This Smiley Happy Things post, mainly because I forgot I owned this nail varnish and the reindeer head made me smile – I still need it in my life!

This post I wrote about my Gramps was very hard to write and I considered not posting it as it’s quite personal. But I did in the end as I love it as it allowed me to remember him for a few minutes on one day and is an important letter to him.

This Pinterest Corner post about my thoughts on reading.  love that a good book will stay with you long after you have finished it and I adore that I often talk about my favourite characters as if they were real people.

My Lately post which was a round-up of Christmas fun, because we all know how much I love Christmas and so of course I need to include that wonderful time of year in this round-up

My Life is Very Short post as it’s worth remembering that things happen for a reason, life is short and we shouldn’t focus on the bad stuff but think about the good things.

This recent post about something I’m working to overcome is another favourite as mine as it gave me the opportunity to reflect on something I’ve been working hard on over the past year or so and writing the post made me realise just how much I’ve achieved, even if I’m not quite all the way there yet.

One of my all time favourite posts was my round-up of 2012, as it reminded me of just how much stuff I did in 2012 and how awesome a year it was. So far 2013 is turning out to be pretty darn special too!

Last week, Disney fans made something fantastic happen. On the same day that this was happening:

a petition set up three days earlier by blogger ‘A Mighty Girl’ was spiralling rapidly around the internet, gathering scores of signatures (currently the total stands at 228,000 and counting) including those of actress Lily Cole, writer Peggy Orenstein and perhaps most vitally from one of the creative forces behind the development of the movie of topic, ex-Pixar director Brenda Chapman.

Carolyn Danckaert and Aaron Smith, the co-founders of the A Mighty Girl site, launched the petition three days earlier, in response to images of 2012’s Brave heroine Merida in a new and marginally disconcerting 2D format circulating the internet, prior to her official inauguration to the Disney Prince brand (and subsequent consumer products):

 In the film (for those who haven’t seen it), Merida is a young, free-spirited Scottish princess, whose mother and father try to marry her off to some pretty sketchy suitors. Merida refuses, and runs away – striking a deal with a witch to change her fate, with terrible consequences. Merida the character can be summed up very nicely in this clip:

As social media and internet forums globally exploded with accusations of Disney having ‘sexualised’  Merida, modifying her to look more like ‘arm candy’, fans expressed their outrage at the fact that Disney marketers appear not to have even watched their own film by changing Merida’s outfit to the dress which she literally breaks free from. In fairness to Disney, *that dress* has actually featured in merchandise for the film right from its theatrical release:

But in the context of the rest of the changes I can see why the dress has attracted so much attention. A lot of the focus of the criticism is on the lower neckline and off-the-shoulder style of the outfit, her trimmed waistline, and her more mature appearance. Danckaert and Smith’s petition – addressed directly to CEO Robert Iger – calls for Disney to ‘keep Merida Brave’, implying that the ‘paler reflection of [the character’s] former self without the spark and the ‘you go girl’ quality’ represent something entirely unlike the ‘empowering role model’ that Merida is in the film. The makeover is a ‘tremendous disservice’ to those millions of children who look up to Merida. Even The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart got involved, criticising the makeover and Disney’s subsequent justification (and also making a scathing point about the role Disney plays in the lives of American children….).

I liked Stewart’s comment, because it addresses a more worrying concern that I think has been lost amid the arguments of sexualisation. It could be argued that the 2D version of Merida is not so much sexualised as feminised – she looks a lot less tomboy-esque than she appears in the film, and more girly, which allows her to fit neatly in with the other princesses in the canon. But they’ve also aged her – and it’s this decision that I don’t understand. Disney adapting their characters (specifically their princesses, see Mulan and Rapunzel) from screen to production line isn’t new, and inspires the same criticism every time they do it for negating all the good, empowering things that that particular character stands for and turning her into a subservient non-entity. That’s not what’s happened here. Catherine Connors, the editor in chief of Disney Interactive Family, defended this ‘iteration’ of the character as one of several (as with all Disney characters, apparently), and emphasises that Merida is ‘defined by far more important things than what she wears’. She’s right, Merida is defined by many things, like imagination, ambition, determination, stubbornness and irrationality – the kind of traits you find in children, something which Brave responsibly accepts and embraces.  This ‘iteration’ of Merida has the appearance of a self-assured young adult, with a gleam in her eye which looks distressingly manipulative. Yes, Disney has a history of sanitising everything within their reach (the company recently tried to trademark the Day of the Dead festival) but Merida hasn’t been sanitised in the transition from CG to 2D – if anything, an endearing character has been adapted into something more ‘bolshy’ and a bit less likable. If I’m completely honest, this version of Merida looks like a bit of a bitch.

