In Pure Spirit » causes

Standing up For Freedom – Amnesty International

Andrew — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:56:54 +0000

Amnesty International’s American branch have put together a fantastic animation to celebate it’s 50th anniversary.

The animation was created by Prague’s world famous Eallin, directed by Carlos Lascano and with music from Hans Zimmer the video packs a heavy punch.

In Pure Spirit

Do you support Amnesty International? What do you make of their 50th anniversary video?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation film at the G20 summit

Andrew — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:49:23 +0000

Microsoft was once public enemy number one according to many of the technical people this blogger knows. It may have lost that title recently as it has become fashionable to dislike Apple, Google, banks, oil companies, lawyers, etc. That most people can agree on, though, is that since stepping back from his position at Microsoft Bill Gates has been very good with his money.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seems to be very switched on when it comes to investment and determined to do the right thing. They have a suitably global view of what the “right thing” seems to be and to an outsider appear to be relatively free from the effects of lobbying from some of the more extreme political views in the States.

This video animates Bill Gates’ presentation at the G20. He outlines the need for smart investment in countries that need help in order to encourage global economic growth. Help others to help yourself.

In Pure Spirit

Do you have any views of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and their tactics? Is my assessment above incorrect?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

Confused.com partners Pink Pound for gay friendly car insurance

Andrew — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:36:07 +0000

Couples get discounts from some car insurance companies. This comes from insurance providers trying to win multi-car deals but also from the belief that you may well drive more safely in your wife’s car than, say, a company car or perhaps even your own.

The Pink Pound scheme offers:

Car insurance for same sex marriages
Car insurance for civil partnerships
Tailored car insurance to an individual
Multicar discounts

The MD of the new brand, Mike Joseph, said;

“Pink Pound insurance was created to give the LGBT community the product, pricing and personal service that is lacking from most standard offerings.”

“At Pink pound we have negotiated some fantastic premiums with our specialist panel of insurers and see Confused.com as the ideal partner to ensure that this brand reaches the maximum number of potential customers as possible. Whilst further enhancing Confused.com’s commitment to provide a specialist quote for every client, from every back ground with any specific needs.”

Confused.com’s site lets drivers compare car insurance prices but Pink Pound’s deals can be accessed directly from their website.

In Pure Spirit

Is this just marketing strategies or a real effort to bring equality into finance services? Are Confused.com brave for helping to bring greater awareness to Pink Pound?

Story via Brinkwire.

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

Newspapers to apologise to #occupylsx after botching empty tent story

Andrew — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:23:33 +0000

You may have seen some of the right leaning newspapers carry the news that up to 90% of the tents outside St Paul’s for the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest are empty at night.

The newspapers are making the point that these protesters aren’t trying, that they don’t really care and that the tents are just a nuisance tactic that should be removed.

The newspapers used a thermal imaging camera to scan the square in order to reveal heat sources inside the tents. On the surface it sounds like a really smart idea. It’s an effective way to see which tents are occupied and which are empty that does not involve disturbing anyone.

However, some of the Occupy London Stock Exchange group were surprised at the newspapers’ findings. They rented the same thermal imaging camera and tested it. Oh dear. It turns out that most of the time the camera couldn’t see inside the tents.

This surprises me. If a thermal camera can be used to see heat sources behind walls or find people in rubble then surely it would be able to see into a tent? Surely? The video, however, speaks for itself – it can’t.

In Pure Spirit

Are you surprised by this video?

What do you think? Are the protesters there at night or do they skive off home to warm houses? If the newspapers got it wrong – should they apologise?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

Releasing a seal pup

Andrew — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:16:44 +0000

This seal pup, named Peewee, is a Northern Fur Seal who was found starving and nursed back to health by staff at the Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre on Salt Spring Island, BC. You can find out more about the Centre at their website or their Facebook page.

Right now, settle back and prepare to watch a minute and a half of cuteness. When the doors to Peewee’s cage open the tiny pup can’t believe he will be able to return to the sea. There’s no sound but watch what happens.

In Pure Spirit

Have you ever seen anything like it?

Do you support animal rescue centres with charity donations? Are they as important as charities set up to help humans with their needs?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

Earth Day: Charity: Water

Andrew — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:48:29 +0000

This video from Charity: Water is superb. It’s clear and easy to follow. It spells out the case very clearly for investing in better water solutions.

Charity: Water is particularly popuar among internet geeks like this blogger. A lot of internet companies spend their CSR efforts helping this charity. For example, if you’re on GetGlue then you can check into Earth Day and pick up a charity: water badge today.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think we could be doing any more to help solve the water crisis or is it ust a matter of raising the money, putting the solutions in motion and waiting for projects to complete?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

10 stunning pictures for Earth Day

Andrew — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:49:51 +0000

Today is Earth Day. The theme this year is A billion acts of green as the internet and activisits mobilse to try and protect the planet.

The following ten pictures have been shared via Reddit, Digg and picture communities on LiveJournal. The photographers are unknown but please suggest photo credits in the comments below. They’re presented here as our contribution to Earth Day

Ten Pictures for Earth Day

When Is Earth Day 2012?

