Understanding Napoli, in Italy.

 

Thiago Jacinto @ 2013

The monastery of Saint Barnabas (or Ayios Barnabas) was a church on the island of Cyprus, located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of Constantia. The site is today within Northern Cyprus and functions as a museum.

 

The original shrine church was founded in the late fifth century, perhaps in 477, when the Emperor Zeno financed the construction of a basilica near the spot where the body of Barnabas was discovered by Archbishop Anthemius. Funding was also provided by local notables. The church had a timber roof and included stoas, gardens, aqueducts, and hostels intended for receiving pilgrims. It may have been expected that pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem might stop in Constantia and visit the shrine. The sixth-century Laudatio Barnabae describes the new tomb of Barnabas as decorated with silver and marble. It also attested the existence of a monastic community living beside the shrine. The relics were eventually moved to the basilica of Saint Epiphanius in Constantia.

 

Two buildings were added to the complex during the reign of Justinian I (527–565) by the next archbishop, Philoxenos, who left a short inscription recording his work. In the late seventh century, the basilica was destroyed during Arab raids.

 

Today, what remains of the original basilica is incorporated in the east end of a newer vaulted basilica of the cross-in-square type, built around 900. The church has three aisles and two flat domes on tall drums. It may have been the residence of the archbishops for a couple centuries after the abandonment of Constantia in the late eighth century.

 

Although the second construction remained standing throughout the centuries and continued function as a pilgrimage church, the continuity of the monastic community, although possible, cannot be demonstrated. Wilbrand of Oldenburg visited the church in the 13th century, noting that the city around it was "destroyed". In 1735, Vasil Grigorovich-Barsky visited the site and drew a sketch of the cloisters, courtyards and outbuildings. The current form of the buildings is a result of work done in 1756 by Archbishop Philotheos. Between 1971 and 1974, the monastery had three monks who made their living by selling honey and painting icons. The monastery was abandoned following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

 

No longer hosting a monastic community, the church today function as a museum of icons. The former cloisters host an archaeological museum with artefacts going back to the neolithic.

 

Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.

 

Northern Cyprus extends from the tip of the Karpass Peninsula in the northeast to Morphou Bay, Cape Kormakitis and its westernmost point, the Kokkina exclave in the west. Its southernmost point is the village of Louroujina. A buffer zone under the control of the United Nations stretches between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the island's largest city and capital of both sides.

 

A coup d'état in 1974, performed as part of an attempt to annex the island to Greece, prompted the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. This resulted in the eviction of much of the north's Greek Cypriot population, the flight of Turkish Cypriots from the south, and the partitioning of the island, leading to a unilateral declaration of independence by the north in 1983. Due to its lack of recognition, Northern Cyprus is heavily dependent on Turkey for economic, political and military support.

 

Attempts to reach a solution to the Cyprus dispute have been unsuccessful. The Turkish Army maintains a large force in Northern Cyprus with the support and approval of the TRNC government, while the Republic of Cyprus, the European Union as a whole, and the international community regard it as an occupation force. This military presence has been denounced in several United Nations Security Council resolutions.

 

Northern Cyprus is a semi-presidential, democratic republic with a cultural heritage incorporating various influences and an economy that is dominated by the services sector. The economy has seen growth through the 2000s and 2010s, with the GNP per capita more than tripling in the 2000s, but is held back by an international embargo due to the official closure of the ports in Northern Cyprus by the Republic of Cyprus. The official language is Turkish, with a distinct local dialect being spoken. The vast majority of the population consists of Sunni Muslims, while religious attitudes are mostly moderate and secular. Northern Cyprus is an observer state of ECO and OIC under the name "Turkish Cypriot State", PACE under the name "Turkish Cypriot Community", and Organization of Turkic States with its own name.

 

Several distinct periods of Cypriot intercommunal violence involving the two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, marked mid-20th century Cyprus. These included the Cyprus Emergency of 1955–59 during British rule, the post-independence Cyprus crisis of 1963–64, and the Cyprus crisis of 1967. Hostilities culminated in the 1974 de facto division of the island along the Green Line following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The region has been relatively peaceful since then, but the Cyprus dispute has continued, with various attempts to solve it diplomatically having been generally unsuccessful.

 

Cyprus, an island lying in the eastern Mediterranean, hosted a population of Greeks and Turks (four-fifths and one-fifth, respectively), who lived under British rule in the late nineteenth-century and the first half of the twentieth-century. Christian Orthodox Church of Cyprus played a prominent political role among the Greek Cypriot community, a privilege that it acquired during the Ottoman Empire with the employment of the millet system, which gave the archbishop an unofficial ethnarch status.

 

The repeated rejections by the British of Greek Cypriot demands for enosis, union with Greece, led to armed resistance, organised by the National Organization of Cypriot Struggle, or EOKA. EOKA, led by the Greek-Cypriot commander George Grivas, systematically targeted British colonial authorities. One of the effects of EOKA's campaign was to alter the Turkish position from demanding full reincorporation into Turkey to a demand for taksim (partition). EOKA's mission and activities caused a "Cretan syndrome" (see Turkish Resistance Organisation) within the Turkish Cypriot community, as its members feared that they would be forced to leave the island in such a case as had been the case with Cretan Turks. As such, they preferred the continuation of British colonial rule and then taksim, the division of the island. Due to the Turkish Cypriots' support for the British, EOKA's leader, Georgios Grivas, declared them to be enemies. The fact that the Turks were a minority was, according to Nihat Erim, to be addressed by the transfer of thousands of Turks from mainland Turkey so that Greek Cypriots would cease to be the majority. When Erim visited Cyprus as the Turkish representative, he was advised by Field Marshal Sir John Harding, the then Governor of Cyprus, that Turkey should send educated Turks to settle in Cyprus.

 

Turkey actively promoted the idea that on the island of Cyprus two distinctive communities existed, and sidestepped its former claim that "the people of Cyprus were all Turkish subjects". In doing so, Turkey's aim to have self-determination of two to-be equal communities in effect led to de jure partition of the island.[citation needed] This could be justified to the international community against the will of the majority Greek population of the island. Dr. Fazil Küçük in 1954 had already proposed Cyprus be divided in two at the 35° parallel.

 

Lindley Dan, from Notre Dame University, spotted the roots of intercommunal violence to different visions among the two communities of Cyprus (enosis for Greek Cypriots, taksim for Turkish Cypriots). Also, Lindlay wrote that "the merging of church, schools/education, and politics in divisive and nationalistic ways" had played a crucial role in creation of havoc in Cyprus' history. Attalides Michael also pointed to the opposing nationalisms as the cause of the Cyprus problem.

 

By the mid-1950's, the "Cyprus is Turkish" party, movement, and slogan gained force in both Cyprus and Turkey. In a 1954 editorial, Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazil Kuchuk expressed the sentiment that the Turkish youth had grown up with the idea that "as soon as Great Britain leaves the island, it will be taken over by the Turks", and that "Turkey cannot tolerate otherwise". This perspective contributed to the willingness of Turkish Cypriots to align themselves with the British, who started recruiting Turkish Cypriots into the police force that patrolled Cyprus to fight EOKA, a Greek Cypriot nationalist organisation that sought to rid the island of British rule.

 

EOKA targeted colonial authorities, including police, but Georgios Grivas, the leader of EOKA, did not initially wish to open up a new front by fighting Turkish Cypriots and reassured them that EOKA would not harm their people. In 1956, some Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence in the spring and summer, but these attacks on policemen were not motivated by the fact that they were Turkish Cypriots.

 

However, in January 1957, Grivas changed his policy as his forces in the mountains became increasingly pressured by the British Crown forces. In order to divert the attention of the Crown forces, EOKA members started to target Turkish Cypriot policemen intentionally in the towns, so that Turkish Cypriots would riot against the Greek Cypriots and the security forces would have to be diverted to the towns to restore order. The killing of a Turkish Cypriot policeman on 19 January, when a power station was bombed, and the injury of three others, provoked three days of intercommunal violence in Nicosia. The two communities targeted each other in reprisals, at least one Greek Cypriot was killed and the British Army was deployed in the streets. Greek Cypriot stores were burned and their neighbourhoods attacked. Following the events, the Greek Cypriot leadership spread the propaganda that the riots had merely been an act of Turkish Cypriot aggression. Such events created chaos and drove the communities apart both in Cyprus and in Turkey.

 

On 22 October 1957 Sir Hugh Mackintosh Foot replaced Sir John Harding as the British Governor of Cyprus. Foot suggested five to seven years of self-government before any final decision. His plan rejected both enosis and taksim. The Turkish Cypriot response to this plan was a series of anti-British demonstrations in Nicosia on 27 and 28 January 1958 rejecting the proposed plan because the plan did not include partition. The British then withdrew the plan.

 

In 1957, Black Gang, a Turkish Cypriot pro-taksim paramilitary organisation, was formed to patrol a Turkish Cypriot enclave, the Tahtakale district of Nicosia, against activities of EOKA. The organisation later attempted to grow into a national scale, but failed to gain public support.

 

By 1958, signs of dissatisfaction with the British increased on both sides, with a group of Turkish Cypriots forming Volkan (later renamed to the Turkish Resistance Organisation) paramilitary group to promote partition and the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as dictated by the Menderes plan. Volkan initially consisted of roughly 100 members, with the stated aim of raising awareness in Turkey of the Cyprus issue and courting military training and support for Turkish Cypriot fighters from the Turkish government.

 

In June 1958, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, was expected to propose a plan to resolve the Cyprus issue. In light of the new development, the Turks rioted in Nicosia to promote the idea that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could not live together and therefore any plan that did not include partition would not be viable. This violence was soon followed by bombing, Greek Cypriot deaths and looting of Greek Cypriot-owned shops and houses. Greek and Turkish Cypriots started to flee mixed population villages where they were a minority in search of safety. This was effectively the beginning of the segregation of the two communities. On 7 June 1958, a bomb exploded at the entrance of the Turkish Embassy in Cyprus. Following the bombing, Turkish Cypriots looted Greek Cypriot properties. On 26 June 1984, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş, admitted on British channel ITV that the bomb was placed by the Turks themselves in order to create tension. On 9 January 1995, Rauf Denktaş repeated his claim to the famous Turkish newspaper Milliyet in Turkey.

 

The crisis reached a climax on 12 June 1958, when eight Greeks, out of an armed group of thirty five arrested by soldiers of the Royal Horse Guards on suspicion of preparing an attack on the Turkish quarter of Skylloura, were killed in a suspected attack by Turkish Cypriot locals, near the village of Geunyeli, having been ordered to walk back to their village of Kondemenos.

 

After the EOKA campaign had begun, the British government successfully began to turn the Cyprus issue from a British colonial problem into a Greek-Turkish issue. British diplomacy exerted backstage influence on the Adnan Menderes government, with the aim of making Turkey active in Cyprus. For the British, the attempt had a twofold objective. The EOKA campaign would be silenced as quickly as possible, and Turkish Cypriots would not side with Greek Cypriots against the British colonial claims over the island, which would thus remain under the British. The Turkish Cypriot leadership visited Menderes to discuss the Cyprus issue. When asked how the Turkish Cypriots should respond to the Greek Cypriot claim of enosis, Menderes replied: "You should go to the British foreign minister and request the status quo be prolonged, Cyprus to remain as a British colony". When the Turkish Cypriots visited the British Foreign Secretary and requested for Cyprus to remain a colony, he replied: "You should not be asking for colonialism at this day and age, you should be asking for Cyprus be returned to Turkey, its former owner".

 

As Turkish Cypriots began to look to Turkey for protection, Greek Cypriots soon understood that enosis was extremely unlikely. The Greek Cypriot leader, Archbishop Makarios III, now set independence for the island as his objective.

 

Britain resolved to solve the dispute by creating an independent Cyprus. In 1959, all involved parties signed the Zurich Agreements: Britain, Turkey, Greece, and the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Makarios and Dr. Fazil Kucuk, respectively. The new constitution drew heavily on the ethnic composition of the island. The President would be a Greek Cypriot, and the Vice-President a Turkish Cypriot with an equal veto. The contribution to the public service would be set at a ratio of 70:30, and the Supreme Court would consist of an equal number of judges from both communities as well as an independent judge who was not Greek, Turkish or British. The Zurich Agreements were supplemented by a number of treaties. The Treaty of Guarantee stated that secession or union with any state was forbidden, and that Greece, Turkey and Britain would be given guarantor status to intervene if that was violated. The Treaty of Alliance allowed for two small Greek and Turkish military contingents to be stationed on the island, and the Treaty of Establishment gave Britain sovereignty over two bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

 

On 15 August 1960, the Colony of Cyprus became fully independent as the Republic of Cyprus. The new republic remained within the Commonwealth of Nations.

 

The new constitution brought dissatisfaction to Greek Cypriots, who felt it to be highly unjust for them for historical, demographic and contributional reasons. Although 80% of the island's population were Greek Cypriots and these indigenous people had lived on the island for thousands of years and paid 94% of taxes, the new constitution was giving the 17% of the population that was Turkish Cypriots, who paid 6% of taxes, around 30% of government jobs and 40% of national security jobs.

 

Within three years tensions between the two communities in administrative affairs began to show. In particular disputes over separate municipalities and taxation created a deadlock in government. A constitutional court ruled in 1963 Makarios had failed to uphold article 173 of the constitution which called for the establishment of separate municipalities for Turkish Cypriots. Makarios subsequently declared his intention to ignore the judgement, resulting in the West German judge resigning from his position. Makarios proposed thirteen amendments to the constitution, which would have had the effect of resolving most of the issues in the Greek Cypriot favour. Under the proposals, the President and Vice-President would lose their veto, the separate municipalities as sought after by the Turkish Cypriots would be abandoned, the need for separate majorities by both communities in passing legislation would be discarded and the civil service contribution would be set at actual population ratios (82:18) instead of the slightly higher figure for Turkish Cypriots.

 

The intention behind the amendments has long been called into question. The Akritas plan, written in the height of the constitutional dispute by the Greek Cypriot interior minister Polycarpos Georkadjis, called for the removal of undesirable elements of the constitution so as to allow power-sharing to work. The plan envisaged a swift retaliatory attack on Turkish Cypriot strongholds should Turkish Cypriots resort to violence to resist the measures, stating "In the event of a planned or staged Turkish attack, it is imperative to overcome it by force in the shortest possible time, because if we succeed in gaining command of the situation (in one or two days), no outside, intervention would be either justified or possible." Whether Makarios's proposals were part of the Akritas plan is unclear, however it remains that sentiment towards enosis had not completely disappeared with independence. Makarios described independence as "a step on the road to enosis".[31] Preparations for conflict were not entirely absent from Turkish Cypriots either, with right wing elements still believing taksim (partition) the best safeguard against enosis.

 

Greek Cypriots however believe the amendments were a necessity stemming from a perceived attempt by Turkish Cypriots to frustrate the working of government. Turkish Cypriots saw it as a means to reduce their status within the state from one of co-founder to that of minority, seeing it as a first step towards enosis. The security situation deteriorated rapidly.

 

Main articles: Bloody Christmas (1963) and Battle of Tillyria

An armed conflict was triggered after December 21, 1963, a period remembered by Turkish Cypriots as Bloody Christmas, when a Greek Cypriot policemen that had been called to help deal with a taxi driver refusing officers already on the scene access to check the identification documents of his customers, took out his gun upon arrival and shot and killed the taxi driver and his partner. Eric Solsten summarised the events as follows: "a Greek Cypriot police patrol, ostensibly checking identification documents, stopped a Turkish Cypriot couple on the edge of the Turkish quarter. A hostile crowd gathered, shots were fired, and two Turkish Cypriots were killed."

 

In the morning after the shooting, crowds gathered in protest in Northern Nicosia, likely encouraged by the TMT, without incident. On the evening of the 22nd, gunfire broke out, communication lines to the Turkish neighbourhoods were cut, and the Greek Cypriot police occupied the nearby airport. On the 23rd, a ceasefire was negotiated, but did not hold. Fighting, including automatic weapons fire, between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and militias increased in Nicosia and Larnaca. A force of Greek Cypriot irregulars led by Nikos Sampson entered the Nicosia suburb of Omorphita and engaged in heavy firing on armed, as well as by some accounts unarmed, Turkish Cypriots. The Omorphita clash has been described by Turkish Cypriots as a massacre, while this view has generally not been acknowledged by Greek Cypriots.

 

Further ceasefires were arranged between the two sides, but also failed. By Christmas Eve, the 24th, Britain, Greece, and Turkey had joined talks, with all sides calling for a truce. On Christmas day, Turkish fighter jets overflew Nicosia in a show of support. Finally it was agreed to allow a force of 2,700 British soldiers to help enforce a ceasefire. In the next days, a "buffer zone" was created in Nicosia, and a British officer marked a line on a map with green ink, separating the two sides of the city, which was the beginning of the "Green Line". Fighting continued across the island for the next several weeks.

 

In total 364 Turkish Cypriots and 174 Greek Cypriots were killed during the violence. 25,000 Turkish Cypriots from 103-109 villages fled and were displaced into enclaves and thousands of Turkish Cypriot houses were ransacked or completely destroyed.

 

Contemporary newspapers also reported on the forceful exodus of the Turkish Cypriots from their homes. According to The Times in 1964, threats, shootings and attempts of arson were committed against the Turkish Cypriots to force them out of their homes. The Daily Express wrote that "25,000 Turks have already been forced to leave their homes". The Guardian reported a massacre of Turks at Limassol on 16 February 1964.

 

Turkey had by now readied its fleet and its fighter jets appeared over Nicosia. Turkey was dissuaded from direct involvement by the creation of a United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in 1964. Despite the negotiated ceasefire in Nicosia, attacks on the Turkish Cypriot persisted, particularly in Limassol. Concerned about the possibility of a Turkish invasion, Makarios undertook the creation of a Greek Cypriot conscript-based army called the "National Guard". A general from Greece took charge of the army, whilst a further 20,000 well-equipped officers and men were smuggled from Greece into Cyprus. Turkey threatened to intervene once more, but was prevented by a strongly worded letter from the American President Lyndon B. Johnson, anxious to avoid a conflict between NATO allies Greece and Turkey at the height of the Cold War.

 

Turkish Cypriots had by now established an important bridgehead at Kokkina, provided with arms, volunteers and materials from Turkey and abroad. Seeing this incursion of foreign weapons and troops as a major threat, the Cypriot government invited George Grivas to return from Greece as commander of the Greek troops on the island and launch a major attack on the bridgehead. Turkey retaliated by dispatching its fighter jets to bomb Greek positions, causing Makarios to threaten an attack on every Turkish Cypriot village on the island if the bombings did not cease. The conflict had now drawn in Greece and Turkey, with both countries amassing troops on their Thracian borders. Efforts at mediation by Dean Acheson, a former U.S. Secretary of State, and UN-appointed mediator Galo Plaza had failed, all the while the division of the two communities becoming more apparent. Greek Cypriot forces were estimated at some 30,000, including the National Guard and the large contingent from Greece. Defending the Turkish Cypriot enclaves was a force of approximately 5,000 irregulars, led by a Turkish colonel, but lacking the equipment and organisation of the Greek forces.

 

The Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1964, U Thant, reported the damage during the conflicts:

 

UNFICYP carried out a detailed survey of all damage to properties throughout the island during the disturbances; it shows that in 109 villages, most of them Turkish-Cypriot or mixed villages, 527 houses have been destroyed while 2,000 others have suffered damage from looting.

 

The situation worsened in 1967, when a military junta overthrew the democratically elected government of Greece, and began applying pressure on Makarios to achieve enosis. Makarios, not wishing to become part of a military dictatorship or trigger a Turkish invasion, began to distance himself from the goal of enosis. This caused tensions with the junta in Greece as well as George Grivas in Cyprus. Grivas's control over the National Guard and Greek contingent was seen as a threat to Makarios's position, who now feared a possible coup.[citation needed] The National Guard and Cyprus Police began patrolling the Turkish Cypriot enclaves of Ayios Theodoros and Kophinou, and on November 15 engaged in heavy fighting with the Turkish Cypriots.

 

By the time of his withdrawal 26 Turkish Cypriots had been killed. Turkey replied with an ultimatum demanding that Grivas be removed from the island, that the troops smuggled from Greece in excess of the limits of the Treaty of Alliance be removed, and that the economic blockades on the Turkish Cypriot enclaves be lifted. Grivas was recalled by the Athens Junta and the 12,000 Greek troops were withdrawn. Makarios now attempted to consolidate his position by reducing the number of National Guard troops, and by creating a paramilitary force loyal to Cypriot independence. In 1968, acknowledging that enosis was now all but impossible, Makarios stated, "A solution by necessity must be sought within the limits of what is feasible which does not always coincide with the limits of what is desirable."

 

After 1967 tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots subsided. Instead, the main source of tension on the island came from factions within the Greek Cypriot community. Although Makarios had effectively abandoned enosis in favour of an 'attainable solution', many others continued to believe that the only legitimate political aspiration for Greek Cypriots was union with Greece.

 

On his arrival, Grivas began by establishing a nationalist paramilitary group known as the National Organization of Cypriot Fighters (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston B or EOKA-B), drawing comparisons with the EOKA struggle for enosis under the British colonial administration of the 1950s.

 

The military junta in Athens saw Makarios as an obstacle. Makarios's failure to disband the National Guard, whose officer class was dominated by mainland Greeks, had meant the junta had practical control over the Cypriot military establishment, leaving Makarios isolated and a vulnerable target.

 

During the first Turkish invasion, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus territory on 20 July 1974, invoking its rights under the Treaty of Guarantee. This expansion of Turkish-occupied zone violated International Law as well as the Charter of the United Nations. Turkish troops managed to capture 3% of the island which was accompanied by the burning of the Turkish Cypriot quarter, as well as the raping and killing of women and children. A temporary cease-fire followed which was mitigated by the UN Security Council. Subsequently, the Greek military Junta collapsed on July 23, 1974, and peace talks commenced in which a democratic government was installed. The Resolution 353 was broken after Turkey attacked a second time and managed to get a hold of 37% of Cyprus territory. The Island of Cyprus was appointed a Buffer Zone by the United Nations, which divided the island into two zones through the 'Green Line' and put an end to the Turkish invasion. Although Turkey announced that the occupied areas of Cyprus to be called the Federated Turkish State in 1975, it is not legitimised on a worldwide political scale. The United Nations called for the international recognition of independence for the Republic of Cyprus in the Security Council Resolution 367.

 

In the years after the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus one can observe a history of failed talks between the two parties. The 1983 declaration of the independent Turkish Republic of Cyprus resulted in a rise of inter-communal tensions and made it increasingly hard to find mutual understanding. With Cyprus' interest of a possible EU membership and a new UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 1997 new hopes arose for a fresh start. International involvement from sides of the US and UK, wanting a solution to the Cyprus dispute prior to the EU accession led to political pressures for new talks. The believe that an accession without a solution would threaten Greek-Turkish relations and acknowledge the partition of the island would direct the coming negotiations.

 

Over the course of two years a concrete plan, the Annan plan was formulated. In 2004 the fifth version agreed upon from both sides and with the endorsement of Turkey, US, UK and EU then was presented to the public and was given a referendum in both Cypriot communities to assure the legitimisation of the resolution. The Turkish Cypriots voted with 65% for the plan, however the Greek Cypriots voted with a 76% majority against. The Annan plan contained multiple important topics. Firstly it established a confederation of two separate states called the United Cyprus Republic. Both communities would have autonomous states combined under one unified government. The members of parliament would be chosen according to the percentage in population numbers to ensure a just involvement from both communities. The paper proposed a demilitarisation of the island over the next years. Furthermore it agreed upon a number of 45000 Turkish settlers that could remain on the island. These settlers became a very important issue concerning peace talks. Originally the Turkish government encouraged Turks to settle in Cyprus providing transfer and property, to establish a counterpart to the Greek Cypriot population due to their 1 to 5 minority. With the economic situation many Turkish-Cypriot decided to leave the island, however their departure is made up by incoming Turkish settlers leaving the population ratio between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots stable. However all these points where criticised and as seen in the vote rejected mainly by the Greek Cypriots. These name the dissolution of the „Republic of Cyprus", economic consequences of a reunion and the remaining Turkish settlers as reason. Many claim that the plan was indeed drawing more from Turkish-Cypriot demands then Greek-Cypriot interests. Taking in consideration that the US wanted to keep Turkey as a strategic partner in future Middle Eastern conflicts.

 

A week after the failed referendum the Republic of Cyprus joined the EU. In multiple instances the EU tried to promote trade with Northern Cyprus but without internationally recognised ports this spiked a grand debate. Both side endure their intention of negotiations, however without the prospect of any new compromises or agreements the UN is unwilling to start the process again. Since 2004 negotiations took place in numbers but without any results, both sides are strongly holding on to their position without an agreeable solution in sight that would suit both parties.

Merton begins this transitional section by clearly indicating that while vows are an essential element of religious profession, they are not the only or even the most important dimension of that profession. First in significance is the commitment to ongoing conversion, to “putting on” Christ, to following Christ, to sharing in the mystery of Christ. Then comes incorporation into the religious community, to be understood not just in a juridical context, as a contractual arrangement, but as participation in a supernatural family that is a manifestation of Trinitarian mutual love. “In this society of love,” Merton writes, “what matters is not the assertion of rights and the enforcement of obligations, but mutual trust and love” (157), which should then radiate out from the community to embrace the entire Church. Without this family spirit, religious life is reduced to “organized hypocrisy” (158). Consecration to God by vow is thus “but the third in importance of the three essential elements of religious profession” (158).

 

Merton then goes on to consider the nature of religious profession in general and of making vows in particular from both canonical and theological perspectives. The validity of profession depends on the fulfillment of various external factors (age, valid novitiate, explicit public declaration, etc.) but most fundamentally on free and full consent. The theological foundation of profession, traced through the successive diverse acts that constitute consent according to Thomistic analysis, is the will to obligate oneself, the free decision of the entire person, involving intelligence, senses and emotions, and the will. Thus to make a vow is not to renounce one’s freedom but to exercise it in an act of worship, the definitive offering of oneself to God. “Only to such a One can we give our liberty without debasing it. Only to such a One can we give our liberty and become yet more free by doing so” (185).

 

-The life of the vows : initiation into the monastic tradition 6 / by Thomas Merton ; edited with an introduction by Patrick F. O’Connell ; preface by Augustine Roberts.

 

In monotheism, God is conceived of as the Supreme Being and principal object of faith.[3] The concept of God as described by most theologians includes the attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), divine simplicity, and as having an eternal and necessary existence. Many theologians also describe God as being omnibenevolent (perfectly good), and all loving.

