An LAPD Squad Car was involved in a Traffic Collision on Los Feliz Boulevard JWO Riverside Drive in Los Feliz. According to authorities, the officers were trying to conduct a Traffic Stop when they lost control of their car and it struck a light standard. The two officers suffered minor injuries and were not trapped inside the vehicle after the crash. There were no other vehicles involved.

This project involves the four-laning of Highway 1 through the Village of Chase.

 

Chase to Jade Mountain

 

Improvements include:

 

1.6 km section widened to four lanes, including median and roadside barrier

New grade-separated interchange at Brooke Drive

Two grade-separated pedestrian connections to Scatchard Trail

Municipal infrastructure improvements

Traffic and pedestrian safety improvements along Brooke Drive to Shuswap Avenue

by David T. Hill : Updated March 9, 2020 Anno Domini

 

"Copper is great at killing superbugs – so why don’t hospitals use it?

 

Copper and its alloys exhibit impressive antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. Copper has been exploited for health purposes since ancient times. Egyptian and Babylonian soldiers would sharpen their bronze swords (an alloy of copper and tin) after a battle, and place the filings in their wounds to reduce infection and speed healing.

 

The process involves the release of copper ions (electrically charged particles) when microbes, transferred by touching, sneezing or vomiting, land on the copper surface. The ions prevent cell respiration, punch holes in the bacterial cell membrane or disrupt the viral coat, and destroy the DNA and RNA inside.

 

This latter property is important as it means that no mutation can occur – preventing the microbe from developing resistance to copper. Copper alloys kill superbugs, including MRSA and those from the notorious ESKAPE group of pathogens – the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections."

 

theconversation.com/copper-is-great-at-killing-superbugs-...

 

It has been recorded that both Kids and Women (and probably African Americans) have more immunity to Coronavirus then adult Men and the probable reason is that these groups have higher Copper content in their systems. See quotes below.

 

Copper Tincture :

 

"Put some copper pennies into vinegar overnight. The vinegar may turn pale blue - that is the cuprous ion. Add a drop of that to your coffee, tea or food for copper. Good idea, but don't overdo it. Copper coating on pennies is fine since it is still copper. You can buy copper supplements but I'd rather do it this way."

 

lunaticoutpost.com/thread-167147-post-3115235.html?fbclid...

 

You can use this for ingestion and you could also make a bigger batch and use it for cleaning - dampen a rag and wipe down all surfaces - tables, counters, door handles, etc. You could even take a sponge bath with it. Mix it with vaseline and dab it in your nostrils and every time you breathe in you will be putting copper ions into your lungs but this should probably only be done if you have actually contracted the virus.

 

The Masks are virtually useless (because they don't make an air tight seal so its a waste of time shaving your beards boys) but if you soak one in this solution it will kill the virus (making masks reusable) and wear it damp every time you breathe in you will be breathing in Copper Ions which will kill the Virus in your lungs as well as making it into your Blood Stream. But you will need to monitor for Copper Toxicity (Headaches, acne, greenish complexion, etc., see url below).

 

You could pour this solution into a Humidifier and, in theory, Ionize an entire room and turn it into an impromptu clinic if you needed to but, again, this should be only if you have contracted the virus.

 

There is no proof that Colloidal Silver or Vitamin C kills viruses (see quotes below) and, in fact, the Aids Community tried both and neither one worked so they discarded that practice so you probably don't want to waste your time with Silver or Vitamins to stop a Weaponized Virus (Antiviral Research, Vol. 16, April 2020, Article : The spike glycoprotein of the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV contains a furin-like cleavage site absent in CoV of the same clade) which is probably Airborne like Influenza (New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 19, 2020 SARS-CoV-2, Article : Viral Load in Upper Respiratory Specimens of Infected Patients). Copper Ions, however, have been proven to kill both the HIV Virus and Coronavirus (see quote below).

 

Some multivitamins have copper in them. You can make some impromptu 'silverware' so you ingest particulates of copper on a regular basis so it gets in your blood. You can make rings out of copper grounding wire and wear them on you hands and then everything you touch will have copper particles on them. You can even carry a penny in you mouth off and on but make sure you use an older penny cause the recent ones are only copper coated.

 

"You can buy colloidal copper in liquid form (gold too)."

 

lunaticoutpost.com/thread-167147-post-3115387.html?fbclid...

 

You can ask at any pharmacy like Walmart or any good Vitamin Store and they should be able to order liquid colloidal copper for you if they don't already carry it in stock and it should have the normal dosage suggestions on the bottle.

 

What is Colloidal Copper :

 

www.healthline.com/health/colloidal-copper

 

Colloidal Silver :

 

"Proponents of colloidal silver claim that it can have antiviral effects in your body. Some studies have suggested that different types of silver nanoparticles may help kill viral compounds. However, the amount of nanoparticles in a colloid solution can vary and a recent study found colloidal silver to be ineffective at killing viruses, even in test-tube conditions."

 

www.healthline.com/nutrition/colloidal-silver?fbclid=IwAR...

 

Vitamin C :

 

"Several years ago there was much interest in high-dose Vitamin C as an HIV treatment. By the end of 1987 this interest had greatly diminished, although some people continue to use the treatment today. One reason we have been skeptical of Vitamin C is that if the treatment had worked well, it seems unlikely that the community would have stopped using it."

 

www.aids.org/2010/10/vitamin-c-laboratory-tests-indicate-...

 

HIV :

 

"Incorporation of copper alloy surfaces in conjunction with effective cleaning regimens and good clinical practice could help to control transmission of respiratory coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS.

 

Copper alloys have demonstrated excellent antibacterial and antifungal activity against a range of pathogens in laboratory studies (14,–19). Copper ion release has been found to be essential to maintaining efficacy, but the mechanism of action is variable (20, 21). A reduction in microbial bioburden and acquisition of nosocomial infection has now been observed in clinical trials of incorporation of copper alloy surfaces in health care facilities (22,–25).

 

Rapid inactivation of human coronavirus occurs on brass and copper nickel surfaces at room temperature (21°C).Inactivation of coronavirus on copper and copper alloy surfaces results in fragmentation of the viral genome, ensuring that inactivation is irreversible.

 

Copper ions have been shown to directly inhibit proteases by reacting with surface cysteine and to inflict damage to the viral genome in HIV and herpes simplex virus (40, 41).

 

The mechanism of bacterial death on copper surfaces is complex, involving not only direct action of copper ion on multiple targets but also the generation of destructive oxygen radicals, resulting in “metabolic suicide” (20). This was not observed for norovirus destruction on copper, presumably because of the lack of respiratory machinery (26). However, it appears that superoxide and hydroxyl radical generation may be important in the inactivation of coronaviruses on copper alloys but that inactivation on 100% copper surfaces is primarily due to the direct effect of copper ions.

 

In this study, we observed rapid damage, including clumping, breakage, membrane damage, and loss of surface spikes, to the coronavirus particles following exposure to copper, and some particles appeared smaller and seemed to have lost rigidity, folding up on themselves. These changes were not observed with virus recovered from stainless steel surfaces.

 

There is now a large body of evidence from laboratory studies and small clinical trials to suggest that incorporation of copper surfaces could play a significant role in reducing infection transmission from contaminated surfaces."

 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659470/

 

Plasma Copper in Human Subjects

 

"Plasma copper was not correlated with age among control subjects or AD patients. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid copper were not correlated in any group.

 

Plasma copper is increased in human female (1008 ± 51) compared to male (836 ± 41) control subjects (P = 0.01) when all age groups were combined. When the control subjects were divided by age group, trends to higher plasma copper in females were appreciated in the middle-aged and old control subjects, but not the young subjects."

 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3199105/

 

"Copper levels in plasma and erythrocytes in healthy Japanese children and adults.

 

This study showed differences in plasma and erythrocyte copper concentrations in children and adults. All determinations were performed with a flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean plasma copper level at 1 month of age was significantly lower than in adults. After 1 month of age the mean concentration in plasma increased to its peak value at 2 to 5 yr of age, then decreased gradually with age. At 7 months to 10 yr of age, the copper levels in plasma were significantly higher than in adults. The erythrocyte copper levels at 1 month to 1 yr of age were significantly higher than in adults. The copper content of erythrocytes was highest at 2 to 6 months of age and then decreased gradually. The copper concentration of erythrocytes may reflect more accurately liver and total body copper levels than does the plasma copper level. There is less possibility of copper contamination in erythrocytes than in hair. Therefore, the measurement of erythrocyte copper concentration may well be a helpful index of the total copper status."

 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7064868

  

Copper Toxicity Symptoms :

 

www.holistic-back-relief.com/images/x7-signs-of-Copper-to...

 

Original Post :

 

theoferrum.activeboard.com/t66302031/copper-ions-the-silv...

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The "Entwicklung" tank series (= "development"), more commonly known as the E-Series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardized series of tank designs. There were to be six standard designs in different weight classes, from which several specialized variants were to be developed. This intended to reverse the trend of extremely complex tank designs that had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.

 

The E-series designs were simpler, cheaper to produce and more efficient than their predecessors. But, on the other side, their design offered only modest improvements in armor and firepower over the designs they were intended to replace, such as the Jagdpanzer 38(t), Panther Ausf.G or Tiger II. However, the resulting high degree of standardization of German armored vehicles would also have made production, logistics and maintenance easier. Indeed, nearly all of the E-series vehicles — up through and including the E-75 — were intended to use what were essentially the Tiger II's eighty centimeter diameter, steel-rimmed road wheels for their suspension, meant to overlap each other. An innovative conical spring system, replacing their predecessors' torsion bar system which required a special steel alloy, simplified production and required less internal space.

 

Focus of initial chassis and combat vehicle development was the E-50/75 Standardpanzer, designed by Adler, both being mostly identical and only differing in armor thickness, overall weight and running gear design to cope with the different weights. But there were lighter chassis variants, too, including the light E-5 and E-10 for armored, tracked reconnaissance vehicles, and the medium E-25.

 

The E-25 designs, in the 25-50 tonnes weight class, were to be replacements for all Panzer III and Panzer IV based designs still in service, as well as for the early variants of the Panzer V (the Panther). This chassis' main designers were Alkett, Argus and Adler, with the involvement of Porsche. The proposed vehicle family would include medium reconnaissance vehicles, a medium Jagdpanzer and a heavy Waffenträger, but the chassis was also considered for other armed vehicles.

 

The original E-25 chassis used five Tiger II style road wheels per side, combined with "slack-track" design. Track propulsion was switched to a rear drive sprocket, as a consequence of mating the engine and the gearbox into a single tail-mounted, very compact power pack that made the voluminous and heavy power train all through the hull obsolete. This allowed the tank’s body to be lowered, and the gained space offered more room for the crew’s operations, heavier guns and ammunition storage.

The first member of the E-25 family that entered production was the medium tank hunter. It received highest priority and the project was called “Jagdpanzer E-25/88”, running under the inventory ordnance number "SdKfZ. 194". However, at the time of its introduction the E-25 chassis was also considered for a medium battle tank in the 35 ton class, since it had become clear that the E-50/75 battle tanks were rather large and resource-consuming. A lighter, more agile vehicle was needed, and it was to be armed with either the highly effective 75mm L/70 cannon (used in the Panther and the late Jagdpanzer IV) or the more powerful 8.8 cm L/56 gun, used in the Tiger I and the Jagdpanther.

 

Porsche was tasked with the adaptation of the E-25 chassis for a turret for both heavy guns. The work was in close collaboration with Henschel and the Oberschlesische Gusswerke Beuthen who were both working on a new, unified cast steel turret for the 88mm gun for a wide range of medium tanks like the Panther, the E-50/75 family and the heavy Tiger II. Alternatively, the new E-25 battle tank was to accept the so-called Schmalturm, which could carry both cannon types, too.

 

After the Allied invasion in the Normandy in 1944 and with ever-rising pressure through the Red Army from the East, the E-25 MBT project eventually gained more and more priority and momentum. As a consequence, Porsche was assigned by the Heeresleitung to build a running prototype as quickly as possible, ideally until early 1945.

 

Porsche was certain that the original E-25 chassis was too short and light for the adaptation of the cast turret. In order to keep the tight timeline, Porsche decided to develop a new welded steel hull while using as many Einheitspanzer components as possible. The resulting vehicle had little in common with the original Adler E-25 chassis and rather resembled the bigger and heavier E-50/75 family. Overall dimensions ended up close to the Panther hull, as a result of a certain minimum width that was necessary to mount the new turret’s bearings and balance its weight. However, the new tank's overall silhouette was considerably lower than the Panther’s or the E-50/75 family MBT’s.

The Porsche design also made full use of several new technical solutions for the engine and the new, space-saving E-50/75 suspension. For instance, thanks to the rear-mounted power unit with the gearbox and the driving sprocket wheels, the front armor could be optimized to offer very good ballistic protection (achieving a very shallow 30°angle) despite a maximum thickness of only 70 mm. The thickest armor, the cast steel gun mantlet, was 80 mm.

 

The tank’s running gear consisted of six steel-rimmed wheels per side, mounted in three staggered pairs, similar to the heavier E-50 tank. Thanks to the lower overall weight, a new Niresit track with less width could be used. The so-called “Beuthen Turm” offered excellent ballistic protection, a very low profile and featured a commander cupola with a full 360° view through periscopes as well as a 200cm width stereoscopic optical rangefinder for the gunner. A few vehicles were additionally equipped with FG1250/1251 infrared illuminators, too, allowing night operations in coordination with special versions of the Sd.Kfz.251 with long-range infrared illuminators, and complemented by assault troops using Vampir-modified Sturmgewehr guns.

 

Savings in material and complexity were achieved through simplified shapes and the use of stock components from other or older tanks, as well as the reduction of the crew to only four: the traditional radio operator in the hull, next to the driver, as well as a hull-mounted machine gun, were completely omitted. The driver was furthermore moved to the right side, a result of the secondary ammunition bunker in the hull being placed in front of the loader in the turret for easy access.

 

In this form, the tank was tested in early 1945 and hastily pushed into production, receiving the designation Sonderkraftfahrzeug 194 and officially christened ”Fuchs”. In order to reflect Porsche's involvement in this new tank's design and to differentiate it from the standard E-25 tank, the vehicle and its chassis variant was called E-25(P).

The resulting medium battle tank received, depending on its main weapon, the suffix 'A' for the 75mm cannon (SdKfz. 194/1) and 'B' for the 88mm gun (SdKfz. 194/1). The Schmalturm did not find its way on the production vehicles, and both variants had an operational weight of roundabout 38 tons. This was considerably less than any German contemporary MBT from the E-50/75 family, and even lighter than the late Panther variants. For its weight, the powerful main weapons made the vehicle a highly mobile and deadly enemy, enabling the crews to execute “hit and run” tactics which were impossible with the bigger and slower tanks.

 

The first production vehicles were deployed to independent units at the Western front line along the lower Rhine in May 1945, but due to the lack of thorough tests, sufficient crew training and lack of combat experience with the new vehicle, the initial results were poor. The majority of tank losses was not through enemy fire, though - many tanks had to be abandoned and were destroyed by their crews after technical failures.

 

The Fuchs MBT was popular among the crews, though, since it offered a much higher mobility than its heavier Einheitspanzer brethren. The relatively large and spacious turret was another point that found much appraise – but its poor technical reliability was its biggest Achilles heel.

Due to the ever-worsening situation, less than 100 E-25(P) hulls were completed and probably less than 50 combat-worthy vehicles arrived at front line units and were involved in battle until the end of hostilities. But the design work, with many radical and innovative ideas, did not get lost – many of the Fuchs’ design features like its hull layout and armor design or the Beuthen turret found their way into the highly successful German Leopard I MBT in the early 1960ies, which entered service with the German Bundeswehr in 1965 and still serves with several armies until today.

