J.K. Rowling's "Beedle the Bard" to Be PUBLISHED!!!

From The Leaky Cauldron:

J.K. Rowling's Charity to Publish "Beedle the Bard" in December
Posted by: Melissa
July 31, 2008, 07:00 AM

Today, on J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter’s birthdays, JKR has announced that her children’s charity, Children’s High Level Group, will publish The Tales of Beedle the Bard on December 4, in an exclusive deal with Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon. (You can pre-order from Amazon now.)

Pre-order now through our Cauldron Shop: collector’s edition, standard edition.

According to a post on JKRowling.com, the book will have commentary by Dumbledore (it was “discovered in his papers after his death,” including historical notes, personal reminisces, and insights into the most mysterious branch of magic, wand lore). The tales were “translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger” and have illustrations by J.K. Rowling.

JKR: “There was understandable disappointment among Harry Potter fans when only one copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was offered to the public last December. I am therefore delighted to announce that, thanks to the generous support of Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon (who bought the handwritten copy at auction) – and with the blessing of the wonderful people who own the other six original books – The Tales of Beedle the Bard will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans. Royalties will be donated to the Children’s High Level Group, to benefit institutionalised children in desperate need of a voice. The new edition will include the Tales themselves, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, and with illustrations by me, but also notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archive.”

The book’s proceeds will go to de-institutionalize children. Amazon will produce a maximum of 100,000 collector’s edition copies which will sell for about $100, and will aim to closely replicate the look and feel of the original copies that J.K. Rowling gave to six people closely associated with Potter last year.

All proceeds, expected to garner about 4 million pounds, will be donated to CHLG.

Emma Nicholson of the CLHG says: “We are so thrilled to be publishing such an exclusive and special book. This unique project will raise vital funds for the work of CHLG, to help us change the lives of hundreds of thousands of marginalised and institutionalised children who are living in appalling conditions, and make sure that no future generation suffers in this way.”

For pictures and a review from Amazon.com of the original, hand-crafted edition of the book, click HERE.

The description from Amazon.com:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition

In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, available December 4, 2008.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."

Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

Net proceeds from this Standard Edition and the Collector's Edition support of the Children's High Level Group, a charity co-founded in 2005 by J K Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP to make life better for vulnerable children. (The Children's High Level Group is a charity registered in England and Wales under registered charity number 1112575.)

Also Available: The Collector's Edition, Offered Exclusively by Amazon
Amazon is thrilled to be the exclusive seller of the Collector's Edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard featuring an exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, 10 new illustrations, metalwork and clasp, replica gemstones, and tucked in its own case disguised as a wizarding textbook from the Hogwarts library. (Available in limited quantities)

Standard Edition Product Features:
• All five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard
• A new introduction by J.K. Rowling
• Illustrations reproduced from the original handcrafted book
• Commentary on each of the tales by Professor Albus Dumbledore

Click HERE to view the Collector's Edition Cover in more detail.

Awesome Band Alert: NEMO

I've had this band on my radar for a while because they're friends of the Mighty Boosh and have even had cameo appearances in the show, but I hadn't gotten around to listening with them until now. I'm pretty sure the Boosh have impeccable taste because I've loved just about every band/comedian I've heard about through them (Robots in Disguise, IAMX, Richard Ayoade, etc)...and Nemo is no different.



James from Nemo is in the foreground. To his right is Chris Corner of IAMX. Behind them on the next animal statue is Julia Davis (comedian/Julian Barratt's partner) and Sue Denim from Robots in Disguise. Behind that is Julian Barratt, and then at the back is Noel Fielding and Dee Plume from Robots in Disguise.

I absolutely LOVE this song...

CAR CRASH EYES



And Alice Lowe(from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and the Mighty Boosh) is in the video!


LIFESPAN




RESCUE THE REVOLUTION





You can buy & download their album HERE. DO IT NOW!

IAMX = Awesome

I'm in a very IAMX mood right now, so I thought I'd post some pics/vids of IAMX's awesomeness.

