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It takes one to know one. Rosalie talks to an artist at ARTPRIZE 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan, artprize.org
President Rodrigo R. Duterte delivers a speech during the turnover rites of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo on Friday where he discussed historical facts which led to the Mindanao problem and other issues relating to peace and order and the campaign for change towards ending hostilities with the CPP-NPA, MILF and MNLF. (Photo by Marcelino Pascua/PCOO/photo)
Kinetic: Relating to, caused by, or producing motion.
These are called “Kinetic” photographs because there is motion, energy, and movement involved, specifically my and the camera’s movements.
Most of these are shot outdoors where I have the room to literally spin and throw my little camera several feet up into the air, with some throws going as high as 15 feet or more!
None of these are Photoshopped, layered, or a composite photo...what you see occurs in one shot, one take.
Aren’t I afraid that I will drop and break my camera? For regular followers of my photostream and this series you will know that I have already done so. This little camera has been dropped many times, and broken once when dropped on concrete outside. It still functions...not so well for regular photographs, but superbly for more kinetic work.
To read more about Kinetic Photography click the Wikipedia link below:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_photography
Albeit supremely risky this is one of my favorite ways to produce abstract photographs.
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If you'd like to see more please check out my set, "Vertigo:"
www.flickr.com/photos/motorpsiclist/sets/72157630591282642/
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My photographs and videos and any derivative works are my private property and are copyright © by me, John Russell (aka “Zoom Lens”) and ALL my rights, including my exclusive rights, are reserved. ANY use without my permission in writing is forbidden by law.
Description: Heriot Watt College, Edinburgh, Class Certificates relating to George Kay. On reverse of certificate there is information about what attendees will learn during the course. Linotype Course 1926 - 27.
Accession Number: SH.2009.289.1
Further Notes:
History: George Kay taught typography at Heriot Watt College, Chambers Street, Edinburgh.
Prior to industrialisation print apprentices served their time in-house learning from their trade from trained journeymen. However, the introduction of new machinery led to a demand for more than on the job training. This was first discussed in Edinburgh at a meeting of technical education in 1873 when William Chambers advocated the inclusion of a printing school.
In 1887 the first trades courses were held at Heriot Watt College in Chambers Street, Edinburgh. In 1908 extra rooms at Chambers Street were given over to print rooms and the centre of the print school emerged. 1918 -1919 saw the beginning of a once a week day release classes at Heriot Watt under the Education (Scotland) Act. This was not supported and their establishment only lasted two years.
It was not until the establishment of the apprentice training committee in 1928 that Heriot Watt College was formally set up as a printing school. The apprentice training committee brought forward a method to assist employers in the selection of potential emplyees ensuring that the apprentice entered into the industry with the necessary educational achievements. This scheme was operated by the Scottish Print Employers Federation.
The Industry Training Act of 1964 took the formalisation of industrial training away from the employer and transfered it to an industry wide training board. When Napier College opened in 1964 the responsibility for print education in Scotland was transfered across from Heriot Watt. Heriot Watt was moving away from technical college provision and was soon to gain University status. Napier became the leading technical college for the trades and offered print education to Honours degree level.
The establishment of the Printing and Publishing Industry Training Board (PPITB) in 1968 led to a general policy on print education provision. The PPITB introduced day release / block release classes to all apprentices allowing them to attain a nationally validated certificate. These certificates were awarded by the City & Guilds Institute until the 1980s and the introduction of SCOTVEC.
Edinburgh City of Print is a joint project between City of Edinburgh Museums and the Scottish Archive of Print and Publishing History Records (SAPPHIRE). The project aims to catalogue and make accessible the wealth of printing collections held by City of Edinburgh Museums. For more information about the project please visit www.edinburghcityofprint.org
I resisted getting a smart phone for a long time, mostly because I am cheap. However, once I got my iphone I have been shooting with it non-stop. I am sure that most of you can relate, but it is just so convenient to always have a camera with you all the time that doesn't take up much space and that makes a lot of decisions for you. When I shoot more "serious" things, I shoot with my Canon 5D or with my Hasselblad (film) camera, but I really do enjoy many shots I have taken with my phone. As some of you know already I have an Instagram and like to post my phone pictures there. I like to edit my images with the VSCO app and occasionally the Photoshop app. I dig that Instagram is square because shooting with my Hasselblad for so long made me partial to the square format.
I just took this image this past weekend when visiting some friends in LA (well North Hollywood/Burbank area to be precise). We took their dog to the dog park located under this crazy mess of power lines that seem to extend into infinity. There were so many electric wires that the current was audible with a buzzing that filled the hot, muggy air. The summer night treated us to a beautiful sunset; So naturally I felt obligated to take a picture of the endless towers silhouetted against the sky.
I'm a sucker for dramatic light and silhouettes...
Postcard - Fay Thomas Collection
The Fay Thomas Collection includes family archives relating to the Thomas family. Moses Thomas (1825-1878) was a significant figure in the history of the area now known as the City of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia. Thomas and Ann and their family lived at "Mayfield", Mernda, Victoria.
Miss Lily Thomas (1871-1946), Thomas and Ann’s fourth daughter lived there all her life. She collected postcards which her family and friends sent her on a very regular basis. It was an easy and enjoyable way to keep in touch. Production of postcards blossomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lily’s collection encompasses the so-called Golden Age (1890-1915) with many postmarked 1906-1907. Some were sent to other members of the family.
Her collection document the natural landscape as well as the built environment—buildings, gardens, parks, and tourist sites. Topographical Postcards showing street scenes and general views from Australian and international locations.
Decorative cards, many embellished with floral motives (as a nod to the receiver Lily?) and embossing. Greeting cards are common for Christmas, New Year, Easter and of course birthdays.
Regular senders can be identified from Kyneton and the Great Ocean Road area, Victoria and there is a siginifant collection from Scotland (but not sent from there).
YPRL hold digital copies of the Papers of the Moses Thomas Family held at State Library Victoria
Copyright for these images is Public domain but a credit to the Fay Thomas Collection and YPRL would be appreciated.
Enquiries: Yarra Plenty Regional Library
Carrigeen Castle has featured in columns of the New York Times, Sunday Times, Kaleva (Finland), and Afton Bladet (Sweden) newspapers, besides several American and European publications relating to Ireland. In the mid-1990s, the Frommer Guide to Ireland took the opportunity of placing a picture of Carrigeen Castle on its front cover.
A defensible fortified structure was on this hilltop from at least the sixteenth century. The Pacata Hibernica depiction of the siege of Cahir Castle (1599) shows such a building. In 1690, during the Williamite campaign, earthen and stone outworks were erected around it, presenting an ideally defensible fortification for the Danish troops of William II who, during that winter, had quarters in Cahir and nearby Clonmel. Materials from this earlier structure were incorporated in the present building, while the associated outworks were adapted to serve as the castellated wall encircling the grounds.
In 1809, at the Summer Assize Presentments of the County Tipperary Grand Jury, funding was laid aside for the future provision of a bridewell in the town of Cahir. Bridewells (small town gaols) were generally small two-storey buildings, built of cut-limestone, and costing up to £800 to erect. They held prisoners temporarily, pending space in the county gaol, and were funded by the grand jury system (predecessors of the county councils), but supplementary central resources were also available, in certain circumstances. At Cahir, a committee led by local landlord, Richard Butler, baron of Caher – soon to become first earl of Glengall – was successful in attracting over twice the usual funding. Their chosen architect – Michael Bernard Mullins - submitted two plans, both variants of the same elaborate, castellated structure, costing some £2,000 to build, which would emphasize the fortress origins of the site and overawe the local population. This involved the creation of towers, turrets, battlements and a machicolation (defence mechanism over the main door, through which boiling oil was thrown on attackers of medieval castles) of hand cut limestone, an expensive and time consuming process.
Construction of the Cahir Bridewell commenced in 1813, and it was opened for the admission of prisoners in 1816. The original section is three stories in height, with a cut-limestone spiral staircase in the main tower. It originally comprised five cells, two dayrooms, two keeper's rooms and two exercise yards, the latter incorporating obtuse and acute angles suggestive of late medieval starfort design. The inner grounds – comprising ½ acre – are encircled by a castellated wall and gateway arch, beyond which lies 5½ acres known as The Bridewell Field.
The bridewell was enlarged in 1849-50 – at the height of the Great Famine – when the prison compliment was increased to eight cells (four for males, three for females and one for drunken / violent prisoners), two dayrooms, two storerooms, and two exercise yards. An inter-connecting keeper's residence was also erected – comprising a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and two bedrooms.
LIFE IN THE BRIDEWELL:
Cahir Bridewell received mention in several noteworthy publications due to its unique appearance and situation. Perhaps the earliest coverage, however, was in May 1827 when the local Clonmel Gazette newspaper carried the headline ‘two men escaped from Cahir Bridewell’. The men managed to escape unnoticed but were recaptured the following day. Following on from this incident, the parapet of the exercise yards was raised!
In 1837 The Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland stated ‘the bridewell is a handsome castellated building, containing five cells, one dayroom and two airing yards. However, the Inspector General of Prisons (Ireland) Reports of the 1830s and 1840s noted a great decline in the condition of the building, notice of which reached a more general readership in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846), which stated ‘The Gaol is distinct and suitable in architecture. A short time ago, it was remarkable for its dilapidated state and bad management, but in 1841 it underwent repair.’ The keeper was ‘a painter, who occupied the house for his trade’, and was ‘totally unsuitable to his office’.
Following this damning report, the superintendence of all bridewells of the south riding of Tipperary was placed under the governor of HM Richmond Prison, Clonmel – which was appropriate, given that these temporary places of confinement acted as reserve accommodation for that gaol. Thereafter, a system of training keepers and turnkeys at Clonmel gaol was utilised to great effect.
Also, their salaries were increased from £5 in the 1810s (from which minor repairs were paid, leaving little incentive for upkeep) to £30 by the early 1840s, gradually increased to £50 by 1876.
Due to the lawlessness and poverty of the period, large numbers were confined at Cahir Bridewell over the years. In the year September 1825 to September 1826, 156 prisoners were confined here for an average of three days (awaiting transfer to Clonmel Gaol), at an average cost of 5d. per head. Numbers confined continued to increase, peaking during the famine years when, during one quarter of 1851, 533 prisoners were confined. The prisoners were fed a pound of bread and a pint of new milk for breakfast, and a pound of bread and a pint of skimmed milk for dinner. The local Anglican clergyman was the inspector. Each cell contained, per person, one iron bedstead, one bed ticken and three blankets.
Engraving of 1853
This earliest view – an engraving from 1853 – was commissioned when the property was featured as a notable building in the auction catalogue of Cahir Estates. The Encumbered Estates Court sold the majority of the estate, as it had been bankrupted through town improvements and a lack of tenant rents during the Great Famine (1846-51).
Cahir Bridewell was one of 52 gaols closed by the prison authorities in 1878, as part of an island wide rationalization. The estate then leased the keepers’ residence to local military officers until the purchase of the building from Lt. Col. Richard Butler-Charteris by David Butler (1890-1955), in 1919. He continued the estate tradition of leasing the keeper’s residence, for a time, before residing here in retirement. Following the marriage in 1969 of his son, John (Séan) with Margaret (Peig), the couple commenced renovating the remainder of the building, which opened in May 1976, as a guest accommodation.