  

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)

Weight: 38 tonnes (41.9 short tons)

Length: 7,02 metres (23 ft), hull only

9.77 metres (32 ft) overall, with the gun forward

Width: 3.96 metres (12 ft 11 1/2 in)

Height: 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in)

Ground clearance: 495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)

Suspension: Conical spring

Fuel capacity: 450 litres (120 US gal)

 

Armor:

10–80 mm (0.4 – 3.15 in)

 

Performance:

Speed

- Maximum, road: 52 km/h (32 mph)

- Sustained, road: 42 km/h (26 mph)

- Cross country: 16 to 25 km/h (9.5 to 15.5 mph)

Operational range: 210 km (130 mi)

Power/weight: 14,47 PS/tonne (12,86 hp/ton)

 

Engine:

V12 Maybach HL 101 gasoline engine with 550 PS (539 hp, 341 kW)

 

Transmission:

ZF AK 7-200 with 7 forward 1 reverse gears

 

Armament:

1× 8.8 cm KwK 43/4 L/56 with 48 rounds

2× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns with a total of 5.200 rounds

(one co-axial with the main weapon, one manually operated on the commander's cupola)

  

The kit and its assembly:

This fictional Heer '46 is based on the fact that the famous German post-WWII MBT Leopard 1 – at least the Porsche prototype – was based on designs from the WWII era. So, why not spin this story further and retro-grade a Leopard 1 into a Heer ’46 tank, as a kind of grandfather design with then-state-of-the-art technologies…?

 

Well, that job could be easily done with a Leopard 1 kit built more or less OOB and just painted in typical WWII colors – I have actually seen such things in simulation games like World of Tanks, and it did not look bad at all. But for the ambitious modelers, this would be a bit too simple, wouldn’t it?

For instance, there are some features like the running gear on the Leopard that are very modern and would IMHO not fit into the late WWII timeframe. The general lack of high quality materials and design simplifications everywhere would certainly also take their toll. As a consequence the starting basis for this whiffy tank model actually became an 1:72 Leopard 1 (to be exact, it’s Revell’s Leopard 1A5 kit), but from this basis only a few parts were actually taken over.

 

Work started with the upper hull, which received the transplantation of the complete upper rear deck from a leftover Hasegawa Panther, including the turret’s attachment ring. Internally the whole affair was reinforced with styrene profiles along the seams. The basic idea behind this move was to get rid of the rather modernistic, raised engine cover of the Leopard, and the Panther’s armored cooling fan covers would add a very familiar, German touch. Furthermore, the Panther turret is set relatively further back than on the Leopard, resulting IMHO in a positive side effect for the vehicle’s proportions. The front with the driver’s hatch and the side walls of the Leopard hull were taken over, just the glacis plate was cleaned from the moulded snow claws for the modern Leopard track.

 

While I could have used the original, casted Leopard 1 turret without any extra armor, I rather reverted to a donor part: an aftermarket resin turret from the German short run producer Modell Trans. What spoke for this aftermarket piece is that this Heer ’46 turret piece was exactly that kind of add-on this kit would need: a retrograded Leopard 1 turret, with a simplified shape, a simple commander cupola, typical bulges for a late-war optical rangefinder in the turret sides and even a 8.8cm KwK barrel! The resin turret, which also comes with an AA machine gun, was taken OOB. Only the original resin gun barrel came slightly bent – this could have been corrected easily, but I replaced it with a more delicate white metal and brass piece, anyway. Additionally, an adapter for the hull opening had to be scratched.

 

So far, so good - but the running gear became the biggest challenge. The Leopard 1’s advanced torsion bar running gear with rubber-rimmed wheels would not make sense anymore, due to the special high quality materials needed for its construction. Since the Einheitspanzer family was to share as many components as possible, I decided to implant an E-50-style running gear with its typical cast standard wheels.

This sounds easy, but scratching a running gear is a real stunt! Work started with the attachment points for the driving and guide wheels at the hull’s ends, which were cut off of the Revell kit’s parts and glued into their respective places. The drive wheel was taken over from the Leopard, but the guide wheel at the front end was replaced by a simpler and smaller pair of wheels from a Russian IS-3 tank.

Using the E-50 as benchmark for the running wheels, I gathered twelve of them from the scrap box and from several Modellcollect kits in the stash (The 1:72 E-50 kits from Modelcollect and Trumpeter all come with the option to build an E-75, too, so that each kit offers two pairs of excess parts). Mounting these wheels to the hull, in a staggered fashion, became the kit’s true challenge, though, because I did not have a sufficient number of original wheel carriers/suspension packs. Improvisation resulted in the adaptation of twelve leftover suspension arms from a Modelcollect E-100 kit, even though they had to be tailored in depth and length to fit under the Leopard’s hull. It took some trial and error to find a proper position that would produce a plausible stance, but I think the effort of this transplantation really changes the tank’s look into something Heer ’46-ish?

 

The track was taken OOB from the Leopard 1 kit, and it is of the segmented IP type. It was mounted after most painting was done, starting with single track segments on the drive and guiding wheels, and then the gaps were filled with other track elements. A bit of a gamble, but the theory, that the track parts should match, was confirmed. Phew…

  

Painting and markings:

For some subtlety, the model received a classic German paint scheme with “Hinterhalt” colors (Dunkelgelb, Olivgrün and Rotbraun). Once the kit’s components were finished (hull, turret and the separate wheels), everything received an overall coat with matt RAL 7028 (Modelmaster Authentics).

On top of that, a dense pattern of red brown (Humbrol 160) and finally green (RAL 6003 from Modelmaster Authentics) mottles in 1 1:2 ratio was applied with a flat, narrow brush, for a somewhat square shape of the blotches. Pretty straightforward, seen on a late war Panther - and suitable for a summertime scenario as well as in line with common field practice, even though at the time where the model is placed, tanks might have looked more extraordinary or improvised due to the general material shortages.

 

Once the basic painting was done, the kit received a thin, water-based wash with dark brown, carefully swabbed with a soft cotton cloth in order to leave just a thin and cloudy film on the surfaces and more of the wash in recesses and corners. There were only a few decals to apply, namely three small German crosses and the tactical code on the turret’s flanks. Later some dry-brushing with light grey and hemp was done, emphasizing the edges and highlighting surface details.

 

The track segments were primed with a mix of acrylic iron, black and dark brown and received a final paint treatment after mounting them onto the wheels, hiding some glue stains and other blemishes.

 

Artist pigments (a mix of ochre, grey and brown) were dusted with a soft brush onto the lower kit areas, after having sealed the model with matt acrylic varnish beforehand.

  

Well, what could have been a simple paint job in order to achieve a time-warped Leopard 1 became a massive kitbashing project. However, I think this extra effort, esp. the adaptation of the E-50 running gear, and all the potential risks of mixing parts from different kits, was worthwhile? The paint scheme certainly suggest the WWII era, too. The resulting “new” tank looks IMHO pretty plausible, and both hull and turret shape remind of the Leopard 1 without looking like the real thing behind this build. In fact, from certain angles this one appears like the missing link between the Panther and the Leopard 1, and a lot like an inspiration for the Soviet T-54/55 or even the T-72?

Hornet Rally 083116

They frequent coastal mudflats, estuaries, and inland lakes.

They range across Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa.

 

During the breeding season, common shelducks become notably territorial. Their aggressive behavior often peaks in this period. Intense fights can break out between males vying for a partner. These confrontations can involve chasing, pecking, and wing-flapping.

Notting Hill Caribbean Carnival London Mas Players Parade Participant Monday August 29 2022 Beautiful Stunning Jamaican Girl in Cut-off Denim Blue Jeans Whining provocative dance that involves a woman gyrating and grinding

Zwischenlandung/Stopover, 1972 (Acryl auf Leinwand/Acrylic on canvas), Peter Hajek

 

The Albertina

The architectural history of the Palais

(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)

Image: The oldest photographic view of the newly designed Palais Archduke Albrecht, 1869

"It is my will that ​​the expansion of the inner city of Vienna with regard to a suitable connection of the same with the suburbs as soon as possible is tackled and at this on Regulirung (regulation) and beautifying of my Residence and Imperial Capital is taken into account. To this end I grant the withdrawal of the ramparts and fortifications of the inner city and the trenches around the same".

This decree of Emperor Franz Joseph I, published on 25 December 1857 in the Wiener Zeitung, formed the basis for the largest the surface concerning and architecturally most significant transformation of the Viennese cityscape. Involving several renowned domestic and foreign architects a "master plan" took form, which included the construction of a boulevard instead of the ramparts between the inner city and its radially upstream suburbs. In the 50-years during implementation phase, an impressive architectural ensemble developed, consisting of imperial and private representational buildings, public administration and cultural buildings, churches and barracks, marking the era under the term "ring-street style". Already in the first year tithe decided a senior member of the Austrian imperial family to decorate the facades of his palace according to the new design principles, and thus certified the aristocratic claim that this also "historicism" said style on the part of the imperial house was attributed.

Image: The Old Albertina after 1920

It was the palace of Archduke Albrecht (1817-1895), the Senior of the Habsburg Family Council, who as Field Marshal held the overall command over the Austro-Hungarian army. The building was incorporated into the imperial residence of the Hofburg complex, forming the south-west corner and extending eleven meters above street level on the so-called Augustinerbastei.

The close proximity of the palace to the imperial residence corresponded not only with Emperor Franz Joseph I and Archduke Albert with a close familial relationship between the owner of the palace and the monarch. Even the former inhabitants were always in close relationship to the imperial family, whether by birth or marriage. An exception here again proves the rule: Don Emanuel Teles da Silva Conde Tarouca (1696-1771), for which Maria Theresa in 1744 the palace had built, was just a close friend and advisor of the monarch. Silva Tarouca underpins the rule with a second exception, because he belonged to the administrative services as Generalhofbaudirektor (general court architect) and President of the Austrian-Dutch administration, while all other him subsequent owners were highest ranking military.

In the annals of Austrian history, especially those of military history, they either went into as commander of the Imperial Army, or the Austrian, later kk Army. In chronological order, this applies to Duke Carl Alexander of Lorraine, the brother-of-law of Maria Theresa, as Imperial Marshal, her son-in-law Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, also field marshal, whos adopted son, Archduke Charles of Austria, the last imperial field marshal and only Generalissimo of Austria, his son Archduke Albrecht of Austria as Feldmarschalil and army Supreme commander, and most recently his nephew Archduke Friedrich of Austria, who held as field marshal from 1914 to 1916 the command of the Austro-Hungarian troops. Despite their military profession, all five generals conceived themselves as patrons of the arts and promoted large sums of money to build large collections, the construction of magnificent buildings and cultural life. Charles Alexander of Lorraine promoted as governor of the Austrian Netherlands from 1741 to 1780 the Academy of Fine Arts, the Théâtre de Ja Monnaie and the companies Bourgeois Concert and Concert Noble, he founded the Academie royale et imperial des Sciences et des Lettres, opened the Bibliotheque Royal for the population and supported artistic talents with high scholarships. World fame got his porcelain collection, which however had to be sold by Emperor Joseph II to pay off his debts. Duke Albert began in 1776 according to the concept of conte Durazzo to set up an encyclopedic collection of prints, which forms the core of the world-famous "Albertina" today.

Image : Duke Albert and Archduchess Marie Christine show in family cercle the from Italy brought along art, 1776. Frederick Henry Füger.

1816 declared to Fideikommiss and thus in future indivisible, inalienable and inseparable, the collection 1822 passed into the possession of Archduke Carl, who, like his descendants, it broadened. Under him, the collection was introduced together with the sumptuously equipped palace on the Augustinerbastei in the so-called "Carl Ludwig'schen fideicommissum in 1826, by which the building and the in it kept collection fused into an indissoluble unity. At this time had from the Palais Tarouca by structural expansion or acquisition a veritable Residenz palace evolved. Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen was first in 1800 the third floor of the adjacent Augustinian convent wing adapted to house his collection and he had after 1802 by his Belgian architect Louis de Montoyer at the suburban side built a magnificent extension, called the wing of staterooms, it was equipped in the style of Louis XVI. Only two decades later, Archduke Carl the entire palace newly set up. According to scetches of the architect Joseph Kornhäusel the 1822-1825 retreaded premises presented themselves in the Empire style. The interior of the palace testified from now in an impressive way the high rank and the prominent position of its owner. Under Archduke Albrecht the outer appearance also should meet the requirements. He had the facade of the palace in the style of historicism orchestrated and added to the Palais front against the suburbs an offshore covered access. Inside, he limited himself, apart from the redesign of the Rococo room in the manner of the second Blondel style, to the retention of the paternal stock. Archduke Friedrich's plans for an expansion of the palace were omitted, however, because of the outbreak of the First World War so that his contribution to the state rooms, especially, consists in the layout of the Spanish apartment, which he in 1895 for his sister, the Queen of Spain Maria Christina, had set up as a permanent residence.

Picture: The "audience room" after the restoration: Picture: The "balcony room" around 1990

The era of stately representation with handing down their cultural values ​​found its most obvious visualization inside the palace through the design and features of the staterooms. On one hand, by the use of the finest materials and the purchase of masterfully manufactured pieces of equipment, such as on the other hand by the permanent reuse of older equipment parts. This period lasted until 1919, when Archduke Friedrich was expropriated by the newly founded Republic of Austria. With the republicanization of the collection and the building first of all finished the tradition that the owner's name was synonymous with the building name:

After Palais Tarouca or tarokkisches house it was called Lorraine House, afterwards Duke Albert Palais and Palais Archduke Carl. Due to the new construction of an adjacently located administration building it received in 1865 the prefix "Upper" and was referred to as Upper Palais Archduke Albrecht and Upper Palais Archduke Frederick. For the state a special reference to the Habsburg past was certainly politically no longer opportune, which is why was decided to name the building according to the in it kept collection "Albertina".

Picture: The "Wedgwood Cabinet" after the restoration: Picture: the "Wedgwood Cabinet" in the Palais Archduke Friedrich, 1905

This name derives from the term "La Collection Albertina" which had been used by the gallery Inspector Maurice von Thausing in 1870 in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts for the former graphics collection of Duke Albert. For this reason, it was the first time since the foundation of the palace that the name of the collection had become synonymous with the room shell. Room shell, hence, because the Republic of Austria Archduke Friedrich had allowed to take along all the movable goods from the palace in his Hungarian exile: crystal chandeliers, curtains and carpets as well as sculptures, vases and clocks. Particularly stressed should be the exquisite furniture, which stems of three facilities phases: the Louis XVI furnitures of Duke Albert, which had been manufactured on the basis of fraternal relations between his wife Archduchess Marie Christine and the French Queen Marie Antoinette after 1780 in the French Hofmanufakturen, also the on behalf of Archduke Charles 1822-1825 in the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory by Joseph Danhauser produced Empire furnitures and thirdly additions of the same style of Archduke Friedrich, which this about 1900 at Portois & Ffix as well as at Friedrich Otto Schmidt had commissioned.

The "swept clean" building got due to the strained financial situation after the First World War initially only a makeshift facility. However, since until 1999 no revision of the emergency equipment took place, but differently designed, primarily the utilitarianism committed office furnitures complementarily had been added, the equipment of the former state rooms presented itself at the end of the 20th century as an inhomogeneous administrative mingle-mangle of insignificant parts, where, however, dwelt a certain quaint charm. From the magnificent state rooms had evolved depots, storage rooms, a library, a study hall and several officed.

Image: The Albertina Graphic Arts Collection and the Philipphof after the American bombing of 12 März 1945.

