Monday, August 30, 2010

Cary Ann Hearst and the Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir: dirty, thumpy, countrified tunes


My recent family holiday involved a fair bit of driving, and my wife and I both tried out a lot of new (to us) music on one another, with two (very similar) artists emerging as clear favorites:

Cary Ann Hearst has enjoyed a lot of recent public interest as a result of the use of her single Hell's Bells in an episode of True Blood. Alice and I both really dug this song -- a rocking, mean, countrified song that showcases Hearst's Joan-Jett-meets-Dolly-Parton-with-a-flanger vocals. But we got the most play out of Shovels and Rope, an album she recorded with Michael Trent. Shovels and Rope is filled with sloppy slide guitar, tub-thumping percussion, and more of Hearst's snakebite-mean vocals, though there are a few tracks that are straight-ahead lovelorn C&W tunes that might have stepped off the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. These country tunes are serviceable and even sweet, but we thought they felt almost like a formality, as though Hearst was saying, "I'm not just some psychobilly, I know country, I can do country, I do the strange stuff I do because I choose to, not because I must." Meanwhile, the grittier numbers are damned inspired, especially a cover of Charlie Feathers's I Can't Hardly Stand It, which tops all the other versions I've heard, including the one The Cramps recorded.

I bought The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir's Ten Thousand on a whim at Brill, a wonderful coffee shop and record store in London's Exmouth Market, near my office (I almost never go wrong buying random stuff off the shelves at Brill). Like Shovels and Rope, Ten Thousand features a lot of stompy, open-strings slide guitar, loose percussion, thunderous railroad rhythms and growling vocals that are filled with portent. I'm biased towards uptempo music, so I love tracks like You Got it Wrong. The overall album has some of Jeff Healey's roadhouse feel, but with a lot more countrification than Healey generally slipped in. It made a great counterpoint to the Hearst/Trent album, and we played them on shuffle together for most of the trip.

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/UBvWF5wei2s/cary-ann-hearst-and.html


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T-Shirts & Apparel : Bazinga! Hoodie

Prepare them to fall victim to another one of your classic practical jokes. Sheldon: You know, Ive always wanted to go to a goth nighclub.
Howard: Really?
Sheldon: Bazinga! None of you ever sees my practical jokes coming, do you? $39.99 - $41.99

http://www.thinkgeek.com/e5a4/

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T-Shirts & Apparel : Canned Unicorn Meat Shirt

Unicorn. In a can. Following on the success of Canned Unicorn Meat, ThinkGeek is considering setting up our own meat processing plant for other mythical beasts. Dragon Jerky. Cthulhu Calamari. But no Canned Orc. You can't tell when it's gone bad. $15.99 - $17.99

http://www.thinkgeek.com/e58a/

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

The 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Winners

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday night on NBC from the Nokia Theatre live in Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon and you can view a partial list of the winners below: Outstanding Drama **Winner** "Mad Men" "Breaking Bad" "Dexter" "The Good Wife" "Lost" "True Blood" Outstanding Comedy **Winner** "Modern Family" "30 Rock" "Curb Your Enthusiasm" "Glee" "Nurse Jackie" "The Office" Outstanding Actor in a Drama **Winner** Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") Hugh Laurie ("House M.D.") Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night...




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Doctor Who producer promises 'game-changing cliffhanger'

Doctor Who producer promises 'game-changing cliffhanger'

Shocking news in the world of Doctor Who today: the BBC just announced that series six will be split in two for the first time since it started in 2005, with one block of episodes airing over the spring of 2011 and the second one airing in the fall.


http://blastr.com/2010/08/doctor-who-producer-promi.php

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Adorable handmade space alien sculptures "for the conspiracy theorist in us all"

Roger Phillips of Close Encounters Studios in Mahopac, NY designs hand-crafted and hand-painted sculptures of endearing space aliens in funny little scenarios.

Above, detail view of a resting extraterrestrial from "Crash Landing in Roswell, New Mexico." Below, a detail from "Encounter at Hangar 18."

Sculptures are 8.5" x 9.5," sell for $49.95, and Mr. Phillips' most recent designs will be available in October. Purchase here.

(via BB Submitterator, thanks UFOBoingBoing!)

