yeah
So kick it up to stir it up
Alive will make you feel
Press reset with no regret
Make sure to keep it real
The possibilities, right in front of me
Oh all the things that I can be
Got me feelin’ free
Yeah
So turn it up and shout it out
Cause you got something to shout about
And let the world just spin around
As you go on and make more ground
And throw your hands up, ya put em up high
Walk a new path, and go on
And let the cares fly by
And if you take some time to ask me why
You always see me with a smile
I’ll tell you that
Life is grand, life is great, life is good
Life is beautiful
Ya gotta give it all ya got
Everything you got to give
Time to shine, time to live
Life is grand, life is great, life is good
Life is beautiful
Now your living out your dream
With your hopes up high
Your only limit is the sky
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Standing in a brand new place
I feel the sun shine on my face
The weather’s good, the day is bright
I watched it turn from dark to light
And keep the music going
Keep the good times rollin’
And now I’ll never let it stop
You’ll only find me growin’
Come on
Sing out a song
And don’t be shy
Cause you’ll never know
Till you give it a try
Colourful like a work of art
A brand new day, a brand new start
And once you go up, you’ll never come down
Like your walking right on the air, with your feet far off the ground
And if I take some time to ask you why
I always see you with a smile
You’ll tell me that
Life is grand, life is great, life is good
Life is beautiful
Ya gotta give it all ya got
Everything you got to give
Time to shine, time to live
Life is grand, life is great, life is good
Life is beautiful
Now your living out your dream
With your hopes up high
Your only limit is the sky
Hey, hey, hey, hey
24.8.14
Listen and read the animated story - Goldilocks and the three bears
Click on the picture and... have fun!
22.8.14
21.8.14
20.8.14
Listen and read this animated story - The Emperor's New Clothes
Click on the picture and... have fun!
19.8.14
18.8.14
Clips of The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal as children
This series of clips of The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal as children are featured in the special exhibition, Royal Childhood, part of a visit to the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace, 26 July - 28 September 2014.
17.8.14
Clips of Queen Elizabeth II as a child
This series of clips of The Queen as a child are featured in the special exhibition, Royal Childhood, part of a visit to the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace, 26 July - 28 September 2014.
15.8.14
14.8.14
Do Special Olympics Athletes deserve less attention?
The image below, without the copy, goes round and round on most of the social media channels since yesterday. It is famous Belgium footballer Kevin De Bruyne with Down’s Syndrome eyes. Today it became known what it is about. It is a frequently used technique for the launch of a campaign.
It is the campaign for the upcoming Special Olympics which will be held in Belgium. The Special Olympics are for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The copy: “Would you still be a fan if I looked like this?”
The campaign has two goals, according to the agency and the organisation. They want to give Special Olympic athletes the attention they deserve. Unlike the Paralympics, the Games for athletes with intellectual disabilities are not well-known.
The second goal is to break the taboo around intellectual disabilities.
13.8.14
Who or whom? [infographic]
Who vs Whom
The word “who” is often incorrectly used where “whom” is appropriate, and people seem to avoid “whom” in spoken English completely, but “whom” does have a specific purpose. While these two words are similar, they are as different as “he” and “him,” which are the words they are linked to.
He vs Him
“He” and “him” are key to understanding our “who” and “whom” dilemma, so let us lay a foundation with a quick grammar refresher.
He went to the pizza shop.
Bob went with him.
He also took the dog with him.
When he got there, a duck was in the parking space he wanted, but it did not stress him, and he parked elsewhere.
The Key
“Who” fits any hole where “he” fits, and “whom” is used wherever “him” fits. To better remember this little grammar rule, mind the -m. Him is to whom as he is to who. If necessary, move the words around to feel the sentence out.
Who or Whom ate my pizza?
Change it to a statement: “He ate my pizza.” The correct sentence: “Who ate my pizza?”
With who or whom did you eat the pizza?
Bob surely helped to eat that pizza, so move the words around. “The pizza was eaten with him.” “Whom” is used where “him” fits (there is that -m), so “With whom did you eat the pizza?” is the solution.
Memory Tip and Quiz
Try some for yourself, and mind that -m!
1. For who or whom is this pizza party being held?
2. Who or whom ordered one with peppers?
3. Who or whom is taking leftovers home?
4. Who or whom wanted extra onions, and with who or whom is that person riding home?
Answers
1. Him; “For whom is this pizza party being held?”
2. He; “Who ordered one with peppers?”
3. He; “Who is taking leftovers home?”
4. He and him; “Who wanted extra onions, and with whom is that person riding home?”
Plurals and Possessives
“They” and “them” are the plurals of “he” and “him.” They work the same way, and you can still count on the -m to help you out. “Who” links to “they,” and “whom” links to “them.”