Image: The palace after the demolition of the entrance facade, 1948-52

Worse it hit the outer appearance of the palace, because in times of continued anti-Habsburg sentiment after the Second World War and inspired by an intolerant destruction will, it came by pickaxe to a ministerial erasure of history. In contrast to the graphic collection possessed the richly decorated facades with the conspicuous insignia of the former owner an object-immanent reference to the Habsburg past and thus exhibited the monarchial traditions and values ​​of the era of Francis Joseph significantly. As part of the remedial measures after a bomb damage, in 1948 the aristocratic, by Archduke Albert initiated, historicist facade structuring along with all decorations was cut off, many facade figures demolished and the Hapsburg crest emblems plunged to the ground. Since in addition the old ramp also had been cancelled and the main entrance of the bastion level had been moved down to the second basement storey at street level, ended the presence of the old Archduke's palace after more than 200 years. At the reopening of the "Albertina Graphic Collection" in 1952, the former Hapsburg Palais of splendour presented itself as one of his identity robbed, formally trivial, soulless room shell, whose successful republicanization an oversized and also unproportional eagle above the new main entrance to the Augustinian road symbolized. The emocratic throw of monuments had wiped out the Hapsburg palace from the urban appeareance, whereby in the perception only existed a nondescript, nameless and ahistorical building that henceforth served the lodging and presentation of world-famous graphic collection of the Albertina. The condition was not changed by the decision to the refurbishment because there were only planned collection specific extensions, but no restoration of the palace.

Image: The palace after the Second World War with simplified facades, the rudiment of the Danubiusbrunnens (well) and the new staircase up to the Augustinerbastei

This paradigm shift corresponded to a blatant reversal of the historical circumstances, as the travel guides and travel books for kk Residence and imperial capital of Vienna dedicated itself primarily with the magnificent, aristocratic palace on the Augustinerbastei with the sumptuously fitted out reception rooms and mentioned the collection kept there - if at all - only in passing. Only with the repositioning of the Albertina in 2000 under the direction of Klaus Albrecht Schröder, the palace was within the meaning and in fulfillment of the Fideikommiss of Archduke Charles in 1826 again met with the high regard, from which could result a further inseparable bond between the magnificent mansions and the world-famous collection. In view of the knowing about politically motivated errors and omissions of the past, the facades should get back their noble, historicist designing, the staterooms regain their glamorous, prestigious appearance and culturally unique equippment be repurchased. From this presumption, eventually grew the full commitment to revise the history of redemption and the return of the stately palace in the public consciousness.

Image: The restored suburb facade of the Palais Albertina suburb

The smoothed palace facades were returned to their original condition and present themselves today - with the exception of the not anymore reconstructed Attica figures - again with the historicist decoration and layout elements that Archduke Albrecht had given after the razing of the Augustinerbastei in 1865 in order. The neoclassical interiors, today called after the former inhabitants "Habsburg Staterooms", receiving a meticulous and detailed restoration taking place at the premises of originality and authenticity, got back their venerable and sumptuous appearance. From the world wide scattered historical pieces of equipment have been bought back 70 properties or could be returned through permanent loan to its original location, by which to the visitors is made experiencable again that atmosphere in 1919 the state rooms of the last Habsburg owner Archduke Frederick had owned. The for the first time in 80 years public accessible "Habsburg State Rooms" at the Palais Albertina enable now again as eloquent testimony to our Habsburg past and as a unique cultural heritage fundamental and essential insights into the Austrian cultural history. With the relocation of the main entrance to the level of the Augustinerbastei the recollection to this so valuable Austrian Cultural Heritage formally and functionally came to completion. The vision of the restoration and recovery of the grand palace was a pillar on which the new Albertina should arise again, the other embody the four large newly built exhibition halls, which allow for the first time in the history of the Albertina, to exhibit the collection throughout its encyclopedic breadh under optimal conservation conditions.

Image: The new entrance area of the Albertina

64 meter long shed roof. Hans Hollein.

The palace presents itself now in its appearance in the historicist style of the Ringstrassenära, almost as if nothing had happened in the meantime. But will the wheel of time should not, cannot and must not be turned back, so that the double standards of the "Albertina Palace" said museum - on the one hand Habsburg grandeur palaces and other modern museum for the arts of graphics - should be symbolized by a modern character: The in 2003 by Hans Hollein designed far into the Albertina square cantilevering, elegant floating flying roof. 64 meters long, it symbolizes in the form of a dynamic wedge the accelerated urban spatial connectivity and public access to the palace. It advertises the major changes in the interior as well as the huge underground extensions of the repositioned "Albertina".

 

Christian Benedictine

Art historian with research interests History of Architecture, building industry of the Hapsburgs, Hofburg and Zeremonialwissenschaft (ceremonial sciences). Since 1990 he works in the architecture collection of the Albertina. Since 2000 he supervises as director of the newly founded department "Staterooms" the restoration and furnishing of the state rooms and the restoration of the facades and explores the history of the palace and its inhabitants.

 

www.wien-vienna.at/albertinabaugeschichte.php

 

ü·Ìñ1vZYÀw¼ÃÎîËRÔ4òàÛwJ·jéxeaÁÔã©8ä'âQ¶^âaåOðãùrþ]NfMF-ì!Tæ²sHf§Áñf>^.!\¼³g'¦PЪ¸ñE`ßÅû9:®N6gÄqððúáÿw/àõI)üèMGH²ª5ð¶kEÕUk$>ȬL£,Æ]Nl)Ên2Û`ÛM¯ÈÂ0Ä!BZü§.-Ç7?K¯=¥ê(ó_×ËÚÍຶÔ"YmZP²Ús^ òåÚ½Ýܶæ}GT´KU·ÕîÓ5û@¶ÀdD*Ü,Ð0 ºé/D¶FcôíRìÃ+3È9Hµõû?ëa _Áª3½c:_tè-õÏ5XÅv±sX339jRÔU]+6[álss®L

ÏÌ

ªD×}9 ~Ã) §n8sðäâ¡ôB'Ô/aÔ,ZàËGk"È> Xuåñ¼ídÄú@j¼*>ʧà@iã4³AüÅKM8èneKSpfîÅ}̱§Yp¬ÄÐb^lH!¸Ñ¸tp[Ór»ÌñlòrÒf^Bµó[©ÚI5âHåÄÐ)âCR¿åf.ioN~ÆÞǧ~[y_I¼·â±IyCt?iÃ3~9)³¸'þdò÷&»këu8ªÞ%E7;ôâM$HtÝM²&Õ~°ô¯­/AþM¦QÍð´¾c]FøÆñãJÀÐæVú]~´\ÿ-µ+}1®"»R±ËGP{vä¸ê"HÙtSÒÏ8\ÛÝN÷*1$!;ì<~ëdo­økÆE?Êkü3)×õÈO+éZµÞ±i¨*ÇR[PÓ,ÊßìÿÚ¸rô oiçæå³Ô4nvá¤e;üI*ïßù+½nHÖáåº[ÝcR"këºAh¨vÎ+#ÈÛ

7ëf\ÍÜá"zmå+£]Ëm(AUY¥*hÌEXûïðäy®0:¡¼ß=¦³}ðÖ5·R£Ý ÖlpÐÝÈ$"_^Çe%ÍéÛJÄ´e'~F·ñåÜrG4¾-2hþ0¤Æ©¦ÕíÐÅoä%L?ÖÌOÎíÚ½@ô°Ï1^˧Ý-ÜÆÒ{p-д

»}¡¿*¼DN¸Ý0ÒÚçòÿQ¸¼àf·õÞ7Q@LiUä^ìà²1(zI üó0·3NHzm-¯m¯&´»ú¾ªª

4£2µ|zf$¤bì±æ5ªiRåúÔb9cbd$ÔÔÓöFO{×õ÷ôÍ

£R!´²Úÿ%ÉËñbê]~lö(,òu¥½Ö­Ì¤

¦§ Sá6â

Ìao«EÆ#V:.õ

ÇnUï¶E%~NyãM±¾4·/Lÿ+ù¨ÆÏÝ{Íõ3̺Pã©-bVõocûc;¤cÜ/ù9Ysç3[sQÐu±m!½×ÞVÁ-Ò

Â)ôÂ

Ë/£Ç,¶ª]?.¤ÑRê^*

³*r©}ÙDe¹s2@RòïåZª2oq©èË*w

7Sñ+µziù½Êzzº®©=½ÔjUãhÂÛȧí+E»¨4þ|¢YxÅäÇN nÑÿRùËÁRµ6xk±"µ`ÝÕ-ðÆK;S̵íc±Óc·Rk4;ês $ÅGÍÆ4eÍÑçÏÅ´NÈ^«/ƾùn-!m­Eî¥kg÷·AûS8JýíQd·­ê:4¡´oÞz¡]ËȪñ¬¨a}ßk1íȧëºN£]=72]Y>¹¨äß*ÿvÆÖʦ(¦9±üÔßFò_y¡¬²FÓoÝÛ¨2#¦ç÷Íb$Åÿ×òÄ

Á+SµzbªðÞÑÁ%ZקÍ!³y P

£{=$r(8 gökÃ'{DáÔ=ßÊeØ-¯`Öál|gý°ëm老[¥¼0-:§¦yB¤o^4þf_ålj1Hú¨Ã­iNûá¶tμº1¾-[ÄÓôáUWü½éþNcä·ã

2MRäk0\ÚGû»z×ãG V¿å.ùKsÍüÁ¥úzËC±~ïÁ­Bb¿Êìä­2]E+å»{ý(Úà*

ÔÈeu1ʼü %pù*[ýK¹²î§I¬g

¸º·

ÿ#âë_ÙÈÊ óläÁù?ù,í³M$QÁçþ#sàÕþ´ØdÅuË_1Çw6«JßX¶sÖÀ*ªºøñûY`nÑ)ÅÝéäi_»,h,òæ{kË«Á<PòäküÕÿa,BÎÌÚªoQ

£¥ThyöÉ®DRA¢kW:&«õÇ%Ý'³)ëôø`xqd0½·Ë:ä~`ÒÊØGæ£ç½à(`9ðð9AîwX3Þáùr4Â^ëXXmmaɾÀ¢¾9ór<YHny¯æ/æ½æ©,¶.ÁLA«@Ç»³3ÕÀÍtHü«kéߥïi§/ê¹PB*ý-S^N

Ýöqdú[ÖîÕ¾°é»µïÐ`)d²ÇWºÒÇÔYÌøkSÁ-[éÄâ·óR®AÛ~liðºH¶%ZUÜĽV¼Zµ*~<yågE*ضâ×@Èzoý*}§~ki`öwH)ºñJïólÂÞ<ýþK3å8_½ùïÎ:^£iéX¤Ñ\9£

ÛÊCluï`iÔí/%yâxç&ii#QD¬33ò?jGø²3îÃOQÈeÇèú?Û=?ÇõKú¨Ñù5¯ÿBÃjÂi­¥îcèà©%HãÄÖ¼FCs

GgÿÐòèÕxÈ#ùOð8ª¬u*Gz⨨ôûM.

^PhT×o§m©15h¾bòÅí¦×Ú¬$§©+LhPnÜüR»|\Wþ2eÑ¥Vó=S^¿¾Ô¥¹¾Ë8y°¥:ÅOäغaùF0·p( ¶æÃbb ¯üÉwFé¾dO/ê7ÑÞÛl®ïdëjT´LÄ=8o¨¶.|"º»Y«ÏÕº(|92d

¯d±¸¼º¸9níç>¸æâø;ráÇ|-é·wºv×ÁD×~¼P)C!

òÛK2ü³ß[ó'+Vú½ôN-ËzÈ¡ÓXÙ¸þËæ>¨b{ã/¹·"@ù½@Aoú1¦aû¤Xu®Ùçø;7MürûÎz¸¿Óøÿ5ßK>O}7ÝäðÌVó.¯~#fF"RüM7k¾z\ZxK¾tYöÉ!æÂí|¯,þÍNçæs E¨²_5þFÝéÚ®¿ité©Ê¼d°p¡ö:|r(oµû|WOµ;½GXkPsô£4U Uh½ófQÆ8Gyúg'$æ+xá¿yJS2â·Iõ=Q"VY(ÙjüJÄmþ\[éwº$§ºôe3[I

I§ÉG I$¸§öYM2ZsçÝ'Ë6:`¶ZéóNëèݬ!ÛøÊRä:SøxâIùH·Ôo%6Þµqѳ21EÉ#ù8¾iü»£éú\[ZJ'ªK8y½4VÌ¿Ùëb

Ä!¡:Ms{<Då9¢zÔøyoÙû9A%¸Æ9âËÿÑò·P<qVÀ úñW¡þ^ÞÂÚíK,Ë7·%#äKªìzr\ºf¹se?[·Ó|­Mjüð49¶tÇõ½î['DâðC zý¸ÆÃÛðFiÚ½µÒäM{gI4H# b[&=xö:$v

iz,

v%ã!ì_Ú,þi±mA£×K)oø¢Q§.¿ÉåfËÃïrpaãÜý/RK×!­-¬â¯î>*zÐoHîK¶ÆZÓïPqiR<LñÝ­O毳yY<|'üîãýV¬úùÀЯë'wz}¾¡ei¦ÜÛÒ=Ìjhð$uø©&,qÅ@zcÿ±¨¤dyrh7©ÃYB$ðPTÉË'AÔzPÍú=¾«¢]iòP<ZÞ@*RU£kûJÀ0ÊBH=+ÔÈÈÛßßyÎ;3Xn謿± nCìÕl\¢Ïð$gòJ0g~güõDH·RÓv` ÓüµÛ²ÎIí4%ýäxÊĤÿbùÐâÔC,nH:þ/Ö@qéÅ}*çL×Ni.ádºG&ÄûÒ\±ÉBÌ{iïä ïÇÚ 7ÿ[$(4ineÚÌ[/)±·v'Ûìä­"äKxä*Yò4û$ôZS­2Q$^åOËíGÌw"Ý¥6ÚtMüâêE}(»zù¿g(FyËò;¾ò¬Ó¶£oñK9¬Ê:¨&^gö[­³_É«¿-ÉåÈãNz¤DÅ©zÀ4Þ²õäÇâ

zªþÎkóÅRv#'ó7¼½¯Û4öÃæéLÅ]hã\qæ9äÃýAó|©©ù_[ºÒïuº²xým>Is2H#§Ã$d|_ðY±Ç¨ÃªÍ¦)ÿåKM¨]Òýß&åêUÓÓ¿i>ÓfE¸´©ù¡$ÍggÎÝ}!ÎVWÕ

Óöü¿ö8b(þ\Ýi°ÙKÂ&:gúÌ´`¦*­ÕãÄQ~/KÔåûx$¿Ïz1°ÓÖþ9EîâäBN¿küAazgî¯ìîïáZ­¸)õã½?g¿ód$-

?ÿÒòàµrÁ¯2*¸«rG"¹bìJâcäôs¥SÅç@Ü@î·û¶C¤þ®¬êcaö

±l&9¤ù¶óW2Øݼ&TR¾uÿ)9a¥µ

"îM;Ud ɧ£ÜU¯Á"Æ9n_`*ÕÌË$1¼³u­zSï8Pûò»H]Êö6~8àOTÿE[ñ9¬ø¤Kº8 e«ZMõ¦¸Á_OÌÂ7¤¥©JÐí5\`OÒcúwæe®`,të%HÈñ±¿¤sBêÞ{d(84d¬Î(ÕùümôîÏ.A{cóòzXV¹æ}Vâ9Y®äfTfã*ÁÇÂ_öY!Éé#éñZyZÍTtõîNÆI>#¿ù?g"¥;{a"G~ÍJáCÌ?4ô­GËÊ._Ù(òbU¿/m+'%ÿÓeâ¡j@TøMTü5ûGü¥ÀR¯Ì14z´ävHñPñìþÍpW¯¦[»YQ'(®N!ȳ߫þ®G« ÿÿÓòä·*ÑW¼jýªÁËÇ®)z_må}

Ô²ÊÌËñlý 9"öâÙt95OUæmU¡×îÚCk8(9¸2(ʪß/ì6Lòb9²ðÎæ[x®ïìc¶KÃÅ©[¹õhGÛúTñgÇþË(!½Ë¨ê^R¹{+]B-KMg¯¦S_µõ#ÿ[ìäUNO1éZ¥¦ÒX®EôgN¨5Gq]¾%ÂÎêêÓëw·ké¢Y^ D¤JÔìGìÓöqèª\K!¬iW:£$Ü/ õ&à°ûTûtÛvÈÌzO¹3êÞ÷û¿=A§úFÁ¥BWÓkÚª»ë^eæÍ]rÏP[y/vf