Video:


PRESIDENT



SPIT IT OUT



IAMX TOUR DIARY (2007)



Photos:









The creepiness of this next photo is only somewhat lessened by the awesomeness of the argyle legs...

Awesome Videos

OFFICIAL HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE TRAILER:




Doctor Who: Music of the Spheres (BBC Proms Special)



A Mighty Boosh/300 Trailer from YouTube:

Goth Detectives Review

From thisislondon.co.uk:




"Fine and dandy: shaggy-haired Russell Brand and Noel Fielding perform their double act The Goth Detectives"

Thank Goth for the Mighty Boosh and Brand
By Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard 29.07.08

Neither are really goths, neither are really detectives, but Russell Brand and Noel Fielding triumphed as their oddly-named occasional double act last night. It was clear from the rambling start that they were distinctly underrehearsed, but as co-hosts of this fundraiser for the Focus 12 drugs rehabilitation charity that helped ex-junkie Brand kick his addictions, they were sublimely shambolic.

The main planned element saw them solving the audience's problems, which made them more like skinny-trousered agony uncles than Satan-worshipping sleuths. The idea soon petered out, though there was much more entertainment to come, most of it involving silly strutting and sarcastic wisecracks at the expense of The Lion King and YouTube and greeted by screaming more redolent of Beatlemania than comedy gigs.

All the special guests were hits too. Never Mind The Buzzcocks host Simon Amstell's mirthful misanthropy struck a chord and James Corden and Mathew Horne from sitcom Gavin and Stacey workshopped some enthusiastically performed character-based routines - trendy teachers, happy clappy Christians, pretentious magicians - which were hardly radical, but boded well for their forthcoming BBC sketch show.

There had been talk of a Noel Gallagher cameo, yet his absence was hardly noticed as Fielding and Brand closed each half with more structured solo sets.

While Mighty Boosh lynchpin Fielding was solid, delivering his familiar fable about pursuing a unicorn to the ends of the earth only to discover that it was a horse with a Cornetto on its nose, Brand surpassed himself with his trademark blend of self-mockery and smutty braggadocio.

His best new material was inspired by his recent sojourn in America. Others might claim that they like the anonymity of working where they are not stars, Brand was frank enough to admit that he hated not being recognised.

This is a man who takes egocentricity to ludicrous extremes. Apparently the only thing he has ever Googled is his own name. There might have been controversy over here following his prank call to a crime hotline at a recent Northampton gig, but Brand's US career is rampant. He is due to host the MTV Awards and has various films in the pipeline.

His stand-up days may be numbered, which would be sad. It would give me great pleasure to announce that this preening dandy is wearing thin. Annoyingly he continues to be one of the most original, insightful comedians working today.

The Mighty Boosh: ten secrets of our success

From the Times Online:

The Mighty Boosh: ten secrets of our success:

How did the Mighty Boosh pull it off? Four years ago, Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt were cult comedians, beloved of Fringe-goers and little known to the outside world. Four years later, they've made three series of their wonderful sitcom, sold out one big tour with another to come in the autumn - including two nights at Wembley Arena - and are currently trading as a rock band, headlining first their own festival and, this weekend, the Big Chill festival. They're NME cover stars. Teen pin-ups. Tabloid fixtures in a way that Eric and Ernie never dreamt of. Fifteen years after the dread phrase “comedy is the new rock'n'roll” was coined, they've finally made it true.

Yorkshireman Barratt, 40, and Londoner Fielding, 35, are much like their Boosh alter egos Howard Moon and Vince Noir. Barratt is wry, vivid, low-key. Fielding is as garrulous and unaffected as a man can be while still wearing a spangly silver jumpsuit from a photoshoot. They're a tight unit - cutting into their crosstalk requires a licence - and have been ever since they first staged a show at Edinburgh ten years ago. But then, when you're basing your career on something as fragile as cosmic whimsy meets Hope-and-Crosby banter - which, in the wrong hands, would just be second-hand surrealism - you have to be pretty tough. Here, then, are the secrets of the Boosh's success.