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/UdMHlCJzem0/handmade-extraterres.html


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Homeowners' associations: hives of petty authoritarianism

Academics may "fight so hard because the stakes are so low," but housing association tinpot dictators fight hard over high stakes indeed: the power to run your neighbors' lives down to the tiniest little detail. Here's a collection of seven insane homeowners' association rules, every one of them abusively applied, putting a lie to the old chestnut about not worrying about crazy rules because they'll never be enforced.
1. Thou shalt not plant too many roses
A Rancho Santa Fe, California, homeowners' association targeted Jeffery DeMarco for exceeding the prescribed number of rose bushes allowed on his four-acre property. When DeMarco balked, the HOA levied monthly fines, threatened foreclosure, and ultimately defeated DeMarco in court. After a judge ruled that the willful rose enthusiast had violated the community's architecture design rules, DeMarco was forced to pay the HOA's $70,000 legal bill -- and lost his home to the bank.
Top 7 insane homeowners association rules (via Making Light)


http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/ahnpf0AsBBA/homeowners-associati.html


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Hitchhiker's Guide creator's new Doctor Who-inspired TV show

Hitchhiker's Guide creator's new Doctor Who-inspired TV show

As fans of the late Douglas Adams and his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, we're thrilled the BBC is producing an hour-long broadcast based on another one of his books, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. But guess what? That's good news for Doctor Who fans, too.

http://blastr.com/2010/08/if-youre-a-fan-of.php

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Friday, August 27, 2010

IMAX 3D Theater Listing for Avatar: Special Edition

As we have said previously, Avatar is returning to 3D and IMAX 3D theaters this Friday. Below is a listing of all the IMAX 3D theaters that will show James Cameron's "Special Edition" that includes 9 minutes of extra footage. Also coming in November are DVD and Blu-ray Special Editions that are expected to have more than 16 minutes of extra footage, followed by a 3D Blu-ray release next year. If you missed our interview with Cameron about this re-release, you can still watch it here ! Following the record-breaking IMAX(R) 3D release of the highest grossing movie of all-time, IMAX Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox today announced that Avatar: Special Edition will open in 175 IMAX(R) theatres worldwide - 125 domestic and 50 international locations - on August 27,...

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=69096

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Collin's Lab: Custom Fit Earbuds

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/collins_lab_custom_fit_earbuds.html

I've used quite a variety of sound-isolating personal audio gear; around-ear cans, in-ear buds, as well as active noise-canceling models. All of these posed problems for me in one way or another. Most often, it came down to issues with comfort and how well each design could maintain a good seal on my substantial noggin.

I was excited to find out that there are custom-fit headphone services out there, but my enthusiasm withered upon learning the price for such a thing. Thankfully, I did find a DIY custom-mold earplug kit available for relatively cheap. So, I dug out my old pair of Shure E2C earbuds, ordered myself up a kit, and then put together a very simple but satisfyingly effective project.

Subscribe to the MAKE Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube and Vimeo.

customEarbudsBlue_cc.jpg

Also - for those who prefer more static imagery in their tutorials, I added this project to the very excellent Make: Projects site. Check the relevant step-by-steps here.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

5 Can't-Miss Pickup Lines from Dirt Nasty

http://www.spin.com/articles/5-cant-miss-pickup-lines-dirt-nasty

Playing his alter ego, rapper Dirt Nasty, former-MTV-VJ-turned-actor Simon Rex is all tongue-in-cheek Type-A douchebag bravado, from his boastful breakthrough single, "My Dick," to the cuts on his new album, Nasty As I Wanna Be, which hit stores earlier this month, and features odes to partying, carousing, and macking on cougars—along with guest spots from Ke$ha, Warren G, Too $hort, and Andy Milonakis.

So, as Labor Day approaches, we asked Dirt to share his most reliable pickup lines for those trying to close the deal with their summer crush. Check out his words of wisdom, and download an MP3 of his new song, "Cougars," featuring singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee, here:

LISTEN: Dirt Nasty, "Cougars (ft. Bonnie McKee)" (DOWNLOAD MP3)

PICKUP LINE NO. 1
"You walk up to a girl on the street with a map open, right? And you say 'Excuse me, I'm lost. Can you show me how to get to your place?' And you'd like point at the map in a really nerdy way, and make them laugh. It's great when there's the physical delivery, too."
When To Use It: "I'd say that's one to use out in the daytime, on the street. That's daytime, where you're approachable. You wouldn't do that in a nightclub with a map, obviously. When you're traveling, when you're out on the road that's a good one…It's a good icebreaker.