,

ÁxGרý¢zfDqXÝ£&¤DÒ;òîÆ/2E¬_ÂÚ

Ó\Þ:F8~íºÖ´ÉËäâx{âÉÇ96¥4¤µ¶±a[MO£JQÜTíþ±éÓxtGâ?KDÈ2´§Ìh²_B²ßJ(Ô$«Õ

:fF=4bMukÈLÀþ3æ®&ÒuM7CchmdY¤@ªÛöûæERäÿ°Ù[Ðò*\Ȫ°ÆMEbõè¹É{Qpzx½NdN>4÷õpÆ1{¥¥mèÃmp£`vÜUwZS*ìÞØÃáÃAéúçôñCû¾øó©ÑOSÞ_%^bÕ º¾äÆ("i7QE­>üÖë5Yª"1âþç¹8áàa$ÕÄ>sóv¹zæßF·¶ÆÀ=Ä2²Lÿ´ÏÊÇú¹Ûâæéç#ù |·å«sVin½Ôï,¥¸"

t^g|È1G~gèVú'bÓm

6úíJr1Õlk)

¥êIØñ¬¦DNLÀhÁ=ëöpÕú;OgkÅÎT"I!e(áh¿Ê¸9IEGH#¿LUNöÚÚòÒ[YãY-æB£î¬¬(ÃUåº=¥ÎªÜÇrí9´X+Z(O+føºÖøóf·v½¼d;Wùç½Næ

6Nµc7TÜÃ|¿I·qûC-úz+ùgN/A#3\5Où5WâTtUâxùs8:²ó¡m©ZYO,±Ù«,rIü\üIø~ʶHlÕ²_.Üéé¤[zföÝ$h6à¬~'øÑ¿ÕøpZÓüÆy&½YkXã·UX­ésI(K4EAðmÓHÿ)ÜGs¢EÚ¤J¿IÕ¤(´ÕA§&#¿ÿ[ÿÔò¯¶*¼0Å^¥ Ý& [ÞÏAH

)nlµb~.rñ³QÜ°MwRæîæUi¦bչ˿ó°¥NKeTòºÝ¯Ö.V}ÚÝA3§6ç#l¨HäH©ÊT´ûM3P¼x¦ÄÒHÕ¹fÁ¨Anlÿ²[gi¦ùkËÖpYkJs=¡Ñ¼­=»q,RÍ($¬*O#Ð/ódÍã¾I´ò­Î5®¨Ô¾iÔÛOÂàãUpG¦F2·/¸åuuñe)qm.-¿Îf>bÒ ´ëmOM5Râ@·±Ev·iÅsK©ì9¸J_ÍúÒ;}¥Ó1þw÷ò³þ:k>tRÓ>£mgs¥)I$µ2)RBI4ª0ð9¡ì[óW¼Ó%ºOê39{hаêì¯ì¶tð|"KÚ¼»ä;

é­íÿyog±v<xíü²Â7qíÿÎAh&[[~%%­ZÝÞ9wúþzdó!h2ë~iÒ¬£SðÍõ-xÇoûÃ_feXÿÙà*ê"xn?HéûGvªn cð±§ÚöZp%·"SÛjôÅUzR¦Çøb¬CÍÈjöÄ3£FÝ©, º¿â³/üÃSfyOµû9d^eæ»;bêkdt<ØLÖ²/ÂJÔíûXIPË4?«Úévh³ÛÏKG-AfmÚ£wø~ø~Î@ÿÕò¦*¹iÈrû5Þ«.Ô<å ÓDv3IÿGRQ­kP6öûYi4À'ûÙæ$RHK3ÔÉ'*f¯stíbømâ©ÿ]ÏÚsúü*´e³ÓgDà÷mT©Ýæ<p*wç}RÆx¬à³nA£NiO¨SÛ¥/I5»iG½DW<?u7¿Ãû©?ØâU.JÖã°[ÌdSöà«NõLjóë·Ávüçä#^Nà֫Ѭ,(£

(@xl§«ù7^³Ó|º:ü~£EêþÉZæ­¨ë÷ ËðÛG² û*¹D¯ü­NQ·Í\¨6þE[Gm«Ü]/#ôí¸mðf2ø-¿ØâRödhÑ£j$ðP:¸À­¨ævqV¤¸ °!NتGææçåë©ÑKÍdÔH£v0EEC'û,1æù§SÇTÔÊUÌ3i¸Ðâ¾õ_³þÇ%Õï(yâm

´¯þO.)~f×"¢KÇEuàåB*v#ÿá±Wy{Ñ}f'¸p¨ èã¦<Þ±f-aÌ#\¼ä[SË+»ð¸@+$ öÂY´©ü˨N3jÀÜLvõÜ =Ë~×ò®Xô¯1kVzfô*l¦/Ñ¥UóÀ¹¸<Rdn

vT®çÇ|Eg3ÌMTÅ

´Q9EZï¹ÈFXµ(Af×Býî'·ºKéJBZ»7bêe°~;ô¼H-=[ýhÈýÛÑÂMùrFòJ#¼TúÒ@Ò£,jç`ݨ6zB1È_'M­âÊz¥n¶Su¥D¯#rj'ÄmqÃ4K)ràw{O5Óåýù¬Y©øú=CÓå%rE^g~YxÿcÐýù£Úå¦ämÓZORv^Ýö÷À«n-Ò[)£?HµñPá

_#þ«¨=»±UWÏ®ÿHÉ!¢ù_UÖýí,¦¹Ä+\<

\Æ$-BTU<[örÌq¶ Êòݹ"¥Â!ê$ãO2lDN,|õ¬[ªÄo.`ZÑùÔ

%<DǹLJÝOPºÖ%­

ãé¬+}Ûí37»dùò,ys

Û_YÄ[jz<qÙn`KwmëF*YIýðÀzo¹ÿ×ò¶Û¯Y8#qÜÁùâ¢$¹áx´þÅGÝ}XU!ùËûHNFÈeVª^kf

hÍãáZwÂwÝì¥

AúrÅ\NÀb­b©®

ÈJÁW`E4§ó

à,6²ÐÜ9¹

ÝiòQ¶ 2·¡ùòÞïÌ,.¯äkm"&øÏFøÆ:wÉ^Á%î¢iËccÛÚ@´TOÄ|p±`¬i¼µÓmÃF·¯¹5ªÂmØ.Iåí"ÏÎ7²$jt1@­]+LkÝG,<F'f¢£çK{írÞÍÏîáEÔTwbiÓl®EÈÃÈPæ¸Ô Ñ-¡2¶Ëõ°%M§öºd'I-©·í*óß5hd>iÒu(´Û±3ÀZ8Ø1n ñÛxU?W·²o«Ì¬³)Ü6ÄþÐ;à!m>ÓïVäsgªô\MDP¸êèçZ¸P*u>Åüñ¦o6ê¶Ñì

ò×mݹÐÁdËëò÷ó÷Èü÷ÑÀ/mo#X/`-À744?|T¯ÂÙ,r¦3ô}cóò'Ìæ­k4wJ¥Jú2FôaÑ

5_å̯5Í£Ã/&óxòê?ó­}bkRÆðq ð¬[z@ûM/ÄÙNIÇ£lbz±ÖµPjªÈÉ`^WaãEеÍ],g·E­-&8æj*9¾ydlòkÿÐò¦*ýLþò ôË86aǺ

´),

ý0yÆË"ièQÔu3ééº|únKÅ2<^ÿ²l´@»%~­ä_JÒïoîà{h`tÑ«+Uä¥e5ûX$

õc!ÛèÊ~ðvʨàWb«Iï¶*Ë

bâùïfT^eËñTJÇ°^äâÉézJùO¸Ôï¨u+ã樂³û×íÿi_l¦mjøÎ}^IÖÐî ·"PÓØÙY.um«êrÎ$²0ÊÛ!Áå²SÃÔ\·cÞkHu;FcÅy¼Ì¯ð±JS±Ûí.KÂ"Çr2ê#ñ

¸}XZM:iH¶Wà

Á44÷õÈWµ

#WFËB9b

F¤Yú¯/1+³F(¨Mö#DÅzhíÔøOÈU¥Ô¸*OÃЩ\9ᬰ$®ý¥H}Î*_Ø^Ç+Íaw0ºÚ)ÏÁ

PVwû9MFCvëðT·ûlQRK!VYQñOݶ*ùÿÍ:pÔüÛæ§K¨-¤Óá7h²-P xãçßýN®°7KÀ¤`è

Gòÿ7!V^B¶³0tYò*±.

ñUßZÅZiUº~x¥ÿÑóÏ<¨yi6kt³[ÊcgY%_³Ýwý½CòwMò¾cÖôgFQud#Ùo¢úÔ±°e^ãÊOÚË"l"<ï§i^[üÖòÖµc¦[Åcw'£-²¢EÈOF3öõ*ÄÙÁ©'ÐõïÌ%éñ¸ó­,dô+KGi

s}pt·5´Ñ,ýÆ% cQ̨êÔñÈh,EðßQJmTòÜ⩺FÛÎAãÉ>g_Ñ[yÂêæ!"Z/¢»

<vö?Dsf9=ÖçÍ×jV;iQ=é¦XP³ÒîõIJ.YdÙ靈'BÒ´þ7hÓ¾íòZôú1bJMªj-¨^+6Öð\»»½òìpMnæãI@¶ïCO²Ä~×(LìüåYÉ¥~W¯®Õùâ¨ãæKIQÊÝ~1

Ó­Â

2¸dC]nãR}VÜÈ0ã¿ÃìqTSÕ-DÂfÈ,' ª>ÔL§íñþOµÇì|xUF+Ûbnã¹{ÅgFùÿ|ê7ÙÀUàe¹´ºÕo/cO%í̦ Eøßâ;Óýd±ø$àxº½Jâ«.¥õ'b*¿

ü«°ÅTqWb­Å_ÿÒónæÿ1éÍYÞ´>=0ªú0IµX¼ï浫­fÖR½^" ä B¤ýÛBýCÍÚƱ训y=ëDk2¡Q©P `$Hd,Ì],ÄÉñ5À­HYHܿߢxº~J

UÞjÚeΦiqÙCgqeWº¿4ZIJÀXKg³þE¶¦ÞP³¼¸ioyå-3UöeÈQ4kz¶¢mb½kÜ7*«î@oæ¯ ÓnkVº~§æE[ÀæÅþ

HþÕ§,¶åÀq,kóFG8'ë6QN#Çö°ÛUìÅ.µË°eLE~Pµ$S­ñr»W¥r»ÌyZ[$l>Päé¾Æü©º´Ëy#ãZt$¤Kéòp~êQ½×¦MV)'ÜHR±¯AV­M{í¶¦¥¤ÓÌîþ6Þâcö~?

îÓdòqsæ

󮺶Ûs$öaÓúbÖñI4sèúWoÁã?t©`ÿT7ía±{¥ºÕ¤

nL1Hd55Ø:(ð"\½F?@,vHcFýØûkFÔV¹'Nkui@ê*q¥´3ÚuAµ¯Ó

monÒ,åaVP>8¾¦Gí¯2?ØUIÑI§RHúpª´v

.èÕðØâb[Éol}R$ôF)J=±BÜU:Ö´e£hÏLÏ ëç̦KÛ&Á¯äûì°²

#þ9]?¿ý±JSqþöýïÙÿuÿ)äúsÊßñÆý£û¿°:ü¹«',`ÿÿÙ8BIM%bw·U{^fñ|2@ü&wÿâXICC_PROFILEHLinomntrRGB XYZ Î1acspMSFTIEC sRGBöÖÓ-HP cprtP3desclwtptðbkptrXYZgXYZ,bXYZ@dmndTpdmddÄvuedLviewÔ$lumiømeas$tech0rTRC<gTRC<bTRCELRY`gnu|¡©±¹ÁÉÑÙáéòú&/8AKT]gqz¢¬¶ÁËÕàëõ!-8COZfr~¢®ºÇÓàìù -;HUcq~¨¶ÄÓáðþ

+:IXgw¦µÅÕåö'7HYj{¯ÀÑãõ+=Oat¬¿Òåø2FZnª¾Òçû%:Ody¤ºÏåû

 

'

=

T

j

  

®

Å

Ü

ó"9Qi°Èáù*C\u§ÀÙó

  

&

@

Z

t

 

©

Ã

Þ

ø.Id¶Òî%A^z³Ïì&Ca~¹×õ1OmªÉè&Ed£Ãã#Cc¤Åå'Ij­Îð4Vx½à&Il²ÖúAe®Ò÷@e¯Õú Ek·Ý*QwÅì;c²Ú*R{£ÌõGpÃì@j¾é>i¿ê A l Ä ð!!H!u!¡!Î!û"'"U""¯"Ý#

#8#f##Â#ð$$M$|$«$Ú%%8%h%%Ç%÷&'&W&&·&è''I'z'«'Ü(

(?(q(¢(Ô))8)k))Ð**5*h**Ï++6+i++Ñ,,9,n,¢,×--A-v-«-á..L..·.î/$/Z//Ç/þ050l0¤0Û11J11º1ò2*2c22Ô3

3F33¸3ñ4+4e44Ø55M55Â5ý676r6®6é7$7`77×88P88È99B99¼9ù:6:t:²:ï;-;k;ª;è<'<e<¤ >`> >à?!?a?¢?â@#@d@¦@çA)AjA¬AîB0BrBµB÷C:C}CÀDDGDDÎEEUEEÞF"FgF«FðG5G{GÀHHKHH×IIcI©IðJ7J}JÄKKSKKâL*LrLºMMJMMÜN%NnN·OOIOOÝP'PqP»QQPQQæR1R|RÇSS_SªSöTBTTÛU(UuUÂVV\V©V÷WDWWàX/X}XËYYiY¸ZZVZ¦Zõ[E[[å\5\\Ö]']x]É^^l^½__a_³``W`ª`üaOa¢aõbIbbðcCccëd@ddée=eeçf=ffèg=ggéh?hhìiCiiñjHjj÷kOk§kÿlWl¯mm`m¹nnknÄooxoÑp+ppàq:qqðrKr¦ss]s¸ttptÌu(u

uáv>vvøwVw³xxnxÌy*yyçzFz¥{{c{Â|!||á}A}¡~~b~Â#åG¨

kÍ0ôWºã

G

«r×;iÎ3þdÊ0ücÊ1ÿfÎ6nÖ?¨zãM¶ ô_É4

uàL¸$ühÕB¯÷dÒ@®ú i Ø¡G¡¶¢&¢££v£æ¤V¤Ç¥8¥©¦¦¦ý§n§à¨R¨Ä©7©©ªª««u«é¬\¬Ð­D­¸®-®¡¯¯°°u°ê±`±Ö²K²Â³8³®´%´µµ¶¶y¶ð·h·à¸Y¸Ñ¹J¹Âº;ºµ».»§¼!¼½½¾

¾¾ÿ¿z¿õÀpÀìÁgÁãÂ_ÂÛÃXÃÔÄQÄÎÅKÅÈÆFÆÃÇAÇ¿È=ȼÉ:ɹÊ8Ê·Ë6˶Ì5̵Í5͵Î6ζÏ7ϸÐ9кÑ<ѾÒ?ÒÁÓDÓÆÔIÔËÕNÕÑÖUÖØ×\×àØdØèÙlÙñÚvÚûÛÜÜÝÝÞÞ¢ß)߯à6à½áDáÌâSâÛãcãëäsäüåæ

æçç©è2è¼éFéÐê[êåëpëûìííî(î´ï@ïÌðXðåñrñÿòóó§ô4ôÂõPõÞömöû÷øø¨ù8ùÇúWúçûwüüý)ýºþKþÜÿmÿÿÿá!¡http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/

     

Allen Mark Luciano

    

USF Student Leadership & Engagement 2013

    

0, 0

32, 22

64, 56

128, 128

192, 196

255, 255

                                              