It took more than a week for Disney to give an official response to the backlash, claiming that the ‘new’ Merida is merely an image produced in celebration of her official coronation, and that both designs of the character will feature on merchandise, depending on the nature of the individual product. While I’m sure that is the case now, the fact that the company have (discreetly) withdrawn all references to Merida or to her coronation from their website makes me believe that those at the top of the company certainly weren’t prepared for the scale of rebellion against their revisions. Any official images of the accused Merida in a Disney Princess line-up have been hastily demolished, and even an in-depth internet search only finds this one left:

Did 200,000 people with one website really just defeat the notoriously domineering House of Mouse? Technically, no, as Disney have declared both versions will definitely still remain in circulation, but I do think the media storm might just have an effect on future marketing strategies. How much of an effect remains to be seen, but I did find this image that made me smile:

Related articles

• Brave’s Princess Merida’s New Sexy Look Pulled by Disney (jedimouseketeer.com)
• Will a peition change Merida’s Disney princess status? (Video) (examiner.com)
• Has Disney Backed Down on Merida Makeover? (blogs.kqed.org)
• Disney retreats from Princess Merida makeover after widespread criticism (guardian.co.uk)
• Disney face criticism after giving ‘sexy’ makeover to Brave’s Princess Merida (metro.co.uk)
• [link] The Fight to Keep Merida Brave Is Not Over (feimineach.com)
• Film: Newswire: Disney quietly kills its gussied up version of Merida, the Brave princess (avclub.com)

Things happen for a reason - this post was really quite cathartic, writing it really helped sort my head out after the events.

A year in review - there’s something about seeing my year all laid out in one post that makes me smile. Plus 2012 was (mostly) a great year.

Christmas Post - Gotta love Christmas posts.

These two posts from this Blog Every Day in May challenge are actually my most popular posts. So I had to include them. Day 1 and Day 2. Plus the words in Day 2 were the first time I ever tried using photoshop to make anything…

Lau xxx

Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore said, “The State Government has released a White Paper and draft legislation which will radically change the way that developments are assessed. The changes would remove most existing rights for residents to be notified or have a say over development in their local area.

“The State Government has set a target that 80% of development is to be fast tracked or “code assessed” under the new system, meaning residents will not be notified of developments or have any real powers to object, even to high rise development,” said Clr Ellsmore.

“Environmental and heritage considerations are also being watered down, with a stronger emphasis on “economic development” and the interests of developers.

Clr Ellsmore said, “The proposals are being sold by the State Government as increasing community participation because they give residents a say at the early, high-level “strategic” stage.

“What is being lost is the right for residents to object or even be notified down the track, when a development application is put in. The State Government knows this is actually the stage when most residents want to get involved – when there is a specific development being considered for their street,” said Clr Ellsmore.

“These draft Planning Act Bills were released amidst a flurry of State Government White Papers last month, including information about proposed amalgamations, and residents have only a few weeks left to have a say,” said Clr Ellsmore.

“The Greens are concerned that the Liberal Government wants to implement these complex and wide reaching changes as soon as possible, before residents have a real chance to learn about the reforms and respond.

“The new laws have the potentially to radically change the face of our local areas. I am proud that Marrickville Council voted to adopt the Green’s motion for Council to undertake an urgent information program for residents,” she said.

The Greens are organising and supporting community groups to organise public forums, including at Redfern Town Hall on Monday 27 May 2013.

The ALP and Conservative Councils voted to remove the commitment for Marrickville Council to hold public forums on the planning changes, when the Greens Notice of Motion was passed. Neighbouring Councils such as the City of Sydney and Leichhardt have previously organised or voted to support public forums on the issue.

Media contact:            Greens Clr Sylvie Ellsmore 0403 977 213

A copy of the Notice of Motion is below:

Notice of Motion – Urgent Consultation on Planning Reforms 

That Council:

1. Notes that the State Government released the White Paper: A New Planning System for NSW on 16 April 2013, which will significantly overhaul planning laws and radically alter the process for development assessment;

2. Notes that public submissions on the White Paper and two draft Bills close on 28 June 2013 and that the State Government’s Sydney information session for the public is already full;

3. Urgently organises a public information forum for forums or local residents to provide an overview of the White Paper: A New Planning System for NSW and what it could mean for residents’ future input into planning decisions;

4. Urgently develops and implements a public information strategy to inform residents about the proposed reforms and encourage them to make a submission; and

5. Calls on the NSW Government to ensure there is at least 6 months of public consultation on the planning reform White Paper.

