R. Crumb's new Book Of Genesis has apparently pissed off certain religious groups because it includes illustrations of the sex and violence that, of course, is found throughout the Bible. From The Telegraph:
"It is turning the Bible into titillation," said Mike Judge, of the Christian Instit... More.
Jeremy Nicholas, a British TV reporter, was told that he wasn't allowed to bring his laptop into a Cineworld movie theater because the chain had taken the advice of FACT (The Federation Against Copyright Theft) and banned computers from cinemas "to prevent piracy." The cinema had no facility for se... More.
Robin Barooah gradually weaned himself off coffee and found that his concentration actually improved. He explains how he did it and what he discovered on the Quantified Self blog, which covers news about self-testing and self-monitoring.
As part of a separate experiment, I have been keeping track ... More.
In today's New York Times, a terrific piece by John Schwartz about an attorney who traded 20 years of struggling to keep death row prisoners "from the executioner's needle" for a new job at a middle school populated by poor, at-risk, mostly black kids.
The turmoil of middle school turns many teac... More.
David Weinberger sez, "The Berkman Center, under the guidance of Yochai Benkler, has produced for the FCC a 200-page report on broadband around the world. The report is now open for public comment.
In an interview on the Berkman site, Benkler gives the "take-away":
I think there are two pieces of ... More.
The German town of Straubing is hosting an art exhibit by Ottmar Hörl consisting of 1,250 black plastic and shiny gold garden gnomes doing the Hitler salute. Hörl means for this to be a satirical protest of residual fascist sentiment in Germany, but the exhibit was given a green light only after a court in Nuremberg determined that it did not break the post-World War II law that prohibits Nazi symbols and Hitler salutes in Germany. 
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Gnazi Gnomes = bad idea, ironically or gnot.
No worry, they'll soon be bombed into oblivion by a wing of plastic flamingos.
Oh, Lisa, it's not "the Nazi salute". It existed long before Benito Mussolini or Adolf Hitler.
As I understand it, the German Nazi party during WWII used the facist salute at times, which was supposed to be based on the Roman Empire's salute. At other times the Nazis used the German military salute, which is the same as the US Army salute.
I'm mostly an ancient & medieval history boffin, though, so if there are some WWII experts in the house they might give you some better information.
I kind of like these gnomes. They remind me of the gigantic facist emblems on the walls of the US Senate.
It's all fun and games 'til Mossad starts stealing your gnomes right off your lawn in the middle of the night.
I'm not keen on the artist's concept of satire. Much more important than this, you can buy statuary of gnomes flipping the bird at his site.
it's not "the Nazi salute".
The gnomes are meant to be Nazis, saluting. I think that makes it the Nazi salute in this case.
I wonder if you can get this as a gift set with the Obama/Confederate flag mashup.
Fittingly, the artist's name is pronounced, more or less, "hurl."
Almost worth it to buy one and put video of it melting on a bonfire on YouTube.
Also, I'd like to Heil! *ppbbbt!* Heil! *ppbbbt!* right in the artist's face.
I saw an exhibition of these gnomes a few years ago, he had a whole bunch of 'em set up like a nazi party rally.
I found it to be a great and biting satire of the German people during nazi rule: like little gnomes, all cheerfully standing in line without really thinking for themselves.
I like them. I think they're quite funny... I mean, how do you show total disrespect to absolute evil? ... apparently you make them into cute garden gnomes... I would buy two if I could read and understand German...anyone wanna help me out?
Line 'em up in formation and they're Nazis- but put one on a curb in NYC and he's just trying to catch a cab.
never miss an opportunity to mock the nazis.
Brainspore, we bend our elbow to hail (not heil) a cab in New York, to defeat exactly that resemblance.
Yes, you are right, Antinous.
And Thorn, yes, you are right too.
Many miles to go before I sleep... g'night, all.
A quick GIS of 'Nazi Dwarves' will bring up a cover for the book 'The Little People' and you'll see this is nothing new...
I find it interesting that there's any controversy over these Gnomes and Hummel gets a pass on the figure "Auf Wiedersehen". At least this artist is being honest and not hiding behind the "they waving handkerchiefs" nonsense.
See also the Bellamy Salute, as used by civilians in the USA, 1892-1942 before it was hurriedly swept under the carpet and replaced with the hand-on-heart gesture.
Gnomzis!