ÿîAdobed@ÿÛÿÀ ÀÿÝÿÄ¢

 

u!"1A2#QBa$3Rqb%C¡±ð&4r

ÁÑ5'áS6ñ¢DTsEF7Gc(UVW²ÂÒâòdte£³ÃÓã)8fóu*9:HIJXYZghijvwxyz

¤¥¦§¨©ª´µ¶·¸¹ºÄÅÆÇÈÉÊÔÕÖ×ØÙÚäåæçèéêôõö÷øùúm!1"AQ2aqB#R¡b3±$ÁÑCrðá4%ScDñ¢²&5T6Ed'

sFtÂÒâòUeuV7

£³ÃÓãó)¤´ÄÔäô¥µÅÕåõ(GWf8v¦¶ÆÖæögw§·Ç×ç÷HXhx¨¸ÈØèø9IYiy©¹ÉÙéù*:JZjzªºÊÚêúÿÚ?Ò!è´¯N¨

ѺcÇõçØ=EGKô±É`¡Búã:DwäØÜßñoú¿¯RÖê

¸Ô@`Y³#]oõ?o$tê§éÖÁ"Yê¨EÔºzW"àxöøSåÕYIËSA\ulåÅ}Ü'¯V

ÖÒA£¦&dYRxâ¢"ëQÎéLÊ7oÛiu}/Àæ×Xî0

TÓ¢VøgF`HrrzbIJB±JhȧAÎ¥-k¨køQ¾XÊ¡©é²®zcÈàÚ?º²ÓÔS²xá!Þ(Ø2y¥f#[ÀÓÉúÞãØ#wÇc^BÎTtî.µ(­U¢a½V*x ×Q¨©dS,Õ©ÜßoÄ{¸lRI%iU=z²«W¢ÛëéB¬ôm

H£ãzuHÖÑÊêήì¬r·/ÜBôµH"WI)çFjIlíS°//¤ÞæÂÞ×Ùí:$týX7Xq;

\fâ:q

RÉûO2RÃQSC($K#~m~=#Lt§J@ªç¦ÈrÕÏ2¨qóÔ ¡È¢55âYfKy «g¸úÉöøV×Z67}[

]6O¥®a4hÖ4M`F© o©Q}%®=¶²ÇÁzPW:½:F7aUÖA.,U-YQYfQ¼Ú^â5] 2?6ànhµ.¶Z«AÓÔkGK¶)ä2)ò¡¨,b(×XyT±·êZ#­§î

-D¨S¡³ióíd¹êÑ

z@ew«,U-E@c[

ñ,ÆÌ6£"Àÿ¼0 £jé[ÊÄQzÁf$É2ÕÇ4-QGD2J>Ö¬:dò,ÒþÐ ©ä{|µ0zM%N:òÅ4H

çOUM

HªE£O¨í«ñïÚÀëHÇQ3rB¸úL+%÷Í%35M1ÔDiãea(@xÙ¾_mVje\ô

®I*fIjA$ÒþæýQëø°ÓcÏÛiꪺzíñÿT2Zf2¤i»hx¤e£.á uf¸¿Ü{x¥GMuÒ)jír,õ)¼Oéò/{~=³MXéÆNÜõ

lѬW?Òª­¥DEìúð»ªéùôÐON¢Òe¥¦

Ã:IEm.²14±ÿx÷|u]=

øÜëeöåq¯

 

¨hâhÂÉyAmQɵ®+¤poí¶ãÕWUiåÖ:L¬2}´Ú´!fhQCÙtNÇêz<=ê¤õvMzWer2н&ÝxÌB!3Õº¹xf£WtQôÕ7?Ôþc9é M3ÐcÌøÞ&eJweÏã.4+¯° ÿ¬}Ú4î¯N*éZúô¯¯Ê½XM]÷Êi£¨rÈÅ©¥?rEk àoôòÉON¨5èMÈç[kIQQ÷Q3I<P!NÈÓÀG?FÐTý@þ¿J92=J;+Òr]Ñ<Ó*ësRZa"Â9ÁQÈ6[ê·Ðóï^+ÓE¸ô=l}Õ$Í)EKR`Ñ$ÎèÑÊ!T`x¸¸ß]VãÛûÔç¦ÞÜ¿wCösýæ\¥6:eZC®¦¢±ÈÔQTHÈåNu*lsͽ­³Ý¤Änz.Tc"£¥

6SîiW+µERDJé=BE Yæ§zkp#ÛGÐ^ÞŶûÄJ(xôÄi⦯.+òcçG5Ul)¦ÓÈéU2´6rK¨%ùíÇ'ÙùwçXéÅP è¤opµùBI

U5x¬ÓöòëaÁé15RyxôÔ(B

E_èMüïuÇO^¹,í§X7z\

LĵË^ãM

íþÛÝ[§R(¦ï33A!Õã¹7fÓøà}Iþ¾ë§Q¡é<êÏB^;SGj]%*ë¥V"ÞE³!»\þÇn-<GMÇ6AÐÕ¶;;7Åd²Köí,¥]£ð*èªE¯§mooŶ©óé9

#åÑÃöåÙ{y¢zFqÖͤ,jOC.ÝîJ)¡jçx*^Ïåa!M^3;Xé¶q}_{Üý£ÛÛÍÌàÜtmáLôî5RÊÑÝÑ¥ÀÆ&¸!¬GçØ~þ\¨éª)4ês¶V¢yê¤mP±Ó¹HÙµ¬n1£zèѵÒÇéìäòf§VкGQ¶ÿk1ò¤

ë#©tU0µ

YèâÆÁRçêoíåÐõS^¨Ú@¥:±¥Lñ"S°$¶÷écq P/Ô¤¹¿³nßUXªf×Úzpò²ø§©S:!:&x!2FYÝõ*¹

Hl=í/ é>8wꢨµyZjkþªÕ¤Î«ýjx m=U­ä¥kÒÏØ%¯H¾O2Æ¢]le6ò1· 3ø ûR²¤Óeôvô¯vSÉã×-"´p¢"í®fÁn6ñ±éÞS~ê²¢Ç`ºÑÓͱÝF

%Rus¥>Ç»i}5­=¤TÁéß¼& ²EUצXÂÀ®²£Gû¹Ò­ÿ*ÇiÀ±¯[ѯÙªHjªáRÌäÌ@ÙéÕÀÜØ

Q5¸»~=ÔȤqëÒÛDËZtÌ;¡#vòJbÑÕ AWô YéÊ¡_é©õÓ´ÒPzGôÓ{ö=TDH

ÙÎF¢t/mo$±(ãèÀKôÿuú=7ôÄuÒöK,³±PËå"¶æHCE¡n}þÞî.æfkéÓÄ]Ó!häTEtó=ÜKÙ¡ëÏ`®*:Yã»&C/ÜE-2ÇL)Ï¡[v¨T2ÛðéÅö®ékóê`énô;þHc;¤®c

F¡JÃNÒ&Ä»J9âçéíRÞÜ1꯷15:]ãwl#YÇ»1ÂÍ­[Z$µI7$8õ[juv¿Uú!¯Jª=ãæÒó4ÁËx)FWL¯<ªÈWýIÚÈ÷Étפ·»C¥%é$açÒýש׿¶$i:ôX#:X®ù?ãa{ê¤uȤ¥AämYØè¯$Ë)÷¾«N¼TÙ?oUÕÉOZÅAäoþÛÝz«uи¨ªNtÛCêÜiçõünuN¹¼©$&£XRà­`u~æßÓݺ×\¤A"ËåÒRO5C!HªßÈwW*j:Ó

«0Ô«Ír

úýHî]H·âÖµÒ~¶ö¥g$ѺÐÇIzíªVäh®°ËûsTD×&Ì

}I¨^À1úý}¨

yôæºgÓ¤½^ØÓ$KËñ´ÔÔ²P°

 

.@³óþ${¬!T|zÙ¸,)åÓÛ\ªÈG'T×â+¯îyÖÝÜbãëíîàÕÕÇ«xÄ

'MríVFª¢TVDHM1P

aãx¾.4¶?Úöö MéÄE¯M[QUKý»#îéê^JrÆ[ Ó>Ô´/W3LN[!óûi#¤m¦GÔ

£u´~RcUÕ¥K!6ú}}¦}³HáÒ¨%tÐ%Ûô*eñÄ3åH¥Hl=H2hèWbî°$ÛÙÖÚÁrÑöôfp¥;Êþ=h·@ðÏÑ'¤>²I

®­}¯p=o6Õë£ëYÅA3%45ui"yb`èbÓç¤É¨dÒ@_AU

Éú¿onEÃ¥¥Ãõ>:ZH§

WHbóh

ªì!GR}!¿%@ þM½¤Ì)êÔQÔjÊ

D@`e.uycYÒ*

Pî©ÇÒÜGÓÚ

W˧Ôã7ÑÅA:M´òNªÿ$VC1hÜHKX;Ï.PR´Áëo ô÷Ä

©5Ä°²O%D#jÏèJz¢¨¯#Û_»õÁÒ9ýzq»='I÷åR#ËP.Æ=z¬ÅF¥à

¬yöiiµJ_

(Nz05¦G³ëøê&Tn©#³ÜÊIè§Ø-r:&kÒ­Cc£8ý¹%` äH[¤q!}öÀ^>O{;

ztÏ×fµéÉ66«Á7ùËG×O¢ãÈõò*ܲ²þ¬}=í6T=¤u§¾`*:q§Ù®$)]Ln±4d·0HS5¡ÿVP?ÖketëåâéEM³9¡Xâ´2±²ÈÍ8T$(T}X³éooA´ 5§ZkÖZÒ«´ã&ð¹h¢$¢SéfU\&ä¿<ý=­K\´·:ª:]c00F%xdwb[ÉË:¨.QWEþÓÚ¥µ¦GIÝÓUGKêc¡c¨^F9fpòé$9QÈüûX±

%w%ñÒ¹iÈD¾°Ö

Ψ«Faé.íb/qô·Ö×ÞëFµ¯RVD*âP¢²6PMø$ÛéîµëtëUu¨6ÔJ!À0Ó{©ßýo~'­S®õ4gÊiÎLqúc°fúXDô÷®¼q×lY5ª°äÒ-swÔÐÛ·÷ªõêW®fêúO,²^í0,¤#C`!tÉúqï]o®*

µ1J̺]ô²£

r©e²¨6þ¤þO¿W«S¯¢:t´f0Þj§DEßXÔAm?QaïuëÔ¯\´(%Õ]B&ÈXyK{Oáb}ë¯S®ÙT¬èmE¼1¼\)?ÙØZ×?_~ë]p°Ðt028!ËZóTp ÇóÉ÷±ÕHë#¢ÇtKiK´AOîÆã[_I¸7ÿaïuëÔÇ]"¤`±S]P<d²ÛèN×e{ý=ø¼:ðº5]²¹ÒG¼¯nOÔ¡âÿïÕëÔ=v«Ë­Õîékë:îÒ@ÿ[þ<ûõ|º­:í#Z6.ª²Å¬o P|`ÛÔH}Ö½l²$lÔªQ[!7xÔ«­Ø^ÖôÞþêÇ«*õÏÄ,Ê#:úF¦é$©!8õ©çÝu­N¹Òê5IkpF« óú©·úÞüO[tÑ`¦ÎdBTíÈÙI÷ªã«S¬­©Á%nÊ

<gHñ#@àû=øõ¾¸éÒÌ̾°U´:»¿*¥N«-îOøû¡lôàsÓ«Y2bu6di@PJ©w2°ånÖ·¶ÉêôëÍÉA"Ý¿²çJ)[AEá[ðOû{×ZëR®[UÑZÁ¡6d¼xë^­O>¹

 

:TpãÔÆ!Û³òEï¤ÇÓÝk¯N»!

dñ5ô?CÂÚ®Xÿ°÷¢zØvT)!BÒ",M´XXobGûu­zñr´a¬F>PÆKçQ#Iú}ui6¹±÷ªõªuÙ[¯¤5$>¢/oȸ6¸±ü{Õzµ\ÃWO¨i `ãò¨-~px>èXqêÀuÄ°XõT+ùR«áIÕ§úX~½joI벫1IÒáBÑub¬®ªI×çñïÅÀêÁO^Ñn

ÈBÄÔ¨]^"WÈ},MõçÝL¨:·Ç=r¶° ľ?"É¿%Üر÷tP$ýA#]ÉÒo$l

ÇÐÉ&ÿí|¥zqmIãÖQ1s*1iVÚ"¯ú£6A#!6 ØÜ϶ÚûÐôè´ë*ɪ2N5ÈyYÜËÒ ØXÛõ>Ù7µÏN}5:÷~È%«-Ö(Ô©'éacîÿO[ÀõgJèÔ ?Ð#]e

®ÆÂçVS`,}¦mÀǧÛåÔ@Çv*èB/H1rHHà}{a¯ñéÕ´ùuÈN¡£ûktah8Æ!_Ò£úñþ·¶íztZS¬ªê¬±µò=ìc qùU¿Øsî¦÷êÂÐZuÄÔ(kéAéq!IH¡t°ôò=_ì´¦í«Ç§Å².±¡!T:*²º«J>£å%mþ¶«ßúþ=èÞçÕŨú¦±yADbÑÚb§Óãd~EïøöÙ½>½lYN²è_ÞRȤ%NdGHiblI:mù¿ÓÛfî¹'­ýX¿Â¡Ùfô6YǬþVXÔyn[ëp=ÐÞ^®-És\Ô^5gfÐ*ÑI22;

 

®\=ÓêÀóéÁl=:ÄsÊL²}M)©Ð©ºÈË54l¦Æþ àõt7kƽ8-Ç麣3yDN|ÐƲÓN4WÒÍY.ÊI¶¢nÕ}´oS׫ý?˨ðîte Æc«#2¡UÖ]¿å ÑÝînní£~êÂÓ®Ûrì±ÕGrcÜ>

rcÒ%õp¿â¶ý)ÕÄÔFÜêÒ@Lj¨²±Y?]Ì¥ÓQ>ÿ\{Nwx[`H룸ô88ÈC9:˱´¹B±iÏ?tkò|úp[­0:QºÝs1©^&BZ8OîG£j_êBzÀidÜÊùõájIé'_ʳ)jdÆ×,¯<mö±;é`ÓMõ²ÛHÒnoe÷¸ ç¥1ZW:.ý·Ûmi1X:ºVÉ!%Hz¨_öïVg¹uh#IY^G/ôö¯eÔÜ:4´²g:TuYß¹\Eêðµ5Õª«,ÒxùÍÚ9xãa«@D}@0ýz7ÄÐ?ÌdóøeZ}Á¹Z¤W;TÕMA ñùتµä$Ù©µÈ$\µ,öò÷f£;k"#Ï¡cgìÌæJº£*ò¥\ÒêOGP¯OG@¦B®Ì©¼@°QqÏ°æá¼Cö" àô*´Û^ñCÄcÓCÏc²TYä7¡a,`TÖVKöøèÙtéuRÈÌ¡ýN£Åí·!$à@NËÒÛHBäycí'I*×7

Ôu~öJû˵8`~ê¯GA âÁòÓ¬Ù-ß_ÊQäd-*ÕÕæ`§øäZj(Z'¦1«8Ws¡NÒÜb

r&7­½g5§ÿ.¯dbvõ

;¿Þqöñ~Í7¸fÒúüm(®º°öj5>}«ÈÜI½¿PwlXjJ|9s

ªhYExÍB[4Q:ke/{±$ìî

Â0+_*ôOw³4´p4=;j¤«Ü[tKJQáb¨ÅáË1Æ1>¹<qi'2ÛékÛjÍÝhçÇóè¿éJ:ºÊÞð˧$±EiL#÷ZZÿÂÚiüzÂk°BZÂÞÜ}zQZ[B.w-MI°ñTÍM¬`jð!"x¡1î

