Category: GIF moments

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs – the full set

HEM News Agency

For our very last article in the Animated ccTLD flags series (a.k.a Virtual Vexillology), you will have the opportunity to see the flags we have featured in the previous articles altogether in one place, along with some examples made for forum users who wish to decline their country of origin when creating their signatures. It has been a fun and enjoyable series to work on, and it does seem a bit sad to be finally drawing it to a close. This series may be wrapping up, but we are going to do it in true fluttering style. Here are all … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs – the full set

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 6 – Australasia/Oceania)

HEM News Agency

Our final leg of the journey in this series on animated flag icons featuring ccTLDs now takes in the continent of Australasia, also known as Oceania. While this continent’s total area is very dominated by the landmass and Commonwealth of Australia, it also has a large number of small islands dotted over the breadth and length of the Pacific Ocean. Many of these islands are their own sovereign states, while others are dependencies of larger Australasian nations. As far as flags go, one common theme with flags from Australasia is that a lot of them carry a smaller flag in … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 6 – Australasia/Oceania)

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 5 – Asia)

HEM News Agency

Asia is one of the most linguistically, ethnically and religiously diverse continents on the planet. Its kaleidoscope of nations and cultures is well reflected in its range of flags. Just like Africa and South America, which we explored earlier on in the Animated ccTLD Flags series, Asia was once part of foreign empires, but is also home to many countries which escaped colonialism and have a long and vibrant history. Asia is home to a wide variety of alphabets and writing systems, which makes it an interesting point to note in what comes next. While the first set of ccTLDs … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 5 – Asia)

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 4 – Africa)

HEM News Agency

A continent of colour, vibrancy, determination and contrasts, Africa is often in the news for the wrong reasons, but there is far more to it than the media diet of armed revolutions, wars, poverty and famine. Africa is a place where art has always been close to the hearts of its people, from the cave paintings of the Algerian desert, the Egyptian hieroglyphics, or the masks of the Ashanti Empire or the kingdom of Benin. Africa’s flags are no exception. Once carved up by colonial powers greedy for natural resources, many African countries seized their independence and freedom during the … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 4 – Africa)

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 3 – Europe)

HEM News Agency

Part 3 of the Half-Eaten Mind’s series on animated ccTLD flags now arrives on the shores of Europe, a linguistically and historically diverse continent with a rich history of flags too. Many of Europe’s flags have religious and heraldric meanings, as it was in this continent that such devices as coats-of-arms and banners for military use were developed. The world’s oldest flag design still in continuous use is the “Dannebrog“, the national flag of the kingdom of Denmark. This Christian inspired flag, featuring a white long-armed cross on a red field has a pedigree of several hundred years, and took its … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 3 – Europe)

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 2 – South America)

HEM News Agency

Part Two of our Animated ccTLD flags takes us to the other, hotter half of the Americas, namely South America. With the exception of a few nations, this continent is predominately Spanish speaking, and many of the flags shown here date from the independence of these countries from Spain during the 18th and 19th centuries. As before, the countries and their flag icons will be listed in alphabetical order of TLD. ccTLDs are based on a system developed by internet institution ICANN. The ICANN is a global forum in charge of managing some of the Net’s core technical elements, such … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 2 – South America)

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VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 1 – North America)

HEM News Agency

For every country, and indeed many various territories, dependencies, states, provinces etc. one of the most important elements of self-representation, self-recognition and identity is a humble piece of cloth. The flag, for governments and patriots alike, is more than that though. It is a symbol of their identity, replete with symbolism, sacrifice and values. Many flags have become well-known enough that even the most geographically challenged can match the national flag to the nation it flies under. Everyone knows the Union Flag (Union Jack) is for Britain, the Tricouleur represents France, and the Star-Spangled Banner flutters over the States. A … Continue reading VIRTUAL VEXILLOLOGY: Animated world flags with TLDs (Part 1 – North America)

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GIF MOMENT: Easter bunny praises spinach diet

HEM News Agency

Well, as it is the Easter weekend, I’d thought to share with you this GIF spotted on my regular current affairs haunt, the UK tabloid newspaper Metro. It’s a cuddly rabbit. That really loves her spinach. She’s definitely bought into the benefits of a diet of fresh organic greens. Strangely mesmerising too. Om nom nom. HAPPY EASTER!!! Dedicated to the memory of Ruby and her children Rab and Bit. RIP. IMAGE CREDIT: “Two helpings of spinach a day can knock 11 years off you” – Alison Lynch, Metro/Associated Newspapers Limited (1 April 2015) http://metro.co.uk/2015/04/01/two-helpings-of-spinach-a-day-can-knock-11-years-off-you-5130024/ Continue reading GIF MOMENT: Easter bunny praises spinach diet

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GIF MOMENT: Easter 2015

HEM News Agency

The season of new beginnings, spring flowers and chocolate eggs returns upon us again. As the days get longer, the temperature picks up (sort of) and the Cadbury’s Creme Eggs come out of hibernation, Easter is now here. OK, well the weather hasn’t been that great. Some sunshine yes, but also rain, combined with mad and roaring winds like you wouldn’t believe. In Northolt, north west London, wind speeds there on the last day of April reached 60 mph. It’s calmed down a lot though now. The streets around my neighbourhood have practically been blasted clean. This Easter, the Half-Eaten Mind … Continue reading GIF MOMENT: Easter 2015

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GIF MOMENT: Christmas 2014 Gifs + HEM Santa wallpaper

HEM News Agency

With only a week and a half to go until old Saint Nick squeezes down our chimneys with his big bag of goodies, the Half-Eaten Mind once again brings you a special edition wallpaper and a selection of festive animated images to outshine any Christmas tree. A good time is coming, I wish it were here, The very best time in the whole of the year; I’m counting each day on my fingers and thumbs – the weeks that must pass before Santa Claus comes. Then when the first snowflakes begin to come down, And the wind whistles sharp and … Continue reading GIF MOMENT: Christmas 2014 Gifs + HEM Santa wallpaper