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A large fire broke out on the morning of 13th July 2025 on the former Wigsley airfield, consuming a pile of haybales. The inferno was visible for miles, resulting in a detour to record the event on my way home.
13-07-2025
Lt. Governor Anthony Brown leads Enviornmental Roundtable Discussion. by James W. Brown at Annapolis
Bronze sculpture
Seen at the outdoors art exhibition Sculpture at Pilane on the island Tjörn in Sweden.
Artist: Tony Cragg
This is the last picture I will present from Sculpture at Pilane 2011.
The process of photographing is a pleasure: eyes open, receptive, sensing, and at some point, connecting. It's thrilling to be outside your mind, your eyes far ahead of your thoughts. - Henry Wessel
The text:
Nedko Solakov, Discussion (Property)
“Think with the Senses – Feel with the Mind. Art in the Present Tense”
52nd International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia
curator: Robert Storr
Discussion (Property)
I came across this story in the summer of 2006. A newspaper article described the decade-long dispute - to put it mildly - between Russia and Bulgaria over Russia’s claim that Bulgaria’s continued manufacturing and selling of the AK-47 assault rifle was illegal. This notorious masterpiece of automatic weaponry was conceived by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1940s, and in the socialist era the Soviet Union freely gave its permission, as well as all related technical documentation, to the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, so that the small satellite state could churn out AK-47s to satisfy intense Eastern Bloc demand.
Years later, socialism collapsed and capitalism took over. However, the AK-47 had never been the subject of an international patent application or legal transfer as an intellectual product. If it had been, M. Kalashnikov would have long ago become a billionaire as, according to available statistics to date, somewhere between 50,000,000 and 100,000,000 AK-47s have been marketed worldwide. So, when tough talks on the issue kicked off between Russia and Bulgaria in the 1990s, it was obvious things could not be settled in an international court.
It is now difficult to retrace the twists and turns of the negotiations and other related developments that followed. On the one hand, all meetings of the intergovernmental commissions were secret, and on the other, people like myself don’t usually go to gun show and so have not directly witnessed some of the more embarrassing rows, with Russians publicly telling Bulgarians off for exhibiting and selling stuff that belonged to them. However, during the last few years especially, Bulgarian manufacturers started to claim that they had switched production over to a different assault rifle named the AR that, despite its slight similarity to the AK-47, was entirely modernized in line with NATO standards and was selling very well indeed. For example, according to the Bulgarian press, a couple of years ago the American Central Command for Iraq decided to purchase 40,000 Bulgarian AR assault rifles to arm the new democratic Iraqi army.
That was more or less what I knew when I decided to approach the two sides and try to have them talk in front of the camera. As a first step I focused on the Bulgarian “A…l” factory, a producer of the rifles situated in the picturesque city of K. As an artist unconnected to the military who also lacks any contacts whatsoever with arms dealers, I asked the deputy minister of culture (a nice lady) to help put me in touch with the director-general of “A…l”, Mr. N.I. She phoned the deputy minister of defense (another nice lady) and I was promised a meeting. Since I am paranoid by nature, I also asked a well-known reporter (again a woman) to help.
So, on December 1, 2006, when I appeared before Mr. I. in his office, he started by saying: “The prime minister was the only one who didn’t call about you coming!” Nevertheless, it took me almost three hours to convince the director-general to say a few words on camera. Why? The main problem was that my attempt to get both sides to talk was simultaneously being pursued right in the middle of the last round of heavy negotiations between representatives of Russia and Bulgaria on the intellectual property of military items. Obviously Mr. I., a reasonable middle-aged man, didn’t want to jeopardize the entangled disputes by talking to an artist who, to his question: “But why do you - not a journalist - have an interest in this matter?!” gave a rather peculiar answer: “Because I’m used to reading about intellectual property disputes over a book or a musical score, but never over a weapon, reportedly the most popular of all time”. Eventually, Mr. I. agreed to my request and gave a one-minute interview. Then, off the record, he spoke for more than an hour about how he had studied in the Soviet Union and how he admired the quality of Russian military production. He also spoke about having worked in that “A…l” factory for decades, first as an engineer and later as director-general. His main concern now was how to sustain the jobs of his 5,500 employees, who also produce many civilian products such as CNC equipment.
After the interview, I went to the firm’s website and found a complete list of the assault rifles they were producing with photographs of each one. I requested a few better quality images to use in my project and, after a careful selection, the factory’s design department sent me a CD on December 19, 2006, with a dozen high-resolution samples partially covering their output of AR assault rifles. Unfortunately, the ones I most wanted were deemed “too controversial” to be used in the way I suggested, despite the fact they were publicly shown on the website. “We don’t want to piss the Russians off with your project, right?” said Mr. I. and I had to agree with him. I then hired two skilful young artists to make twelve life-size drawings of the AR rifles, using the less controversial images as a reference. It took the girls two months to finish the job.