ÜÊå,1yY¿6·-ì!5û¢­åòt)µÚÌÖþ1§û=ÝÕ[«xîIgûxj¡ÅÒãà×ø¦R9NAcá]Ô§õZAËA<i-þË!-0¦c"HÁT²&bPK¤°9´CÛ_!þ¯òtÝöÕÖJ3ûz5nûÆí\(³Ç¨§MG1-QUSyëÕöÓ]õ\;Tõ0]\5EJÓ× ´¶â£OÆîÁ»`\ôËÖÒ-^*Ié0ô©±T^BÉFgfFÔ¥

Ä}Iý¥äHµ&¬:Mqk"02zº}Å_E¹ríI^´õyJZzµîöþÞJQÉ`ÄÍ*Îx+vO§<Á{âH½_ÙQÓ¡rvÓUVOQ\õè¨È¸dZzd©ÁK¹»HIyk-û;IY@#=Ieá¯Ï¡B+E4i+DÑ*F!Y$y"$ÈÆ7K\Ãl}Ay^ÓÑ4жºÓ§Èr33;F­­X«¡îxÐ\NÔ{0®zhÂHéÔÏ4zd¡ÈëNDhðT¸Ü?Kè}¸eZqé4§S(

EÕ202ÈÒ0RºQm_ã`?<û§Ï«ÛÓ®¤Æ¤jÓËé_¢±m !:IÿjP°çÞuQ^´±zºlñI¡´éÒÆZʱ~¸Úú zq¡<zæ&{°%@

c$ĦˬéVä.«Þÿ_vútßÔÅteeeãͳ^¥_OãýºýIéÁ§YZK?¡

FçÔXsv7°ú§×ÝMׯWàõØW

À<t¹mAIº5Ö+ÖŹë¦eE29k6A¦<}X´$òãéî¿W®-ñë»pA6xÆ¥2

zÔ£«y¶þû¡¼ëON¡´Ia¥¸[ä£háT«;yð}ÔÝõ¨­RÜ;È6<A´~`.G7Q§è÷O«'Ï­x®p5úHDÍvk²ùÉ$?÷F¹ùõd#¯5Zzh¬#Vq

ºym*¯¡ù¯§}¶×4zt@zìÔ.FGQ¥Ôk*¤)o$F6µÈúí£uÖþõãY{êdÓ¥<lä¢<pdÒ·f'ü=ÔÜüú¸¶Ï³%tGTwRPÊQ®,#bø¨ü{lÝúÔ:éëàõ©f°Ó{_ÔIçÔ

ýÐÝy׫aä:Á&N"În%a§PDVq z¤bB }uþ~ú¯^ð£ÿÂB¬³F°&öñÄÎͧë©×ýqom±ZW«}1òêÔ

¥gõÈÉѤm­ã1@ü0¿ô{ßÕ¯¯ZÄS¨òçcÍÖCñ³ÆèÂMºÓë{¤ÿ{N×ËZÓ©gæzûehÂ+ÜÇä-ª4G³GëGÑtiê¶ø}\Y¯PßrSÆÁO'J$§fÖܲ¶EïúKù·¶Îà=zséPuÜ»Ê

±

»­

2£ÁäÃÄÏçÝÿç×¾%Üð4bÚG1 ÈçLDËõþÉe±þ¾êoëz÷ÓÐõ·Fδr3'µ<KsýQ·úàx¸öËn$tè·¦½É&²dË+H)u9ÓéÓ$"Áx<]GûOçÚg¿'=:"Ò´§MRny5ú1ËguHÉ"71´[jésÇçÛ+¸:´mõûË2¬ÒFQüWEºS WoÝÐ($·æìÖ#ûÜìã=ym4u·IvBò1G(Òej`ÅáQ@¹6¡"ßò.ÜóǶݸˬ1â2r1Ç%c²´Q´gÔa4D>±u<ô÷¥lg­é¨Àë¥Ûõ]L¨²HbcæeJ~U¬tÿ»êzÖqN¦Ómj%Ì

¤BáUXZ3qXc=îQðûm¤XFFztTÈ^EIJIGKHV)®×U(5_u:sEFzph7' ÖQ}Ú!¨)216?«Áõ÷Fnµ¤Ôèö¬aNºz7bÓ#C$1HY¦ Ãú¯ûGÞÓ«¯\iÆ©ñøÖ9|!Ú3BK´M:úúõ0?Úö%§[1¦C¶"FªÙY×S¬ÃP~2úue«¦Ã·ZË

´ì²)3*Ï"DQϬxX,lA¹¿ÓïüôîSâÛôæG´BbÕyÕc¾¬BjµÛQ Qõ÷r¹é°éÓmèÜ+

£0?l³]_YZr÷#ëëOõ··n1§.ÛWC¦ Dqúù¡}Ôk¡þöS×MJ¼Ûh:di[Z±HtxôµöïQð3ôÃ6Ú¦rY)aÈB%åàÖ׳©éqom»Ôg^1áÔvÔ@2äB Ò$±¬diªCÈ·?¥TðöÉ&mC£¾Ü!äðYõÿ´K·£X·Çü}´]ÁÁéBƧ¬ÉXÉ+tGÝG×!eIÙ@P=C@&ÿÐ{¸rxõà©­<9Ë{-Awt?æPF,5E±'Þõ#×ϬÓd#ÔtO¥ñ²t$ÆnÔ@·à{Wzõ¢¨ÿ.ñ¹$-=q²Üê²D _æçñý}ßëtß:»A¦?Ûøí$l¼Ü-±à³Î.¡Þr`(OZkPÙ©ºßÈnñPYËiGwY'Ò¨êG»~ñ§«ôÏ©ðîÕv#ô»èB©Ô­â0ÁéjkSÓÔyø¥,#b¬±

Jáìzn¬Uä~tSõöêݯê­o\§ÿ§²±~YƧXbÖõ¶BU@ü§·Öå[ê=:ÇIÓ2¸sÊŶÔ]7\ØwútÑ·=g¨r®$è£@¸6@¢~P>¬/ýöâÝçÓfÖ¾]dZ}(dM'ÊV&¹ð²X³][ÛâëWLµ­:äj½´uVP5*±bu&êßê>¶úûp\3Ó?Mç×f¡J¤!,¬Ì­w½q*xâ÷P]':À>¢GäZÿOvëÝucªä"ãM¶

¹ú=ë¯uÀÆÄ7ÑJÄÜÙc*[Ôô¿Ô½û­uÐßèT4aBµ¹PÚ3[èy¿ÓÞë}ceáÐYtXcäò3µÿ¡?O~={®F2·TP¨n

[Q½ù7ü{ðëÝcutÏék2]T.Aõ}n~¢Ö>÷ÖúäÈjô

r-r·¾¯­½ë¯uÇMÀúcbmkk"6

\óa{}û­uæÓfÒ·

d²ò³°3}?¯Ð{÷^ë©4ͤtQT*õýIúqþ·>ýÖÇ^*nênA¹N8õ_P

G$qÁä{÷^òë]Z@:Ò}e,ÊXòn?×ÿ~ëÝs!F¦¥©îÈ>ÇÔÛéǽ׺ÄUYuÇ[b~pR¯>ýN·^¸éú\Ñ-pä>2ÊOû>¶¿»uî¹xÞÄÙ©p¦ÚnAe[ZÃýì{×^ë¢

¹$ÅÑZÅyn}FÀø·>õN½Ç®ÂÜúµXµÁOI*¥µ!¸ÿ[ØñïÝk®:nAʦÆB£:Ûê sïÝ{®ÈÓv!Á.]Ç(#Ò-õâÀ§õ÷á׺âVÚP«Ä­Â®¶»äuÿâ/þ·½õÚÁ´+_xrý8¹çü}èõî¹iÕU³v:Qm*®Hüëø÷îµ×°T]ZTk3åØþRÇ«{ß^멬ɤ·b«r¸ ØoÇÓÞºß^hÄA¯qeO#ò¡y¯ýzë}w ]_U¶abUPÏÐÿ÷®½×"¡Aý^ÿNT:Þá-`OÐÈ>÷׺ïôØëÒ.úà+Ò¡ú~¿íýû¯uÁUI%y!Yo¤IõbEµðlOúÞýÖúí}²@Fê/ô7ß~$õºuÄAqÅܨMDG]\ÿú}=û¯uÆÇXR\«ÔKFÒÁú\­½ëªùõïO7uK\iP

r~¿7?ãïÔë}cÒP[Óp¼ZËõôº\bG×Þº÷\ÜÊÜ1T¿Òá}&ÿk¯¿uîº

@ÑbÖ,À¥Àkþª×ëï}zyõ%Zìak½ ½~¦Ãzûz÷].ÄYlÍ¡¸¢½Õ%

ä[õ½ûÏ­uÖ²µA¸½®Ê@+Çô>÷Öúè¬ÌªbdfhÕ­!Uãe³ÚÆö¿~ëc®:A¢lF%ÕýmǽuêW®Ô0¥WI¸U7O§äõ÷î½×¬EìÎ.§ê.Ç[Z2mp,??O~ëÝx¡Ð$3+(`oªìsr8ã{÷^ë

¿Îb¥H ËtBÇRòßOõÇçÞú×]éâÍkb]PÈT~Àãéï]xuÉnX}Z¤iCã¨äXÈû÷^ëj¶p41¸êWA$*7½ïqÏ¿uî½kõºú@ǨŹ$CïÇ­uë(Té:u£É½øߺ÷^³z@ÒtQxÝ>æìM½û¯u×ШVfæ5¸ÄYý-o¥÷Öúè¨k)pXurKiQÅÉæÀ\Ü}ë¯uãm:îGªÚ¹e`VÚ´¿ö¸=ûìëÝq(>ËëÎQ¶'Ò/kqÅ¿ÇÝz÷^ô*]*#>¡ý.ú¯ûo{:÷]ÏÔµÊ*£-!üð?Ø{ðëÝ2æÀ¼ªè"IUoÇàYÿ%×úûYni¼GE³xjbÊHè*Ê­´oõçA ý>ïq^a«Ï»ÑHËiyÝãÕ¨¬-)Æ!b6aþ©×úd· ê¢18_^¼,v2YùòF³+^(#ZÃHc<¯º£ÐÔ¤Ê*b8ã#@o°âG?ê©àH2«H×zrÌ·

 

ÜXýx¿ºðë}zrÃZy.U)îÃQO4$"[Iº Un.ãÞúõ:OÖ3Fe)êIÒ©,nWbÏ·Nqé;Fñu(v©e=HeU>æV(ÜqrÊ÷&ý>ÎÀWR°"OE=·<ËtþÑ´wnWW{.´éÁJôs¶1´z\^£»¹=S:-mJRßÔÛØÛÓòèÁxÑuA ¶~þ±çúpÍý¨¯L·Å×oª¾ÊHµÇàpmþ½¾õÕO\Q¹ïp¦b[ñô {ëÝtHúH7Ô jÈ=L-õ?Ð~÷î·×¡¶­$¾¤1_W¤\ýëÞ«­×¤1¨[ik_ȡ׿×Þê:÷\Ôâü¡rKjBØ ã?ýQÖ©×ýÕ_)B×Õ¥ðIýQש×p5\".ÙUfk`Gû}ú£­é=pµË£h!Ïæ׫¥½è×»c«^ÊBcq§Úä©¿½uâiÇ®BIÒÆ¡®I

H-ôÿ{ê½tÄZ5A«×Ò6:=W¥­ïÝk¯9U?©Ä,5*CiÔ¢Âçúǽ¶:âêU¤»:.6çúýoï}xuâ[¥ÙYCH¥tÜ9.Þº·]YI_Håu.¢¡Î­K{ܧôzõ:âÀzYBémäkÜò'ê6ì=ë­¸Ô

êÚyPÅtÉk}M¹þ·úû÷^ã×^ þ}GJïªÖ¸þ¿×ëï.½×Ax°ÕèäU¸, ®,MÈ#ý·¿u®ºf?PIÐoÊF]GÐ>ßSϽ·Nº± #ÇöÅÛÔ¬ØX`

ïï]{®+rË{1Õ¨]ÒXÀý8"àþ}û­õÅnÀ}õ#ýHYeo¨$Xßóï]k®Ä

G:µN5p4OÔÇçëô÷n½×Vº`Jb¾þâõÖ¼ó×\Üð×$ܶ´PA*6÷׺èé<{ôX2 ú\É·½uî¸Y

H:Ø7©5¦íÀP?ÇÕ­½û­õÝ®HÀ«}JêV¾¢O

&ãÞº÷^`·]çS6­:T¹1õü3Ðûß^qkX*©],Éè[>§8¸#Þ¸uî¸)n>«¦ê}EmS¶¡uµþ¿^}û¯uæ²+¯q}Wkà{lGä{÷^ë­!Rm¨³ª8ü©ì¾8ú[ñïÕëÝt©ôãZ)PÃB36¦

Á¯e¹7½¿§½u¾¸i+¡OArä×Ç®äÂ÷õ¿W¯uÕ­ lAå´?IbÖ%+È?Ô}}û¯º'ÒVî«!$ßQ78Øâíù¿>õÖúêÀ¨: á¬>í%Çê¿¿û~ë]zÇÔ1

>¬7%Óé{pâ=ï¯uÕJKR@ T«*ùRçIú½õ®ºT\H

©£Õqe 8¹çõ{ß[ëÅ´²j>¥.X}OÔÚÿO¯ÒÞõ׺ƪWP»hIi^1ªáFä9ÿ~ëÝsk&¥ÕpÚW[i

\*_¨µù÷£Ç¯uÄZÂñ·2Èx¢DEóm7ÿx÷ªõ±Ö"HÄ]WRÌtÛ±¿öHn}ïxõÐäª,$ô¸,4ýI&Çéø÷î½×­rÄÞßÐ

]" ðGæþõ׺ÄP±* ð

שSê:ê

.8æÞ÷׺éPA7 úXiÖÒ²éP<õ­õ÷îµ×0¬Be.èt8dKÛHäöÇÞº·\VѦÌ-kÄ(§^u¢ªÌ-éù<ûß^q ¸!VC`uø¢'ýV£eȱo~ë]qeàpK

@/êgCùêµõ)ÖB±kHõ

¿Øû÷Z믢ÜPþK(³}

/õ-pÆÀñôúû÷^òë

ì»p}@¶·ärúþõÖ\ÊX±'0R \ÿKõý׺âVÀX»cÜ \ýocqk}}ï¯uÄÌ¡ìR7r­}Jëãuçéu õýï­u¸*Æ5?F*Yn"»(?R9·ýÖúéä¹¥ëcú®,~-Íýë­õ},MÀ3©@.¢Ä7_ëù÷¾½×Lp¤)AéÂj}5ú`Mþ~ë]qpU($°BÌ4YSÂ×ç¯ñ¿½uî»eehUÃ+³1@P4ébÄÈ·¿u³Ö3©@EbZÑÞå#7UäêÕkmoõýû¯uÈ °6Ò¨à­Gg6ê±çU

ïïÝ{¬fËè7¦ëo©÷n½×Cñ¥@»8Ô@¿7éú·×ÞZë(PÊ*ºX¦&"[ëõüû÷^ë¶ÐA*T â.xÒ¬<ÚüúyÿaïÝzbãò¿ê x·¿u¾¸ýnºÓHÕ¡Zá4Ë®MÏâ×üû÷^ëÄN.ªA)e¹Õ¤ð.Wëý}ë­uRæÁ;¤ÌðmôàqïÝ{¯0PÔ PÁEÚÞ¡'ÔX²ÿ¿}xuùJ®È¥cRG>¤

9&âÂÿ{ë]tëé»Õ¡u¸hÀ,Oí°Ë\qôúû×[ëU,íØ-ËHÌå@±°`.I?S~ëß>¸h

Ê4¿©ÚçPnts)ä(ä^Þý׺âJV*DzD¨¶¿PbäÝ®6§×߾ε×XrTia{S;zI"ÿE¯ù÷±×ºâº6*

ØZF5êBì-{¯øßߺ÷±*JÔçôØÇêüù·çߺ÷Ù×mrÏè$BÚYã¨ô¯ãó{ëÝcܤ)¥ù1È×]@^ǯ×Þº÷]zPú/¤iU!.H1¿¬Á'ü}û¯¸2ia¨iv,6*¡c¹à¡×ÞºñëuÒU´3!f}{^Öe?}Û˯×2¥Á1"D(,Ä0@~?>üz÷XÂŬÄbÂñܬ,uTaôü­½ë­¼ÅXJ­Â"·§üák1r®oqÏ¿uìuê¶ ÊBú<¬åFúJ+q`àZÆÿ_{¯^ëyQYBy<jÍt.DVacÍù7üÛޫ׸õØ¿©Y