PICKUP LINE NO. 2
"You go up to a girl, and you just say, in a defensive manner, 'I can't do it!' And they'll throw it off and say, 'What?' And you say, 'Lunch tomorrow, but I'm free Wednesday!' Gets a laugh, you're in, silly, funny, likable. 'He went for it.' 'He's funny.' You already broke down two of the three proverbial walls. Yeah, I really am like that guy Mystery, aren't I?"
When To Use It: "That one I'd say you could apply in like restaurants or something, like in a crowded place, and indoors, and anywhere, anytime of day."

PICKUP LINE NO. 3
"You see a girl walking her dog in the park. You go up to the girl and you say, 'What a beautiful day to be walking your dog!' And she says, 'Yes, it is, isn't it?' And you go, 'No, I was talking to the dog.' That way, you insult them, which is the psychology of making them feel lesser than you, which breaks them down, and then they're either going to like you because you're an asshole—and women like assholes sometimes—you're funny, and you're belittling them, so you're hitting with a negative comment first. It's interesting. It could totally work, or they just keep walking. You've got nothing to lose."
When To Use It: "Let's say Central Park or whatever city park you're in."

PICKUP LINE NO. 4
"I like to go for the humor. Say, 'I want to take you to this amazing little French restaurant that I know called Jacques… in the Box.' It's all in the delivery. Or you could say you want to go to this little Irish pub you know, a little mom and pop spot called McDonalds.' Either one of those. The fast food ones always get a laugh."
When To Use It: "Let's say you're on a first date and you want to make them laugh or something."

PICKUP LINE NO. 5
"I was in the Hamptons, and I saw this girl that was really beautiful. And she was at this party, wearing a white dress, she was really pretty and exotic looking. She looked like she was from Europe, you could just tell by her style and her walk. So I just rolled up to her, like I knew her. And I'm just like 'Hey!' And she's just like 'Hey! Don't I...how do I know you? Did I meet you in Ibiza?' And I'm like, 'YES!' I just totally lied. I never met her before in my life! I've been to Ibiza once for two days, I certainly didn't meet her there, I'd remember. She was probably nine at the time."
When To Use It: "That's the number one rule of improv. Don't ever say 'no,' just say 'yes.' It's just about being positive—the 'Yes' factor. Oh I like that! The 'Yes Factor'—that's an interesting philosophy."


LISTEN: Dirt Nasty, "I Can't Dance"

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To see the world inside a toilet paper roll...



To see the world inside a toilet paper roll...
paperTubeCollage_1.jpg
paperTubeCollage_2.jpg
paperTubeCollage_3.jpg

It's a dreary, rainy day here in Virginia. Stuck inside the house, if I had young kids, this would make a fun activity, the kids probably tittering the whole time about building worlds inside of toilet paper tubes. We've covered Anastassia Elias' work here in the past, but it bears repeating.

Paper cuts - Rolls


More:

Toilet paper tube faces

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Crafts | Digg this!

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Photos from China's 10-day long traffic jam



Photos from China's 10-day long traffic jam
herebetrafficjams.png

On Monday, the BBC reported on a 62-mile traffic jam in China, northwest of Beijing, where vehicles had been almost at a standstill for nine days. Naturally, the internet was fascinated. Doctor Who references were made. Personal commutes seemed less terrible by comparison. According to that BBC story, Chinese state TV reported that everything had already returned to normal.

This does not appear to actually be the case. Unless, of course, you consider "normal" to be "truck drivers playing cards underneath their immobile rigs". The Associated Press sent a couple of Chinese correspondents out to the traffic jam Monday afternoon, and they returned with some great photos, tales of local residents gouging drivers on food and water sales, and the downright heartwarming fact that there have been no reports of road rage incidents. Some drivers reported having been stuck in the traffic jam for five days.

I wish the correspondents had been able to tell the story of how they got into and out of the jam themselves. I'm imagining a dirt bike was involved.

Sadly, it doesn't sound as though that impractical-yet-awesome-looking mega-bus on stilts would even be of much use in alleviating a traffic jam like this. Most of the vehicles involved aren't passenger cars, but shipping trucks, many hauling coal from Inner Mongolia.

The photos taken by the AP are incredible, but you'll have to follow the link to view them, as the AP tends to believe that fair use isn't and goes after blogs re-posting any of their content, even when it's praising them and pushing the links.

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TIME lists the Top 10 Star Wars fan films of all time



TIME lists the Top 10 Star Wars fan films of all time
TIME lists the Top 10 Star Wars fan films of all time

TIME magazine gave a shout-out to the top 10 Star Wars fan films of all time, though maybe we should make that ... TIME magazine thinks it gave a shout-out to the top 10 Star Wars fan films of all time. Check out what we mean—and see NINE awesome Star Wars fan films—below.