Mr. I. was also kind enough to help me illustrate my point even better by arranging for me to buy two real but inoperative 1960s vintage AK-47s (one of them with a folded metal butt) at one of the biggest arms shops in Sofia. Unfortunately, the disarming technique carried out on these rifles - precisely described in the official certificate that came with them - was found unacceptable by the Italian authorities who mandated other disarming procedures for assault rifles. I had to then give up the idea of exporting the AK-47s and decided to buy one in Italy. Consequently here you see a Romanian made AK-47 that comes from an Italian shop and which has a weird additional handle, all of which I can live with.
Parallel to all this Bulgarian activity, I was desperately trying to make contact with the Russian side. On November 21, 2006, the same deputy minister of culture wrote an official letter to the Russian embassy in Sofia, requesting an appointment for me to discuss the issue with a government representative. I was in Miami when I got the bad news from the deputy minister that in a letter dated December 5, 2006, the Russian embassy had declined to set up a meeting for me. Later, back in Sofia, I addressed the same request to a high-ranking person (a lady again) from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also soliciting the help of a curator (yet another lady) working for the ministry. Politely and diplomatically, I was told about negotiations going on right then on the same subject and how such a letter focused on my own project would be deemed entirely inappropriate by the Russian embassy. “Can I mention in my story that you are anxious to approach the Russians?” I asked the Foreign Office lady. “I’d rather you didn’t”, was the answer.
I was then introduced to a successful businesswoman who was seriously involved with Russia and, in fact, had the right connections. She kindly took up my cause and finally managed to talk with the Russian ambassador about my project. Even though he didn’t refuse outright to help me, it was still not quite clear if I could really meet someone from their side. At last, thanks to a native Russian (another woman, of a quarter-Armenian descent who, as it happens, is also an international curator based in Bulgaria), the Armenian ambassador in Sofia had a word with the Russian ambassador whereupon a meeting with Mr. P. and Mr. V. from the Russian embassy took place at the latter’s premises on January 24, 2007.
Mr. P. and Mr. V. were both very kind and promised to supply me with a copy of a film broadcast on Russian TV in 2006 that addressed ‘the-Bulgarians-and-our-own-Russian-weapons’ subject. The two gentlemen also promised to try and arrange a meeting with a representative of the Russian “R…t” - the organization authorized to sell weapons internationally - who hopefully would not mind a chat with me about my project.
A few days ago, while standing-by in hope such a meeting, I read in the papers that the negotiations were apparently taking a turn for the better and that new terms that would please both parties were almost agreed.
I don’t know what arguments the two sides had offered to clear all the hurdles. If I can make an educated guess, they were probably more serious than: “Did the Russians ever obtain a license for using our Cyrillic alphabet over the centuries, which as everybody knows, was invented by the Bulgarian brothers Cyril and Methodius back in the ninth century, or for eating Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, the tiny bacteria that makes the best yoghurt?” So, after all those years of wrangling over property rights, I feel personally satisfied that, at least in the assault rifle sector of the international arms trade, there will finally be relative peace.
Nedko Solakov
February 2007
Edited by Charles Esche
[Source.]
Shot for Active Assignment Weekly, theme "People"
WIT
During a meeting of my photography society I made several pictures of the participants. None of them turh=ned out right, this one is not an exception. I like however the partly covered face of the sitting woman, and the more or less similar poster in the back. In post lots of correction, noise reduction, but it still is a hopeless shot...
International Expert Discussion of the Gunda-Werner-Institut:
“Women at the Peace Tables - Spheres of Intervention to End Sexual and Gender-Based
Violence in Armed Conflict Regions in Syria and Iraq” (27.11.2014)
Foto: www.stephan-roehl.de
Governor Hogan Attends the RGA Q1 Discussion by Joe Andrucyk at American Council of Life Insurers, 101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
The Downtown Phoenix campus, home to 11,500 students, has a public focus, with nursing, journalism and public programs majors.
10 years ago. Jang was setting up for Oh what it would be to start in the entertainment business. It is his principle that he will not have anything to do with a minor. Jang poured out the wine and told that this was his favourite vintage. It was very nice to drink. When you first drink it, it was slightly bitter and depressing, as you allowed it to breathe, it will become sweet in your pallate
They went to the hotel suite, and Jang asked her whether it was a first time for her with a man in a hotel room having a drink. Jang was trying to portray a man with bad intentions to Oh.
