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(more details later, as time permits)
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About a year ago, I created Flickr album for photos that I had started taking with my iPhone5s; and now I’m creating a new Flickr album for photos that I’ve begun taking with myiPhone6, which just arrived from T-Mobile this morning.
In last year’s album, I wrote, "Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, it’s hard to walk around with a modern smartphone in your pocket, and not be tempted to use the built-in camera from time-to-time. Veteran photographers typically sneer at such behavior, and most will tell you that they can instantly recognize an iPhone photo, which they mentally reject as being unworthy of any serious attention.
"After using many earlier models of smartphones over the past several years, I was inclined to agree; after all, I always (well, almost always) had a “real” camera in my pocket (or backpack or camera-bag), and it was always capable of taking a much better photographic image than the mediocre, grainy images shot with a camera-phone.
"But still … there were a few occasions when I desperately wanted to capture some photo-worthy event taking place right in front of me, and inevitably it turned out to be the times when I did not have the “real” camera with me. Or I did have it, but it was buried somewhere in a bag, and I knew that the “event” would have disappeared by the time I found the “real" camera and turned it on. By contrast, the smart-phone was always in my pocket (along with my keys and my wallet, it’s one of the three things I consciously grab every time I walk out the door). And I often found that I could turn it on, point it at the photographic scene, and take the picture much faster than I could do the same thing with a “traditional” camera.
"Meanwhile, smartphone cameras have gotten substantially better in the past few years, from a mechanical/hardware perspective; and the software “intelligence” controlling the camera has become amazingly sophisticated. It’s still not on the same level as a “professional” DSLR camera, but for a large majority of the “average” photographic situations we’re likely to encounter in the unplanned moments of our lives, it’s more and more likely to be “good enough.” The old adage of “the best camera is the one you have with you” is more and more relevant these days. For me, 90% of the success in taking a good photo is simply being in the right place at the right time, being aware that the “photo opportunity” is there, and having a camera — any camera — to take advantage of that opportunity. Only 10% of the time does it matter which camera I’m using, or what technical features I’ve managed to use.
"And now, with the recent advent of the iPhone5s, there is one more improvement — which, as far as I can tell, simply does not exist in any of the “professional” cameras. You can take an unlimited number of “burst-mode” shots with the new iPhone, simply by keeping your finger on the shutter button; instead of being limited to just six (as a few of the DSLR cameras currently offer), you can take 10, 20, or even a hundred shots. And then — almost magically — the iPhone will show you which one or two of the large burst of photos was optimally sharp and clear. With a couple of clicks, you can then delete everything else, and retain only the very best one or two from the entire burst.
"With that in mind, I’ve begun using my iPhone5s for more and more “everyday” photo situations out on the street. Since I’m typically photographing ordinary, mundane events, even the one or two “optimal” shots that the camera-phone retains might not be worth showing anyone else … so there is still a lot of pruning and editing to be done, and I’m lucky if 10% of those “optimal” shots are good enough to justify uploading to Flickr and sharing with the rest of the world. Still, it’s an enormous benefit to know that my editing work can begin with photos that are more-or-less “technically” adequate, and that I don’t have to waste even a second reviewing dozens of technically-mediocre shots that are fuzzy, or blurred.
"Oh, yeah, one other minor benefit of the iPhone5s (and presumably most other current brands of smartphone): it automatically geotags every photo and video, without any special effort on the photographer’s part. Only one of my other big, fat cameras (the Sony Alpha SLT A65) has that feature, and I’ve noticed that almost none of the “new” mirrorless cameras have got a built-in GPS thingy that will perform the geotagging...
"I’ve had my iPhone5s for a couple of months now, but I’ve only been using the “burst-mode” photography feature aggressively for the past couple of weeks. As a result, the initial batch of photos that I’m uploading are all taken in the greater-NYC area. But as time goes on, and as my normal travel routine takes me to other parts of the world, I hope to add more and more “everyday” scenes in cities that I might not have the opportunity to photograph in a “serious” way.
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Okay, so now it’s September of 2014, and I’ve got the iPhone 6. They say that the camera is better, and that the internal camera-related hardware/firmware/software is better, too. Obviously, I’ve got the newer iOS, too, and even on the “old” phones, it now supports time-lapse videos along with everything else.
I’ve still got my pocket camera (an amazing little Sony ERX-100 Mark III), and two larger cameras (Sony RX-10, and Sony A7), but I have a feeling that I won’t even be taking them out of the camera bag when I’m out on the street for ordinary day-to-day walking around.
That will depend, obviously, on what kind of photos and videos the iPhone6 is actually capable of taking … so I’m going to try to use it every day, and see what the results look like …
Like I said last year, “stay tuned…"
Ranger Annette helps a visitor plan their trip at the Wilderness Permit Center. To learn more: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm
(more details later, as time permits)
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Virtually everyone in America, as well as millions of other people around the world, know that Thanksgiving is one of the main occasions for organizing a huge parade.
It’s especially true in New York City, where I live — hundreds of parade workers converge on a one-block stretch between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West on 77th Street on the night before Thanksgiving to assemble the floats, and pump the huge balloons full of helium, so they’ll be ready to go the next morning. The parade itself lasts for hours, and stretches all the way down Central Park West and Broadway, and ultimately through Herald Square and past the main entrance to Macy’s on 34th Street. The whole thing is televised for the benefit of viewers all around the world, with TV commentators and an endless procession of marching bands, baton-twirlers, singers, dancers, jugglers, magicians, Broadway actors, and other forms of entertainment…
While New York City may be the only example of a Thanksgiving-Day parade that people around the world actually see on their TV screen, it’s definitely not the only such parade that takes place in this country. I’m sure that every big city has its own version of the turkey-day parade, as do most of the medium-size cities, and quite a few smaller towns and villages, too. They may not be visible on television, but a lot of local citizens and visitors turn out to watch such parades, if only because their sons and daughters are typically marching in the high-school bands that form a big part of the event.
On this particular occasion — in November of 2013 — I happened to be in one such medium-size city, where the parade took place on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It was in Portland, Oregon where we were spending the holiday period with one of our sons and his family; the parade took place in the “Pearl District” of downtown Portland … and, to our amazement, we were able to park our car about a block from the parade route, and walk right up to the corner (at Davis St and NW Park, if you want to track it down on Google Maps) where all of the bands and floats and costumed marchers walked by. In fact, I was able to take the “parade experience” even one step further: the people were friendly enough, and the security was light enough, that I was able to walk right out into the middle of the street with my camera, to photograph the floats and bands and marchers as they approached me … scampering out of the way only at the last moment.
Admittedly, Portland is a much bigger city than a tiny village of a thousand people somewhere in the midwest … but it still felt like “small town America” to me, and it was a great spectacle to watch. I got the impression that many of the visitors and observers standing along the street actually knew the people marching past them … and in any case, the marchers laughed and smiled and walked right up to us, handing out little pieces of candy to all of the children. Maybe next year I’ll go looking for a really small Thanksgiving parade in one of those tiny midwest-America villages, before retreating back to the Big Apple to watch the spectacle of thousands of marchers parading past millions of observers, and a TV audience of tens of millions …
I wish that I had taken some video clips of the parade, because the sounds and the music and the motion were a big part of what we experienced. But for better or worse, all I took was a bunch of traditional still photos. Actually, I took a LOT of still photos — nearly a thousand, altogether — but I’ve winnowed the collection down to 50 “keepers” that I hope will give you a sense of what Thanksgiving is all about…
Actually, if you live anywhere besides New York City here in the U S of A, you already know what Thanksgiving is all about, at least to the extent that it’s symbolized by the parade. But for those of us who spend most our time in New York City, it was a very pleasant experience indeed. After an hour, it was all over; we walked back to our car a block away, and drove back to our son’s house … and a day later, we were back in New York City. And thus ended another Thanksgiving holiday, at least until 2014.
(more details later, as time permits)
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This is the continuation of a photo-project that I began in the summer of 2008: a random collection of "interesting" people in a broad stretch of the Upper West Side of Manhattan -- between 72nd Street and 104th Street, especially along Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.
As I indicated when I started this project in 2008, I don't like to intrude on people's privacy, so I normally use a telephoto lens in order to photograph them while they're still 50-100 feet away from me; but that means I have to continue focusing my attention on the people and activities half a block away, rather than on what's right in front of me.
I've also learned that, in many cases, the opportunities for an interesting picture are very fleeting -- literally a matter of a couple of seconds, before the person(s) in question move on, turn away, or stop doing whatever was interesting. So I've learned to keep the camera switched on (which contradicts my traditional urge to conserve battery power), and not worry so much about zooming in for a perfectly-framed picture ... after all, once the digital image is uploaded to my computer, it's pretty trivial to crop out the parts unrelated to the main subject.
Thus far, I've generally avoided photographing bums, drunks, crazies, and homeless people. There are a few of them around, and they would certainly create some dramatic pictures; but they generally don't want to be photographed, and I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of them. I'm still looking for opportunities to take some "sympathetic" pictures of such people, which might inspire others to reach out and help them. We'll see how it goes ...
The only other thing I've noticed, thus far, is that while there are lots of interesting people to photograph, there are far, far, far more people who are not so interesting. They're probably fine people, and they might even be more interesting than the ones I've photographed ... but there was just nothing memorable about them.
(more details later, as time permits)
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Virtually everyone in America, as well as millions of other people around the world, know that Thanksgiving is one of the main occasions for organizing a huge parade.
It’s especially true in New York City, where I live — hundreds of parade workers converge on a one-block stretch between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West on 77th Street on the night before Thanksgiving to assemble the floats, and pump the huge balloons full of helium, so they’ll be ready to go the next morning. The parade itself lasts for hours, and stretches all the way down Central Park West and Broadway, and ultimately through Herald Square and past the main entrance to Macy’s on 34th Street. The whole thing is televised for the benefit of viewers all around the world, with TV commentators and an endless procession of marching bands, baton-twirlers, singers, dancers, jugglers, magicians, Broadway actors, and other forms of entertainment…
While New York City may be the only example of a Thanksgiving-Day parade that people around the world actually see on their TV screen, it’s definitely not the only such parade that takes place in this country. I’m sure that every big city has its own version of the turkey-day parade, as do most of the medium-size cities, and quite a few smaller towns and villages, too. They may not be visible on television, but a lot of local citizens and visitors turn out to watch such parades, if only because their sons and daughters are typically marching in the high-school bands that form a big part of the event.
On this particular occasion — in November of 2013 — I happened to be in one such medium-size city, where the parade took place on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It was in Portland, Oregon where we were spending the holiday period with one of our sons and his family; the parade took place in the “Pearl District” of downtown Portland … and, to our amazement, we were able to park our car about a block from the parade route, and walk right up to the corner (at Davis St and NW Park, if you want to track it down on Google Maps) where all of the bands and floats and costumed marchers walked by. In fact, I was able to take the “parade experience” even one step further: the people were friendly enough, and the security was light enough, that I was able to walk right out into the middle of the street with my camera, to photograph the floats and bands and marchers as they approached me … scampering out of the way only at the last moment.
Admittedly, Portland is a much bigger city than a tiny village of a thousand people somewhere in the midwest … but it still felt like “small town America” to me, and it was a great spectacle to watch. I got the impression that many of the visitors and observers standing along the street actually knew the people marching past them … and in any case, the marchers laughed and smiled and walked right up to us, handing out little pieces of candy to all of the children. Maybe next year I’ll go looking for a really small Thanksgiving parade in one of those tiny midwest-America villages, before retreating back to the Big Apple to watch the spectacle of thousands of marchers parading past millions of observers, and a TV audience of tens of millions …
I wish that I had taken some video clips of the parade, because the sounds and the music and the motion were a big part of what we experienced. But for better or worse, all I took was a bunch of traditional still photos. Actually, I took a LOT of still photos — nearly a thousand, altogether — but I’ve winnowed the collection down to 50 “keepers” that I hope will give you a sense of what Thanksgiving is all about…
Actually, if you live anywhere besides New York City here in the U S of A, you already know what Thanksgiving is all about, at least to the extent that it’s symbolized by the parade. But for those of us who spend most our time in New York City, it was a very pleasant experience indeed. After an hour, it was all over; we walked back to our car a block away, and drove back to our son’s house … and a day later, we were back in New York City. And thus ended another Thanksgiving holiday, at least until 2014.
shot from the "Pfalz"
a "touristic photo" from a local ;-)
for ODC Our Daily Challenge": weather permitting
it has come: spring with a warm temperature and people sitting at the border of the rhine.
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In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.
The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.
With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.
Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.
In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.
Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.
Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!
There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.
It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.
(more details later, as time permits)
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As I've noted in other sets of photos here on Flickr, I've been lucky enough to visit Rome dozens of times since I first celebrated a solitary birthday there back in 1972. Since then, I've often come alone (usually on business trips to lecture about various aspects of software development), and I've sometimes managed to bring various children and/or my wife. This time, like many other trips, I was alone.
On most of my trips, I make a point of visiting Piazza del Popolo at least once -- because there are always interesting scenes to photograph, with a combination of tourists, students, lovers, and amateur musicians. But I thought I would try some alternatives this time, and for some reason I was particularly determined to photograph St. Peter's at dawn. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate: it rained for a good portion of the entire week of my visit, and the clouds were thick, dark, and gloomy most of the time.
I did have one brief occasion to visit St. Peters on the first Sunday morning that I was in the city, and managed to get a few HDR shots as the darkness ended and the first shades of purple and blue filled the sky between 6 AM and 7 AM. But I couldn't understand why most of the open square was filled with barricades and metal fences; it was only later that I learned of the massive crowds that that fill the square every Sunday, to listen to the weekly address at Sunday noon, from their beloved new Pope. By noon, I was long gone, back in my hotel.
I also brought along a new camera on the trip, which I had rented for the week: a small, full-frame, fixed-lens, incredibly expensive Sony RX-1R camera. It worked as advertised, and I got a few interesting shots with it; but it quickly became clear that I really need a zoom lens for the street photography that I do -- and if I was going to use it for a tripod-based, wide-angle "landscape" shot, I might as well have used the larger, heavier Sony A-65 DSLR camera that I had brought along (which also has the advantage of built-in geotagging, with its GPS sensor)
On the final afternoon of my trip, after I had finished the last day of lecturing about nuances of project management and software development that I imagine nobody will care about when the Eternal City is still welcoming new visitors a thousand years hence, I parked myself at the center of Piazza del Popolo, at the massive obelisk and surrounding water fountains, and took some 600 photos of tourists and visitors, students and romantic couples. The people of Rome, and the visitors to this city, always seem happy, and it was nice to able to capture their joy and warmth in the camera once again.
I got into a use it or toss it mood. I look at the 'junk' I set aside for collage and the pile grows too fast. But if it isn't there, how can I get inspired? Such a dilemma, eh.
(more details later, as time permits)
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Once upon a time, I had serious intentions of running the New York marathon. It was back in 1979, and the whole thing was much less formal than it is now. Indeed, it was sufficiently informal that Rosie Ruiz was accidentally given a “finished time” of 2:56:29 for the New York event that year, which qualified her for the 1980 Boston marathon. It was later discovered that she had not run the entire NYC course (nor did she do so up in Boston on April 21, 1980), and her time was ultimately rescinded in both races. Had her times stayed in the record books, her Boston time of 2:31:56 would have been the fastest female time ever in the Boston marathon and the third-fastest female time ever recorded in any marathon...
Informal as the New York marathon was in those ancient days, you still couldn’t just show up at the starting line and expect to be welcomed. On the other hand, all that was necessary to get an official invitation was going down to the main branch of the U.S. Post Office on 34th Street at midnight on some long-forgotten summer night,and waiting in line with a bunch of equally crazy people. I got my entry ticket (or letter, or certificate, or whatever it was) a few days later, and began following a fairly serious training regimen, working my way up to a modest 10-mile race … until a business trip took me to Sydney, Australia for most of the month of August, 1979. Between business and social events, and the cold, wet weather of Sydney’s winter season, I didn’t do any running at all for that whole month … and with my training regimen broken, I wisely decided not to run the marathon at all.
But since then, I’ve always had a fondness for the NYC marathon — especially considering how much it has grown, and what a city-wide celebration it has become. I missed the event in 2013 and 2012, so it has been three years since I watched on the sidelines in 2011. With the promise of cold-but-sunny weather this year, I decided to return once again — and, as in 2011, I positioned myself at roughly the 24.5-mile point, at the beginning of a downhill run at roughly 78th Street, at the side of the Central Park “inner roadway.”
The runners pass by all afternoon, and well into the evening; but it’s a little more difficult to anticipate when the lead runners will reach any particular point. There are now so many participants in the marathon (about 50,000) that the runners are released in “waves,” beginning with those on hand-operated wheelchair/bicycles, and the “elite” women, the elite men, and three or four waves of mere mortals. There was an additional delay this year, because the headwinds were so strong that the initial wave had great difficulty propelling their wheeled vehicles up over the “hump” of the Tappan Zee bridge. So if you’re standing somewhere along the route, at the 10-mile mark, or the 20-mile mark, or (as I was) the 24.5 mile mark, you can only guess at the moment when the lead runners — or a friend or family member whom you want to cheer onward to the finish line — might be coming near you.