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Win Tickets to Austin City Limits, Epiphone Guitar!



Win Tickets to Austin City Limits, Epiphone Guitar!

This year's Austin City Limits festival has already sold out of their three-day passes due to an amazing line-up including the Strokes, Sonic Youth, Phish, Spoon, Vampire Weekend, M.I.A., Muse, Yeasayer, The Flaming Lips, Beach House, and tons more.

Luckily, Austin City Limits Festival is holding a sweepstakes and will be giving one grand prize winner a pair of 3-day passes to ACL! To make this prize even more covetable, the folks at ACL are including a side-stage spot to see Portugal. The Man at ACL, and an Epiphone Hummingbird guitar (!) signed by the band, plus breakfast with the band the day of their show. Four runners-up will also receive a spot at the breakfast table for them and one friend, and all winners and runners-ups will receive a one-year subscription to SPIN.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

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Cat-trashing lady outed by internet in less than 24 hours



Cat-trashing lady outed by internet in less than 24 hours
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...and when I say "Internet" I really mean 4chan, and when I say "4chan" I really mean /b/. But we all knew this would happen, right?

Yesterday, Mark posted a disturbing video of a middle-aged woman petting a cat and then throwing it—alive—into a trash bin. Mark today posted an update that she's now under police protection. What hasn't been talked about yet on Boing Boing is what happened between those two posts. 4chan happened.

Often dismissed as little more than a gang of anonymous bullies, there is some truth to the notion that the site is simultaneously the best and worst of the internet, and that when they put their collective minds together, there is no stopping them. Sometimes they dun goof up, other times they emerge as victorious white knights on a quest from Ceiling Cat.

Almost immediately after the video started making the internet rounds yesterday, the 4chan legion set out to find this woman and destroy her life.

I don't know exactly how long it took, but within a few hours she was identified as Mary Bale, 50, of Coventry (England).


But there's more: they also found out where she worked. They posted the phone number and name of her boss. They found out where she lived, and posted a Google map of that address. They found her Facebook profile.


And because of what some suggested should be done with this info, the local police stepped in and helped her hide.


Probably not a bad idea.



This isn't the first time 4chan has come to the defense of a cat seen being tortured in a web video.

Early last year they tracked down 15 year old Kenny Glenn who posted a video in which he called himself "The Animal Abuser," then beat the crap out of the family cat Dusty.

The authorities stepped in then, too, but only to rescue Dusty the cat. They left Kenny for his parents to deal with.

All this from one video!


One lesson here is that people can pretty much find out anything they want to about anyone these days.


But the greater lesson is that Anonymous loves cats, and if you mess with cats in their neighborhood (that would be the whole wide web, duh) they will find you.


And as for this incident with Lola the trashed cat?


Pool's closed.

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Problem-solving flow chart



Problem-solving flow chart
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It's a little swear-y, but I like it.

pic0715.jpg

Via Amy Vernon

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‘Spoiler Alert’ Warnings Find Amusing New Home



'Spoiler Alert' Warnings Find Amusing New Home

... In NYC subway stations. Public-art organization Newmindspace and public-art creator Jason Eppink help commuters "preserve their spirit of adventure."

Photo: Keith Haskel and Kristin Wardian


[Laughing Squid and Jason Eppink]

Read more posts by Edith Zimmerman

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Roaring Silence: 10 Cool &Creepy Abandoned Zoos



The Roaring Silence: 10 Cool &Creepy Abandoned Zoos
[ By Steve in Abandoned Places, History & Factoids, Travel & Places. ]


Zoos are more than just living museums of exotic animals, they're places bursting with life, laughter and wonder – that is, until the cages are emptied and wildlife is gone. These 10 abandoned zoos and wildlife parks are all that remains after those familiar sights & sounds fade into the roaring silence.

Old Griffith Park Zoo, Los Angeles, USA

(images via: Plasmaplasm)

The Los Angeles Zoo opened in 1966 after being relocated about two miles (3 km) south of its original site, where it was first established in 1912. Most of the remaining structures, including cages, concrete enclosures and passageways used by zookeepers date from the 1930s.

(images via: Roadside America and Plasmaplasm)

The City of Los Angeles has adapted some of the old zoo infrastructure to modern uses: one example being the monkey habitat that is now a picnic area complete with barbecues and benches. Most of the rest is overgrown by vegetation and defaced with graffiti.

