salto mortale

Oh dear.

The image has shocked, sickened and outraged people. But more importantly, it has captured the imagination of young men and women all around the world who don't give much of a shit about anything. The result is a new craze called "doing a Lynndie". If you aren't "doing a Lynndie" now, you soon will be.

So what does doing a Lynndie involve? Here are the basic instructions:

Find a victim who deserves to be "Lynndied".

Make sure you have a friend nearby with a camera ready to capture the "Lynndie".

Stick a cigarette (or pen) in your mouth and allow it to hang slightly below the horizontal.

Face the camera, tilt your upper body slightly forward but lean back on your right leg.

Make a hitchhiking gesture with your right hand and extend your right arm so that it's in roughly the same position as if you were holding a rifle.

Keeping your left arm slightly bent, point in the direction of the victim and smile.

Ideally, you should refrain from telling the victim what you're about to do. Victims who are unaware, bemused or angry make for a Lynddie that is more in keeping with the original.

The pics. Check the pics.