This relates to my blog post
www.heatheronhertravels.com/how-to-eat-well-in-sardinia/
This photo is licenced under Creative commons for use including commercial on condition that you link back to or credit http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/.
See my profile for more detail.
Here is a revised inside... simplified the background and made it interact with the other elements a little. Thoughts? Gone to press for this week, but I still have chances to edit for the next week of the series (in about 3 weeks).
The original and front of the bulletin is here.
The City of Wolf Point website relates the story of James Cusker and Rolla Cusker, who broke though the ice in February, 1926, while returning home from a basketball game. With the ferry service suspended for the winter, many folks drove across the frozen ice of the Missouri River. The problem is that the river is fast flowing and has unpredictable currents. The ice was strong enough for the two men to drive across earlier in the evening, but on their way home, they hit an open spot despite retracing their earlier tracks. Their bodies were not found for several days.
The Cusker family tragedy spurred the local officials into asking that a highway and bridge be considered as part of the new US highway system that was being formed. Several counties and local cities supported this plan, and the state agreed in October of 1926. The bridge was started shortly afterward, funded half by the State of Montana, and half by matching funds from the federal government. The bridge was completed and a huge dedication ceremony was held on July 9, 1930.
The bridge was situated high above the river since the US Army Corps of Engineers considered the Missouri River to be navigable at that time. Two large concrete piers were built on each side of the river channel, and a 400 foot main through truss span was erected across the river. The main span is flaked by a slightly shorter though truss span on each side. Short segments of steel girders connect the outer truss spans to the bridge abutments, which are built built on fill some 20 feet above ground level. When completed, this was a very imposing structure that sat up tall, occupying is place across the river with pride. The bridge lived up to its billing as the most massive bridge in the state of Montana.
All things do come to an end. Wider and heavier traffic and increased maintenance costs lead to the Lewis & Clark Bridge becoming obsolete. The state built a new river bridge just west of the old bridge in 1997 and 1998. The old bridge now has a second life as a state historical site. The bridge was deeded to the Montana Historical Society, who plans to maintain the bridge as a monument. They also operate a small park and interpretive display at the south end of the bridge. The bridge was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. While the bridge remains closed as of 2007, the historical society is working to develop a plan to make the bridge safe for pedestrian users. That would be a site to see
Accession Number: spa.si.231.2 (Reverse of spa.si.23.1)
This leaflet relates to the Ayr 2000 by-election where Jim Mather stood as the SNP candidate for Holyrood.
Jim Mather is currently MSP for Argyll and Bute. For biographical information about Jim Mather www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/Scottish-Cabinet/jimmathe...
This picture forms part of the Scots Independent donation to the Scottish Political Archive. The Scots Independent is a monthly Nationalist newspaper. The paper was founded in 1926 and is the longest surviving political newspaper in Scotland in the twentieth century. For further information about the Scots Independent please visit their website at www.scotsindependent.org
The Scottish Political Archive is housed at the University of Stirling. The archive is home to the oral interviews, personal papers and associated material from prominent Scottish politicians. For further information about the work of the archive please visit our website www.scottishpoliticalarchive.org.uk
Both of these posters relate to different items regarding Council Tax, aka Rates.
The one on the left refers to Brighton City Council's, led by the leader the Green Partiesuniquely names Jason Kitcat, imposed an well above inflation increase for 2014/15 - they are just not earning enough from the highly inflated parking charges.
The one on the right refers to when a resident started to film a meeting of Seaford Town Council during which he understood the local rate precept would be discussed. They said it was against the rules to film and when he argued the point that he thought is was his right they called in the police, who share the building, and eventually the meeting was abandoned. They had saId they will be 'reviewing standing orders'. What is interesting whilst the charges for East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council have been frozen for the last few years the charge Seaford has increased year by year without any visible changes to the services they provide. In addition there are reports of bullying and harassment, etc. which has resulted in the local Member of Parliament suggesting an audit of the situation
This tote bag is available in my current favorite Toronto coffee shop -Balzac's.
Known for his prodigious consumption of coffee, it seems appropriate that this coffee shop bears his name.
Background: www.openculture.com/2013/09/honore-de-balzac-on-the-pleas...
For my Digital Art class, I was assigned to recreate the famous painting "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci through Photoshop. There are many ways I could have interpreted this assignment. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to create a similar scene using something most audiences can relate to. When I thought of "supper" I thought of family and when I thought literally of "last supper," I thought: the last family dinner. This thought led me to a family having their last supper together before parents get a divorce and ultimately move into new houses. In my mind, "Jon and Kate Plus 8" was the perfect situation. This is how I envisioned the Gosselin family's last supper on their last episode together as a family on their reality show.
I incorporated cameramen and studio lights to reveal the "reality" behind their family and the part of the show that the viewers never see. I chose to use photos of Jon and Kate in their modern state to show that they could care less about their children and wrapped up in their own lives. I chose photos on the children that made them look anxious and confused to represent how they have been neglected by their parents. The middle figure is representing the audience of "Jon and Kate Plus 8." This person represents the true cause for the family's split. We as the audience have fed the fire to this family's problems. The more we have watched and read in the tabloids, the more we continue to pull the parents apart and support their poor decision of gaining fame. I had the figure representing the audience hiding behind and reading People magazine because it shows that we could care less about how it is affecting the family as long as we can gossip about it.
On the table I put alcoholic beverages in front of the parents showing they are ready to party and be carefree about life while their kids are drinking milk like normal children should be. The food on the table is extremely unhealthy to represent how Kate tried to show that she was a good mother on the show and took proper care of her kids, yet she often brought home take out food.
To create the background I brought in two layers. One being a hardwood floor from an interior of a house and the other being the bay window much like the window in the "Last Supper." I inserted the cameramen in the windows to represent the paparazzi as well as the cameramen from the show. We are looking through the perspective of the production crew on "Jon and Kate Plus 8." I used the quick selection tool to do most of the cut outs of each person but sometimes I used the pen tool for a more accurate cut. I put drop shadows on almost every item within the picture to make the image more realistic. The cameramen and the food are all scanned in images from magazines. The girl reading the magazine in the middle is a photograph I took with my camera.
Da Vinci's piece comes through my work by having the center figure and surrounding followers. The original painting is supposed to represent the scene of the Last Supper from the final days of Jesus according to the Gospel of John 13:21, when Jesus announces one of his Twelve Apostles would betray him. In my piece the center figure represents the audience of Jon and Kate's show that is there to announce the ending of the show as well as the family's functionality. The children represent the confusion the Apostles had when they heard the news from Jesus. This piece of art represents how I envisioned the Gosselin family's last dinner together as a whole before the divorce.
Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final
by Roger Corbett
Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.
Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.
The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.
Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.
Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.
The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.
By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.
As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.
From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.
As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.
From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.
Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.
Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan
Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson
Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)
Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie
Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.
Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.
In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.
Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.
Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.
Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.
SRSA GRG35/48/1/74-9 Records relating to official assisted immigration - Crown Lands and Immigration Office; Official assisted passage passenger lists
137-140 High Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
Built in 1892 as the Lincoln Equitable Cooperative Industrial Society sub-central stores Branch No.14. Designed by Architect J H Cooper for the Society. The foundation stone was laid 2 December 1892, opening in 1893. The existing properties were purchased from F Andrews, solicitor at a price of £4400. Supasave supermarket 1970-1985 (with nos. 141-142). Converted into four individual shop units in the 1980s. 2001, from south to north, 137-EYG Windows; 138-North Lincs College Offices, Lincoln Learning Shop; Relate 2011; 139-Groves Discount Sore, 2007 Bluestone Art Ltd and 140-Speed Frame.
The High Street is main north-south road and street through the city from the Roman period to the present day. It follows the approximate line of Roman Ermine Street with Sincil Dyke and Bargate forming the south end, Dernstall Lock/Strait the northern. It was called Magnus Vicus in 1086, the Common Street in the 14th Century. The High Street in Wigford (south of St Marys Street) was known as The Rampart in the 18th century.
Postcard
The Fay Thomas Collection includes family archives relating to the Thomas family. Moses Thomas (1825-1878) was a significant figure in the history of the area now known as the City of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia. Thomas and Ann and their family lived at "Mayfield", Mernda, Victoria.
Miss Lily Thomas (1871-1946), Thomas and Ann’s fourth daughter lived there all her life. She collected postcards which her family and friends sent her on a very regular basis. It was an easy and enjoyable way to keep in touch. Production of postcards blossomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lily’s collection encompasses the so-called Golden Age (1890-1915) with many postmarked 1906-1907. Some were sent to other members of the family.
The collection document the natural landscape as well as the built environment—buildings, gardens, parks, and tourist sites. Topographical Postcards showing street scenes and general views from Australian and international locations, some of which are artistic views. Popular postcard manufacturers such as Tuck’s Postcards are included in the collection.
Decorative cards, many embellished with floral motives (as a nod to the receiver Lily?) and embossing. Greeting cards are common for Christmas, New Year, Easter and of course birthdays.
Regular senders can be identified from Kyneton and the Great Ocean Road area, Victoria and there is a siginifant collection from Scotland (but not sent from there).
YPRL hold digital copies of the Papers of the Moses Thomas Family held at State Library Victoria
Copyright for these images is Public domain but a credit to the Fay Thomas Collection and YPRL would be appreciated.
Enquiries: Yarra Plenty Regional Library
A landing card relating to Albert Einstein's escape from Nazi Germany has been discovered and put on display for the first time at the UK Border Agency's national museum in Liverpool.
The Jewish physicist fled from his homeland when Adolf Hitler came to power. A bounty was put on his head by the Nazis, who named him an enemy of the regime.
Landing cards were completed by all passengers arriving in Britain. Einstein's card is proof of his journey from Ostende, Belgium to Dover on 26 May 1933. On the reverse, he wrote that he was bound for Oxford.
After nearly 80 years stored at Heathrow Airport, it was discovered by curators from the museum, which is called 'Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered'.
Assistant curator Lucy Gardner said:
'We didn't know this landing card ever existed until we visited UK Border Agency officers at Heathrow. We were keen on acquiring any documents relating to immigration, but were stunned to find paperwork relating to such a prominent historical figure as Albert Einstein.
'What's remarkable is that the landing card bears his signature, has his profession as "professor" and lists his nationality at Swiss. This shows how Einstein had renounced his German citizenship only weeks earlier in angry reaction to Nazi policies.
'This tiny piece of paper brings to life Einstein's escape from the Nazis to England. This country became a safe haven for him until he eventually settled in the US.'
Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered is located in Liverpool's Merseyside Maritime Museum.
On Wednesday, January 7, 2015, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Council Member Rafael Espinal, chair of the City Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs, officially unveiled a legislative package relating to the creation of a letter grading system for cosmetology businesses, including nail salons, spas, barber shops, beauty parlors and other similar establishments throughout the five boroughs.
Joining Borough President Diaz and Council Member Espinal at the press conference were (l to r) Rommy Pennella, executive director of the New York Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber of Commerce; Council Member Rory Lancman; Charito Cisneros, founder of the New York Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber of Commerce; Council Member David Greenfield, Council Member Mark Levine and Council Member Andrew Cohen (not pictured).
Video of the press conference can be viewed here: youtu.be/8FsTHdpWv5U.
The complete press release can be found here: on.nyc.gov/17jqxjX.
