Bonkers But Very Cool: Watch yourself & your Twitter followers in a parade

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All at once bonkers, useless, yet captivating, check out Japanese website IS Parade which generates a marching video visualisation of you and your Twitter followers to some happy techno music. Your followers are the stick people with their icons and some recent tweets appear as speech bubbles above their head. Some march with a placard of you and at intervals, several of them march through carrying you above high. Really, it's one big ego stroke.

via Business Insider

Currently Reading: Superfreakonomics

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I count the first book by rogue economist Steven D Levitt and his partner in crime Stephen Dubner as one of my all time favourite books. An entertaining and yet thoroughly enlightening book that explains stuff like why sumo wrestlers and teachers are most likely to cheat, the different cultural attitudes towards educating your child, and the impact of having a name that 'looks' black on your job prospects in America, I'm currently reading the follow up, Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance.

These days I don't devour a book in a few days so it's taking me a while to get it finished in sleepy bursts, but I know a hell of a lot more about the economics of prostitution (Who knew that putting yourself on the stroll and national holidays were so intrinsically linked?!) and the real reasons why the death rates were so high for new mothers in the past - doctors not sanitising their hands after doing autopsy's (yeuch) and then transferring lethal bacteria to birthing mothers. Fascinating.

Africa Puzzle

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The boyf is from Sierra Leone and my family's from Jamaica and we're keen to teach the kids about their diverse and eclectic heritage. Sadly my two are not old enough to appreciate these handmade Africa puzzles which are made by a group that support local disabled children who also make them.

Each one is one-of-a-kind and is made from local wood with the country names etched in. Quite a tricky puzzle to put together, it's one that the family can get involved in and a real memory test. I can imagine though, if my side of the family saw it, they'd be asking where the Caribbean puzzle is.... euro 15.95 from one of the coolest stores ever, Shak Shuka.

The Elephant Parade in London

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We ended up on an impromptu elephant hunt this past weekend when we went to dinner at Gaucho's near Tower Bridge and started spotting the stunning life-size elephants that have been painted for the Elephant Family conservation campaign.

Two hundred and fifty have been customised by artists and celebrities and will be auctioned to hopefully raise £2m to help save the Asian elephant as well as also contributing to twenty UK based conservation charities. Visually delightful and gracing parks, street corners, buildings, and areas around historic landmarks, they'll be on display until July and I've promised the kids we'll go on another elephant hunt which will be carefully planned for me to swing by a few shops en route.... You can download a route map as well. Oh and they have a whole store full of mini elephant delights.

Funny moment was on the way back to London Bridge via a little stroll along the Thames, my almost three year old asked if we could go and see the hippos next - clearly she thinks London's turned into a zoo.

 

 

Monday Morning Inspiration- I am not a Ro-bot Wall Sticker

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For those of you who desire to leave the shackles of a corporation, or if like me, you've gone solo and are resisting fitting into the cookie cutter of life, this 'I am not a ro-bot' sticker is a humorous reminder to stay creative and original. The full quote is 'i am not a robot'..... 'a person who works mechanically without original thought, especially one who responds automatically to the commands of others'. I only wish my desk looked like the one pictured... £18 at Spin Collective

Retro Artwork by Ingela P Arrhenius

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This delightfully retro illustration is by Stockholm based illustrator Ingela P Arrhenius who takes her inspiration directly from the 50s and 60s, often from vintage pieces she collects on her travels. Capturing a wonderful naivety in her illustrations which are popping with colour and charm, I suspect I shall be tempted to add this into our burgeoning collection...