This little cheeky fella, the monkey not Ricky, dries out palm nuts on a rock for three days, then cracks them with a stone. Our ancestors and Karl Pilkington would be proud.

View the excellent David Attenborough [...]]]> 180 THINKERS - As Ricky Gervais would say in his famous podcast ‘Ooooh Chimpanzee that, Monkey News’.

This little cheeky fella, the monkey not Ricky, dries out palm nuts on a rock for three days, then cracks them with a stone. Our ancestors and Karl Pilkington would be proud.

View the excellent David Attenborough meeting the Capuchin here. As Sir David says, ‘they’re thinkers, doers, not chatterers’.

‘MONKEY NEWSAHHH!!!’ – Sean Thompson, 180 Amsterdam

After that failed, I was: a car mechanic, a deli worker, an inventory [...]]]> 180 THINKERS – Born in America, unto uneducated immigrant parents, I grew up most of my life in private education only to drop out of high school just three days before senior graduation, because of pipe dreams of becoming a rock star!!!

After that failed, I was: a car mechanic, a deli worker, an inventory specialist for a cosmetics giant, a kitchen staff member of a Mexican restaurant, a deli worker, an iron worker and a customer service representative of a high profile department store.

Then, there was a two year break to learn Macintosh and I became a print shop operator, a digital asset manager of an Advertising giant in New York City (I had my own corner office on Madison Ave with three doors to slam in people’s faces and eight windows to jump 11 stories from).

Until, I became the Mac dude of 180. How’s that for a 180? – Pat Camporeale, 180 Amsterdam

He’s made three highly successful 180′s. He’s gone from Mr. Universe, to Mr Hollywood, to Mr. Governor of California. He’s the ultimate Mr. 180 Thinker, don’t you think?

What’s next, Mr. President? – Marta Tomczak, 180 Amsterdam

Written and directed by Richard Bullock, the full length documentary follows Richard, his brother Andrew and the Australian volunteers on their annual pilgrimage to [...]]]> A 180/U-TURN PRODUCTION – For 23 years Operation Open Heart, a volunteer Cardiac Surgical Programme, has taken the team sport of heart surgery to developing countries all over the world.

Written and directed by Richard Bullock, the full length documentary follows Richard, his brother Andrew and the Australian volunteers on their annual pilgrimage to the once troubled nation of Rwanda.

If you don’t laugh, you cry is their motto. In this film, you do both.

Thanks to all who gave up their Monday night and dragged friends and spouses along to the screening.

It was a great success.

Special thanks go to Keiser Sound and Glassworks, who helped make this project possible.

If you would like a DVD, contact Lucy Salter at U-turn and make a donation of 10 Euros. Prints are available for donations of 50 euros (large-sized are 100 Euros). Every cent goes to the Operation Open Heart team.

Anatomical model of human heart.

This clip from the new documentary Gonzo, featuring Johnny Depp*, says all you need to know. – Alex Melvin, 180 Amsterdam

* Depp was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson until his death and helped to fulfill Thompson’s last [...]]]> 180 THINKERS - “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” – Hunter S Thompson.

This clip from the new documentary Gonzo, featuring Johnny Depp*, says all you need to know. – Alex Melvin, 180 Amsterdam

* Depp was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson until his death and helped to fulfill Thompson’s last wish after the writer died. Thompson wanted his remains to be shot out of a 150 foot long canon.

She was born in Baghdad almost 60 years ago and was one of the youngest, [...]]]> 180 THINKERS - There’s a generation of great architects I could have suggested. Foster, Rogers, Geary, Libeskind, to mention a few. However after having a think, I’ve put forward the fantastic Zaha Hadid as a worthy candidate for 180 thinkers.

She was born in Baghdad almost 60 years ago and was one of the youngest, and so far the only woman to win the Pritzker prize – the highest award in Architecture. Her creative, ground–breaking innovations stretch across the globe. From large-scale urban structures, through to dynamic interiors, furniture design and recently even shoes.

In a nutshell she’s supadupa cool and creates amazing things. (Here’s a nicked quote): In her Pritzker Prize citation juror Jorge Silvetti declared: “What she has achieved with her inimitable manipulation of walls, ground planes, and roofs, with those transparent, interwoven, and fluid spaces, are vivid proof that architecture as a fine art has not run out of steam and is hardly wanting in imagination.” - Dan Brooks Riot, Amsterdam

Here’s a link to her blog.

I stayed in a curved black room, designed by Hadid, in Madrid – it was like sleeping inside a giant Darth Vader’s helmet (if you know what I mean). – Ed