1 Don't know your place

Julian Barratt We had to be a bit bloody-minded to say we wanted to do these shows with our band. People got quite annoyed with us: what are you doing? Who do you think you are? You're comedians, just know your place! Put that guitar down and tell me a joke.

Noel Fielding People are quite cynical. They go, oh, you're frustrated rock stars. Well, neither of us want to be rock stars and never have. I've always liked comedy. But I like the idea of mixing the two together.

JB It's one of those things we always wanted to do and never got round to. You get caught up, people want another series - it's great, but you do get caught up. It's important to make sidesteps.

NF It's taking “comedy is the new rock'n'roll” to its logical conclusion: comedians actually doing rock'n'roll.

2 Keep your feet on the ground ...

NF If you're an actor and you're 21, and you get put in a film, it's probably quite a shock. But we'd done ten years of stand-up, and those are probably the most humiliating times of your life. So by the time you do get on telly and people know who you are, you don't forget how hard it was. In comedy you're always quite humble, because you never know whether the next joke you make is going to be funny.

3 ... but not too firmly on the ground

NF I always thought I'd be famous - which is hilariously misguided, isn't it? I remember once, my mate went to me, about some newspaper review of something I did: “That's great, isn't it, you're next to a picture of the Beatles. Bet you never thought that would happen!” And I went: “Well, I did, actually.”

JB When you're a kid you think that's what you are, you're the most famous person in the world. And I remember not understanding when I went to school, and some girls went, I don't like you - it was devastating. Because your parents are like, “we love you, we love you”, and then you go out into the world where people don't love you. You have to learn that you're not the greatest thing in the world.

NF The same girls really liked me.

4 Live in a dreamworld
NF When you're writing something, it's all you think about.

JB It's quite frightening when you go home and everything is going through that lens. Everything your girlfriend is saying is just going into the lens, the Boosh lens, and coming out the other side as the possible idea for a routine.

NF It's madness, really.

JB We're not thinking about whether ten people or ten million people get to see it, we're just thinking that it would be good to see. In our heads, these characters are real, however insane that sounds.

5 Look like amateurs

JB When we started we developed a home-made aesthetic because we had no money and we were doing shows in the back rooms of pubs. Like, you'd use a Polo for an eye for an animal, but it has its own logic and its own style to use that sort of found stuff. Now we're thinking of doing a film. Maybe we could get a bit more money for effects. But then you think, “is that funnier than us two on our settee going through something back-projected?”

NF People are saturated with MTV and adverts. No one ever goes: “Wow, have you seen that effect, it's incredible!” They just go: “Seen it a million times, a million adverts, a million times a day, who cares?”

6 Ignore outsiders

NF We've never listened to anyone. Ever. On anything. People try to chip in with ideas; we're always just like, “we're doing this, this feels really fun”.

JB A lot of the production people we encounter work in committees, and they're influenced by advertising-speak and surveys of what people laugh at. In the first series we had a character called Mr Susan, and we had this idea that he'd go “look at them shine!” about his miracles. Over and over again in the same intonation. We just thought it was funny. And we had a meeting about the series, we got this guy, saying: “Does he need to do it that many times? 'Cos it doesn't work; there's no logic to it.” You just have to go, “no, that's what we're doing”. But those things are difficult to hold on to, because they're delicate.

7 Find a friend

NF It's hard to direct a double act because we edit each other all the time. When you're on your own, you need someone else watching. When it's us, there's always another pair of eyes.

JB We're always looking for people to help, actually. But you need to be strong to come into a formed relationship like this.

8 Keep it in the family

NF Actors, I don't know about. They're not really people that I get on with; they're very pompous and earnest. Often we write things with someone in mind - Bollo the gorilla is my best friend from art college; Naboo the shaman is my brother, our parents have all been in it, my mate does the animations. Casting's a bit like being God, really. It's ridiculous, all our family and friends; it's like an art project.

9 Don't fall for fame

NF It never really feels like you've made it - it's always a shock when people suggest that. And when people go mad and scream at you, I still find it shocking. Girls go “aaaaaaah!” at you. And you go, “What shall I do? Shall I run away? I don't know.” You never ever ever get used to people going, “Oh, I love the show.” It's great, but it's odd.