On the other hand, there are some clues. Helicopters hover above the lead runners, low enough that you can hear the roar of their blades; and there are two or three waves of police cars and motorcycles zooming ahead of the runners, pushing people back to the sidelines, and ensuring that there are no disruptions or obstacles to slow them down. Then — and it’s always an adrenaline rush! — you see the official race car, driving just a few feet ahead of the lead runners, with a huge race clock mounted on its roof, showing those fast-moving runners the exact number of hours, minutes, and seconds since they started their journey back at the edge of Staten Island.
The lead runners, of whom there are often two or three or four even up to the last mile, are often several minutes ahead of the next ones; but those who are in positions three, four, five or ten, and who will get no recognition at all from the press, the media, or the crowd when they finish … well, they still run as if their lives depend on it. And the crowd cheers them on, clapping and calling out their names and urging them onward.
One of the differences I noticed this year was the widespread use of bicycle horns and cow-bells that the onlookers used to create a cacophony of merry noise; I don’t know if the runners took it as a sign of encouragement, but it sure sounded that way to me …
I stayed longer than I had intended, and took several hundred more photos that I had planned … but they’re all just bits on the camera’s digital memory card, so it doesn’t really matter. One might argue that I should have stayed for eight or ten hours, until the last runner had straggled by. And perhaps I should have photographed each of the 50,000 runners, for I’m sure they each had their own story to tell. But after a while, it gets overwhelming — and the faces and bodies and brightly colored shirts and tights and shoes begin to blur…
I think I got a representative collection of photos; and the video clips will give you a sense of the noise and the motion of what seemed like an endless stream of humanity racing past … but to really understand it, you need to be there in person. Barring a crippling storm (like Hurricane Sandy, which forced the cancellation of the 2012 marathon), you’ll find another crowd of 50,000 runners racing through Central Park at the end of next year’s marathon, on the first Sunday in November. And with any luck, I’ll be there with my camera …
Who knows: maybe even Rosie Ruiz will be there, too. It turns out that she was arrested in 1982 for embezzling $60,000 from a real estate company where she worked; after a week in jail and a sentence of five years’ probation, she moved back to south Florida, where she was arrested in 1983 for her involvement in a cocaine deal. But as of the year 2000, she still insisted that she had run the entire 1980 Boston marathon. C’est la vie...
All images taken under a special permit granted by the Regiao Autonoma Dos Acores, Secretaria Regional Do Ambiente E Do Mar, Dreccao Regional do Ambiente.
Weather permitting, Dawn Patrols take place every morning during the AIBF, weather permitting. Launch operations for hot air balloons under the Waiver shall be under Visual Flight Rules with the following weather conditions:
1. Surface winds at Balloon Fiesta Park not in excess of 10 knots; 2. Visibility at least 3 statute miles; and 3. Ceiling of at least 1,500 feet AGL; and 4. No other known conditions contrary to the safety of flight operations at the time of launch.
A group of approximately ten to twenty registered AIBF balloons launch prior to sunrise on the days of Mass Ascensions; when 500+ balloons lift off from the Fiesta Park. They do so in areas at or near Balloon Fiesta Park-North thirty to sixty minutes prior to sunrise. The balloons fly for one to one and one half-hours and land after sunrise.
The Tonto Bench site at Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River offers a deep swimming hole and shady creek banks to explore. Two short paths lead out of the parking area. The path to the left leads to shady, shallow pools and interesting water features. The righthand path leads straight out of the parking area to a deep pool. There are rock benches and walls all around the area, providing plenty of places to relax out of the water. A few sandy entries make it easy to get in and out of the water. Look for bits of history along the canyon wall above the creek where pilings from the old flume used to transport Fossil Creek's water to the Childs hydroelectric power plant before the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities were decommissioned and removed between 2005 and 2008.
Increasing popularity has led to the Coconino and Tonto National Forests to implement a parking permit reservation system in 2016. As of 2017, permits are required April 1 to October 1. Visit Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River for current information and to reserve a permit.
Photo taken by Deborah Lee Soltesz, April 10, 2017. Credit USFS Coconino National Forest. Learn more about visiting Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River managed by the Coconino National Forest.
(more details later, as time permits)
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I have a confession to make: I’ve lived in New York City for 45 years — but until last night, I had never attended, observed, photographed, or participated in the annual Halloween Parade that takes place in Greenwich Village. I can’t be blamed for the first few years: I moved to NYC in the late 60’s (on Bleecker Street, right in the middle of the West Village), and the parade did not begin until 1974. But that means last night’s parade was the 40th such event … and for some reason, I missed them all.
But I was there last night … a little unsure of myself, for the parade did not actually begin until 7 PM, an hour after sunset. Even at 5 PM, the sun has usually dropped so low (in the fall and winter months) that the light is pretty mediocre for photography — and it was a cold, gray, overcast day as well. So I brought my flash along, even though I’ve rarely used it, and wandered through the crowd to see what I could find.
And it was a crowd: as early as 1985, it was estimated that some 250,000 people were participating in the event; I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a million people there last night. But at first, I couldn’t find any of them: the newspaper had announced that people could arrive at a pre-parade “staging” area on Canal Street and Sixth Avenue … but when I got there (early, as usual), there was not a soul to be seen. But I eventually noticed some costumed people who seemed to know where they were going … and I could hear music in the distance … so so I began heading north, and found the beginning of the crowd scene about three blocks further north, on Broome Street.
After that, it was sheer bedlam for the next couple of hours — until the parade officially began moving north on Sixth Avenue, right at 7 PM. The costumes were overwhelming — everything from witches and goblins, monsters, the GhostBusters, kings and queens and pirates and aliens. There were a few topless women with thick psychedelic body-paint to provide a small amount of modesty, and there were several groups of dancers who had obviously practiced dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which blared loudly from several sound systems. Meanwhile, there were drummers and samba bands, steel bands, and informal groups doing their best to provide the crowd with Italian, Chinese, Irish, Dixieland, and African music…
After I left the parade, I took the subway from Canal Street up to 14th Street to meet my wife for a quiet dinner at a small Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. But everywhere I went — streets, sidewalks, subway stations — it seemed that all of Greenwich Village had been caught up in the revelry.
Beyond that, it’s impossible for me to describe the noise, the music, the costumes, and the overall revelry. For an overall summary, you might want to look at this Wikipedia article
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York's_Village_Halloween_Parade
But I think the only way to really understand what the NYC Halloween Parade is all about is to be there. Words don’t really suffice ...
(more details later, as time permits)
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I have a confession to make: I’ve lived in New York City for 45 years — but until last night, I had never attended, observed, photographed, or participated in the annual Halloween Parade that takes place in Greenwich Village. I can’t be blamed for the first few years: I moved to NYC in the late 60’s (on Bleecker Street, right in the middle of the West Village), and the parade did not begin until 1974. But that means last night’s parade was the 40th such event … and for some reason, I missed them all.
But I was there last night … a little unsure of myself, for the parade did not actually begin until 7 PM, an hour after sunset. Even at 5 PM, the sun has usually dropped so low (in the fall and winter months) that the light is pretty mediocre for photography — and it was a cold, gray, overcast day as well. So I brought my flash along, even though I’ve rarely used it, and wandered through the crowd to see what I could find.
And it was a crowd: as early as 1985, it was estimated that some 250,000 people were participating in the event; I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a million people there last night. But at first, I couldn’t find any of them: the newspaper had announced that people could arrive at a pre-parade “staging” area on Canal Street and Sixth Avenue … but when I got there (early, as usual), there was not a soul to be seen. But I eventually noticed some costumed people who seemed to know where they were going … and I could hear music in the distance … so so I began heading north, and found the beginning of the crowd scene about three blocks further north, on Broome Street.
After that, it was sheer bedlam for the next couple of hours — until the parade officially began moving north on Sixth Avenue, right at 7 PM. The costumes were overwhelming — everything from witches and goblins, monsters, the GhostBusters, kings and queens and pirates and aliens. There were a few topless women with thick psychedelic body-paint to provide a small amount of modesty, and there were several groups of dancers who had obviously practiced dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which blared loudly from several sound systems. Meanwhile, there were drummers and samba bands, steel bands, and informal groups doing their best to provide the crowd with Italian, Chinese, Irish, Dixieland, and African music…
After I left the parade, I took the subway from Canal Street up to 14th Street to meet my wife for a quiet dinner at a small Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. But everywhere I went — streets, sidewalks, subway stations — it seemed that all of Greenwich Village had been caught up in the revelry.
Beyond that, it’s impossible for me to describe the noise, the music, the costumes, and the overall revelry. For an overall summary, you might want to look at this Wikipedia article
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York's_Village_Halloween_Parade
But I think the only way to really understand what the NYC Halloween Parade is all about is to be there. Words don’t really suffice ...
(More details later, as time permits)
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As I've noted in other sets of photos here on Flickr, I've been lucky enough to visit Rome dozens of times since I first celebrated a solitary birthday there back in 1972. Since then, I've often come alone (usually on business trips to lecture about various aspects of software development), and I've sometimes managed to bring various children and/or my wife. This time, like many other trips, I was alone.
On most of my trips, I make a point of visiting Piazza del Popolo at least once -- because there are always interesting scenes to photograph, with a combination of tourists, students, lovers, and amateur musicians. This time, there was a Michael Jackson impersonator -- who, at least from a distance, seemed to mimic MJ's fluid moves pretty well. And there was an electric guitarist, but it turned out that he could only play instrumentals -- and he tended to play the same songs, over and over again.
I photographed people in Piazza del Popolo on the first and last days of my visit; but I also spent a couple hours in Piazza Santa Margarita in Trastevere, where there was a wedding underway. And I strolled a block or two from my hotel to Piazza Cavour, where the entire piazza had been off-limits for years because of reconstruction work. But the reconstruction is over, the piazza is open, and I was lucky enough to be there during the "golden hour" before sunset, where I got some interesting photos of the local people enjoying a balmy early-summer evening.
On Sunday morning, I decided to visit the enormous "flea market" at Porta Portensa, where I did my best to get a few interesting shots of the shoppers, tourists, and long rows of merchant stalls filled with various forms of cheap, tacky merchandise. It was quite an experience...
As I have on past occasions, I took thousands of photos during my week-long visit, from which I select a few dozen to upload to Flickr. Hopefully they'll give you a sense of what it's like here in the Eternal City ...
For more info please see www.lorainerossweddings.co.uk
All images are © Copyright Loraine Ross 2004 -2014 - No unauthorized copying or use permitted
Firemen and onlookers viewing operations to control the fire.
Photograph Collection No : 501 (HAPMG 1981.1.4)
Images from Hartlepool Cultural Services that are part of The Commons on Flickr are labeled 'no known copyright restrictions' indicating that Hartlepool Cultural Services is unaware of any current copyright restrictions on these images either because the copyright is waived or the term of copyright has expired.
Commercial use of images is not permitted. Applications for commercial use or for higher quality reproductions should be made to Hartlepool Cultural Services, Sir William Gray House, Clarence Road, Hartlepool, TS24 8BT. When using the images please credit 'Hartlepool Cultural Services'
(more details later, as time permits)
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When I learned that we would be going to the Farmer's Market on a recent weekend visit to Portland, OR I naively assumed that there was only one such location. Silly me: it turns out that there are actually six such markets, located throughout the Portland metro area. One of them is in Pioneer Courthouse Square, which I photographed during Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 (and which you can see in this Flickr set); but their farmer's market only operates on Mondays, so I've never seen it. And chances are that I won't see the market in Shemanski Park, or on King, Buckman, or NW 23rd Street.
The market that I did see is located at Portland State University, and it operates every Saturday from mid-March through mid-December. Dozens of food stalls are located along the sidewalks on both sides of a long, grassy mall stretching from SW Salmon Street down to SW Jackson Street; and I was intrigued to see a whole assortment of fruits and veggies that I've never seen at East Coast farmer's markets: Japanese turnips, daikons, parsnips, garlic leeks, chard, kale, and Kohlrabi all looked quite interesting, but I must admit that I wasn't brave enough to try any of them. There were also morel mushrooms, home-made pies and cakes and cookies, organic eggs, fresh wild salmon, whey-fed pork, snow peas, sugar snap peas, shallots, strawberries, zucchini, cucumbers, fresh cheeses, tomatoes, pears, carrots, asparagus, radishes, hazelnuts, rhubarb empanadas, cherries (alone, ground, and combined with chocolate, depending on your preferences), fresh-baked bread, and apples. And honey, too -- sweet, delicious-looking honey made from poison oak(!), tiglio (whatever that is), clover, wild mountain flowers, maple, orange blossom, raspberry, and wild blackberry. The only thing that was really surprising, to me, is that I didn't try any of the food ... but that was probably because I would then have been tempted to try it all!
Along with the food, there were also lots of interesting people. Portland people might perhaps talk differently, or behave differently, than New York people ... but I don't think you would notice any difference just by looking at them. They were young and old, male and female, mostly happy, occasionally sad or grumpy. But generally photogenic, which is all that mattered to me.
As usual, I took hundreds of photographs ... and was tempted to upload them all. But I managed to winnow the collection down to 75 reasonably interesting pictures, which I've uploaded here to Flickr for your enjoyment.
(more details later, as time permits)
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I have a confession to make: I’ve lived in New York City for 45 years — but until last night, I had never attended, observed, photographed, or participated in the annual Halloween Parade that takes place in Greenwich Village. I can’t be blamed for the first few years: I moved to NYC in the late 60’s (on Bleecker Street, right in the middle of the West Village), and the parade did not begin until 1974. But that means last night’s parade was the 40th such event … and for some reason, I missed them all.
But I was there last night … a little unsure of myself, for the parade did not actually begin until 7 PM, an hour after sunset. Even at 5 PM, the sun has usually dropped so low (in the fall and winter months) that the light is pretty mediocre for photography — and it was a cold, gray, overcast day as well. So I brought my flash along, even though I’ve rarely used it, and wandered through the crowd to see what I could find.
And it was a crowd: as early as 1985, it was estimated that some 250,000 people were participating in the event; I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a million people there last night. But at first, I couldn’t find any of them: the newspaper had announced that people could arrive at a pre-parade “staging” area on Canal Street and Sixth Avenue … but when I got there (early, as usual), there was not a soul to be seen. But I eventually noticed some costumed people who seemed to know where they were going … and I could hear music in the distance … so so I began heading north, and found the beginning of the crowd scene about three blocks further north, on Broome Street.
After that, it was sheer bedlam for the next couple of hours — until the parade officially began moving north on Sixth Avenue, right at 7 PM. The costumes were overwhelming — everything from witches and goblins, monsters, the GhostBusters, kings and queens and pirates and aliens. There were a few topless women with thick psychedelic body-paint to provide a small amount of modesty, and there were several groups of dancers who had obviously practiced dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which blared loudly from several sound systems. Meanwhile, there were drummers and samba bands, steel bands, and informal groups doing their best to provide the crowd with Italian, Chinese, Irish, Dixieland, and African music…
After I left the parade, I took the subway from Canal Street up to 14th Street to meet my wife for a quiet dinner at a small Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. But everywhere I went — streets, sidewalks, subway stations — it seemed that all of Greenwich Village had been caught up in the revelry.
Beyond that, it’s impossible for me to describe the noise, the music, the costumes, and the overall revelry. For an overall summary, you might want to look at this Wikipedia article
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York's_Village_Halloween_Parade
But I think the only way to really understand what the NYC Halloween Parade is all about is to be there. Words don’t really suffice ...
Whitby, Yorkshire, July 2017. FED Mikron (ФЭД Микро) with Lomography Lady Grey (Fomapan). Processed and Scanned by AG Photo Lab
Sydney Trains Tangara T38 overtakes a stalled 2958 loaded Aurizon grain train at Jannali Station using bi-directional running.
2958 was a regular fixture on the Illawarra line in Sydney during the brief time that QRNational (later, Aurizon) operated their grain rake between Southern NSW and Port Kembla Inner Harbour.
Originally the train was forced to run via Sydney due to the type of wagons used initially (ex-WAGR AGWF type), this was later rectified with ex South Australian AHGX hoppers permitting QRNational/Aurizon to run via Robertson. On the day this photograph was taken, 2958 had once again operated via Sydney due to trackwork between Moss Vale and Unanderra, and as had happened many times previously, they came to a stand on the steep grade between Como and Sutherland. Unable to get started again, 2958 was stranded in the section, blowing the down Illawarra mainline until bi-directional running was implemented by control.
With passenger trains now able to pass the stricken freighter (albeit running with huge delays), a rescue operation was organised using the locomotives from the following freight train NW70 (loaded export coal from Newstan to Inner Harbour). The Pacific National crew secured their train at Allawah (another steep grade facing southbound trains) and set off south to assist.
Finally underway, the consist slowly (but loudly) moved through Jannali at 1924, running as DC2206, LZ3104, LZ3101 leading their grain train, with 8233, 8211, 8253 and 8256 pushing on the rear. This unusual consist ran to Waterfall Yard (the end of the uphill grades) at which point the 82 Class were detached, allowing the grain train to roll down the hill towards Port Kembla. The 82 Class then returned to Allawah to collect their own train.
