Random crap

Random thoughts and equally random web links. Unfortunately for you, I like to share.

Not-so-family-friendly fun

Given the current state of the world, this one feels a bit too real!

I know I’ve had a wee ponder in the past about the weirdness of grown adults getting in to playing with kiddies’ colouring-in books … but I think I have found something that might change my view: Coloring Book Corruptions.

Sadly, it looks like the site has been abandoned, but there are still plenty of delightfully corrupted colouring in book examples to give you a giggle.

The site owner says that one day they and a cousin were randomly flicking through a child’s colouring in book and decided to add some embellishments. The result was a bit of a triumph, and lead to the website, which features innocent-looking image that have been vastly improved by the addition of all sorts of inappropriateness.

You will also find some pages that you can download to improve with your own artistic touches.

Beating around the bush?

During a recent conversation with a new-ish resident of my lovely province, the topic of Southland placenames came up, in particular the Southland penchant for using the name “Bush” … as in Gummies Bush, Wreys Bush, Mabel Bush, Croydon Bush, Myross Bush and so on.

We came to the conclusion that Southland is bush-obsessed. Of course, this caused some joking, especially when we all remembered the appropriately (for our conversation, anyway) Gropers Bush.

A quick search on Te Ara (the encyclopaedia of NZ) shows the Bush obsession is really a reflection of the fact that Southland once covered with bush, of the forest-ish variety, but our theory is much more interesting.

Then this morning I discovered this book. Coincidence? Or is the universe as bush-obsessed as Southland?

Geography lessons: where have I been?

I have been in many places, but I’ve never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can’t go there alone: you have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I’ve also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognises you there.

However, I have been in Sane. They don’t have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there thanks to family, friends and work.

I would like to go to Conclusion but you have to jump, and I’m not much on physical activity any more.

I have also been in Doubt. This is a sad place to and and I try to not visit there too often.

I’ve bee in Flexible, but only when it was important to stand firm.

Sometimes I’m in Capable. I find myself going there more often as I’m getting older.

One of my favourite places to be in in Suspense. It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart. At my age I need all the help I can get!

Atlas of ailments

I guess we all have preconceived ideas of what people from certain towns, cities, states or countries are like, and even what delusions they may have. You know, the sheep-shaggers of Gore, the brash Noo Yawkers, the batshit crazies from Florida.

But what about psychological disorders named after cities?

Stockholm Syndrome, for those who form a bond with their captors, is probably the most well known. This one came about after a 1973 bank robbery in the Swedish capital turned into a hostage situation that dragged on for six days. After it was all over, the hostages said they felt safer with the robbers than with the cops. They went on to raise money to pay for their defence.
It is believed that one-in-four people who are taken hostage develop an attachment to their captor. I guess that why some of us have after-work beers with the boss.

The opposite side of the coin to this is Lima Syndrome, where the captors end up getting attached to their hostages (ie: when your boss offers to buy the beers). The name came from an incident where the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement took 600 guests at the Japanese ambassadorial residence hostage in 1996. They ended up letting most of them go within a few days.

Jerusalem Syndrome hits about 100 visitors to Jerusalem every year and was first identified way back in the 1930s. Symptoms usually settle a few weeks after visiting the city, and are totally religious, with the person believing they are some sort of important Biblical figure. They have obsessive religious thoughts, delusions and psychotic symptoms . That could explain a lot … Trump did visit Jerusalem back in 2017, after all.

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