A film once described as a “one-way ticket to post-traumatic stress disorder” has a new rating. The British Board of Film Classification has upgraded Watership Down’s G rating to PG because of its “mild violence, threat, brief bloody images and bad language”. It only took 45 years. At the time of its release in 1978, because it was a cartoon it was seen as fine for young kids. Watership Down tells the story of a group of rabbits that have their home threatened by a new development. The animated movie includes blood-soaked visions, slavering, murderous predators and a rabbit having its throat ripped open. It was a bloodbath. The Guardian’s Esther Addley says: “There is an entire generation for whom the gentle opening bars of Art Garfunkel’s theme song Bright Eyes will always evoke horrifying visions of bloodthirsty lapine massacre.”
Curtain twitching
The community Facebook page – a window to the wonderful pettiness released into the world: Exhibit A from Titirangi: “To the male person, dressed in short sleeved blue top, and straw hat, walking a German Shepherd dog down Atkinson Road this morning, around 10.15 am. Please stop putting your rubbish in my rubbish bin. Take your rubbish and put it in your own bin. P.S. This is the polite version of what I wanted to write.” What rubbish did the dog-walker put in her bin? A kitchen-tidy full of refuse, rendering the bin lid ajar? No. Two empty cans of pineapple and watermelon sugar-free V. Others in the community offered a reality check: “I hope he throws it on your lawn next time instead.”
Revenge of the birds
Birds across Europe are subverting the metal spikes humans install to stop them perching on their buildings (and pooping on their pristine concrete) and are using them to fortify their nests. It’s the perfect comeback. Anti-bird spikes are the same hostile architecture used to deter rough sleeping humans. Dutch biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra says Corvidae birds like magpies and crows have been spotted making these nests in Scotland, Holland and Belgium. The metal spikes are believed to give “structural support” to the nests, to ward off predators and protect eggs. Hiemstra first came across such a nest in a hospital courtyard in Antwerp. The nest contained about 1500 metal spikes probably stripped from the hospital roof. The unusual actions may show some “evolutionary advantage” as the birds seek alternatives to natural thorny plant material for their nests in favour of sharper, human-made objects like spikes or barbed wire. Modern bird deterrents include electric-shock wires, netting and spikes but birds are still finding a way to perch and make homes. Poetic justice, innit?
Ranking things
Elo Everything is a ranking site. It gives you two random people/objects/concepts, for example “chicken” and “Prince Andrew”, and you pick the one you prefer. Yep, that’s an easy one. There’s a leaderboard and the current #1 entity is oxygen; the bottom (#2260) entity is the KKK.
Ken and Barbie: a visual pun
TL;DR: opposition PR
Some politicians just don’t have a vote-winning personality and should probably just stick to talking policy. And yet this weekend we learnt through an interview with the NZ Herald he-who-would-be-prime-minister plays a mean recorder, doesn’t put pineapple on a pizza and something about sauce distribution on his dinner (stay awake New Zealand!). His pick for ABs first five is Richie Mo’unga (there’s the brown vote), his favourite holiday destination is Waiheke Island (surprising for someone who has worked in most of the 195 countries in the world) and as a country music fan he rates Chris Stapleton (who?) over the legendary Johnny Cash (now this is offensive) … and his favourite thing to spend money on if he is “lucky” is Licorice Allsorts (gag me with a spoon!). But does he scrunch or fold? asks @jasontweats. Indeed.
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