links for 2008-05-26

"Interesting to see the differences between Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split and Chania -- all Venetian ports, but each a unique variation... each adapted to their sites in different ways. [The Venetians] were no Starbucks when it came to architecture."

"NESSIE has been hijacked by the Swiss in a bid to promote tourism in the land of chocolate and cuckoo clocks. A new brochure features a Nessie look-a-like swimming through a lake in a famous Swiss beauty spot."

"The people behind the latest Cosmote banner must be so, so proud. They managed to conceive the worst ad campaign ever. It hides the content of the page behind it, to make it look like your Internet is very slow. It advertises high-speed Internet cards".

Stelios Kouloglou's documentary about the young in Greece struggling on 700 Euros a month got him fired from the state broadcaster, and caused the Greek equivalent of Panorama to be cancelled. Don't mention 'Generation 700', it frightens the horses...

End with the alternative thought: "It’s just bloody Eurovision. It’s a bit of fun, it gives smaller countries the limelight for one night and it’s always been a festival of stupid pop, questionable taste in clothes and taking the mickey. Get over it

Ziade uses the '73 concept LP to highlight the idea of 'seamlessness'. Sadly a comment points out you had to get up & flip the record over in 1973, so it wasn't originally seamless at all. There's a joke about pompous and over-blown in there somewhere...

Andrew's take on Eurovision. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. But then I am living in the Balkans at the moment I suppose, and Greece did come close to winning...