The Synth Police

Doctors at a hospital in Texas informed George Pickering that his son was in a state of brain death. They explained that his son showed "no brain activity" and the decision had been made to remove life support. Pickering, however, was unconvinced by their assessment and resorted to extreme measures by drawing a firearm. He demanded that the doctors continue their efforts to save his son's life, threatening to use the gun if they refused. This situation escalated into a tense standoff lasting three hours, during which Pickering faced off against the police while the medical team performed additional tests on his son. The hospital was secured under lockdown as police negotiators tried to reason with Pickering, who remained adamant. In a pivotal moment, Pickering's son, previously declared braindead, responded to his father's request to squeeze his hand, indicating cognitive presence. Following this revelation, Pickering peacefully surrendered to the authorities. George Pickering II subsequently served a prison sentence of 11 months. Remarkably, his son experienced a complete recovery.

Pictured here is Willemien Rieken. She was only 9 years old when she first began laying flowers on the grave of William Edmond, a British soldier who fought and died to liberate her Dutch Village. From the day he died, and for 75 years, she looked after his grave and kept his memory alive. During WWII, William served with the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron and took part in the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands. Sadly, on September 17, 1944, he was shot in the back by a German sniper and fell to the ground. One of his comrades, St David Christie, rushed to his aid, but nothing could be done to save William. Seconds before dying, he said to David: "Tell my wife I love her." This British soldier was then buried at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Willemien Rieken passed away in 2020. She was one of the last surviving Flower Children, young people who laid flowers at hundreds of graves of Allied casualties in a ceremony after the end of the war. Niall Cherry, secretary of the Arnhem 1944 Fellowship, said: "She was one of the last surviving Dutch civilian links to the Battle of Arnhem. Willemien was a lovely lady who tended to the grave of Trooper Edmund for many years. She will be sadly missed."

When Marina Abramovic placed herself at the mercy of a crowd of strangers in an art studio in Naples in 1974, she had no idea what to expect. She stood before them with a sign that read: “There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired. Performance. I am the object. During this period, I take full responsibility. Duration: 6 hours (8 pm – 2 am)” At first, the participants were gentle. They kissed her, fed her chocolate cake, and put a rose in her hand. But very soon, the mood shifted. As each person took their turn, things took a dark twist.