A JPEG of the draft “Customer’s Bill of Rights” can be found here: bit.ly/1zUGZOb.
If you are a teacher, I'm sure you will be able to relate to this.
Any teacher who has something important for their students to remember will use a dry erase marker and write the math problems or test dates on the board. These pens are as invaluable as chalk was 20 years ago. Remember chalk? How it sounded as you wrote? How it got your fingers dry and white, and it managed to get on your face or clothes? Remember the unforgettable sound that your fingernails made on the chalkboard when the chalk was worn down, but you didn't want to waste it, so you used it till it was almost gone? Who could forget that?
Well, that's all in the past now. Now we have stinky markers that make you gag with the fumes. Sometimes the boards won't erase properly, so there's a mixture of all the colors on the board. And just when you have something really, really important to write, you take the cap off and try to write. You discover the tip is worn down to almost nothing, and the marker is just about as dry as the bottom of the ocean without water. lol
The classroom I was in today was stocked with beautiful dry erase markers, all colors, red, green, blue and black, all brand new, odorless, even. I'm happy to say, it's the little things in life that give me pleasure.
It's nice to see how far we've come from the days of slamming two really large erasers together to clean them. It makes me sneeze just thinking about it.
My picture today is a tribute to the new and improved chalk.
Tashiding Monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Western Sikkim, northeastern India. It is located on top of the hill rising between the Rathong chu and the Rangeet River, 40 kilometres from Gyalshing and 19 kilometres to the south east of Yuksam meaning Yuk-Lamas, Sam- Three in Lepcha Language which signifies the meeting place of three holy lamas from Tibet in 1641 A.D. Tashiding is the nearest town to the Tashiding Monastery (Gompa), which is the most sacred and holiest monasteries in Sikkim.
Tashiding means “The Devoted Central Glory” and the monastery by this name was founded in 1641 by Ngadak Sempa Chempo Phunshok Rigzing who belonged to the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Ngadak was one of the three wise men who held the consecration ceremony crowning the first King of Sikkim at Yuksom. It was extended and renovated in 1717 during the reign of the third Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal. 'Bhumchu Ceremony' or festival is a popular religious festival that is held on the 14th and 15th day of the first month of Tibetan Calendar.
The Tashiding Monastery is part of Buddhist religious pilgrimage circuit starting with the first monastery at Yuksam in Sikkim known as the Dubdi Monastery, Norbugang Chorten, Pemayangtse Monastery, the Rabdentse ruins, the Sanga Choeling Monastery, and the Khecheopalri Lake.
LEGEND
There are several legends linked to the most revered monastery and the Bhuchu festival that is held here.
According to one local legend Guru Padmasambhava shot an arrow into the air to select the place. Where the arrow he shot landed, he sat in meditation and that site eventually became the site of the Tashiding Monastery.
Another legend relates to the three monks who consecrated the first Chogyal of Sikkim at Yuksam. It is said that the three monks saw an unusual divine phenomenon of bright light shining on top of the Kanchendzonga mountain, which reflected to a site near the place where the present Tashiding Monastery has been built. Concurrently, a scented smell of incense followed by all pervading divine music was also noted. The first Chogyal who visited the site subsequent to hearing this unusual event, erected a small chorten at the site and named it as Thongwa-Rang-Grol. Legend further glorifies the site stating that a mere sight of it “confers self-emancipation”.
Another absorbing legend is related to the celebration of the Bhumchu festival at Tashiding Monastery. The legend is traced to the tantric art. Guru Padmasambhava, while teaching the tantric system of “Mahakarunika Avalokiteshvara Sadhana and initiation on emancipation from the cycle of mundane existence” to the King Trisong Duetsen, prince Murub Tsenpo, Yeshe Tsogyal and Verotsana in Tibet, sanctified the same holy vase with holy water, which is now kept in Tashiding Monastery and revered during the Bhumchu festival. This vase is made of five types prized jewels, divine soil and holy water said to have been gathered by Padmasambhava from religious centres in India, Odiuana and Zahor. The vase was made by the wrathful deity Damchen Gar-bgag and sanctified by Guru Padmasambhava himself by performing the “Sadhana of Yidam Chuchig Zhal (meaning tutelary deity of eleven heads)”. On this occasion, heavenly deities appeared in the sky and thereafter merged into the holy water contained in the vase. The vase then overflowed and the water dispersed in “all directions in the form of rays.” This ritual was immediately followed by an earthquake, which was considered an auspicious sign. The divine moment also witnessed the presence of the four guardian divinities namely, “the Gyalchen Dezhi/Cutur – Maharajika of Dharma and the gods of the thirty-three heavens (Samchu Tsasumgyi Lhanam) who showered flowers from the sky.” The event was witnessed by devotees and Padmasmabhava distributed the holy water from the vase to all assembled people, which spiritually benefited one and all. The vase was then hidden as a treasure under the care of the divine deities. However, the vase was rediscovered and passed through the hands of several holy men and finally placed at Tashiding by Terton Ngdag Sampachenpo. During the reign of the first ruler of Sikkim, Phuntshog Namgyal, the Terton recited the holy hymn “Om Mani Padme Hum” five billions when several unique events were also witnessed in Sikkim. After the religious ceremony the vase with the water has been kept on display in a small chamber in the Monastery under the custody of the Chogyal himself, which is opened once a year during the Bhumchu festival.
GEOGRAPHY
This monastery located at an altitude of 1465 m is built on top of a heart shaped hill or helmet shaped hill above the confluence of the Rathong Chu and Rangeet rivers, with the Mt. Kanchendzonga providing the scenic back drop. It is about 16 km from Yuksam, 40 km from Gezing via Legship.
The monastery is considered as the spiritual centre of Sikkim since it is encircled by many important monasteries in Sikkim in all directions such as: the Dubdi Monastery 23 km away on its northern direction, the Khecheopalri Lake (wish fulfilling lake) on the northwest, the Pemayangtse monastery on the west, the Shiva temple at Legship on the south, the Mongbrue gompa and Ravangla Bön monastery on the southeast, the Ravangla Gelug monastery on the east, the Karma Kagyud Ralang Monastery on the northeast.[citation needed] Gulia summarising the importance of this monastery has said:
For tashiding one can say: seeing is believing. The monastery is historically illustrious, geographically well located, aesthetically beautiful, spiritually divine – a place where nature and spirituality dwell together, urging the human race to be ecologically upright.
Geographically the Monastery and the Tashiding town are surrounded by four divine caves located in four cardinal directions. The four caves where Buddhist saints meditated are: On the East is the Sharchog Bephug, on the South is the Khandozangphu, in the West is Dechenpug cave and on the North is the Lhari Nyingphug. The main deity deified in the monastery is Tashiding and hence the monastery is also known as 'Dakkar Tashiding'.
HISTORY
In the 17th century, Ngadak Sempa Chemp built a small Lhakhang at this location. This was enlarged into the present monastery during the reign of Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal. Pedi Wangmo built the main monastery and installed many statues which are still seen in the monastery. Lhatsun Chenpo built the Chortens; which are considered holy. Yanchong Lodil, the Master craftsman crafted the flagstones that surround the monastery. These are carved with the holy Buddhist mantra 'Om Mane Padme Hum'.
ARCHITECTURE
An overall picture of the precincts of the monastery within the Tashiding town is provided in five distinct blocks namely, the Sinem market place, the outskirts, the main market place, the main Tashiding Monastery and the Chorten area.
The Sinek market place is located on an incline on the ridge between Rathong Chu and Rangeet River. There is a gompa here called the Sinolochu Gompa from where an approach leads to the Tashiding Monastery on the southern direction. The settlement is spread lengthwise and is 23 kilometres from Yuksom. A large 'Mani' stone is seen at the entrance to this settlement and the Tashiding market.
From the main market centre the approach to the Monastery is through a road, and also a foot path. The foot path in the southern direction has a gentle slope and passes through a Mani and then prayer wind wheels terminating at the entrance gate of the Monastery.
The Monastery itself consists of a 'Mani Lhakang' at the entrance surrounded by flags, and lead to the guest house. From this point ahead is the main 'Tashiding Gompa' which is called as Chogyal Lhakhang or the monastery, followed by the 'butter lamp house', four chortens, 'Tsenkhang', a new butter lamp house and finally terminating at the 'Guru Lhakhang', which is the temple of Guru Rinpoche. Other basic essential structures such as kitchen, school and residential housing are located on the left side of the approach path to the monastery.
In the 'Chorten area', there are 41 chortens categorised as 'Chortens of Enlightenment', 'Chortens of Reconciliation' and 'Chortens of Great Miracle', which are all of Rinpoches and Tathāgatas.
However, the main temple has undergone renovation work in modern times and rebuilt, but is still encircled by traditional buildings and chortens at the far end of the site, which holds the relics of Sikkim Chogyals and Lamas, including the 'Thong-Wa-rang-Dol' chorten which is believed to cleanse the soul of any person who looks at it.
Also of major note are the stone plates called the 'Mani', the work of Yanchong Lodil who inscribed them with the sacred Buddhist inscriptions, such as "Om Mane Padme Hum".
FESTIVALS
Bhumchu festival, which is linked by an ancient legend to Guru Padmasambhava, is about a divine vase filled with holy water kept in the monastery, which is opened for public display and worship every year on the night before the Full Moon day in the first month of Tibetan calendar. Bhumchu (Bhum=pot; Chu=water) is a Buddhist festival celebrated to predict the future. In this vase, water of Rathong chhu is stored for a year and kept in the Tashiding Monastery. It is opened during the festival by the lamas who inspect the water level and hence it is called the festival of holy water. The belief is that alteration in the quantity and quality of the water stored in the vase over a year would indicate the fortune of Sikkim and its people in the following year. If it is filled to the brim (which is interpreted as a measure of increase by 21 cups), the following year will be prosperous. If it is empty, famine will follow, and if it is half-filled also a prosperous year is predicted. If the water is polluted with dust it is interpreted as a sign of strife and clash. Once inspected and the Bhumchu festival is concluded, the lamas fill the vase with fresh water from the river and seal it for the opening in the following year.
The procedure followed for taking out the sacred water from the vase is that the first cup of sacred water is taken out for blessing the members of the Royal family of the Chogyals, then the second cup is meant for the Lamas and the third cup of water is meant for the devotees to whom it is distributed. Pilgrims come to the monastery from all regions of Sikkim to be blessed with the holy water. The festival is of particular importance to the Bhutias (ethnic Tibeteans) of Sikkim who hold the “life-sustaining water of the rivers” with great reverence. The festival falls on the 15th day Full Moon day of the first Tibetan month or Hindu month of Magh corresponding to February/March according to Gregorian calendar.
The basic purpose of the festival is to highlight the importance of water as a precious resource to be conserved and its purity preserved. The prophecy also sends a message to the people that waters should not be polluted and its environmental importance is propagated.
WIKIPEDIA
Postcard FTP01316_72
The Fay Thomas Collection includes family archives relating to the Thomas family. Moses Thomas (1825-1878) was a significant figure in the history of the area now known as the City of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia. Thomas and Ann and their family lived at "Mayfield", Mernda, Victoria.
Miss Lily Thomas (1871-1946), Thomas and Ann’s fourth daughter lived there all her life. She collected postcards which her family and friends sent her on a very regular basis. It was an easy and enjoyable way to keep in touch. Production of postcards blossomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lily’s collection encompasses the so-called Golden Age (1890-1915) with many postmarked 1906-1907. Some were sent to other members of the family.