 

God is most often held to be non-corporeal,[3] and to be without any human biological sex,[4][5] yet the concept of God actively creating the universe (as opposed to passively)[6] has caused many religions to describe God using masculine terminology, using such terms as "Him" or "Father". Furthermore, some religions (such as Judaism) attribute only a purely grammatical "gender" to God.[7]

 

In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, God is not believed to exist, while God is deemed unknown or unknowable within the context of agnosticism. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God.[8]

 

There are many names for God, and different names are attached to different cultural ideas about God's identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten,[9] premised on being the one "true" Supreme Being and Creator of the Universe.[10] In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, "He Who Is", "I Am that I Am", and the tetragrammaton YHWH (Hebrew: יהוה‎‎, which means: "I am who I am"; "He Who Exists") are used as names of God, while Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used in Christianity as vocalizations of YHWH. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, consubstantial in three persons, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Judaism, it is common to refer to God by the titular names Elohim or Adonai, the latter of which is believed by some scholars to descend from the Egyptian Aten.[11][12][13][14][15] In Islam, the name Allah, "Al-El", or "Al-Elah" ("the God") is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God. In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a monistic deity.[16] Other religions have names for God, for instance, Baha in the Bahá'í Faith,[17] Waheguru in Sikhism,[18] and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.[19]

 

The many different conceptions of God, and competing claims as to God's characteristics, aims, and actions, have led to the development of ideas of omnitheism, pandeism,[20][21] or a perennial philosophy, which postulates that there is one underlying theological truth, of which all religions express a partial understanding, and as to which "the devout in the various great world religions are in fact worshipping that one God, but through different, overlapping concepts or mental images of Him."[22]

 

Contents [hide]

1Etymology and usage

2General conceptions

2.1Oneness

2.2Theism, deism and pantheism

2.3Other concepts

3Non-theistic views

3.1Agnosticism and atheism

3.2Anthropomorphism

4Existence

5Specific attributes

5.1Names

5.2Gender

5.3Relationship with creation

6Depiction

6.1Zoroastrianism

6.2Islam

6.3Judaism

6.4Christianity

7Theological approaches

8Distribution of belief

9See also

9.1In specific religions

10References

11Further reading

12External links

Etymology and usage

 

The Mesha Stele bears the earliest known reference (840 BCE) to the Israelite God Yahweh.

Main article: God (word)

The earliest written form of the Germanic word God (always, in this usage, capitalized[23]) comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic * ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form * ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root * ǵhau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke".[24] The Germanic words for God were originally neuter—applying to both genders—but during the process of the Christianization of the Germanic peoples from their indigenous Germanic paganism, the words became a masculine syntactic form.[25]

  

The word 'Allah' in Arabic calligraphy

In the English language, the capitalized form of God continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic "God" and "gods" in polytheism.[26][27] The English word God and its counterparts in other languages are normally used for any and all conceptions and, in spite of significant differences between religions, the term remains an English translation common to all. The same holds for Hebrew El, but in Judaism, God is also given a proper name, the tetragrammaton YHWH, in origin possibly the name of an Edomite or Midianite deity, Yahweh. In many translations of the Bible, when the word LORD is in all capitals, it signifies that the word represents the tetragrammaton.[28]

 

Allāh (Arabic: الله‎‎) is the Arabic term with no plural used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews meaning "The God" (with a capital G), while "ʾilāh" (Arabic: إله‎‎) is the term used for a deity or a god in general.[29][30][31] God may also be given a proper name in monotheistic currents of Hinduism which emphasize the personal nature of God, with early references to his name as Krishna-Vasudeva in Bhagavata or later Vishnu and Hari.[32]

 

Ahura Mazda is the name for God used in Zoroastrianism. "Mazda", or rather the Avestan stem-form Mazdā-, nominative Mazdå, reflects Proto-Iranian *Mazdāh (female). It is generally taken to be the proper name of the spirit, and like its Sanskrit cognate medhā, means "intelligence" or "wisdom". Both the Avestan and Sanskrit words reflect Proto-Indo-Iranian *mazdhā-, from Proto-Indo-European mn̩sdʰeh1, literally meaning "placing (dʰeh1) one's mind (*mn̩-s)", hence "wise".[33]

 

Waheguru (Punjabi: vāhigurū) is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God. It means "Wonderful Teacher" in the Punjabi language. Vāhi (a Middle Persian borrowing) means "wonderful" and guru (Sanskrit: guru) is a term denoting "teacher". Waheguru is also described by some as an experience of ecstasy which is beyond all descriptions. The most common usage of the word "Waheguru" is in the greeting Sikhs use with each other:

 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Wonderful Lord's Khalsa, Victory is to the Wonderful Lord.

Baha, the "greatest" name for God in the Baha'i faith, is Arabic for "All-Glorious".

 

General conceptions

Main article: Conceptions of God

There is no clear consensus on the nature or even the existence of God.[34] The Abrahamic conceptions of God include the monotheistic definition of God in Judaism, the trinitarian view of Christians, and the Islamic concept of God. The dharmic religions differ in their view of the divine: views of God in Hinduism vary by region, sect, and caste, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic. Divinity was recognized by the historical Buddha, particularly Śakra and Brahma. However, other sentient beings, including gods, can at best only play a supportive role in one's personal path to salvation. Conceptions of God in the latter developments of the Mahayana tradition give a more prominent place to notions of the divine.[citation needed]

 

Oneness

Main articles: Monotheism and Henotheism

 

The Trinity is the belief that God is composed of The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically in the physical realm by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.

Monotheists hold that there is only one god, and may claim that the one true god is worshiped in different religions under different names. The view that all theists actually worship the same god, whether they know it or not, is especially emphasized in Hinduism[35] and Sikhism.[36] In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity describes God as one God in three persons. The Trinity comprises The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.[37] Islam's most fundamental concept is tawhid (meaning "oneness" or "uniqueness"). God is described in the Quran as: "Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."[38][39] Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of his creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, and are not expected to visualize God.[40]

 

Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities.[41]

 

Theism, deism and pantheism

Main articles: Theism, Deism, and Pantheism

Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans.[42] Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and in some way present in the affairs of the world.[43] Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them (see, by way of comparison, family resemblance).[42] Catholic theology holds that God is infinitely simple and is not involuntarily subject to time. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, asserts that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.[44][45]

  

"God blessing the seventh day", a watercolor painting depicting God, by William Blake (1757 – 1827)

Deism holds that God is wholly transcendent: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it.[43] In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism and Panendeism, respectively, combine Deism with the Pantheistic or Panentheistic beliefs.[21][46][47] Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it,[48] and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.[48][49]

 

Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe.[50] It is also the view of the Liberal Catholic Church; Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.[citation needed]

 

Other concepts

Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil. One such example comes from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, in which Ivan Karamazov rejects God on the grounds that he allows children to suffer.[51]

 

In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.[52]

 

God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides,[53] Augustine of Hippo,[53] and Al-Ghazali,[8] respectively.

 

Non-theistic views

See also: Evolutionary origin of religions and Evolutionary psychology of religion

Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation";[54] he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.[55]

 

Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference."[56] Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.[57]

 

Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.[58] Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]

 

Agnosticism and atheism

Agnosticism is the view that, the truth values of certain claims – especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable.[60][61][62]

 

Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities, or a God.[63][64] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[65]

 

Anthropomorphism

Main article: Anthropomorphism

Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems.[66] Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries.[67] Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.[68]

 

Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.[69]

 

Existence

Main article: Existence of God

 

St. Thomas Aquinas summed up five main arguments as proofs for God's existence.

 

Isaac Newton saw the existence of a Creator necessary in the movement of astronomical objects.

Arguments about the existence of God typically include empirical, deductive, and inductive types. Different views include that: "God does not exist" (strong atheism); "God almost certainly does not exist" (de facto atheism); "no one knows whether God exists" (agnosticism[70]);"God exists, but this cannot be proven or disproven" (de facto theism); and that "God exists and this can be proven" (strong theism).[55]

 

Countless arguments have been proposed to prove the existence of God.[71] Some of the most notable arguments are the Five Ways of Aquinas, the Argument from Desire proposed by C.S. Lewis, and the Ontological Argument formulated both by St. Anselm and René Descartes.[72]

 

St. Anselm's approach was to define God as, "that than which nothing greater can be conceived". Famed pantheist philosopher Baruch Spinoza would later carry this idea to its extreme: "By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of infinite attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence." For Spinoza, the whole of the natural universe is made of one substance, God, or its equivalent, Nature.[73] His proof for the existence of God was a variation of the Ontological argument.[74]

 

Scientist Isaac Newton saw God as the masterful creator whose existence could not be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation.[75] Nevertheless, he rejected polymath Leibniz' thesis that God would necessarily make a perfect world which requires no intervention from the creator. In Query 31 of the Opticks, Newton simultaneously made an argument from design and for the necessity of intervention:

 

For while comets move in very eccentric orbs in all manner of positions, blind fate could never make all the planets move one and the same way in orbs concentric, some inconsiderable irregularities excepted which may have arisen from the mutual actions of comets and planets on one another, and which will be apt to increase, till this system wants a reformation.[76]

 

St. Thomas believed that the existence of God is self-evident in itself, but not to us. "Therefore I say that this proposition, "God exists", of itself is self-evident, for the predicate is the same as the subject.... Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature—namely, by effects."[77] St. Thomas believed that the existence of God can be demonstrated. Briefly in the Summa theologiae and more extensively in the Summa contra Gentiles, he considered in great detail five arguments for the existence of God, widely known as the quinque viae (Five Ways).

 

For the original text of the five proofs, see quinque viae

Motion: Some things undoubtedly move, though cannot cause their own motion. Since there can be no infinite chain of causes of motion, there must be a First Mover not moved by anything else, and this is what everyone understands by God.

Causation: As in the case of motion, nothing can cause itself, and an infinite chain of causation is impossible, so there must be a First Cause, called God.

Existence of necessary and the unnecessary: Our experience includes things certainly existing but apparently unnecessary. Not everything can be unnecessary, for then once there was nothing and there would still be nothing. Therefore, we are compelled to suppose something that exists necessarily, having this necessity only from itself; in fact itself the cause for other things to exist.

Gradation: If we can notice a gradation in things in the sense that some things are more hot, good, etc., there must be a superlative that is the truest and noblest thing, and so most fully existing. This then, we call God (Note: Thomas does not ascribe actual qualities to God Himself).

Ordered tendencies of nature: A direction of actions to an end is noticed in all bodies following natural laws. Anything without awareness tends to a goal under the guidance of one who is aware. This we call God (Note that even when we guide objects, in Thomas's view, the source of all our knowledge comes from God as well).[78]

 

Alister McGrath, a formerly atheistic scientist and theologian who has been highly critical of Richard Dawkins' version of atheism

Some theologians, such as the scientist and theologian A.E. McGrath, argue that the existence of God is not a question that can be answered using the scientific method.[79][80] Agnostic Stephen Jay Gould argues that science and religion are not in conflict and do not overlap.[81]

 

Some findings in the fields of cosmology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience are interpreted by some atheists (including Lawrence M. Krauss and Sam Harris) as evidence that God is an imaginary entity only, with no basis in reality.[82][83][84] These atheists claim that a single, omniscient God who is imagined to have created the universe and is particularly attentive to the lives of humans has been imagined, embellished and promulgated in a trans-generational manner.[85] Richard Dawkins interprets such findings not only as a lack of evidence for the material existence of such a God, but as extensive evidence to the contrary.[55] However, his views are opposed by some theologians and scientists including Alister McGrath, who argues that existence of God is compatible with science.[86]

 

Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]

 

Specific attributes

Different religious traditions assign differing (though often similar) attributes and characteristics to God, including expansive powers and abilities, psychological characteristics, gender characteristics, and preferred nomenclature. The assignment of these attributes often differs according to the conceptions of God in the culture from which they arise. For example, attributes of God in Christianity, attributes of God in Islam, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Judaism share certain similarities arising from their common roots.

 

Names

Main article: Names of God

 

99 names of Allah, in Chinese Sini (script)

The word God is "one of the most complex and difficult in the English language." In the Judeo-Christian tradition, "the Bible has been the principal source of the conceptions of God". That the Bible "includes many different images, concepts, and ways of thinking about" God has resulted in perpetual "disagreements about how God is to be conceived and understood".[87]

 

Throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles there are many names for God. One of them is Elohim. Another one is El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty".[88] A third notable name is El Elyon, which means "The Most High God".[89]

 

God is described and referred in the Quran and hadith by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning "Most Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam).[90]

  

Supreme soul

The Brahma Kumaris use the term "Supreme Soul" to refer to God. They see God as incorporeal and eternal, and regard him as a point of living light like human souls, but without a physical body, as he does not enter the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. God is seen as the perfect and constant embodiment of all virtues, powers and values and that He is the unconditionally loving Father of all souls, irrespective of their religion, gender, or culture.[91]

 

Vaishnavism, a tradition in Hinduism, has list of titles and names of Krishna.

 

Gender

Main article: Gender of God

The gender of God may be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity who, in classical western philosophy, transcends bodily form.[92][93] Polytheistic religions commonly attribute to each of the gods a gender, allowing each to interact with any of the others, and perhaps with humans, sexually. In most monotheistic religions, God has no counterpart with which to relate sexually. Thus, in classical western philosophy the gender of this one-and-only deity is most likely to be an analogical statement of how humans and God address, and relate to, each other. Namely, God is seen as begetter of the world and revelation which corresponds to the active (as opposed to the receptive) role in sexual intercourse.[6]

 

Biblical sources usually refer to God using male words, except Genesis 1:26-27,[94][95] Psalm 123:2-3, and Luke 15:8-10 (female); Hosea 11:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 66:13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 42:14, Psalm 131:2 (a mother); Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (a mother eagle); and Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 (a mother hen).

 

Relationship with creation

See also: Creator deity, Prayer, and Worship

 

And Elohim Created Adam by William Blake, c.1795

Prayer plays a significant role among many believers. Muslims believe that the purpose of existence is to worship God.[96][97] He is viewed as a personal God and there are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God. Prayer often also includes supplication and asking forgiveness. God is often believed to be forgiving. For example, a hadith states God would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked repentance.[98] Christian theologian Alister McGrath writes that there are good reasons to suggest that a "personal god" is integral to the Christian outlook, but that one has to understand it is an analogy. "To say that God is like a person is to affirm the divine ability and willingness to relate to others. This does not imply that God is human, or located at a specific point in the universe."[99]

 

Adherents of different religions generally disagree as to how to best worship God and what is God's plan for mankind, if there is one. There are different approaches to reconciling the contradictory claims of monotheistic religions. One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one's religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from different religions. An example of syncretism is the New Age movement.

 

Jews and Christians believe that humans are created in the likeness of God, and are the center, crown and key to God's creation, stewards for God, supreme over everything else God had made (Gen 1:26); for this reason, humans are in Christianity called the "Children of God".[100]

 

Depiction

God is defined as incorporeal,[3] and invisible from direct sight, and thus cannot be portrayed in a literal visual image.

 

The respective principles of religions may or may not permit them to use images (which are entirely symbolic) to represent God in art or in worship .

 

Zoroastrianism

 

Ahura Mazda (depiction is on the right, with high crown) presents Ardashir I (left) with the ring of kingship. (Relief at Naqsh-e Rustam, 3rd century CE)

During the early Parthian Empire, Ahura Mazda was visually represented for worship. This practice ended during the beginning of the Sassanid empire. Zoroastrian iconoclasm, which can be traced to the end of the Parthian period and the beginning of the Sassanid, eventually put an end to the use of all images of Ahura Mazda in worship. However, Ahura Mazda continued to be symbolized by a dignified male figure, standing or on horseback which is found in Sassanian investiture.[101]

 

Islam

Further information: God in Islam

Muslims believe that God (Allah) is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, are not expected to visualize God.[40]

 

Judaism

At least some Jews do not use any image for God, since God is the unimageable Being who cannot be represented in material forms.[102] In some samples of Jewish Art, however, sometimes God, or at least His Intervention, is indicated by a Hand Of God symbol, which represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or Voice of God;[103] this use of the Hand Of God is carried over to Christian Art.

 

Christianity

 

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Early Christians believed that the words of the Gospel of John 1:18: "No man has seen God at any time" and numerous other statements were meant to apply not only to God, but to all attempts at the depiction of God.[104]

  

Use of the symbolic Hand of God in the Ascension from the Drogo Sacramentary, c. 850

However, later on the Hand of God symbol is found several times in the only ancient synagogue with a large surviving decorative scheme, the Dura Europos Synagogue of the mid-3rd century, and was probably adopted into Early Christian art from Jewish art. It was common in Late Antique art in both East and West, and remained the main way of symbolizing the actions or approval of God the Father in the West until about the end of the Romanesque period. It also represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or voice of God,[103] just like in Jewish Art.

 

In situations, such as the Baptism of Christ, where a specific representation of God the Father was indicated, the Hand of God was used, with increasing freedom from the Carolingian period until the end of the Romanesque. This motif now, since the discovery of the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue, seems to have been borrowed from Jewish art, and is found in Christian art almost from its beginnings.

 

The use of religious images in general continued to increase up to the end of the 7th century, to the point that in 695, upon assuming the throne, Byzantine emperor Justinian II put an image of Christ on the obverse side of his gold coins, resulting in a rift which ended the use of Byzantine coin types in the Islamic world.[105] However, the increase in religious imagery did not include depictions of God the Father. For instance, while the eighty second canon of the Council of Trullo in 692 did not specifically condemn images of The Father, it suggested that icons of Christ were preferred over Old Testament shadows and figures.[106]

 

The beginning of the 8th century witnessed the suppression and destruction of religious icons as the period of Byzantine iconoclasm (literally image-breaking) started. Emperor Leo III (717–741), suppressed the use of icons by imperial edict of the Byzantine Empire, presumably due to a military loss which he attributed to the undue veneration of icons.[107] The edict (which was issued without consulting the Church) forbade the veneration of religious images but did not apply to other forms of art, including the image of the emperor, or religious symbols such as the cross.[108] Theological arguments against icons then began to appear with iconoclasts arguing that icons could not represent both the divine and the human natures of Jesus at the same time. In this atmosphere, no public depictions of God the Father were even attempted and such depictions only began to appear two centuries later.

 

The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 effectively ended the first period of Byzantine iconoclasm and restored the honouring of icons and holy images in general.[109] However, this did not immediately translate into large scale depictions of God the Father. Even supporters of the use of icons in the 8th century, such as Saint John of Damascus, drew a distinction between images of God the Father and those of Christ.

 

In his treatise On the Divine Images John of Damascus wrote: "In former times, God who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see".[110] The implication here is that insofar as God the Father or the Spirit did not become man, visible and tangible, images and portrait icons can not be depicted. So what was true for the whole Trinity before Christ remains true for the Father and the Spirit but not for the Word. John of Damascus wrote:[111]

 

"If we attempt to make an image of the invisible God, this would be sinful indeed. It is impossible to portray one who is without body:invisible, uncircumscribed and without form."

 

Around 790 Charlemagne ordered a set of four books that became known as the Libri Carolini (i.e. "Charles' books") to refute what his court mistakenly understood to be the iconoclast decrees of the Byzantine Second Council of Nicaea regarding sacred images. Although not well known during the Middle Ages, these books describe the key elements of the Catholic theological position on sacred images. To the Western Church, images were just objects made by craftsmen, to be utilized for stimulating the senses of the faithful, and to be respected for the sake of the subject represented, not in themselves. The Council of Constantinople (869) (considered ecumenical by the Western Church, but not the Eastern Church) reaffirmed the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea and helped stamp out any remaining coals of iconoclasm. Specifically, its third canon required the image of Christ to have veneration equal with that of a Gospel book:[112]

 

We decree that the sacred image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the liberator and Savior of all people, must be venerated with the same honor as is given the book of the holy Gospels. For as through the language of the words contained in this book all can reach salvation, so, due to the action which these images exercise by their colors, all wise and simple alike, can derive profit from them.

 

But images of God the Father were not directly addressed in Constantinople in 869. A list of permitted icons was enumerated at this Council, but symbols of God the Father were not among them.[113] However, the general acceptance of icons and holy images began to create an atmosphere in which God the Father could be symbolized.

 

Prior to the 10th century no attempt was made to use a human to symbolize God the Father in Western art.[104] Yet, Western art eventually required some way to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for symbolizing the Father using a man gradually emerged around the 10th century AD. A rationale for the use of a human is the belief that God created the soul of Man in the image of His own (thus allowing Human to transcend the other animals).

 

It appears that when early artists designed to represent God the Father, fear and awe restrained them from a usage of the whole human figure. Typically only a small part would be used as the image, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely a whole human. In many images, the figure of the Son supplants the Father, so a smaller portion of the person of the Father is depicted.[114]

 

By the 12th century depictions of God the Father had started to appear in French illuminated manuscripts, which as a less public form could often be more adventurous in their iconography, and in stained glass church windows in England. Initially the head or bust was usually shown in some form of frame of clouds in the top of the picture space, where the Hand of God had formerly appeared; the Baptism of Christ on the famous baptismal font in Liège of Rainer of Huy is an example from 1118 (a Hand of God is used in another scene). Gradually the amount of the human symbol shown can increase to a half-length figure, then a full-length, usually enthroned, as in Giotto's fresco of c. 1305 in Padua.[115] In the 14th century the Naples Bible carried a depiction of God the Father in the Burning bush. By the early 15th century, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry has a considerable number of symbols, including an elderly but tall and elegant full-length figure walking in the Garden of Eden, which show a considerable diversity of apparent ages and dress. The "Gates of Paradise" of the Florence Baptistry by Lorenzo Ghiberti, begun in 1425 use a similar tall full-length symbol for the Father. The Rohan Book of Hours of about 1430 also included depictions of God the Father in half-length human form, which were now becoming standard, and the Hand of God becoming rarer. At the same period other works, like the large Genesis altarpiece by the Hamburg painter Meister Bertram, continued to use the old depiction of Christ as Logos in Genesis scenes. In the 15th century there was a brief fashion for depicting all three persons of the Trinity as similar or identical figures with the usual appearance of Christ.

 

In an early Venetian school Coronation of the Virgin by Giovanni d'Alemagna and Antonio Vivarini, (c. 1443) The Father is depicted using the symbol consistently used by other artists later, namely a patriarch, with benign, yet powerful countenance and with long white hair and a beard, a depiction largely derived from, and justified by, the near-physical, but still figurative, description of the Ancient of Days.[116]

 

. ...the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Daniel 7:9)

  

Usage of two Hands of God"(relatively unusual) and the Holy Spirit as a dove in Baptism of Christ, by Verrocchio, 1472

In the Annunciation by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470, God the Father is portrayed in the red robe and a hat that resembles that of a Cardinal. However, even in the later part of the 15th century, the symbolic representation of the Father and the Holy Spirit as "hands and dove" continued, e.g. in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ in 1472.[117]

  

God the Father with His Right Hand Raised in Blessing, with a triangular halo representing the Trinity, Girolamo dai Libri c. 1555

In Renaissance paintings of the adoration of the Trinity, God may be depicted in two ways, either with emphasis on The Father, or the three elements of the Trinity. The most usual depiction of the Trinity in Renaissance art depicts God the Father using an old man, usually with a long beard and patriarchal in appearance, sometimes with a triangular halo (as a reference to the Trinity), or with a papal crown, specially in Northern Renaissance painting. In these depictions The Father may hold a globe or book (to symbolize God's knowledge and as a reference to how knowledge is deemed divine). He is behind and above Christ on the Cross in the Throne of Mercy iconography. A dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit may hover above. Various people from different classes of society, e.g. kings, popes or martyrs may be present in the picture. In a Trinitarian Pietà, God the Father is often symbolized using a man wearing a papal dress and a papal crown, supporting the dead Christ in his arms. They are depicted as floating in heaven with angels who carry the instruments of the Passion.[118]

 

Representations of God the Father and the Trinity were attacked both by Protestants and within Catholicism, by the Jansenist and Baianist movements as well as more orthodox theologians. As with other attacks on Catholic imagery, this had the effect both of reducing Church support for the less central depictions, and strengthening it for the core ones. In the Western Church, the pressure to restrain religious imagery resulted in the highly influential decrees of the final session of the Council of Trent in 1563. The Council of Trent decrees confirmed the traditional Catholic doctrine that images only represented the person depicted, and that veneration to them was paid to the person, not the image.[119]

 

Artistic depictions of God the Father were uncontroversial in Catholic art thereafter, but less common depictions of the Trinity were condemned. In 1745 Pope Benedict XIV explicitly supported the Throne of Mercy depiction, referring to the "Ancient of Days", but in 1786 it was still necessary for Pope Pius VI to issue a papal bull condemning the decision of an Italian church council to remove all images of the Trinity from churches.[120]

  

The famous The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, c.1512

God the Father is symbolized in several Genesis scenes in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, most famously The Creation of Adam (whose image of near touching hands of God and Adam is iconic of humanity, being a reminder that Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God (Gen 1:26)).God the Father is depicted as a powerful figure, floating in the clouds in Titian's Assumption of the Virgin in the Frari of Venice, long admired as a masterpiece of High Renaissance art.[121] The Church of the Gesù in Rome includes a number of 16th century depictions of God the Father. In some of these paintings the Trinity is still alluded to in terms of three angels, but Giovanni Battista Fiammeri also depicted God the Father as a man riding on a cloud, above the scenes.[122]

 

In both the Last Judgment and the Coronation of the Virgin paintings by Rubens he depicted God the Father using the image that by then had become widely accepted, a bearded patriarchal figure above the fray. In the 17th century, the two Spanish artists Velázquez (whose father-in-law Francisco Pacheco was in charge of the approval of new images for the Inquisition) and Murillo both depicted God the Father using a patriarchal figure with a white beard in a purple robe.

  

The Ancient of Days (1794) Watercolor etching by William Blake

While representations of God the Father were growing in Italy, Spain, Germany and the Low Countries, there was resistance elsewhere in Europe, even during the 17th century. In 1632 most members of the Star Chamber court in England (except the Archbishop of York) condemned the use of the images of the Trinity in church windows, and some considered them illegal.[123] Later in the 17th century Sir Thomas Browne wrote that he considered the representation of God the Father using an old man "a dangerous act" that might lead to Egyptian symbolism.[124] In 1847, Charles Winston was still critical of such images as a "Romish trend" (a term used to refer to Roman Catholics) that he considered best avoided in England.[125]

 

In 1667 the 43rd chapter of the Great Moscow Council specifically included a ban on a number of symbolic depictions of God the Father and the Holy Spirit, which then also resulted in a whole range of other icons being placed on the forbidden list,[126][127] mostly affecting Western-style depictions which had been gaining ground in Orthodox icons. The Council also declared that the person of the Trinity who was the "Ancient of Days" was Christ, as Logos, not God the Father. However some icons continued to be produced in Russia, as well as Greece, Romania, and other Orthodox countries.

 

Theological approaches

Theologians and philosophers have attributed to God such characteristics as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable being existent.[3] These attributes were all claimed to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, including Maimonides,[53] St Augustine,[53] and Al-Ghazali.[128]

 

Many philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God,[8] while attempting to comprehend the precise implications of God's attributes. Reconciling some of those attributes generated important philosophical problems and debates. For example, God's omniscience may seem to imply that God knows how free agents will choose to act. If God does know this, their ostensible free will might be illusory, or foreknowledge does not imply predestination, and if God does not know it, God may not be omniscient.[129]

 

However, if by its essential nature, free will is not predetermined, then the effect of its will can never be perfectly predicted by anyone, regardless of intelligence and knowledge. Although knowledge of the options presented to that will, combined with perfectly infinite intelligence, could be said to provide God with omniscience if omniscience is defined as knowledge or understanding of all that is.

 

The last centuries of philosophy have seen vigorous questions regarding the arguments for God's existence raised by such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, David Hume and Antony Flew, although Kant held that the argument from morality was valid. The theist response has been either to contend, as does Alvin Plantinga, that faith is "properly basic", or to take, as does Richard Swinburne, the evidentialist position.[130] Some theists agree that only some of the arguments for God's existence are compelling, but argue that faith is not a product of reason, but requires risk. There would be no risk, they say, if the arguments for God's existence were as solid as the laws of logic, a position summed up by Pascal as "the heart has reasons of which reason does not know."[131] A recent theory using concepts from physics and neurophysiology proposes that God can be conceptualized within the theory of integrative level.[132]

 

Many religious believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings such as angels, saints, jinn, demons, and devas.[133][134][135][136][137]

Leipziger Buchmesse 2015

2015-03-13 (Friday)

2015_027

2015#149

 

Boywonder (Madlen) 248163 as Stripes from ____

 

Thank you for any group invites which I'd be glad to accept. However, if I can't check the content of such groups ("This group is not available to you") I'd rather not add any of my photos. Thanks for your understanding.