»¤Hª [É6¹¿Ðßß«×\\J*Íêõ3càóÍ°"ßÐûõz÷Û×0?¦@¤±²:Q w±úrßBmïuë|:êÚ´

7µ¢F,JbI:Gäþ×÷ï.µ×®"ÚÀS×ü°¾ ×âüñï]hõÆ5]¬åB!&Ö¸ý\XϽ½Nº-êѳ(.îÁ¤³Gýä=ë«uÅi

Mѯjõº. º

{}û­õÅÁeRCE¨püX^÷ÿ¯ïc­uIJ1%uÔëÒ¯eà3A:«÷[Þú×Xé»+T[¢^@dLàóÏÔØ{÷Zë$),Ê

±]@Eàð÷®½Öô:Ëxtºöf¸1ÈÍ¿ãõ_{ë]yÙ\11%£gYEÂÈϧôaô÷î½Ö·#JÚ0¬Þ$`Òàÿ[{ß[ë· Ü¡

UÕÁDbʤÚ×âÖâ×·½yõî°Ü¥ý%J¹:F

È.À&×ÒÔ

ù·»½×eÛÔ¬Öí X¬ÍÁ-{XéïUëc¬E}HU¦,7¦þmqJ,Ô§½õn»rIk¨|

 

@4æÀ%H-f"âßÏ¿õ®±°ÿWpÁJÑ2Ý­¤°B,nGªçúXî½jcfBÀzQ"0YQõÔ§ô_ëÇ×ݸõîºU`¡ ¡ed

ª¨äÆ«¦KW¸á­ÏãÞË«uäWpÃÉ­b2T(¦56'PVßê}ûª»¢ÅD®¥µQ£äܸ¹ú¥½ë­uÀ@ú4E ´K)xúÙ­À^çߺ©ë,\ÊOȶ¯Qàh 5

¯s¨÷®½Ö2Ø_AtÇráɹfvh¾Ccc`mϽõ¬uä%]t'ë

£¿)¦Ì.¤ë }~¢þüzßX£Ôª¤í¥µ¤

£ZVEàú¸äØï]k¬E~+ÄD]L··î9»Ýúy¸ç{¯Z릨EÒS@¼¦=$2ÈÇB[

ýî´ë]c (kªÜ:4kPÅ£_®¿Oêº6ïïuÑu`©¸ xYTòH¾qÀ6·½{¬Mui;sãU&dÕ!FÔÄÛö*Ök\Þööf¤S§é*UØ ¶1g7Aù Õð·µ

z`®zeXäQ!![è6îGéý,~Þ:«§¥f!磩§ª¥`¿{*)7°ãê½ýÕuzI*kèôuGid±ÁfHa|j¨ò±C¤åUcBIAoÒ8&þÌ!cZÑtЩ=eÿ¢

DÒ9¼*Ä#I)ª ¨*Å":þ û1áã5!

bãÓåì«2¤m£ÂC©

jDÑÏPÅPêaímk'nnHö¨Îò|}?àâ-FJxhçþÚįSUh"i°!^U$¨ö]=ìQö9+

>]ýé¾ò9:hêDTdfx&STÒN!H$rC"9*Ú¬KZÞËÚdaÞRHáÑ8ì¬ÕnDçjU4ÔS=<^©(ª"º@

Z«)PUâuea϶Eî*ìT!E»+¼2pÓEOQBõGÖ%EUjºi2,JÀ]}mconâaT0Ô=¹mÅ2É,©Vfj9

¡¢0|5Ò4­*í½ùT¯oW¦:ÅMÙ&!Óúáv

¥»=;

'±?éøÓÀîj

:©\צø·¶^ù«#Hêdux§JK¨,J×,@ÿ[è}øÂ+¦«äzüj(

g­ÔÇ8@!u-èáÔ-º7Wf½2ëN&FIçöÈÚCÜ

6¹ó~·O

«Õdàô%ÇNÔÕ´Ï!ØÝÔ'6 ÿ^9ãñíp]j½6P©éècÚ¦ib¨~=@zGá1ê$

 

ÍRTÊÁîW\nO4î¶F»pARÿ~×­qÕÂSRò;jzÚ­¤fjYí4zJ¬£É©oúVüñÀçÝq¯4eé§'·¤+ BÅ"ÔUeëmAI:øÿ½{v9É4ÖÃFÚ¦D*¨Q:·èÂÑCmÖÔåÂããzì¬ñÉë´Ê¬z®HúòYºpTã§Ü£qè¶e²¨4òër#&èÓI¬[Ø]EÇ6Ó¥³ÇHZ"¬@ÏAÆRA*¯¥ÊI %Ô¹`Hú\ÚæÿCol@ésÒjh¤`¨À3ú³3 jàø?í½¦QCÕÔ>£ÉUשxØzT$zÇ ©97#éþ_j8,tÕ$rSº«)R=¬¼°"×ãóÀ÷ºubêOq±1tQÄsßÔ§V·@·$OüWÞ×

Òi\¨³,YÇê³0

ÈIÓoÂÜöÍ¡P©én¸38xt¤1!Tzãv1½@ýl/Èçèö©bÓÖ¼Eá×QTUFòy(

u2Üé&Þ'ºWÀÚ(:±=¼û/´}Êi×Ô>Î

ÝÛO_NµüâE,ïFÊáyS`j¶¡Í­þ>Êu^:³%EGO[c´§ÇJÔuÕJF±G,aV@u*±]Và_ê[jÑ"InÄS¦_QáÖ-é_LSÔÑM",´ìuz¦®fÒ\_@»a¨³n³]Õo*e=Ý*ÒTS ¾Ä¸Z¹*(Ùãd£äî£k±¶npoaíß@Aëa¡iw«C*QåZ_lQ,ª%Ió~V[ÿ¶4×6êO¤ïteößjRdéCPU@C

n°ÇèkMKþ×>Ä2ÃcCóé3E+d

tóSºó,U4¯FGJX«£g:x²ë`Gàóì]ÿjðñé²3iaÐO¹3ÔLcª2Iwý¸ã:ßZ»¤Å{Ü*àÛÞ®7HåZ:Y*z/YÉllOÏè,dî£#Ýbÿd¡·úþÂå=«ôæünÅ5bÓVL°I(X£ñÜGզĽõfY@ÿeRÜÍb5µ[ùõ³ÊtpènÃöz¬ÑK5ay¤CTq* Æ

âa /ÓÔOøûWúéd@Ôôdö¯kÓÔABԢƢXIª+c[IÑh7¥ÖW~·Í-9Ý%;PôÑ°áгmÇ$o\ O\¦qöîÀ.ìTBOà_Ú¹w´cT=]£GpèFÁöL>(¤ºF)Ñ,QOÆ»)#FÄX*õøök·ï"EÒíÅp:_AØò̪SXi2

RKûmÉ?~3k\ÙVfk~¨=TZS¥¶}¸uðJ®

ÐÙ¨×.ÍNÄ1µ¹,-{û4ýdZyõ§Bï°w¥]&2SH±,rh´(Ò>)ªooøæ2FZt¯ìYDϳũVVXN$gÄãE½H81ÀþºÿËî'`FЬN)ÓFðz¡þu|ZE9¿'J¾¥]Î¥7ô³Æ\_Ç°Ýã«t±Q è<ܬs1±Ö`$Ťa

.â8þp=:UlBaͽn6RÉÓÐ;«ã »¦Ðò4¯HÅLÏÓ¸ÐQ¤puãëÅíôö­C"[âÇM«YY)<öDd#/4Ó7"ÀØûODé`t8¯^¬±Q4(ñSÊ¥beòiÐÔpHä+¸]1Ö¬´dFë®ècD(é*-í¤[£þ>Û[pZ

zЭsÒ^£%SFÊY Í­¡ój;pTýn9ú}=º-Ó¯R½O3Xq^=èYuueí5éqËJ^ÌCI,L2©yS\qÁ

KÅA$ê¹ {r85êìþ!ÏC.&­5iÕ8Ôì&g*YÓé¥ZáH?ÔûT±Ðõâà#¥õ]Bü­c$hRWf&GÉç󧺵=6±©=Ý*i2sÅéYÙì¬Z

Fóódy\Ësr«aôu0)à:}cxtÿK¸j¨ô´d$m|«z´jÓâ

Ï{«Cëúr=ÔZ«

7[tVà:PQîÚÈt¬¦hÙ0®»¬4oêÁ$¥/Ô±÷³*¤Yù©7ª,rIRQWEx¢@ §¨K{skoÛÏqÉ$t]¶0½¼z[b·u=P¾Iy5GF ²ÕY .,Ú®üøµÇ³k}é¢}2`tW5B¥©Ð­Üb§I,)

DÑ£Ó¼úMKªÂ+)é^Mïr6°¾I#§=ÌN®¼5j}ÂRT#ÈÏRì!rÑ,¬§DTZÍkA-Å

OH¤

Lt.ájY$´¦Çú~=Ú½T¼ÖfiI,ÅZèu7V

@·öóïuê´ë ê¸õ¤0YJÜ;¹¹/b·Ðï}h¸²vQyuH1¬­Õ]s}DØÀ÷`iÕ©ë¶ÔZï¨Ü?gfêB­`/k}ÜõR:ËÁ$8m@²tÁ¬ÓÞëÖ©×vú)ÔÞkgX2keâþsþ·öëG¯#¹:Vü²ê&GeÒQÖÜ{¸9ëTë<`*ªv*Qp9 ]äú}O½ë õZuí©¦¸1FöP¯*½ÜÆX0WØ_ê

ÿ¯·Dî<úß˨§e24fÑ$2®§Ó/¥Ú6¿"Î_ëù|\3ÕÔ6å3°Ry5

Bú$X

?

äV¿äûugZgªbzl¬Ûk<ËHq+ ÇÓu,ÍÚB

¬ÇÝÖHÉÏ^fíÇA6õÂKMJæ%ýÉø%"$®¨åÈâÃíJŪi×H~æå£xDäÄÏ©b+6µ-3þà@§ÒѲ

øúßØ_s"­:[o&¬útn

Á4=b3©4¨¬ÂB?Ô·û]Üè¢kÓ!9èÀmLz

¸¡Xáo)´7aONÒs¡j?@H?Sùö0µÛÁ$§¸uÛFF!ã-êdÓÄ hFáÿShŽ¦k%V¡é0RaÛJóH%B÷»¬fGk4jÐÉÓú´¥íõ¿½EN$ô=ý9Ƕ|:%UÕhÑaÃsú$ѵ

æÈ÷üÛÞü]:

ôñOµîçÓ ¥Þ½¢^&À"ê=´ÞpxùôåK¶Ä|¨ÑéoÞ

åKO þ

ãÒ¬OøÛtñãÏ^

TÔàŬc\Ø©-}ýTÅÔb,VßCÀÛM(¦:öO§Æ[¿¬97t!òKÁçñ`Aümë'ZÒ]ÉýA*ªÞä cùø¿øÛ߫ש²þ榰ÔîÒ+

(*C\

­é¿ÓÞ±N½×GN¦,^Dð

½õ~áP=7ôòGúÖ÷¿³­uïÜ7Ívi6\©*AoÁoϽc¯dõÞÆÒ¬nÉ,ÅHpøÿOz­zõ:ñu

ÕB\é:ßDmå+õqͬH·>ý^¶\$¹æ5ÒUDÔCóè_¹!O½un¼u!+!,Á×e,ÏSúÞÞöO^ë I³Ý@Ò*lÑÿ

V°7·õý^¼FzÈbÊäøµ»UWì©abÅ­o~ê¤uÖÀéauhüC"67

`HEþß«N½N¹)Üw[fEsåU·$Áãޫש×zúY¶uBÑ.áÔ)^çúz¯[§]2£zÒêîN#g

Ú¸ú¯ô÷^´G]#RÑ ÀÜHB¬H7S{ÿ/ïuê´ë¦õiõ²ÆÀªé਷q§ésõãޫש³Gm¡Ñnߨ$9cp6?ìºzp¹Gëp@ýmd×ãý*Òj¹e¿±©8êÀg®|1Ñ´¬D¶Òß[ZäÙo~>¾õ\u½=yÈÊ¢PaBL

?Ì7*Æä/6÷âÀu`õÚÙ4¸Ó£h)kÔm)+Éby¸#ëcíùtà×®o~Uürã^ÚMwmB×

BAqïEÅ:°úuÓù-cèS¥JºÐÛ

°>õ©z¶×þÊÑ]£*ºæ{÷&Çéo­þ¾Ú7N¯à±ëI¡©T=Ô)äC`ck0àÀ·ºýBW«[®

ÁvÞà8ñº²i³­þ§êØû¡¹N7\ÖÑ

]`! x¤pÎK<Ö°µøÔnGúÞÛ7kÖü×¼2bY R¢WÚà}÷St¤`õ±ëÚÔ!R<Çã@ëÈ&VtA{©+qýmø÷_©_^Ç®ÕP+¨Wr×mhhÉRÏ+Üò/¥½°×`[Pr:óϧ;7($<«Qð£èmÇô{aîÇôàµë1êÕÃzV(îÊ¢únH²

A½°ÛÛ&üǧ#pÌc@ÃJHYÞÎIÖÅÀBþH'À÷F¿½]lâ:åËÊ÷@T×1ªXêÒ[ýI7¾½dYVÑúÿq@ùU5µ Ïäm5ÿ¡êâÑzædAäôª

H

u,l

´Hàj*X¶ýIöÁÜ~}8,}:ÆÒ æêà«

I÷Öä6æÖöÓnyõ¤ùuϨ8:ZèÈ+ºÝÑ

OO¯¶Îá_>µô¦¼:ëîôÄ ùÄ_Y7&7ñ«[nÏèoϯW[2|ºâµQþôw[

~¯âÈLά¤

ßQø÷S}^<¶l8±=j$o2£º*¼ÑB¼Ò1fðÇÐþ¼{dÞñéï¤D¾=aÀS1¢Ë¤8

ý$©kÿ­í¶¼'Ï­ý ë

e *ì²Ó²©Ì|¦QÈà¤~5]EÑUKI·¶ÍÁ&µêÂÞ=G|¼\<]c9úQ&¹Âà $Òi+îI¹ÇÛ7´Åz¹´_N²Ç¸©T_C

ôcßÄ5e1«Üê ÿUöÃÞzõµ´AuÓnh×QÈÌÆï2D5H``@¿+r¥ý§7È

éñj@ë4ÖBãÇ;7 »LãöBK¡ÕBßÿ}×ëÕþÓ`þô"+Þ`É$Ú¥g6ÒʨÆ÷ýIüí£|µÁêÿLi^¸×d(V÷Ê#À2,­MP±/ÉEÏÖÄsí§¿QçÕã×P¥ÜJT¤rHXfHP¹N9\Lí¤pCÒÄñí¡~ϧ

9êÛTt6ådQË©úXªñÎí¿RÜzum­:ÂÛPí3xLPÌ\0:iÄfà}>¢ÔÛÛ

¸Pã§ÏX¤Î»8¼Ñxt t

M¤{Gª hcõwÕ{ý=ë÷áÕMµz¹z¹`B¨Ji§³CoV·d2®:n?ÇÝZå Ó¯iåÔò5ZUXåCuéêi©^ë©k±#è.Mþ¶öî$SêË>]eûÊ!W?¡u`WÓwU]>a©Z׸÷Cw%8ôàAë*½\|qåAwÕÝUs§)hÁãëí¿©n'«ø ðëUÎa×GËyCLLâñFº ÜE¯Ï÷FkÕÄXÏR¢£¯#1Z#㺩Dv±±µì@û¦¶=oç\é°ÓÕtÆtZúeE4M¤Àr©üzפue·S©ð3)Gp*¨

