Huge flash hits early evening sky in Russia (Video)

UFO, meteor, Superman?  Whatever it was that suddenly lit up the sky close to the city of Yekaterinburg in Russia was captured on a dashcam by someone driving down the road.  

Apparently emergency services refused to comment on what caused that incredible flash in the sky.  Whatever it was the MSM will probably blame it on Putin....

Keep your eyes on the truck ... (Video)

You have to love all these dash cams they have in Russia.  They catch the darndest things. These guys are just driving along behind a cement truck and a car, chatting away, when suddenly, the truck seems to almost disappear.

Video: Short SciFi Film: 'Entangled' gets you right on edge

Ever wished you could be in two places at one time?  So did this guy, and he managed to do it, but with bad consequences.

One of you is more than enough it seems..  and if you have 15 minutes to spare, watch below.

"Forced to care for her catatonic lover Malcolm after a secret quantum experiment goes awry, Erin is determined to uncover the cause of his condition — even at the risk of her own life. This riveting contemporary science-fiction story, from one of the writers of Orphan Black, bridges alternate dimensions as it explores how far a person will go for someone they love..."



Entangled | Short Cuts Canada | TIFF 2014 from TIFF on Vimeo.

Earthlapse: Timelapse video of Earth ... from space

While the music could maybe be a bit more dramatic than mere house music, this timelapse video is absolutely stunning.  

It was created from photos taken by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst while orbiting Earth on the International Space Station.

The video was created in Ultra High Definition - the highest available, so if you have the bandwidth, for full effect don't forget to change your settings on the YouTube video while watching...




According to the description on YouTube, basically this time lapse video is a sequence of still photos, taken at a resolution of 4256 x 2832 pixels at a rate of one every second. The high resolution allowed the ESA production team to create a 3840 x 2160 pixel movie, also known as Ultra HD or 4K.

The artistic effects of the light trails from stars and cities at night are created by superimposing the individual images and fading them out slowly.

Alexander Gerst is a member of the International Space Station Expedition 40 crew. He is spending five and a half months living and working on the ISS for his Blue Dot mission.

Video: No chance for the fish as 100s of pelicans dive en masse

Hundreds of pelicans were seemingly rather peckish when they carpet-bombed, en masse, the waves in this seaside spot.

While the voice of the videographer is speaking Italian, there is no indication of where this actually happened, but it sure brings up memories of Hitchcock's "The Birds"... a tad scary perhaps?

... and as one clever commenter posted, "Angry birds are not as fun in real life..."

Viral Video: Watch a tornado caught live on a dashcam

This video appears to have been taken back on 03/01/13, but was only uploaded to YouTube on September 1st this year by user Bulat Nazarov.

It is unknown if there was anyone in the car at the time, but the dashboard camera captured the damage caused by the tornado, apparently in Bashkiria (Republic of Bashkortostan) up close and personal.  

It certainly looks like the car did better than the building did ...

Gangnam 'Gaza Style' goes viral to make a point, or two

Just in case you thought it was all over, Gangham Style parodies are still a hot item on YouTube, and this one is a tongue-in-cheek version all the way from the Gaza Strip. Fun, but with a serious message too.

Five Palestinian men and one child got together, with a friend holding a mobile phone, along with an excellent sense of humor, to put together this latest "Gangnam Style" parody video. 

While it was fun to make, the Palestinians did also want to get a message across by showcasing some of the problems being experienced in the area. One of the dancers has a handwritten sign taped to his back, reading "Unemployment" in both Arabic and English.

As the group travels around in their car, they run out of gas, which means they have to push it, all the while continuing their "Gangnam Style" dance. 

Next stop is the service station, where a "no fuel" sign awaits them at the gas pump. Nothing for it, the group then have to ride donkeys "Gangnam Style." 

Then the group gets together, hoping to play a game of soccer with the kids, only to find that their playground is a disaster area.

The leader of the group was Muhamnad Barakat, who said that all they needed to make the video was a mobile phone. There was no fancy editing or directing used in the production and the Internet was there and available to get their message out to the world.

“A group of Palestinian young men are making this Gangnam Style video clip to highlight the hardship in Gaza. No one’s done this before. We’re hoping to focus on Gaza issues through this simple means,” Barakat said. “Our instruments are simple ones…thank God we can send a message to the world through our mobile phones,” he added.

