Hedgehog in the Fog

Hedgehog in the Fog is a wonderful Russian animated short from 1976. According to director, Yuri Norstein, 'creative disagreement' inspired the film's hero's extraordinary appearance:

 

"I remember sitting with the film's artist [and Norstein's wife] Francesca Yarbusova and I started shouting so much that she just sat down and drew him. Just right away - done! But I still can't figure out how we made him so well."

Stop Motion Pioneer

Norstein, is widely considered one of the greatest animators of all time. He has pioneered using physical mediums to create three-dimensional effects, using multiple layers of glass panes to create an image. His most famous film is based on a story by Sergei Kozlov.

 

 In 2003 Hedgehog in the Fog won the "№1 Animated film of all the time" contest in Tokyo. 

Norstein continues to animate - he has been working on one film since 1981! But his outspoken criticisms of the current Russian government have effectively curtailed his career.  

His position has been especially difficult since he publicly opposed the invasion of Ukraine - where there has long been a statue in honour of Hedgehog in the Fog in Kiyv.

An introduction to Yuri Norstein (video)

The Italian Job

I believe that Southgate is basing his team talk tomorrow on that given by Charlie Crocker (Michael Caine) in The Italian Job:

It's a very difficult job and the only way to get through it is we all work together as a team. And that means you do everything I say.

Ten most commonly misspelled words?

Came across this recent list, apparently from the Oxford Dictionary.

1. Definately​
2. Goverment​ ...
3. Seperate. ...
4. Occured. ...
5. Untill​ ...
6. Recieve​ ...
7. Wich​ ...
8. Accomodate
9. Pharoah 
10. Publicially

Some interesting changes from the list I used for this OUP post nearly a decade ago here. The inclusion of 'wich' and 'untill' may alarm - 'pharaoh' not so much....

What is Moore's Law? Are robots taking over the world?

In 1965  Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel,  observed that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented. Moore predicted that this trend would continue for the foreseeable future source

Computers are getting faster and (relatively) cheaper with each passing year. The phones we carry in our pockets are far more powerful than the ones that sent the Apollo astronauts to the Moon. 

Moore has suggested that his law will not continue indefinitely - suggesting  2025 as a possible end date. Others have speculated about what might replace it. 

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Language Wars: Nations without an official language?

In his Language Wars (2011) Henry Hitchins lists eight nations which do not have an official primary language. This number has now reduced to five, with Ethiopia, Somalia and Pakistan all nominating official languages.

• UK see here
• USA though 20 states now have an official language — see here
• Australia 80 % speak English but not official
• Pakistan Urdu became the official language in 2015
• Ethiopia Amharic, though there are more Oromo speakers 
• Somalia Somali and Arabic
• Eritrea
• Costa Rica

Why these countries? (5 minute read)

How many French Words in English?How did they get there?

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Two views of Christmas

"If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."

Over at Chez  Cratchit, Bob is whistling a different tune.

TItanic - Listening

listen to ‘The Titanic: First Class First?’ on Audioboo

This short talk about social class on Titanic has reached 1000 plays on audioboo.