The collection document the natural landscape as well as the built environment—buildings, gardens, parks, and tourist sites. Topographical Postcards showing street scenes and general views from Australian and international locations, some of which are artistic views. Popular postcard manufacturers such as Tuck’s Postcards are included in the collection.
Decorative cards, many embellished with floral motives (as a nod to the receiver Lily?) and embossing. Greeting cards are common for Christmas, New Year, Easter and of course birthdays.
Regular senders can be identified from Kyneton and the Great Ocean Road area, Victoria and there is a siginifant collection from Scotland (but not sent from there).
YPRL hold digital copies of the Papers of the Moses Thomas Family held at State Library Victoria
Copyright for these images is Public domain but a credit to the Fay Thomas Collection and YPRL would be appreciated.
Enquiries: Yarra Plenty Regional Library
Carrigeen Castle has featured in columns of the New York Times, Sunday Times, Kaleva (Finland), and Afton Bladet (Sweden) newspapers, besides several American and European publications relating to Ireland. In the mid-1990s, the Frommer Guide to Ireland took the opportunity of placing a picture of Carrigeen Castle on its front cover.
A defensible fortified structure was on this hilltop from at least the sixteenth century. The Pacata Hibernica depiction of the siege of Cahir Castle (1599) shows such a building. In 1690, during the Williamite campaign, earthen and stone outworks were erected around it, presenting an ideally defensible fortification for the Danish troops of William II who, during that winter, had quarters in Cahir and nearby Clonmel. Materials from this earlier structure were incorporated in the present building, while the associated outworks were adapted to serve as the castellated wall encircling the grounds.
In 1809, at the Summer Assize Presentments of the County Tipperary Grand Jury, funding was laid aside for the future provision of a bridewell in the town of Cahir. Bridewells (small town gaols) were generally small two-storey buildings, built of cut-limestone, and costing up to £800 to erect. They held prisoners temporarily, pending space in the county gaol, and were funded by the grand jury system (predecessors of the county councils), but supplementary central resources were also available, in certain circumstances. At Cahir, a committee led by local landlord, Richard Butler, baron of Caher – soon to become first earl of Glengall – was successful in attracting over twice the usual funding. Their chosen architect – Michael Bernard Mullins - submitted two plans, both variants of the same elaborate, castellated structure, costing some £2,000 to build, which would emphasize the fortress origins of the site and overawe the local population. This involved the creation of towers, turrets, battlements and a machicolation (defence mechanism over the main door, through which boiling oil was thrown on attackers of medieval castles) of hand cut limestone, an expensive and time consuming process.
Construction of the Cahir Bridewell commenced in 1813, and it was opened for the admission of prisoners in 1816. The original section is three stories in height, with a cut-limestone spiral staircase in the main tower. It originally comprised five cells, two dayrooms, two keeper's rooms and two exercise yards, the latter incorporating obtuse and acute angles suggestive of late medieval starfort design. The inner grounds – comprising ½ acre – are encircled by a castellated wall and gateway arch, beyond which lies 5½ acres known as The Bridewell Field.
The bridewell was enlarged in 1849-50 – at the height of the Great Famine – when the prison compliment was increased to eight cells (four for males, three for females and one for drunken / violent prisoners), two dayrooms, two storerooms, and two exercise yards. An inter-connecting keeper's residence was also erected – comprising a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and two bedrooms.
LIFE IN THE BRIDEWELL:
Cahir Bridewell received mention in several noteworthy publications due to its unique appearance and situation. Perhaps the earliest coverage, however, was in May 1827 when the local Clonmel Gazette newspaper carried the headline ‘two men escaped from Cahir Bridewell’. The men managed to escape unnoticed but were recaptured the following day. Following on from this incident, the parapet of the exercise yards was raised!
In 1837 The Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland stated ‘the bridewell is a handsome castellated building, containing five cells, one dayroom and two airing yards. However, the Inspector General of Prisons (Ireland) Reports of the 1830s and 1840s noted a great decline in the condition of the building, notice of which reached a more general readership in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846), which stated ‘The Gaol is distinct and suitable in architecture. A short time ago, it was remarkable for its dilapidated state and bad management, but in 1841 it underwent repair.’ The keeper was ‘a painter, who occupied the house for his trade’, and was ‘totally unsuitable to his office’.
Following this damning report, the superintendence of all bridewells of the south riding of Tipperary was placed under the governor of HM Richmond Prison, Clonmel – which was appropriate, given that these temporary places of confinement acted as reserve accommodation for that gaol. Thereafter, a system of training keepers and turnkeys at Clonmel gaol was utilised to great effect.
Also, their salaries were increased from £5 in the 1810s (from which minor repairs were paid, leaving little incentive for upkeep) to £30 by the early 1840s, gradually increased to £50 by 1876.
Due to the lawlessness and poverty of the period, large numbers were confined at Cahir Bridewell over the years. In the year September 1825 to September 1826, 156 prisoners were confined here for an average of three days (awaiting transfer to Clonmel Gaol), at an average cost of 5d. per head. Numbers confined continued to increase, peaking during the famine years when, during one quarter of 1851, 533 prisoners were confined. The prisoners were fed a pound of bread and a pint of new milk for breakfast, and a pound of bread and a pint of skimmed milk for dinner. The local Anglican clergyman was the inspector. Each cell contained, per person, one iron bedstead, one bed ticken and three blankets.
Engraving of 1853
This earliest view – an engraving from 1853 – was commissioned when the property was featured as a notable building in the auction catalogue of Cahir Estates. The Encumbered Estates Court sold the majority of the estate, as it had been bankrupted through town improvements and a lack of tenant rents during the Great Famine (1846-51).
Cahir Bridewell was one of 52 gaols closed by the prison authorities in 1878, as part of an island wide rationalization. The estate then leased the keepers’ residence to local military officers until the purchase of the building from Lt. Col. Richard Butler-Charteris by David Butler (1890-1955), in 1919. He continued the estate tradition of leasing the keeper’s residence, for a time, before residing here in retirement. Following the marriage in 1969 of his son, John (Séan) with Margaret (Peig), the couple commenced renovating the remainder of the building, which opened in May 1976, as a guest accommodation.
Understanding how materials behave, degrade and relate to each other is a fundamental part of the research that takes place at TWI, and factors into much of the work we conduct for our Members.
Whether it’s identifying what caused a component to fail, developing hydrophobic coatings for anti-graffiti applications, or identifying the optimum material for a niche application, our materials scientists have the depth of knowledge to develop solutions to all manner of materials-related problems, without compromising on safety or quality.
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“The observer, when he seems to himself to be observing a stone, is really, if physics is to be believed, observing the effects of the stone upon himself.”
- Bertrand Russell
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it was extrememly hard for me to get this shot.. i am so glad i could capture it. the way i shot it was extremely funny.. Crea-tive photographed me while i struggled to take this shot. I might post it.. so look out for that one.
(for best viewing, have monitor brightness on highest)
The Panel (or Bay) numbers quoted at the end of each entry relate to the panels dedicated to the Regiment served with. In some instances where a casualty is recorded as attached to another Regiment, his name may alternatively appear within their Regimental Panels (or Bays). Please refer to the on-site Memorial Register Introduction to determine the alternative Panel (or Bay) numbers if you do not find the name within the quoted Panel (or Bay). Wheelchair access to the memorial is possible via an alternative entrance at the rear of Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery. Location Information: The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kms due west of the railway station.
The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917. The Commonwealth section of the FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier. It continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units until November 1918. The cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields and from two smaller cemeteries in the vicinity. The cemetery contains 2,651 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. In addition, there are 30 war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. During the Second World War, Arras was occupied by United Kingdom forces headquarters until the town was evacuated on 23 May 1940. Arras then remained in German hands until retaken by Commonwealth and Free French forces on 1 September 1944. The cemetery contains seven Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The graves in the French military cemetery were removed after the First World War to other burial grounds and the land they had occupied was used for the construction of the Arras Memorial and Arras Flying Services Memorial. The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL commemorates nearly 1,000 airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Air Force, either by attachment from other arms of the forces of the Commonwealth or by original enlistment, who were killed on the whole Western Front and who have no known grave. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).
Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final
by Roger Corbett
Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.
Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.
The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.
Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.
Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.
The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.
By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.
As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.
From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.
As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.
From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.
Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.
Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan
Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson
Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)
Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie
Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.
Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.
In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.
Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.
Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.
Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.
Activity relating to the carrying of the more than 100 portable shrines (mikoshi) around the Asakusa neighbourhood to bless the businesses and residents with prosperity in the coming year.
Sanja Matsuri (Festival) at the Sensoji Temple, Asakusa,
Tokyo, Japan, 2016
Only the street shots - thestreetzine.blogspot.com/
A second photo album relating to the Valdes Scott Family. The first album can be viewed here www.flickr.com/photos/runninginsuffolk/albums/72157665423... This album also turned up at a car boot sale but a year later than the other in 2017. Seems to date from 1951 and the birth of Roselle in Chile.
Various Artists
Monday 4 - Wednesday 13 November, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Wellgate Shopping Centre
Level 1, Space 2
Dundee, DD1 2DB
This exhibition, curated by Weave at Abertay, brings together emerging and established digital artists/activists whose work comments, reflects and challenges ideas relating to socio-political issues and events. It is a survey of media objects of protest against hostile acts and environments over the past 35 years.
How are digital artists using their practice to facilitate conversations around complex socio-political issues? How do we protest differently in a digital age?
It is a turbulent time across the globe – from the challenges of Brexit to the protests in Hong Kong, from the growing Climate Emergency movement to the rise in Nationalism — the international socio-political landscape is increasingly subject to crisis and change.
These events and activities, while tied to specific cultural and socio-political contexts, often transcend borders and speak to collective concerns for alternative forms of democracy and citizen-informed solutions to complex issues.
Digital devices and platforms have encouraged the public to engage more with social and political issues, expanding opportunities for citizens to directly participate in civil society action. Blogs, petition platforms, crowdfunding sites, e-voting and other online forums and tools offer new means for individuals to contribute to shaping political debate and driving ‘real-world’ change.
It is against this diverse backdrop of politics, and the participatory nature of digital technologies, that many artists are producing work today.
The exhibition reflects on gun culture through Joseph Delappe’s Elegy: GTA USA Gun Homicides and Addie Wagenknecht’s series The Liberator Vases of 3D printed vases made using the first open source downloadable handgun. Irene Tokini Fubara-Manuel’s videogame ‘Dreams of Disguise: Errantry’ we explore issues of agency at border control and in Tina Keane’s video installation we recognise women’s historical struggle against nuclear weapons at Greenham Common . Igor Vamos’ (Yes Men) Barbie Liberation Organization playfully challenges gender-norms and Echo Youth by Matthew Plummer-Fernandez frames physical protest for a digital era.
The title of the exhibition is inspired by Roxy Music’s song, ‘Re-make/Re-model’ and makes reference to musician and theorist Brian Eno’s perspectives on technology, society and the future.