You might think that relationship commitment and personal freedom are at odds with one another.

My own experience was that when I made the commitment to my marriage I felt liberated.

When I shared this observation with my single friend Howard, he looked at me as though I had taken leave of my...

 

howdoidate.com/relationships/commitment/this-is-what-rela...

"Understanding. We know very well that faith is adherence to God in the chiaroscuro of mystery; but it is also search in the desire to know the revealed truth more and better. Now, such an interior urge comes to us from the Holy Spirit who, with faith, gives us precisely this special gift of intelligence and, as it were, intuition of the divine truth.

 

The word "intellect" derives from the Latin "intus legere", which means "to read within", to penetrate, to understand thoroughly. Through this gift the Holy Spirit who "sees into the depths of God" (1 Cor 2:10), communicates to the believer a glint of such a penetrating capacity, opening the heart to the joyous understanding of God's loving plan. Once again the experience of the disciples of Emmaus is renewed; having recognised the Risen Lord in the breaking of the bread, they said to one another: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us? (Lk 24:32).

 

This supernatural intelligence is given not only to individuals, but also to the community: to pastors who, as successors of the Apostles, are heirs to the specific promise made to them by Christ (cf. Jn 14:26; 16:13), and to the faithful who, thanks to the "anointing" of the Spirit (cf. 1 Jn 2:20 and 27), possess a special "sense of the faith'' (sensus fidei) which guides them in their concrete choices.

 

The light of the Spirit, in fact, while it sharpens the understanding of divine things, renders ever more clear and penetrating the understanding of human things. Thanks to it one sees better the many signs of God which are written in creation. Thus is discovered the not merely earthly dimension of events of which human history is woven. One can even arrive at prophetically interpreting the present and the future: signs of the times, signs of God!"

 

- Pope Blessed John Paul II.

 

Detail of the risen Christ and the disciples at Emmaus from a stained glass window in the Temple Church in London.

From the National Academies Press free ebook Learning and Understanding (2002), Principle 3.

 

Image licensed under Creative Commons by dankos.de:

www.flickr.com/photos/deskounlmtd/3695922896/

Oughterard show 2013

 

Understanding the buildings of London through drawing…

 

my instinctive way to understand a building is to draw it as I am observing it. I think it is part of my architectural background of design sketching that I draw to think…. rather than observing first and drawing second. Anyway here are a few scribbles of some iconic buildings of London.

If I haven't said before I am having a few days in London after BCN and so one might think that this is a bit of trip prep.

BTW I am loving seeing Alissa Duke's trip prep on her blog (she is also going to London as well as BCN) www.alissaduke.com/

 

However…this sketching is actually work - how cool is that… I have an exciting illustration project that I am working on at the moment and this is preparation for that. Ok…back to work.

 

Happy Monday everyone… oh! it is cold today in Sydney!

Understanding The Moon Phases

 

Have you ever wondered what causes the moon phases?

 

Diagram Explanation

The illustration may look a little complex at first, but it's easy to explain.

 

Sunlight is shown coming in from the right. The earth, of course, is at the center of the diagram. The moon is shown at 8 key stages during its rotation around the earth. The dotted line from the earth to the moon represents your line of sight when looking at the moon. To help you visualize how the moon would appear at that point in the cycle, you can look at the larger moon image. The moon phase name is shown alongside the image.

 

One important thing to notice is that exactly one half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun. However, at certain times we see both the sunlit portion and the shadowed portion -- and that creates the various moon phase shapes we are all familiar with. Also note that the shadowed part of the moon is invisible to the naked eye; in the diagram above, it is only shown for clarification purposes.

 

So the basic explanation is that the lunar phases are created by changing angles (relative positions) of the earth, the moon and the sun, as the moon orbits the earth.

  

Moon Phases Simplified

It's probably easiest to understand the moon cycle in this order: new moon and full moon, first quarter and third quarter, and the phases in between.

 

As shown in the above diagram, the new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun. The three objects are in approximate alignment (why "approximate" is explained below). The entire illuminated portion of the moon is on the back side of the moon, the half that we cannot see.

 

At a full moon, the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment, just as the new moon, but the moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us. The shadowed portion is entirely hidden from view.

 

The first quarter and third quarter moons (both often called a "half moon"), happen when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. So we are seeing exactly half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow.

 

Once you understand those four key moon phases, the phases between should be fairly easy to visualize, as the illuminated portion gradually transitions between them.

 

An easy way to remember and understand those "between" lunar phase names is by breaking out and defining 4 words: crescent, gibbous, waxing, and waning. The word crescent refers to the phases where the moon is less that half illuminated. The word gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. Waxing essentially means "growing" or expanding in illumination, and waning means "shrinking" or decreasing in illumination.

 

Thus you can simply combine the two words to create the phase name, as follows:

 

After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half, so it is waxing crescent. After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but now it is more than half, so it is waxing gibbous. After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases. So the waning gibbous phase occurs next. Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the light is completely gone -- a new moon.

  

The Moon's Orbit

You may have personally observed that the moon goes through a complete moon phases cycle in about one month. That's true, but it's not exactly one month. The synodic period or lunation is exactly 29.5305882 days. It's the time required for the moon to move to the same position as seen by an observer on earth. If you were to view the moon cycling the earth from outside our solar system (the viewpoint of the stars), the time required is 27.3217 days, roughly two days less. This figure is called the sidereal period or orbital period. Why is the synodic period different from the sidereal period? The short answer is because we see the sunlit moon from a slowly moving position: the earth! During the moon cycle, the earth has moved approximately one month along its year-long orbit around the sun, altering our angle of viewpoint, and thus, the phase. The earth's orbital direction is such that it lengthens the period for earthbound observers.

 

Although the synodic and sidereal periods are exact numbers, the moon phase can't be precisely calculated by simple division of days because the moon's motion (orbital speed and position) is affected and perturbed by various forces of different strengths. Hence, complex equations are used to determine the exact position and phase of the moon at any given point in time.

 

Also, looking at the diagram, you may have wondered why, at a new moon, the moon doesn't block the sun, and at a full moon, why the earth doesn't block sunlight from reaching the moon. The reason is because the moon's orbit about the earth is about 5 degrees off from the earth-sun orbital plane.

 

However, at special times during the year, the earth, moon, and sun do in fact "line up". When the moon blocks the sun or a part of it, it's called a solar eclipse, and it can only happen during the new moon phase. When the earth casts a shadow on the moon, it's called a lunar eclipse, and can only happen during the full moon phase. Roughly 4 to 7 eclipses happen in any given year, but most of them minor or "partial" eclipses. Major lunar or solar eclipses are relatively uncommon.

 

Martin Creed

Work No. 2630 UNDERSTANDING, 2016

Red Neon, Steel

Approx dims: 21 3/5 x 50 x 2 1/8 ft / 658.6 x 1524 x 66 cm. Base 25 x 25 feet at top / 33 x 33 feet at bottom

Presented by Public Art Fund, May 4 – October 23, 2016 at Pier 6, Brooklyn Bridge Park

Courtesy the artist, Gavin Brown’s enterprise New York/Rome, and Hauser & Wirth

Photo: Jason Wyche, Courtesy Public Art Fund, NY

© Martin Creed 2016

 

photographer: xergs

location: malasag cdo,Philippines

 

Living gives you a better understanding of life. I would hope that my characters have become deeper and more rounded personalities. Wider travels have given me considerably greater insight into how cultural differences affect not only people, but politics and art.

 

--Alan Dean Foster--

  

xergskenji.blogspot.com/

We had critical run with the american athlete participating in the american pavilion instalation debating about their understanding of the installation

and their opinion about the emergencies in the world

 

Critical Run @ Venice Biennale / art format Run and Debate about EMERGENCIES

 

Critical Run is an Art Format created by Thierry Geoffroy /Colonel

debate while running . Debate and Run together, Now , before it is too late.

 

The Art Format Critical Run has been activated in 40 differents countries with 112 different burning debates

CRITICAL RUN happened on invitation from institution like Moma/PS1, Moderna Muset Stockholm ,Witte de With Rotterdam. ZKM Karlsruhe, Liverpool Biennale ; Sprengel Museum etc..or have just happened on the spot because a debate was necessary here and now.

www.emergencyrooms.org/criticalrun.html

www.emergencyrooms.org/formats.html

www.colonel.dk/

artist Thierry Geoffroy creates art formats

aim to develop awareness muscle

 

during Venice Biennale 2019

 

The Exhibition will develop from the Central Pavilion (Giardini) to the Arsenale, and will include 79 artists from all over the world.

 

Ralph Rugoff has declared: «May You Live in Interesting Times will no doubt include artworks that reflect upon precarious aspects of existence today, including different threats to key traditions, institutions and relationships of the “post-war order.” But let us acknowledge at the outset that art does not exercise its forces in the domain of politics. Art cannot stem the rise of nationalist movements and authoritarian governments in different parts of the world, for instance, nor can it alleviate the tragic fate of displaced peoples across the globe (whose numbers now represent almost one percent of the world’s entire population).»

 

ALBANIA

Maybe the cosmos is not so extraordinary

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture Republic of Albania. Curator: Alicia Knock.

Exhibitor: Driant Zeneli.

 

ALGERIA***

Time to shine bright

Commissioner/Curator: Hellal Mahmoud Zoubir, National Council of Arts and Letters Ministry of Culture. Exhibitors: Rachida Azdaou, Hamza Bounoua, Amina Zoubir, Mourad Krinah, Oussama Tabti.

Venue: Fondamenta S. Giuseppe, 925

 

ANDORRA

The Future is Now / El futur és ara

Commissioner: Eva Martínez, “Zoe”. Curators: Ivan Sansa, Paolo De Grandis.

Exhibitor: Philippe Shangti.

Venue: Istituto Santa Maria della Pietà, Castello 3701

 

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

Find Yourself: Carnival and Resistance

Commissioner: Daryll Matthew, Minister of Sports, Culture, National Festivals and the Arts. Curator: Barbara Paca with Nina Khrushcheva. Exhibitors: Timothy Payne, Sir Gerald Price, Joseph Seton, and Frank Walter; Intangible Cultural, Heritage Artisans and Mas Troup.

Venue: Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli, Dorsoduro 919

 

ARGENTINA

El nombre de un país / The name of a country

Commissioner: Sergio Alberto Baur Ambasciatore. Curator: Florencia Battiti. Exhibitor: Mariana Telleria.

Venue: Arsenale

 

ARMENIA (Republic of)

Revolutionary Sensorium

Commissioner: Nazenie Garibian, Deputy Minister. Curator: Susanna Gyulamiryan.

Exhibitors: "ArtlabYerevan" Artistic Group (Gagik Charchyan, Hovhannes Margaryan, Arthur Petrosyan, Vardan Jaloyan) and Narine Arakelian.

Venue: Palazzo Zenobio – Collegio Armeno Moorat-Raphael, Dorsoduro 2596

 

AUSTRALIA

ASSEMBLY

Commissioner: Australia Council for the Arts. Curator: Juliana Engberg. Exhibitor: Angelica Mesiti.

Venue: Giardini

 

AUSTRIA

Discordo Ergo Sum

Commissioner: Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria.

Curator: Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein. Exhibitor: Renate Bertlmann.

Venue: Giardini

 

AZERBAIJAN (Republic of )

Virtual Reality

Commissioner: Mammad Ahmadzada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Curators: Gianni Mercurio, Emin Mammadov. Exhibitors: Zeigam Azizov, Orkhan Mammadov, Zarnishan Yusifova, Kanan Aliyev, Ulviyya Aliyeva.

Venue: Palazzo Lezze, Campo S. Stefano, San Marco 2949

 

BANGLADESH (People’s Republic of)

Thirst

Commissioner: Liaquat Ali Lucky. Curators: Mokhlesur Rahman, Viviana Vannucci.

Exhibitors: Bishwajit Goswami, Dilara Begum Jolly, Heidi Fosli, Nafis Ahmed Gazi, Franco Marrocco, Domenico Pellegrino, Preema Nazia Andaleeb, Ra Kajol, Uttam Kumar karmaker.

Venue: Palazzo Zenobio – Collegio Armeno Moorat-Raphael, Dorsoduro 2596

 

BELARUS (Republic of)

Exit / Uscita

Commissioner: Siarhey Kryshtapovich. Curator: Olga Rybchinskaya. Exhibitor: Konstantin Selikhanov.

Venue: Spazio Liquido, Sestiere Castello 103, Salizada Streta

 

BELGIUM

Mondo Cane

Commissioner: Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Curator: Anne-Claire Schmitz.

Exhibitor: Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys.

Venue: Giardini

 

BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA

ZENICA-TRILOGY

Commissioner: Senka Ibrišimbegović, Ars Aevi Museum for Contemporary Art Sarajevo.

Curators: Anja Bogojević, Amila Puzić, Claudia Zini. Exhibitor: Danica Dakić.

Venue: Palazzo Francesco Molon Ca’ Bernardo, San Polo 2184/A

 

BRAZIL

Swinguerra

Commissioner: José Olympio da Veiga Pereira, Fundação Bienal de São Paulo.

Curator: Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro. Exhibitor: Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca.

Venue: Giardini

 

BULGARIA

How We Live

Commissioner: Iaroslava Boubnova, National Gallery in Sofia. Curator: Vera Mlechevska.

Exhibitors: Rada Boukova , Lazar Lyutakov.

Venue: Palazzo Giustinian Lolin, San Marco 2893

 

CANADA

ISUMA

Commissioner: National Gallery of Canada. Curators: Asinnajaq, Catherine Crowston, Josée Drouin-Brisebois, Barbara Fischer, Candice Hopkins. Exhibitors: Isuma (Zacharias Kunuk, Norman Cohn, Paul Apak, Pauloosie Qulitalik).

Venue: Giardini

 

CHILE

Altered Views

Commissioner: Varinia Brodsky, Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

Curator: Agustín Pérez. Rubio. Exhibitor: Voluspa Jarpa.

Venue: Arsenale

 

CHINA (People’s Republic of)

Re-睿

Commissioner: China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. (CAEG).

Curator: Wu Hongliang. Exhibitors: Chen Qi, Fei Jun, He Xiangyu, Geng Xue.

Venue: Arsenale

 

CROATIA

Traces of Disappearing (In Three Acts)

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. Curator: Katerina Gregos.

Exhibitor: Igor Grubić.

Venue: Calle Corner, Santa Croce 2258

 

CUBA

Entorno aleccionador (A Cautionary Environment)

Commissioner: Norma Rodríguez Derivet, Consejo Nacional de Artes Plásticas.

Curator: Margarita Sanchez Prieto. Exhibitors: Alejandro Campins, Alex Hérnandez, Ariamna Contino and Eugenio Tibaldi. Venue: Isola di San Servolo

 

CYPRUS (Republic of)

Christoforos Savva: Untimely, Again

Commissioner: Louli Michaelidou. Curator: Jacopo Crivelli Visconti. Exhibitor: Christoforos Savva.

Venue: Associazione Culturale Spiazzi, Castello 3865

 

CZECH (Republic) and SLOVAK (Republic)

Stanislav Kolíbal. Former Uncertain Indicated

Commissioner: Adam Budak, National Gallery Prague. Curator: Dieter Bogner.

Exhibitor: Stanislav Kolibal.

Venue: Giardini

 

DOMINICAN (Republic) *

Naturaleza y biodiversidad en la República Dominicana

Commissioner: Eduardo Selman, Minister of Culture. Curators: Marianne de Tolentino, Simone Pieralice, Giovanni Verza. Exhibitors: Dario Oleaga, Ezequiel Taveras, Hulda Guzmán, Julio Valdez, Miguel Ramirez, Rita Bertrecchi, Nicola Pica, Marraffa & Casciotti.

Venue: Palazzo Albrizzi Capello, Cannaregio 4118 – Sala della Pace

 

EGYPT

khnum across times witness

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture. Curator: Ahmed Chiha.

Exhibitors: Islam Abdullah, Ahmed Chiha, Ahmed Abdel Karim.

Venue: Giardini

 

ESTONIA

Birth V

Commissioner: Maria Arusoo, Centre of Contemporary Arts of Estonia. Curators: Andrew Berardini, Irene Campolmi, Sarah Lucas, Tamara Luuk. Exhibitor: Kris Lemsalu.

Venue: c/o Legno & Legno, Giudecca 211

 

FINLAND (Alvar Aalto Pavilion)

A Greater Miracle of Perception

Commissioner: Raija Koli, Director Frame Contemporary Art Finland.

Curators: Giovanna Esposito Yussif, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Christopher Wessels. Exhibitors: Miracle Workers Collective (Maryan Abdulkarim, Khadar Ahmed, Hassan Blasim, Giovanna Esposito Yussif, Sonya Lindfors, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Outi Pieski, Leena Pukki, Lorenzo Sandoval, Martta Tuomaala, Christopher L. Thomas, Christopher Wessels, Suvi West).

Venue: Giardini

 

FRANCE

Deep see blue surrounding you / Vois ce bleu profond te fondre

Commissioner: Institut français with the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. Curator: Martha Kirszenbaum. Exhibitor: Laure Prouvost.

Venue: Giardini

 

GEORGIA

REARMIRRORVIEW, Simulation is Simulation, is Simulation, is Simulation

Commissioner: Ana Riaboshenko. Curator: Margot Norton. Exhibitor: Anna K.E.

Venue: Arsenale

 

GERMANY

Commissioner: ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, Germany. Curator: Franciska Zólyom. Exhibitor: Natascha Süder Happelmann.

Venue: Giardini

 

GHANA ***

Ghana Freedom

Commissioner: Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Curator: Nana Oforiatta Ayim.

Exhibitors: Felicia Abban, John Akomfrah, El Anatsui, Lynette Yiadom Boakye, Ibrahim Mahama, Selasi Awusi Sosu.

Venue: Arsenale

 

GREAT BRITAIN

Cathy Wilkes

Commissioner: Emma Dexter. Curator: Zoe Whitley. Exhibitor: Cathy Wilkes.

Venue: Giardini

 

GREECE

Mr Stigl

Commissioner: Syrago Tsiara (Deputy Director of the Contemporary Art Museum - Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki - MOMus).

Curator: Katerina Tselou. Exhibitors: Panos Charalambous, Eva Stefani, Zafos Xagoraris.

Venue: Giardini

 

GRENADA

Epic Memory

Commissioner: Susan Mains. Curator: Daniele Radini Tedeschi.

Exhibitors: Amy Cannestra, Billy Gerard Frank, Dave Lewis, Shervone Neckles, Franco Rota Candiani, Roberto Miniati, CRS avant-garde.

Venue: Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello (first floor), Cannaregio 4118

 

GUATEMALA

Interesting State

Commissioner: Elder de Jesús Súchite Vargas, Minister of Culture and Sports of Guatemala. Curator: Stefania Pieralice. Exhibitors: Elsie Wunderlich, Marco Manzo.

Venue: Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello (first floor), Cannaregio 4118

 

HAITI

THE SPECTACLE OF TRAGEDY

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture and Communication.

Curator: Giscard Bouchotte. Exhibitor: Jean Ulrick Désert.

Venue: Circolo Ufficiali Marina, Calle Seconda de la Fava, Castello 2168

 

HUNGARY

Imaginary Cameras

Commissioner: Julia Fabényi, Museo Ludwig – Museo d’arte contemporanea, Budapest.

Curator: Zsuzsanna Szegedy-Maszák. Exhibitor: Tamás Waliczky.

Venue: Giardini

 

ICELAND

Chromo Sapiens – Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir / Shoplifter

Commissioner: Eiríkur Þorláksson, Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.

Curator: Birta Gudjónsdóttir. Exhibitor: Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir / Shoplifter.

Venue: Spazio Punch, Giudecca 800

 

INDIA

Our time for a future caring

Commissioner: Adwaita Gadanayak National Gallery of Modern Art.

Curator: Roobina Karode, Director & Chief Curator, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. Exhibitors: Atul Dodiya, Ashim Purkayastha, GR Iranna, Jitish Kallat, Nandalal Bose, Rummana Hussain, Shakuntala Kulkarni.

Venue: Arsenale

 

INDONESIA

Lost Verses

Commissioner: Ricky Pesik & Diana Nazir, Indonesian Agency for Creative Economy.

Curator: Asmudjo Jono Irianto. Exhibitors: Handiwirman Saputra and Syagini Ratna Wulan.

Venue: Arsenale

 

IRAN (Islamic Republic of)

of being and singing

Commissioner: Hadi Mozafari, General Manager of Visual Arts Administration of Islamic Republic of Iran. Curator: Ali Bakhtiari.

Exhibitors: Reza Lavassani, Samira Alikhanzadeh, Ali Meer Azimi.

Venue: Fondaco Marcello, San Marco 3415

 

IRAQ

Fatherland

Commissioner: Fondazione Ruya. Curators: Tamara Chalabi, Paolo Colombo.

Exhibitor: Serwan Baran.

Venue: Ca’ del Duca, Corte del Duca Sforza, San Marco 3052

 

IRELAND

The Shrinking Universe

Commissioner: Culture Ireland. Curator: Mary Cremin. Exhibitor: Eva Rothschild.

Venue: Arsenale

 

ISRAEL

Field Hospital X

Commissioner: Michael Gov, Arad Turgeman. Curator: Avi Lubin. Exhibitor: Aya Ben Ron.

Venue: Giardini

 

ITALY

Commissioner: Federica Galloni, Direttore Generale Arte e Architettura Contemporanee e Periferie Urbane, Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali. Curator: Milovan Farronato.

Exhibitors: Enrico David, Liliana Moro, Chiara Fumai.

Venue: Padiglione Italia, Tese delle Vergini, Arsenale

 

IVORY COAST

The Open Shadows of Memory

Commissioner: Henri Nkoumo. Curator: Massimo Scaringella. Exhibitors: Ernest Dükü, Ananias Leki Dago, Valérie Oka, Tong Yanrunan.

Venue: Castello Gallery, Castello 1636/A

 

JAPAN

Cosmo-Eggs

Commissioner: The Japan Foundation. Curator: Hiroyuki Hattori. Exhibitors: Motoyuki Shitamichi, Taro Yasuno, Toshiaki Ishikura, Fuminori Nousaku.

Venue: Giardini

 

KIRIBATI

Pacific Time - Time Flies

Commissioner: Pelea Tehumu, Ministry of Internal Affairs. Curators: Kautu Tabaka, Nina Tepes. Exhibitors: Kaeka Michael Betero, Daniela Danica Tepes, Kairaken Betio Group; Teroloang Borouea, Neneia Takoikoi, Tineta Timirau, Teeti Aaloa, Kenneth Ioane, Kaumai Kaoma, Runita Rabwaa, Obeta Taia, Tiribo Kobaua, Tamuera Tebebe, Rairauea Rue, Teuea Kabunare, Tokintekai Ekentetake, Katanuti Francis, Mikaere Tebwebwe, Terita Itinikarawa, Kaeua Kobaua, Raatu Tiuteke, Kaeriti Baanga, Ioanna Francis, Temarewe Banaan, Aanamaria Toom, Einako Temewi, Nimei Itinikarawa, Teniteiti Mikaere, Aanibo Bwatanita, Arin Tikiraua.

Venue: European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Mora, Strada Nuova 3659

 

KOREA (Republic of)

History Has Failed Us, but No Matter

Commissioner: Arts Council Korea. Curator: Hyunjin Kim. Exhibitors: Hwayeon Nam, siren eun young jung, Jane Jin Kaisen.

Venue: Giardini

 

KOSOVO (Republic of)

Family Album

Commissioner: Arta Agani. Curator: Vincent Honore. Exhibitor: Alban Muja.

Venue: Arsenale

 

LATVIA

Saules Suns

Commissioner: Dace Vilsone. Curators: Valentinas Klimašauskas, Inga Lāce.

Exhibitor: Daiga Grantiņa.

Venue: Arsenale

 

LITHUANIA

Sun & Sea (Marina)

Commissioner: Rasa Antanavičıūte. Curator: Lucia Pietroiusti.

Exhibitors: Lina Lapelyte, Vaiva Grainyte and Rugile Barzdziukaite.

Venue: Magazzino No. 42, Marina Militare, Arsenale di Venezia, Fondamenta Case Nuove 2738c

 

LUXEMBOURG (Grand Duchy of)

Written by Water

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg.

Curator: Kevin Muhlen. Exhibitor: Marco Godinho.

Venue: Arsenale

 

NORTH MACEDONIA (Republic of )

Subversion to Red

Commissioner: Mira Gakina. Curator: Jovanka Popova. Exhibitor: Nada Prlja.

Venue: Palazzo Rota Ivancich, Castello 4421

 

MADAGASCAR ***

I have forgotten the night

Commissioner: Ministry of Communication and Culture of the Republic of Madagascar. Curators: Rina Ralay Ranaivo, Emmanuel Daydé.

Exhibitor: Joël Andrianomearisoa.

Venue: Arsenale

 

MALAYSIA ***

Holding Up a Mirror

Commissioner: Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohamed Najib Dawa, Director General of Balai Seni Negara (National Art Gallery of Malaysia), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia. Curator: Lim Wei-Ling. Exhibitors: Anurendra Jegadeva, H.H.Lim, Ivan Lam, Zulkifli Yusoff.

Venue: Palazzo Malipiero, San Marco 3198

 

MALTA

Maleth / Haven / Port - Heterotopias of Evocation

Commissioner: Arts Council Malta. Curator: Hesperia Iliadou Suppiej. Exhibitors: Vince Briffa, Klitsa Antoniou, Trevor Borg.

Venue: Arsenale

 

MEXICO

Actos de Dios / Acts of God

Commissioner: Gabriela Gil Verenzuela. Curator: Magalí Arriola. Exhibitor: Pablo Vargas Lugo.

Venue: Arsenale

 

MONGOLIA

A Temporality

Commissioner: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports of Mongolia.

Curator: Gantuya Badamgarav. Exhibitor: Jantsankhorol Erdenebayar with the participation of traditional Mongolian throat singers and Carsten Nicolai (Alva Noto).

Venue: Bruchium Fermentum, Calle del Forno, Castello 2093-2090

 

MONTENEGRO

Odiseja / An Odyssey

Commissioner: Nenad Šoškić. Curator: Petrica Duletić. Exhibitor: Vesko Gagović.

Venue: Palazzo Malipiero (piano terra), San Marco 3078-3079/A, Ramo Malipiero

 

MOZAMBIQUE (Republic of)

The Past, the Present and The in Between

Commissioner: Domingos do Rosário Artur. Curator: Lidija K. Khachatourian.

Exhibitors: Gonçalo Mabunda, Mauro Pinto, Filipe Branquinho.

Venue: Palazzo Mora, Strada Nova, 3659

 

NETHERLANDS (The)

The Measurement of Presence

Commissioner: Mondriaan Fund. Curator: Benno Tempel. Exhibitors: Iris Kensmil, Remy Jungerman. Venue: Giardini

 

NEW ZEALAND

Post hoc

Commissioner: Dame Jenny Gibbs. Curators: Zara Stanhope and Chris Sharp.

Exhibitor: Dane Mitchell.

Venue: Palazzina Canonica, Riva Sette Martiri

 

NORDIC COUNTRIES (FINLAND - NORWAY - SWEDEN)

Weather Report: Forecasting Future

Commissioner: Leevi Haapala / Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma / Finnish National Gallery, Katya García-Antón / Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA), Ann-Sofi Noring / Moderna Museet. Curators: Leevi Haapala, Piia Oksanen. Exhibitors: Ane Graff, Ingela Ihrman, nabbteeri.

Venue: Giardini

 

PAKISTAN ***

Manora Field Notes

Commissioner: Syed Jamal Shah, Pakistan National Council of the Arts, PNCA.