Para permitir el acceso a los restos arqueológicos inferiores, se proyectó un edificio para cuya colocación se buscó un lugar que no interceptara las visuales sobre la fachada de la Catedral o del Palacio Arzobispal. Se diseñó una estructura "transparente" de ónice en la que, para Pérez Latorre, sólo los reflejos habían de ser su textura. Su forma venía sugerida según su autor, por la torre barroca de La Seo, integrando en ella igualmente el baldaquino berniniano, esto es, el dosel sobre cuatro elementos de apoyo. Esta estructura era una respuesta moderna, al hecho simbólico de conservar las ruinas de nuestros orígenes y armonizar con la mayor dignidad posible con la arquitectura que da carácter a la plaza.
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© All rights reserved.
Reproduction or redistribution in any form without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Prohibida la reproducción total y parcial de las fotografías expuestas salvo autorización expresa de su autor.
Permitid que os presente a la última adquisición de la familia, un Nosferatu! Es el regalo de cumpleaños de mis niños de Granada, y me encanta! Como se había agotado decidí quitarlo de la WL y ahora está aquí, conmigo, así que imaginaos la sorpresa que me he pegado cuando lo he visto xDD no sé que hacerle y me muero por trastearlo, jaja.
Muchísimas gracias niños! Habéis acertado de lleno ^3^ esta foto va dedicada a por vosotros por cutes :3
Espero que os guste a todos! Un ! besico, y ah! Feliz año nuevo! ^__^
Thousands of tourists come to Venice to see and take part in its magnificent Carnival; walking round in fancy dress in this city's magical scenery means taking part in a truly exceptional happening. Those mysterious, disturbing Venetian masks, eyeing you from the city's alleyways are part of what we imagine the Venetian world would have been like 300 years ago. They are an irresistible attraction for what is undoubtedly one of the world's most unique experiences: the re-living of 18th century Venice.
Wearing masks has always been more than just simple fun for the Venetians; it is still a strongly felt tradition with deep cultural roots.
Venetians were famous for being libertines and for transgression - they didn't just use masks during the official Carnival. Putting on a mask in Venice meant taking forbidden liberties: you could jibe at the powerful, gamble without being caught, take risks over love or business deals and even enter convents without being seen. A numbers of restrictive laws passed on dressing up prove how widespread the habit was.
In 1608, the Council of the Ten issued a decree, forbidding any citizen to wear masks except during the Carnival and official banquets. Masks were permitted during all important events, banquets and the main Serenissima celebrations such as Ascension day, or when the Doge climbed on the Bucintoro, or, for the flight of the Colombine when a wooden bird would shower flowers on the crowd. Impoverished nobles used masks to beg in the street and married women were forced to wear them when they went to the theatre.
Taken during a permitted visit around Laira depot, 50037 Illustrious stands forlornly in the scrap line. It wasn't one that survived into preservation.
The KOM League
Flash Report
For week of
November 27, 2016
This report is as close as I will come of mentioning the world champions of baseball in 2016. For the success of any endeavor the road has to be paved by many others. In the case of the Chicago Cubs it took over five generations. Coming up this week is a speech I will be making to a Rotary Club. To make it a bit relevant I’ll mention the Chicago Cub affiliates of the KOM league of which there were three: Iola, Carthage and Blackwell. If my memory holds out and time permits I’ll mention a few of the KOM leagures who had a special connection with the Cubs and others who were phantoms, “passing in the night.”
In the previous Flash Report a photo of the 1949 Carthage Cubs was shared that was taken in front of the third base bleachers. This photo was taken a few weeks later and 350 feet in the opposite direction but on an almost direct line. It was taken in front of the scoreboard in right field. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/30445174213/
There was no plan to prepare a report for this week. However, I put together some information that is contained in some of my files on each of the 36 roster members and one batboy for the 1949 version of that team: The photo included in this report is on page 65 of the KOM League Remembered book published by Arcadia in 2005 and it is still available from almost any book source.
1949 Carthage Cubs--Taken in front of scoreboard in right field. The only name missing from the previous night’s game, as indicated on the scoreboard, was the third baseman which was, Johnny LaPorta. Bob Speake had the evening off for that game and Hal Brown, basically a catcher, played right field. Phil Costa had replaced Bob Speake at first base.
Back Row: Glenn Walden, John LaPorta, Art Leslie, Allen Burger Jr., Darrell Lorrance, Denny Moffitt and Don Anderson.
Middle Row: Hal Brown, Hank Paskiewicz, Don Schmitt, Paul Hoffmeister and Frank Morrow.
Front Row: Ed Garrett, Woody Wuethrich, Bob Saban, Dean Manns, Phil Costa and Bob Speake. Harry Smith Batboy-lying down.
Here are a few bits of information regarding the 36-man roster plus the batboy, Harry Smith. I would suggest you only consider a name or two at each sitting and peruse the URLs to get your dose of this club. It isn’t likely I’ll ever prepare another Flash Report with this amount of detail regarding any team.
Alsop, Charles Franklin
B. 1/10/1929 La Porte, IN
D. 1/8/2015 LaPorte, IN
He was released by the club on June 1. He didn’t play in 1950 but played from 1951 thru 1956 in the Southern Assn., Northern, Three-I, Western, Texas, Tri-State, South Atlantic, Carolina and Midwest leagues.
Worked for Ford Motor Company and later in life collected Thunderbirds. He once inquired about one I owned.
www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazettenet/obituary-preview.asp...
Anderson, Donald Edward
B. 10/22/1918 Chicago, IL
D. 11/22/2010 Hemet, CA
Anderson’s career began n 1939 and was soon interrupted by WWII. After the war he began playing and managing in the Coastal Plain and Florida State leagues. He arrived in Carthage in 1949 and stayed until July 9, 1951. I have long claimed that had it not been for Anderson I would have never written a word about the KOM league. My earliest memories of him were not pleasant and I thought he disliked me as his batboy. When first starting to write about the old league I was ambivalent. In the course of writing I located Anderson and it led to one of the greatest friendships a former manager and his batboy ever had. Anderson came to Missouri a few times to visit me and from our initial reconnection, in 1995, we spoke about once a month, for over an hour each time about the past. He taught me more than anyone in my life about not holding on to misconceptions formed in youth. Much has been written in my books, newsletters and Flash Reports regarding the batboy/manager relationship. Amazingly, I’m writing this section six years to the day of his death and that wasn’t planned. Prior to his death he paid me the greatest compliment that one person could bestow on another fellow human and it is so personal I’ve never uttered it to anyone.
Bailey, Jr. Turner W.
B. 10/9/1928Earl Twp. LaSalle County, IL
D. 12/06/2004 Tampa, FL living in Tallahassee
He was a lefthanded pitcher who was released shortly after the opening of the season due to a sore arm. He was one of the very few roster members of that team who wasn’t located while still living.
Barclay Jr. Donald Thomas
B. 2/1/1926 Oak Lawn, IL
He began his career in 1947 in the Arizona-Texas league and wound up the season in the West Texas/New Mexico circuit. He was with Reno, NV in the Sunset league in 1948. He left Carthage on the 15th of June of 1949 and played the rest of the year at Charlotte, NC in the Tri-State and Concord, in the North Carolina State league. He played through 1951 winding up with Flint, MI of the Central Association.
Current location: Chicago, IL
Barclay is the first KOM leaguer that I ever recall seeing.
Brown Jr. Harold Albert
B. 6/7/1930 Chicago, IL
Current residence: Mt. Prospect, IL
When it came to write about Mr. Brown I sent a note, by e-mail, to his neighbor, Jim Gray. The following is Brown’s profile, in his own words prepared during Thanksgiving week of 2016.
After the season I rode home to Chicago with Bill Hornsby in his convertible. Worked in a factory waiting to be drafted in USMC (served 1951 - 1953) which was one of the best things to happen to me. Made Sergeant (in) 1952. Married Babe July 12, 1952 while still in the Corps. Got a job in furniture store late 1953 in Chicago. Nine years later opened my own furniture store with a partner. The business lasted eight years when he moved to Florida. I stayed in home furnishings and carpeting for 35 more years, showing furniture and carpeting to clients at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. We have lived in the same house in Mount Prospect, Ill. where we raised 2 daughters who gave us 2 granddaughters. I played hand ball at the local YMCA for 50 years. I am still moving, but slowly. I try to exercise daily with light weights and bicycle. My good neighbor Jim is the go between. He says he enjoys your reports as much as I do. We have made him into a Cub's fan. All in all we have had a good and happy life and would not change a thing. Sincerely, Hal Brown.”
Jim Gray is Brown’s friend who secured the foregoing information. “Babe and Hal are wonderful people and I wish we knew them much longer. Hal has a great since of humor and Babe is great cook, gardener and loves to set a beautiful table and decorate their home for all the holidays. Their home backs up to a park with a creek 100 feett to the north, the coyotes stroll past and attempt to nail squirrels and rabbits at my bird feeders. Hal sits and listens to his favorite team the Cubs when they aren't on television. He was excited to finally see his team win the championship through a couple nail biters that made his stomach do a couple of flips. Chicago had the 7th largest crowd ever attend the parade and celebration. They estimated five and a half million fans at the parade and Grant Park lake front venue.”
Burger, Jr. Allen
B. 8/26/1930 Centerville, OH
1951-53 Military Service stationed at Ft. Myer, VA
Member of the Presidential Honor Guard
Played for the 1952 Ft. Myer Colonels baseball team that won the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, Kansas The Ft. Myer team included big league hurlers Bob Purkey, Alex Konikowski and Tom Poholsky, NBA Basketball player, Jack George and former Pittsburg, Kans. Browns pitcher, John Manopoli, among notable others. I guess I could dig up the photo of that team Burger gave me and identify all the guys shown. But, very few people today would recognize any of the names shared.
Contreras, Jr. Domingo
B. 6/12/1930 Los Angeles, CA
He joined the club on June 26 and stayed until July 18. He had been sent to Carthage by Des Moines and when he left Carthage he went to the Cub affiliate in Visalia.
Current status: Unknown
In the many years of research I never learned anything about this man, other than he also played for Visalia, CA in 1950. The Social Security Index shows him as still being alive.
Costa, Philip Anthony
B. 2/22/1931 Chicago, IL
Costa’s father was 60 years old at time Philip was born. The family lived near Al Capone
Current residence: Berwyn, IL 60402
Costa was the team comic and knew a little bit of outlaw lore. On one trip from Carthage to Independence, Kans. the team passed through the town of Coffeyville. He announced to the team that he would depart the bus and finish the job the Dalton Gang bungled. That was when the townspeople armed themselves and thwarted the gang’s last bank heist. Costa promised to join the team, later, in Independence. In his trips to KOM reunions he had a lot of comments on how the Italians of KOM towns knew nothing about real cuisine of Italy. In later KOM events he’d favor his “adoring fans” with an aria from Chicagoland. Most of those within earshot welcomed the silence at the end of each outburst. Yeah, everyone enjoyed Costa. He played in 1950 for the Janesville, WI Cubs and in his in final year, 1951, he traveled a lot. He played for New Bern and Edenton, NC; Sioux Falls, SD and Clovis, NM.
Courtney, William Leroy
B. 5/6/1931 Camden, DE
D. 6/30/2000 Dover, DE
He reported to Carthage, in August of 1949, as a shortstop, and was too late to get into any team photo. Had he been in any of them he would have stood out as one of the tallest and slimmest fellows in the picture. He was over six feet tall and weighed less than 170. He played in the Cubs minor league system at Moultrie, GA; Sioux Falls, SD; and Grand Rapids, MI before the outbreak of the Korean War. That concluded his baseball career. I did locate him in the mid-1990’s but he didn’t have too many memories of his KOM league career other than to reflect on the fact that he and Mickey Mantle played the same position for their respective teams.
Erath, George Snider
B. 7/10/1927 Chicago, IL
D. 11/7/2003 High Point. NC
Career: Owner of a large furniture manufacturing company in High Point. Later owned the High Point baseball club and gave Curtis Flood a chance to play professional baseball. This URL is worth opening. It is a great story and also has a photo of Erath. www.greensboro.com/news/george-erath-patron-philanthropis... The only home run Mickey Mantle ever hit in Carthage was a fly ball to centerfield that Bill Hornsby lost as it went above the light standard and it came down and hit him in the head. Mantle circled the bases on that time at bat. Here is a brief quote from the aforementioned URL. “For all his success, George Erath often talked of one big failure — the time a then-unknown Mickey Mantle hit a home run off a young minor-league pitcher one afternoon in Missouri. Erath was that young pitcher. “I mentioned to him one time, bragging, that I’d seen Mickey Mantle play baseball in Joplin, Missouri,” remembers Bill Fenn, who was Erath’s friend for more than 30 years. “And he said, ‘That’s nothing’ and told me his story, and we had a great laugh.”
Another link: www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2002/06/03/daily34.html
Ed note: Here is this editor’s account of the Mantle home run. Sunday, August 21, 1949 was the scene of an afternoon doubleheader between the Carthage Cubs and Independence Yankees. Carthage won the first game and Erath started the second contest with a scoreless innings string of over 20 innings. He got into the third inning without being scored on. He was one out of extending his scoreless streak when a runner reached by virtue of an error. That brought up the left-handed hitting Mantle and he lofted a fly ball into medium left center. By that time of day the lights had been turned on and when the ball went above the level of the lights, Hornsby lost it. When the ball came down it hit Hornsby in the head, left fielder Don Schmitt told me that his teammate was more embarrassed than he was hurt. Anyway, Dr. Tom McNew was summoned on to the playing field to take a look at the fallen outfielder and pronounced him fit to continue. However, Erath’s scoreless streak was over although Carthage wound up winning the game. Ten years prior to that incident Dr. McNew arrived at 1226 Valley Street to bring the author of this article into the world. He pronounced the new arrival fit for this world and 77 years to the day this section was written (11/27/2016) is when McNew was the first person to lay eyes on me.
Garrett, Edward Franklin
B. 4/13/1925 Cincinnati, Ohio
D. 5/25/1983 Cincinnati, OH Univ. Hosp.
Batboy 1943-46 Cincinnati Reds
He was a member of the national championship American Legion team, from Cincinnati, in 1947.
Garrett's boyhood friends were Don and Hal Zimmer. Don is the guy who hung around the big leagues for many years as player, manager and coach. Hal, the better player of the two, was a member of the 1951 Ponca City Dodgers. Garrett was older than the Zimmer brothers by 5-6 years but according to an interview I did with Hal Zimmer, they looked up to the former Redlegs batboy. The Garrett family lived at 926 Wells St. and the Zimmers lived at 777 Sedam St. which was 1.8 miles apart. When Garrett went to his duties as batboy he was 3.1 miles from Crosley Field where the Reds played in those days. For the Zimmer brothers to get to Findlay and Western Ave. they had to travel 3.8 miles to see the Reds games, which they did as often as possible.
Garrett’s address was mentioned for I did the same for Johnny LaPorta, his big league batboy counterpart and Carthage Cub teammate, in 1949, in a recent story.. I gave the Google URL for LaPorta’s boyhood home and was going to do the same for Garrett but 926 Wells St. is now a vacant lot.
In the days the Garretts and the Zimmers were youngsters their parents took whatever Depression jobs were available. The Zimmer family operated a vegetable stand and Garrett’s father was a waiter and his mother a waitress as late as 1940
Hoffmeister Paul Herman
B. 12/23/1928 E. Chicago, IN
Current residence: Arlington Heights, IL 2014
He played in the North Central Kansas Amateur Baseball League of America. That is where many young men, from the Midwest, honed their baseball skills. Paul was with Manhattan, Kans. in 1948.
He also pitched at Mattoon, IL in 1949 and came back to Carthage in 1950. He didn’t play during the Korean War years of 1951-52 but returned to play from 1953-1958 with teams in the Three-I, Texas, Western, and Pacific Coast leagues.
Career: Was a Certified Public Account in Arlington Heights, Ill until retirement
In retirement he still has to put up with these Flash Reports each week.
Hornsby William Pennington
B. 6/2/1925 St. Louis, MO –Son of Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby.
D. 6/29/1984 Goodlettsville, TN
He played minor league baseball from 1946 through 1951.
Was hit in head by a fly ball that allowed Mickey Mantle to hit his only home run in Carthage. It was an inside-the-park homer. See that story in the URL under the George Erath citation.
Operated an Anheuser Busch distributorship at time of death.
www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58549245
Johnson Leslie Thomas
B. 12/27/1929 Chamberlain, SD (Pukwana)
He reported to Carthage on May 31st as an outfielder. He also played part of that season with Boise, ID of the Pioneer league.
Current residence: Mt. Vernon, WA
My only contact with Johnson has been in regard to some very rare baseball cards, from the 1930’s, that he collected as a young man. They are so rare and expensive that I’ve given him the name of a couple of former KOM leaguers who I trust and who collect rare cards. To my knowledge, Johnson still owns those treasures of his youth.