Weave by Abertay, based at Abertay University, creates a vibrant programme of cultural events across the city of Dundee, sharing local and global creativity.Weave gives a platform to national and international artists and designers to share their practice. Weave supports the talent and innovation of Abertay students and staff by working closely with the School of Design and Informatics. They collaboratively explore creative projects relating to Digital Culture, building on Abertay’s international reputation for excellence in computer games education. Through a series of talks, workshops, exhibitions and performances Weave collaborates with cultural partners across the city to make new connections, share knowledge and create cultural happenings across Dundee.
With gratitude and thanks to
Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics
Adam Lockhart
Andrew McLean
Andy Slater
bitforms gallery
Creative Scotland
DJCAD, University of Dundee
Gerald High
Joseph DeLappe
Martin Zeilinger
Sarah Cook
Steve Page
Wellgate Centre
And our brilliant volunteer team.
Photography Kathryn Rattray
Michael Good relates his emotional experience at the end of one of his spacewalks during STS-132. Upon entering the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis, the location brought back memories of his first shuttle flight, when he was one of six individuals servicing the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Silver Snoopy Award, also known as the astronaut’s personal award, recognizes NASA civil servants and contractors who have provided exemplary support of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Programs. To be selected, an individual must have made significant contributions to flight safety and mission success.
Those selected for the award receive the specially designed sterling Silver Snoopy lapel pin flown on a space shuttle mission, a letter of commendation, and a certificate presented by a member of the astronaut corps.
Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Pat Izzo
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.
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The description and specifications relate to the Pitts Special as this is an identical aircraft to the S1 and S2S.
The Pitts Special is a light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts Special dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remains a potent competition aircraft and is a favourite for many an aerobatic pilot.
General characteristics
•Crew: Two
•Length: 18 ft 9 in (5.71 m)
•Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)
•Height: 6 ft 7⅓ in (2.02 m)
•Wing area: 125 ft² (11.6 m²)
•Empty weight: 1,150 lb (521 kg)
•Max takeoff weight: 1,625 lb (737 kg)
•Powerplant: 1× Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 flat-six air cooled piston engine, 260 hp (194 kW)
Performance
•Never exceed speed: 182 knots (210 mph, 338 km/h)
•Cruise speed: 152 knots (175 mph, 282 km/h) (max cruise)
•Stall speed: 52 knots (60 mph, 97 km/h)
•Range: 277 NM (319 mi, 513 km)
•Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
•Rate of climb: 2,700 ft/min (13.7 m/s)
•Wing loading: 13.0 lb/ft² (63.6 kg/m²)
•Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)
Text and specifications based on Wikipedia article under the Creative Commons License for non-profit use.
Probably not the best shot I've posted in Flickr, but it's the story that counts this time.
One day, we drove to the old part of Tegucigalpa by work. It wasn't a safe area, so I couldn't really go out of the car wherever I wanted, but at least I could take shots as I always do. First time I noticed sneakers hanging from power lines, I thought it was weird, but didn't pay much attention. When we drove on, I saw a couple of more pairs on different streets, and that's where I took my camera, and managed to capture before we drove away. I asked my colleagues why those shoes were on the power lines, but no one seemed to know. So, of course, when I got back to my hotel room, I started googling. And while googling, I wondered, what would I have done, if there was no internet, no google, no search machines? I'd probably dig myself in books for months, to try to find out, or ask friends and family, but how long would that take? (Thanks Google! :)
So, back to our shoes! This is what I've got!
Shoe flinging or "shoefiti" (shoe graffiti) is the practice of throwing shoes whose shoelaces have been tied together so that they hang from overhead wires such as power lines or telephone cables. This practice is wide spread throughout the Americas, and is very common in Latin America in particular.
There is no common explanation on why and who does this, but here are some general reasons:
A number of criminal explanations have been proposed as to why this is done. The foremost is bullying in which a bully steals a pair of shoes and puts them in a place where they are unlikely to be retrieved. Some also say that shoes hanging from the wires advertise a local crack house where crack cocaine is used and sold (in which case the shoes are sometimes referred to as "Crack Tennies"). It can also relate to a place where heroin is sold to symbolize the myth that once you take heroin, you can never "leave": a reference to the addictive nature of the drug. Others claim that the shoes so thrown commemorate a gang-related murder, or the death of a gang member, or as a way of marking gang turf.
Other less criminal explanations have been ventured for the practice. In some cultures, shoes are flung to commemorate the end of a school year, or a forthcoming marriage as part of a rite of passage. Sometimes, it’s done in a memory of a day when a young man had his first sexual experience.
It has been suggested that the custom may have originated with members of the military, who are said to have thrown military boots, often painted orange or some other conspicuous color, at overhead wires as a part of a rite of passage upon completing basic training or on leaving the service.
Others claim that the shoes are stolen from other people and tossed over the wires as a sort of bullying tactic, or as a practical joke played on drunkards. Others simply say that shoe flinging is a way to get rid of shoes that are no longer wanted, are uncomfortable, or do not fit. It may also be another manifestation of the human instinct to leave their mark on, and decorate, their surroundings. It has been reported that workmen often throw shoes if they are not paid for waxing floors.
In some neighborhoods, shoes tied together and hanging from power lines or tree branches signify that someone has died. The shoes belong to the dead person. The reason they are hanging, legend has it, is that when the dead person's spirit returns, it will walk that high above the ground, that much closer to heaven. Another superstition holds that the tossing of shoes over the power lines outside of a house is a way to keep the property safe from ghosts. Yet another legend involves that shoes hanging from telephone wires signals someone leaving the neighborhood onto bigger and better things.
Of course, only each individual shoe-thrower knows why his/her pair of shoes now hangs from a wire. I wonder why this particular pair was up there. I hope for something good :)
Thanks for your visit and have a great day!
Activity relating to the carrying of the more than 100 portable shrines (mikoshi) around the Asakusa neighbourhood to bless the businesses and residents with prosperity in the coming year.
Sanja Matsuri (Festival) at the Sensoji Temple, Asakusa,
Tokyo, Japan, 2016
Only the street shots - thestreetzine.blogspot.com/
The performance relates the shorter version of the epic Ramayana Saga with dancers playing as Rama, Shinta (Sita), Lakshmana, Rahwana (Ravana), Hanoman (Hanuman), Sugriwa (Sugriva), and other characters. The storyline starts when Prince Rama wanders into the woods with his wife Shinta and brother Lakshmana. There, the giant Rahwana kidnaps Shinta and holds her in his palace. Rama then seeks help and sends Lakhsmana to find his friend Sugriwa, the King of the Monkey Kingdom. Sugriwa sends his commander the white monkey, by the name of Hanoman, to check on Shinta in Rahwana’s Palace.
Taken @Bali, Indonesia
The performance relates the shorter version of the epic Ramayana Saga with dancers playing as Rama, Shinta (Sita), Lakshmana, Rahwana (Ravana), Hanoman (Hanuman), Sugriwa (Sugriva), and other characters. The storyline starts when Prince Rama wanders into the woods with his wife Shinta and brother Lakshmana. There, the giant Rahwana kidnaps Shinta and holds her in his palace. Rama then seeks help and sends Lakhsmana to find his friend Sugriwa, the King of the Monkey Kingdom. Sugriwa sends his commander the white monkey, by the name of Hanoman, to check on Shinta in Rahwana’s Palace.
A dramatic scene is portrayed when Hanoman is captured by Rahwana’s troops and put inside a circle of fire to burn him alive. Instead of burning to crisp, the white monkey warrior remains unharmed and breaks out only to burn Rahwana’s palace instead. Thus, began the battle between the two forces.
At first, Rahwana and his troops manage to overrun Rama. However, Sugriwa and Hanoman then come to Rama’s aid along with the rest of the monkey troops, defeat the evil king once and for all
Taken @Bali, Indonesia
It has taken me about three years to get any information relating to this memorial fountain in Bray.
The fountain and obelisk at the Royal Hotel in Bray was erected, by public subscription, in memory of Dr Christopher Thompson, who died in 1876. I read somewhere that he was the only Medical Doctor in Ireland to have a monument such as this in their honour but I have photographed four others. [1] The Raheny Cross in memory of Marie Elizabeth Hayes, doctor and missionary [2] Thomas Thompson Memorial Fountain - Belfast [3] Memorial to Dr. William Ashford - located in Sandymount [4] Memorial To Dr. Issac William Usher of Dundrum. Note: I believe that Marie Hayes was the first woman in Ireland to qualify as a Doctor.
Dr. Thompson was born in Dublin in 1815 and joined the British Army, as a Doctor, and was assigned to the Light Infantry in Cobh [known as Queenstown at the time]. At some stage he was promoted and moved to the UK and later took up a position at Portsmouth general Hospital. In 1859 he returned to Ireland where had a house at Duncairn Terrace in Bray.
He was involved in fighting an outbreak of cholera in Bray in 1879 but he died towards the end of the year. He is buried in St. Paul’s graveyard across the road from the memorial.
I believe that his wife about nine years later and that she is buried in Mount Jerome cemetery which is in Harold’s Cross in Dublin. I will check this the next time I visit the cemetery but it strikes me as a bit odd that she was not buried with her husband.
Carrigeen Castle has featured in columns of the New York Times, Sunday Times, Kaleva (Finland), and Afton Bladet (Sweden) newspapers, besides several American and European publications relating to Ireland. In the mid-1990s, the Frommer Guide to Ireland took the opportunity of placing a picture of Carrigeen Castle on its front cover.
A defensible fortified structure was on this hilltop from at least the sixteenth century. The Pacata Hibernica depiction of the siege of Cahir Castle (1599) shows such a building. In 1690, during the Williamite campaign, earthen and stone outworks were erected around it, presenting an ideally defensible fortification for the Danish troops of William II who, during that winter, had quarters in Cahir and nearby Clonmel. Materials from this earlier structure were incorporated in the present building, while the associated outworks were adapted to serve as the castellated wall encircling the grounds.
In 1809, at the Summer Assize Presentments of the County Tipperary Grand Jury, funding was laid aside for the future provision of a bridewell in the town of Cahir. Bridewells (small town gaols) were generally small two-storey buildings, built of cut-limestone, and costing up to £800 to erect. They held prisoners temporarily, pending space in the county gaol, and were funded by the grand jury system (predecessors of the county councils), but supplementary central resources were also available, in certain circumstances. At Cahir, a committee led by local landlord, Richard Butler, baron of Caher – soon to become first earl of Glengall – was successful in attracting over twice the usual funding. Their chosen architect – Michael Bernard Mullins - submitted two plans, both variants of the same elaborate, castellated structure, costing some £2,000 to build, which would emphasize the fortress origins of the site and overawe the local population. This involved the creation of towers, turrets, battlements and a machicolation (defence mechanism over the main door, through which boiling oil was thrown on attackers of medieval castles) of hand cut limestone, an expensive and time consuming process.
Construction of the Cahir Bridewell commenced in 1813, and it was opened for the admission of prisoners in 1816. The original section is three stories in height, with a cut-limestone spiral staircase in the main tower. It originally comprised five cells, two dayrooms, two keeper's rooms and two exercise yards, the latter incorporating obtuse and acute angles suggestive of late medieval starfort design. The inner grounds – comprising ½ acre – are encircled by a castellated wall and gateway arch, beyond which lies 5½ acres known as The Bridewell Field.
The bridewell was enlarged in 1849-50 – at the height of the Great Famine – when the prison compliment was increased to eight cells (four for males, three for females and one for drunken / violent prisoners), two dayrooms, two storerooms, and two exercise yards. An inter-connecting keeper's residence was also erected – comprising a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and two bedrooms.