Curator: Zahra Khan. Exhibitor: Naiza Khan.

Venue: Tanarte, Castello 2109/A and Spazio Tana, Castello 2110-2111

 

PERU

“Indios Antropófagos”. A butterfly Garden in the (Urban) Jungle

Commissioner: Armando Andrade de Lucio. Curator: Gustavo Buntinx. Exhibitors: Christian Bendayán, Otto Michael (1859-1934), Manuel Rodríguez Lira (1874-1933), Segundo Candiño Rodríguez, Anonymous popular artificer.

Venue: Arsenale

 

PHILIPPINES

Island Weather

Commissioner: National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) / Virgilio S. Almario.

Curator: Tessa Maria T. Guazon. Exhibitor: Mark O. Justiniani.

Venue: Arsenale

 

POLAND

Flight

Commissioner: Hanna Wroblewska. Curators: Łukasz Mojsak, Łukasz Ronduda.

Exhibitor: Roman Stańczak.

Venue: Giardini

 

PORTUGAL

a seam, a surface, a hinge or a knot

Commissioner: Directorate-General for the Arts. Curator: João Ribas. Exhibitor: Leonor Antunes.

Venue: Fondazione Ugo e Olga Levi Onlus, Palazzo Giustinian Lolin, San Marco 2893

 

ROMANIA

Unfinished Conversations on the Weight of Absence

Commissioner: Attila Kim. Curator: Cristian Nae. Exhibitor: Belu-Simion Făinaru, Dan Mihălțianu, Miklós Onucsán.

Venues: Giardini and New Gallery of the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research (Campo Santa Fosca, Palazzo Correr, Cannaregio 2214)

 

RUSSIA

Lc 15:11-32

Commissioner: Semyon Mikhailovsky. Curator: Mikhail Piotrovsky. Exhibitors: Alexander Sokurov, Alexander Shishkin-Hokusai.

Venue: Giardini

 

SAN MARINO (Republic of)

Friendship Project International

Commissioner: Vito Giuseppe Testaj. Curator: Vincenzo Sanfo. Exhibitors: Gisella Battistini, Martina Conti, Gabriele Gambuti, Giovanna Fra, Thea Tini, Chen Chengwei, Li Geng, Dario Ortiz, Tang Shuangning, Jens W. Beyrich, Xing Junqin, Xu de Qi, Sebastián.

Venue: Palazzo Bollani, Castello 3647; Complesso dell’Ospedaletto, Castello 6691

 

SAUDI ARABIA

After Illusion بعد توهم

Commissioner: Misk Art Insitute. Curator: Eiman Elgibreen. Exhibitor: Zahrah Al Ghamdi.

Venue: Arsenale

 

SERBIA

Regaining Memory Loss

Commissioner: Vladislav Scepanovic. Curator: Nicoletta Lambertucci. Exhibitor: Djordje Ozbolt.

Venue: Giardini

 

SEYCHELLES (Republic of)

Drift

Commissioner: Galen Bresson. Curator: Martin Kennedy.

Exhibitors: George Camille and Daniel Dodin.

Venue: Palazzo Mora, Strada Nova, 3659

 

SINGAPORE

Music For Everyone: Variations on a Theme

Commissioner: Rosa Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council (NAC).

Curator: Michelle Ho. Exhibitor: Song-Ming Ang.

Venue: Arsenale

 

SLOVENIA (Republic of)

Here we go again... SYSTEM 317

A situation of the resolution series

Commissioner: Zdenka Badovinac, Director Moderna galerija / Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana. Curator: Igor Španjol. Exhibitor: Marko Peljhan.

Venue: Arsenale

 

SOUTH AFRICA (Republic of)

The stronger we become

Commissioner: Titi Nxumalo, Console Generale. Curators: Nkule Mabaso, Nomusa Makhubu. Exhibitors: Dineo Seshee Bopape, Tracey Rose, Mawande Ka Zenzile.

Venue: Arsenale

 

SPAIN

Perforated by Itziar Okariz and Sergio Prego

Commissioner: AECID Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional Para El Desarrollo. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Union Europea y Cooperacion. Curator: Peio Aguirre.

Exhibitors: Itziar Okariz, Sergio Prego.

Venue: Giardini

 

SWITZERLAND

Moving Backwards

Commissioner: Swiss Arts Council Pro-Helvetia: Marianne Burki, Sandi Paucic, Rachele Giudici Legittimo. Curator: Charlotte Laubard. Exhibitors: Pauline Boudry/Renate Lorenz.

Venue: Giardini

 

SYRIAN ARAB (Republic)

Syrian Civilization is still alive

Commissioner/Curator: Emad Kashout. Exhibitors: Abdalah Abouassali, Giacomo Braglia, Ibrahim Al Hamid, Chen Huasha, Saed Salloum, Xie Tian, Saad Yagan, Primo Vanadia, Giuseppe Biasio.

Venue: Isola di San Servolo; Chiesetta della Misericordia, Campo dell'Abbazia, Cannaregio

 

THAILAND

The Revolving World

Commissioner: Vimolluck Chuchat, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture, Thailand. Curator: Tawatchai Somkong. Exhibitors: Somsak Chowtadapong, Panya Vijinthanasarn, Krit Ngamsom.

Venue: In Paradiso 1260, Castello

 

TURKEY

We, Elsewhere

Commissioner: IKSV. Curator: Zeynep Öz. Exhibitor: İnci Eviner.

Venue: Arsenale

 

UKRAINE

The Shadow of Dream cast upon Giardini della Biennale

Commissioner: Svitlana Fomenko, First Deputy Minister of Culture. Curators: Open group (Yurii Biley, Pavlo Kovach, Stanislav Turina, Anton Varga). Exhibitors: all artists of Ukraine.

Venue: Arsenale

 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Nujoom Alghanem: Passage

Commissioner: Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.

Curators: Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. Exhibitor: Nujoom Alghanem.

Venue: Arsenale

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Martin Puryear: Liberty

Commissioner/Curator: Brooke Kamin Rapaport. Exhibitor: Martin Puryear.

Venue: Giardini

 

URUGUAY

“La casa empática”

Commissioner: Alejandro Denes. Curators: David Armengol, Patricia Bentancur.

Exhibitor: Yamandú Canosa.

Venue: Giardini

 

VENEZUELA (Bolivarian Republic of)

Metaphore of three windows

Venezuela: identity in time and space

Commissioner/Curator: Oscar Sottillo Meneses. Exhibitors: Natalie Rocha Capiello, Ricardo García, Gabriel López, Nelson Rangelosky.

Venue: Giardini

 

ZIMBABWE (Republic of)

Soko Risina Musoro (The Tale without a Head)

Commissioner: Doreen Sibanda, National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Curator: Raphael Chikukwa. Exhibitors: Georgina Maxim, Neville Starling , Cosmas Shiridzinomwa, Kudzanai Violet Hwami.

Venue: Istituto Provinciale per L’infanzia “Santa Maria Della Pietà”. Calle della Pietà Castello n. 3701 (ground floor)

 

---

invited artist :

Lawrence Abu Hamdan (Jordan / Beirut)

Njideka Akunyili Crosby (Nigeria / USA),Halil Altındere (Turkey),Michael Armitage (Kenya / UK),Korakrit Arunanondchai (Thailand / USA),Alex Gvojic (USA),Ed Atkins (UK / Germany / Denmark),Tarek Atoui (Lebanon / France),

Darren Bader (USA),Nairy Baghramian (Iran / Germany,

Neïl Beloufa (France),Alexandra Bircken (Germany),Carol Bove (Switzerland / USA,

Christoph Büchel (Switzerland / Iceland,

Ludovica Carbotta (Italy / Barcelona),Antoine Catala (France / USA),Ian Cheng (USA),George Condo (USA

Alex Da Corte (USA),Jesse Darling (UK / Germany),Stan Douglas (Canada),Jimmie Durham (USA / Germany),Nicole Eisenman (France / USA,

Haris Epaminonda (Cyprus / Germany),Lara Favaretto (Italy),Cyprien Gaillard (France / Germany), Gill (India),Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster (France),Shilpa Gupta (India),Soham Gupta (India),Martine Gutierrez (USA),Rula Halawani (Palestine),Anthea Hamilton (UK),Jeppe Hein (Denmark / Germany),Anthony Hernandez (USA),Ryoji Ikeda (Japan / France),Arthur Jafa (USA),Cameron Jamie (USA / France / Germany),Kahlil Joseph (USA),Zhanna Kadyrova (Ukraine),Suki Seokyeong Kang (South Korea),Mari Katayama (Japan),Lee Bul (South Korea),Liu Wei (China),Maria Loboda (Poland / Germany),Andreas Lolis (Albania / Greece),Christian Marclay (USA / London),Teresa Margolles (Mexico / Spain),Julie Mehretu (Ethiopia / USA),Ad Minoliti (Argentina),Jean-Luc Moulène (France),Zanele Muholi (South Africa),Jill Mulleady (Uruguay / USA),Ulrike Müller (Austria / USA),Nabuqi (China),Otobong Nkanga (Nigeria / Belgium),Khyentse Norbu (Bhutan / India),Frida Orupabo (Norway),Jon Rafman (Canada).Gabriel Rico (Mexico),Handiwirman Saputra (Indonesia),Tomás Saraceno (Argentina / Germany),Augustas Serapinas (Lithuania),Avery Singer (USA),Slavs and Tatars (Germany),Michael E. Smith (USA),Hito Steyerl (Germany),Tavares Strachan (Bahamas / USA),Sun Yuan and Peng Yu (China),Henry Taylor (USA),Rosemarie Trockel (Germany),Kaari Upson (USA),Andra Ursuţa (Romania),Danh Vō (Vietnam / Mexico),Kemang Wa Lehulere (South Africa),Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) and Tsuyoshi Hisakado (Japan),Margaret Wertheim and Christine Wertheim (Australia / USA) ,Anicka Yi (South Korea/ USA),Yin Xiuzhen (China),Yu Ji (China / Austria)

  

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other Biennale :(Biennials ) :Venice Biennial , Documenta Havana Biennial,Istanbul Biennial ( Istanbuli),Biennale de Lyon ,Dak'Art Berlin Biennial,Mercosul Visual Arts Biennial ,Bienal do Mercosul Porto Alegre.,Berlin Biennial ,Echigo-Tsumari Triennial .Yokohama Triennial Aichi Triennale,manifesta ,Copenhagen Biennale,Aichi Triennale

Yokohama Triennial,Echigo-Tsumari Triennial.Sharjah Biennial ,Biennale of Sydney, Liverpool , São Paulo Biennial ; Athens Biennale , Bienal do Mercosul ,Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art

  

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Thierry Geoffroy / Colonel

  

I am certain that most news-hungry people in this country, especially the younger generation, are keen to gather whatever possible information on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and its affiliated bodies in view of the forthcoming CHOGM scheduled to be held in November 2013. Hence I wish to describe briefly the significance of the role played by the Commonwealth and its affiliated bodies in the philosophy of the Commonwealth.

 

The forthcoming CHOGM is said to be the biggest such event to be held in Sri Lanka after the Non-Aligned Conference in 1976. Such statements cannot be challenged.

 

However, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) cannot be compared to the CHOGM. The NAM came into existence as a result of the then ongoing Cold War between the two world powers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union and the countries respectively aligned to the two world powers.

 

CHOGM Summit in Perth, Australia

 

The Non-Aligned Movement was not established as a formal organisation, but became the name to refer to the participants of the Conference of Heads of State or Head of Government of Non-Aligned Countries first held in 1961. Former Indian Prime Minister the late Sri Jawharalal Nehru played a prominent role in the NAM. The NAM has a political flavour and has no headquarters of its own.

 

The Commonwealth is not a political movement. It is an association of 54 independent countries, almost all of which were former British Colonies. The Commonwealth concept can be considered as more important to the member nations than the NAM.

 

The Commonwealth is an association of sovereign nations which support one another and work together towards international goals. It is also a family of peoples. With their common heritage in

 

language, culture, law, education and democratic traditions,among other things, Commonwealth countries are able to work together in an atmosphere of greater trust and understanding than what generally prevails among nations.

 

The Commonwealth is often described as a ‘family’ of nations and People. The sense of family is most apparent in the wide network of societies, institutions, associations, organisations, funds and charities which support the Commonwealth.

 

This network links people of different nations, cultures, faces and economic levels, enabling engineers of nurses from different societies to explore and learn from their different yet related experience.

 

The Commonwealth Secretariat or the main head-quarters is located in London while the various affiliated professional institutions are located in London as well as other major capitals of Commonwealth nations.

 

The following 83 affiliated organisations are functioning with the professional entities and corporative bodies to improve knowledge and capacity building process.

 

* Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers (ACARM) established in 1984 and located in London

 

* Association of Commonwealth Amnesty International section (ACAIS) established 2001, located in New Zealand

 

* Association of Commonwealth Examination and Accreditation Bodies (ACEAB) established in 1996 and located in Cambridge UK

 

* Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS) established in 1964 and located in Hyderabad, India

 

* Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) established in 1913 and located in London

 

* British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) established in 1989 and located in London. Bristol UK.

 

* Commonwealth Association of Indigenous Peoples (CAIP) Established in 1999 and located in Queensland, Australia

 

* Commonwealth Association for Mental Handicap and Developmental Disabilities (CAMHADD) established in 1983 and located in Sheffield, UK

 

* Commonwealth Association of Museums, established in 1974 and Located in Calgary, Canada

 

* Commonwealth Association for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (CAPGAN) established in 1994 and located in Oxford, UK

 

* Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) established in 1973 and located in London

 

* Commonwealth Association of Professional Centres, established in 1996 and located in New South Wales, Australia

 

* Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) established in 1994 and located in Toronto, Canada

 

* Commonwealth Association of Public Sector Lawyers, established in 1996 and located in New South Wales, Australia

 

* Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME) established in 1974 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE) established in 1969 and located in Bristol, UK

 

* Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA) established in 1978 and located in London

 

* Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) established in 1945 and located in London

 

* Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) established in 1997 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Centre for Electronic Governance (CCEG) established in 2000 and located in Ontario, Canada

 

* Commonwealth Consortium for Education (CCfE) established in 1997 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and

 

Management (CCEAM) established in 1970 and located in Auckland, New Zealand

 

* Commonwealth Countries’ League (CCL) established in 1925 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Countries’ League Education Fund, established in 1967 and located in Kent, UK

 

* Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA) established in 1991 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Education Trust, established in 1883 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Engineers Council (CEC) established in 1946 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA) established in 1921 and located in Oxfordshire, UK

 

* Commonwealth Forum for Project Management (CFPM) established in 1997 and located in Monmouth, UK

 

* Commonwealth Foundation established in 1966 and located in London, UK.

 

* Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) established in 1978 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Geographical Bureau (CGB) established in 1968 and Located in Rondebosch, South Africa

 

* Commonwealth Group of Family Planning Associations, established in 1952 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Hansard Editors Association, established in 1984 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Historians Society, established in 1989 and located in New Delhi, India

 

* Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC) established in 1969 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), established in 1987 and located in New Delhi, India

 

* Commonwealth Institute, established in 1888 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Jewish Council and Trust, established in 1982 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) established in 1978 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI) established in 1998 and located in Nova Scotia, Canada

 

* Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) established in 1983 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth of Learning (COL) established in 1987 and located in Vancouver, Canada

 

* Commonwealth Legal Advisory Service (CLAS) established in 1962 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) established in 1971 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Library Association (COMLA) established in 1972 and located in Kingston, Jamaica

 

* Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) established in 1995 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA) established in 1970 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Media Development Fund (CMDF) established in 1979 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) established in 1962 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commit) established in 1995 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) established in 1995 and located in Bajda, Malta

 

* Commonwealth Nurses Federation established in 1972 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Organization for Social Work (COSW) established in 1911 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) established in 1983 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM) established in 1995 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) established in 1970 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU) established in 1999 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) established in 1950 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Relations Trust established in 1937 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) established in 1959 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) established in 1967 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Universities Study Abroad Consortium (CUSAC) established in 1963 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) established in 1967 and located in Bangalore, India

 

* Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) established in 1917 and located in London, UK

 

* Commonwealth Women's Network (CWN) established in 1991 and located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

 

* Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (CYEC) established in 1970 and located in London, UK

 

* Conference of Commonwealth Auditors-General, established in 1951 and located in Putrajaya, Malaysia

 

* Conference of Commonwealth Meteorologists (CCM) established in 2003 and located in London, UK

 

* Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC) established in 1959 and located in London, UK

 

* English-Speaking Union (ESU) established in 1918 and located in London, UK.

 

* Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICS) established in 1949 and located in London, UK

 

* League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) established in 2007 and located in London, UK

 

* Organization of Commonwealth United Nations Associations (OCUNA) established in 1980 and located in London, UK

 

* The Round Table: Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs (CJIA) established in 1910 and located in London, UK

 

* Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) established in 1957 and located in London, UK

 

* Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL) established in 1921 and located in London, UK

 

* Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) established in 1968 and located in London, UK

 

* Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) established in 1910 and located in London, UK

 

* Sight Savers International (RCSB) established in 1950 and located in London, UK

 

* So optimist International Commonwealth Group (SICG) established in 1998 and located in London, UK

 

* Sound Seekers (Commonwealth Society for the Deaf)) established in 1959 and located in London, UK

 

* Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship (VLCF) established in 1901 and located in London, UK

 

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) was founded in 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association. Evolving with the Commonwealth, the CPA adopted its present name in 1948. The Association is composed of branches formed in legislatures in Commonwealth countries, which subscribe to parliamentary democracy. Currently, the Association's parliamentary members of national, State, provincial and territorial parliaments stand at 164.

 

The Parliament of Sri Lanka has a branch of CPA, comprising all party representations. The CPA mission is to promote knowledge and understanding about parliamentary democracy with particular reference to Commonwealth countries, and further co-operation and consultation between Commonwealth parliaments. The CPA achieves its mission through the following activities: Conferences, seminars, workshops and training events, publications, providing information and Parliamentary visits.

 

The President of Sri Lankan Mahinda Rajapaksa officially inaugurated the 58th Parliamentary Conference (CPA) - Annual Conference - in Colombo on September 11, 2012. The Conference was held during the period September 7-15, 2012 with the participation of 800 Members of Parliaments including speakers representing 179 regions of 54 Commonwealth countries. The Sri Lankan Government had hosted the Annual CPA Conference in Colombo twice before, in 1974 and 1995.

Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies

 

The Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS) was established to promote and coordinate Commonwealth Literature Studies, organise seminars and workshops, arrange lectures by writers and scholars, publish a newsletter about activities in the field of Commonwealth literature and hold a conference triennially. The last conference took place in St. Lucia, West Indies from August 5-9.

 

The Sri Lankan Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (SLACLALS) is headed by Prof. Ashley Halpe. The Sri Lanka Association for Commonwealth Literature and ACLALS were started in 1964 with a conference at the University of Leeds and was officially accredited to the Commonwealth in 2005.

 

The Sri Lanka branch of ACLALS, SLACLALS was created in the late 1970s under the guidance of Ashley Halpe who was Professor in English at the University of Ceylon at the time. The aims of SLACLALS are to encourage the study of and research into Commonwealth Literature and language with special reference to Sri Lanka and to support creative writing in English. SLACLALS had held several conferences and seminars over the years in Peradeniya, Colombo, Kandy and Sabaragamuwa.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities

 

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)is governed by its member institutions through an elected council. As the ACU is a UK-registered charity, Council members also act as its trustees. The ACU Council comprises up to 23 members: 20 elected Council members, up to two co-opted Council members and, if the Honorary Treasurer is co-opted rather than elected, the Honorary Treasurer.

Commonwealth Association of Architects

 

The Commonwealth Association of Architects [CAA] is a membership organisation for professional bodies representing architects in Commonwealth countries. Formed in 1965 to promote co-operation for ‘the advancement of architecture in the Commonwealth’ and particularly to share and increase architectural knowledge, it currently has 34 members.

Commonwealth Broadcasting Association

 

The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) is a representative body for public service broadcasters throughout the Commonwealth, founded in 1945. A not-for-profit non-government organisation, the CBA is funded by subscriptions from 102 members and affiliates from 53 countries.

 

The stated goal of the CBA is to promote best practices in public service broadcasting and to foster freedom of expression. It also serves to provide support and assistance to its members through training, bursaries, consultancies, networking opportunities and materials for broadcast. Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Capital Maharaja Organization Limited are Sri Lankan members.

Commonwealth Business Council

 

The Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) is an institution of the Commonwealth family that aims to use the global network of the Commonwealth of Nations more effectively for the promotion of global trade and investment for shared prosperity. It was formed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in CHOGM 1997, in Edinburgh, United

Kingdom.

Commonwealth Dental Association

 

The Sri Lankan Dental Association bears the membership of the Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA). The CDA represents over half a million dentists who practice in Commonwealth countries across the World.

 

The Association aims to improve dental and oral health in the Commonwealth. It aims to develop and promote strategies to improve oral health care; to encourage the training of appropriate personnel, to serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas, professional information and the emerging concept of oral health; to address problems of professional isolation in the non-industrialised Commonwealth countries and to stimulate continuing professional education.

CHOGM under Lankan Chairmanship 2013-2015

 

With the hosting of the CHOGM in Sri Lanka in November, the President of Sri Lanka will assume the role of its Chairmanship for the period 2013 to 2015 commencing in November. Therefore, the Government of Sri Lanka should strive to steer the Commonwealth programs clear of any foreseeable difficulties and or impediments. For that purpose, it is my belief that the Sri Lankan government should prepare a master plan for the implementation of Commonwealth programs during the next two years.

 

Despite the fact that many government and private institutions as well as professionals have participated at several seminars, workshops etc. conducted by Commonwealth Organizations abroad, unfortunately as at present we do not have any major commonwealth intuitions located in this country. Hence , it is my view, that in the national interest we should make use of this golden opportunity to establish one or more of the following organizations, as circumstances permit, in the country under the umbrella of the Commonwealth and encourage the commencement of awareness programmes covering the respective areas. .

 

I. Commonwealth Association of Youth Parliamentarians

 

II. Commonwealth Association of Professional Youth Workers (for which a proposal has already been submitted to the CYPt by Brian Belton).

 

III. Commonwealth Institute of Gem and Jewellery.

 

The writer is Director (Middle East) of the Ministry of External Affairs.

  

www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/09/29/fea08.asp

 

www.ciatnews.cgiar.org/?p=7981

 

Credit: ©2014CIAT/StephanieMalyon

Please credit accordingly and leave a comment when you use a CIAT photo.

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Damnoen Saduak, Thailand

Our text-book tackles the history, aesthetics, culture (and much more) of video games (now in stores)

During this record heatwave Elvis has decided to do his part and provide the world with the following lifesaving information - Elvis Kennedy's Guide to Understanding the Color of Your Pee and How it Can Be Used to Save Your Life.

 

First developed by Elvis during his Tour de France days as a guide to be used during cycling in the summer months, it has since been adopted by athletes of every sport, as well as working stiffs who must deal with heat and dehydration in their daily grind. It's especially useful for photographers working long hours in the baking sun.

 

With the general public now facing record temperatures this guide can be used by every man, woman and child as a quick and easy, down and dirty, handy-dandy, post on your bathroom mirror and on your refridgerator - guide to see if you have been drinking enough fluids.

 

Study this chart and you'll never look at your pee in the same way again. Ever.

 

Drink more water. Save yourselves. Elvis cares.

 

For more go to www.elviskennedy.com

Facebook pages -- Understanding your Facebook page

facebook.daveshirley.net/facebook-pages-understanding-you...

 

Download Our Free Facebook Cheat Sheet here

facebook.daveshirley.net/fbcheatsheet

 

What is the purpose of a Facebook page? For one of the purposes of a Facebook page is to give you the ability to reach customers where they are in their location from around the world.

 

One of the cool things about Facebook, is it people all over the world visit it. They visit Facebook to connect with their friends and even family members as well as other things that they enjoy and have interest in. These things may include businesses and organizations just like yours.

 

Your Facebook page, if designed correctly, can help you tremendously in marketing your business or cause. Your Facebook page is a place for customers can in turn learn about you, your products, and even your business services. your customers will learn on your page about the things you from old, they will do so in your news feeds, and the constantly updating list of your unique stories that you post on Facebook.

 

One of the best things about your page is the fact that it is free to you, it is easy for you to set up, and your Facebook page helps people to find you on facebook.

 

Facebook pages, built for businesses and mobile users

 

According to online resources, well over a billion people visit Facebook pages each and every month. And according to several articles online more and more individuals are visiting Facebook pages on their smartphones weather Android or Apple each and every day. For you to use your facebook it is never been more important to you or for your business, for it to be readily accessible on mobile devices.

 

Facebook pages, well simply put they work great on mobile devices. Your page on Facebook will make it easier for you to daily communicate with your customers. On your Facebook page youTo help your customers and help them make purchases, and even keep them coming back for more.

 

If you're into apps, then you will enjoy the Facebook pages manager app! This app is free and available on both Android and Apple products. With this app you can manage your Facebook page or pages very quickly and respond to your customers request no matter where you are.

 

Facebook pages, drives customers to take action

 

What is it about Facebook page? That makes it easy for customers eagerly learn more about you and your business? well and give them up to date information about how they can start using your products and/or services. Your unique page will always be loaded with all the up-to-date features available on Facebook which will enable you to accomplish all your unique business goals, no matter what business line or niche market you are interested in.

 

Read more facebook.daveshirley.net/facebook-pages-understanding-you...

 

Please Comment, Like and Share Our Content!

 

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Dave Shirley

YourInspiredSuccess.com

DaveShirleyBlog.com

 

Find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.shirley.522

 

When it comes to asphalt paving, generally speaking there will be multiple options in the area. This is fairly difficult specialty work in the individuals who are good at it generally advertise the fact that they specialize in the specific type work. Whether you are looking to get a gravel driveway finally paved or a business needing some work done, you will find there are many options available that meets your specific needs.

An officer watches the Chicago Police equipped with riot gear moving into position during the NATO protest on Sunday.

 

I know that the Superintendent is getting a lot of compliments for the success' of the weekend...

 

but I'm sure that he would tell you the same thing...

 

it was the cops on the street... the regular officers... the men and women of the Chicago Police Department that deserve the credit for how the NATO protests were handled.

 

I congratulate every one of them for a job well done.

 

Because I watched you do it.

 

by Internet Archive Book Images

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CINEMA DIGITAL

 

A Study of 4D Julia sets

 

Baraka / Baraka from DVD to 4K / Baraka with the monkey

 

Beatbox360

 

Enquanto a noite não chega (While we wait for the night â?" first Brazilian film in 4K)/(primeiro filme brasileiro em 4k)

 

Era la Notte

 

Flight to the Center of the Milky Way

 

Growth by aggregation 2

 

Jet Instabilities in a stratified fluid flow

 

Keio University Concert

 

Manny Farber (Tribute to)

 

Scalable City

 

The Nonlinear Evolution of the Universe

 

The Prague train

   

FILE INOVAÇÃO / FILE INNOVATION

 

Interface Cérebro-Computador – Eduardo Miranda

 

Sistema comercial de Reconhecimento Automático - Genius Instituto de Tecnologia

 

Robô de visão omnidirecional – Jun Okamoto

 

Loo Table: mesa interativa - André V. Perrotta, Erico Cheung e Luis Stateri dos Santos, da empresa Loodik

 

Simulador de Ondas e Simulador de Turbilhão - Steger produção de efeitos especiais ltda.