Here's a short video of the old Griffith Park Zoo, looking as creepy as one might imagine:

Old LA Zoo , via Emeraldcityfilms

(images via: Seeing Stars)

You may have seen parts of the old Griffith Park Zoo regardless if you've ever been to Los Angeles. Some locations used in the feature film "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" were shot amidst the remnants of the old zoo.

Rhodes Zoo, Cape Town, South Africa

(images via: Partizanpublik)

The Rhodes Zoo, located in Cape Town, South Africa, was designed by and named for 19th century British colonialist and founder of the De Beers diamond company Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902). The zoo was built in the 1890s and the last sections were closed in the 1970s. The masonry structure at above top is the lion's enclosure while the circular structure is what remains of the crocodile pond.

(images via: Worldflicks and Mallix)

Many of the existing structures display an eerie Victorian sensibility that was intended to suit zoo visitors; the dark, cramped cages and enclosures acted as little more than prisons for the animals.

(images via: Mallix)

At present the site of the Rhodes Zoo is slowly being reclaimed by nature, offering photographers a unique setting of almost post-apocalyptic ruin partially subsumed by vivid green underbrush. The location of the former zoo also makes for exquisite scenes backdropped by steep rocky mountain peaks and ethereal low-lying fog banks.

Old Stanley Park Zoo, Vancouver, Canada

(images via: Vancouver Is Awesome and TBray)

The Stanley Park Zoo in Vancouver, Canada had humble beginnings: the first exhibit was a black bear chained to a tree stump by Henry Avison, the park's first superintendent and zookeeper. Over the years Avison gradually expanded to the zoo and at its peak it hosted 50 or so different animals including buffalo, penguins, wolves and kangaroos.

(image via: Striderv)

The old Stanley Park Zoo was definitely a product of its times, boasting stereotypical Space Age architecture. By the early 1990s the zoo was badly in need of modernization but a public referendum on the subject instead indicated Vancouverites preferred to close the zoo completely. The last remaining animal at the Stanley Park Zoo was a polar bear named Tuk, who died in late 1997 at the age of 36. By December the zoo was closed and the oft-criticized polar bear pit was converted into a demonstration salmon spawning hatchery.

(images via: Venture Vancouver)

Artists occasionally use the remnants of the old Stanley Park Zoo for their own purposes. One such example, seen above, employed stuffed burlap sacks positioned within the old bear enclosure and posed to look like bears and bear cubs.

The Abandoned Zoo, Ibiza, Spain

(images via: Ibiza Spotlight, Ibiza Unlike and HousePlanet.DJ)

A small abandoned zoo on the Spanish island of Ibiza has taken on new life as the venue for the resort island's largest daytime outdoor rave events. The heart of these events is at the former Seal Pit where the moat that once kept the seals in now keeps the ravers separated from the DJs and bands that energize and entertain the mostly British crowds.

Here are a few ravers releasing their inner animals at The Abandoned Zoo:

The Zoo Project Ibiza @ (The Abandoned Zoo) Galanight 27|06|09, via FraeuleinA

(images via: The Zoo Project and Discotecas de Ibiza)

The Zoo Project started out as a recurring series of free dance parties held at an old abandoned zoo in the hills of Ibiza, just outside San An. After several years of increasing popularity, the rave events were officially sanctioned as The Zoo Project with the first series of advertised raves taking place in 2007.

Riber Castle Wildlife Park, Derbyshire, UK

(images via: Peak District View, TravelPod, Keates Photos and ZooChat)

Built in 1862, Riber Castle was originally a private home in the tradition of medieval England's great gothic country houses. In the early years of the 20th century the estate was used as a private boys school – sort of an anti-Hogwarts – but the advent of the Great Depression saw the school close. After being used as a storage depot during World War II, Riber Castle fell into disuse and decay for 20-odd years until it reopened again in 1963 as the Riber Castle Wildlife Park, or Riber Zoo. Rumors of animal cruelty and maltreatment sparked the fury of Great Britain's radical animal activists, who famously released several lynx (bobcats) from their cages into the surrounding area. Sightings of the so-called ""Beast of Lumsdale" persisted for years.

Take a short tour around the decrepit remains of the Riber Castle Wildlife Park via this video:

Inside the old Riber Zoo and buildings, via UKzombie

(images via: Peak District View, Dean Read dot net and Keates Photos)

Riber Castle Wildlife Park was closed in October of 2000. The estate's main buildings currently have neither floors nor roofs though the outer walls are structurally sound. The status of the estate has led local councilors to consider re-developing the estate as an apartment building. Film buffs may recognize Riber Castle and the nearby town of Matlock from the Shane Meadows film "Dead Man's Shoes" which was shot on location. Click here to see some incredible panoramic views of Riber Castle and its eerie environs.

