Sunday 30 May 2010

Stanley Milgram


Stanley Milgram (August 15, 1933 – December 20, 1984) was an American social psychologist most notable for his controversial study known as the Milgram Experiment. The study was conducted in the 1960s during Milgram's professorship at Yale. Milgram was influenced by the events of the Holocaust to carry out an experiment that would prove the relationship between obedience and authority.
In this experiment, 37 out of 40 participants administered the full range of shocks up to 450 volts, the highest obedience rate Milgram found in his whole series. In this variation, the actual subject did not pull the shock lever; instead he only conveyed information to the peer (a confederate) who pulled the lever. Thus, according to Milgram, the subject shifts responsibility to another person and does not blame himself for what happens. This resembles real-life incidents in which people see themselves as merely cogs in a machine, just "doing their job," allowing them to avoid responsibility for the consequences of their actions. The shocks themselves were fake, the participant who took the place as the 'learner' in the experiment was in fact a paid actor who would simulate the effects of the shock depending on the voltage. Milgram became very notorious for this tactic, and his experiment was soon classed as highly unethical as it caused stress to the participants in the study. The study soon became one of the most talked about psychological experiments in recent history, invading headlines across the world, Milgram finding himself in the centre of public attention. There was a huge divide in the psychological community as many believe that his deception was necessary in proving fault with the human condition and helping to explain the actions of the Nazis in the Holocaust, which was the main reasoning behind the creation of the study.

Saturday 29 May 2010

Wittenham Clumps


All photos taken last Sunday when temperatures reached a balmy 30C. One of our favourite places, We park up at the bottom by Little Wittenham Church and walk up the hill, around the other clump, Castle Hill, an iron age fort and back down again.
Properly refered to as the Sinodun Hills but also as Mother Dunch's Buttocks.
Great for kite flying and watching the Red Kites, and recent work by the Northmoor Trust has turned the grassland into an oasis of wild flowers.


Saturday 22 May 2010

Hair


From the outside, this looks just like any 'normal' ~(ie not designer) hairdressers, but walk inside and something strikes you.
The music.
This morning it was Neil Young, cant remember where the first couple where from, but after an interlude where I was played a track by Alejandro Escovedo, the rest of my 45 minute stay was to the sound of Live Rust.
The reason behind all this is that the two guys who appear to run it (but I think there is a woman or two too)are well into their music. Nick who cut my hair, a veteran of Glastonbury, and going this year too, and Simon, a music library second to none.
But it was when I mentioned that Alejandro Escovedo was playing the Bullingdon Arms in a months time (gig link), some 500 metres as the crow flys from where we were as a warm up for his Glastonbury appearance a day or two later, that Simon, who did not know that news, turns out to be a big fan. He delved into his bag, pulled out an ipod or two, searched, found a track, and plugged it into the salon's music system for me to hear, (having never heard him before). What all the women customers must have though, I have no idea.
We then went on to discuss our favourite Joni Mitchell albums, his 'Court and Spark' and Hissing of Summer Lawns' to my 'Hejira' and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter' and not as it is reported, 'Blue'.
Most men will balk at their wash and cut price, but for me, I get that and good music and decent banter. (and I can lean my bike up against their window, thats mine far right)

Saturday 8 May 2010

Four Lions


Ha ha ha ha ha
8 /10

Wednesday 5 May 2010

Mini


Just come back from a tour of the Mini plant a mile away, although out of sight, from our house. And very impressive it was too. The logistics of just in time component delivery to the somewhat beautiful movement of the robots assembling the cars it was a 2 hours worth spent.
Our tour guide however did not like my questions of the major design fault with the clubman model (OK if you drive on the continent but no bloody good for us right hand drivers) and it must have been the company line reply that he gave...there is no design fault.... rather Germanic in fact coming from an old timer Morris worker and also saying that he wouldn't enter in debate with me over the subject.
it took him 15minutes to lighten up again.
Blue on the map are those, like us, drive on the left hand side.

Still, if you get the chance, take it.

Sunday 2 May 2010

Pan's Labyrinth


Stunning, stunning film written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro. Yet again, Lovefilm sent out another film on my replay list which we went to see after hearing Dr Kermode so thoroughly recommend it on the radio back in 2006. If I had not had heard that broadcast I doubt that I would have seen it on the big screen, although I do believe Ross rated it highly and a combination of hearing both spurred me on to see it.
When we saw it at the cinema, our local Vue in fact (would imagine they just thought it was a pure fairy story) I can honestly say that I left with my jaw well and truly dropped. We knew little about the film, which is always useful, nothing of the del Toro, we do now, and it proved to be a real visceral experience.
The good Dr Kermode had this to say about it "an epic, poetic vision in which the grim realities of war are matched and mirrored by a descent into an underworld populated by fearsomely beautiful monsters". Whilst Jim Emerson called the film "a fairy tale of such potency and awesome beauty that it reconnects the adult imagination to the primal thrill and horror of the stories that held us spellbound as children"
See it
10/10