"It takes a lifetime to wait for an opportunity of a chance, why not grab it?" recalled what her English tutor said.
(I wonder if this English tutor cum part-time model will be the newcomer for the main lead, since he can speak English. I will think that Oh will agree to have him on, since she is comfortable with him. Oh have shared heart feelings with him, eventually in the end of the drama, it likely seems so)
Oh was worried that she may not be able to act, as she had been hiding behind her PPL face for so long and dare not thread on unchartered waters. A remark by Kim (Chui Hyun Woo's agent) to her that Jang will trade her in to him, which made her just a commodity.
Seo went to see Lee out of worry because he left the house in a haste and found out that problems arised with the film crew. Petty quarrels between Lee and Seo started flying again. Lee promise that he will not let her regret, just trust him this once and listen to him.
Oh called and asked to meet up with Seo. Seo was worried that Oh will the next in line to leave the drama. When Seo got there, Oh was already slightly tipsy and drunk, while gurgling down glasses of wine. Oh was on her third bottle of wine. Oh had a heart talk that she could not find anyone else to come except Seo. Her interpersonal skills with people must be awful. Oh asked Seo whether she have experience going to a hotel suite room with a man for a drink. Oh told her she did it once long time ago. Seo replied she had of course. Seo then asked whether Oh and Jang had a quarrel. Seo who couldn't make head or tails on what Oh is saying. Then she found out that Oh wanted someone to hear her grief and it had nothing to do with rejecting the drama. Seo then gave Oh her two cents worth. "The biggest scandal for an artiste to have is her age." Oh asked Seo whether she was pathetic, in the sense she was never been an artiste with substance. Oh started to sob and apologised to Seo, which surprised Seo that Oh was willing to humble herself and told her the truth that indeed she is pathetic.
Lee received a call from Seo to asked for his help to take Oh home as it was not wise get any mode of public transport to sent her home. Seo couldn't get hold of Jang. Lee agreed.
On the sidelines PD Yun is having her own personnal problems. A boyfriend who have no regards to her occupation as it doesn't reap large monetary benefits. In the entertainment industries as in film, television and arts, it is not a occupation job but a vocation to the arts you love. Spending almost 24 hours on the job doesn't leave you much time to have a social life. I remember having to do almost like grave yard shift and spending my slumber time at the office sofa in every chance of a 40 winks I could squeeze. But to feel the adrenalin rushing strive the addiction for that job.
Lee arrived to see a drunk Oh. Seo told him to take her home. Seo tried to wake up the drunken Oh, and in waking up, was surprised to see Lee. "Oh!! It is my chauffeur. You are here." Oh recalled to Seo on her escapade she had with Lee in Taiwan. Oh confessed each time she and Lee ever met will always stir trouble. Lee ordered Seo to finish with the script, much to Seo dismay.
Seo does have feelings for Lee.
At Oh's home, Lee found difficulties in finding the bearings in her house. Remembered her house has divisions of partition in glass. It looked more like a car showroom than a house. After settling her down, Oh asked for water to clear her head from the alcohol effects and she played her audition tapes, where she couldn't deliver her lines properly.
From what I can see from the audition tapings, that she did indeed audition for the movie version of the "Ticket to the Moon" and failed miserably at it. Oh thanked Lee for being a gentleman for bringing her home.
Jang come by to Oh's house to see Lee leaving. Jang and Lee had some exchange of words on priorities. Jang recalled the conversation they had when they were jogging in Taiwan, that from that day she had never rested and persisted to pursue to her present status. Jang went to her to wipe her sweat, asked why she was disobedient treating like she was 10 years ago and told her he misses her very much
Oh have always had an unrequited love for Jang. Remembered she still kept the umbrella he gave her.
Lee at the studio station getting ready with the pre production of getting the location in. Seo stayed up to finish off the Episode 5 of the script and would deliver Episode 6 later. She was off when Lee came in with the set plans and location for Seo to have a look. Lee asked whether she got home safely. Seo answered in a single liner and vice versa asked whether Oh was sent home safely as she was very drunk and Lee answered with a simple "Yes". Lee saw Seo was setting out somewhere, he said he will wait for her. Seo replied that it would have to be tomorrow. Seo told that the Episode 5 was ready and Episode 6 will be delivered in the weekend. Lee asked who is she meeting. Seo told him that she need not report to him her whereabouts and activities. Seo was slightly jealous that Lee sent Oh alone to her house. Writer imagination running wild on that occasion.