JB Hysterical reactions are frightening, aren't they?

NF But it doesn't really feel like it's happening to you, does it?

JB I think you're better at understanding that than I am.

NF Yeah, you run away.

JB I run away. But also the idea of being famous and that, I don't even see what it is, I just think, “I'm not famous, I'm just in this work, it's just me and my friend.” And then I'm a bit taken aback all the time.

10 Never network

NF If your career is resting on one TV executive going, “yeah, I'll commission them”, then you're f***ed.

JB There was a long period when no one wanted what we were doing, so we just went and did live stuff. That was great, we went around the world with it. But we could have just gone, “what's happened? Why didn't we get the series? This is so wrong, we've got to find a way to go to a dinner party and meet this executive”. All of that energy you spend trying to get next to people, you could be using that energy to actually do something creative.

NF There is a whole generation of people who just want to self-promote. We never really had much time for that, did we?

JB We were rubbish at it.

NF We were terrible at it. We never spoke to anyone.

JB The one time we did, we went to this dinner party for BBC Three and we told the head of the channel that we were on mushrooms. We were just joking around, but he believed it.

NF Nearly canned our show.

JB We got a message that the series wasn't going to happen after all.

NF I had to ring him up on a Friday night and apologise. Beg him. Which was pathetic, really. But I'd do it again any time to get our show on.

The Mighty Boosh Band play at the Big Chill festival, Aug 2 (www.bigchill.net/festival.html; 0871 4244444). The Mighty Boosh tour starts on September 11 at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (www.themightyboosh.com)

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

...and a bonus:

Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management

Doctor Who-esque News

Both of these news items are from Outpost Gallifrey:

BBC Proms

The Doctor Who Prom takes place this Sunday, 27th July at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The BBC Proms, also known as The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, take place every summer in London and have been running since 1895, with the BBC taking charge in 1927. Most famous for the Last Night of the Proms, which features patriotic music, the series takes place over an eight week period and features over 70 concerts.

The Doctor Who Prom takes place at 11am UK time and runs for about two hours. It can be heard on BBC Radio Three via FM Radio in the UK or via the BBC Website.

The concert will be hosted by Freema Agyeman and features a specially written scene starring David Tennant.

Full details of the music will be on the proms website about 1 hour before broadcast and the concert will be available on the BBC iPlayer for 7 days after broadcast.
Programme to include:

Murray Gold Concert Prologue* (3 mins)
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man (3 mins)
Murray Gold All The Strange Strange Creatures* (4 mins)
Mark-Anthony Turnage The Torino Scale (UK premiere) (4 mins)
Holst The Planets - Jupiter (8 mins)
Murray Gold The Doctor Forever* (4.30 mins)
Murray Gold Rose* (1.30 mins)
Murray Gold Martha v The Master* (4.30 mins)
Murray Gold Music of the Spheres (including theme original)* (7.30 mins)
Wagner Die Walküre - The Ride of the Valkyries (5 mins)
Murray Gold The Daleks & Davros* (8 mins)
Murray Gold Donna, Girl in Fireplace, Astrid* (4 mins)
Prokofiev 'Montagues and Capulets' from Romeo and Juliet (5 mins)
Murray Gold This is Gallifrey* (3.30 mins)
Murray Gold Doctor's Theme / Song for Freedom * (5.30 mins)
Murray Gold Doomsday* (5 mins)
Murray Gold Song for Ten* (4 mins)
Murray Gold Doctor Who Theme* (1.30 mins)

If my calculations are correct, 11am UK time would be about 6am EST.

To listen to BBC Radio online, click HERE.

And for some more amusing Dr. Who related news:

RSC Bans Sci-Fi Autographs for Hamlet

The Royal Shakespeare Company has set limits on what fans can bring to be signed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart during the upcoming production of Hamlet. BBC NEWS reports that sci-fi related murchandise will not be allowed for the actors to sign.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) says only programmes and other Hamlet merchandise can be autographed at the stage door. "Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC's current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company," the RSC said. "It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone."