Earth Day is always on April 22nd. In 2011 Earth Day is on a Friday. In 2012 Earth Day will be Sunday, April 22nd.

In Pure Spirit

What are you doing to support Earth Day? Have you seen any great Earth Day campaigns this week? Who’s doing well?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

Psychic buried alive at Dudley Castle

Andrew — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:00:59 +0000

Update: If it’s before April 9th, 2011 you can watch Ian Lawman live via this web cam feed.

Entertainment and ghost hunting company Fright Nights knows what to do with the TV exorcist and psychic Ian Lawman. They’re going to bury him for a whole week at the haunted Dudley Castle.

Lawman, who comes from a small steel down in the North East of England, gives the impression he’s up to the physical nature of the challenge. His official bio says;

Ian takes no prisoners with his hard-man looks and approach to the spirit world that comes very naturally, he can bridge the gap within the two planes of existence to prove that life goes on after death via detailed messages of past, present and future.

He’ll have to be tough. He’ll be buried in a coffin, six foot underground, covered with two tonnes of soil and be fed just four tablets a day. These tablets sound like heavy hitting stuff – providing him 2,000 calories. There’s been no mention of what Lawman will do for toilet breaks.

We’re told there will be a “web feed” which Ian will use to communicate with the outside world. Neither Fright Nights nor Lawman have made details of this feed available yet but the psychic’s official website makes mention of this Twitter account, worryingly, however, the user name is still to be registered. Anyone could sweep in and take it.

There is, however, a Facebook page for Ian Lawman: Buried Alive.

While Lawman endures this punishment of earth, Fright Nights and Dudley Castle will be holding a “Buried Alive Festival”. For a fee, visitors can get access to the castle’s most haunted areas, join the team’s regular mediums for ghost hunting and vigils, go on ghost walks with storytellers, speak to clairvoyants and psychics at the craft fayre and grab food from the cafe.

Why is Ian Lawman being buried at Dudley Castle?

It’s worth noting that this is all for charity and you can sponsor Ian Lawman in this challenge via his JustGiving page.

Lawman also gave an interview to EGL Magazine where they asked him the question “Why did you decide to be buried alive for seven days?”. This was his answer;

I want to take the paranormal to the next level. I wanted to get as close to death as I could without dying, so I thought if I was buried in a battlefield over a week I would get closer to spirit.

Is Dudley Castle haunted?

Fright Nights have run ghost hunting trips at Dudley Castle before. Their site talks about a grey lady and a black monk. They also say that they’ve encountered poltergeist activity.

Indeed, there are plenty of reports of ghosts and sightings at the castle. The black monk is reported most often near the Castle’s Chapel. Dudley Castle is quite near the ruins of St James Priory, which was used by the black robe wearing Benedictine monks.

Some suggest that the grey lady could be Mrs Dorothy Beaumont. Beaumont was the life of the Second in Command of the Royalist forces during the siege of May 1646 by Parliamentary forces. She died of natural causes, her body and funeral cortege were allowed to pass out of the Castle to the Church at the other end of the town by the besieging troops but her husband was not given the same permission. He had to stay inside Dudley Castle and missed the funeral.

Dudley Zoo has been involved in reporting some of the paranormal incidents. Chris Round, the zoo curator, has spoken about some of the encounters the keepers have had while doing their 8pm to 10pm round.

First you had to lean over the tiger enclosure and shine your torch around the pit, which seemed bottomless. It was dug from old limestone caves, and you remembered that in 1961 the skeleton of a woman of 40 was found in a nearby cave. The Police discovered very little about her, not who she was, nor why she died here. Nearby a miner was buried alive under a rockfall and the sound of a pickaxe on rock can sometimes be heard. Perhaps it is the same miner who appears in the bear dens next door then disappears through a wall.”

Dudley Castle ghost video

Richard Flex, from Most Haunted, features in a four part “Ghosts of Dudley Castle” video series on YouTube. Here’s the first one.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think about Ian Lawman’s charity stunt? Do you think he appreciates how tough this will be? Do you think he can complete it? If he starts to sense, or even see things, will that be due to sleep deprivation or because he’s closer to “spirit”?

So many possible questions here. Do share what you think and consider sponsoring him.

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

What is #RND?

Andrew — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:04:42 +0000

#RND is a hashtag used on Twitter to mark conversations and comments about Red Nose Day. This year’s #RND is today, March 18th, in the United Kingdom.

This infographic is a wonderful insight into #RND

This widget tracks #RND tweets on Twitter.

In Pure Spirit

What does Red Nose Day mean to you? If you’d like to donate then you can do here.

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon

50th Anniversary of Amnesty International video

Andrew — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:16:33 +0000

This is an is an impressive video from the French agency La Chose for Amnesty International (France). Amnesty International was founded in 1961, July, by Peter Benenson in the UK. The charity is approaching it’s 50th Anniversary and this video seems to have been prepared with that in mind.

The message of the video, however, is simple. Please sign petitions.

Amnesty International, film Projection by la chose from lachoseparis on Vimeo.

In Pure Spirit

Are you a member of Amnesty International? Do you feel that they spend your donations wisely and you have confidence in the group?

Related posts

• Facebook • Twitter • StumbleUpon