   

GAMES INSTALAÇÕES / INSTALLATIONS GAMES

 

Giles Askham – Aquaplayne

 

Jonah Warren & Steven Sanborn – Transpose

 

Jonah Warren & Steven Sanborn – Full Body Games

 

Fabiano Onça e Coméia – Tantalus Quest

 

Julian Oliver - levelHead

   

GAMES

 

Andreas Zecher – Understanding Games

 

Andrei R. Thomaz – Cubos de Cor

 

Arvi Teikari – Once In Space

 

Fabrício Fava – Futebolando

 

Golf Question Mark – Golf

 

Introversion.co.uk – Darwinia

 

Jens Andersson and Ida Rödén – Rorschach

 

Jonatan Söderström – CleanAsia!

 

Jonatan Söderström – AdNauseum2

 

Jorn Ebner – sans femme et sans avieteur

 

Josh Nimoy – BallDroppings

 

Josiah Pisciotta – Gish

 

Marek Walczak and Martin Wattenberg – Thinking Machine 7

 

Mariana Rillo – Desmanche

 

Mark Essen - Punishment: The punishing

 

Mark Essen - RANDY BALMA: MUNICIPAL ABORTIONIST

 

Playtime – SFZero

 

QUBO GAS: Jef Ablézot, Morgan Dimnet & Laura Henno - WATERCOULEUR PARK

 

QueasyGames - Jonathan Mak – Everyday Shooter

 

R-S-G: Radical Software Group - Kriegspiel - Guy Debord's Game of War

  

Shalin Shodhan (www.experimentalgameplay.com) – On a Rainy Day

 

Shalin Shodhan (www.experimentalgameplay.com) – Cytoplasm

 

Shalin Shodhan (www.experimentalgameplay.com) – Particle Rain

 

Tales of Tales: Auriea Harvey & Michaël Samyn - The Graveyard

 

Tanja Vujinovic – Osciloo

 

ThatGameCompany – Jenova Chen – Clouds

 

ThatGameCompany – Jenova Chen - flOw

   

JOGOS BR

 

JOGOS BR 1

 

Ayri - Uma Lenda Amazônica - Sylker Teles da Silva / Outline Interactive

 

Capoeira Experience - Andre Ivankio Hauer Ploszaj / Okio Serviços de Comunicação Multimídia Ltda.

 

Cim-itério - Wagner Gomes Carvalho / Green Land Studios

 

Incorporated (Emprego Maluco) - Tiago Pinheiro Teixeira / Interama Jogos Eletrônicos

 

Iracema Aventura – Odair Gaspar / Perceptum Software Ltda.

 

Nevrose: Sangue e Loucura Sob o Sol do Sertão - Rodrigo Queiroz de Oliveira

/ Gamion Realidade Virtual & Games

 

Raízes do Mal – Marcos Cruz Alves / Ignis Entretenimento e Informática Ltda.

 

JOGOS BR 2 – Jogos Completos

 

Cave Days - Winston George A. Petty / Insolita Studios

 

Peixis!

(JOGO EM DESENVOLVIMENTO) - Wallace Santos Lages / Ilusis Interactive Graphics

 

JOGOS BR 2 – Demos Jogáveis

 

Brasilia Tropicalis - Thiago Salgado Aiache de Moraes / Olympya Games

 

Conspiração Dumont - Guilherme Mattos Coutinho

 

Flora - Francisco Oliveira de Queiroz

 

Fórmula Galaxy – Artur Corrêa / Vencer Consultoria e Projetos Ltda.

 

Inferno - Alexandre Vrubel / Continuum Entertainment Ltda

 

Lex Venture - Tiago Pinheiro Teixeira / Interama Jogos Eletrônicos

 

Trem de Doido (DEMO EM DESENVOLVIMENTO) - Marcos André Penna Coutinho

 

Zumbi, o rei dos Palmeiras - Nicholas Lima de Souza

    

HIPERSÔNICA / HIPERSONICA

  

Hipersônica Performance

 

Andrei Thomaz, Francisco Serpa, Lílian Campesato e Vitor Kisil – Sonocromática

 

Bernhard Gal – Gal Live

 

+Zero: Fabrizio Augusto Poltronieri, Jonattas Marcel Poltronieri, Raphael Dall'Anese - +Zero do Brasil

 

Luiz duVa - Concerto para duo de laptops

 

Henrique Roscoe (a.k.a. 1mpar) – HOL

 

Jose Ignacio Hinestrosa e Testsu Kondo – Fricciones

 

Alexandre Fenerich e Giuliano Obici – Nmenos1

 

Orqstra de Laptops de São Paulo - EvEnTo 3 Movimentos para Orquestra

    

Hipersônica Participantes

 

Agricola de Cologne - soundSTORY - sound as a tool for storytelling

 

Jen-Kuan Chang – Drishti II

 

Jen-Kuan Chang – Discordance

 

Jen-Kuan Chang – Nekkhamma

 

Jen-Kuan Chang - She, Flush, Vegetable, Lo Mein, and Intolerable Happiness

 

Jerome Soudan – Mimetic

 

Matt Lewis e Jeremy Keenan – Animate Objects

 

Robert Dow - Precipitation within sight

 

Tetsu Kondo – Dendraw

 

Tomas Phillips – Drink_Deep

   

INSTALAÇÕES / INSTALLATIONS

 

Anaisa Franco – Connected Memories

 

Andrei Thomaz & Sílvia Laurentiz – 1º Subsolo

 

Graffiti Research Lab – Various

 

Hisako K. Yamakawa – Kodama

 

r3nder.net+i2off.org – is.3s

 

Jarbas Jacome – Crepúsculo dos Ídolos

 

Julio Obelleiro & Alberto García – Magnéticos

 

Julio Obelleiro & Alberto García – The Magic Torch

 

Mariana Manhães – Liquescer (Jarrinho)

 

Mariana Manhães – Liquescer (Jarrinho Azul)

 

Rejane Cantoni e Leonardo Crescenti – PISO

 

Sheldon Brown – Scalable City

 

Soraya Braz e Fábio FON – Roaming

 

Takahiro Matsuo – Phantasm

 

Ursula Hentschlaeger – Outer Space IP

 

Ursula Hentschlaeger – Phantasma

 

Ursula Hentschlaeger – Binary Art Site

   

SYMPOSIUM

 

Agnus Valente

 

Anaisa Franco

 

Andre Thomaz e Silvia Laurentiz

 

Christin Bolewski

 

Giles Askham

 

Graffiti Research Lab: James Powderly

 

Hidenori Watanave

 

Ivan Ivanoff e Jose Jimenez

 

Jarbas Jácome

 

João Fernando Igansi Nunes

 

Marcos Moraes

 

Mediengruppe Bitnik; Carmen Weisskopf, Domagoj Smoljo, Silvan Leuthold, Sven König [SWI]

 

Mesa Redonda (LABO) - Cicero Silva, Lev Manovich (teleconferencia) e Noah Wardrip-Fruin

 

Mesa Redonda [BRA] – (Hipersônica) Renata La Rocca, Gabriela Pereira Carneiro, Ana Paula Nogueira de Carvalho, Clarissa Ribeiro Pereira de Almeida. Mediação: Vivian Caccuri

 

Mesa Redonda [BRA] - [Ministro da Cultura: Gilberto Gil | Secretário do Audiovisual do Ministério da Cultura: Sílvio Da-Rin | Secretário de Políticas Culturais do Ministério da Cultura: Alfredo Manevy ]

 

Mesa Redonda [BRA] - Inovação - Lala Deheinzelin, Gian Zelada, Alessandro Dalla, Ivandro Sanches, Eduardo Giacomazzi. Mediação: Joana Ferraz

 

Mesa Redonda 4k - Jane de Almeida, Sheldon Brownn, Mike Toillion, Todd Margolis, Peter Otto

 

Nardo Germano

 

Nori Suzuki

 

Sandra Albuquerque Reis Fachinello

 

Satoru Tokuhisa

 

Sheldon Brown

 

Soraya Braz e Fabio FON

 

Suzete Venturelli, Mario Maciel e bolsistas do CNPq/UnB (Johnny Souza, Breno Rocha, João Rosa e Samuel Castro [BRA]

 

Ursula Hentschlaeger

 

Valzeli Sampaio

   

Cinema Documenta FILE São Paulo 2008

 

Antonello Matarazzo – Interferenze – Itália / Italy

Bruno Natal - Dub Echoes – Brasil / Brazil

Carlo Sansolo - Panoramika Eletronika - Brasil / Brazil

Kevin Logan – Recitation – Londres / London

Kodiak Bachine e Apollo 9 – Nuncupate – Brasil / Brazil

Linda Hilfing Nielsen - Participation 0.0 – Dinamarca

Maren Sextro e Holger Wick - Slices, Pioneers of Electronic Music – Vol.1 – Richie Hawtin Documentary – Alemanha / Germany

Matthew Bate - What The Future Sounded Like – Austrália

Thomas Ziegler, Jason Gross e Russell Charmo - OHM+ the early gurus of electronic music – Eua / USA

 

Mídia Arte FILE São Paulo 2008

 

[ fladry + jones ] Robb Fladry and Barry Jones - The War is Over 2007 – EUA / USA

Agricola de Cologne - One Day on Mars – Alemanha / Germany

alan bigelow - "When I Was President" – EUA / USA

Alessandra Ribeiro Parente Paes

Daniel Fernandes Gamez

Glauber Kotaki Rodrigues

Igor Albuquerque Bertolino

Karina Yuko Haneda

Marcio Pedrosa Tirico da Silva Junior – Reativo – Brasil / Brazil

Alessandro Capozzo – Talea – Itália / Italy

Alex Hetherington - Untitled (sexyback, folly artist) – Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Alexandre Campos, Bruno Massara e Lucilene Soares Alves - Novos Olhares sobre a Mobilidade – Brasil / Brazil

Alexandre Cardoso Rodrigues Nunes

Bruno Coimbra Franco

Diego Filipe Braga R. Nascimento

Fábio Rinaldi Batistine

Yumi Dayane Shimada – Abra Sua Gaveta – Brasil / Brazil

ALL: ALCIONE DE GODOY, ADILSON NG, CAMILLO LOUVISE COQUEIRO, MARINA QUEIROZ MAIA, RODOLFO ROSSI JULIANI, VINÍCIUS NAKAMURA DE BRITO – Vita Ex Maxina – Brasil / Brazil

Andreas Zingerle - Extension of Human sight – Áustria

Andrei R. Thomaz - O Tabuleiro dos Jogos que se bifurcam - First Person Movements - Brasil / Brazil

Andrei R. Thomaz e Marina Camargo – Eclipses – Brasil / Brazil

Brit Bunkley – Spin – Spite – Nova Zelândia – New Zeland

calin man – appendXship / Romênia

Carlindo da Conceição Barbosa

Kauê de Oliveira Souza

Guilherme Tetsuo Takei

Renato Michalischen

Ricardo Rodrigues Martins

Tassia Deusdara Manso

Thalyta de Almeida Barbosa / Da Música ao Caos – Brasil / Brazil

Christoph Korn – waldstueck – Alemanha / Germany

Corpos Informáticos: Bia Medeiros, Carla Rocha, Diego Azambuja, Fernando Aquino, Kacau Rodrigues, Márcio Mota, Marta Mencarini, Wanderson França – UAI 69 – Brasil / Brazil

Duda. – do pixel ao pixel – Brasil / Brazil

Daniel Kobayashi

Felipe Crivelli Ayub

Fernando Boschetti

Luiz Felipe M. Coelho

Marcelo Knelsen

Mauro Falavigna

Rafael de A. Campos

Wellington K. Guimarães Bastos - A Casa Dentro da Porta – Brasil / Brazil

David Clark - 88 Constellations for Wittgenstein – Canadá

Thais Paola Galvez

Josias Silva

Diego Abrahão Modesto

Nilson Benis

Vinicius Augusto Naka de Vasconcelos

Wilson Ruano Junior

Marcela Moreira da Silva – Rogério caos – Brasil / Brazil

Diogo Fuhrmann Misiti, Guilherme Pilz, João Henrique - Caleidoscópio Felliniano: 8 ½ - Brasil / Brazil

Agence TOPO: Elene Tremblay, Marcio Lana-Lopez, Maryse Larivière, Marie-Josée Hardy, James Prior - Mes / My contacts – Canadá / Canada

Eliane Weizmann, Fernando Marinho e Leocádio Neto – Storry teller – Brasil / Brazil

Fabian Antunes - Pousada Recanto Abaetuba – Brasil / Brazil

Edgar Franco e Fabio FON - Freakpedia - A verdadeira enciclopédia livre – Brasil / Brazil

Fernando Aquino – UAI Justiça – Brasil / Brazil

Henry Gwiazda - claudia and Paul - a doll's house is...... - there's whispering...... – EUA / USA

Architecture in Metaverse: Hidenori Watanave - "Archidemo" - Architecture in Metaverse – Hapão / Japan

Yto Aranda – Cyber Birds Dance – Chile

Dana Sperry - Sketch for an Intermezzo for the Masses, no. 7 – EUA / USA

Jorn Ebner - (sans femme et sans aviateur) – Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Josephine Anstey, Dave Pape - Office Diva – EUA / USA

Josh Fishburn – Layers – Waiting – EUA / USA

Karla Brunet – Peculiaris – Brasil / Brazil

Kevin Evensen - Veils of Light – EUA / USA

lemeh42 (santini michele and paoloni lorenza) - Study on human form and humanity #01 – Itália / Italy

linda hilfling e erik borra - misspelling generator – Dinamarca / Denmark

Lisa Link - If I Worked for 493 years – EUA / USA

Marcelo Padre – Estro – Brasil / Brazil

Martha Carrer Cruz Gabriel - Locative Painting - Brasil / Brazil

Martin John Callanan - I Wanted to See All of the News From Today – Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Mateus Knelsen, Ana Clara, Felipe Vasconcelos, Rafael Jacobsen, Ronaldo Silva - A pós-modernidade em recortes: Tide Hellmeister e as relações Design e cultura – Brasil / Brazil

Mateus Knelsen, Felipe Szulc, Mileine Assai Ishii, Pamela Cardoso, Tânia Taura - Homo ex machina – Brasil / Brazil

Michael Takeo Magruder - Sequence-n (labyrinth) - Sequence-n (horizon) – Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Michael Takeo Magruder + Drew Baker + David Steele - The Vitruvian World - Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Nina Simões - Rehearsing Reality ( An interactive non-linear docufragmentary) - Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Nurit Bar-Shai - Nothing Happens – EUA / USA

projectsinge: Blanquet Jerome - Monkey_Party – França / France

QUBO GAS - WATERCOULEUR PARK – França / France

rachelmauricio castro – 360 - R.G.B. – tybushwacka – Brasil / Brazil

Rafael Rozendaal - future physics – Netherlands

Regina Célia Pinto - Ninhos & Magia – Brasil / Brazil

Roni Ribeiro – Bípedes – Brasil / Brazil

Rubens Pássaro - ISTO NÃO É PARANÓIA – Brasil / Brazil

Rui Filipe Antunes – xTNZ – Brasil / Brazil

Selcuk ARTUT & Cem OCALAN – NewsPaperBox – Brazil

Tanja Vujinovic - "Without Title" – Switzerland

 

Hipersônica Screening – FILE São Paulo 2008

 

1mpar – hol – Brasil / Brazil

Art Zoyd - EYECATCHER 1 - EYECATCHER 2, Man with a movie camera - Movie-Concert for The Fall of the Usher House – França / France

Audiobeamers (FroZenSP and Klinid) - Paesaggi Liquidi II – Alemanha / Germany

Bernhard Loibner – Meltdown – Áustria

Bjørn Erik Haugen – Regress - Norway

Celia Eid e Sébastien Béranger – Gymel – França / France

Studio Brutus/Citrullo International - H2O – Itália / Italy

Daniel Carvalho - OUT_FLOW PART I – Brasil / Brazil

David Muth - You Are The Sony Of My Life – Reino Unido / United Kingdon

Dennis Summers - Phase Shift Vídeos – EUA / USA

Duprass - Liora Belford & Ido Govrin – Free Field – Pink / Noise – Israel

Fernando Velázquez – Nómada – Brasil / Brazil

Frames aka Flames - Performance audiovisual sincronizada: Sociedade pós-moderna, novas tecnologias e espaço urbano - Brasil / Brazil

Frederico Pessoa - butterbox – diving - Brasil / Brazil

Jay Needham - Narrative Half-life – EUA / USA

Soundsthatmatter – trotting – briji – Brasil / Brazil

x

The same sliced and chromed column in front of Pecci Museum, Prato.

This photo is an explanation for the other one (Pecci) as you can see the monument

from a clearer point of view.

=====================

La stessa colonna affettata e cromata di fronte al Museo Pecci di arte moderna a Prato.

Questo scatto è un po' una spiegazione dell'altro (Pecci, accanto) potendo vedere la colonna da un punto di vista + chiaro.

 

As a child I loved looking at the covers and the illustrations within my dad's old science magazines. I didn't actually read any, just looked at the pictures. It's still absolutely inspirational stuff.

Acrylic on canvas

NASA Adminiistrator Charles F. Bolden, left, and Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), shake hands, Friday, Sept. 11, 2009, after signing a Space Transportation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Inspired by one of my favorite Flickr photographers: www.flickr.com/photos/je_est_un_autre/2519152913/in/set-7...

Understanding and Meeting the Needs of LGBT Elders

April 28, 2010, 12:00pm – 1:30pm

 

To watch the event, click here: www.americanprogressaction.org/events/2010/04/LGBTElders....

 

We need to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender inequality and implement change to ensure that, "we will all be able to live out our final years surrounded by the people we love in exactly the way we choose," Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) told attendees at a CAP Action event yesterday.

 

Baldwin was joined at the event, "Understanding and Meeting the Needs of LGBT Elders," by a panel of experts that included Michael Adams, executive director of Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders; Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project; and Percil Stanford, chief diversity officer at the American Association of Retired Persons. Director of the Women's Health and Rights Program at CAP Action Jessica Arons gave introductory remarks and CAP Action Senior Vice President for External Affairs Winnie Stachelberg gave introductory remarks and moderated.

 

The event centered around research and recommendations detailed in a new report, "Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults," which was released in March 2010 by SAGE and MAP in partnership with the American Society on Aging, the Center for American Progress, and the National Senior Citizens Law Center.

 

"The LGBT movement today is focused on our headline issues" such as repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell," working toward marriage equality, and passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Stachelberg said. But there are many more important issues that need urgent attention, such as LGBT elders. A "lack of full LGBT equality has real impact on real people's lives" and LGBT elders in particular face "challenges and obstacles that their straight peers do not" due to a lack of relationship recognition and employment benefits, she said.

 

All older adults face challenges as they age, but LGBT elders' lives are made even more difficult due to legal inequalities, as well as "homophobia and a hostile health care system" that amounts to institutional discrimination, Baldwin said.

 

To paint a clearer picture of "inequality in the eyes of the law," she cited the example of Harold and Clay, an older gay couple who lived in Sonoma County, California together for more than 25 years. They outlined their relationship in their wills and powers of attorney, but when Harold was injured and admitted to a nursing home, Clay was not allowed to visit him or take control of his partner's estate. Local authorities referred to them as roommates instead of partners, auctioned off their belongings, and Clay spent the next four months unable to visit his dying partner.

 

"The cruelty of these cases is unconscionable...but we can and we must take steps to make sure" this type of injustice does not continue, Baldwin said. The way to bring public attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders is by "putting a face on the issues we talk about...these are real people," she said. It is important for policymakers to hear these stories and know it is a human injustice.

 

But real stories are not enough. "We need a voice, and we need visibility to tell our stories. But we also need data," Baldwin said. If you cannot prove inequality or discrimination through statistical data, it is impossible to successfully argue that change is needed and pinpoint the specific fixes that would help the most. Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity must be added to general government health surveys to overcome this problem.

 

Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, also known as DOMA, will give equal access to federally provided health and income benefits, Baldwin said. She also wants reforms that will put these Americans on an equal footing with their heterosexual counterparts, stressing that "discrimination will not be tolerated."

 

Patients in the healthcare system must be treated with dignity and respect. Staff at nursing homes, hospitals, and other health care facilities need to be educated about LGBT issues and trained to provide this population with the same level of care afforded to others.

 

Short of fully repealing DOMA and enacting marriage rights for gay couples, federal programs such as Medicaid and Social Security could be amended to include same-sex couples. These couples currently receive 24 percent less in annual Social Security benefits than their heterosexual married counterparts, despite the fact that gay couples pay into the system at the same rate as straight couples.

 

"The time to address these issues is now," Adams said. The Baby Boomer generation is starting to enter their senior years and this is the first generation to have lived openly LGBT lives. They are also two times as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to be single and four times less likely to have children, which reduces the chance that they have someone who can help care for them in their later years. Those who do have close family members are also in a bind, because their families are often not legally recognized. Our current laws do not provide any protections to these families of choice, and are instead based upon the presumption of heterosexual marriage.

 

Cumulatively, these challenges negatively impact LGBT seniors' financial security, health and wellbeing, and social and community connections.

 

The report offers a host of recommendations to minimize or eliminate these negative outcomes, Adams said. One approach is to create a legislative model that includes "permanent partner" benefits in Social Security, Medicaid, family medical leave, hospital visitation, inheritance laws and estate taxes, and other policies. Congress should also pass nondiscrimination laws that include public accommodations—which include nursing homes and hospitals—and should work with health care providers on nondiscriminatory policies and cultural competency training.

 

Making sure that LGBT elders have healthy, secure, and rewarding lives requires reaching out to the mainstream aging community. The AARP has taken in a lead in this area, as Stanford described in his remarks. "What we do, we do for all," he said. He further said that, "as an organization, we're certainly committed to social change" and we "cannot afford to segregate based on color, sexual orientation, gender identity" or anything else.

 

Keynote speaker:

 

Rep. Tammy Baldwin, (D-WI)

 

Featured panelists:

 

Michael Adams, Executive Director, Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders

Ineke Mushovic, Executive Director, Movement Advancement Project

Percil Stanford, Chief Diversity Officer, American Association of Retired Persons

 

Moderated by:

 

Winnie Stachelberg, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Center for American Progress Action Fund

 

HIGH PRIESTESS Schattenspiel Tarot © Linda Dawn Hammond / IndyFoto.com 1996/ 2018

Schattenspiel Tarot Series

Digital illustration based on original photography.

 

High Priestess/ Schattenspiel Tarot

Meanings and Details

 

II High Priestess

 

The High Priestess represents wisdom. She is found at the portal of conscious and unconscious knowledge, as guardian of the key and the book which unlock the mysteries of this passage. Behind her is a veil held between two pillars, through which one must pass to acquire spiritual understanding. Her position in the cards represents the unification of opposites. This card conveys the wisdom which is manifested through woman, thus acknowledging her full inclusion within the Holy Orders, a status denied to females in many religions.

 

High priestess/ Schattenspiel Tarot Series

 

The High Priestess is also known as Selene, Greek goddess of the moon. Many decks depict her as a woman wearing a long gown and veils, a crescent moon inscribed upon her forehead. (Appendix H) In Schattenspiel, a crescent moon also rests at her feet in the form of a bone. This refers to another source of the High Priestess, Greek goddess Artemis (Diana of Roman mythology), goddess of the chase. (Appendix M)

 

High priestess/ Schattenspiel Tarot Series

 

The High Priestess is dressed in blue and white, symbolic of water, source of life and creation. The Virgin Mary's garments are also often depicted in these same colours. (Appendix O) The "fabric" of the dress was created from a digital sampling of waterfalls, streams, vines and ferns, to reinforce her position as a nature goddess. The High Priestess is wearing the Egyptian Ankh around her neck, which symbolizes life and relates her to Isis, upon whom she is sometimes modelled. Isis is yet another goddess whose myth involves both parthenogenesis and resurrection.(Appendix V)

 

In her hand is a scroll, an indicator of greater rank than if she held a book. The original background was a Black and White photograph taken in a park in Berlin, Germany. It has been highly digitally manipulated.

 

The woman portraying the High Priestess possesses the necessary qualities of wisdom and grace. Within the border are, properly obscured, two symbols of the High Priestess- the crescent moon and the key.

 

Appendix H

Seeking the Symbol

"The illumination is the recognition of the radiance of one eternity through all things, whether in the vision of time these things are judged as good or as evil."

Joseph Campbell

In order to convince the believers of pagan gods to shift alliances, the common practice was to present the new god as sharing characteristics and a similar mythology with the one being supplanted, in addition to appropriating or destroying the place of worship generally associated with the old deity. The Romans were kind enough to provide the only written accounts of Druid rituals before they decimated the tribes, systematically destroying sacred groves and the Druid priesthood. What little remained of Celtic culture was eventually assimilated by the Christians: More than a few present-day sites of Christian churches were formerly Druidic groves in which were located stone shrines or magic trees, wells or fairy mounds..." Wells in Britain were considered holy- a portal to the underworld and a way of bringing the moon to the earth. (Inspired by its reflection on the surface of the water)

The habit we have of dropping coins in a fountain * actually comes from this source. People used to drop offerings into the local well, such as pins, produce and even gold. This was done in order to attract the favours of the gods and goddesses, in particular Selene, goddess of the moon. They eventually became the site of Christenings and were re-named in honour of individual saints.

* [Note: As I am intending to make a reference to Merlin in my portrayal of The Magician, I was intrigued to learn of this as there is a round indentation in the table upon which I placed the sacred objects-a sword, a chalice and a coin. The magician, who represents Merlin, is holding the rod. The table was a solid teak mortar. I felt that there was a reason for this choice, and now I have decided that it should be filled with water, the moon reflecting in it, to represent Merlin's fountain]

Many of the Devil cards show a figure with antlers- in direct reference to Cernunnos. The Christian Devil is a composite of this Celtic god and was created to attribute negative qualities to the old gods in order to obtain convertions. Cernunnos is usually seen in squatting position, as is The Devil in the card, grasping a ram-horned serpent in his left hand - the serpent, goddess symbol of re-birth, is an old Christian symbol of vice. In our society, the left hand continues to be held in disfavour over the right. The prejudice may also be a carry-over from this source. He was at times accompanied by a female consort. Cernunnos held particular influence in Northern England, "... within the context of pastoral societies," where he is referred to in present day more commonly as Pan.

Cernunnos is also depicted on carvings and in relief on cauldrons in association with a wheel , which appears as a Tarot card, The Wheel of Fortune). The wheel is connected with goddess worship. Highwater quotes Campbell as saying that in earlier times of"...the cosmic order of the Mother Goddess ", the wheel had once been, "...symbolic of the world's glory ." This was subsequently altered, "...And in the classical world the turning spoked wheel appeared also at this time as an emblem rather of life's defeat and pain than of victory and exhilaration. " The chariot existed among the Celts prior to the arrival in the British Isles of the Romans, with whom it is more popularly identified. In Stuart Piggott's book, The Druids, it is stated that Celtic chariotry was of, "...ultimately oriental roots, and was an integral part of warfare in such documented engagements as that of Sentinum (295 BC) or Clastidium (222) and among the Arverni (121). Posidonius, writing mainly of the second century BC, describes chariot warfare as a Gaulish practice, but by Caesar's time, from 58 BC onwards, it had been given up in the continental territories with which he was concerned, probably as a result of the Celts trying to adopt defensive measures in accordance with Roman techniques of war. Caesar was however to encounter it (to his surprise) in Southern Britain in 56 BC, and it survived in Caledonia into the third century AD, forming also the characteristic background of the early Irish hero-tales of later date." This means that the cards, The Chariot and The Wheel of Fortune need not necessarily point exclusively to Roman influence, although it is true that the earliest documented Tarot cards originate in Italy. In terms of the origin of the Horned god, it is, according to Ross," ...in question how long it had been in existence here prior to the coming of the Romans."