LIFE IN THE BRIDEWELL:
Cahir Bridewell received mention in several noteworthy publications due to its unique appearance and situation. Perhaps the earliest coverage, however, was in May 1827 when the local Clonmel Gazette newspaper carried the headline ‘two men escaped from Cahir Bridewell’. The men managed to escape unnoticed but were recaptured the following day. Following on from this incident, the parapet of the exercise yards was raised!
In 1837 The Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland stated ‘the bridewell is a handsome castellated building, containing five cells, one dayroom and two airing yards. However, the Inspector General of Prisons (Ireland) Reports of the 1830s and 1840s noted a great decline in the condition of the building, notice of which reached a more general readership in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846), which stated ‘The Gaol is distinct and suitable in architecture. A short time ago, it was remarkable for its dilapidated state and bad management, but in 1841 it underwent repair.’ The keeper was ‘a painter, who occupied the house for his trade’, and was ‘totally unsuitable to his office’.
Following this damning report, the superintendence of all bridewells of the south riding of Tipperary was placed under the governor of HM Richmond Prison, Clonmel – which was appropriate, given that these temporary places of confinement acted as reserve accommodation for that gaol. Thereafter, a system of training keepers and turnkeys at Clonmel gaol was utilised to great effect.
Also, their salaries were increased from £5 in the 1810s (from which minor repairs were paid, leaving little incentive for upkeep) to £30 by the early 1840s, gradually increased to £50 by 1876.
Due to the lawlessness and poverty of the period, large numbers were confined at Cahir Bridewell over the years. In the year September 1825 to September 1826, 156 prisoners were confined here for an average of three days (awaiting transfer to Clonmel Gaol), at an average cost of 5d. per head. Numbers confined continued to increase, peaking during the famine years when, during one quarter of 1851, 533 prisoners were confined. The prisoners were fed a pound of bread and a pint of new milk for breakfast, and a pound of bread and a pint of skimmed milk for dinner. The local Anglican clergyman was the inspector. Each cell contained, per person, one iron bedstead, one bed ticken and three blankets.
Engraving of 1853
This earliest view – an engraving from 1853 – was commissioned when the property was featured as a notable building in the auction catalogue of Cahir Estates. The Encumbered Estates Court sold the majority of the estate, as it had been bankrupted through town improvements and a lack of tenant rents during the Great Famine (1846-51).
Cahir Bridewell was one of 52 gaols closed by the prison authorities in 1878, as part of an island wide rationalization. The estate then leased the keepers’ residence to local military officers until the purchase of the building from Lt. Col. Richard Butler-Charteris by David Butler (1890-1955), in 1919. He continued the estate tradition of leasing the keeper’s residence, for a time, before residing here in retirement. Following the marriage in 1969 of his son, John (Séan) with Margaret (Peig), the couple commenced renovating the remainder of the building, which opened in May 1976, as a guest accommodation.
This relates to 'a Japanese Zen art concept that uses flowers and falling leaves as a metaphor for the transient beauty of life'. Pretty on occasion, one had to be close and at the right angle to see the Australian natives...
It's an eight-minute holographic light and laser show. Budget cuts having an effect this year. Possibly people will focus on the weekend's drone displays.
A pilgrimage of hope to historic and poignant sites relating to the First World War, led by the two Archbishops of Armagh, has commenced with visits to the city of Kortrijk, in Belgium, and Guillemont Cemetery, in France.
The delegation visited Kortrijk, which was heavily bombed in 1917, yesterday afternoon and arrived at Guillemont this morning. The cemetery is the resting place for many soldiers from the 16th Irish Division who fought at the Battle of the Somme.
This was followed by a visit to the Ulster Tower – a memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division which suffered very heavy losses on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The delegation then travelled to the nearby Thiepval Memorial and the Y Ravine Cemetery.
The group of pilgrims comprises 36 people of varying ages and backgrounds and representing the Protestant and Catholic traditions, including a core group of 16 young adults, who in visiting the war sites and memorials will be able to forge friendships and share their thoughts and hopes for the future while exploring their cultural identities.
Archbishop Richard Clarke (Church of Ireland) and Archbishop Eamon Martin (Catholic Church) previously led a cross–community delegation of young people from across the island of Ireland to the battle sites of the Somme two years ago; the current pilgrimage marks the upcoming centenary of the end of the First World War.
A pilgrimage of hope to historic and poignant sites relating to the First World War, led by the two Archbishops of Armagh, has commenced with visits to the city of Kortrijk, in Belgium, and Guillemont Cemetery, in France.
The delegation visited Kortrijk, which was heavily bombed in 1917, yesterday afternoon and arrived at Guillemont this morning. The cemetery is the resting place for many soldiers from the 16th Irish Division who fought at the Battle of the Somme.
This was followed by a visit to the Ulster Tower – a memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division which suffered very heavy losses on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The delegation then travelled to the nearby Thiepval Memorial and the Y Ravine Cemetery.
The group of pilgrims comprises 36 people of varying ages and backgrounds and representing the Protestant and Catholic traditions, including a core group of 16 young adults, who in visiting the war sites and memorials will be able to forge friendships and share their thoughts and hopes for the future while exploring their cultural identities.
Archbishop Richard Clarke (Church of Ireland) and Archbishop Eamon Martin (Catholic Church) previously led a cross–community delegation of young people from across the island of Ireland to the battle sites of the Somme two years ago; the current pilgrimage marks the upcoming centenary of the end of the First World War.
Faubourg D'Amiens - Arras Memorial
The Panel (or Bay) numbers quoted at the end of each entry relate to the panels dedicated to the Regiment served with. In some instances where a casualty is recorded as attached to another Regiment, his name may alternatively appear within their Regimental Panels (or Bays). Please refer to the on-site Memorial Register Introduction to determine the alternative Panel (or Bay) numbers if you do not find the name within the quoted Panel (or Bay). Wheelchair access to the memorial is possible via an alternative entrance at the rear of Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery. Location Information: The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kms due west of the railway station.
The French handed over Arras to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917. The Commonwealth section of the FAUBOURG D'AMIENS CEMETERY was begun in March 1916, behind the French military cemetery established earlier. It continued to be used by field ambulances and fighting units until November 1918. The cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields and from two smaller cemeteries in the vicinity. The cemetery contains 2,651 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. In addition, there are 30 war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. During the Second World War, Arras was occupied by United Kingdom forces headquarters until the town was evacuated on 23 May 1940. Arras then remained in German hands until retaken by Commonwealth and Free French forces on 1 September 1944. The cemetery contains seven Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The graves in the French military cemetery were removed after the First World War to other burial grounds and the land they had occupied was used for the construction of the Arras Memorial and Arras Flying Services Memorial. The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL commemorates nearly 1,000 airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Air Force, either by attachment from other arms of the forces of the Commonwealth or by original enlistment, who were killed on the whole Western Front and who have no known grave. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).
立法會鐵路事宜小組委員會視察廣深港高速鐵路香港段西九龍總站的建築工地
立法会铁路事宜小组委员会视察广深港高速铁路香港段西九龙总站的建筑工地
LegCo Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways visits the construction site of the West Kowloon Terminus of the Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (2015.12.13)
‘Pasting (from AUGUST STRINDBERG'S 'THE DREAM PLAY')’
CHRISTINE. I paste, I paste.
THE DAUGHTER. [Pale and emaciated, sits by the stove] You shut out all the air. I choke!
CHRISTINE. Now there is only one little crack left.
THE DAUGHTER. Air, air—I cannot breathe!
CHRISTINE. I paste, I paste.
THE LAWYER. That's right, Christine! Heat is expensive.
Talia: “The characters split, double, multiply, evaporate, condense, dissolve and merge. But one consciousness rules them all: the dreamer's; for him there are no secrets, no inconsistencies, no scruples and no laws. He does not judge or acquit, he merely relates”
Ruin: The wonderful Mister Strindberg. Waving here. Whilst un-pasting, even.
It’s all a bit like that, I guess. Unravelling, perhaps, more so. But there is a definite picking apart. I almost feel like I have ‘breakthroughs’ every morning, though there might be some self-delusion there. I am aware of my neediness, that yearning for some sort of acknowledgement, central to posting here on Flickr, the text with the images. That is now stopping, I am unlearning that ‘habit’ currently, un-pasting it, unravelling it, whatever. But I can’t spend too much time on that, it’s time to make the move. I think I have done it.
I have started to write alone, for and to myself. I can do it. I even found ‘Rock’ to help me out, a fictitious character, an ‘anti-me’. I know. He might, or might not, become fully-fledged, an amalgamation of ‘daddy voices’, a character in himself. He might fade away with time, I have no idea. I am continuing to write.
This frees me up, I don’t have to worry about censorship, offending anybody, or being cancelled. There’s an idea, like I care about being cancelled anyway. How more cancelled’ can one be? Death does that eventually and is the only cancellation that is of mild interest, even.
Yes, to the world out there, its stupid wars, and its unravelling climate-wise. I am not going to be going out there throwing tomato soup over, oil-painted, water lilies. Each to his own. I have never driven, and never will, and will more than likely never fly again, having not done so for 12 years now. I will wear extra jumpers and turn off the heat. I will continue to write, pasting up those cracks. I won’t be sending money to charitable causes where the head of the board drives a car or takes planes to emergency climate meetings. With a total pension of 500 Euros a month, why would I send money to any charity?
Hopefully I will overcome this schizophrenia, this pasting/unpasting, by removing myself further, this quarantine.
It’s a bit scary, but ho-hum, that’s life. Ernaux has been wonderful to read, a tonic in these times, the self, that core, extended outwards shamelessly, Sadean and true, wonderfully desperate.
I will always have room for you, and will always answer you, and love your incursions.
I might not play so much with images anymore, but will continue to put things up on Flickr, more everyday notes, like a visual journal, a day by day diary. I have been using it as a research place for a while now, putting up other reminders for myself, like the one attached, just visual notes.
just memory enhancers...
And yes, there is an awful lot of writing, and I will try to make it into what is called a book. If any of it is any good, it might survive, if it's not any good, then it won't. I can't judge it, being in the middle of it, and am too busy to bother to even try. Time will tell, and I won't be around for that telling, either way, anyway.
I disagree with that “You can’t call yourself a writer ... when you’ve never actually written a book!”. You can call yourself anything you want, the world doesn't have to concur, but that, ultimately doesn't matter.
Self-delusion might be at the core of every individual, so embracing that might be a beginning.
It's interesting that this brings up a pithiness in me, it's very uncomfortable, but at least interesting to acknowledge. It's a huge failing in me, I have no doubt about that, forty shades of green and all that palaver.
Screaming 'love me' relentlessly sure wears one down. I suspect though that this might eventually be a good thing, that wearing down. Hope springs eternal!
Paste, unpaste, pick apart and tangle up. Gordian knots, go figure. I like realising how awful I am; it's a great first step.
Rack, I guess you are, for now, the only sounding board I am not relinquishing. I know I can do it without you, but I love doing it with you. It is, of course, totally up to you if you want to play the muse role or not. Rock is proving to be a great help, a godsend, even.
Enjoy those 40 variations of verdure.
Rock: Okay, so you have begun to be more methodical with the keeping of a diary, I think that might be a good idea, to have some continuity. It can feed in and out of what you are writing too.