Another member of the group, Walid Afaghani, told Reuters, “The message is about our suffering, prisoners, unemployment, and lack of electricity that causes us problems.”

Italian freelance journalist, Shantal, actually watched the group perform during a visit to Gaza. “It is funny, so you enjoy while you see it, but at the same time it gives a strong message,” she said.

While it was simple to make, this video shows they they did have a bit of rehearsal first before making the main event. According to the UN, Gaza's unemployment is currently at over 40%, while local economists say it is more likely to be 60%. With the restrictions imposed on Gaza by Tel Aviv, the Palestinian Authority – especially the Gaza Strip – is facing a severe financial crisis. The area has to rely heavily on money from donor countries, and is deeply in debt to both banks and the private sector. 

Economist Mohsen Abu Ramadan told Press TV, “The Palestinian Authority is in deep financial trouble and the economy has been taking a nosedive in recent years because of the lack of a clear economic policy and the restriction imposed by Israel on Palestinian imports and exports.”

In the unlikely event that readers don't recognize the soundtrack of the video, the music is a cover of Psy's "Gangnam Style" which became the first video to reach 1 billion hits on the Internet, mainly on YouTube.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/343036

'Idle No More Providence' round dance flash mob on Tuesday

If you live in Providence, Rhode Island, you may have been surprised by a flash mob on Tuesday. Idle No More Providence met in flash mob style at Kennedy Plaza in the afternoon as can be seen in the video below.

Idle No More is in the news a lot these days. There have been protests by the movement recently, particularly to protect the Constitution Treaty Rights of the Indian Act, threatened by the proposed C-45 Bill in Canada. 

Digital Journal published an article containing a beautiful short film made in support of the Idle No More movement on Tuesday.

Attawapiska Chief Theresa Spence began a hunger strike on December 11, 2012 and is willing to die for her people’s rights. And finally, yesterday, Prime Minister Harper agreed to a meeting.

In the meantime, Idle No More Providence were standing in solidarity with their First Nation Brothers and Sisters in Canada, and taking a stand for Indigenous Rights. 

The Facebook event page read, "On Tuesday January 8th, 2013 Idle No More Providence is calling on all Natives throughout the Rhode Island/New England area to take a visible stand in support of Indigenous Rights across the globe, and in particular against Canada's continued disrespect of and disregard for its Native Treaties as well as for the sacrifice of Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence."

"The event will begin at 4:15pm and will follow the same format as Idle No More Boston; No speakers, just people from all directions uniting to take a stand for what is right."

Many photos of the event can be seen on the Facebook event page.

The movement met at Kennedy Plaza by the statue, across from the Providence City Hall and ask people to please feel free to bring a hand drum, rattle, sign, pamphlets, information, etc. to support the event. Everyone was invited in peace, love and unity to stand with Idle No More and to make their voices heard.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340835#ixzz2HUDhGnw4

Woody Harrelson — Make compassion your fashion, not fur (Video)

Woody Harrelson and the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) have teamed up with a new anti-fur video to educate people to adopt a fur-free 2013.

As part of the The Humane Society of the United States - Fur-Free Campaign, Harrelson and the HSUS decided to go a different route with their video by not showing the usual gore and hard to watch scenes often present in such films.

Harrelson says, “It’s always difficult for people to deal with images of animal cruelty head-on; no one wants to look at what really goes into the making of fur. This video is so impactful because it lets you know without having to see.”

“I really hope it makes fashion designers and consumers think twice about using and wearing animal fur, when so many great alternatives are available and just as stylish,” he added.

The video takes us through explanations of what happens to animals in the name of fur fashion and tells us that millions of animals - including foxes, raccoon dogs, bobcats, and even domestic dogs and cats - are slaughtered each year for the fur trade. 

 

Raccoon dogs, for example, are cage-raised in China, where live skinning has been documented. The most common method of killing factory-farmed foxes is anal electrocution. In China and other countries, domestic dogs and cats are killed, as well as maimed and killed in indiscriminate fur traps in the United States.

Beverley Kaskey, senior director of the HSUS Hollywood Outreach program said, “We are so grateful to Woody for literally voicing his support of The Humane Society of the United States’ fur-free campaign. He brings the right tone to an innovative video that is easy to watch but which leaves a lasting impression.”