The Druids were reported by the Romans to sacrifice victims by encasing them together with animals inside large wicker structures, built in the form of humans, and burning them alive.The victims represented the "spirit of vegetation" and were meant to ensure the fertility of the crops. The practice of creating these large giants continues and they still appear as part of spring and midsummer festivities. Contemporary enactments sometimes include simulated sacrifices. Considering that the ritual originated with the Druids and that the snake was an animal of veneration, of interest is the "annual favourite ceremony for Luchon" [in the Pyrenees, reported 1869] which took place on Midsummer Eve, and involved the construction of a 60 foot figure made of wicker, filled with as many snakes as could be gathered. The bonfire was lit and, "...The serpents, to avoid the flames, wriggle the way to the top, whence they are seen lashing out literally until finally obliged to drop, their struggles for life giving rise to enthusiastic delight among the surrounding spectators." The result is a confusing display of veneration combined with an exorcism of the old pagan gods.

In Pliny's (A.D.79) description of Druid rituals, one can recognize similarities to the cult of Dionysus (or Bacchus,god of wine, as he was otherwise known) which in turn resembles elements of the story

of Christ:

"...The priest, clad in a white robe, is described as climbing the oak tree, and after cutting the sacred plant, two white bulls are sacrificed and a feast ensued."

The plant referred to is the mistletoe, which was rarely found growing on an Oak tree, the discovery of which would lead to this ceremony. A date would be set in accordance with the cycle of the moon and the plant would be cut ritually with a golden scythe or scissors. This also occurred during solstice, and explains the inclusion of the Christmas tree and mistletoe in Christian festivities, as "...the winter solstice celebration ...became Christmas in the Christian calendar...

Dionysiac rites also held the evergreen sacred and included the sacrifice of bulls. Dionysus was the god of trees- pine and ivy in particular. His image bears a resemblance to Christ on the cross in the description Frazier gave of, "...an upright post,without arms, but draped in a mantle, with a bearded mask to represent the head, and with leafy boughs projecting from the head or body to show the nature of the deity." The bull was selected as a sacrificial victim as Dionysus was often represented as a horned white bull and, on occasion, a goat.": ...it was in bull form that he had been torn to pieces...in rending and devouring a live bull at his festival his worshippers believed that they were killing the god, eating his flesh and drinking his blood." This brings to mind the Catholic ritual of the consecration, where the ceremonial taking of wine and unleaven bread (the host) become the blood and the flesh of Christ. Dionysus also suffered, died and was resurrected, although this was not uncommon amongst gods. However, to complete the picture, he too was the result of a parthenogenic birth, in this case emerging from the thigh (or member) of a male, the god Zeus.

The image of the bull enters into the Tarot deck in another card- The World, and it is similarly represented in the Book of Kells , where it is an evangelist symbol representing Christ's death, but in the form of a calf rather than a bull. This is perhaps a bid to de-emphasize the phallic connotations of the horned deity. The Book of Kells, c 800, is a Scottish/Irish manuscript relating the story of the gospels. There are three pages within the text, (folios 27v,129v and 290v), where the four evangelist symbols appear to explain the life of Christ: " Christ was a man in his birth, a calf in his death, a lion in his resurrection, and an eagle ascending to heaven, so that, in representing the evangelists, the symbols were also representing Christ." These identical four figures surround the hermaphrodite figure in The World. If one reflects upon the image as it appears in the Book of Kells, there is no central figure needed as Christ manifests himself through the combination of the symbols. In the Tarot version, one can then see a return to a place for the goddess or, at the very least, the female in unity with the male. According to Campbell, the androgyne god was also part of Christianity

Campbell referred to Ch.1 of Genesis and the creation of Adam and Eve. In this version, God created them together, in the image of himself as male and female. There God is himself the primordial androgyne." In which case it would not be a transgression to cast an androgyne as the central figure.

It is obvious that there is a connection between the symbols in the Tarot and the Book of Kells, but it is difficult to establish the origin due to a confusion of cross cultural exchanges, as we have seen. Of the four symbols of the Tarot cards- the cup, the sword, the pentacle(or coin) and the wand (or rod), two are seen throughout the Book of Kells- the grail, from which Christ drank at the Last Supper and which was a never-ending source of nourishment, and the eucharist host, which represents the platter from which he ate. In the stories of the Holy Grail written by Geoffrey de Monmouth in 1130, the four symbols come together as the "Grail Hollows" , which Douglas claims,"...were in part descendants of the Four Treasures of Ireland, the magical emblems of the Tuatha dé Danaan, or people of the goddess Danu, who were the gods of the Celts in pre-Christian Ireland." It is important to note that the cauldron of The Dagda, "Eochaid Ollathair, Father of All", also represented a never-ending source of food for his people in that it "could never be emptied." Instead of a coin or host, the disc is the stone of Fál "...which cries out loud when trodden on by the lawful King of Ireland."

Appendix M

She is known as Artemis, or her Roman counterpart Diana, and was worshipped in primitive matriarchal societies as an orgiastic goddess, yet she chose to remain unmarried.

She is also known as Selene the moon goddess, whom Pan "was also said to have seduced..." (From Greek Myths and Legends Pears Cyclopedia 76th Edition H35- ), offering further suggestion that the status of "virgin" signified an unmarried state. (See Appendix O)

Artemis was associated with Selene. Selene was a rural divinity. In 600 BC her cult went to Marseilles from Asia Minor. As Diana she carries the bow, quiver and spear, "as Selene, she wore a long robe and veil, and a crescent moon on her forehead."

Appendix O

The High Priestess is sometimes said to represent a virgin. It should be remembered that in biblical times, "virgin" referred to all unmarried woman, regardless of sexual experience. In Greek, PARTHENOS = UNMARRIED but NOT necessarily VIRGIN.

The screen behind The High Priestess often contains images of pomegranates and refers to her as the mother of Attis, whom she conceived through parthenogenesis by placing a pomegranate blessed by the lord of the skies between her thighs. In the Roman myth, Attis died, was resurrected and became immortal. His death was the result of a self-inflicted castration. Connections between parthenogenesis, castration and resurrection are also elements of the story of Osiris. (see Appendix V)

 

Appendix V

Although Osiris is represented in the Hierophant rather than the Devil, his story intertwines with the others. He is the Egyptian god of vegetation, who introduced his people to the cultivation of corn and the vine. Osiris was resurrected after being betrayed by one of his own, murdered, and encased in the trunk of a conifer, thereby becoming a tree spirit. The ritual honouring him involves the "...erection of the Tatu, Tat or Ded pillar. This pillar appears from the monuments to have been a column with crossbars at the top..." . In one of the legends of Osiris, Isis, who is a symbol of the High Priestess, and his consort, hovers as a kite "...over the god's body to bring life to it. She succeeds and becomes pregnant with Osiris' son and heir, the god Horus. {Isis had.}.. retrieved the coffin with the body of Osiris, which she brought back to Egypt and hid in the marshes, Unfortunately, Seth found the body and tore it to pieces, throwing them in the river. Isis found all but one of the pieces- his genitals had been eaten by a fish. The other parts were collected together and bandaged to form the first mummy, and then transformed into an akh, which travelled down to the underworld, where Osiris became King of the Dead. Since Court de Gebelin's book, Le Monde Primitif (1781) was published claiming Egypt to be the source of the Tarot, many people have looked to its mythology for connecting links, and decks such as the Egyptian Tarot and Crowley's The Book of Thoth reflect this ongoing belief.

 

Text and photography: Linda Dawn Hammond

 

NOTE: All images and text on this site are protected under International copyright laws.

Linda Dawn Hammond, 2003. The images posted on this site are of lower resolution than the originals.

  

EXHIBITIONS

Nov- Dec 97

Galerie Mistral, Montreal

Group exhibit entitled, Univers singuliers/ Small Worlds

2 borderless images derived from the Schattenspiel series, (dim.5" by 7")

 

Jan- Dec 97

Downtown Management Centre, Toronto

Group exhibit entitled, Artbox 19975 images from the Schattenspiel Series (dim.5" by 7")

 

May 96

IDA gallery, York U., Toronto

Thesis exhibit entitled,"Imaginary Homelands"

(Work in progress, re-titled Schattenspiel)

Installation integrating digital photography (15 images), sampled sounds, projections, found objects, text

 

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Matrix (Montreal), Schattenspiel, Issue #53,1999. Review, interview, portfolio of 8 digital illustrations

   

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Patent US6506148 - Nervous system manipulation by electromagnetic fields from monitors

  

Publication number US6506148 B2

Publication type Grant

Application number US 09/872,528

Publication date Jan 14, 2003

Filing date Jun 1, 2001

Priority date Jun 1, 2001

Fee status Paid

Also published as US20020188164

 

Inventors Hendricus G. Loos

Original Assignee Hendricus G. Loos

Export Citation BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan

Patent Citations (16), Non-Patent Citations (5), Referenced by (3), Classifications (6), Legal Events (3)

  

External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet

  

Nervous system manipulation by electromagnetic fields from monitors

US 6506148 B2

  

Abstract

  

Physiological effects have been observed in a human subject in response to stimulation of the skin with weak electromagnetic fields that are pulsed with certain frequencies near ½ Hz or 2.4 Hz, such as to excite a sensory resonance. Many computer monitors and TV tubes, when displaying pulsed images, emit pulsed electromagnetic fields of sufficient amplitudes to cause such excitation. It is therefore possible to manipulate the nervous system of a subject by pulsing images displayed on a nearby computer monitor or TV set. For the latter, the image pulsing may be imbedded in the program material, or it may be overlaid by modulating a video stream, either as an RF signal or as a video signal. The image displayed on a computer monitor may be pulsed effectively by a simple computer program. For certain monitors, pulsed electromagnetic fields capable of exciting sensory resonances in nearby subjects may be generated even as the displayed images are pulsed with subliminal intensity.

  

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Claims(14)

  

I claim:

  

1. A method for manipulating the nervous system of a subject located near a monitor, the monitor emitting an electromagnetic field when displaying an image by virtue of the physical display process, the subject having a sensory resonance frequency, the method comprising:

 

creating a video signal for displaying an image on the monitor, the image having an intensity;

 

modulating the video signal for pulsing the image intensity with a frequency in the range 0.1 Hz to 15 Hz; and

 

setting the pulse frequency to the resonance frequency.

  

2. A computer program for manipulating the nervous system of a subject located near a monitor, the monitor emitting an electromagnetic field when displaying an image by virtue of the physical display process, the subject having cutaneous nerves that fire spontaneously and have spiking patterns, the computer program comprising:

 

a display routine for displaying an image on the monitor, the image having an intensity;

 

a pulse routine for pulsing the image intensity with a frequency in the range 0.1 Hz to 15 Hz; and

 

a frequency routine that can be internally controlled by the subject, for setting the frequency;

 

whereby the emitted electromagnetic field is pulsed, the cutaneous nerves are exposed to the pulsed electromagnetic field, and the spiking patterns of the nerves acquire a frequency modulation.

  

3. The computer program of claim 2, wherein the pulsing has an amplitude and the program further comprises an amplitude routine for control of the amplitude by the subject.

  

4. The computer program of claim 2, wherein the pulse routine comprises:

 

a timing procedure for timing the pulsing; and

 

an extrapolation procedure for improving the accuracy of the timing procedure.

  

5. The computer program of claim 2, further comprising a variability routine for introducing variability in the pulsing.

  

6. Hardware means for manipulating the nervous system of a subject located near a monitor, the monitor being responsive to a video stream and emitting an electromagnetic field when displaying an image by virtue of the physical display process, the image having an intensity, the subject having cutaneous nerves that fire spontaneously and have spiking patterns, the hardware means comprising:

 

pulse generator for generating voltage pulses;

 

means, responsive to the voltage pulses, for modulating the video stream to pulse the image intensity;

 

whereby the emitted electromagnetic field is pulsed, the cutaneous nerves are exposed to the pulsed electromagnetic field, and the spiking patterns of the nerves acquire a frequency modulation.

  

7. The hardware means of claim 6, wherein the video stream is a composite video signal that has a pseudo-dc level, and the means for modulating the video stream comprise means for pulsing the pseudo-dc level.

  

8. The hardware means of claim 6, wherein the video stream is a television broadcast signal, and the means for modulating the video stream comprise means for frequency wobbling of the television broadcast signal.

  

9. The hardware means of claim 6, wherein the monitor has a brightness adjustment terminal, and the means for modulating the video stream comprise a connection from the pulse generator to the brightness adjustment terminal.

  

10. A source of video stream for manipulating the nervous system of a subject located near a monitor, the monitor emitting an electromagnetic field when displaying an image by virtue of the physical display process, the subject having cutaneous nerves that fire spontaneously and have spiking patterns, the source of video stream comprising:

 

means for defining an image on the monitor, the image having an intensity; and

 

means for subliminally pulsing the image intensity with a frequency in the range 0.1 Hz to 15 Hz;

 

whereby the emitted electromagnetic field is pulsed, the cutaneous nerves are exposed to the pulsed electromagnetic field, and the spiking patterns of the nerves acquire a frequency modulation.

  

11. The source of video stream of claim 10 wherein the source is a recording medium that has recorded data, and the means for subliminally pulsing the image intensity comprise an attribute of the recorded data.

  

12. The source of video stream of claim 10 wherein the source is a computer program, and the means for subliminally pulsing the image intensity comprise a pulse routine.

  

13. The source of video stream of claim 10 wherein the source is a recording of a physical scene, and the means for subliminally pulsing the image intensity comprise:

 

pulse generator for generating voltage pulses;

 

light source for illuminating the scene, the light source having a power level; and

 

modulation means, responsive to the voltage pulses, for pulsing the power level.

  

14. The source of video stream of claim 10, wherein the source is a DVD, the video stream comprises a luminance signal and a chrominance signal, and the means for subliminal pulsing of the image intensity comprise means for pulsing the luminance signal.

  

Description

  

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the stimulation of the human nervous system by an electromagnetic field applied externally to the body. A neurological effect of external electric fields has been mentioned by Wiener (1958), in a discussion of the bunching of brain waves through nonlinear interactions. The electric field was arranged to provide “a direct electrical driving of the brain”. Wiener describes the field as set up by a 10 Hz alternating voltage of 400 V applied in a room between ceiling and ground. Brennan (1992) describes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,380 an apparatus for alleviating disruptions in circadian rythms of a mammal, in which an alternating electric field is applied across the head of the subject by two electrodes placed a short distance from the skin.

 

A device involving a field electrode as well as a contact electrode is the “Graham Potentializer” mentioned by Hutchison (1991). This relaxation device uses motion, light and sound as well as an alternating electric field applied mainly to the head. The contact electrode is a metal bar in Ohmic contact with the bare feet of the subject, and the field electrode is a hemispherical metal headpiece placed several inches from the subject's head.

 

In these three electric stimulation methods the external electric field is applied predominantly to the head, so that electric currents are induced in the brain in the physical manner governed by electrodynamics. Such currents can be largely avoided by applying the field not to the head, but rather to skin areas away from the head. Certain cutaneous receptors may then be stimulated and they would provide a signal input into the brain along the natural pathways of afferent nerves. It has been found that, indeed, physiological effects can be induced in this manner by very weak electric fields, if they are pulsed with a frequency near ½ Hz. The observed effects include ptosis of the eyelids, relaxation, drowziness, the feeling of pressure at a centered spot on the lower edge of the brow, seeing moving patterns of dark purple and greenish yellow with the eyes closed, a tonic smile, a tense feeling in the stomach, sudden loose stool, and sexual excitement, depending on the precise frequency used, and the skin area to which the field is applied. The sharp frequency dependence suggests involvement of a resonance mechanism.

 

It has been found that the resonance can be excited not only by externally applied pulsed electric fields, as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,782,874, 5,899,922, 6,081,744, and 6,167,304, but also by pulsed magnetic fields, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,935,054 and 6,238,333, by weak heat pulses applied to the skin, as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,800,481 and 6,091,994, and by subliminal acoustic pulses, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,302. Since the resonance is excited through sensory pathways, it is called a sensory resonance. In addition to the resonance near ½ Hz, a sensory resonance has been found near 2.4 Hz. The latter is characterized by the slowing of certain cortical processes, as discussed in the '481, '922, '302, '744, '944, and '304 patents.

 

The excitation of sensory resonances through weak heat pulses applied to the skin provides a clue about what is going on neurologically. Cutaneous temperature-sensing receptors are known to fire spontaneously. These nerves spike somewhat randomly around an average rate that depends on skin temperature. Weak heat pulses delivered to the skin in periodic fashion will therefore cause a slight frequency modulation (fm) in the spike patterns generated by the nerves. Since stimulation through other sensory modalities results in similar physiological effects, it is believed that frequency modulation of spontaneous afferent neural spiking patterns occurs there as well.

 

It is instructive to apply this notion to the stimulation by weak electric field pulses administered to the skin. The externally generated fields induce electric current pulses in the underlying tissue, but the current density is much too small for firing an otherwise quiescent nerve. However, in experiments with adapting stretch receptors of the crayfish, Terzuolo and Bullock (1956) have observed that very small electric fields can suffice for modulating the firing of already active nerves. Such a modulation may occur in the electric field stimulation under discussion.

 

Further understanding may be gained by considering the electric charges that accumulate on the skin as a result of the induced tissue currents. Ignoring thermodynamics, one would expect the accumulated polarization charges to be confined strictly to the outer surface of the skin. But charge density is caused by a slight excess in positive or negative ions, and thermal motion distributes the ions through a thin layer. This implies that the externally applied electric field actually penetrates a short distance into the tissue, instead of stopping abruptly at the outer skin surface. In this manner a considerable fraction of the applied field may be brought to bear on some cutaneous nerve endings, so that a slight modulation of the type noted by Terzuolo and Bullock may indeed occur.

 

The mentioned physiological effects are observed only when the strength of the electric field on the skin lies in a certain range, called the effective intensity window. There also is a bulk effect, in that weaker fields suffice when the field is applied to a larger skin area. These effects are discussed in detail in the '922 patent.

 

Since the spontaneous spiking of the nerves is rather random and the frequency modulation induced by the pulsed field is very shallow, the signal to noise ratio (S/N) for the fm signal contained in the spike trains along the afferent nerves is so small as to make recovery of the fm signal from a single nerve fiber impossibile. But application of the field over a large skin area causes simultaneous stimulation of many cutaneous nerves, and the fm modulation is then coherent from nerve to nerve. Therefore, if the afferent signals are somehow summed in the brain, the fm modulations add while the spikes from different nerves mix and interlace. In this manner the S/N can be increased by appropriate neural processing. The matter is discussed in detail in the '874 patent. Another increase in sensitivity is due to involving a resonance mechanism, wherein considerable neural circuit oscillations can result from weak excitations.

 

An easily detectable physiological effect of an excited ½ Hz sensory resonance is ptosis of the eyelids. As discussed in the '922 patent, the ptosis test involves first closing the eyes about half way. Holding this eyelid position, the eyes are rolled upward, while giving up voluntary control of the eyelids. The eyelid position is then determined by the state of the autonomic nervous system. Furthermore, the pressure excerted on the eyeballs by the partially closed eyelids increases parasympathetic activity. The eyelid position thereby becomes somewhat labile, as manifested by a slight flutter. The labile state is sensitive to very small shifts in autonomic state. The ptosis influences the extent to which the pupil is hooded by the eyelid, and thus how much light is admitted to the eye. Hence, the depth of the ptosis is seen by the subject, and can be graded on a scale from 0 to 10.

 

In the initial stages of the excitation of the ½ Hz sensory resonance, a downward drift is detected in the ptosis frequency, defined as the stimulation frequency for which maximum ptosis is obtained. This drift is believed to be caused by changes in the chemical milieu of the resonating neural circuits. It is thought that the resonance causes perturbations of chemical concentrations somewhere in the brain, and that these perturbations spread by diffusion to nearby resonating circuits. This effect, called “chemical detuning”, can be so strong that ptosis is lost altogether when the stimulation frequency is kept constant in the initial stages of the excitation. Since the stimulation then falls somewhat out of tune, the resonance decreases in amplitude and chemical detuning eventually diminishes. This causes the ptosis frequency to shift back up, so that the stimulation is more in tune and the ptosis can develop again. As a result, for fixed stimulation frequencies in a certain range, the ptosis slowly cycles with a frequency of several minutes. The matter is discussed in the '302 patent.

 

The stimulation frequencies at which specific physiological effects occur depend somewhat on the autonomic nervous system state, and probably on the endocrine state as well.

 

Weak magnetic fields that are pulsed with a sensory resonance frequency can induce the same physiological effects as pulsed electric fields. Unlike the latter however, the magnetic fields penetrate biological tissue with nearly undiminished strength. Eddy currents in the tissue drive electric charges to the skin, where the charge distributions are subject to thermal smearing in much the same way as in electric field stimulation, so that the same physiological effects develop. Details are discussed in the '054 patent.

SUMMARY

Computer monotors and TV monitors can be made to emit weak low-frequency electromagnetic fields merely by pulsing the intensity of displayed images. Experiments have shown that the ½ Hz sensory resonance can be excited in this manner in a subject near the monitor. The 2.4 Hz sensory resonance can also be excited in this fashion. Hence, a TV monitor or computer monitor can be used to manipulate the nervous system of nearby people.

 

The implementations of the invention are adapted to the source of video stream that drives the monitor, be it a computer program, a TV broadcast, a video tape or a digital video disc (DVD).

 

For a computer monitor, the image pulses can be produced by a suitable computer program. The pulse frequency may be controlled through keyboard input, so that the subject can tune to an individual sensory resonance frequency. The pulse amplitude can be controlled as well in this manner. A program written in Visual Basic(R) is particularly suitable for use on computers that run the Windows 95(R) or Windows 98(R) operating system. The structure of such a program is described. Production of periodic pulses requires an accurate timing procedure. Such a procedure is constructed from the GetTimeCount function available in the Application Program Interface (API) of the Windows operating system, together with an extrapolation procedure that improves the timing accuracy.

 

Pulse variability can be introduced through software, for the purpose of thwarting habituation of the nervous system to the field stimulation, or when the precise resonance frequency is not known. The variability may be a pseudo-random variation within a narrow interval, or it can take the form of a frequency or amplitude sweep in time. The pulse variability may be under control of the subject.

 

The program that causes a monitor to display a pulsing image may be run on a remote computer that is connected to the user computer by a link; the latter may partly belong to a network, which may be the Internet.

 

For a TV monitor, the image pulsing may be inherent in the video stream as it flows from the video source, or else the stream may be modulated such as to overlay the pulsing. In the first case, a live TV broadcast can be arranged to have the feature imbedded simply by slightly pulsing the illumination of the scene that is being broadcast. This method can of course also be used in making movies and recording video tapes and DVDs.

 

Video tapes can be edited such as to overlay the pulsing by means of modulating hardware. A simple modulator is discussed wherein the luminance signal of composite video is pulsed without affecting the chroma signal. The same effect may be introduced at the consumer end, by modulating the video stream that is produced by the video source. A DVD can be edited through software, by introducing pulse-like variations in the digital RGB signals. Image intensity pulses can be overlaid onto the analog component video output of a DVD player by modulating the luminance signal component. Before entering the TV set, a television signal can be modulated such as to cause pulsing of the image intensity by means of a variable delay line that is connected to a pulse generator.

 

Certain monitors can emit electromagnetic field pulses that excite a sensory resonance in a nearby subject, through image pulses that are so weak as to be subliminal. This is unfortunate since it opens a way for mischievous application of the invention, whereby people are exposed unknowingly to manipulation of their nervous systems for someone else's purposes. Such application would be unethical and is of course not advocated. It is mentioned here in order to alert the public to the possibility of covert abuse that may occur while being online, or while watching TV, a video, or a DVD.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the electromagnetic field that emanates from a monitor when the video signal is modulated such as to cause pulses in image intensity, and a nearby subject who is exposed to the field.

 

FIG. 2 shows a circuit for modulation of a composite video signal for the purpose of pulsing the image intensity.

 

FIG. 3 shows the circuit for a simple pulse generator.

 

FIG. 4 illustrates how a pulsed electromagnetic field can be generated with a computer monitor.

 

FIG. 5 shows a pulsed electromagnetic field that is generated by a television set through modulation of the RF signal input to the TV.

 

FIG. 6 outlines the structure of a computer program for producing a pulsed image.

 

FIG. 7 shows an extrapolation procedure introduced for improving timing accuracy of the program of FIG. 6.

 

FIG. 8 illustrates the action of the extrapolation procedure of FIG. 7.

 

FIG. 9 shows a subject exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic field emanating from a monitor which is responsive to a program running on a remote computer via a link that involves the Internet.

 

FIG. 10 shows the block diagram of a circuit for frequency wobbling of a TV signal for the purpose of pulsing the intensity of the image displayed on a TV monitor.

 

FIG. 11 depicts schematically a recording medium in the form of a video tape with recorded data, and the attribute of the signal that causes the intensity of the displayed image to be pulsed.

 

FIG. 12 illustrates how image pulsing can be embedded in a video signal by pulsing the illumination of the scene that is being recorded.

 

FIG. 13 shows a routine that introduces pulse variability into the computer program of FIG. 6.

 

FIG. 14 shows schematically how a CRT emits an electromagnetic field when the displayed image is pulsed.

 

FIG. 15 shows how the intensity of the image displayed on a monitor can be pulsed through the brightness control terminal of the monitor.

 

FIG. 16 illustrates the action of the polarization disc that serves as a model for grounded conductors in the back of a CRT screen.

 

FIG. 17 shows the circuit for overlaying image intensity pulses on a DVD output.

 

FIG. 18 shows measured data for pulsed electric fields emitted by two different CRT type monitors, and a comparison with theory.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Computer monitors and TV monitors emit electromagnetic fields. Part of the emission occurs at the low frequencies at which displayed images are changing. For instance, a rythmic pulsing of the intensity of an image causes electromagnetic field emission at the pulse frequency, with a strength proportional to the pulse amplitude. The field is briefly referred to as “screen emission”. In discussing this effect, any part or all what is displayed on the monitor screen is called an image. A monitor of the cathode ray tube (CRT) type has three electron beams, one for each of the basic colors red, green, and blue. The intensity of an image is here defined as

 

I=∫j dA,  (1)

 

where the integral extends over the image, and

 

j=jr+jg+jb,  (2)

 

jr, jg, and jb being the electric current densities in the red, green, and blue electron beams at the surface area dA of the image on the screen. The current densities are to be taken in the distributed electron beam model, where the discreteness of pixels and the raster motion of the beams are ignored, and the back of the monitor screen is thought to be irradiated by diffuse electron beams. The beam current densities are then functions of the coordinates x and y over the screen. The model is appropriate since we are interested in the electromagnetic field emision caused by image pulsing with the very low frequencies of sensory resonances, whereas the emissions with the much higher horizontal and vertical sweep frequencies are of no concern. For a CRT the intensity of an image is expressed in millamperes.

 

For a liquid crystal display (LCD), the current densities in the definition of image intensity are to be replaced by driving voltages, multiplied by the aperture ratio of the device. For an LCD, image intensities are thus expressed in volts.

 

It will be shown that for a CRT or LCD screen emissions are caused by fluctuations in image intensity. In composite video however, intensity as defined above is not a primary signal feature, but luminance Y is. For any pixel one has

 

Y=0.299R+0.587G+0.114B,  (3)

 

where R, G, and B are the intensities of the pixel respectively in red, green and blue, normalized such as to range from 0 to 1. The definition (3) was provided by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE), in order to account for brightness differences at different colors, as perceived by the human visual system. In composite video the hue of the pixel is determined by the chroma signal or chrominance, which has the components R-Y and B-Y It follows that pulsing pixel luminance while keeping the hue fixed is equivalent to pulsing the pixel intensity, up to an amplitude factor. This fact will be relied upon when modulating a video stream such as to overlay image intensity pulses.

