I love these paintings by Chinese artist Tzu-chi Yeh, they remind me of the upper reaches Fowey estuary where I grew up, they're a bit 'Heart of Darkness' too..........

I took the above picture from my balcony whilst on Honeymoon. Its's taken with an iphone app called Hipstamatic, which replicates electronically what analogue cameras like the Lomo do, namely creates a sort of instant nostalgic feel to a picture. The press of a button gives you an automated, no talent required, dreamy snapshot, and gives otherwise mundane images a soupcon of artistic gravitas. Found an interesting article today that attempts to unravel the popularity of this sort of thing - namely that

"The faux-vintage photo is merely an illustrative example of a larger trend whereby social media increasingly force us to view our present as always a potential documented past."

The Euthanasia Coaster - "a hypothetic euthanasia machine in the form of a roller coaster, engineered to humanely – with elegance and euphoria – take the life of a human being. Riding the coaster’s track, the rider is subjected to a series of intensive motion elements that induce various unique experiences: from euphoria to thrill, and from tunnel vision to loss of consciousness, and, eventually, death. "

Apparently the latest gastro-trend is for snails eggs - now being sold as 'white caviar' and with a price to match. Wouldn't mind giving them a go...apparently they taste strongly of geosmin

The Aphex Twin meets young girl

Seeing as I am a ruminant, something the always excellent Bldgblg mentioned rather interested me today - cow windows, which according to wikipedia, are to be found in a cow that has been surgically fitted with a porthole-like device which allows one to view its innards in action. Poor cow