Kirschner, Gordyn Samuel
B. 10/8/1930 Galveston, TX
He was a pitcher who joined the team on August 5th from Sioux Falls, SD
Current residence: Galveston, TX
Knapton William Bruce
B. 8/21/1927 Bloomer, WI
He played third base and catcher before being released on May 19th.
Long time basketball coach with a great record.
Current residence: The Villages, FL
www.beloit.edu/archives/documents/archival_collections/fa...
LaPorta, John Joseph
B. 11/19/1926Chicago, IL
He joined the team on May 27th from St. Augustine of the Florida International league where he had played for Don Anderson in 1948.
D. 6/1989
After his baseball career John worked for his father-in-law, Frank Longo, in his plating shop in Chicago.
Since the report from last week featured the LaPorta family you can refer back to it to learn about his three-year big league career with the Chicago Cubs which occurred long before he ever saw the bright lights of the Carthage town square.
Leslie, John Arthur
B. 10/10/1929Scott. OH
He was a pitcher who joined the team on May 26th from Clinton, IA of the Central Association. He joined the Topeka Owls in 1950 and from there it was off to the Korean War from 1951-53.
Current residence: Houston, TX
Lorrance, Jr Darrell Morris
B. 2/28/1928Conway, MO
D. 10/20/2013 E. Moline, IL
He first came to Carthage in late 1945 for a tryout camp held by the St. Louis Cardinals and didn’t make it. He was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1948 when he pitched for Janesville, WI. He joined Carthage in 1949 and stayed until a sore arm caused him to quit on July5th.
Lorrance was known for his basketball talent. He led Conway, Missouri to a state basketball championship in 1945 (45-3) and was recruited to play for the legendary Adolph Rupp at the Univ. of Kentucky. He later left Kentucky to play for Sparky Stalcup at the Univ. of Missouri. He played AAU basketball for a number of years leading his Conway team to the National tournament in 1948.
Manns, Louis Dean
B. 2/23/1929 Centralia, IL
Dean played with Carthage in 1949 and fell in love while there. He stayed in town during the winter and worked for the B &G Construction Company and even spent some time that off-season as a cast member in Little Theater productions. He returned to Carthage in 1950 and shared the catching duties with Don Stange and Don Biebel. For an early Christmas present he went to Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. on December 13, 1950 for induction into the army. He got back to baseball in 1954 with Blackwell, Okla. after they joined the Western Association and saw action in the Pioneer and Evangeline leagues before calling it quits in 1955.
I tracked Manns for a few years before finding him in the Villages, in Florida. He finally made it to a couple of KOM league reunions. My oldest sister attended one of those events and upon seeing him exclaimed “Dean, I had a crush on you when I was a waitress at Red’s Café.” That was news to him and to me as well. He was one of the more popular players in Carthage baseball history.
Current residence: Centralia, IL 2010
McCalman, Jack Elton
B. 4/21/1930 Caddo, OK
D. 11/9/1978 Caddo, OK
There was never much found on McCalman except that he joined the Hutchinson, Kansas team later in the 1949 season after having been with both Carthage and Lumberton of the Tobacco State league. In 1950 he played at Hickory, NC and Baxley, GA before being inducted into the US Army where he spent the next two years. I never had any success in locating an obituary for Jack but did find one for his older brother that mentioned him. www.meaningfulfunerals.net/home/index.cfm/obituaries/view...
Meier, Allan Alfred August
B. 12/18/1928 Dixon, IA
D. 6/29/2002 Marengo, IA
Meier spent a very short time with Carthage as he didn’t show up until August 22. He had reported from Elizabethtown of the Appalachian league. He spent time serving during the Korean War which is explained in his obituary. The following was his obituary and baseball wasn’t mentioned. www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazettenet/obituary-preview.asp... “Services for Allan ‘Al’ Meier, Marengo, will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. John's Lutheran Church, Marengo. Burial will be in Marengo Cemetery, with military honors. Visitation is 4-8 p.m. today at Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo. He died Saturday, June 29, 2002, at his home following a brief illness. Allan Alfred August Meier was born Dec. 18, 1928, in Dixon, Iowa. He married Janice Bruckman in 1953 in Calamus. He managed and in 1961 purchased the Marengo Elevator Company. He served in the Army from 1950-52 as a paratrooper during the Korean Conflict. A memorial fund has been established. Survivors include his wife, Janice; a daughter, Julie Storck, Marengo; sons, Steven and Greg, both of Marengo, and Scott, St. Louis, Mo.; 12 grandchildren; a sister, Nellie Weih, Bennett; brothers, Mel and Dennis, Marengo; and a brother-in-law, Clifford Danielsen, East Moline.”
Moffitt, Dennis Eugene
B. 3/28/1929 Visalia, CA
D. 11/7/2015 Exeter, CA
He split his time pitching for Carthage and Visalia in 1949 and in 1950 he pitched for a semi-pro team in Regina, Saskatchewan. From there he went into the service, as his obituary states.
This is the location of Moffitt’s obituary:
www.legacy.com/obituaries/visaliatimesdelta/obituary.aspx... This is a quote from it. “Dennis Moffitt was born March 28th, 1929 to Harold "Pete" and Olga Moffitt in Visalia, CA. Dennis grew up in Farmersville where he met the love of his life, Carolyn DeVault. He graduated from Visalia High School in 1948. Dennis played football and baseball in high school then attended COS following graduation. Dennis played Minor League baseball in Canada, the Visalia Cubs and in Carthage, Missouri. Dennis was drafted into the Army in 1950 for the Korean War. Dennis and Carolyn were married after his return in 1952. Dennis started up his first business in Visalia, Service Station Repair and Maintenance which he owned and operated for eight years. In 1960, Dennis managed the Consolidated Peoples Ditch Company in Farmersville, retiring after 35 years.”
Morrow, Frank J.
B. 4/21/1931 Brockton, MA
D. 11/26/2000 Brockton, MA
He joined the Miami, OK Eagles in 1950 and was then sent to Gladewater, TX which displeased him. Thus, he jumped that club and joined the House of David team from Benton Harbor. MI. Unable to grow facial hair the club gave him some.
Knew Rocky Marciano and worked out in his gym many times.
He always wanted to attend a KOM League reunion but each year, at the time they were held, his health prohibited his travel. In 1998 he even got as far as the airport before having to return to his home. He wrote at the time that he cried because he couldn’t make the trip. In the spring of 2000 a very happy man came up to me at Chanute, Kansas and introduced himself as Frank Morrow. He was as happy as anyone I ever met. His wife told me that her husband wasn’t doing very well but looking forward to seeing some of his old teammates was the best medicine he could take. He left the reunion and died five months later.
Paskiewicz, Henry F.
B. 4/15/1930 Chicago, IL
Current residence; Albuquerque, NM
Long time educator and coach in New Mexico
Hank played competitive seniors tennis and won many championships both at the state and national levels. Unbeknownst to Yours truly, Paskiewicz was coaching at Sandia High School in Albuquerque, when I lived there and my home was just a few blocks from there. Sure wish I had known at the time he was there.
Passarella, Robert E. Nicknamed “The Grouse”
B.2/5/1927 Scranton, PA
D. 1/3/2010 Scranton, PA in Hospice
He was released by the club on May 31st. He didn’t play again until 1951 when he signed with Cordele, GA. He played for two more seasons with the Hot Springs Bathers of the Cotton States league.
Loved reliving his memories of the KOM league with Yours truly during long telephone conversations. He was a died in the wool Yankee fan. When connections were first made between Bob and this author he had just suffered a near fatal accident while pitching batting practice to a local high school team. The communication between Passarella and I was made possible through his brother. Bob was pitching batting practice to a high school team when he was hit in the head with a line drive. He was in a coma for several days. Upon gaining consciousness he was very despondent and had lost the ability to speak or write. According to Bob, being able to talk about his baseball days helped him restore all of his communication skills. To say the least, he was an inspiration to me. He was such an inspiration that Brandy Davis, former Pittsburgh Pirate, would make special trips, on his scouting tours, in order to go to Scranton and visit Bob.
Rine, Jr. Robert J
B. 4/12/1926Beatrice, NE
D. 2/06/1990 Seward, NE
Robert Rine showed up at Carthage on May 5, 1949 and stayed for about a week, as a catcher, which coincided with the arrival of Dean Manns. The task in locating Rine was difficult and by the time it was accomplished I learned that he had passed away. About the only thing I knew about him, after his departure from Carthage was a June, 1950 wedding announcement. “Miss Frances Moore, daughter of Mrs., Walter Moore of Liberty, was married to Robert Rine, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cam Rine of Beatrice, Saturday, June 17, at the First Christian church. The Rev. Wayne Greene officiated in the presence of the immediate families. Attending the couple were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Qssowski. The bride was married in a white afternoon dress and wore a white carnation corsage. A wedding dinner was served at the home of Miss Bertha Rine.”
At one of the KOM league reunions, in Carthage, Rines’ daughter attended to visit with some of the fellows from the 1949 club, but since he was with the team such a short time, no one remembered him. In 2010 Rine was inducted, posthumously, into the Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame. This site shows a photo of his son receiving the award for his late father. beatricedailysun.com/sports/local/hunter-one-of-five-indu...
Roman, Robert Anthony
B. 1/17/1927 Syracuse, NY
D. 12/24/1996 Durham, NC
Career: Roman is featured on page 59 of the book, the KOM League Remembered. He was a handsome fellow who only had to take second place to his wife, Mona, in that department. His career was 21 games for St. Augustine, FL in 1948 and he followed his manager, Don Anderson, from there to Carthage in 1949. Combined, Roman had a 41 game minor league stint. When he left Carthage he headed back to his home in Syracuse. While there he worked in retail sales and developed an interest in singing and acting in local stage productions. He was encouraged to go to New York City for tryouts on the Broadway stage. He made it and performed on Broadway as well with numerous traveling stage shows throughout this country. When the curtain calls ceased Roman and his actress wife, Mona, settled down in Durham, North Carolina. He entered the automobile business and stayed in it until his death on Christmas Eve of 1996.
SabanMatthew Robert Leroy
B.12/22/1930McCook, IL
D. 10/25/2008 Tempe, AZ
Career: Played 12 years of professional baseball and teamed with most of the Washington Senators, of his era who played with either Chattanooga, TN or Charlotte, NC such as Harmon Killebrew. Saban is kin to every football coach in America with his last name. That is from Lou Saban to the current coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Nick Saban.
Here is his obituary: www.legacy.com/obituaries/azcentral/obituary.aspx?n=matth... This is a brief statement from the obituary. “Bob graduated from Lyons Township High School, IL in 1949. He then began a career in baseball, playing in the KOM (KS, OK, MO) League in Carthage, MO. In 1950, Bob played in Sioux Falls, SD for a Cubs farm club, and then in Rock Hill, SC in 1951. In 1952-53, Bob served in the US Army in Albuquerque, NM at Sandia Base and was the base's ace pitcher. After serving in the Army, Bob was drafted by the Washington Senators (which became the Twins organization) and played in the South Atlantic League, primarily with the Charlotte Hornets, from 1954-1962 with stints in Macon, GA and Chattanooga, TN. In 1966, Bob and his family moved to Champaign, IL. He was an electrician in Local 601.”
Schmitt Donald Harald
B. 5/5/1929 Davenport, IA
He returned to Carthage in 1950 where he was a member of the All-Star team. He played most every position on the field except pitcher and catcher that year.
Current Residence: Rock Island, IL
He attended the last KOM league ever held. It was in Iola, Kansas and he was very upset on his arrival for he had received a speeding ticket on the outskirts of town. That was no way to treat a former ballplayer returning to the site of many of his All-Star performances. He had just lost his wife, Gloria, prior to the reunion.
Smith,Harry WilliamBatboy
B. 1/18/1935 Fayetteville, AR
D. 8/30/1999 Carthage, MO
Frederick “Pee Wee” Smith and his little brother Harry were fixtures of Carthage Cardinal and Cub teams. Pee Wee was batboy in 1947 and 1948 and was assistant groundskeeper in 1949 and the head groundskeeper in 1950 and 1951. Harry had enough of the baseball business after the 1949 season and turned the batboy job over to Estel Back. There were two young men who I recall in grade school who could hit a softball harder and further than anyone else. They both had the same last name of Smith. One was Harry who was four years my senior and the other one was Gary who was my age and no kin to either Harry or Pee Wee.. All of the Smiths, mentioned in this section, have passed away. Harry worked for Atlas Powder Company near Carthage until his death. He fell a year short of retirement.
Speake, Robert Charles
8/22/1930 Springfield, MO
Current residence: Topeka, KS
He was the only member of the 1949 Carthage Cubs to play major league baseball.
After his major league days became one of the top softball players in America while playing in Springfield. Mo. Moved to Topeka, Kansas where he became very successful in helping a fledgling insurance company became a powerhouse firm.
Many years ago Speake reminded me that I was a Class D writer, writing about a Class D league and that I should never pay much attention or worry about any criticism of my efforts. That sound wisdom has guided me through the two decades of chronicling the old league. He also warned me not to fall for anybody telling me how interested they were in what I was doing and how they could help me. Again, he was a prophet in his own time.
In retirement Bob has become a very talented woodcarver.
Stephens Frederick John
B. 8/9/1931 Cranston, IA
D. 7/25/2015 Rock Island, IL
He was another of the fellows to play shortstop for the 1949 club. He was very difficult to locate. In fact, it wasn’t until a couple of years before his passing that I located him. He said at the time that he spent his extra money and spare time at the river front casinos.
The following site contains his obituary which also includes a photograph. Since he was never in a Carthage team photo it is the only image I ever saw of him. qctimes.com/news/local/obituaries/frederick-stephens/arti...
Thomas Harrison Irwin
B. 11/22/1929Milan, MO
D. 2/14/2009 Edwardsville, IL
He was a left-handed pitcher who joined the team from Clovis, NM. He stayed with Carthage until June 15th when he quit due to the sore arm.
His obituary was carried in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: www.legacy.com/obituaries/stltoday/obituary.aspx?n=harris...
Walden, Glenn Lawrence
B. 5/31/1927 Manson (Calhoon County, IA)
D. 10/5/1993 Ft. Dodge, IA
Joined the team on June 16th from the Sioux Falls Canaries where he had pitched in 1948 and part of 1949. He returned to Carthage for a brief time in 1950.
Buried Keokuk National Cemetery; Section J Site 1001.
Enlisted in United States Navy 4/5/1945 and discharged 7/10 1946.
May 31, 1949 received $200 W. W. II Compensation Payment from State of Iowa
Occupation in 1959 was that of bartender in Ft. Dodge, Iowa
Married to Janet Borland from Minnesota prior to 1959
Married Alice Roths 9/29/1969 at Ellsworth, Iowa
Married Ina Lewis 7/19/1983 at Shasta, Calif. (I believe this is correct)
At one time lived in Tecumseh, Kansas (East side of Topeka)
Werling, Ralph Charles
B. 1/11/1925 Angola, IN
D. 12/17/1994 Ft. Wayne, IN
He was one of a rather large number of catchers Carthage considered in 1949. He was released on May 31st.
Sometimes you locate a former player or his fate through the obituary of a next of kin. In this case it was his widow, Nadene. qctimes.com/news/local/obituaries/frederick-stephens/arti...
After reading Nadene’s obituary I located Ralph’s final resting place which is shown here: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inallcem/wayne/stjohn/new/werl...
Ralph went ahead of Nadene by 16 years.
Wuethrich, Merle F. "Woody"
B. 9/4/1925 Eureka, IL
D. 4/17/2013 Peoria, IL
Comment: He was one of the best pitchers to ever pitch for Carthage or any other team in the KOM league. His best season was 1949 but he was pressed back into duty, on short rest, and was never the same afterward. 1950 was his final shot at baseball. His obituary tells of his life’s work in the oil business. The following URL tells it better than I can
.http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pjstar/obituary.aspx?pid=164319588
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Keeping track of a few former players
Sometimes I only know of the status of a former player by reading obituaries of their loved ones.
A number of years ago Don Annen, of the 1950 Carthage Cubs, asked to be taken off the mailing list for I carried the news of too many deaths. Checking on him last week I found the obituary of his wife: host.madison.com/news/local/obituaries/annen-dorothy-a/ar...
Richard Loeser of the 1948 Ponca City Dodgers is one guy who never answered any of my attempts to locate him. Even in ignoring me I have known for many years that he lives in St. Louis. In checking his status, recently I found the following: “LOESER, DELLA L. (nee Muhr) fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church on August 25, 2016 at the age of 85.
Beloved wife of Richard Loeser for 62 years. Dear sister-in-law of Robert J. Loeser.
She was a lifelong resident of St. Louis and was a very caring and loving lady to anyone she met.
Della will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Funeral Mass will be held Monday, 8/29, 10 am at St. Norbert Catholic Church. Interment Calvary Cemetery. “
VISITATION SUNDAY 4-8 PM at Stygar Florissant Chapel and Cremation Center.