 

It turns out that the screen emission has a multipole expansion wherein both monopole and dipole contributions are proportional to the rate of change of the intensity I of (1). The higher order multipole contributions are proportional to the rate of change of moments of the current density j over the image, but since these contributions fall off rapidly with distance, they are not of practical importance in the present context. Pulsing the intensity of an image may involve different pulse amplitudes, frequencies, or phases for different parts of the image. Any or all of these features may be under subject control.

 

The question arises whether the screen emission can be strong enough to excite sensory resonances in people located at normal viewing distances from the monitor. This turns out to be the case, as shown by sensory resonance experiments and independently by measuring the strength of the emitted electric field pulses and comparing the results with the effective intensity window as explored in earlier work.

 

One-half Hertz sensory resonance experiments have been conducted with the subject positioned at least at normal viewing distance from a 15″ computer monitor that was driven by a computer program written in Visual Basic(R), version 6.0 (VB6). The program produces a pulsed image with uniform luminance and hue over the full screen, except for a few small control buttons and text boxes. In VB6, screen pixel colors are determined by integers R, G, and B, that range from 0 to 255, and set the contributions to the pixel color made by the basic colors red, green, and blue. For a CRT-type monitor, the pixel intensities for the primary colors may depend on the RGB values in a nonlinear manner that will be discussed. In the VB6 program the RGB values are modulated by small pulses ΔR, ΔG, ΔB, with a frequency that can be chosen by the subject or is swept in a predetermined manner. In the sensory resonance experiments mentioned above, the ratios ΔR/R, ΔG/G, and ΔB/B were always smaller than 0.02, so that the image pulses are quite weak. For certain frequencies near ½ Hz, the subject experienced physiological effects that are known to accompany the excitation of the ½ Hz sensory resonance as mentioned in the Background Section. Moreover, the measured field pulse amplitudes fall within the effective intensity window for the ½ Hz resonance, as explored in earlier experiments and discussed in the '874, '744, '922, and '304 patents. Other experiments have shown that the 2.4 Hz sensory resonance can be exited as well by screen emissions from monitors that display pulsed images.

 

These results confirm that, indeed, the nervous system of a subject can be manipulated through electromagnetic field pulses emitted by a nearby CRT or LCD monitor which displays images with pulsed intensity.

 

The various implementations of the invention are adapted to the different sources of video stream, such as video tape, DVD, a computer program, or a TV broadcast through free space or cable. In all of these implementations, the subject is exposed to the pulsed electromagnetic field that is generated by the monitor as the result of image intensity pulsing. Certain cutaneous nerves of the subject exhibit spontaneous spiking in patterns which, although rather random, contain sensory information at least in the form of average frequency. Some of these nerves have receptors that respond to the field stimulation by changing their average spiking frequency, so that the spiking patterns of these nerves acquire a frequency modulation, which is conveyed to the brain. The modulation can be particularly effective if it has a frequency at or near a sensory resonance frequency. Such frequencies are expected to lie in the range from 0.1 to 15 Hz.

 

An embodiment of the invention adapted to a VCR is shown in FIG. 1, where a subject 4 is exposed to a pulsed electric field 3 and a pulsed magnetic field 39 that are emitted by a monitor 2, labeled “MON”, as the result of pulsing the intensity of the displayed image. The image is here generated by a video casette recorder 1, labeled “VCR”, and the pulsing of the image intensity is obtained by modulating the composite video signal from the VCR output. This is done by a video modulator 5, labeled “VM”, which responds to the signal from the pulse generator 6, labeled “GEN”. The frequency and amplitude of the image pulses can be adjusted with the frequency control 7 and amplitude control 8. Frequency and amplitude adjustments can be made by the subject.

 

The circuit of the video modulator 5 of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2, where the video amplifiers 11 and 12 process the composite video signal that enters at the input terminal 13. The level of the video signal is modulated slowly by injecting a small bias current at the inverting input 17 of the first amplifier 11. This current is caused by voltage pulses supplied at the modulation input 16, and can be adjusted through the potentiometer 15. Since the noninverting input of the amplifier is grounded, the inverting input 17 is kept essentially at ground potential, so that the bias current is is not influenced by the video signal. The inversion of the signal by the first amplifier 11 is undone by the second amplifier 12. The gains of the amplifiers are chosen such as to give a unity overall gain. A slowly varying current injected at the inverting input 17 causes a slow shift in the “pseudo-dc” level of the composite video signal, here defined as the short-term average of the signal. Since the pseudo-dc level of the chroma signal section determines the luminance, the latter is modulated by the injected current pulses. The chroma signal is not affected by the slow modulation of the pseudodc level, since that signal is determined by the amplitude and phase with respect to the color carrier which is locked to the color burst. The effect on the sync pulses and color bursts is of no consequence either if the injected current pulses are very small, as they are in practice. The modulated composite video signal, available at the output 14 in FIG. 2, will thus exhibit a modulated luminance, whereas the chroma signal is unchanged. In the light of the foregoing discussion about luminance and intensity, it follows that the modulator of FIG. 2 causes a pulsing of the image intensity I. It remains to give an example how the pulse signal at the modulation input 16 may be obtained. FIG. 3 shows a pulse generator that is suitable for this purpose, wherein the RC timer 21 (Intersil ICM7555) is hooked up for astable operation and produces a square wave voltage with a frequency that is determined by capacitor 22 and potentiometer 23. The timer 21 is powered by a battery 26, controlled by the switch 27. The square wave voltage at output 25 drives the LED 24, which may be used for monitoring of the pulse frequency, and also serves as power indicator. The pulse output may be rounded in ways that are well known in the art. In the setup of FIG. 1, the output of VCR 1 is connected to the video input 13 of FIG. 2, and the video output 14 is connected to the monitor 2 of FIG. 1.

 

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the image intensity pulsing is caused by a computer program. As shown in FIG. 4, monitor 2, labeled “MON”, is connected to computer 31 labeled “COMPUTER”, which runs a program that produces an image on the monitor and causes the image intensity to be pulsed. The subject 4 can provide input to the computer through the keyboard 32 that is connected to the computer by the connection 33. This input may involve adjustments of the frequency or the amplitude or the variability of the image intensity pulses. In particular, the pulse frequency can be set to a sensory resonance frequency of the subject for the purpose of exciting the resonance.

 

The structure of a computer program for pulsing image intensity is shown in FIG. 6. The program may be written in Visual Basic(R) version 6.0 (VB6), which involves the graphics interface familiar from the Windows(R) operating system. The images appear as forms equipped with user controls such as command buttons and scroll bars, together with data displays such as text boxes. A compiled VB6 program is an executable file. When activated, the program declares variables and functions to be called from a dynamic link library (DLL) that is attached to the operating system; an initial form load is performed as well. The latter comprises setting the screen color as specified by integers R, G, and B in the range 0 to 255, as mentioned above. In FIG. 6, the initial setting of the screen color is labeled as 50. Another action of the form load routine is the computation 51 of the sine function at eight equally spaced points, I=0 to 7, around the unit circle. These values are needed when modulating the RGB numbers. Unfortunately, the sine function is distorted by the rounding to integer RGB values that occurs in the VB6 program. The image is chosen to fill as much of the screen area as possible, and it has spatially uniform luminance and hue.

 

The form appearing on the monitor displays a command button for starting and stopping the image pulsing, together with scroll bars 52 and 53 respectively for adjustment of the pulse frequency F and the pulse amplitude A. These pulses could be initiated by a system timer which is activated upon the elapse of a preset time interval. However, timers in VB6 are too inaccurate for the purpose of providing the eight RGB adjustment points in each pulse cycle. An improvement can be obtained by using the GetTickCount function that is available in the Application Program Interface (API) of Windows 95(R) and Windows 98(R). The GetTickCount function returns the system time that has elapsed since starting Windows, expressed in milliseconds. User activation of the start button 54 provides a tick count TN through request 55 and sets the timer interval to TT miliseconds, in step 56. TT was previously calculated in the frequency routine that is activated by changing the frequency, denoted as step 52.

 

Since VB6 is an event-driven program, the flow chart for the program falls into disjoint pieces. Upon setting the timer interval to TT in step 56, the timer runs in the background while the program may execute subroutines such as adjustment of pulse frequency or amplitude. Upon elapse of the timer interval TT, the timer subroutine 57 starts execution with request 58 for a tick count, and in 59 an upgrade is computed of the time TN for the next point at which the RGB values are to be adjusted. In step 59 the timer is turned off, to be reactivated later in step 67. Step 59 also resets the parameter CR which plays a role in the extrapolation procedure 61 and the condition 60. For ease of understanding at this point, it is best to pretend that the action of 61 is simply to get a tick count, and to consider the loop controled by condition 60 while keeping CR equal to zero. The loop would terminate when the tick count M reaches or exceeds the time TN for the next phase point, at which time the program should adjust the image intensity through steps 63-65. For now step 62 is to be ignored also, since it has to do with the actual extrapolation procedure 61. The increments to the screen colors R1, G1, and B1 at the new phase point are computed according to the sine function, applied with the amplitude A that was set by the user in step 53. The number I that labels the phase point is incremented by unity in step 65, but if this results in I=8 the value is reset to zero in 66. Finally, the timer is reactivated in step 67, initiating a new ⅛-cycle step in the periodic progression of RGB adjustments.

 

A program written in this way would exhibit a large jitter in the times at which the RGB values are changed. This is due to the lumpiness in the tick counts returned by the GetTickCount function. The lumpiness may be studied separately by running a simple loop with C=GetTickCount, followed by writing the result C to a file. Inspection shows that C has jumped every 14 or 15 milliseconds, between long stretches of constant values. Since for a ½ Hz image intensity modulation the ⅛-cycle phase points are 250 ms apart, the lumpiness of 14 or 15 ms in the tick count would cause considerable inaccuracy. The full extrapolation procedure 61 is introduced in order to diminish the jitter to acceptable levels. The procedure works by refining the heavy-line staircase function shown in FIG. 8, using the slope RR of a recent staircase step to accurately determine the loop count 89 at which the loop controled by 60 needs to be exited. Details of the extrapolation procedure are shown in FIG. 7 and illustrated in FIG. 8. The procedure starts at 70 with both flags off, and CR=0, because of the assignment in 59 or 62 in FIG. 6. A tick count M is obtained at 71, and the remaining time MR to the next phase point is computed in 72. Conditions 77 and 73 are not satisfied and therefore passed vertically in the flow chart, so that only the delay block 74 and the assignments 75 are executed. Condition 60 of FIG. 6 is checked and found to be satisfied, so that the extrapolation procedure is reentered. The process is repeated until the condition 73 is met when the remaining time MR jumps down through the 15 ms level, shown in FIG. 8 as the transition 83. The condition 73 then directs the logic flow to the assignments 76, in which the number DM labeled by 83 is computed, and FLG1 is set. The computation of DM is required for finding the slope RR of the straight-line element 85. One also needs the “Final LM” 86, which is the number of loops traversed from step 83 to the next downward step 84, here shown to cross the MR=0 axis. The final LM is determined after repeatedly incrementing LM through the side loop entered from the FLG1=1 condition 77, which is now satisfied since FLG1 was set in step 76. At the transition 84 the condition 78 is met, so that the assignments 79 are executed. This includes computation of the slope RR of the line element 85, setting FLG2, and resetting FLG1. From here on, the extrapolation procedure increments CR in steps of RR while skipping tick counts until condition 60 of FIG. 6 is violated, the loop is exited, and the RGB values are adjusted.

 

A delay block 74 is used in order to stretch the time required for traversing the extrapolation procedure. The block can be any computation intensive subroutine such as repeated calculations of tangent and arc tangent functions.

 

As shown in step 56 of FIG. 6, the timer interval TT is set to 4/10 of the time TA from one RGB adjustment point to the next. Since the timer runs in the background, this arrangement provides an opportunity for execution of other processes such as user adjustment of frequency or amplitude of the pulses.

 

The adjustment of the frequency and other pulse parameters of the image intensity modulation can be made internally, i.e., within the running program. Such internal control is to be distinguished from the external control provided, for instance, in screen savers. In the latter, the frequency of animation can be modified by the user, but only after having exited the screen saver program. Specifically, in Windows 95(R) or Windows 98(R), to change the animation frequency requires stopping the screen saver execution by moving the mouse, whereafter the frequency may be adjusted through the control panel. The requirement that the control be internal sets the present program apart from so-called banners as well.

 

The program may be run on a remote computer that is linked to the user computer, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Although the monitor 2, labeled “MON”, is connected to the computer 31′, labeled “COMPUTER”, the program that pulses the images on the monitor 2 runs on the remoter computer 90, labeled “REMOTE COMPUTER”, which is connected to computer 31′ through a link 91 which may in part belong to a network. The network may comprise the Internet 92.

 

The monitor of a television set emits an electromagnetic field in much the same way as a computer monitor. Hence, a TV may be used to produce screen emissions for the purpose of nervous system manipulation. FIG. 5 shows such an arrangement, where the pulsing of the image intensity is achieved by inducing a small slowly pulsing shift in the frequency of the RF signal that enters from the antenna. This process is here called “frequency wobbling” of the RF signal. In FM TV, a slight slow frequency wobble of the RF signal produces a pseudo-dc signal level fluctuation in the composite video signal, which in turn causes a slight intensity fluctuation of the image displayed on the monitor in the same manner as discussed above for the modulator of FIG. 2. The frequency wobbling is induced by the wobbler 44 of FIG. 5 labeled “RFM”, which is placed in the antenna line 43. The wobbler is driven by the pulse generator 6, labeled “GEN”. The subject can adjust the frequency and the amplitude of the wobble through the tuning control 7 and the amplitude control 41. FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of the frequency wobbler circuit that employs a variable delay line 94, labelled “VDL”. The delay is determined by the signal from pulse generator 6, labelled “GEN”. The frequency of the pulses can be adjusted with the tuning control 7. The amplitude of the pulses is determined by the unit 98, labelled “MD”, and can be adjusted with the amplitude control 41. Optionally, the input to the delay line may be routed through a preprocessor 93, labelled “PRP”, which may comprise a selective RF amplifier and down converter; a complimentary up conversion should then be performed on the delay line output by a postprocessor 95, labelled “POP”. The output 97 is to be connected to the antenna terminal of the TV set.

 

The action of the variable delay line 94 may be understood as follows. Let periodic pulses with period L be presented at the input. For a fixed delay the pulses would emerge at the output with the same period L. Actually, the time delay T is varied slowly, so that it increases approximately by LdT/dt between the emergence of consecutive pulses at the device output. The pulse period is thus increased approximately by

 

ΔL=LdT/dt.  (4)

 

In terms of the frequency ∫, Eq. (4) implies approximately

 

Δ∫/∫=−dT/dt.  (5)

 

For sinusoidal delay T(t) with amplitude b and frequency g, one has

 

Δ∫/∫=−2πgb cos (2πgt),  (6)

 

which shows the frequency wobbling. The approximation is good for gb<<1, which is satisfied in practice. The relative frequency shift amplitude 2πgb that is required for effective image intensity pulses is very small compared to unity. For a pulse frequency g of the order of 1 Hz, the delay may have to be of the order of a millisecond. To accomodate such long delay values, the delay line may have to be implemented as a digital device. To do so is well within the present art. In that case it is natural to also choose digital implementations for the pulse generator 6 and the pulse amplitude controller 98, either as hardware or as software.

 

Pulse variability may be introduced for alleviating the need for precise tuning to a resonance frequency. This may be important when sensory resonance frequencies are not precisely known, because of the variation among individuals, or in order to cope with the frequency drift that results from chemical detuning that is discussed in the '874 patent. A field with suitably chosen pulse variability can then be more effective than a fixed frequency field that is out of tune. One may also control tremors and seizures, by interfering with the pathological oscillatory activity of neural circuits that occurs in these disorders. Electromagnetic fields with a pulse variability that results in a narrow spectrum of frequencies around the frequency of the pathological oscillatory activity may then evoke nerve signals that cause phase shifts which diminish or quench the oscillatory activity.

 

Pulse variability can be introduced as hardware in the manner described in the '304 patent. The variability may also be introduced in the computer program of FIG. 6, by setting FLG3 in step 68, and choosing the amplitude B of the frequency fluctuation. In the variability routine 46, shown in some detail in FIG. 13, FLG3 is detected in step 47, whereupon in steps 48 and 49 the pulse frequency F is modified pseudo randomly by a term proportional to B, every 4th cycle. Optionally, the amplitude of the image intensity pulsing may be modified as well, in similar fashion. Alternatively, the frequency and amplitude may be swept through an adjustable ramp, or according to any suitable schedule, in a manner known to those skilled in the art. The pulse variability may be applied to subliminal image intensity pulses.

 

When an image is displayed by a TV monitor in response to a TV broadcast, intensity pulses of the image may simply be imbedded in the program material. If the source of video signal is a recording medium, the means for pulsing the image intensity may comprise an attribute of recorded data. The pulsing may be subliminal. For the case of a video signal from a VCR, the pertinent data attribute is illustrated in FIG. 11, which shows a video signal record on part of a video tape 28. Depicted schematically are segments of the video signal in intervals belonging to lines in three image frames at different places along the tape. In each segment, the chroma signal 9 is shown, with its short-term average level 29 represented as a dashed line. The short-term average signal level, also called the pseudo-dc level, represents the luminance of the image pixels. Over each segment, the level is here constant because the image is for simplicity chosen as having a uniform luminance over the screen. However, the level is seen to vary from frame to frame, illustrating a luminance that pulses slowly over time. This is shown in the lower portion of the drawing, wherein the IRE level of the short-term chroma signal average is plotted versus time. The graph further shows a gradual decrease of pulse amplitude in time, illustrating that luminance pulse amplitude variations may also be an attribute of the recorded data on the video tape. As discussed, pulsing the luminance for fixed chrominance results in pulsing of the image intensity.

 

Data stream attributes that represent image intensity pulses on video tape or in TV signals may be created when producing a video rendition or making a moving picture of a scene, simply by pulsing the illumination of the scene. This is illustrated in FIG. 12, which shows a scene 19 that is recorded with a video camera 18, labelled “VR”. The scene is illuminated with a lamp 20, labelled “LAMP”, energized by an electric current through a cable 36. The current is modulated in pulsing fashion by a modulator 30, labeled “MOD”, which is driven by a pulse generator 6, labelled “GENERATOR”, that produces voltage pulses 35. Again, pulsing the luminance but not the chrominance amounts to pulsing the image intensity.

 

The brightness of monitors can usually be adjusted by a control, which may be addressable through a brightness adjustment terminal. If the control is of the analog type, the displayed image intensity may be pulsed as shown in FIG. 15, simply by a pulse generator 6, labeled “GEN”, that is connected to the brigthness adjustment terminal 88 of the monitor 2, labeled “MON”. Equivalent action can be provided for digital brightness controls, in ways that are well known in the art.

 

The analog component video signal from a DVD player may be modulated such as to overlay image intensity pulses in the manner illustrated in FIG. 17. Shown are a DVD player 102, labeled “DVD”, with analog component video output comprised of the luminance Y and chrominance C. The overlay is accomplished simply by shifting the luminance with a voltage pulse from generator 6, labeled “GENERATOR”. The generator output is applied to modulator 106, labeled “SHIFTER”. Since the luminance Y is pulsed without changing the chrominance C, the image intensity is pulsed. The frequency and amplitude of the image intensity pulses can be adjusted respectively with the tuner 7 and amplitude control 107. The modulator 105 has the same structure as the modulator of FIG. 2, and the pulse amplitude control 107 operates the potentiometer 15 of FIG. 2. The same procedure can be followed for editing a DVD such as to overlay image intensity pulses, by processing the modulated luminance signal through an analog-to-digital converter, and recording the resulting digital stream onto a DVD, after appropriate compression. Alternatively, the digital luminance data can be edited by electronic reading of the signal, decompression, altering the digital data by software, and recording the resulting digital signal after proper compression, all in a manner that is well known in the art.

 

The mechanism whereby a CRT-type monitor emits a pulsed electromagnetic field when pulsing the intensity of an image is illustrated in FIG. 14. The image is produced by an electron beam 10 which impinges upon the backside 88 of the screen, where the collisions excite phosphors that subsequently emit light. In the process, the electron beam deposits electrons 18 on the screen, and these electrons contribute to an electric field 3 labelled “E”. The electrons flow along the conductive backside 88 of the screen to the terminal 99 which is hooked up to the high-voltage supply 40, labelled “HV”. The circuit is completed by the ground connection of the supply, the video amplifier 87, labeled “VA”, and its connection to the cathodes of the CRT. The electron beams of the three electron guns are collectively shown as 10, and together the beams carry a current J. The electric current J flowing through the described circuit induces a magnetic field 39, labeled “B”. Actually, there are a multitude of circuits along which the electron beam current is returned to the CRT cathodes, since on a macroscopic scale the conductive back surface 88 of the screen provides a continuum of paths from the beam impact point to the high-voltage terminal 99. The magnetic fields induced by the currents along these paths partially cancel each other, and the resulting field depends on the location of the pixel that is addressed. Since the beams sweep over the screen through a raster of horizontal lines, the spectrum of the induced magnetic field contains strong peaks at the horizontal and vertical frequencies. However, the interest here is not in fields at those frequencies, but rather in emissions that result from an image pulsing with the very low frequencies appropriate to sensory resonances. For this purpose a diffuse electron current model suffices, in which the pixel discreteness and the raster motion of the electron beams are ignored, so that the beam current becomes diffuse and fills the cone subtended by the displayed image. The resulting low-frequency magnetic field depends on the temporal changes in the intensity distribution over the displayed image. Order-of-magnitude estimates show that the low-frequency magnetic field, although quite small, may be sufficient for the excitation of sensory resonances in subjects located at a normal viewing distance from the monitor.

 

The monitor also emits a low-frequency electric field at the image pulsing frequency. This field is due in part to the electrons 18 that are deposited on the screen by the electron beams 10. In the diffuse electron beam model, screen conditions are considered functions of the time t and of the Cartesian coordinates x and y over a flat CRT screen.

 

The screen electrons 18 that are dumped onto the back of the screen by the sum j(x,y,t) of the diffuse current distributions in the red, green, and blue electron beams cause a potential distribution V(x,y,t) which is influenced by the surface conductivity σ on the back of the screen and by capacitances. In the simple model where the screen has a capacitance distribution c(x,y) to ground and mutual capacitances between parts of the screen at different potentials are neglected, a potential distribution V(x,y,t) over the screen implies a surface charge density distribution

 

q=Vc(x,y),  (7)

 

and gives rise to a current density vector along the screen,

 

j s=−σgrads V,  (8)

 

where grads is the gradient along the screen surface. Conservation of electric charge implies

 

j=c{dot over (V)}−div s (σgrad s V),  (9)

 

where the dot over the voltage denotes the time derivative, and divs is the divergence in the screen surface. The partial differential equation (9) requires a boundary condition for the solution V(x,y,t) to be unique. Such a condition is provided by setting the potential at the rim of the screen equal to the fixed anode voltage. This is a good approximation, since the resistance Rr between the screen rim and the anode terminal is chosen small in CRT design, in order to keep the voltage loss JRr to a minimum, and also to limit low-frequency emissions.

 

Something useful can be learned from special cases with simple solutions. As such, consider a circular CRT screen of radius R with uniform conductivity, showered in the back by a diffuse electron beam with a spatially uniform beam current density that is a constant plus a sinusoidal part with frequency ∫. Since the problem is linear, the voltage V due to the sinusoidal part of the beam current can be considered separately, with the boundary condition that V vanish at the rim of the circular screen. Eq. (9) then simplifies to

 

V″+V″/r−i2π∫cn V=−Jη/A, r≦R,  (10)

 

where r is a radial coordinate along the screen with its derivative denoted by a prime, η=1/σ is the screen resistivity, A the screen area, J the sinusoidal part of the total beam current, and i=(−1), the imaginary unit. Our interest is in very low pulse frequencies ∫ that are suitable for excitation of sensory resonances. For those frequencies and for practical ranges for c and η, the dimensionless number 2π∫cAη is very much smaller than unity, so that it can be neglected in Eq. (10). The boundary value problem then has the simple solution V  ( r ) = J     η 4  π  ( 1 - ( r / R ) 2 ) . ( 11 )

Figure US06506148-20030114-M00001

 

In deriving (11) we neglected the mutual capacitance between parts of the screen that are at different potentials. The resulting error in (10) is negligible for the same reason that the i2π∫cAη term in (10) can be neglected.

 

The potential distribution V(r) of (11) along the screen is of course accompanied by electric charges. The field lines emanating from these charges run mainly to conductors behind the screen that belong to the CRT structure and that are either grounded or connected to circuitry with a low impedance path to ground. In either case the mentioned conductors must be considered grounded in the analysis of charges and fields that result from the pulsed component J of the total electron beam current. The described electric field lines end up in electric charges that may be called polarization charges since they are the result of the polarization of the conductors and circuitry by the screen emission. To estimate the pulsed electric field, a model is chosen where the mentioned conductors are represented together as a grounded perfectly conductive disc of radius R, positioned a short distance δ behind the screen, as depicted in FIG. 16. Since the grounded conductive disc carries polarization charges, it is called the polarization disc. FIG. 16 shows the circular CRT screen 88 and the polarization disc 101, briefly called “plates”. For small distances δ, the capacitance density between the plates of opposite polarity is nearly equal to ε/δ, where ε is the permittivity of free space. The charge distributions on the screen and polarization disc are respectively εV(r)/δ+q0 and −εV(r)/δ+q0, where the εV(r)/δ terms denote opposing charge densities at the end of the dense field lines that run between the two plates. That the part q0 is needed as well will become clear in the sequel.

 

The charge distributions εV(r)/δ+q0 and −εV(r)/δ+q0 on the two plates have a dipole moment with the density D  ( r ) = εV  ( r ) = J     ηε 4  π  ( 1 - ( r / R ) 2 ) , ( 12 )

Figure US06506148-20030114-M00002

 

directed perpendicular to the screen. Note that the plate separation δ has dropped out. This means that the precise location of the polarization charges is not critical in the present model, and further that δ may be taken as small as desired. Taking δ to zero, one thus arrives at the mathematical model of pulsed dipoles distributed over the circular CRT screen. The field due to the charge distribution q0 will be calculated later.

 

The electric field induced by the distributed dipoles (12) can be calculated easily for points on the centerline of the screen, with the result E  ( z ) = V  ( 0 ) R  { 2  ρ / R - R / ρ - 2   z  / R } , ( 13 )

Figure US06506148-20030114-M00003

 

where V(0) is the pulse voltage (11) at the screen center, ρ the distance to the rim of the screen, and z the distance to the center of the screen. Note that V(0) pulses harmonically with frequency ∫, because in (11) the sinusoidal part J of the beam current varies in this manner.

 

The electric field (13) due to the dipole distribution causes a potential distribution V(r)/2 over the screen and a potential distribution of −V(r)/2 over the polarization disc, where V(r) is nonuniform as given by (11). But since the polarization disc is a perfect conductor it cannot support voltage gradients, and therefore cannot have the potential distribution −V(r)/2. Instead, the polarization disc is at ground potential. This is where the charge distribution q0(r) comes in; it must be such as to induce a potential distribution V(r)/2 over the polarization disc. Since the distance between polarization disc and screen vanishes in the mathematical model, the potential distribution V(r)/2 is induced over the screen as well. The total potential over the monitor screen thus becomes V(r) of (11), while the total potential distribution over the polarization disc becomes uniformly zero. Both these potential distributions are as physically required. The electric charges q0 are moved into position by polarization and are partly drawn from the earth through the ground connection of the CRT.