Ruin: Yes, that’s the idea. Of course, it’s inspired by Ernaux, but also by Rack. Rack, apparently, has written every day for as long as I have known her, and obviously well before that too (Yes, there was life before me). This means she knows dates, the exact date we met, the days of our screaming/laughing walks, shared hysterics, and the dates of other huge events in her own life, ones I can only guess approximately. Like the day she discovered she also had Hep-c, on top of her principal fatal disease. In 1988 that’s exactly what it was, there was no talk then of it being manageable. She has always been at great pains to point out to me that these diary entries are just that, the bones of each day, just a record of what happened on that day. Rack has always been spare, the opposite of me. I guess it’s one of the many reasons I am drawn to her. I have always loved to coax out ‘trusting’ from the overly cautious, it’s one of my many failings.
I find hesitancy beautiful.
I have even asked her for some dates, like what was that date we met, the day of that break in filming in the ‘Moondance Diner’. There is always this sort of vague ‘promise’ of her telling me, of giving me that information, but it isn’t really a promise, more an indication that I was heard, and that, perhaps, I don’t need to know, like it’s one step too far. I love this privacy dance. There are so many ways in which Rack is beyond generous. She is more than right in this preserving of her own bones.
As it happens, I don’t really need dates. I can even get the year slightly wrong, and the story would still be exactly the same. I don’t even know on which dates my mother and father died, I know I could search for it in those million words of emails, or Flickr posts, but I don’t have that knowledge in my head. It’s on a hard drive external to me. It’s not something I am proud of, it’s just true. Jeffrey died of Aids sometime in 1991, I think. I helped him die, stopped him universally hemorrhaging with morphine, and I don’t even remember the date.
Who believes in dates or calendars anyway?
Answer: Obviously Rack and Annie Ernaux do. I love that they do, so I might give it a go here.
It might even alleviate the squandering of days, in becoming a daily chore, like brushing your teeth or having a good dump. I suspect it might even become pleasurable, rather like the latter of those two chores.
I did follow Rack down the HIV route, some 15 years after she tripped-up potholing. I didn’t follow her down that Hep-c boreen. Perhaps something had kicked-in, in between times. Perhaps our emails had sobered me up, or maybe the childhood abuse was already healing. Either way, Rack sloughed off that liver lurgy, hip-hip-hooray for science, and now we only have this one ‘manageable’ death sentence to negotiate together, side by side whilst forever apart. We now get to catfish each other gloriously.
I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, ask for more. Knowing she is out there, and apparently immortal, is more than enough. We share a certain sardonic humour about it all, recalling her “The year of my so-called death” in 1988, a year I initially got wrong at first, erroneously placing us in 1997 in ‘The Moondance Diner’.
What’s 34, or is it 35, years between friends?
Rack as Nora, Nora as Rack
Rack never blurted; she always controlled her output. The effect was precise and Protestant, “I found out I am HIV positive a few days ago.”
“Oh Christ”, Ruin blurted, Catholic to the hilt.
Ruin was always an outlet for Rack, almost like a delinquent spokesperson, the stuttering utterer of the unspeakable. He had the ability to take the private into the realm of the universally available with consummate ease. She didn’t. It was something she greatly feared and something she instinctively grasped that early summer morning in 1987, in the 'Moondance Diner', on 6th Avenue and Grand. She knew she was making the personal public. She was undoing herself.
He possessed that strange gift, the one imposed and imprinted, like the mark of Cain, on the sexually molested child, of having no facility to recognise boundaries, no ability to be able to tell the personal and private apart from what could be made generally available. She knew that he was her surrogate broadcaster and momentarily shuddered at the stranger, whom she had spontaneously trusted, sitting opposite her. This understanding hung between them as they ordered breakfast.
Their opening was torturous and drove them scurrying apart. It was more than either of them could handle, Rack racked with regret for exposing this opening wound and Ruin incapable of carrying the story alone. Their rehabilitation was slow and arduous. It was a time when to speak these words was a declaration of the almost immediate dissolution of self. It was a time before the hope generated by the misnomered cocktails and the political agitation, which was to burgeon out of despair and become Act- Up. It was a time before anything could be done except grasp at straws. So, both started grasping and would occasionally find themselves in the same room drawn to the same possible panacea. Rack’s volition was desperation. Ruin’s was guilt. They acknowledged each other with some embarrassment and growing affection and more often than not turned away from each other and left separately. Ruin knew he loved Rack. Rack was not at all sure.
Dear Rack,
Just sending you back some words you once sent to me:
“I have often thought that writers do not write; they read what is already written and transcribe. So perhaps they are not complaining about ill health, lack of money, and rejection, but about the bondage of a calling that keeps them laboriously transcribing cryptic messages in rapidly disappearing ink, like the traces of a dream, year after year...."
Thinking of how romantic you are.... even if it is all so appalling to live through.
We seem to endure, and hopefully will continue to do so for a little while longer.
Love,
Ruin
Rack: There they are. And there they aren’t. I love them like I could never love them.
Ruin: Yes indeed, there we are and there we aren't. I like finding an image of us, whilst telling a mis-remembered story. I like that we have inadvertently grown older than we expected, and are growing towards not hating ourselves through the writing of it out, and I love that we have written to each other over 35 years and I have squirrelled it all away to draw ‘Artificial Intelligence’ images out of. This image is made from us, but is not exactly us. This A.I. is a late life gift.
I dreamt about Rock. He didn’t look at all like me, which sort of surprised me. I am not sure why. We were in bed together, and we were spooning. I was trying it on, of course, which used to be my wont in the intervening years between the rupture and the present, pushing back on him, and he was telling me no, that it was inappropriate, and not what we both needed. Of course, it put me in mind of James, my uncle, and I agreed with Rock. Yes, he was right.
Rock was big spooning me, tenderly, lovingly, it felt good, it felt completely nonsexual, there was no pressure against my back. I was a very small spoon. Once I accepted these new, strange, parameters, I was relieved, perhaps more so because I am now, at 68, enjoying being inviolate, and my dream sort of knew this, even though I was young in the dream. There was a weird sort of retrospective knowing. I felt as vulnerable as I was then, but I somehow knew that Rock was right. He said, “you want to talk about James, don’t you?”. Again, he was right, I did. The Pope was also in the dream, not in the bed, but he might as well have been. I can’t remember why he was there, what he was up to. I just remember thinking he must be the biggest tourist-draw in the world, now that Liz is dead, at least as an individual. This seemed, and even now seems, incontrovertible.
This diary thing suits me. I start typing as soon as the computer kicks on, before I take my first of three morning pills, before I have time to forget. I still have no idea if Putin has decimated Kherson overnight, or if there is a new universal plague working its terror outside our front door. The world will do what it does. It will work its way into my consciousness all in good time, no man being an island and all that palaver. I really have to stop saying that. The initial diary entry can just sit there uncompleted, a memory jogger, to be filled in, fleshed out, or concluded later, constituting what Rack might call “The bones of the night”.
Ok, the bones are established, I can take a peep. Al Jazerra is screaming:“ ‘Too loud is true’: Is Russia setting a Trap in Kherson? “. The madness of the everyday asserts itself, stretching out before breakfast, echoing Blanchot. But back to Uncle James, and other personal insanities.
I never pushed back on James, or did I? I don't know. I was a needy child. I was stupidly innocent, young, ignorant, or perhaps just unschooled. He was the predator, put in my bed by my mother. I was the ‘victim’. Unfortunately, this victimhood status seems to be a very hardy perennial, one that flowers even for the whole life of that plant, or the person, but not only does it flower once yearly, it flowers often, and whenever it wants to. It’s more like a very persistent budding weed, a knot weed of sorts. The Gordian aspect of it all is perhaps gilding that description. But it is there. Either way, unravelling it can take a lifetime. There are shortcuts through it, suicide or running riot with a chainsaw, slicing through it like Alexander the Great, that sort of thing, but Ruin was always glad he hadn’t resorted to those. No, he decided he would gnaw at the knot, hopelessly hoping that nobody would notice his teeth wearing down.
Of Boreen Raging (A Silverfish Book)_Photo below.
People noticed of course.
Anyway Ruin, his pronouns are ‘he’ and ‘him’, is that third person descriptor of the protagonist here, and I am going to write this in the first person. Afterall it is just an early-morning diary entry written to, and for, me, so all subterfuge can be dropped.
Rock: I get what you are saying there, but you do know that’s virtually impossible, don’t you? Do you really think you can tell the ‘truth’, even to yourself, I mean, can anyone?
Ruin: Yes, Rock, I think he gets that, but you are right to point it out. Perhaps we both need to shut up and just see what he comes up with.
Rock: Get you Ruin! Move over King Solomon, there’s a contender in court.
Ruin: More of a pretender, but whatevs! Let’s try shutting-the-fuck-up.
Either way, I won’t be rushed in this. It will come out in its own time. It will come out. I might write more later today, or I might not. It’s not a question of ‘waiting for the muse’, it’s more letting things percolate. You two, Rock and Ruin, can chime in whenever you want, don’t hold back, I appreciate your input even if I don’t always agree with you. Rack has flown from New York to Ireland, she’s there now. I am thinking about her proximity to Amsterdam (my current home), and ever-present absence. She can still tolerate being there, I can’t. My imagination won’t allow me even to contemplate ever being there again. I can’t see that changing, but I can consider the remote possibility of being wrong about that.
As an aside, Annie Ernaux came a little closer to what I wrote about her earlier, that de Sade connection via de Beauvoir, in a quote from her diary in ‘Getting Lost’, page 178:
“A descent into sadomasochism, but gentle, without violence (because of the combination of sodomy and ‘normal’ sex - bruised all over, at one point, I thought I was torn). He said, ‘Annie, I love you’, and I didn’t attach any importance to it because it was during sex”
My convoluted mind connects this with the abuse in my early teens, I am not sure why it does, it just does. Hence, my need to let things percolate.
There was a point, towards the very end of that rupture, when Uncle James, said he loved me. There was no victory there at all, other than getting him permanently out of my bed, which was in itself huge. Strangely it more or less happened at the same time as I seemed to, miraculously, overcome my stammer. I have never understood that. Actually, I do sort of sense what that means though I will need some time to be able to describe that ‘vanquishing’.
I think I was 15 years old.
Saint Annie hits the nail on the head again, driving it further into that sprawling green Grünewald-ean hand.
Look, the stutter is gone, and I am no longer just a set of holes.
01/11/2022
I dreamt about some right-honourable-members last night, or early this morning. They weren’t ‘in full flight’ members, not ‘virilis’ or anything, just cuddly soft ones, nestled, slumbering in, pre-depilation, retro pubes, with their hoods drawn over their dry little heads. The word ‘cute’ comes to mind. They were attached to unrecognisable individuals, those cuddly coils, one of whom seemed to be collecting money in one of those plastic collecting thingies that those people outside the supermarket carry, trying to relieve you of your spare change for some good cause or other. Their days might be somewhat numbered, those collectors, what with everyone in the queue seemingly flashing their iPhones at the scanners nowadays, so that cash seems to be becoming redundant, going the way of that downy cushion of pubes, following advancement and the new century, like the rest of everything else, towards extinction.