Memorial contributions to American Cancer Society or American Kidney Fund appreciate
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Death of former Ponca City Dodger
HOPKINS-WILLIAM J. "HOPPY"--Age 87, of Castle Shannon, passed away on October 14, 2016, peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He was born on March 10, 1929, to the late Aaron Hopkins and Catherine Stoyle Hopkins. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nancy (Locke) Hopkins. He is also survived by his daughter, Pamela Morocco and son-in-law, Richard Morocco; grandson, Brad (Brittany); and granddaughter, Courtney; sisters, Norma Scholl and Mary Jane (Frank) Palmer; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers and sisters, Ethel (Ed) Clark, Aaron (Grace) Hopkins, Daniel (Eleanor) Hopkins, Dorothy (John) Wasieleski, and Nancy Davies. Mr. Hopkins was a veteran, having served in the US Army from 1951 through 1957. He was also inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and served on the Executive Board until his death. Per Mr. Hopkins and his family, there will be no viewing, however the family invites you to a Memorial Mass on Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Anne's Church in Castle Shannon. Arrangements by JEFFERSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME. Contributions may be made to Pilgrimage Hospice, 2000 Cliff Mine Road, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15275.
Ed comment:
William Hopkins was one of the first of the former KOM leaguers located some two decades ago. In our conversation he recited his baseball career as beginning in 1948 with Youngstown, Ohio and Johnstown, PA in the Middle Atlantic league. In 1949 he was with both Ponca City and Johnstown, PA and in 1950 didn’t play at all. He entered military service in 1951 and played on the 28th Artillery team in Germany that finished second in the European Championships.
At this juncture the baseball researchers are not in agreement with Hopkins. Baseball Reference shows him back in Class D ball, in 1951, as a member of the Ada, Okla. Herefords of the Sooner State league. Hopkins told me, and his obituary shows, that he stayed in the service until 1957. That conflicts with Baseball Reference showing him playing in the St. Louis Cardinal organization as late as 1955.
When Hopkins was with the Ponca City Dodgers he played the outfield.
The foregoing information was shared with Jack Morris, baseball necrologist. His group, who look into baseball deaths, may be able to clarify the discrepancies between the record books and his obituary which states he was with Uncle Sam after 1951 and through 1957.
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(more details later, as time permits)
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About a year ago, I created Flickr album for photos that I had started taking with my iPhone5s; and now I’m creating a new Flickr album for photos that I’ve begun taking with myiPhone6, which just arrived from T-Mobile this morning.
In last year’s album, I wrote, "Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, it’s hard to walk around with a modern smartphone in your pocket, and not be tempted to use the built-in camera from time-to-time. Veteran photographers typically sneer at such behavior, and most will tell you that they can instantly recognize an iPhone photo, which they mentally reject as being unworthy of any serious attention.
"After using many earlier models of smartphones over the past several years, I was inclined to agree; after all, I always (well, almost always) had a “real” camera in my pocket (or backpack or camera-bag), and it was always capable of taking a much better photographic image than the mediocre, grainy images shot with a camera-phone.
"But still … there were a few occasions when I desperately wanted to capture some photo-worthy event taking place right in front of me, and inevitably it turned out to be the times when I did not have the “real” camera with me. Or I did have it, but it was buried somewhere in a bag, and I knew that the “event” would have disappeared by the time I found the “real" camera and turned it on. By contrast, the smart-phone was always in my pocket (along with my keys and my wallet, it’s one of the three things I consciously grab every time I walk out the door). And I often found that I could turn it on, point it at the photographic scene, and take the picture much faster than I could do the same thing with a “traditional” camera.
"Meanwhile, smartphone cameras have gotten substantially better in the past few years, from a mechanical/hardware perspective; and the software “intelligence” controlling the camera has become amazingly sophisticated. It’s still not on the same level as a “professional” DSLR camera, but for a large majority of the “average” photographic situations we’re likely to encounter in the unplanned moments of our lives, it’s more and more likely to be “good enough.” The old adage of “the best camera is the one you have with you” is more and more relevant these days. For me, 90% of the success in taking a good photo is simply being in the right place at the right time, being aware that the “photo opportunity” is there, and having a camera — any camera — to take advantage of that opportunity. Only 10% of the time does it matter which camera I’m using, or what technical features I’ve managed to use.
"And now, with the recent advent of the iPhone5s, there is one more improvement — which, as far as I can tell, simply does not exist in any of the “professional” cameras. You can take an unlimited number of “burst-mode” shots with the new iPhone, simply by keeping your finger on the shutter button; instead of being limited to just six (as a few of the DSLR cameras currently offer), you can take 10, 20, or even a hundred shots. And then — almost magically — the iPhone will show you which one or two of the large burst of photos was optimally sharp and clear. With a couple of clicks, you can then delete everything else, and retain only the very best one or two from the entire burst.
"With that in mind, I’ve begun using my iPhone5s for more and more “everyday” photo situations out on the street. Since I’m typically photographing ordinary, mundane events, even the one or two “optimal” shots that the camera-phone retains might not be worth showing anyone else … so there is still a lot of pruning and editing to be done, and I’m lucky if 10% of those “optimal” shots are good enough to justify uploading to Flickr and sharing with the rest of the world. Still, it’s an enormous benefit to know that my editing work can begin with photos that are more-or-less “technically” adequate, and that I don’t have to waste even a second reviewing dozens of technically-mediocre shots that are fuzzy, or blurred.
"Oh, yeah, one other minor benefit of the iPhone5s (and presumably most other current brands of smartphone): it automatically geotags every photo and video, without any special effort on the photographer’s part. Only one of my other big, fat cameras (the Sony Alpha SLT A65) has that feature, and I’ve noticed that almost none of the “new” mirrorless cameras have got a built-in GPS thingy that will perform the geotagging...
"I’ve had my iPhone5s for a couple of months now, but I’ve only been using the “burst-mode” photography feature aggressively for the past couple of weeks. As a result, the initial batch of photos that I’m uploading are all taken in the greater-NYC area. But as time goes on, and as my normal travel routine takes me to other parts of the world, I hope to add more and more “everyday” scenes in cities that I might not have the opportunity to photograph in a “serious” way.
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Okay, so now it’s September of 2014, and I’ve got the iPhone 6. They say that the camera is better, and that the internal camera-related hardware/firmware/software is better, too. Obviously, I’ve got the newer iOS, too, and even on the “old” phones, it now supports time-lapse videos along with everything else.
I’ve still got my pocket camera (an amazing little Sony ERX-100 Mark III), and two larger cameras (Sony RX-10, and Sony A7), but I have a feeling that I won’t even be taking them out of the camera bag when I’m out on the street for ordinary day-to-day walking around.
That will depend, obviously, on what kind of photos and videos the iPhone6 is actually capable of taking … so I’m going to try to use it every day, and see what the results look like …
Like I said last year, “stay tuned…"
Weather permitting, as early as the weekend of Oct. 20, a new 28th Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 will open to traffic. Drivers who use this on-ramp will cross the new Puyallup River Bridge prior to merging with mainline I-5 traffic.
In addition, drivers on northbound I-5 heading to the Port of Tacoma Road (exit 136B) and East 20th Street (exit 136A) will exit the mainline before the river and cross the new Puyallup River Bridge to reach the interchange. The new off-ramp is approximately a half mile south of the current exit. Crews will implement this change during the same weekend.
Once the ramp traffic is on the new bridge, crews will begin building lanes to match the new alignment of northbound I-5 leading up to the new bridge. If weather cooperates, all northbound I-5 traffic could be using the new bridge as soon as spring 2018.
Project information is available here:
Agosto. Mes de los 300 años de la rebelión de Los Zendales. Mes de los 43 años de fundación de la Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional (FLN) en Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Mes del mensaje "En esta hora de Gracia". Mes de los 9 años de la fundación de los Caracoles zapatistas (2003).
Con el aniversario noveno de Caracoles y Juntas de Buen Gobierno me permito traer al presente experiencias de Autogestión que se nacieron en los movimientos estudiantil y urbano - populares de principios de la década de 1970. El 10 de junio de 1971, los estudiantes salimos nuevamente a las calles. Íbamos por la Democracia Sindical, la Democratización de la Enseñanza y la Libertad a los Presos Políticos. La Matanza de San Cosme no impidió que obreros, estudiantes, colonos y campesinos continuaran con sus luchas, es más, fortaleció la convicción en las formaciones revolucionarias político militares que la lucha armada era la opción frente al autoritarismo en México.
El Autogobierno de Arquitectura - UNAM
A principios de la década de 1970, en algunos centros de educación superior se iniciaron procesos de democratización: el Co-gobierno (Economía –UNAM) y el Autogobierno (Arquitectura – UNAM y en la ENHA). En la Escuela Nacional de Arquitectura concebimos la democratización como un cambio de orientación en la enseñanza, planes y programas de estudio, la formación de arquitectas/os de nuevo tipo y nos propusimos los objetivos siguientes: Totalización de Conocimientos, Diálogo Crítico, Conocimiento de la Realidad Nacional, Vinculación al Pueblo, Praxis, Autogestión. La Espiral fue nuestro símbolo. Una figura geométrica en movimiento girando hacia la izquierda y que se abría en el infinito.
El Autogobierno era diverso, plural. Cada taller era una escuela de Arquitectura. En sus asambleas se discutía y nombraba al coordinador del taller y a sus representantes al Consejo del Autogobierno. La Asamblea General de Estudiantes de Arquitectura fue nuestra máxima autoridad. Ahí nombramos a nuestro Coordinador. Los trabajadores también formaron parte de esas estructuras.
Con el Autogobierno los proyectos del Club de yates en Acapulco, de la cabaña en la montañas suizas o de los rascacielos, fueron a parar al bote de la basura. Ahora nuestras energías y nuestros desvelos se ocupaban en imaginar el espacio y arrastrar el lápiz y los grafos sobre el papel albanene tendido en el restirador para dar forma diseño y perspectivaa la vivienda en barrios populares y ejidos. Escuchando rock, blues, música latinoamericana y fumando como chacuacos. Las comunidades indígenas en Los Altos de Chiapas fueron nuestros destinos primeros. Ahí llegamos decenas de estudiantes de Arquitectura. Aquí nos quedamos Marisela, Arturo y el que esto narra con todo y familia.
En ese proceso profesores y estudiantes optaron, casi por mitad, unos por el modelo institucional y otros por el Autogobierno. Nos partimos en dos. La composición social en la ENA no determinó la opción. En 1970, todavía nos encontramos con el prototipo de arquitectos que: “En aquel entonces, 65-66-67, los arquitectos-empresarios eran inconfundibles con su saco de pana o tweed con parches de piel en los codos, zapatos de gamuza, gaznés de seda, todo combinado audazmente en cuanto a colores y texturas.” Alberto Hijar apiavirtual.net/2012/04/18/arquitectura-autogobierno/
Las/os fresas de entonces tuvieron que compartir el mismo espacio con la creciente prole que accedíamos a la UNAM. Una banda de Proles y fresas coincidieron pues aspiraban a ese modelo de arquitecto-empresario. Proles y fresas construimos un Autogobierno que creó otro modo de Ser y hacer arquitectura. Otras/os arquitectos. Pasaron meses de movimiento para que Rectoría reconociera nuestro derecho de creación universitaria y Autogobierno. Lo logramos. En la ENA coexistieron por mucho tiempo dos grandes corrientes (o más), con dos formas (o más) de ser, pensar y hacer arquitectura.
Alberto Hijar compañero de aquellas lides escribió:
“Al menos un autogobiernista era cercano a Revueltas. Juan Manuel Dávila venía del espartaquismo. Pero la definición del Autogobierno la dio la línea anarquista del joven Germinal Pérez Plaja cuando advirtió la insuficiencia de tomar la dirección de la escuela porque de lo que se trataba era de tomar el poder. Revueltas llamaba a no confundir esto con el Autogobierno, pero en la práctica la línea principal de reivindicar la práctica como adopción de problemas reales para su solución urbana y arquitectónica, significa una educación como la soñada por Revueltas que exigió una especie de federación colegiada de talleres a la manera de cómo serían los poderes de un gobierno anarquista. El Autogobierno resultó una forma de autogestión por lo que alcanzó resonancia internacional, especialmente americana sobre todo por los premios concedidos por la Unión Internacional de Arquitectos. El llamado del Che al clausurar el encuentro de la UIA en La Habana en 1964, arraigó en el Autogobierno el proceso de apropiación de las técnicas en beneficio de las necesidades populares. De aquí la fraterna relación con Fernando Salinas y Roberto Segre, los dos grandes impulsores en Cuba del proyecto de arquitectura para el tercer mundo. (Las Facultades de) Odontología, Psicología, Ciencias, Economía trataron en la UNAM de seguir el ejemplo (de Autogobierno) que alcanzó hasta el CCH Oriente y la Universidad de Nuevo León, de Sinaloa, Chapingo, la escuela Narro de La Laguna, la de Guerrero, Puebla y Oaxaca donde todavía el rector es electo por votación directa y secreta.” tacoso.org/07000042.html
Hoy el Autogobierno en Arquitectura no existe. ¿Cuándo, cómo y por qué se extinguió? No sé. En 2012: “Los sobrevivientes en activo del extinto Autogobierno de Arquitectura celebraron el cuadragésimo aniversario de su fundación en la semana de Pascua.” apiavirtual.net/2012/04/18/arquitectura-autogobierno/
Lo que si sé es que en la Segunda Asamblea del movimiento YoSoy132, el auditorio, de la ahora Facultad de Arquitectura, no fue suficiente para acoger a cientos de jóvenes de esta generación que van por la Democratización de México.
La Autonomía en el movimiento urbano popular de “Tierra y Libertad”
En 1974 - poco después del golpe a las FLN en Monterrey, Nepantla y Chiapas - me trasladé con mi familia a la ciudad norteña. Para entonces, las brigadas de Política Popular (PP), una organización de corte maoísta había fundado más 40 colonias en la orillada de la industriosa Ciudad de Monterrey. En su mayoría, después de posesionarse de los predios urbanos. También habían apoyado la organización de pequeños comerciantes, de chóferes de rutas de transporte colectivo, de inquilinos y empezaron a incursionar en los movimientos campesino, obrero y estudiantil.
Mártires de San Cosme, Mártires de Tlatelolco, Genaro Vázquez Rojas, Rubén Jaramillo, Tierra y Libertad, Revolución Proletaria, Pancho Villa fueron algunos de los nombres con las que llamaron a sus colonias. Eran las colonias de los posesionarios.
Los posesionarios tenían en la Asamblea General de sus colonias la máxima autoridad en la colonia. Los jefes de manzana electos, rotaban en el cargo, para que todos participaran en la experiencia social y política. Sus órganos de poder y administración eran: la Comisión de Honor y Justicia, seguridad propia (rondines y “guardias rojos”), cooperativas de producción, comercio y transporte. Las mujeres se organizaban en ligas femeniles. Hombres, mujeres, niñas y niños participaban en la edificación de sus escuelas con trabajo, recursos propios o con los “apoyos arrancados al gobierno”. Los profesores eran de la SEP sujetos a la supervisión de las/os colonos en el desempeño y cumplimiento de sus tareas. La escuela era el espacio y centro de participación, organización y toma decisiones política y social. Para la atención a la salud formaban promotores y edificaban dispensarios médicos y pequeñas clínicas. En la colonia Tierra y Libertad se construyó una pequeña fábrica de ropa con el apoyo del empresario Alberto Santos. Las mujeres de Tierra y Libertad se capacitaron en la escuela Pablo Livas de la UANL y una mujer de Medalla de Oro encabezó la capacitación para la manufactura de los uniformes de los obreros de Gamesa. También montaron una fábrica de zapatos. Estudiantes de Ingeniería Eléctrica del Politécnico diseñaron e hicieron la instalación eléctrica.
Para acceder a los servicios de agua y energía eléctrica, los posesionarios, se robaban el agua y la luz. Ellos decían que eran “expropiaciones”. Se robaban los postes y hacían el tendido de la red eléctrica e hidráulica. Por lo general los “domingos rojos” estaban destinados para dotarse de infraestructura de carácter común. Los cuadros de PP respetaban las creencias religiosas, sin embargo, evitaron la edificación de edificios públicos para el culto, al menos, hasta 1979, año que me trasladé con mi familia de Monterrey a Chiapas.
Ninguna autoridad gubernamental entraba a su territorio sin previo acuerdo. Estaba prohibida la venta de bebidas embriagantes y drogas. Los que cometían delitos leves se les imponía un castigo en el lugar. Los que cometían delitos graves eran entregados a la policía. Cuando algún posesionarlo de conducta insoportable era expulsado de la colonia se destruía la vivienda. Así, cuando otra persona ocupaba el predio tenía que edificar la propia.
Para evitar la invasión de predios y el fortalecimiento del movimiento de los posesionarios, el Gobierno de Nuevo León, mediante un contrato de fideicomiso celebrado con el Gobierno Federal y Nacional Financiera, S. A. constituyó: Fomento Metropolitano de Monterrey, para crear las colonias FOMERREY.
