UK: Let's Put Those Banksters Behind Bars!

Big banks have been rigging the interest rates on our mortgages and student loans! They've finally gone too far -- the scandal has forced George Osborne to open a public consultation to decide if bank bosses should be charged for such crimes. If 100,000 people say yes now, we can put the banksters behind bars.

Dear friends across the UK,

Big banks have been caught in a massive scam to rig interest rates, ripping off millions of people on their mortgages, student loans and more! We'd go to jail for this, but Barclays bank has only been fined a tiny fraction of their profits! Now the government is asking the public if guilty bank bosses should be locked up.

Bank bosses such as Barclays’ Bob Diamond have pocketed tens of millions in bonuses thanks to this fraudulent behaviour. So far they’ve got off scott free, but the tide is turning. Chancellor George Osborne has just started an official public consultation on whether reckless bosses should be jailed. But the banks are lobbying hard against it, and we need a massive surge of people power to drive these reforms through.

If we can get 100,000 people in the next three days to say yes to criminal charges for bankers, we can get George Osborne to face down the banking lobby and put the bank bosses behind bars. Sign now and share widely -- when we reach 100,000 signers we’ll deliver it to the Treasury's consultation.

=> Click here to sign the petition <=

Great Books Adapted Into Great Films

This photo was used under the Creative Commons license curtsey of Flickr.com

This year sees the long-awaited screen adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s classic 1950’s Beat Generation novel, On the Road.

Aired in Cannes in May, the film has received mixed reviews and anyone who held a copy of Kerouac’s cult classic close to their chest while undertaking their own adventures will no doubt be in two minds whether to see their beloved characters brought to the big screen.

That’s the thing about adapting a moving picture from the written word: you’re going to have to fill in the pictures yourself and they won’t always be how they were first envisaged within a reader’s imagination.

I personally loved On the Road and was incredibly jealous of the bravery and conversational intelligence of the likes of Sal Paradise and his friend Dean Moriarty. In some ways I tried to emulate the pair by going off on my own travels through Europe however, what I encountered was never quite as exciting and yet with my well-thumbed copy of Kerouac’s classic by my side I still felt that I was embarking on a beatific adventure holiday trip of my very own.

Now, with the film being shown to a wider audience and possibly the book being confined to the shelves of the past, I got to wondering what previous adaptations have done a good job of presenting prose on the silver screen.

Below, in my opinion, are three of the best books to grace the big screen and do the written version justice.

Great Holidays Inspired by this summer’s Blockbusters

This photo was used under the Creative Commons license curtsey of Flickr.com

With summer now upon us, the season of hugely hyped Hollywood blockbusters has arrived ready to try everyone’s patience with oversized budgets, wooden acting, over the top special effects and preposterous plots.

However, if nothing else, most of these films at least provide some fantastic eye-candy to enjoy, and whether they’re set in a tropical jungle, vibrant metropolis or alien-infected spacecraft, can offer some great inspiration for that all-important summer holiday. So before you plan your next trip to the Cineplex, take a look at these 5 summer blockbuster options, pick one that best matches your ideal holiday and start taking notes. That way you’ll get something out of the experience, even if it turns out to be as bad as Battlefield Earth.

5 Signs You Are a Total Star Wars Fan

cc licensed flickr photo shared by JD Hancock

Do you live for Star Wars? Is an entire room in your home dedicated to, what many consider, the best space fantasy movies that have ever been made? Just how much of a Star Wars fan are you? Sure, you have the posters, the action figures, the books, the movies and maybe, just maybe, a lightsaber. However, even all this memorabilia does not make you a ‘Total Star Wars Fan.’

If you can answer yes to at least three of the five questions listed below, you fully deserve the title of the ‘Total Star Wars Fan.’

If you answer these truthfully and it is determined you deserve this title, Yoda ensures that, ‘The Force Be with You it Will.’ Now, Let us begin!

The Superhero Reboot: The Story Of A Bat And A Spider...

If there is one type of film that gets 'rebooted' more than any other it is that which concerns itself with the superhero. Arguably a 'reboot' is little more than a euphemism for repackaging the same story, however as long as the public is willing to spend the cash to see them, they'll stick around. And besides, July 2012 has two huge reboots slated for release with action fans and geeks alike drooling in anticipation.

Batman

Well-loved and probably the most famous reboot in the superhero flick world, Batman is super cool. Ok, we're not talking about the shift from Adam West to Michael Keaton, though this was a major step in the genres evolution.

Let's Ban The Lion Trade Now!

South African lions are being slaughtered for their bones, just to make bogus sex potions for men. But if we show President Zuma that this hurts South Africa’s image as a tourist destination, he could stop this cruelty by banning the trade in lion bones and organs....

Dear friends,

Hundreds of South African lions are being slaughtered to make bogus sex potions for men. But we can stop this cruel trade by hitting the government where it hurts -- the tourism industry.