Background

On 16 April, the NSW Government released the White Paper – A new planning system for NSW for public feedback (http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/a-new-planning-system-for-nsw).

The White Paper and Draft Exposure Bills would radically reshape planning laws. The proposed changes include:

• 80% of all development in NSW assessed as ‘complying’ or ‘code assessment’ development with no community consultation and limited environmental assessment;
• removal of key zoning to protect sensitive environment or heritage areas;
• a presumption in favour of a right to develop and significantly increased appeal powers for developers;
• substantial removal of the power of local Councils to oversee development;
• substantial increase in powers for the NSW Minister for Planning to override Council plans which have been developed in consultation with the community; and
• removal of the principle of Ecologically Sustainable Development from planning legislation – amongst others.

Overdevelopment and loss of heritage remains one of the top 5 issues of concern for local Marrickville Council residents.

When the Planning Green Paper was released in 2012 Marrickville Council raised urgent concerns about the direction of the reforms, particularly the removal of opportunity for meaningful community consultation. See a copy of Council’s submission to the NSW Government on the Green Paper, dated 25 September 2012, on the Council’s website.

Council also put a motion to the 2012 Local Government Association Conference:

(a) That the State Government ensures that the new Act genuinely achieves the stated objectives of the Green Paper and does not include mechanisms that enable the development industry to avoid proper planning assessment by councils via rezonings in subregional plans;

(b) That the new Act provides that individual Council’s determine the membership and terms of reference of any IHAP established to evaluate development applications in-lieu of elected Councillors;

(c) That the new Act does not diminish the level of community consultation that occurs as part of land use planning; and

(d) That the new Act does not facilitate the expansion of certification of development to merit based matters or in sensitive areas such as heritage conservation areas.

Marrickville Council’s submission, along with many similar concerns raised by other Local Council, have been ignored in the White Paper.

Marrickville Council has recently embarked on a major information and consultation program in relation to proposed reforms to Local Government, which were also released in April 2013.

The proposed planning reforms are just as significant – and are even more urgent, given that there is already draft legislation developed.

The changes are very complex and require easy to understand information needs to be developed so that residents understand what it could mean for them and their Council.

It is essential that Marrickville Council informs the community about these proposed reforms and facilitates residents having a real say on changes.

Monday 27th May, 6:30pm

Redfern Town Hall, 73 Pitt St Redfern

Guest Speakers

• Nature Conservation Council
• Better Planning Network
• David Shoebridge MLC, Greens planning spokesperson
• Ron Hoenig MP, ALP Member for Heffron
• Brad Hazzard, Planning Minister (invited)

This meeting follows a well-attended meeting on the Planning Green Paper last year and it aims to help people in the community get an early understanding of the issues raised by the White Paper and the Draft Legislation (they differ in some key respects).

Please spread the word of this forum as the new system proposes to take away key protections in the current planning act. This includes precautionary principles and residents rights to comment on Development Applications in up to 80% of developments. The new planning system proposes instead that the community will be involved in preparing the regional and local planning controls years in advance of developments and will no longer need to comment on most developments in their area because they had the opportunity to have their say in regional planning!

I for one am immensely excited for this press conference. As a hardcore gamer I want to see the industry grow and excel and when a new batch of home consoles are unleashed, just that happens. These two new consoles are going to give the gaming community the surge it needs along with reinvigorate the interest in this field.

In this article I want to break down what I look forward to seeing in tomorrow’s big event. I know I’ve already done an article of this sort, but this one should be more in depth and have more enthusiasm behind it. Without further ado, let’s take a dive into  speculation land…

Console

Yeah it’s simple. Yes it’s just a box, but until I physically see a console, it is almost impossible for me to get excited enough to pre-order it. I want to see where the lights are, where the disc drive is located and what it looks like in general.

I’ve always been one for the aesthetics of a console, so this is a bigger category for me than other people. Yes I want a console that preforms, but I also want a unit that looks good on my shelf. I don’t want some sqaure box, I want something innovative with a modern look to it.

(My favorite mock up design so far. Love this look.)