Después siguieron los tiros y asesinatos. En 1976, la policía montó una provocación y asesinó a seis personas. Eran colonos de Granja Sanitaria y posesionarios del Sector Heroico de Tierra y Libertad. La movilización no se hizo esperar. Se fundó el Frente Popular Tierra y Libertad y miles salimos a las calles de Monterrey a protestar exigiendo justicia. La base social del Frente llegó a movilizar hasta 60 mil personas. Sin solución en Monterrey, en caravana, una delegación del Frente se trasladó a la Ciudad de México para entrevistarse con el presidente asesino, Luis Echeverría. En esa coyuntura se fracturó PP. Adolfo Orive fundó Línea Proletaria y luego la Organización Ideológica Dirigente (OID). Declaró a Monterrey “políticamente no rentable” y trasladó a Chiapas a algunas de sus brigadas. Los famosos Norteños. Alberto Anaya siguió al frente de PP, sin embargo, se dio otra escisión y Camero fundó Rojo. Alberto Anaya y Adolfo Orive nunca descuidaron la vieja relación con Carlos Salinas de Gortari.
Alfonso Martínez Domínguez, uno de los regenteadores del grupo paramilitar Halcones, como gobernador de Nuevo León (1979-1985), desató una campaña de represión contra el movimiento popular. Encarceló a dirigentes de PP y de base. Fueron liberados en 1984. Si las reformas políticas habían abierto los canales de la Democracia Electoral, en Monterrey, las reformas endurecieron la ley civil y penal. Se castigaba duramente la invasión de predios. Como alternativa Halconso ofreció el programa de “Tierra Propia”. Entre 1989 y 1990, (gobierno de Salinas) la dirigencia de PP dio un golpe de timón. Cambiaron de “campo de lucha”. Del movimiento popular pasaron al “campo de la lucha electoral”. Después de una “consulta a las bases” del Frente Popular Tierra y Libertad, en 1990 fundaron el Partido del Trabajo (PT). Cuentan que Alberto Anaya fue a saludar a Salinas cuando tomó posesión como presidente de la República, que le comentó que iban a fundar un partido de “centro izquierda” y que Salinas le dijo: “Para qué un partido de centro - izquierda si lo que necesitamos es un partido de izquierda”. Ahí tienen al PT. La “lucha electoral” y el programa de “Tierra Propia” (privatización de los predios ocupados), fueron: Tumba y féretro de aquel movimiento urbano popular en Monterrey. Paralelamente, Adolfo Orive había pactado con Salinas el abandono del “campo de la lucha por la tierra” en Chiapas y pasó al “campo de la producción y comercialización”. Orive fundó la Unión de Crédito Pajal Yakaltic. No es casual que Alberto Anaya y Adolfo Orive se hayan reencontrado en la coyuntura del retorno del Tofico de Salinas con Peña Nieto. La relación de Alberto Anaya con Salinas - de más de 4 décadas - le ha reportado importantes dividendos políticos: presencia política y convenios en Cuba y con el Sandinismo de Daniel Ortega en Nicaragua. ¡¡¡Nada pendeja la dupla Anaya-Orive!!!
No sabremos que sería de aquella experiencia de Autonomía popular en Monterrey sin aquel Golpe de Timón. Lo que si sé, y tenemos que valorar, es que miles de familias tuvieron un lugar y un techo bajo el cual vivir.
La Autonomía Rebelde Zapatista
El Reino de Dios en la Tierra
Es muy probable que la Autonomía Rebelde Zapatista tenga que ver con la alegoría del “lento fermentar de la levadura”. Un proceso en el que participaron y participan diversos actores y factores. Donde el mensaje de la Liberación fue central. El deseo de liberación de los pueblos. Liberación desde la perspectiva cristiana. Liberación desde la perspectiva revolucionaria.
Mensaje que se encontró con pueblos y comunidades indígenas. Con indios en una larga caminada. 300 años de rebeliones de la Conquista a la Independencia. 300 años hace de la rebelión de Los Zendales (1712). En la historia reciente se registran 80 años de éxodo hacia la Selva Lacandona. Indios que abandonaron a la buena de Dios sus lugares de origen para sobrevivir. Reductos de las comunidades creadas por la Colonia. Tenían la opción de regresar si no se hallaban. En sus asentamientos re-crearon la comunidad. No podía ser de otra forma en un medio tan hostil y lejos de la mano de Dios.
La Diócesis de San Cristóbal de Las Casas se demarcó en un territorio cuya población es, en su mayoría, indígena y campesina. Que vive con altos índices de pobreza, desnutrición enfermedad, analfabetismo y sufre la explotación, marginación y discriminación ancestral. Visto así por Pablo Iribarren (1985), la impresión es que la Diócesis estaba ubicada prácticamente en un infierno. Nada más propicio para la construcción del “Reino de Dios en la tierra”. Es muy probable, que esas condiciones extremas forjaron un “fuerte sentido comunitario”… en conflicto.
En la década de 1960, el obispo Samuel Ruiz fortaleció las misiones que, en ese infierno, pronto evolucionaron: “fue el contacto con las comunidades indígenas y campesinas, la contemplación de su situación de permanente conflicto, la humillación y pobreza de su vivir, y los acontecimientos imprevistos que exigen un rápido discernimiento. Ante esta situación se fue creando en nuestro ámbito diocesano, los principios básicos de la Teología de la Liberación (años de 68-73).
(En 1966, se fundó Misión Chamula. En 1969 fue expulsada violentamente por el Cacicazgo Chamula. Los cacicazgos indígenas que también aplastaban y aplastan brutalmente a los suyos.)
En estas circunstancias, en el año 71, se constituye el Consejo Diocesano que se avoca a responder a los urgentes problemas del pueblo fiel y a la animación de sacerdotes y religiosas en la pastoral.” (Pablo Iribarren, Experiencia: Proceso de la Diócesis de San Cristóbal de Las Casas. Chiapas. México. 1985).
“En esa época hace crisis la labor de ‘asistencia caritativa’ (…) ante la acentuada pobreza del pueblo. En el Congreso de Iquitos Perú (1971) se colocaron las siguientes interrogantes: ¿Qué tipo de organizaciones políticas de la organización indígena contribuyen a hacer proceso de progresiva autogestión? ¿Cómo lograr una actitud de encarnación y sus exigencias? ¿Qué pasos (dar) para que surja la iglesia autóctona?”
En 1974 se le presentó la oportunidad “para participar activamente, (…) en la realización del Congreso Indígena”, en el cual, los indígenas “tomaron conciencia” del pluralismo cultural. Había grupos que jamás se habían tratado entre sí. Que su problemática era similar y que tenía una explicación: “El aplastamiento generado por (…) las estructuras de la sociedad. Que su voz unida tenía fuerza. La posibilidad de cambios si se organizaban. Descubrieron que el Plan de Dios no era su actual situación de miseria y marginación.
En 1975, la Reunión General de la Diócesis, entre otras, concluyó: “El trabajo con el pobre para el pobre”, “La reflexión bíblica” con el trabajo diario guió “la búsqueda de los compromisos y a la opción por los pobres”. Para la mejor atención de los pueblos la Diócesis organizó el territorio, como todo ejercito, en 6 zonas o regiones pastorales: Centro, Sur, Sureste, Tzotzil, Ch’ol y Tzeltal.
La Asamblea Diocesana es el espacio donde se define la estrategia y táctica de las pastorales. Otra instancia es el Consejo Diocesano. Para su intervención en los ámbitos rural y urbano han creado Áreas de Trabajo: Salud, Educación y desarrollo económico y social, etc. Las mujeres en la Diócesis son mayoría y su trabajo es de primera importancia. Podemos decir que en ellas se descarga, en lo fundamental, el trabajo diocesano.
Las izquierdas en Chiapas
La década de 1970, también fue del auge de la lucha campesina y de la lucha armada revolucionaria en el país. También marcó el arribo del arco iris de las izquierdas a Chiapas que desarrollaron importantes procesos de organización campesina indígena y de lucha por la tierra en las diversas regiones de Chiapas. La mayoría de las izquierdas reivindicaban la lucha armada pero en los hechos privilegiaron la “organización de masas”. La Asamblea Diocesana acordó “acompañar esos procesos”. El Estado respondió con la represión violenta de las fuerzas armadas y las guardias blancas. Matanzas: en Carranza, Wololchán, Tzakiukum. En Centroamérica arreciaba lucha armada revolucionaria. Algunas agrupaciones que se formaron en Chiapas de 1975 a 1992 fueron: la Central Independiente de Obreros Agrícolas y Campesinos (CIOAC), el Sindicato de Obreros Agrícolas “Miguel de la Cruz”, la Alianza Campesina 10 de Abril, Uniones campesinas: la Unión de Ejidos Kiptic ta Lecubtesel, la Unión de Uniones Ejidales y Grupos Solidarios de Chiapas (UU), Tierra y Liberta y Lucha Campesina, la Organización Campesina Emiliano Zapata (OCEZ), el Consejo de Representantes de Los Altos de Chiapas (CRIACH), la Organización Indígena de Los Altos de Chiapas (ORIACH), el Movimiento Regional Campesino Independiente (MOCRI), el Frente Independiente de Pueblos Indios (FIPI), la Alianza Nacional Campesina Independiente Emiliano Zapata (ANCIEZ). No pocas fueron sus luchas. No pocos fueron sus logros. ¿Cuántos cayeron? ¿Cientos? No sé. (Juan González Esponda, Movimiento Campesino Chiapaneco, 1974 – 1984. San Cristóbal de Las Casas, 1989. Neil Harvey, La rebelión de Chiapas. La lucha por la tierra y la democracia. ERA. 2001)
Un gatillo a la esperanza
En el Norte del país, en la Ciudad de Monterrey, un pequeño grupo de revolucionarios fundaron las Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional (FLN) el 6 de agosto 1969. Para 1974 habían formado núcleos, creado una red de Casas de Seguridad en varios puntos del país y montado el primer campamento guerrillero en El Chilar, Chiapas. Era un movimiento armado que, a diferencias de otros de su época, tenían como principios: apoyarse, en lo fundamental, en sus propias fuerzas y valerse de sus propios recursos, acumular fuerzas en un lento y silencioso proceso sin chocar con el enemigo. Por eso no realizaron secuestros, ni asaltaron bancos, ni propaganda armada, ni atentados. (Adela Cedillo, El fuego y el silencio. Historia de las Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional Mexicanas, 1969 -1974. Ciudad Universitaria, 2008)
En 1974, sin deberla ni temerla, recibieron su bautizo de fuego. Descubiertos en Monterrey fueron objeto de una brutal persecución. Varias/os de ellas/os fueron asesinadas/os, desaparecidas/os o encarcelada/os y prácticamente desarticulados. Las FLN ocuparon de 1974 a 1983 para buscar a sus compañeras/os desaparecidos y resolver sus dificultades y diferencias internas y reagruparse. Después de tres intentos, el 17 de noviembre de 1983, un pequeño núcleo de las FLN fundó en la loma del Chuncerro, cerca de Miramar, el segundo campamento en Chiapas al que llamaron La Garrapata. Ahí se nació el segundo Núcleo Guerrillero Emiliano Zapata. Al mando quedó una mujer, la compañera Elisa. (Adela Cedillo, El suspiro del silencio. De la reconstrucción de las Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional a la fundación del Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional 1974 – 1983. Ciudad Universitaria, 2010)
Para entonces los indios de Chiapas con una larga trayectoria de resistencia, sin más opciones que la creación y recreación de sus comunidades y sentido comunitario, vivían el castigo de los Pecados Estructurales: explotación, humillación, despojo, robo, el aplastamiento de caciques indios y ladinos, el miedo y la resignación. En poco más de dos décadas habían recorrido un importante trecho de lucha organizada de otro tipo. En sus pueblos y comunidades escuchaban la Buena Nueva de la Liberación. Agentas/es de pastoral que habían optado por los pobres, los acompañaban, los apoyaban, los animaban. Los indios, con sus nuevas organizaciones, participaban en la lucha por la tierra, la producción y la comercialización justa de sus productos y en la lucha electoral por el gobierno de sus municipios en medio del asedio, acoso y represión cotidiana. En una de esas, Dios mediante, les tocaba participar en una nueva Revolución. El Pueblo de Dios se fortalecía con la palabra, con la fuerza del mensaje de Liberación que se concretaba en la lucha política y económica.
El lugar era un terreno propicio para sembrar rebeldías. Las condiciones objetivas y subjetivas estaban dadas. Aquí entra el buen sentido, la decisión, el coraje, paciencia, seguridad, respeto, la cuidadosa y necia terquedad de las/os cuadros de las FLN para andar el silencioso y lento proceso de acumulación de fuerzas en las condiciones y situación concretas. La lucha histórica y resistencia de los pueblos indios con una rica experiencia de organización y lucha, y el mensaje de Liberación de una iglesia que había optado por los pobres, habían abonado el terreno para que las FLN tuvieran escuchas, militantes. Luego miles de bases de apoyo y un ejército rebelde: el EZLN.
Las montañas y la selva fue/ron algo más que una inmensa estepa verde. Las estructuras y trabajo pastoral de la Diócesis, de los movimientos y organizaciones campesinas e indígenas y comunidades fueron la gran cobertura social para las FLN. La montaña y la selva les dieron cobijo. Una cobertura social que había que cuidar y, por lo mismo, era imperativo respetar los procesos y las estructuras religiosas, de las organizaciones sociales y comunitarias. Así fueron construyendo una base social propia.
En la perspectiva de la guerra popular, la población fue organizada en el Ejército Mexicano de Milicias. Tenían que manejar los rudimentos elementales para el combate y la sobrevivencia en un eventual conflicto armado. Las FLN, como todo ejército, organizaron el territorio en regiones y zonas desde una perspectiva militar. Quizá en el modelo de las zonas guerrilleras o zonas liberadas. Todo bajo sus leyes militares, o como dijo alguna vez Frank: bajo la Ley de la Selva. Con un Estado Mayor, mandos regionales y comisarios o responsables de pueblos y comunidades. De las unidades de producción - individuales y colectivas -, en las zonas guerrilleras se abastecía y alimentaba la población, las milicias y los insurgentes. La sangre de su sangre y carne de su carne. Un sistema de radio comunicación de cerro a cerro como columna vertebraba este enorme cuerpo social político y militar. Los promotoras/es de salud comunitarios se habían convertido en el cuerpo sanitario de las/insurgentes que prestaron invaluables servicios durante la guerra. La red y unidades de trasporte: burros, caballos, mulas, bicicletas, camionetas, camiones de tres toneladas, fueron la base de las unidades de transporte de uso múltiple. Vamos, en su momento, los regimientos de caballería y unidades motorizados del EZLN. En los campamentos guerrilleros, las montañas tuvieron nuevos residentes.
En esta selva de historias llegó un momento en que se fundieron procesos: comunidad indígena (con su historia, imaginarios, redes familiares, éxodo, organización, economía, sistemas de producción - individual, familiar colectiva -, de abasto, consumo, estrategias de sobrevivencia y tecnologías), con el Plan de Dios, el anuncio del Reino y su Construcción en la tierra, en suma: el caminar del pueblo, el mensaje cristiano de Liberación y…el plan de las Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional, el anuncio de la nueva sociedad sin explotados ni explotadores y su construcción… con las armas en la mano. Resultado: una enorme Conciencia Colectiva que se concretó en el enorme Colectivo de Liberación Nacional, con su dirección política: las FLN y su brazo militar el EZLN.
Desde la perspectiva del EZLN:
“Somos producto de 500 años de luchas: primero contra la esclavitud, en la guerra de Independencia contra España encabezada por los insurgentes, después por evitar ser absorbidos por el expansionismo norteamericano, luego por promulgar nuestra Constitución y expulsar al Imperio Francés de nuestro suelo, después la dictadura porfirista nos negó la aplicación justa de leyes de Reforma y el pueblo se rebeló formando sus propios líderes, surgieron Villa y Zapata, hombres pobres como nosotros a los que se nos ha negado la preparación más elemental para así poder utilizarnos como carne de cañón y saquear las riquezas de nuestra patria sin importarles que estemos muriendo de hambre y enfermedades curables, sin inmortales que no tengamos nada, absolutamente nada, ni un techo digno, ni tierra, ni trabajo, ni salud, ni alimentación, ni educación, sin tener derecho a elegir libre y democráticamente a nuestras autoridades, sin independencia de los extranjeros, sin paz ni justicia para nosotros y nuestros hijos.” (I Declaración de la Selva Lacandona)
Si partimos de aquellas migraciones a la selva de la década de 1930 a 1994, estamos hablando de 60 años de construcción de comunidad en situaciones extremas y en condición de sobrevivencia. Si partimos de la gestión Diocesana de 1960 a 1994, hablamos de 34 años de un nuevo mensaje. Si partimos de la fundación de las FLN, pasando por la fundación del EZLN, de 1969 a 1994, entonces estamos hablando de un cuarto de siglo de experiencias de la lucha revolucionaria. El milagro se dio y consistió en que Todo fue de todos. Todo se hizo común. Con actos político militares de las FLN- EZLN en la selva Lacandona se fortaleció el proyecto y el sentido de pertenencia. No pocas veces se utilizó la formación en Caracol.