Who or Whom is still at the party?
For who or whom are all these party hats?
“They” are still at the party, so “Who is still at the party?” The hats are for “them,” so “For whom are all these party hats?”
The possessive form of “who” and “whom” is a cinch; there is only one, and it is universal: “whose.” The only issue with “whose” is a tendency to confuse it with “who’s,” which is a contraction of “who” and “is.”
Whose dog is eating the bread sticks, and who’s not getting any leftovers to take with them?
- See more at: http://www.grammar.net/whovswhom#sthash.cDzSzXoL.dpuf
12.8.14
Beloved Oscar Winning Actor and Comedian Robin Williams...
Thank you for sharing your emmeasurable talent freely and generously... RIP
The Oscar winner performed at the a comedy event celebrating the 60th birthday of the Prince of Wales in 2008.
Here's William's singing with Bill Bailey at the Wimbledon Theatre and some snaps of him with the Royal Family.
Tennis player Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf have told TMZ Sports: "Stefanie and I are saddened at the loss of our friend. He was one of the kindest, most generous people we have ever known."
"Our prayers are with his family and closest friends during this very sad and difficult time. Today the world has lost a beautiful soul," they added.
Williams raised funds for the sportsman's Agassi Foundation and featured in charity tennis tournaments alongside him and actor Billy Crystal
Actor and comedian Hal Sparks was one of the last people to work with the Mrs Doubtfire star before his death.
The pair were performing at an improv show together two weeks ago. Sparks said Robin Williams: "seemed fine."
Williams' Swedish co-star in Good Will Hunting, Stellan Skarsgard, has said the actor was always struggling to keep his demons at bay.
"People take their own lives for many different reasons, and it's not unusual among comedians that the comedy is a way of keeping the darkness at bay," Skarsgard told the TT news agency. "That may have been the case with him."
"It was like he had three brains which were constantly revving. He could say absolutely anything. No take with him was like any other, and it was immensely exciting."
President Barack Obama has called Williams 'one of a kind' and a man who 'touched every element of the human spirit.' Here's his statement in full:
Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.
This is the last photo of the Oscar-winner as posted on his Instagram account in July. It features Crystal - the monkey he acted with in Night at the Museum 3, with the message: "Happy Birthday to me! A visit from one of my favorite leading ladies, Crystal."
Williams' fellow actor's and members of the public have been leaving messages of good will and flowers outside William's home in San Francisco.
Mel Gibson said he was shocked to hear of Williams' death and that "one only hopes he's gone to a good place."
Fifteen year-old Daniel Jennings, who lives near Williams' house and goes to school with his stepson, recalled spending time in the actor's home.
"In his house he'd always be cracking jokes, that was always fun. His comedy side came out and that was great,"
Earl's Court tube station in London has put up this quote from the actor on their 'Thought of the Day' board:
The actor's last Instagram post was a photo featuring his daughter Zelda, with the message: "Quarter of a century old today but always my baby girl. Happy Birthday"
In an interview in 2009 to promote his role in the film World's Greatest Dad, Williams said that rather than being a perfect parent, he was "a work-in-progress."
The comedian said that his personal difficulties with substance abuse and the time he spent in rehab gave his children an easy response when he tried to call them out about their own behaviour.
"They went, 'And you had a three-year drunken relapse.' Ah, thank you for bringing that back, my little happy creatures," Williams joked in the interview.
Tributes are being left at the iconic bench featured in Williams' 90s film Good Will Hunting.
Fans have been leaving flowers and scrawling quotes from some his most famous roles by bench at Boston Public Gardens.
We'll be rounding up the latest reaction and tributes to Robin Williams death.
Williams' close friend Billy Connolly said today: “Robin was both my friend and my hero, a unique talent and a kind and generous man; the world will be a much poorer place without him.”
Great Robin Williams moments from TV, films and stand-up
Dead Poets Society
"We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race."
"We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race."