Tennant and Stewart are starring in the RSC production at the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford.

The play opens on 5 August.

And click HERE to watch a video of David Tennant talking about Doctor Who and Hamlet....good times, good times.

Barack Obama's Speech In Berlin

Click HERE to watch the video on C-SPAN.org

From www.barackobama.com:

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama (as prepared for delivery)
“A World that Stands as One”
July 24th, 2008
Berlin, Germany

Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.

I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.

I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father – my grandfather – was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning – his dream – required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.

That is why I’m here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life.

Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.

On that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France took stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be remade.

This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June, 1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin.

The size of our forces was no match for the much larger Soviet Army. And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily begun. All that stood in the way was Berlin.

And that’s when the airlift began – when the largest and most unlikely rescue in history brought food and hope to the people of this city.

The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.

But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city’s mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. “There is only one possibility,” he said. “For us to stand together united until this battle is won…The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world: now do your duty…People of the world, look at Berlin!”

People of the world – look at Berlin!

Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle.

Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.

Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity.

People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.

Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall – a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope – walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history.

The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers – dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.

The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil.

As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya.

Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.

In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we’re honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.

In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth – that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.

Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more – not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.

That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another.

The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.

We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid.

So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.

That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations – and all nations – must summon that spirit anew.

This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.

This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.

This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.

This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century – in this city of all cities – we must reject the Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent.

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.

This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations – including my own – will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.

And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust – not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

Now the world will watch and remember what we do here – what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?

Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words “never again” in Darfur?

Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don’t look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?

People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom – indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us – what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America’s shores – is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.

These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people – everywhere – became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation – our generation – must make our mark on the world.

People of Berlin – and people of the world – the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.

New Robots in Disguise Video ("The Tears") Feat. Noel Fielding!!

This video has FINALLY come out and I really love it. Its a great song and the video fits it really well...Enjoy!

"The Tears" by Robots in Disguise
Director: Graeme Pearce
Director of Photography: Alex Brown
Featuring: NOEL FIELDING!
Shot at: Northwood Studio, London, 2008



And here are some pics of Noel just for fun:











aannd...*french accent* BAGUETTE!

More Pictures!

July 11: Doctor Who Exhibition & Camden

England Pics -- 7-11-08

July 13: Rochester Cathedral & Guildhall Museum

England Pics -- 7-13-08

July 14: Canterbury Cathedral

England Pics -- 7-14-08

July 15: St. Benedicts Church & Coldrum Longbarrow

England Pics -- 7-15-08

July 16: Canterbury - Roman Museum & City Wall Walk

England Pics -- 7-16-08

Real Posts Soon, I Promise :O)

I've been fairly busy lately, so I haven't posted in a few days, but I have been uploading my pictures, so I figure I'll post links to my albums for the last few days, and then hopefully do more detailed entries later. Either way, here are some pictures!

And while you're looking at my pictures, you should listen to this song, which I've had stuck in my head all week since Robots in Disguise played it in their DJ Set at the Mighty Boosh festival:



Monday 7 July:

Epic adventure to find a Tesco, getting locked in a boatyard, and seeing "Hancock".

England Pics -- 7-7-08

Tuesday 8 July:

Walking Tour of Rochester

England Pics -- 7-8-08

Wednesday 9 July: SHOPPING! (No pictures, but I did get lots of cool stuff!)

Thursday: Leeds Castle

England Pics -- 7-10-08

7/6/08 -- Rochester Castle

On Sunday we woke up late after having gotten back so late from the Mighty Boosh Festival. So we decided to walk through high street, past the cathedral and up to Rochester Castle, which we explored. Apparently its the tallest Norman castle still in existence. It was really cool, but I'm not too good with heights, so it was also terrifying. It didn't help that there were strong gusts of wind blowing through all of the windows and making me feel even less secure. On the way back, we saw some cool buildings and visited the cat that always follows us when we walk down Rochester Avenue.