Blessed, and much beloved redundancy, all part and parcel of this rush towards endless growth and a brave new post-tumescent world. Bring it on. Being chaffed off is more than acceptable. It’s even interesting to be in the process of feeling the parts fall off. It all puts me in mind of watching Mark America die, yes that was his adopted name, as he watched, and described, his body working to “let me go”, as he put it. I couldn’t be beside his bedside for the whole duration, we were not that close, and he wanted time alone. I asked him would he like to have a camera to record dying, and he said that he really would. He was one of those artist types, incorrigible. I gave him a few disposable cameras, they were all the rage then in the late eighties or early nineties, whenever it was. You know me and dates. I can check though. The dates of his taking them were inscribed automatically on the photos themselves. I have the images; I will take a look.
It was later than I thought, 20/12/94 to be precise, coming on Christmas, not that far off the date when the pills became lifesavers. Mark missed that boat, but he didn’t seem to mind at all. He didn’t appear to have a ‘poor me’ bone in his body. Yes Ruin, shut up, I know I could take a page from his book, whilst inserting him into mine. Can you and Rock just withdraw for a moment, whilst I work this out?
I have no idea how he did it. He was ensconced in a private room in a salubrious midtown hospital, with a view out on that island in the Hudson, ‘Roosevelt Island’ by name. He could watch the famed aerial tram, a strangely placed type of ski-lift, go back and forth. I knew the area, from having worked up there on some interiors for ‘Parrish Hadley’, well for Arthur Hadley really, Sister Parrish having recently done her own sloughing off. I used to do these interiors, so called ‘special finishes’, Venetian Stucco and the like, to support my making of the ‘Ikons’, those memorialising, honouring, pieces which were part and parcel of my meeting with Mark in that hospital. Some of those pieces are now ensconced in the ‘Irish Museum of Modern Art’. Mark didn’t live long enough to be included in that set of 40 gold-leaf pieces, though we initially met to discuss the possibility.
Mark was English originally, I never knew his family name, something else he had sloughed off, becoming an ‘illegal alien’ artist, with no health insurance, taking on the name of his host country. He was a fellow raving homo in the middle of a raging plague. Of course, we loved each other instantly. What was not to love? That love lasted all of three weeks, just allowing him enough time to bring in the New Year and die. How he ended up in a private room in the ‘Memorial Sloane Kettering Hospital’, I will never know. I did ask, but he waved the question off as inconsequential. He was right, what mattered was that he was there, with a catheter tube snaking out of his, fully on display, nestled and swollen trouser-snake.
He loved its redundancy. I must admit that I loved its redundancy too, it was infectious, but I even more loved his total acceptance, his embracing, of his devolving.
Or was it evolving?
I remember him say “Look at me, look what my body has to do to let me go. Isn’t it remarkable?”, whilst gesturing towards his family jewels. We both laughed. Yes, it was remarkable, it was a rhetorical question. He appeared to have no anger at all. It wasn’t every day that you would walk into a room and be encountered by a man, a veritable stranger, in a hospital bed with his ‘Scolaro’ out, swollen and pierced by a red dangly tube, leading to a bag attached to the side of the bed. Don’t worry, the full etymology of the word ‘Scolaro’ will follow shortly, but you will know from a few paragraphs above that I am talking about his ‘John Thomas’, those offending members do seem to be the subject for discussion this good morning. Those of a delicate nature might choose to look away, though it is possibly a mite too late now for one of those ubiquitous ‘trigger warnings’. I shall endeavour not to allow my description, my feeling my way into this delicate subject, become too purple.
I am looking at a photograph of him now, and no, I am not crying, neither am I sad. He was, and is, formidable, holding his swollen uncut member in his hands, swollen by the substantial tube disappearing into it. The tube itself is forked, the part outside his body, I mean. One fork is sealed off with some sort of stopper, the other fork continues into a long plastic tube, snaking off the side of the bed to a slowly filling bag. I presume the second forked, and stoppered, tube is for ingress, for whatever drugs might be needed to facilitate the body’s acceptance of this intrusion, perhaps some anaesthetising agent.
Mark is wonderfully alert, obviously talking to me, but, for the most part, I can’t remember what he was saying. I suspect he was just getting on with being very much alive, and he was letting me record it. I guess that it might have been at that point that I asked him if he would like me to get him some disposable cameras. I knew the answer before I asked.
He was still handsome, thin but handsome, with a fashionable goatee beard thing, just on his chin, in the middle of his otherwise cleanly-shaven face. I would guess that he was around 34 at the time. We didn’t really discuss age and birthdays.
Come to think of it, it was about one year after I had my first New York exhibition ‘Saints and Survivors in a Time of Plague’. I showed 6 or 8 of the ikons in that show, and ‘The Sodomy Piece’. If my memory serves me rightly, Kelly, one of the ‘ikon’ sitters, introduced me to Mark, and this was how I ended up sitting by his very entertaining bedside. I know, a strange descriptor for that type of vigil, but Mark was full on. I know, ‘ikons’ as opposed to icons, and survivor is missing its ‘u’, but hey, I was American too. Both Rack and Ruin, our titular duo are both represented in these ikons, with perhaps 40 other ‘saints’ and some survivors, even.
Mark died 3 weeks later, and left me the disposable cameras, with his last images.
I still have them.
An Open Beaver
Ray: I know you don’t need me, or anyone else, to say this but, Ruin, you’ve done great! And of course far more than great.
Ruin: I am not very confident about it, but I am doing it anyway. We get as far as we get.
You too.
Thank you for saying that. I got your message just as I was going to bed. Yes, to your list above...No interest in (sex, alcohol, travel, parties, people)...I am there too, completely. The rest is extra, though I have said that before. I am still planning to write until I drop, for no other reason other than I enjoy it, and it explains things to oneself.
I needed the musk of aging male. That wasn't a choice either, just a happenstance, debatably imprinted during the abuse, but more likely there from the beginning, that missing father stuff. Yes, we are doomed (doomed I tell you, doomed, intoned as a comic aside), that has never been not so, from the beginning of time, and will never be any different. Everything dies, get over it. It’s that universal story to do with what it means to be mortal, and no bloody big deal, whilst being at the same time, for us, the biggest deal of all.
Vermeer, Klimt, Grünewald, all great describers in their own time. I am only interested in the now of Putin, Covid and the rest of the sorry travesty (all of which I love, go figure). The world can sink or blow itself up, I will describe it until I cannot. End of story.
I don't mind being a demented fool, and getting HIV was not a mistake, or a misfortune.
It was a coping mechanism, like everything else. I must say that I am tired of decent good people. Decent good family people, decent good priests and nuns, decent good businessmen and bank managers, decent good 'professionals' and politicians, decent good artists, decent good billionaires. I am most thankful that I never had to take a machine gun to them all, like some poor unfortunates with access to a machine gun license in America, and elsewhere. I am so pleased I only really ever hurt, damaged, 'killed' myself even. That's decency personified in my book.
We did, and are doing, okay, and feck all the begrudgers.
Well then, that's all the hard edges knocked off at last!
Ray: I feel the same way about my whoremongerings. In the post-ménopausique I can see, rationally, that it is sexual exploitation. I was taking advantage of the disadvantaged: poor women in a developing country.
Ruin: The whole world is at it; it's what nature does, red in tooth and claw, and all that cliched stuff. The weak are eaten, that includes everyone, the self even, there is always someone stronger. It's the veneer of dignity and pseudo decency I find offensive, especially that dressed in religion and etiquette, propriety, decency and chivalry.
The Conjoined Origins of Chivalry and the Humble Domestic Can Opener (Photo attached below).
a 'de Selby' classic essay (currently unavailable).
'There's many a slip twixt cup and lip', as the old saying goes.
Ruin: I suspect he might need a can opener to use the urinal.
Seven: Such beautiful lighting for an isolation of desperation. Nobly knelt before the unthought of his decisions. Very much the religious approach and a hilarious reduction of the original taking the knee.
Ruin: and this was years, verily centuries, before the advent of the electric can-opener too.
Of course, the knights and Samurai of yore, or whatever local military brute force available, would build chivalrous systems based on manners and church-sanctioned decency. They could afford it through the patronage of the top, vicious, dogs, who themselves had evolved through combining brute force with intelligence. It’s evolution at work, that survival of the fittest, nothing noble about it, except in the same idea that defines the ‘Noble gasses’ in the periodic table. They are a chemical fluke that created a class system, wholly natural and infinitely exploitable, and exploiting. Of course, I have no problem with this, how could I?
It’s the dressing it all up as ‘decent’ and ‘dignified’, those with ‘manners’ and ‘breeding’ against the ‘Not quite our class, dear’, and then using those ideas as weapons to control. This is partially what I have a problem with. I also know that this story has been told forever, but that’s possibly why it needs to be told, continuously updating it. I don’t think either that humankind is the only facet of everything that tells ‘stories’. The entirety of everything does, it’s about consciousness. I am afraid I am one of those who believe that everything (and non-thing) is conscious, or as the bible says somewhere “The very stones themselves will cry out”. Stories are that ‘crying out’ made manifest.
‘Choice’ would be a fine thing, but in my ‘system’ it doesn’t exist. But you know this already.
Either way, it is the system I am going to use to describe. It’s the same one I used for forty years whilst visually describing, now I want to take that into words. Writing, or making art, is not a choice. They are both compulsions and survival mechanisms. I see this true of everything we do, including murder, suicide, rape and whoremongering. Sometimes we have to quarantine ourselves to control these compulsions. Those of us who don’t have the compulsion to rape and murder are very lucky indeed.
I suspect that empathy grows out of that seedbed, the recognition that we are all capable of the worst atrocities, but by sheer happenstance, and luck, we haven't had to utilise those methods as, what appears to be, our only route for survival. We accidentally, and thankfully, found other ways, in keeping with our natures and conditioning. You gotta luv Darwin.
❤️
That heart was for Charles, not for my statement.
By the way, your name is Ray in the 'book'. I was going to just use 'J', but that, of course, suggests its own name.
Ray: As life wears on, and, on reflection, I have come around to your understanding of the meaning of the word ‘choice’. For example, I have no choice about testosterone withdrawal taking away my libido or interest in sex, just as I had no choice about its onset, aged 12, and everything that arose from that. But I do suspect there are categories of choice/no-choice, and that example of the no-choice effect of hormones on behaviour is but one. As far as choice governs conduct, I know I’d be lying if I said I had no choice about whether or not to have sex with a prostitute: it was always a conscious choice, as was the choice to use condoms, even if the libidinous impulse itself wasn’t. Those choices we *are* responsible for, I think, like it or not. And when it comes to crime and law-breaking, criminal law holds us responsible.
I am very glad that I was fortunate enough to be able to escape marrying someone I don’t love, having children I don’t want, and doing a dead-end job I hate, to keep all that going. I think that is the lot of many heterosexual men. I can see how that might generate resentment and violence. All thanks to the hormones which make all this happen.
Ruin: Yes, to that, but there are other, equally powerful, drivers at work, an infinite number of them, even. I don't see self-quarantining as a 'choice' either, it's a survival mechanism, as is my cuckoo instinct, my moving into already built nests. Anyway, all that is my 'starting point', even if I am wrong.
I am somewhat of a mind with Miro on that one, start with a point (a full stop, even), then take that point for a walk. Start with an idea, erroneous or not (who's right and who is wrong anyway?) and begin to walk it forward.