A global ban on tiger bone sales has traders hunting a new prize -- the majestic lions. Lions are farmed under appalling conditions in South Africa for "canned hunting", where rich tourists pay thousands to shoot them through fences. Now experts say lion bones from these killing farms are being exported to phony 'medicine' makers in Asia for record profits. Trade is exploding and experts fear that as prices rise, even wild lions -- with only 20,000 left in Africa -- will come under poaching attack.

If we can show President Zuma that this brutal trade is hurting South Africa's image as a tourist destination, he could ban and punish the trade in lion bones. Avaaz is taking out strong ads in airports, tourism websites and magazines, but we urgently need 1 million petition signers to give the ads their force.

>> Sign here to build our numbers fast <<

London Riots: One Year On [Infographic]

Nothing could prepare business owners across the UK for the devastation and brutality of the London riots as gangs tore through major cities looting and causing significant damage to commercial properties. As we approach the 1st anniversary of the riots it serves as a stark reminder that we must all take measures to protect our belongings, whether it is within a domestic or commercial setting.

Five Iconic Cars From Television History

Iconic cars on television play a major role in shaping the personalities of shows. In many cases, people remember the cars over the actual content of the shows, and have fond memories of owning collectibles and model kits of cars from series. Some of the best cars to have appeared in television shows derive their appeal from their unusual features, or for their association with glamour and danger. And sometimes, they are just cool. Although many of these cars wouldn’t quite work in the same way in the real world, on their own merits within their shows they deserve some more specific attention. The most iconic cars from television consequently include, in no particular order:

1 - KITT, Knight Rider

KITT had everything. It talked, helped out Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) with mysteries, and had its own personality that helped it to become a favourite with children. The star of Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986 KITT was actually a T top 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am that was resigned for the series by engineer Michael Scheffe. Some of KITT’s best features included its voice commands, speed boosters, and its ability to run on autopilot when Knight was solving crimes. Models of KITT have sold on eBay, while other models have appeared on stage with Hasselhoff.

The Science of Star Trek [Infographic]

Star Trek is famous for being written by technology geeks for technology geeks. Therefore it's no surprise that Star Trek has repeatedly predicted future scientific developments, applied existing science to its logical conclusion, and given the scientifically minded something to dream about and aspire to. Many scientists, thinkers and futurists have pointed to Star Trek as an inspiration (or at least aspiration) for their ideas and research, and the phrase "Like in Star Trek" is shorthand for any technology or idea which is as futuristic and cool as it is useful.

The chart below summarizes some of the key bits of science that Star Trek has used that are science fiction and lets you know what is science fact. While of course not everything on Star Trek is actually possible, a surprising amount is - from cell phones to androids and from laser weapons to antimatter. This chart even highlights some ways in which modern technology exceeds what there is in Star Trek!

Was an Oil Pipeline Behind the War in Afghanistan?

To a great many outside observers, both partial and impartial, it seems that former American President George W Bush’s ‘War on Terror’ was little more than a smokescreen for a motive that had less to do with systematically dismantling the world’s foremost terrorist organisations and more to do with securing a new source of natural oil and gas to alleviate the perceived monopoly on fuel exports currently enjoyed by Russia and the Middle East. The theorists who believe that the war in Afghanistan is based more upon economic and commercial principles than humanitarian crusading make much of the fact that they see the discovery of important oil and gas reserves in Central Asia as more than a coincidental factor for America’s interest in Afghanistan.  

The Bourne Vacation - Real Life Locations of Jason Bourne's Most Thrilling Moments

From James Bond and Ethan Hunt to Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes, men of action seem to capture the imagination of the public, and many follow in their path to retrace the footsteps of these fictional heroes. Yet no other all-action hero has been more popular in recent years than Jason Bourne, played by actor Matt Damon in the Bourne Identity series of movies. 

With the fourth movie in the series, The Bourne Legacy, scheduled for release shortly, here is a look at some of the real life destinations that Jason Bourne visited in the course of the movies, places where you too can visit on your holiday and feel a bit of the excitement and energy.

Films To Inspire A Trip To France

This photo was used under the Creative Commons license courtesy of Flickr.com

When I was younger I used to love hopping over the Channel to France to embark on cycling holidays and adventures which usually involved sleeping in odd places, meeting extraordinary people and requesting money from back home to ensure my safe return.


Before I’d set out on such experiences I’d often immerse myself in all things French including books, music and food, all of which flamed my desire for what I considered to be one of the most romantic and exciting countries on the planet.


These days, my passion for France hasn’t dwindled and although my bed and board tends to be of a slightly better standard to when I was younger, I still consider the cities and countryside to be just as enticing as they always were.


With the above in mind I’d like to suggest to you five very different films to inspire the joie de vivre that can only be experienced by visiting our continental cousins.