 

In our model the charge distribution q0 is located at the same place as the dipole distribution, viz., on the plane z=0 within the circle with radius R. At points on the center line of the screen, the electric field due to the monopole distribution q0 is calculated in the following manner. As discussed, the monopoles must be such that they cause a potential φ0 that is equal to V(r)/2 over the disc with radius R centered in the plane z=0. Although the charge distribution q0(r) is uniquely defined by this condition, it cannot be calculated easily in a straightforward manner. The difficulty is circumvented by using an intermediate result derived from Excercise 2 on page 191 of Kellogg (1953), where the charge distribution over a thin disc with uniform potential is given. By using this result one readily finds the potential φ*(z) on the axis of this disc as φ *  ( z ) = 2 π  V *  β  ( R 1 ) , ( 14 )

Figure US06506148-20030114-M00004

 

where β(R1) is the angle subtended by the disc radius R1, as viewed from the point z on the disc axis, and V* is the disc potential. The result is used here in an attempt to construct the potential φ0(z) for a disc with the nonuniform potential V(r)/2, by the ansatz of writing the field as due to a linear combination of abstract discs with various radii R1 and potentials, all centered in the plane z=0. In the ansatz the potential on the symmetry axis is written φ 0  ( z ) = α     β  ( R ) + b  ∫ 0 R  β  ( R 1 )   W , ( 15 )

Figure US06506148-20030114-M00005

 

where W is chosen as the function 1−R1 2/R2, and the constants a and b are to be determined such that the potential over the plane z=0 is V(r)/2 for radii r ranging from 0 to R, with V(r) given by (11). Carrying out the integration in (15) gives

 

φ0(z)=αβ(R)−b{(1+z 2 /R 2)β(R)−|z|/R}.  (16)

 

In order to find the potential over the disc r<R in the plane z=0, the function φ0(z) is expanded in powers of z/R for 0<z<R, whereafter the powers zn are replaced by rnPn(cosθ), where the Pn are Legendre polynomials, and (r,θ) are symmetric spherical coordinates centered at the screen center. This procedure amounts to a continuation of the potential from the z-axis into the half ball r0, in such a manner that the Laplace equation is satisfied. The method is discussed by Morse and Feshbach (1953). The “Laplace continuation” allows calculation of the potential φ0 along the surface of the disc r0, the parts (13) and (19) contribute about equally to the electric field over a practical range of distances z. When going behind the monitor where z is negative the monopole field flips sign so that the two parts nearly cancel each other, and the resulting field is very small. Therefore, in the back of the CRT, errors due to imperfections in the theory are relatively large. Moreover our model, which pretends that the polarization charges are all located on the polarization disc, fails to account for the electric field flux that escapes from the outer regions of the back of the screen to the earth or whatever conductors happen to be present in the vincinity of the CRT. This flaw has relatively more serious consequences in the back than in front of the monitor.

 

Screen emissions in front of a CRT can be cut dramatically by using a grounded conductive transparent shield that is placed over the screen or applied as a coating. Along the lines of our model, the shield amounts to a polarization disc in front of the screen, so that the latter is now sandwiched between to grounded discs. The screen has the pulsed potential distribution V(r) of (11), but no electric flux can escape. The model may be modified by choosing the polarization disc in the back somewhat smaller than the screen disc, by a fraction that serves as a free parameter. The fraction may then be determined from a fit to measured fields, by minimizing the relative standard deviation between experiment and theory.

 

In each of the electron beams of a CRT, the beam current is a nonlinear function of the driving voltage, i.e., the voltage between cathode and control grid. Since this function is needed in the normalization procedure, it was measured for the 15″ computer monitor that has been used in the ½ Hz sensory resonance experiments and the electric field measurements. Although the beam current density j can be determined, it is easier to measure the luminance, by reading a light meter that is brought right up to the monitor screen. With the RGB values in the VB6 program taken as the same integer K, the luminance of a uniform image is proportional to the image intensity I. The luminance of a uniform image was measured for various values of K. The results were fitted with

 

I=c 1 K γ,  (20)

 

where c1 is a constant. The best fit, with 6.18% relative standard deviation, was obtained for γ=2.32.

 

Screen emissions also occur for liquid crystal displays (LCD). The pulsed electric fields may have considerable amplitude for LCDs that have their driving electrodes on opposite sides of the liquid crystal cell, for passive matrix as well as for active matrix design, such as thin film technology (TFT). For arrangements with in-plane switching (IPS) however, the driving electrodes are positioned in a single plane, so that the screen emission is very small. For arrangements other than IPS, the electric field is closely approximated by the frin

MEXICO CITY - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan and Chief of Mexico Tax Administration Service Osvaldo Santin signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cargo Pre-Inspection Program and Unified Cargo Processing, in Mexico City, Mexico, March 26, 2018. This MOU states the bilateral commitment for the further implementation of cargo-pre inspection and UCP programs, through which Mexican customs officers and CBP officers will work together to inspect and process cargo shipments. Official DHS photo by Jetta Disco.

Understanding and aligning with others on your channels is a foundational step toward orchestrating experiences.

Orchestrating Experiences: Collaborative Design for Complexity, Risdon, Quattlebaum, 2018, New York: Rosenfeld Media

rosenfeldmedia.com/books/orchestrating-experiences//

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

Albert Einstein

 

View On Black

 

Heading out on vacation, see you soon; have a great week!

 

The exhibition "Understanding AI" shows how neural networks are structured and offers visitors the opportunity to train neural networks themselveswith via interactive stations.

 

Credit: Ars Electronica / Robert Bauernhansl

This window shows a portion of the hill where Jesus was crucified. Located inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, it gives a small glimpse of "skull rock" (Golgotha in Greek, Calvary in Latin) that was used as a crucifixion site by the Romans. It was outside the walls of Jerusalem in the early 1st century. Is the crack in the rock evidence of an earthquake mentioned in Matthew 27:51?

 

The church was built on top of the traditional site of the crucifixion and resurrection. Early Christians honored the site before the time of Constantine, whose mother Helena initiated the construction of churches on Christian holy sites, guided by oral tradition and local Christian leaders during her pilgrimage in 326-328 AD.

 

Another window into the rocky hill is visible behind glass at a lower level, as well as several first-century tombs carved into the rock.

A few times a year, Human Connections organizes GETs (Global Engagement Trips) for student groups, tourists, and other visitors eager to gain a better understanding of the local culture in Nayarit, Mexico. This particular GET group, from Northern Illinois University, participated in a week long program centered around social entrepreneurship, NGO management, and sustainable development.

 

Learn more about HC and our GET programs:

 

humanconnections.org/engage/about-hc-gets/

Entry in category 2. Women and men of science; Copyright CC-BY-NC-ND: Sofia Forss

 

This image captures the start of my Ambizione project, in which I am trying to understand what factors shape cognitive abilities in a rather small brained, yet highly social species – the meerkats. The project is taking place at the study site of the Kalahari Research Center in Kuruma River Reserve in South Africa, where we study multiple wild groups of meerkats. Within the biological sciences it has long been debated how sociality relates to cognitive evolution. Partly, my research considers the interplay between one’s social life and motivational factors, like curiosity, and how that in turn can be decisive for cognitive skills. This picture inspires me because I don’t think one can necessarily tell who is more curious about whom in the captured situation, providing a mystery into what animal minds are.

 

(News and useful links found at bottom of description)

 

Read the inspiring MayDay Rally speeches! #1 by Howard Woodhouse

 

I’ve come here today with several questions:

 

What is a University?

 

What are some of the defining characteristics of a public university like the U of S?

 

Shouldn’t a university provide universal, or rather inclusive, forms of understanding to those who come to learn?

 

Hence, a place where there is a balanced relationship between teaching, learning, scholarship, and research?

 

Certainly, these have until recently been defining characteristics of public universities.

 

So, in light of these, let us imagine a family from Saskatchewan who wish to send their daughter to the U of S.

 

There are two immediate questions they have to ask: first, can we afford to send our daughter to the U of S; second, how much choice will she have in her undergraduate programs?

 

To the first question, the family will soon learn that Saskatchewan universities have the second highest fees in the country, according to Stats Canada.

 

To the second question, the daughter will soon learn that among the programs under threat by TransformUS are those in languages, mathematics, philosophy, religion and culture, art, music, and drama.

 

In other words, a liberal arts education may well be expunged together with the critical thought which it develops.

 

As a result, the sons and daughters of the people of Saskatchewan who pay for the U of S are being robbed of a pillar of university education.

 

And what, one might ask do senior administrators have to say about this state of affairs?

 

Bearing in mind that their numbers have increased by more than 100% since the year 2000 and that their salaries amount to $4.74 million?

 

In December, the president offered some encouragement by stating that “the university missions are teaching and learning and discovery, and any dollar spent on administration is a dollar that isn’t going to the core missions” (SP, 10 December 2013, p.A2).

 

This is a frank admission that senior administrators do not carry out any of the core functions of the U of S.

 

However, at the GAA last month the president stated that she did not know what educational quality means and was mistrustful of its use.

 

This is another frank admission, one that reveals either an ignorance of pedagogical practice or a dismissal of its importance.

 

Considerable research shows that educational quality requires classes small enough that dialogue can take place among faculty and students, enabling critical thought in which all knowledge claims can be questioned.

 

But, of course, the practice of questioning knowledge claims by faculty and students has its dangers for those in power.

 

When questioned by a student at the same meeting, the president ruled out not only a debate about TransformUS but also any further discussion of the alleged deficit in the university budget.

 

Is this a trend we can expect from senior administrators, namely the abandonment of reason in the one place in society where one should expect rationality to be sovereign?

 

Today’s rally demonstrates that some of us – students, faculty, staff, alumni, members of the public – are aware of the need to defend the core values of the university before they are frittered away for a few pieces of gold.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some News Articles and videos a regarding the Rally and issues that lead to it:

 

Rally held opposing TransformUS plan of action (Video and Article on Global News):

globalnews.ca/news/1305395/rally-held-opposing-university...

 

As rally takes place on campus, NDP raises concerns about University of Saskatchewan's overhaul plan (Video on The StarPhoenix)

www.thestarphoenix.com/news/rally+takes+place+campus+rais...

 

U of S should face elephant in room (The StarPhoenix): www.thestarphoenix.com/should+face+elephant+room/9794892/...

 

U of S upheaval unwarranted (The StarPhoenix): www.thestarphoenix.com/upheaval+unwarranted/9799333/story...

 

Campus May Day rally protests looming cuts (The StarPhoenix):

www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Campus+rally+protests+loo...

 

TransformUS plan to cut $25.3M from University of Saskatchewan spending (The StarPhoenix): www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatoon/TransformUS+plan+mi...

 

Campus rally pans U of S cuts(CKOM):

ckom.com/story/campus-rally-pans-u-s-cuts/330558

 

Free Academia at USask:

freeacademiausask.blogspot.ca/

 

U of S cost-cutting a ‘disaster,’ Killam Prize winner says (The StarPhoenix):

www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/cost+cutting+disaste...

 

U of S distanced from noble ideal (The StarPhoenix):

www.thestarphoenix.com/touch/story.html?id=9424521

 

University of Saskatchewan Faculty Association VOX (USFA):

www.usaskfaculty.ca/category/vox/

  

FROM OUR TOUR GUIDE...

 

Maybe as I am a Miao and because I have lived in a small village for 18 years absorbing and understanding the great richness of the Miao culture, I deeply love this ancient and gorgeous tradition. This knowledge comes from my own experience of being a Miao and living in the community and not from books. I would like to share this knowledge with various enthusiasts who also seek to understand different cultures.

　　The Miao are one of the 55 minorities in China and are mainly concentrated in Southwest China. About 4.19 million of the Miao make their home in Guizhou province where there is a hidden, mysterious civilization and magical ceremonies. The Miao in the region where I have lived are sometimes known as the Long Skirt Miao by the length of a woman's skirt or as Black Miao due to the colour of a woman's costume. However, I prefer to call them Xijiang style Miao because of their location. Xijiang is the symbolic village of this small group and I think it is more appropriate and technically correct to name my group in this way.

　 　Generally speaking in my community, there are two, three, or maybe more shamans in a big Miao village which usually has over 100 families. Small villages sometimes do not have a shaman. The Miao here are animist and shamanist, so the shaman is respected by every one and is engaged in hosting or participating in any important ceremonies in the community. When a member of a family gets sick or does not feel well, the family think that this must be caused by some bad spirits. They then have to find a shaman to hold a ceremony.

　　In order to enable the following explanation to be easily understood I will use myself as an example. If I become ill or do not feel well, my parents will find a shaman to come to my house and carry out a ceremony so as to save my life. They believe that I must have lost my soul which is on its way to the deep jungle on Leigongshan Mountain with the evil spirits. A Miao village named Jioushijiou - ninety nine in English - on Mount Leigongshan, is believed to be the place where spirits come from. That is to say, if my lost soul was confused by evil spirits and followed them to Jioushijiou and did not return to my body,I would die.

　　When the shaman carries out the ceremony with the supernatural he always needs a male assistant to help him. At the start the shaman wears a piece of kerchief covering his face. I soak my feet in a basin of water and step onto the ground to make a footprint. Then the assistant (usually my uncle) uses a ri straw to measure it and cuts it to same length as the footprint for later use. After this the shaman creates a circle between himself and the onlookers by taking water into his mouth and spraying it around him. This is to protect them from his sword for when he is in a trance he only sees the spirits and his assistant. The shaman uses a sword as a ladder to climb up to heaven. Some shamans use an iron hoop decorated with a bunch of bells as a magical instrument. After the death of one old shaman, the young shaman in my village used an iron hoop for the ceremony. After swallowing grains of raw, unhusked rice, the shaman starts to belch and shake his legs from side to side followed by singing many folk songs. The songs are to call for the good spirits to come back into the shaman's body and give him supernatural powers. It is said that a very skilled shaman owns some 100 spirits and an ordinary one only has about 20 to 30 spirits or ghosts. These ghosts are dead heroes or ordinary people of the village or a nearby village. Yang Dalou is a popular ghost hero who was one of the leaders of the Miao uprising against the Qing government between AD 1854-1872. The ghosts come to help the shaman so that he can see all the good spirits, bad ghosts and my lost soul and even communicate with them. After singing for about 10 to 20 minutes by which time all the good spirits will have returned, the shaman's body becomes heavier and heavier and he falls down from his desk or chair. The assistant has to try his best to help him to regain his seat. Then the shaman beats his bare palms with the iron hoop like a horse getting shod for a long and tiresome trip.

The assistant is called " Balang'' in my language. The shaman says to the assistant: 'Balang, Balang…, Go, go, let's go the lower way by riding a horse.' No, no, we can't go the lower way by riding a horse. We must go the upper way by flying' replies the assistant. Then the shaman imitates flying like an eagle. Sometimes he whistles. At times he waves his hands and feet looking like an eagle flying in the sky. Usually the shaman from my village starts the journey from the paper making plant in Guading, Sankeshu town, along the Bala river and up to its upper reaches. Of course there are many crossroads where the shaman encounters lots of footprints and the prints of the lost soul are mixed with footprints of other ghosts or people. He does not know which way my lost soul had taken.Thus the assistant gives him a rice straw to measure the footprint to see if it is from my lost soul. The shaman cuts the straw and hands it to the assistant to check if the cut one is the same length as the prepared one. If it is the assistant says 'Yes' the shaman will know which way he should go to find the lost soul. If it is not, the shaman may have to do this numerous times until the two rice straws are the same length. He will do this at every crossroads. Finally the shaman finds my lost soul. At that moment, the lost soul is happily walking along with the evil spirits to the jungle. The shaman has to sing a soft and sad little song many times to persuade the lost soul to come back into my body. He sings: "gi gi lao, ji da gi da zii, gi gi lao, ji da gi da zii, ang kang ou, ang kang ou, an kang, an kang, ou" in the Miao language which means "My dear, come here, come here, come here slowly."' If the shaman cannot persuade the soul to come back into my body, I will die; so the shaman works very hard to persuade the lost soul to return.

　　When the lost soul comes back into my body, this is still not enough. The shaman has to travel to heaven to visit the heavenly king and to ask him to indicate what will happen. The trip to the heaven is extremely long, perilous and full of danger. On the way to heaven, the shaman will encounter many festivals. On the festival ground, people are playing Lusheng (bamboo flutes) and buffalo fights can also be seen. However, these hallucinations are made and created by the evil spirits as they want to make the shaman spend more time at the festivals in order to stop him healing the patient. When he sees such wonderful festivals, the shaman cries out to the assistant: "Balang, Balang! Let's go there to watch the festivals. You see, people are playing Lusheng, beating bronze drums." The assistant immediately replies: "No, no! We can't go there wasting our time. It's a trap! Our family have some other important things to do. We must continue our journey."

At the entrance to the house of the heavenly king, there are four doors. While passing through each door, the shaman will sing songs again. When he has passed through the last door, he finds the heavenly king sleeping lazily in bed. He then sings many songs and kneels down to offer cups of rice wine to the heavenly king. The shaman himself drinks half of the rice wine. This action is repeated three times until the heavenly king agrees to give him a book to look at. In the book are listed all the names of the human beings on earth.

Some names are ticked; others are marked with a 'x'. If someone's name is ticked it indicates that he will die.If the name is marked with a 'x' it mean that he will survive. If my name is ticked, the assistant will plead with the shaman and force him to persuade the heavenly king to let me live because the heavenly king can decide who will die and who will survive.After he has been persuaded, the heavenly king will give to the shaman indications of what sacrifices should be made. The shaman will then tell the assistant and the family what animals should be killed to appease the evil spirits in order to heal the patient. If the evil spirits are particularly harmful it will be necessary to sacrifice a fat pig, or a dog. Occasionally a buffalo will have to be used. Usually a hen, or a cock, or a duck is enough for the common bad spirits. After the activities in heaven, the shaman still has a long trip to undertake to return to the earth.

The total time for the shaman to carry out the whole ceremony is about one and a half hours. At the end of the ceremony, the assistant will give a hen or a duck to the shaman. The shaman takes the bird in one hand and plucks out its liver with his other hand and passes it to the assistant. The assistant at once uses a piece of cloth or the patient's jacket to wrap it in. Later, after the ceremony is finished, he bakes it on hot charcoal. The patient then eats the cooked liver and will recover over the next few days. The killed sacrifice will be plucked and boiled with rice gruel. The family members eat the meat and rice gruel. There is a taboo that the family must finish eating all of the food otherwise the patient will not be cured.Please remember that there are two different types of people who are engaged in hosting supernatural ceremonies. One is the shaman who is always a man and the other is what we call a witch. Women take this role but in Miao villages there are mainly shamans and only a few witches. The assistant is always a man who is a close relative of the patient's family. One more thing is that the shaman cannot heal himself or his own family members. He can only heal other families. Thus when the shaman's family or he himself become ill, a shaman from another family will have to be invited.

I studied at university for several years and am now working in Guiyang. I would say that I believe in science and technology. Some city friends question me sometimes. Do I think it is a superstitious activity? Do I believe it or not? It is hard for me to give a definitive answer because sometimes it makes sense and it is still popular in the (Miao) community. I like to regard it as a religious belief or a spiritual pursuit. It is something that my people have been following for generations. Without it, they would lose their sense of identity as a real nation.

　　As the wisps of smoke in the distant village rise in the sky, I hope that our civilization will continue to keep its mysteries and shining glory. I hope that my poor English and explanation will not become an impediment to our communication and prevent us from exchanging views of different cultures.

  

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Maybe as I am a Miao and because I have lived in a small village for 18 years absorbing and understanding the great richness of the Miao culture, I deeply love this ancient and gorgeous tradition. This knowledge comes from my own experience of being a Miao and living in the community and not from books. I would like to share this knowledge with various enthusiasts who also seek to understand different cultures.

　　The Miao are one of the 55 minorities in China and are mainly concentrated in Southwest China. About 4.19 million of the Miao make their home in Guizhou province where there is a hidden, mysterious civilization and magical ceremonies. The Miao in the region where I have lived are sometimes known as the Long Skirt Miao by the length of a woman's skirt or as Black Miao due to the colour of a woman's costume. However, I prefer to call them Xijiang style Miao because of their location. Xijiang is the symbolic village of this small group and I think it is more appropriate and technically correct to name my group in this way.

　 　Generally speaking in my community, there are two, three, or maybe more shamans in a big Miao village which usually has over 100 families. Small villages sometimes do not have a shaman. The Miao here are animist and shamanist, so the shaman is respected by every one and is engaged in hosting or participating in any important ceremonies in the community. When a member of a family gets sick or does not feel well, the family think that this must be caused by some bad spirits. They then have to find a shaman to hold a ceremony.

　　In order to enable the following explanation to be easily understood I will use myself as an example. If I become ill or do not feel well, my parents will find a shaman to come to my house and carry out a ceremony so as to save my life. They believe that I must have lost my soul which is on its way to the deep jungle on Leigongshan Mountain with the evil spirits. A Miao village named Jioushijiou - ninety nine in English - on Mount Leigongshan, is believed to be the place where spirits come from. That is to say, if my lost soul was confused by evil spirits and followed them to Jioushijiou and did not return to my body,I would die.

　　When the shaman carries out the ceremony with the supernatural he always needs a male assistant to help him. At the start the shaman wears a piece of kerchief covering his face. I soak my feet in a basin of water and step onto the ground to make a footprint. Then the assistant (usually my uncle) uses a ri straw to measure it and cuts it to same length as the footprint for later use. After this the shaman creates a circle between himself and the onlookers by taking water into his mouth and spraying it around him. This is to protect them from his sword for when he is in a trance he only sees the spirits and his assistant. The shaman uses a sword as a ladder to climb up to heaven. Some shamans use an iron hoop decorated with a bunch of bells as a magical instrument. After the death of one old shaman, the young shaman in my village used an iron hoop for the ceremony. After swallowing grains of raw, unhusked rice, the shaman starts to belch and shake his legs from side to side followed by singing many folk songs. The songs are to call for the good spirits to come back into the shaman's body and give him supernatural powers. It is said that a very skilled shaman owns some 100 spirits and an ordinary one only has about 20 to 30 spirits or ghosts. These ghosts are dead heroes or ordinary people of the village or a nearby village. Yang Dalou is a popular ghost hero who was one of the leaders of the Miao uprising against the Qing government between AD 1854-1872. The ghosts come to help the shaman so that he can see all the good spirits, bad ghosts and my lost soul and even communicate with them. After singing for about 10 to 20 minutes by which time all the good spirits will have returned, the shaman's body becomes heavier and heavier and he falls down from his desk or chair. The assistant has to try his best to help him to regain his seat. Then the shaman beats his bare palms with the iron hoop like a horse getting shod for a long and tiresome trip.

The assistant is called " Balang'' in my language. The shaman says to the assistant: 'Balang, Balang…, Go, go, let's go the lower way by riding a horse.' No, no, we can't go the lower way by riding a horse. We must go the upper way by flying' replies the assistant. Then the shaman imitates flying like an eagle. Sometimes he whistles. At times he waves his hands and feet looking like an eagle flying in the sky. Usually the shaman from my village starts the journey from the paper making plant in Guading, Sankeshu town, along the Bala river and up to its upper reaches. Of course there are many crossroads where the shaman encounters lots of footprints and the prints of the lost soul are mixed with footprints of other ghosts or people. He does not know which way my lost soul had taken.Thus the assistant gives him a rice straw to measure the footprint to see if it is from my lost soul. The shaman cuts the straw and hands it to the assistant to check if the cut one is the same length as the prepared one. If it is the assistant says 'Yes' the shaman will know which way he should go to find the lost soul. If it is not, the shaman may have to do this numerous times until the two rice straws are the same length. He will do this at every crossroads. Finally the shaman finds my lost soul. At that moment, the lost soul is happily walking along with the evil spirits to the jungle. The shaman has to sing a soft and sad little song many times to persuade the lost soul to come back into my body. He sings: "gi gi lao, ji da gi da zii, gi gi lao, ji da gi da zii, ang kang ou, ang kang ou, an kang, an kang, ou" in the Miao language which means "My dear, come here, come here, come here slowly."' If the shaman cannot persuade the soul to come back into my body, I will die; so the shaman works very hard to persuade the lost soul to return.

　　When the lost soul comes back into my body, this is still not enough. The shaman has to travel to heaven to visit the heavenly king and to ask him to indicate what will happen. The trip to the heaven is extremely long, perilous and full of danger. On the way to heaven, the shaman will encounter many festivals. On the festival ground, people are playing Lusheng (bamboo flutes) and buffalo fights can also be seen. However, these hallucinations are made and created by the evil spirits as they want to make the shaman spend more time at the festivals in order to stop him healing the patient. When he sees such wonderful festivals, the shaman cries out to the assistant: "Balang, Balang! Let's go there to watch the festivals. You see, people are playing Lusheng, beating bronze drums." The assistant immediately replies: "No, no! We can't go there wasting our time. It's a trap! Our family have some other important things to do. We must continue our journey."

At the entrance to the house of the heavenly king, there are four doors. While passing through each door, the shaman will sing songs again. When he has passed through the last door, he finds the heavenly king sleeping lazily in bed. He then sings many songs and kneels down to offer cups of rice wine to the heavenly king. The shaman himself drinks half of the rice wine. This action is repeated three times until the heavenly king agrees to give him a book to look at. In the book are listed all the names of the human beings on earth.

Some names are ticked; others are marked with a 'x'. If someone's name is ticked it indicates that he will die.If the name is marked with a 'x' it mean that he will survive. If my name is ticked, the assistant will plead with the shaman and force him to persuade the heavenly king to let me live because the heavenly king can decide who will die and who will survive.After he has been persuaded, the heavenly king will give to the shaman indications of what sacrifices should be made. The shaman will then tell the assistant and the family what animals should be killed to appease the evil spirits in order to heal the patient. If the evil spirits are particularly harmful it will be necessary to sacrifice a fat pig, or a dog. Occasionally a buffalo will have to be used. Usually a hen, or a cock, or a duck is enough for the common bad spirits. After the activities in heaven, the shaman still has a long trip to undertake to return to the earth.

The total time for the shaman to carry out the whole ceremony is about one and a half hours. At the end of the ceremony, the assistant will give a hen or a duck to the shaman. The shaman takes the bird in one hand and plucks out its liver with his other hand and passes it to the assistant. The assistant at once uses a piece of cloth or the patient's jacket to wrap it in. Later, after the ceremony is finished, he bakes it on hot charcoal. The patient then eats the cooked liver and will recover over the next few days. The killed sacrifice will be plucked and boiled with rice gruel. The family members eat the meat and rice gruel. There is a taboo that the family must finish eating all of the food otherwise the patient will not be cured.Please remember that there are two different types of people who are engaged in hosting supernatural ceremonies. One is the shaman who is always a man and the other is what we call a witch. Women take this role but in Miao villages there are mainly shamans and only a few witches. The assistant is always a man who is a close relative of the patient's family. One more thing is that the shaman cannot heal himself or his own family members. He can only heal other families. Thus when the shaman's family or he himself become ill, a shaman from another family will have to be invited.

I studied at university for several years and am now working in Guiyang. I would say that I believe in science and technology. Some city friends question me sometimes. Do I think it is a superstitious activity? Do I believe it or not? It is hard for me to give a definitive answer because sometimes it makes sense and it is still popular in the (Miao) community. I like to regard it as a religious belief or a spiritual pursuit. It is something that my people have been following for generations. Without it, they would lose their sense of identity as a real nation.

　　As the wisps of smoke in the distant village rise in the sky, I hope that our civilization will continue to keep its mysteries and shining glory. I hope that my poor English and explanation will not become an impediment to our communication and prevent us from exchanging views of different cultures.

  

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