Seo was having lunch with the Station Chief. Seo vented her frustration on the incompetent Studio chief. Chief call Seo's fat lady agent for some damage control report. it looked like the fat lady and the studio chief has provide the comic relief with their relationship
Jang tried to call Oh but she wasn't answering
At Jang's office, the two employees was rehearsing the plague cards from the scenes "Love is...." (great show with great touch of British humour). They are trying to remember the dialogue when the english tutor came in and recited the remaining dialogue. He helped to tutor them in English. The English tutor, (he must have a name somewhere, or it is never mentioned previously) explain the scenario to them on how to act their emotion to the scene. The translation went all awry. The English tutor explained that being in front of the camera is very lonely. "All by yourself without anyone to help you. It is just you and your confidence." Jang overheard. The English tutor wanted to give some things to Oh as he was going back to the States next Wednesday. Jang asked him if he was an actor. English tutor said he was up till yesterday. The English tutor meet Oh in New York, didn't realise Oh was so famous in Korea.
Jang called one of Oh's assistant and found out that Oh was practising the piano as schedule. Jang asked the assistant to asked Oh to meet him at an advertising agency for the CF. Oh came and was surprise later when CEO Jin and Cherry appeared.
The advertising agency was glad that both actress were here as they were going to be casted in the same drama written by Seo. As the advertising agency personnel step out for a call. Oh and Jang asked what is going on. CEO Jin said it was his idea to have done this way. The concept was explained, Oh as her haughty self critized the concept of the storyboard of the CF. Oh rejected it down flat. Jang agreed that Oh has done the right thing towards her road to becoming a Korean artiste rather than a PPL celebrity. CEO Jin was left dry on this.
Jang then assured Oh that he will never trade her to anyone, and not to listen to any rumours that issue. She was to be assured.
At Seo's office, discussion on the set location
Eun Young's soap workshop - looked too bland and real, would like to have it more cuter and dreamy effect
Eun Sok's apartment - looked like a rented apartment for parents with two kids rather than of a professional doctor
There is also some budget constraints, Lee made some suggestions and Seo agreed. Seo was letting off a cold front and everybody could feel it. Lee invited Seo for casting. Lee then left for a meeting. Seo's PA was taking a liking to Assistant PD Choe. Seo asked if Lee had seen the script. Her PA said he had, and while Seo was browsing, she couldn't find the pen marks on her script, but then realise he did a pen mark at the cover of the script. It means that he is total satisfy with the script
Lee approached a director who is now making a living selling fried chicken. Lee wanted him to return to be his 1st Assistant Director. There was an incident that happened that he is no longer in the field. Lee begged him to return for his experience, but got thrown out instead. It looked like the fried chicken shop have some renegade film crew running around
Jang went to look for details of the English tutor from his previous talent agency. It seem he was in Broadway before and is a qualify lawyer. It seem he was spotted by one of the talent ageny scout and asked him to come to Korea. Because of his mix blood, he could only limited to CF. What a considence!!!!. Isn't he perfect for the main lead they are looking for. Whalla!!! Taaa Daaa!!!
Jang went to the airport to look for him. He looked at the Departure board to see that his flight was in "Boarding" status. We finally get to know that his name "Aden". With Jang's broken English, he asked Aden to delay his departure for a month. He finally spoke in Korean
"If you believe what I say, and I don't know if there is such a saying in America. In Korea, it is often said that there is a saying that every person is given three chances in his lifetime. I can grant you one of these chances. What will it be?"
Seo went to buy some drink and recalled the past when Jang come in to buy a carton of coffee. Then Jang came in and repeated the scene. A dejavu. Jang was surprised that she could remember it all this while and he should be grateful. Jang asked if there is any progress on the main lead. She is not optimistic and was going to attend a casting session. She still insisted on using A-Class actor.
Casting for the male lead.
Candidates doing various section of the script. They all look pathethic. They all looked as though they were auditioning for comedy gag. Everybody started to yawns as the day draws longer. Aden was the last to be casted.
Jang asked for the result. Lee thought that Aden will fit the role. But Seo still insisted that they should persuade Lee Seo Jin to do it. Seo said that Aden couldn't manage his Korean dialogue. Jang insisted he can be coached. Jang told them that Aden is his artiste. Jang asked them to trust him, and asked her to return the favour of all the coffee he render to Seo. Both Seo and Lee were blank.
Preview
It looked like Song Chang Ui is shooting a CF with Oh. Taiwan location starts. Jang and Lee had a conflict while Seo and Oh are there to mediate this time.
by Jackie (http://bimbibap.wordpress.com)