Roast of Richard Pryor
How comically brave was Robin Williams? Brave enough to roast the great Richard Pryor, even before Williams was nationally known (though he was already popular on the stand-up circuit). It was a very brief set, and yes, he made Pryor laugh. Perhaps that’s why Pryor had Williams appear on his short-lived NBC sketch show in the fall of 1977. Williams played a white defense attorney defending a black man on trial for murder in 1926 Mississippi:
How comically brave was Robin Williams? Brave enough to roast the great Richard Pryor, even before Williams was nationally known (though he was already popular on the stand-up circuit). It was a very brief set, and yes, he made Pryor laugh. Perhaps that’s why Pryor had Williams appear on his short-lived NBC sketch show in the fall of 1977. Williams played a white defense attorney defending a black man on trial for murder in 1926 Mississippi:
Tonight Show With Johnny Carson(1993)
For most of the '80s and '90s, Williams was considered one of the top guests for talk-show hosts, especially when they needed a ratings boost. One of his most iconic visits to a couch came when The Tonight Showhost Johnny Carson invited Williams to be the final comedian to appear on his show before he retired. Everyone remembers Bette Midler singing to Johnny on that penultimate broadcast, but before the tears, Williams had Johnny (and the rest of us) cracking up:
For most of the '80s and '90s, Williams was considered one of the top guests for talk-show hosts, especially when they needed a ratings boost. One of his most iconic visits to a couch came when The Tonight Showhost Johnny Carson invited Williams to be the final comedian to appear on his show before he retired. Everyone remembers Bette Midler singing to Johnny on that penultimate broadcast, but before the tears, Williams had Johnny (and the rest of us) cracking up:
Laugh-In (1977)
Right before Mork & Mindy, Williams appeared on the short-lived revival ofLaugh-In. Here he is riffing with another recently departed celeb, the late James Garner:
Right before Mork & Mindy, Williams appeared on the short-lived revival ofLaugh-In. Here he is riffing with another recently departed celeb, the late James Garner:
Mork & Mindy blooper reel
Williams’s first big TV role, of course, was on Mork & Mindy, a show that allowed him to flex every one of his improv muscles. The comic lunacy that made it on the air, however, was nothing compared to what got left on the cutting-room floor. Remember, Mork aired on ABC in the 1970s: Some innuendo was okay on broadcast TV, but network standards were far tougher back then. This blooper reel — probably put together for the show’s wrap party — shows just how out there (and blue) Williams could get:
Williams’s first big TV role, of course, was on Mork & Mindy, a show that allowed him to flex every one of his improv muscles. The comic lunacy that made it on the air, however, was nothing compared to what got left on the cutting-room floor. Remember, Mork aired on ABC in the 1970s: Some innuendo was okay on broadcast TV, but network standards were far tougher back then. This blooper reel — probably put together for the show’s wrap party — shows just how out there (and blue) Williams could get:
HBO comedy special (1978)
At just about the same time Mork & Mindy was becoming a breakout hit on ABC in the fall of 1978, HBO — just a few years old at the time — gave Williams the first of what would be several comedy specials. This one opens with Williams doing what appears to be a parody of the game show To Tell The Truth, with Williams playing multiple characters. Later in the show, Williams starts to improv with another comic genius gone too soon: John Ritter. (Splitsider reviewed the special here.):
At just about the same time Mork & Mindy was becoming a breakout hit on ABC in the fall of 1978, HBO — just a few years old at the time — gave Williams the first of what would be several comedy specials. This one opens with Williams doing what appears to be a parody of the game show To Tell The Truth, with Williams playing multiple characters. Later in the show, Williams starts to improv with another comic genius gone too soon: John Ritter. (Splitsider reviewed the special here.):
Illinois Bell Ad (1970s)
Williams was a complete unknown when he taped this mid-1970s ad for Illinois Bell. He plays a dutiful husband who ends up having way too much fun with telephones.
Williams was a complete unknown when he taped this mid-1970s ad for Illinois Bell. He plays a dutiful husband who ends up having way too much fun with telephones.
Good Will Hunting
His Oscar-winning performance.
His Oscar-winning performance.
While Williams's Oscar acceptance speech is just as funny as you’d expect (yes, there’s a crack at Harvey Weinstein’s expense), it’s also filled with real emotion— and, it seems, genuine happiness:
Williams later recounted the experience on Inside the Actor's Studio:
David Letterman was just as enamored of Williams, and when Dave returned to the air following the Writers Guild Strike, he asked Williams to be his first guest. They talked about hanging out on the picket lines and Williams’s visit to the troops:
Mrs. Doubtfire
One of the movies that introduced Williams to a new generation.
One of the movies that introduced Williams to a new generation.
And one of his most recent appearances.
Robin's Quotes:
"You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to."
"You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, every where, even the stars."