To see all of the pictures from July 6, 2008, click the image below. I have included some of the highlights in this entry.

Rochester -- 7/6/08

A Sign That Failed to Assuage My Fear of Heights

The Mighty Boosh Festival a.k.a the Best Day of My Life: Part III

And now for the main event....THE MIGHTY BOOSH BAND!!! It was the best thing I've ever seen and sooooo funny!!

First the Moon came out and said he was gonna lead everyone in a countdown to the Boosh Band. Which went something like this "10, 9, Some Numbers, 5, 7, ummm..., 3, 2, 1...THE MIGHTY BOOSH!!!". It was really funny, especially because everyone was doing the normal countdown and the moon threw everyone off.





After that Noel & Julian (in character as Vince and Howard) made their grand entrance...In true Boosh style Noel rode out on a GIANT silvery ship (The HMS Mighty Boosh) while Julian was in an inflatable dinghy that he had to blow up himself.







After that they went into "Future Sailors."









They then got into an argument and said hello to the crowd:



Noel talking about Gary Numan segued neatly into "Electro Boy." After that, Noel did "I Did A Shit On Your Mum!"



Which Julian followed with a Jazz Version, including some scatting.




Lester Corncrake (Rich Fulcher) then joined him onstage for a hilariously bad jazz duet.



After that, OLD GREGG (!!!) sneaked up on Howard and had a long (and hilarious!) conversation.







He then brought the Funk out so that he could sing a funk song with Howard...



...and the funk squirted him in the face with his Funk Juice.



They then began to sing the Old Greg/Mangina song, which sounds like this:







Old Gregg came into area in front of the stage to pass out his watercolors, and I didn't get one but he came within a few feet of me...(Even as Old Gregg he's GORGEOUS!).



Of course he then could get back up on the stage, and had to be lifted in a rather hilarious manner by a security guard.



After that they played "Mutants" (with a giant squid onstage, of course!).



...After which the Funk was reveale to be Bob Fossil in costume, and Fossil did his rap and had a dance-off with Har Mar Superstar.





After that, Howard and Vince came back on stage and Howard told Vince that he got a telegram informing him that Naboo had fallen into an ostrich pit and been killed.





So they started singing Naboolio (with Bollo) in tribute:





At a pause in the song, Naboo came in riding an ostrich. (Apparently they got on really well).



So they finished off the song in a celebratory manner, adding bits of "Bouncy Bouncy" and "Soup" into it.



The ostrich then thought that Vince was an ostrich because of his feathery cape and tried to get off with him.



After that, everyone left the stage and the Moon did a song. Basically it was a variation on his song from the show, but then he rotated around and when he came back he had sunglasses on, and he started singing "99 Problems" by Jay-Z, which was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He changed some of the lyrics as well. ("I Got 99 Problems...4 of them are catering...WHOOOAAAAHH Be Ba Ba Ba!!!")



Julian then came on as Rudi, and sang "The New Sound" and "Isolation." At one point his fake teeth fell out and he worked it into the song before picking them up and putting them back in.





Then out came his arch nemesis, THE HITCHER!!!

He sang "Eels" of course, complete with a conga-eel-line, pyro and a large inflatable eel (which Noel slipped off of and hurt himself slightly).











After that, they left the stage and Rich Fulcher came out in character to lead a Bingo Game (like in the episode "Nanageddon"). After several other numbers, he called out "6-6-6...thats all the sixes!!!" and Noel and Julian came out dressed as old women to sing "Nanageddon" and "Charlie".









At this point there was even more pyro and they even had confetti, streamers and FIREWORKS!!! It was incredible.





So after all that, it took forever to figure out exactly where (and in which car park) my parents were waiting for me. When I finally did get to the car, there were two English guys from Essex who wanted to know if we could give them a ride home to Maidstone, which was on our way. So they piled into the back of the car, and then of course we got lost several times on our way there because there were hardly any road signs for Maidstone. It ended up being quite an adventure!

Saturday was the most amazing day and I wish every day could be like that. The Boosh make me very, very happy. :O)