The above picture is a design that I saw on the website Tech Radar. I’m a HUGE fan of this design and hope that there’s some speck of truth to it. It kind of reminds me of the HD PVR 2′s design. I hope this generation’s Xbox is more compact and simple.

Price

I don’t think we’ll get a price on the new Xbox tomorrow, but it would be nice to see what the plans are for the different tiers. Some say $400 some say $500, hell even a select few have thrown out $300. Personally I don’t want to pay more than $5oo.

As long as Sony/Microsoft can stay at or below that $499 price tag, I’ll be more than happy to shell out the money to pre-order one of the machines. As the dates for these consoles creep closer and closer, I get more and more anxious. The price of these two will have a HUGE impact on my purchase.

Kinect 2.0

Here’s something that not a lot of people are looking forward to. The Kinect 2.0 has been rumored to be included in every new Xbox and I’m happy with that. Obvious;y Microsoft has made enough tweeks and adjustments to their product to make them feel confident to box it with the new Xbox.

The picture shown above is a leaked picture from June of last year. It shows that this new Kinect could use a 3D feature that actually puts the game in the same area as the gamer. If this is true I’ll be as giddy as a school girl to get my hands on this new piece of hardware.

Exclusive Titles

For Microsoft to “win” the press conference battle (and I use that very lightly) they need to hit us with a nice line up of exclusive titles to get us hyped for their console only. I really think this will be hard for MS to do.

I don’t see any MS exclusives that are barn burners. I know there’s Alan Wake and I think that would be a great announcement, but I don’t know that Alan Wake has the mass appeal that it needs to have. I think if any exclusives are to be announced, they will do so at E3 and not this conference.

Entertainment Options

This is something that I see MS excelling in. We all know that they have always been on a mission to get the 360 into homes of every kind, gamers or not. This installation will be even more intense, in my opinion. I really believe that MS will do their best to put this new Xbox in every single home they possibly can.

(Hulu Plus is just one of the many apps available on Xbox Live)

Whether it be with improved apps, new hardware, or something completely out of left field, I don’t see MS falling in the entertainment department. That’s where the problem could come in. I really hope that this intense focus on entertainment doesn’t take away from what this console should be intended for, playing video games.

Appeal To The Gaming Community

Talking entertainment leads us to my next point. I want MS to prove to us that they haven’t lost sight of us gamers. I know that focusing on entertainment widens the market and brings in money, but forgetting those who are your hardcore fans will only result in horrible sales out of the gate.

(Another picture of the supposed new Xbox)

I really hope that Microsoft does something to show us gamers that they still recognize us as the reason for the Xbox. Whether it be with a solid line-up of launch titles, or a beautiful system with great specs, I want us gamers to have the feeling of knowing MS still values us as the reason why they are where they are.

Conclusion

All in all none of us know what’s really going to happen tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what Microsoft has in store for us. As gamers we should be excited to embrace these new consoles. We should hope for the best from BOTH companies so that they have competition and in turn have to do their bests to outsell each other.

Oh and fan boys, from both sides, I want to take a second to say….shut the fuck up. No one wants to hear your closed-minded bitching. Grow up and embrace the gaming world as a whole.

Well that’s it! Will you be watching tomorrow? Are you excited for the new Xbox and PS4? Are you a fan boy like mentioned at the end of this piece? Let me know in the comment section, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr! Thanks again for watching!

- Richie D.

-The Xbox Reveal will take place May 21st at 1 pm on Spike TV, Xbox Event Player and the Xbox website-

Yes, this is a picture of an owl. And if you’re reading my blog, you probably think I’m obsessed with owls. Which isn’t true. I actually find them kind of creepy.

Anyway.

Sometimes I wish I could be like this owl. Just fade away into something. Disappear. It’s almost like this owl is becoming one with the tree. It almost looks like he’s not only camouflaged, but that he is becoming fused with the tree.
When I’m having a panic attack, or feeling exceptionally anxious, I just want to fade away. I don’t want anyone to notice. And I’ve gotten very good at hiding it all. Only my mom can really tell when I’m having a panic attack. Panic attacks make you feel like your world is ending, like the feeling is never going to go away, like the only option you have is to run away or fade away. Fading away always seems like the best choice.But it’s not. Not really.

Even though I sometimes wish I could be like this owl and disappear into the trunk of a tree, fading away won’t make any of the problems I have go away. Because eventually, you have to come out of hiding.