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340836

Video: Short documentary on the ‘Idle No More’ movement

In a continuation of 500 years of indigenous resistance, Canada’s Idle No More movement aims to protect the Constitution Treaty Rights of the Indian Act, threatened by the proposed C-45 Bill. A short film has been created to promote their aims.

Read more and watch beautiful short film:http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340794

 

Hurricane Sandy on Bikes in NYC

Great work by these guys!  They spent 4 hours in the flooded streets of Manhattan to produce this...

Op-Ed: Spain to ban photos or videos of police in action

Allegedly to protect the lives of law enforcement officers, but more likely a crack-down on freedom of expression, Spain's government is drafting a law to ban citizens from photographing or filming police officers at their work.

The drafting of this legislation comes amidst waves of protests throughout Spain over the austerity cuts to public healthcare and education. With the Interior Minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, stating that they are not cracking down on freedom of expression, the new "Citizen Safety Law" will prohibit “the capture, reproduction and editing of images, sounds or information of members of the security or armed forces in the line of duty,” according to Ignacio Cosidó, the Director General of the police. 

Cosidó added that the new legislation seeks to “find a balance between the protection of citizens’ rights and those of security forces.” Under this new legislation, it will also be punishable by law to disseminate photos and videos over social networks, like Facebook.

Cebo

Police brutality - 29 March 2012 - Madrid, Spain

The new law will cover all images that could pose a risk to the physical safety of police officers, or could impede them from executing their duty.

However, the Interior Ministry stresses that it will not encroach on freedom of expression. Cosido stressed, “We are trying to avoid images of police being uploaded onto social networks with threats to them and their families.” 

According to the United Police Syndicate in Spain, implementation of this new legislation would be “very complicated”, as it does not establish any guidelines over the types of image that would violate the rights of a police officer. The syndicate says that the ministry will encounter "legal problems" should it not specify clearly the "ins and outs of the law." 

Despite this Cosidó argued that the measures are necessary, given the “elevated levels of violence against officers” in the economic crisis that is “undermining the basis of a democratic society.”

There have been many anti-austerity protests in Spain over the past year, with many reports and much footage of police brutality against protesters. It is clear from this footage that many Spanish police officers do not wear their identification badges during the protests, despite the fact that the law requires this. 

 

Legislation that prevents citizens, and for that matter, journalists from taking photos or videos of the police in action during the protests is a clear breach of freedom of expression. 

 

In the US, there have been several incidences where video taken by citizen journalists, has cleared defendants in Occupy-related arrests. A good example of this was reported on Digital Journal in the NYPD case against Alexander Arbuckle, arrested for disorderly conduct in the OWS protest early on New Year's Day, but cleared due to the video footage of a citizen journalist, Tim Pool. Ironically, Arbuckle was not even part of the protest, and up until that time actually supported the police. Obviously he changed his tune once arrested by the NYPD.

 

With more and more stories of police brutality doing the rounds in the media, it is a worrying precedent when the right to take photos or videos of police officers is taken away from concerned citizens and citizen journalists. 

 

It pretty much gives the police the edge to do whatever they want, and leaves you unable to prove a thing. With recent violence between police and protesters, especially near Parliament in Madrid on September 25, many Spaniards have been shocked by images of protesters, bloodied and in need of medical attention, appearing on the television. Of course it is essential that people know about this kind of violence and what is happening in the streets around them. 

 

The video above shows the events in Madrid on September 25, including the brutal attack by the police. Presumably, this type of video would not be allowed under the new legislation?  (Apologies unable to embed video here, please click to view.)

 

Fernandez Diaz did, however, tell the media, "We do not intend to stop the press from doing its job of taking pictures of police charges and other proceedings. But we understand that in anti-terrorist operations or against mafias you have to have a more careful approach when it comes to disseminating images."

This leaves things a little unclear. Does that mean that the media are allowed to take images of police action, but a simple citizen journalist, such as the writer of this article, is not? Lead writer for the Spanish national newspaper, El Mundo, Angel Casaña, published an online editorial saying that photography has changed the course of history. 

 

He states that the government's proposed measure could have a negative impact on journalism in Spain. "If this proposal goes ahead, it is going to be impossible to know about events as they occur on the streets just at a time when streets are at boiling point due to the dire economic situation of many families," said Casaña.

Read more and view video of police brutality in Madrid: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/335133