¿Complicaciones? Muchas. El Socialismo Real se derrumbó. La pacificación llegó al Istmo Centroamericano, la objetividad regresó por sus fueros a la región y se declaró inviable la lucha armada frente a la capacidad de fuego de los Ejércitos. El EZLN perdió aliados en la Selva y fuera de ella. Atenta a los signos de los tiempos,parte de la Diócesis dejó de acompañar el proceso. Un número importante de comunidades se replegó. Quizás por eso Marcos declaró: No pocas veces vimos como todo se venía abajo. El proceso se puso a prueba. La criba fue generosa y consolidó el proyecto.
Es muy probable que esa situación haya colocado en la orden del día ezetaelenita la pregunta: ¿Pa’ cuando la guerra? Una cuestión nada sencilla para la dirección nacional de las FLN (1992) y que se resolvió, no sin dificultades, en el Congreso de las FLN (1993). Ese año el EZLN tuvo dos incidentes graves con el Ejército federal: el primero, en una comunidad al sur de San Cristóbal y, el otro, con el choque en la Sierra de Corralchén.
No había marcha atrás. La Palabra encarnó.El Plan de Dios tomaba cuerpo. El plan de las FLN se materializó. ¿Antes o después de 1990? No sé. Lo que si sabemos es que, antes de la guerra, un enorme Rebelde y Autónomo Colectivo de Liberación Nacional se movía en las regiones indígenas de Chiapas. Desde entonces era un constituyente de la 7ª Pieza del Rompecabezas Mundial. Un referente moral donde se construye cotidianamente un modelo social que corresponde a esa realidad concreta, otra forma de vivir la vida. Como hace 43 años, la resistencia tiene en su base miles de hombres y mujeres que se apoyan en lo fundamental en su propia fuerza y se valen de sus propios recursos.
Lo que siguió después, Municipio Rebeldes Zapatistas, Caracoles y Juntas de Buen Gobierno, obedecieron a la estrategia del “largo periodo de lucha política” que Marcos anunció en febrero de 1994.
continua en: alainet.org/active/57190&lang=es
AUDIO: PORTAVOZ: "Donde Empieza" @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPSsSmqf5OA
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It would be very much appreciated (though not required) if you provide a link back to my photo. Send me a message on Flickr or at thisisbossi@gmail.com if you use my image & I'll add a link on the photo's page back to your article.
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In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.
The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.
With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.
Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.
In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.
Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.
Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!
There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.
It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.
This image is licensed cc-by-nc-sa. Media (including blogs) are permitted to use my images provided they provide attribution in the form of "Photo by Andrew Bossi" or something along those lines.
It would be very much appreciated (though not required) if you provide a link back to my photo. Send me a message on Flickr or at thisisbossi@gmail.com if you use my image & I'll add a link on the photo's page back to your article.
If you want the highest-resolution image: simply right-click on the photo and select "Original".
Also, if I've mis-titled or mis-tagged anything: just let me know. If you recognise someone I should tag: again, just let me know.
================================
In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.
The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.
With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.
Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.
In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.
Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.
Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!
There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.
It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.
This was the highlight and reason for my Southern Arizona Adventure 2024. This is stage 8 of 9.
I was lucky to secure permits for the once monthly photography tour of Kartchner Caverns. Kartchner Caverns State Park strictly forbids any cameras or cellphones in the Caverns. Except for one trip per month for 12 to 15 photographers currently $125. I planned a 4 day 3 night road trip around Southern Arizona anchored by my Kartchner Cavern permit.
I was expecting dark conditions. The State Park turned on all the lights in the Big Room. They don't like turning on all the lights since can cause an increase in algae. This is the reason they only have one photography tour a month.
I found myself adjusting my histograms to not clip the highlights. Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome. Next time I am going to bracket my shots. I almost wish I had brought a ND filter or tried a handheld GND filter.
I don't know speleothems so I won't even try to identify. If anyone can help me with the identification, I will appreciate it.
www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/speleothems.htm#:~:text=The%20...)%20when%20needed.
The features that arouse the greatest curiosity for most cave visitors are speleothems. These stone formations exhibit bizarre patterns and other-worldly forms, which give some caves a wonderland appearance. Caves vary widely in their displays of speleothems because of differences in temperature; overall wetness; and jointing, impurities, and structures in the rocks. In general, however, one thing caves do have in common is where speleothems form. Although the formation of caves typically takes place below the water table in the zone of saturation, the deposition of speleothems is not possible until caves are above the water table in the zone of aeration. As soon as the chamber is filled with air, the stage is set for the decoration phase of cave building to begin.
The term speleothem refers to the mode of occurrence of a mineral—i.e., its morphology or how it looks—in a cave, not its composition (Hill, 1997). For example, calcite, the most common cave mineral, is not a speleothem, but a calcite stalactite is a speleothem. A stalactite may be made of other minerals, such as halite or gypsum.
Classifying speleothems is tricky because no two speleothems are exactly alike. Nevertheless, speleologists have taken three basic approaches: classification by morphology, classification by origin, and classification by crystallography. All three of these approaches have their problems (Hill, 1997), so cavers often take a more practical approach that primarily uses morphology (e.g., cave pearls) but includes whatever is known about origin (e.g., geysermites) and crystallography (e.g., spar) when needed.
nocache.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/southern/articles/20...
The Kartchner Caverns, rated one of the world's 10 most beautiful caves, is an eerie wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites still growing beneath the Whetstone Mountains 40 miles southeast of Tucson.
The limestone cave has 13,000 feet of passages and hundreds of formations built over the past 200,000 years, including some that are unique and world-renowned. It's a "living cave," with intricate formations that continue to grow as water seeps, drips and flows from the walls and slowly deposits the mineral calcium carbonate.
The caverns were discovered by amateur spelunkers Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen in 1974 on land owned by the Kartchner family. They kept the cave a secret until 1988, when the Kartchners sold it to the state to become a state park.
The highlights of the Big Room tour are a stretch of strawberry flowstone, which has been colored red by iron oxide (rust) in the water, and a maternity ward for 1,800 female cave myotis bats, with black grime on the ceiling where the bats hang and piles of guano on the floor. Visitors who look closely will see a bat's body embedded in one of the cave's formations.
Though not all are available on the tours, the caverns' unique features include a 21-foot, 2-inch soda straw that's one the world's largest (Throne Room), the world's most extensive formation of brushite moonmilk (Big Room), the first reported occurrence of "turnip" shields (Big Room), the first cave occurrence of "birdsnest" needle quartz formations (Big Room) and the remains of a Shasta ground sloth from the Pleistocene Age (Big Room).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages.[1] The park is located 9 miles (14 km) south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by state biologist Erick Campbell who helped in its preservation.
The park encompasses most of a down-dropped block of Palaeozoic rocks on the east flank of the Whetstone Mountains.
The caverns are carved out of limestone and filled with spectacular speleothems which have been growing for 50,000 years or longer, and are still growing. Careful and technical cave state park development and maintenance, initially established by founder Dr. Bruce Randall "Randy" Tufts, geologist, were designed to protect and preserve the cave system throughout the park's development, and for perpetuity.[3]
The two major features of the caverns accessible to the public are the Throne Room and the Big Room. The Throne Room contains one of the world's longest (21 ft 2 in (6.45 m))[5] soda straw stalactites and a 58-foot (18 m) high column called Kubla Khan, after the poem. The Big Room contains the world's most extensive formation of brushite moonmilk. Big Room cave tours are closed during the summer for several months (April 15 to October 15) each year because it is a nursery roost for cave bats, however the Throne Room tours remain open year-round.[8]
Other features publicly accessible within the caverns include Mud Flats, Rotunda Room, Strawberry Room, and Cul-de-sac Passage. Approximately 60% of the cave system is not open to the public.[9]
Many different cave formations can be found within the caves and the surrounding park. These include cave bacon, helictites, soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites and others.[12] Cave formations like the stalactites and stalagmites grow approximately a 16th of an inch every 100 years.[13]
Haiku thoughts:
Beneath earth's cool veil,
Stalactites in silence grow,
Whispers of stone deep.
Kartchner
Southern Arizona Adventures 2024
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Story here:
www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0318-wrigley-signa...
chicagotribune.com
Cubs owners swing for the fences with proposed giant sign
Cubs plan to put Toyota ad above left-field bleachers
By Ameet Sachdev and Blair Kamin, Tribune reporters
9:12 PM CDT, March 17, 2010
Some die-hard Cubs fans see it this way: A large, illuminated advertisement positioned above the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field wouldn't be so bad. Besides, as the new owners suggest, maybe the additional revenue will help the team buy some more pitching.
Others decry the idea of new signage as another violation of Wrigley's sanctity.
"I have a feeling this is going to generate some comment," said Jim Peters, president of Landmarks Illinois, a preservation advocacy group. "There are some things that are very sacred in the city, and Wrigley Field is one of them."
The Cubs were finalizing a multiyear sponsorship agreement Wednesday with Toyota and its Chicago-area dealers, said Wally Hayward, the team's chief sales and marketing officer. The centerpiece of the deal would place the Japanese automaker's logo atop the bleachers, a location that would receive maximum television exposure and be seen from outside the historic ballpark. The team expects it to be in place for Opening Day next month, though the city will have a say in the matter.
The proposed 360-square-foot, illuminated sign would become one of the most visible symbols of new ownership of the franchise. It also would be one of the first hometown political tests for the Ricketts family, which paid about $800 million in October to buy the team from Tribune Co., parent of the Chicago Tribune.
Wrigley Field is the only Major League Baseball stadium with landmark status. The designation cements the ballpark's place in the city's history, but also means that almost every change to Wrigley receives extra government scrutiny, in addition to an outpouring of opinions from fans.
The Ricketts family maintains it wants to preserve Wrigley Field's appearance but also make changes that will improve the fan experience and grow revenue, money the family says is needed to end the team's 101-year championship drought.
Advertising has been creeping into Wrigley in recent years. Tribune Co. added signage to the outfield walls, behind home plate and along the third-base line. While some preservationists didn't like those changes, they were accepted because Wrigley's character was generally maintained.
The Toyota ad, though, would break with the past because it would add a significant structural element to the stadium, said Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, who oversees the ward in which Wrigley is located.
The red signage, about 16 feet high by 22.5 feet wide, would consist of Toyota's familiar swirl logo and the automaker's name in block letters, according to a rendering provided by the Cubs. It would be supported by rectangular tubing to be attached to the back of the bleachers.
The top of the ad would be 38 feet above the back of the bleachers, Hayward said. Tunney said the height of the sign will be a concern because he wants to make sure it will not block views of the surrounding neighborhood from inside the stadium.
Peters said the sign is not necessarily bad, but it isn't compatible with the stadium's appearance.
"It's a vertical sign on a design that's horizontal," Peters said. "It's very obtrusive."
Jonathan Fine, executive director of Preservation Chicago, compared the proposed Toyota sign to a highway billboard looming over a park.
"It pops up from the bleachers like a sore thumb," Fine said.
Hayward said the sign does not detract from Wrigley.
"We tried to design a look and feel that would fit with the aesthetic of Wrigley Field," he said. "It's not a big, black billboard that you would typically see at other ballparks."
Fans had mixed reactions.
"I think it's a prime spot to place an advertisement," said Marcela Saldana, 25, a downtown resident. "I don't see what the problem is. It's fair game."
Wrigleyville resident Jennifer Moran, 22, said, "This is beyond revolting to me. This goes against everything Wrigley Field stands for. It's offensive to the fans."
The Cubs have been considering adding signage behind the bleachers for some time. The first hint came after the 2009 season ended when the team erected blank green signs in left-center field.
Hayward said left-center field is the only place in the bleachers the team can place a sign without blocking the views of rooftops from which fans watch games. The Cubs have long-term revenue-sharing agreements with rooftop owners.
"Because of the historic ballpark and the surrounding rooftops, we were limited in what we could do," Hayward said.
Those limitations also means there are no plans to add signs to the bleachers beyond the Toyota proposal, Hayward said.
The Cubs have shown their plans to rooftop owners. The proposed sign partially blocks a Horseshoe Casino ad on the roof of a building across the street, which is visible to fans in Wrigley Field and also during television broadcasts. The Cubs do not receive any revenue from the Horseshoe ad.
Tom Gramatis, the owner of the building with the Horseshoe ad, could not be reached for comment.
The city's preservation staff has yet to see the permit, which was filed on Monday, because it is first being reviewed by the city's Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning, said Peter Strazzabosco, spokesman for the department.
City Council approval also may be needed if it is determined that the sign extends into the public way.
Considering the number of regulatory reviews necessary, it will be difficult for the Cubs' permit to be approved by Opening Day, Tunney said.
Tribune reporters Paul Sullivan and Daarel Burnette II contributed to this report.
asachdev@tribune.com
bkamin@tribune.com
Sponsored Link: Buy Chicago Cubs tickets for the 2010 season here
Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune
As covered here: www.derivativeworks.com/2010/03/wrigley-field-work-new-ba...
After some conversations, and negotiations. I have been permitted access to allowing model Name Of Stacy Hebner-Wood, and myself for this creation. This is a bad issue of a major sunburn, but like I guess all good artist, you gotta suffer a little. The Idea was to design a simple CD cover for a Fictional Bad Such as Spinal Tap did. This maybe a one hit wonder for this idea, but depending on what comes along I may make more. Early on in my digital era of AOL I use to make a lot of Cd covers for my Music CD'S. Really liked the idea. As far out as my idea's of music have been, I can honestly say I liked this creative aspect of my reality. I have in past tried to link Youtube theme pictures to thoughts and Ideas of songs. Which having to start over again of flickr, I may do it again. Who knows
(more details later, as time permits)
*************************
I’ve been to Venice once or twice for brief business trips during my life, which had the same characteristics as the business trips I described in a separate Flickr album about Paris — i.e., they basically involve flying into a busy airport at night, taking a taxi to a generic business-traveler’s hotel (a Hilton in Venice looks just like a Hilton in Cairo,except perhaps for the canal outside the main entrance), and then spending several days working in the hotel (if the purpose of the trip was a seminar or computer conference), or at a client’s office (also “generic” in most cases — you can’t even tell what floor you’re on when you get off the elevator, because every floor of “open office” layouts is the same). The trip usually ends in the late afternoon or evening of the final day, with a mad dash back to the airport to catch the last plane home to NYC. Thus, a business trip to Venice is almost indistinguishable from a business trip to Omaha. Or Albany. Or Tokyo.
But Venice is different from almost any other place in the world, and I’ve had a couple of vacation trips to experience that side of the city. But it’s been a long, long time: the first such visit was back in 1976 (which you can see here on Flickr), and the second visit was in 1983 (pictures of which do exist on Flickr, but have been restricted to family-only access, since they consist mostly of boring pictures of drooling babies and kids sticking their collective tongues out at me).
Thirty years is a long time between visits … but for a city like Venice, I doubt that very much has changed. Well, perhaps there wasn’t a McDonald’s outlet in Venice when I first came here (and I did photograph one such outlet on this current visit, which you’ll find in this album), and you can certainly guarantee that people weren’t walking around with cellphones and smartphones the way they are today. And while the tourists typically did have cameras back in the good-old-days, they were typically modest little “Instamatic” film-based gadgets, rather than the big, garish, DSLR cameras that everyone now seems to carry around with them, complete with advertising logos all over the camera-straps and bodies to remind you that they, too, can afford to buy an expensive Canon or Nikon gadget that they really don’t know how to use properly. (Sorry, I got carried away there …)
But the buildings, and the people, and the canals, and the gondolas … all of that is the same. And that’s what I’ve tried to capture in this set of photos. The tourist crowds are now so thick (even in May!) that I didn’t even bother going to the square at San Marco, and I didn’t bother taking any photos from the Rialto bridge over the Grand Canal; but you will see some photos of tourists in this album, along with photos of the local people who are still here …
I don’t expect to come back to Venice again in the next year or two … but if it turns out to be 20 or 30 years before my next return, I suspect it will all look pretty much exactly the same as it did on this trip, and in 1983, and when I first saw it in 1976.
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Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural).
Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime, citing the use of graffiti by street gangs to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Graffiti has become visualized as a growing urban "problem" for many cities in industrialized nations, spreading from the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States and Europe and other world regions
"Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). The term "graffiti" is used in art history for works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is "sgraffito", which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was primarily used by potters who would glaze their wares and then scratch a design into them. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν—graphein—meaning "to write".
The term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Historically, these writings were not considered vanadlism, which today is considered part of the definition of graffiti.
The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic, is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria, eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.
Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world are 40,000 year old ones found in Australia. The oldest written graffiti was found in ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from the time was boasts about sexual experiences Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was not considered vandalism.
Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. One reads:
Wet with cool dew drops
fragrant with perfume from the flowers
came the gentle breeze
jasmine and water lily
dance in the spring sunshine
side-long glances
of the golden-hued ladies
stab into my thoughts
heaven itself cannot take my mind
as it has been captivated by one lass
among the five hundred I have seen here.
Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet, was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra, manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis, and people used to read and circulate them very widely.
Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, or Filippino Lippi descended into the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea, they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration.
There are also examples of graffiti occurring in American history, such as Independence Rock, a national landmark along the Oregon Trail.
Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. Lord Byron's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica, Greece.
The oldest known example of graffiti "monikers" found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino?.
In World War II, an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to the wrongs of the Old World:
During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives".
Modern graffiti art has its origins with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia. Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti. Eventually, throw-ups and pieces evolved with the desire to create larger art. Writers used spray paint and other kind of materials to leave tags or to create images on the sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti.
While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer—others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch, considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. The ‘taggers’ called what they did ‘writing’—though an important 1974 essay by Mailer referred to it using the term ‘graffiti.’
Contemporary graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the myriad international styles derived from Philadelphia and New York City Subway graffiti; however, there are many other traditions of notable graffiti in the twentieth century. Graffiti have long appeared on building walls, in latrines, railroad boxcars, subways, and bridges.
An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading "Clapton is God" in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton. Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington, north London in the autumn of 1967. The graffito was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall.
Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi, MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983
Commercialization and entrance into mainstream pop culture
Main article: Commercial graffiti
With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs.
In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign, taking notice of the legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse".
Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration". Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities". Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York". The "sprawling metropolis", of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti"; Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples", and to "Brazil's chronic poverty", as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture". In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently". Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised", that is South American graffiti art.
Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos, Boleta, Nunca, Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. Their artistic success and involvement in commercial design ventures has highlighted divisions within the Brazilian graffiti community between adherents of the cruder transgressive form of pichação and the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite.
Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and in Iran. The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag, has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become a site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall. Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" ("Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel.
Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), especially following the events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem.
There are also a large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture, such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture.
The modern-day graffitists can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. This includes such techniques as scribing. However, spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one medium for graffiti. From this commodity comes different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and comes in virtually every color.
Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) to form an overall design or image. The stencil is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface.
Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne, where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis
Tagging is the practice of someone spray-painting "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to the writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti.
Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes (throwies) as new media for graffitists. yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists.
Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn, who in 1962 painting declared in a graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up"
Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or, in the achievement of a political goal
In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus, of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.
Many artists involved with graffiti are also concerned with the similar activity of stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colors using spray-paint. Recognized while exhibiting and publishing several of her coloured stencils and paintings portraying the Sri Lankan Civil War and urban Britain in the early 2000s, graffitists Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., has also become known for integrating her imagery of political violence into her music videos for singles "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun", and her cover art. Stickers of her artwork also often appear around places such as London in Brick Lane, stuck to lamp posts and street signs, she having become a muse for other graffitists and painters worldwide in cities including Seville.
Graffitist believes that art should be on display for everyone in the public eye or in plain sight, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for the artist that can be displayed anywhere form sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be showed to everyone for free.
Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing what one feels in the moment. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some a form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous or to hinder prosecution.
With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist.
Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol, England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout the world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is a prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it.
Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep her identity from the general public. Her work focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti as opposed to Banksy's anti-government shock value. Her paintings are often of flower designs above shops and stores in her local urban area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some store owners endorse her work and encourage others to do similar work as well. "One of the pieces was left up above Steve's Kitchen, because it looks pretty awesome"- Erin Scott, the manager of New England Comics in Allston, Massachusetts.
Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020, the Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation.
Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders a stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies. Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological.
Graffiti has been used as a means of advertising both legally and illegally. Bronx-based TATS CRU has made a name for themselves doing legal advertising campaigns for companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, and MTV. In the UK, Covent Garden's Boxfresh used stencil images of a Zapatista revolutionary in the hopes that cross referencing would promote their store.
Smirnoff hired artists to use reverse graffiti (the use of high pressure hoses to clean dirty surfaces to leave a clean image in the surrounding dirt) to increase awareness of their product.
Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist, and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered with names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti a punk magazine was started that was called Gallery Anus. So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s there was already a vibrant graffiti culture.
The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive, the graffiti gave a sense of the 'millenarian' and rebellious spirit, tempered with a good deal of verbal wit, of the strikers.
I think graffiti writing is a way of defining what our generation is like. Excuse the French, we're not a bunch of p---- artists. Traditionally artists have been considered soft and mellow people, a little bit kooky. Maybe we're a little bit more like pirates that way. We defend our territory, whatever space we steal to paint on, we defend it fiercely.
The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming, or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since, in most countries, graffiti art remains illegal in many forms except when using non-permanent paint. Since the 1990s with the rise of Street Art, a growing number of artists are switching to non-permanent paints and non-traditional forms of painting.
Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicize other art forms, and have used the prison sentences enforced on them as a means of further protest. The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each other's practices. For example, the anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers did a piece in 2004 about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery.
Berlin human rights activist Irmela Mensah-Schramm has received global media attention and numerous awards for her 35-year campaign of effacing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist graffiti throughout Germany, often by altering hate speech in humorous ways.
In Serbian capital, Belgrade, the graffiti depicting a uniformed former general of Serb army and war criminal, convicted at ICTY for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnian War, Ratko Mladić, appeared in a military salute alongside the words "General, thank to your mother". Aleks Eror, Berlin-based journalist, explains how "veneration of historical and wartime figures" through street art is not a new phenomenon in the region of former Yugoslavia, and that "in most cases is firmly focused on the future, rather than retelling the past". Eror is not only analyst pointing to danger of such an expressions for the region's future. In a long expose on the subject of Bosnian genocide denial, at Balkan Diskurs magazine and multimedia platform website, Kristina Gadže and Taylor Whitsell referred to these experiences as a young generations' "cultural heritage", in which young are being exposed to celebration and affirmation of war-criminals as part of their "formal education" and "inheritance".
There are numerous examples of genocide denial through celebration and affirmation of war criminals throughout the region of Western Balkans inhabited by Serbs using this form of artistic expression. Several more of these graffiti are found in Serbian capital, and many more across Serbia and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative entity, Republika Srpska, which is the ethnic Serbian majority enclave. Critics point that Serbia as a state, is willing to defend the mural of convicted war criminal, and have no intention to react on cases of genocide denial, noting that Interior Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin decision to ban any gathering with an intent to remove the mural, with the deployment of riot police, sends the message of "tacit endorsement". Consequently, on 9 November 2021, Serbian heavy police in riot gear, with graffiti creators and their supporters, blocked the access to the mural to prevent human rights groups and other activists to paint over it and mark the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism in that way, and even arrested two civic activist for throwing eggs at the graffiti.
Graffiti may also be used as an offensive expression. This form of graffiti may be difficult to identify, as it is mostly removed by the local authority (as councils which have adopted strategies of criminalization also strive to remove graffiti quickly). Therefore, existing racist graffiti is mostly more subtle and at first sight, not easily recognized as "racist". It can then be understood only if one knows the relevant "local code" (social, historical, political, temporal, and spatial), which is seen as heteroglot and thus a 'unique set of conditions' in a cultural context.
A spatial code for example, could be that there is a certain youth group in an area that is engaging heavily in racist activities. So, for residents (knowing the local code), a graffiti containing only the name or abbreviation of this gang already is a racist expression, reminding the offended people of their gang activities. Also a graffiti is in most cases, the herald of more serious criminal activity to come. A person who does not know these gang activities would not be able to recognize the meaning of this graffiti. Also if a tag of this youth group or gang is placed on a building occupied by asylum seekers, for example, its racist character is even stronger.
By making the graffiti less explicit (as adapted to social and legal constraints), these drawings are less likely to be removed, but do not lose their threatening and offensive character.
Elsewhere, activists in Russia have used painted caricatures of local officials with their mouths as potholes, to show their anger about the poor state of the roads. In Manchester, England, a graffitists painted obscene images around potholes, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.
In the early 1980s, the first art galleries to show graffitists to the public were Fashion Moda in the Bronx, Now Gallery and Fun Gallery, both in the East Village, Manhattan.
A 2006 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum displayed graffiti as an art form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early 1980s with the work of Crash, Lee, Daze, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It displayed 22 works by New York graffitists, including Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink. In an article about the exhibition in the magazine Time Out, curator Charlotta Kotik said that she hoped the exhibition would cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti.
From the 1970s onwards, Burhan Doğançay photographed urban walls all over the world; these he then archived for use as sources of inspiration for his painterly works. The project today known as "Walls of the World" grew beyond even his own expectations and comprises about 30,000 individual images. It spans a period of 40 years across five continents and 114 countries. In 1982, photographs from this project comprised a one-man exhibition titled "Les murs murmurent, ils crient, ils chantent ..." (The walls whisper, shout and sing ...) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
In Australia, art historians have judged some local graffiti of sufficient creative merit to rank them firmly within the arts. Oxford University Press's art history text Australian Painting 1788–2000 concludes with a long discussion of graffiti's key place within contemporary visual culture, including the work of several Australian practitioners.
Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Spray paint has many negative environmental effects. The paint contains toxic chemicals, and the can uses volatile hydrocarbon gases to spray the paint onto a surface.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) leads to ground level ozone formation and most of graffiti related emissions are VOCs. A 2010 paper estimates 4,862 tons of VOCs were released in the United States in activities related to graffiti.
In China, Mao Zedong in the 1920s used revolutionary slogans and paintings in public places to galvanize the country's communist movement.
Based on different national conditions, many people believe that China's attitude towards Graffiti is fierce, but in fact, according to Lance Crayon in his film Spray Paint Beijing: Graffiti in the Capital of China, Graffiti is generally accepted in Beijing, with artists not seeing much police interference. Political and religiously sensitive graffiti, however, is not allowed.
In Hong Kong, Tsang Tsou Choi was known as the King of Kowloon for his calligraphy graffiti over many years, in which he claimed ownership of the area. Now some of his work is preserved officially.
In Taiwan, the government has made some concessions to graffitists. Since 2005 they have been allowed to freely display their work along some sections of riverside retaining walls in designated "Graffiti Zones". From 2007, Taipei's department of cultural affairs also began permitting graffiti on fences around major public construction sites. Department head Yong-ping Lee (李永萍) stated, "We will promote graffiti starting with the public sector, and then later in the private sector too. It's our goal to beautify the city with graffiti". The government later helped organize a graffiti contest in Ximending, a popular shopping district. graffitists caught working outside of these designated areas still face fines up to NT$6,000 under a department of environmental protection regulation. However, Taiwanese authorities can be relatively lenient, one veteran police officer stating anonymously, "Unless someone complains about vandalism, we won't get involved. We don't go after it proactively."
In 1993, after several expensive cars in Singapore were spray-painted, the police arrested a student from the Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him, and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty to vandalizing a car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Vandalism Act of Singapore, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of S$3,500 (US$2,233), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on 5 May 1994. Fay had originally received a sentence of six strokes of the cane, but the presiding president of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, agreed to reduce his caning sentence to four lashes.
In South Korea, Park Jung-soo was fined two million South Korean won by the Seoul Central District Court for spray-painting a rat on posters of the G-20 Summit a few days before the event in November 2011. Park alleged that the initial in "G-20" sounds like the Korean word for "rat", but Korean government prosecutors alleged that Park was making a derogatory statement about the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit. This case led to public outcry and debate on the lack of government tolerance and in support of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the painting, "an ominous creature like a rat" amounts to "an organized criminal activity" and upheld the fine while denying the prosecution's request for imprisonment for Park.
In Europe, community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti, in some cases with reckless abandon, as when in 1992 in France a local Scout group, attempting to remove modern graffiti, damaged two prehistoric paintings of bison in the Cave of Mayrière supérieure near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archeology.
In September 2006, the European Parliament directed the European Commission to create urban environment policies to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animal excrement, and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.
In Budapest, Hungary, both a city-backed movement called I Love Budapest and a special police division tackle the problem, including the provision of approved areas.
The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed "cool" or "edgy'" image.
To back the campaign, 123 Members of Parliament (MPs) (including then Prime Minister Tony Blair), signed a charter which stated: "Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem."
In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property is not damaged.
In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffitists for the first time. After a three-month police surveillance operation, nine members of the DPM crew were convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage costing at least £1 million. Five of them received prison sentences, ranging from eighteen months to two years. The unprecedented scale of the investigation and the severity of the sentences rekindled public debate over whether graffiti should be considered art or crime.
Some councils, like those of Stroud and Loerrach, provide approved areas in the town where graffitists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks, and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the "spray and run".
Graffiti Tunnel, University of Sydney at Camperdown (2009)
In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffitists. One early example is the "Graffiti Tunnel" located at the Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, which is available for use by any student at the university to tag, advertise, poster, and paint. Advocates of this idea suggest that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.[108][109] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. Some local government areas throughout Australia have introduced "anti-graffiti squads", who clean graffiti in the area, and such crews as BCW (Buffers Can't Win) have taken steps to keep one step ahead of local graffiti cleaners.
Many state governments have banned the sale or possession of spray paint to those under the age of 18 (age of majority). However, a number of local governments in Victoria have taken steps to recognize the cultural heritage value of some examples of graffiti, such as prominent political graffiti. Tough new graffiti laws have been introduced in Australia with fines of up to A$26,000 and two years in prison.
Melbourne is a prominent graffiti city of Australia with many of its lanes being tourist attractions, such as Hosier Lane in particular, a popular destination for photographers, wedding photography, and backdrops for corporate print advertising. The Lonely Planet travel guide cites Melbourne's street as a major attraction. All forms of graffiti, including sticker art, poster, stencil art, and wheatpasting, can be found in many places throughout the city. Prominent street art precincts include; Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Brunswick, St. Kilda, and the CBD, where stencil and sticker art is prominent. As one moves farther away from the city, mostly along suburban train lines, graffiti tags become more prominent. Many international artists such as Banksy have left their work in Melbourne and in early 2008 a perspex screen was installed to prevent a Banksy stencil art piece from being destroyed, it has survived since 2003 through the respect of local street artists avoiding posting over it, although it has recently had paint tipped over it.
In February 2008 Helen Clark, the New Zealand prime minister at that time, announced a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism, describing it as a destructive crime representing an invasion of public and private property. New legislation subsequently adopted included a ban on the sale of paint spray cans to persons under 18 and increases in maximum fines for the offence from NZ$200 to NZ$2,000 or extended community service. The issue of tagging become a widely debated one following an incident in Auckland during January 2008 in which a middle-aged property owner stabbed one of two teenage taggers to death and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
Graffiti databases have increased in the past decade because they allow vandalism incidents to be fully documented against an offender and help the police and prosecution charge and prosecute offenders for multiple counts of vandalism. They also provide law enforcement the ability to rapidly search for an offender's moniker or tag in a simple, effective, and comprehensive way. These systems can also help track costs of damage to a city to help allocate an anti-graffiti budget. The theory is that when an offender is caught putting up graffiti, they are not just charged with one count of vandalism; they can be held accountable for all the other damage for which they are responsible. This has two main benefits for law enforcement. One, it sends a signal to the offenders that their vandalism is being tracked. Two, a city can seek restitution from offenders for all the damage that they have committed, not merely a single incident. These systems give law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them not only to focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.
Many restrictions of civil gang injunctions are designed to help address and protect the physical environment and limit graffiti. Provisions of gang injunctions include things such as restricting the possession of marker pens, spray paint cans, or other sharp objects capable of defacing private or public property; spray painting, or marking with marker pens, scratching, applying stickers, or otherwise applying graffiti on any public or private property, including, but not limited to the street, alley, residences, block walls, and fences, vehicles or any other real or personal property. Some injunctions contain wording that restricts damaging or vandalizing both public and private property, including but not limited to any vehicle, light fixture, door, fence, wall, gate, window, building, street sign, utility box, telephone box, tree, or power pole.
To help address many of these issues, many local jurisdictions have set up graffiti abatement hotlines, where citizens can call in and report vandalism and have it removed. San Diego's hotline receives more than 5,000 calls per year, in addition to reporting the graffiti, callers can learn more about prevention. One of the complaints about these hotlines is the response time; there is often a lag time between a property owner calling about the graffiti and its removal. The length of delay should be a consideration for any jurisdiction planning on operating a hotline. Local jurisdictions must convince the callers that their complaint of vandalism will be a priority and cleaned off right away. If the jurisdiction does not have the resources to respond to complaints in a timely manner, the value of the hotline diminishes. Crews must be able to respond to individual service calls made to the graffiti hotline as well as focus on cleanup near schools, parks, and major intersections and transit routes to have the biggest impact. Some cities offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects for tagging or graffiti related vandalism. The amount of the reward is based on the information provided, and the action taken.
When police obtain search warrants in connection with a vandalism investigation, they are often seeking judicial approval to look for items such as cans of spray paint and nozzles from other kinds of aerosol sprays; etching tools, or other sharp or pointed objects, which could be used to etch or scratch glass and other hard surfaces; permanent marking pens, markers, or paint sticks; evidence of membership or affiliation with any gang or tagging crew; paraphernalia including any reference to "(tagger's name)"; any drawings, writing, objects, or graffiti depicting taggers' names, initials, logos, monikers, slogans, or any mention of tagging crew membership; and any newspaper clippings relating to graffiti crime.