This owl can’t stay in the tree forever. It eventually has to fly away, go hunt for food, spread his wings. And even if I were capable of disappearing and hiding when I feel the most anxious, eventually you have to come out. Fading away isn’t a solution. But maybe camouflage is.

This probably isn’t making any sense. But I did warn you – this IS the diary of a crazy person. 

I can’t fade away, but I can turn to God. Maybe God can be my tree. The owl isn’t really fading away, is he? No. He’s camouflaged in the tree. He didn’t disappear. He’s still there. When I feel like fading away, I should just put on some camouflage instead. God’s word can protect me and give me peace. Peace to know that even though I’m still here, He’s here with me – putting on that camouflage is like working on my relationship with Him. And even when I feel like nothing makes sense and all I want to do is disappear, I know that when I have my camouflage, I’m able to go back to my tree and seek comfort from the storm. And when I’m feeling okay, I can go out on my own.
But I’ll always have my camouflage, and the tree is always there, so that when I feel those feelings again, I know exactly where to go.

A Green’s Notice of Motion would see Camperdown Memorial Park – the most used park in the Local Government area – become off leash 24 hours a day during weekdays, with extended hours on the weekend during daylight savings.

Greens Councillor for North Ward, Sylvie Ellsmore, said “Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world. It’s even higher in the inner west.

“Camperdown Memorial Park is well known as the most successful off-leash dog park in the Marrickville area.

“It is a testament to the active social dog-walking community that uses the park how well loved and cared for Camperdown Memorial Park is, with dog owners working cooperatively to ensure that new dogs to the park are socialised and well behaved,” said Clr Ellsmore.

The Greens Notice of Motion also asks for better signage to ensure that those parts of the park near the children’s play area, which are on-leash, are more clearly identified.

Clr Ellsmore said, “Council has received petitions from dozens of residents who want their dogs to be able to play off-leash in the park for longer hours without the risk of a fine. In the lead-up to our Council meetings emails are coming in faster than we can respond to them.

“We love our dogs and our parks, and I am extremely happy to be supporting residents by putting forward this Notice of Motion,” she said

Later this year Council will also consider changes extending or changing dog off leash areas in other parks in the Local Government Area. Council has recently completed a public consultation on a draft ‘Recreation Policy and Strategy’ which includes recommendations to establish new or upgraded Dog Off Leash Areas at Henson, Enmore and McNeilly Parks, and potentially at Johnson, Mahoney, Marrickville, Petersham and Simpson Park. The results of this consultation will come in a report to Council at a future meeting for consideration and decision.

Media contact:            Greens Clr Sylvie Ellsmore 0403 977 213, sellsmore@marrickville.nsw.gov.au

Sometimes I sit in bed at night and think about all the inspirational things I could say to people (and sometimes myself) – because dealing with anxiety sucks and I know how much it helps to know you aren’t alone. But then whenever I try to put those thoughts into words, it’s a lot harder than I had first imagined. And then those thoughts seem to fade away and I’m left with nothing but a blank page and tiny cursor blinking back at me. After a long time of thinking, I’ve finally decided to start my own blog. 

I’m not sure exactly what I will write about.

I needed an outlet. Some place to write about my feelings and struggles with the various anxiety problems that I have. I am also a Christian, and I love Jesus with all my heart. I’m also a university student, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. 

This blog will hopefully be the place where I can share my feelings, thoughts, struggles, highs and lows – and maybe a few people will enjoy reading what I write. That would make me a very happy girl.
But if no one ever sees this, I will be okay with that too. My love of writing is not dependent on an audience. 

Also, In case anyone was wondering, I titled my blog “diary of a crazy person” because sometimes, it’s really good to make fun of yourself. And a lot of times, I do feel crazy. Actually, almost all the time. Even right now I feel a little crazy.

But crazy doesn’t have to be a bad thing. 

P.S. I feel really lame tagging posts. At least there’s no hashtag…

My post entitled, How to Brew a Hefeweizen: Tips from a Beginning Homebrewer, goes over my steps and best tips for brewing a Hefeweizen from a malt extract kit without destroying your kitchen.

Click here to check out the article!!

Please tweet, email, pin or like the article on their site. I’m hoping to do more guest blog posts for them and having the extra social media stats for my articles will help me out greatly!

Stripes:  If you’re unsure about prints in shorts, a great way to ease into the trend is with a neutral stripe.  Any bright color works off of stripes, and we love the “color of the year” – emerald!