Belle Isle Zoo, Detroit, USA

(images via: Sweet Juniper!)

The Belle Isle Zoo opened in 1895 on Belle Isle, a 982 acre (1.53 sq mi) island in the Detroit River. The zoo evolved over the years, becoming the Belle Isle Children's Zoo in 1947 and undergoing an expensive modernization in 1980.

(image via: Sweet Juniper!)

Disgraced Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ordered the Belle Isle Zoo closed in 2002 against the wishes of city council, though the Belle Isle Nature Zoo in an isolated corner of the former zoo was funded and continues to operate.

(image via: dETROITfUNK)

The Belle Isle Nature Zoo Nature Zoo is a one-acre enclosure that is home to about 25 deer which, until 2004, used to run free on Belle Isle. The Nature Zoo is operated and funded by a non-profit organization that is not dependent upon the changing tides of political fortune for its funding. A pity the former Belle Isle Zoo was not maintained on that basis… instead, it continues to decay year after year as rumors regarding its revival fade in sync.

Abandoned Zoo, Sakon Nakhon, Thailand

(images via: Erich R Sysak)

A rare and unusual discovery is the un-named abandoned zoo on the shore of Nong Han Lake in Sakon Nakhon, northeastern Thailand. While the park is a popular recreation area for residents of and visitors to Sakon Nakhon (population 76,000), that can't be said for the remnants of the former zoo.

(image via: Erich R Sysak)

Consisting of isolated pavilions scattered across raised portions of the swampy wetland, the abandoned zoo is rapidly being reclaimed by the fast-growing tropical vegetation native to this fertile part of northeast Thailand.

Glasgow Zoo Park, Scotland

(image via: Secret Scotland)

Glasgow Zoo Park in Glasgow, Scotland, was closed in 2003 for financial reasons and the facilities have deteriorated alarmingly fast since that time. Rust, weathering, vandalism and graffiti have combined to create a grim landscape only the central characters of the film Trainspotting could fully appreciate.

(images via: Urbex Forums UK)

What is it about abandoned zoos that attract those eager to assist in their decay? Is it the post-apocalyptic setting formed of poured concrete, chain link fencing and rusted iron bars? Do the dregs of society feel some strange bond of cross-species alienation with the formerly free creatures who once paced the cold floors of these cages and enclosures? Unlike the animals who once populated the Glasgow Zoo, human visitors – then and now – at least have a choice. Choose life?

Southport Zoo, Merseyside, UK

(images via: Southport Forums, North West Hunt Saboteurs and Tiger Yawn)

The Southport Zoo, located near Liverpool, was a private venture run by the husband and wife team of Douglas and Carol Petrie. Opened in 1968, the Southport Zoo was no small undertaking: at its height, the zoo sprawled over 6 acres and housed 1,272 animals from 154 different species. Following a judgment against the owners of the Southport Zoo for failing to register a number of endangered animals in late 2001, the local city council decided against renewing the Petrie's license to operate and the zoo was forced to close in October of 2004.

(images via: Battlefield Live Southport)

The Southport Zoo's land and facilities were sold to the adjacent Pleasureland amusement park, who allowed the abandoned zoo site to drift into neglect for several years. Finally, in August of 2010, a laser-tag style virtual combat game called Battlefield Live Southport opened on the grounds of the old zoo. Players engage in virtual combat in the Battlefield Arena, which uses many of the original buildings and cages once used by the former Southport Zoo.

Plumpton Park Zoo, Rising Sun, MD, USA

(image via: Crowolf)

Our final entry – and not coincidentally, the most recent zoo to close – is the Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland. The 110-acre zoo was founded in 1986 by Ed Plumstead, now 82. Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture who filed a damaging report on the zoo at the end of June, 2010, made mention of 21 violations of federal regulations governing animal health and safety

(images via: Cecil Observer, Negotiation Is Over, Eric E Haas and Cecil County)

Due to Ed Plumstead's advanced age it seems unlikely he will be able to perform the many needed repairs and upgrades required to satisfy the USDA. What will become of the Plumpton Zoo's facilities, let alone its many animals?


(image via: Deadeyebart)

"Something tells me it's all happening at the Zoo. I do believe it, I do believe it's true." Believe what you want, Simon & Garfunkel, but even happenings have to end some time… even when they're happening at the Zoo.


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