Floral:  Shorts are jumping on the floral trend for spring/summer, too.  They are pretty and feminine, and the natural way to wear them would be to dress them up with a silky tank and heels (which would be gorgeous!).  Another way to wear them is to dress them down with a basic tee and military jacket.

Geometric:  A brightly colored geometric short can easily be dressed up with black.  Try a black lace tee and some killer heels, and you can wear your shorts for a night on the town!

Love these looks?  Find some key pieces here:

 Club Monaco Shorts

 Tibi Striped Knit Shorts

 Equipment Green Silk Blouse

 Gucci Floral Short

 Madewell Sandal

 Moschino Cheap & Chic Short

伟大的leonardo先生独自撑起了摇摇欲坠的整场闹剧

没有读过书的人去看的话，将会是一桩对fitzegerald的悲剧

经典拍成了好莱坞，

however splendid and effects and graphics, never tugged at the heartstrings.

5-a-side football for the blind – Photo Credit: Marcello Casal Jr/ABr

There are some people that can respond to visual stimuli even though they are blind. They can’t consciously see, yet they can unconsciously avoid obstacles. This phenomenon is called blindsight. The people who have it have had lesions to their primary visual cortex, rendering them blind. However, even though they can’t see, they can guess what it’s in front of them at a much higher accuracy than chance.

Lab Monkeys

This phenomenon was first observed in monkeys. Even though they were missing their primary visual cortex their pupils dilated and their eyes blinked when there were threats to their eyes. They could not consciously see the threat, but their body gave an automated response. One particular monkey was also able to distinguish objects and shapes and colours.

“In the 8 years between the operation and her death in 1973 this monkey slowly recovered the use of her eyes, emerging from virtual sightlessness to a state of visual competence where she was able to move deftly through a room full of obstacles and could reach out and catch a passing fly” (Humphrey, 1974).

Causes

Even though the main pathway of visual signals is through the primary cortex, the eye does send visual information to other parts of the brain.

Basically, it is hypothesised that mammals have two ‘brain systems’. The first is quite primitive and similar to that of fish or reptiles. The second is much more complex and exclusive to mammals. It is this second system that gives us consciousness. In patients that have blindsight, the second system is disrupted, but the first one is still intact. Which is why they can still react to visual stimuli even though they can’t consciously see. It is the first system that guides them past objects.

Avoiding obstacles you can’t see

TN was a famous case study. His visual cortex had been damaged by two strokes. Researchers had him walk down a corridor filled with obstacles but did not tell him that the obstacles were there. The man easily avoided the obstacles and at some point even squeezed in between a trash can and the wall. When asked about it afterwards he said he was not even aware that the obstacles were there. In his mind, all he did was walk down an empty corridor. Because it was his non-conscious brain guiding him, he was simply not aware of it. You can see him in the video below:

TN was also able to recognise facial expressions. Brain scans showed increased amygdala activity when he was presented with faces with various emotions.

Surprisingly, while some people with blindsight can recognise emotions, they can’t recognise the person or the gender of the person.

Another patient, in a recent study, was able to grasp different sized objects in front of her, adjusting her grip every time. However, when asked, she was not aware of how big the objects were.

Thinking you can see

Blindsight could also be thought of as the opposite of Anton-Babinski syndrome. Patients who have it are blind, but think they can see. No matter how much proof there is that they can’t see, they will still adamantly affirm that they can. It can be caused by a stroke, like blindsight. We are not certain why patients cannot admit that they can’t see. An hypothesis is that the link between the speech-areas of the brain and the, damaged, visual cortex  is broken. The visual information is received but cannot be interpreted by the brain, so it makes it up.

-Francesco

More Neurology from Pie Cubed

• Mapping the Brain
• How fast do you think – The two systems that define us

References

• Humphrey, N. (1974). Vision in a monkey without striate cortex: A case study. Perception
• Whitwell RL, Striemer CL, Nicolle DA, Goodale MA. (2011). “Grasping the non-conscious: preserved grip scaling to unseen objects for immediate but not delayed grasping following a unilateral lesion to primary visual cortex.”. Vision Res. 51 (8): 908–24. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2011.02.005. PMID 21324336
• Blind man ‘sees’ his way past obstacles – New Scientist
• Blindsight: Seeing without knowing it – Scientific American
• Prigatano, George P.; Schacter, Daniel L (1991). Awareness of deficit after brain injury: clinical and theoretical issues
• Blindsight – Scholarpedia