¾b:ËIçû-oêmîpÏN[˦}Ç\~6» ãíbÒÅ_H°67àónG²Û°¦¥¶o;i¢

¾»káè$ÉA8¯C:PÁ ¨g·ªEÈÌ-ärÃÈ¥PúUosíLiÃÏ="ÙË)Õyö&öËî=ñ®ñMG­iÿÎR¸ÏÐ7,PiÒ¤

ö¢IÂÀv[:ÂI§òè#Ça**j2Rý´òEªÅSRÍHXÕÀÒA¦S;)»yШ"îÕ¥(+³ÓóíùÀ­)O°³ùô?áºò³ûOG9L}Tm42´¢#QåÜÄë%Öu?ä"-æèêjÎù:8±Û£ü¿æèõÐõt¸\=.Jj]õ,¢¢£qà53R3À%3¬0¹¿Ôû'Ý̬É^oCöøU©çS|ú{Sjÿ=MG¬­*.åx)ã¥(§B¥ïý§·6»é$pÒ¬Gä)ǧnvõ#T|}MGK¶êÉvæ??þêÈRLÅë+Z§@ÔxäGa{«$j?ú1¹îÏ+¤:»u}(NzWÝA´á¨hxAÓ¾Óëú­µiè^A[\

uLïã¢fgÇTmPî,G?RM¸)¼ÝÞêã'Oõztº+¢câi¯óèXë·]k¡JeÖgç(£Vl¬ßÃcg©ýµñÉå%T_yòÜH,qþlÿ­4k ÿ>?ÏÐØg4VQIÏmJ¢Ð¡Yq=JÔBQ@_»-ÃÑqpyöÔW:£ò?¶àé3¸2éôè³Wìåã3yL±#{ÛnñÚX»ÜN?Õù>˶QËPÏÌÿ¨ÿ.ûSBeÆûº©ñµµÕ¥'*jfBªDdFÎÖ[­É÷½·pñeñh?z¥å²E¹¨'ü ÿ!¿_jd0ïE8Zª,63_U3>Eèi¾Ñf.õ,l=Aú0{?굧'ì¯AÙvÍ°Wç×G±%]§¢¡ªÒR@²0û<¥Qû¦d,ZÕcônMÃfñÝUÉÈÿ'Do³¹Hÿ!è-©Ü9ÌæsÀÆô

P©eFJ¦¥tzÄVY4Eâ-

É

ö`×±ý9òê˲ ÕëÑz4ÍÊC(¥Àá(·+}ÑB¾J,X¤¬Uµ<²Ipmø#èöëü`7b?iòèW

­³"àß°tö5_ñê° l}RDXãaC¶(õO¨0«pX=ÃrSM??eOùº&ÀZ¿mÿ/@Êæ Åå²;8N´ÙÀô8Ú*0

£ÈÖÊj1²ÏãÐÑxãw&ÃPæçدn¸!çáýÁÐku·&såûx.­±¼wzRa²Õ*beUÍRIj9(gðÕÈÈ

Maybach has historic roots through the involvement of Wilhelm Maybach, who was the technical director of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) until he left in 1907. On 23 March 1909 he founded the new company, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH (literally "Aircraft Engine Building Company"), with his son Karl Maybach as director. In 1912 they renamed it to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH ("Maybach Engine Construction Company"). The company originally developed and manufactured diesel and petrol engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. The Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I.

Captured Maybach T3 Assault Gun (Sturmgeschütz III), made on the basis of medium tank Maybach T3 (Panzer III). National Museum of Military History (Bulgaria)

 

The company first built an experimental car in 1919, with the first production model introduced two years later at the Berlin Motor Show. Between 1921 and 1940, the company produced various classic opulent vehicles. The company also continued to build heavy duty diesel engines for marine and rail purposes. During the second world war, Maybach produced the engines for Nazi Germany's medium and heavy tanks.

 

After WW II the factory performed some repair work, but automotive production was never restarted, and some 20 years later, the company was renamed MTU Friedrichshafen. Daimler-Benz purchased the company in 1960.

 

Pre-war Models

 

1919 Maybach W1: Test car based on a BMW chassis

1921 Maybach W3: First Maybach, shown at Berlin Motor Show. Featured a 70 hp (52 kW) 5.7L inline six.

1926 Maybach W5: 7L inline six, 120 hp (89 kW)

1929 Maybach 12: V12 precursor to DS7/8

1930 Maybach DSH: Doppel-Sechs-Halbe ("half a twelve cylinder") 1930-37

1930 Maybach DS7 Zeppelin: 7L V12, 150 hp (112 kW)

1931 Maybach W6: Same engine as W5, longer wheelbase. 1931-33

1931 Maybach DS8 Zeppelin: 8L V12, 200 hp (150 kW)

1934 Maybach W6 DSG: Featuring a twin overdrive transmission system.

1935 Maybach SW35: 3.5L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1936 Maybach SW38: 3.8L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1939 Maybach SW42: 4.2L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1945 Maybach JW61: 3.8L 145 hp (108 kW) I6

 

(Wikipedia)

 

- - -

 

Der erste Maybach von 1919 war ein Prototyp, der „Wagen“ W 1, aufgebaut auf ein angekauftes Daimler-Chassis. Er trug schon die charakteristische Kühlermaske. W 2 war ein Motor. Der W 3 war 1921 der erste Serienwagen, mit Sechszylinder-Reihenmotor und angeblocktem Planetengetriebe, im Angebot als Typ 22/70 PS. Die erste Zahl bezeichnet die früheren „Steuer-PS“, eine vom Fiskus seit 1909 aus Leistung und Hubraum errechnete Kennzahl; die zweite die Motorenleistung.

 

1926 folgte W 5 als Typ 27/120 PS, der 1928 ein Schnellgang-Getriebe erhielt und daher W 5 SG hieß. 1930 kam, parallel zum „Zeppelin“, der W 6, den es ab 1934 auch mit Doppel-Schnellgang-Getriebe gab und so als W 6 DSG in den Annalen steht. Die Weiterentwicklung von 1934 war ein DSH, ein „Doppel-Sechs-Halbe“, was auf den 130 PS starken 5,2-Liter-Reihensechszylinder hinwies, eine vom „DS“-Zwölfzylinder abgeleitete, einfachere Konstruktion.

 

Die Zeppelin-DS-Modelle, von Karl Maybach 1930 erstmals offeriert und ab 1931 geliefert, gab es als Typen DS 7 und DS 8. Es waren die ersten Modelle von Maybach mit einem V-12-Motor. DS 7 bedeutet Doppel-Sechs-7-Liter. DS 8 bedeutet Doppel-Sechs-8-Liter. Der DS 7 leistete 150 PS. Der DS 8 leistete 200 PS. Er war mit einem 7922 Kubikzentimeter großen Motor ausgerüstet. Die Aufbauten lieferten Spohn und Erdmann & Rossi. Im Vergleich zum 1931 gebauten Bugatti Royale Typ 41 mit einem Preis von 100.300 Reichsmark war die Karosserie vom Zeppelin DS 8 geradezu günstig: 33.200 Reichsmark.

 

Maybach W 1, Versuchswagen, um 1919

Maybach W 3, 5,7 l Hubraum, 70 PS, ab 1921

Maybach W 5, 7 l Hubraum, 120 PS, 1926–1929

Maybach W 6, ab 1929

Maybach SW 35 (SW = Schwingachsenwagen), 3,5 l Hubraum, ab 1935 nur 50 Exemplare gebaut

Maybach SW 38, 3,8 l Hubraum, um 1936–1939

Maybach SW 42, 4,2 l Hubraum, um 1939–1941

Maybach „Zeppelin“ Sport, um 1938

Maybach „Zeppelin“ DS 8 Cabriolet, 1930–1937, sechs- bis siebensitzig

 

(Wikipedia)

 

USC students for the first time in over a years attend the involvement fair in person on Trousdale Parkway, August 30, 2021. (USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)

It was initially a little unnerving to see a panda grasp bamboo with as much dexterity as a primate. Though, as bears, giant pandas don't have opposable thumbs, the sesamoid bone of their forelimb palms has evolved into a pseudothumb giving them comparible grasping ability.

 

The Dujiangyan Panda Base and Center for Disease Control, operated by the Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Pandas (CCRCGP), occupies a semi-natural hillside location near Shiqiao Village, Qingchengshan in Dujiangyan county, near the Taoist holy mountain of Qīngchéngshān and 18 km from central Dujiangyan city.

 

A more visitor-friendly name is 'Dujiangyan Giant Panda Base'; it also seems to be known as 'Dujiangyan Panda Ark'.

 

The 51 ha centre (or is that just the visitor-accessible part?) has a specific focus on panda disease control, prevention and research. As such, the 'nursing home' works with sick or injured wild pandas and elderly or disabled captive pandas.

It also acts as quarantine for pandas leaving or entering China; if you've seen giant pandas anywhere else in the world, they either visited or will visit Dujiangyan Panda Base at some point, as the foreign-born cubs of Chinese-loaned pandas (i.e. all of them!) contractually must be returned to China and the breeding programme.

 

This doesn't mean that all the residents are ill or otherwise disabled – I wasn't aware of seeing any in such a condition. Many are entirely healthy, as the CCRCGP's disease-prevention initiative involves separating captive populations, containing any outbreaks to individual bases, and veterinary research also needs to study healthy individuals.

 

The world-famous Chengdu Panda Base (Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, CRBGPB) also has a Field Research Center in Dujiangyan county, seemingly known as Dujiangyan Panda Valley, where pandas are gradually reintroduced to the wild. To avoid misunderstanding: this isn't it.

BizFest 083016

A Tallahassee, Florida- based group, advocating an end to U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq and returning all troops home hung more than 4,000 white origami cranes in the sculpture garden at the entrance to Railroad Square in downtown Tallahassee.

 

The debut of the installation was Friday, December 7th, 2007. It will remain up until the end of the year, weather permitting.

 

The “Cranes,” a universal sign of peace, represent the number of coalition soldiers who have died in the Iraq war. The installation also honors Julian McMackin Woodall, 21, a local Marine killed in Iraq in May, who loved to make the cranes as a child. Julian's mother Meredith McMackin has been involved with the sponsoring group since long before his death. He would have turned 22 Tues., Dec. 4, 2007, the day the exhibit started going up.

 

The installation is sponsored by the local group “Tallahasseeans Who Believe It’s Time to Come Home.” The group was responsible for the luminary memorial at Lake Ella in March that commemorated the 4th anniversary of the war. Since the luminary event, almost another 700 troops have died.

 

Su Ecenia , the group's founder, said, “Hundreds of people in our community participated in folding, stringing and hanging these cranes. We are unified in our desire to see this war end and for the safe return home of our troops.” '

 

The 4,000 cranes were made by hundreds of local people including members of spiritual communities, schools, a Girl Scout troop and private citizens.

 

If you'd like to get info so as to do this project in your community, contact me and I'll tell you how to get in touch with the organizer here. Su is a homemaker and former nurse who after she saw a documentary showing injured Iraqi children decided to do what she could to draw a quick end to the war. We'd love for this idea to be adopted by other cities.

 

The next project that Tallahasseeans Who Believe It's Time to Come Home did was March, 19, 2008. It as a vigil that protested the war by circling Lake Ella with people who served as human luminaries by holding candles.

Maybach has historic roots through the involvement of Wilhelm Maybach, who was the technical director of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) until he left in 1907. On 23 March 1909 he founded the new company, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH (literally "Aircraft Engine Building Company"), with his son Karl Maybach as director. In 1912 they renamed it to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH ("Maybach Engine Construction Company"). The company originally developed and manufactured diesel and petrol engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. The Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I.

Captured Maybach T3 Assault Gun (Sturmgeschütz III), made on the basis of medium tank Maybach T3 (Panzer III). National Museum of Military History (Bulgaria)

 

The company first built an experimental car in 1919, with the first production model introduced two years later at the Berlin Motor Show. Between 1921 and 1940, the company produced various classic opulent vehicles. The company also continued to build heavy duty diesel engines for marine and rail purposes. During the second world war, Maybach produced the engines for Nazi Germany's medium and heavy tanks.

 

After WW II the factory performed some repair work, but automotive production was never restarted, and some 20 years later, the company was renamed MTU Friedrichshafen. Daimler-Benz purchased the company in 1960.

 

Pre-war Models

 

1919 Maybach W1: Test car based on a BMW chassis

1921 Maybach W3: First Maybach, shown at Berlin Motor Show. Featured a 70 hp (52 kW) 5.7L inline six.

1926 Maybach W5: 7L inline six, 120 hp (89 kW)

1929 Maybach 12: V12 precursor to DS7/8

1930 Maybach DSH: Doppel-Sechs-Halbe ("half a twelve cylinder") 1930-37

1930 Maybach DS7 Zeppelin: 7L V12, 150 hp (112 kW)

1931 Maybach W6: Same engine as W5, longer wheelbase. 1931-33

1931 Maybach DS8 Zeppelin: 8L V12, 200 hp (150 kW)

1934 Maybach W6 DSG: Featuring a twin overdrive transmission system.

1935 Maybach SW35: 3.5L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1936 Maybach SW38: 3.8L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1939 Maybach SW42: 4.2L 140 hp (104 kW) I6

1945 Maybach JW61: 3.8L 145 hp (108 kW) I6

 

(Wikipedia)

 

- - -

 

Der erste Maybach von 1919 war ein Prototyp, der „Wagen“ W 1, aufgebaut auf ein angekauftes Daimler-Chassis. Er trug schon die charakteristische Kühlermaske. W 2 war ein Motor. Der W 3 war 1921 der erste Serienwagen, mit Sechszylinder-Reihenmotor und angeblocktem Planetengetriebe, im Angebot als Typ 22/70 PS. Die erste Zahl bezeichnet die früheren „Steuer-PS“, eine vom Fiskus seit 1909 aus Leistung und Hubraum errechnete Kennzahl; die zweite die Motorenleistung.

 

1926 folgte W 5 als Typ 27/120 PS, der 1928 ein Schnellgang-Getriebe erhielt und daher W 5 SG hieß. 1930 kam, parallel zum „Zeppelin“, der W 6, den es ab 1934 auch mit Doppel-Schnellgang-Getriebe gab und so als W 6 DSG in den Annalen steht. Die Weiterentwicklung von 1934 war ein DSH, ein „Doppel-Sechs-Halbe“, was auf den 130 PS starken 5,2-Liter-Reihensechszylinder hinwies, eine vom „DS“-Zwölfzylinder abgeleitete, einfachere Konstruktion.

 

Die Zeppelin-DS-Modelle, von Karl Maybach 1930 erstmals offeriert und ab 1931 geliefert, gab es als Typen DS 7 und DS 8. Es waren die ersten Modelle von Maybach mit einem V-12-Motor. DS 7 bedeutet Doppel-Sechs-7-Liter. DS 8 bedeutet Doppel-Sechs-8-Liter. Der DS 7 leistete 150 PS. Der DS 8 leistete 200 PS. Er war mit einem 7922 Kubikzentimeter großen Motor ausgerüstet. Die Aufbauten lieferten Spohn und Erdmann & Rossi. Im Vergleich zum 1931 gebauten Bugatti Royale Typ 41 mit einem Preis von 100.300 Reichsmark war die Karosserie vom Zeppelin DS 8 geradezu günstig: 33.200 Reichsmark.

 

Maybach W 1, Versuchswagen, um 1919

Maybach W 3, 5,7 l Hubraum, 70 PS, ab 1921

Maybach W 5, 7 l Hubraum, 120 PS, 1926–1929

Maybach W 6, ab 1929

Maybach SW 35 (SW = Schwingachsenwagen), 3,5 l Hubraum, ab 1935 nur 50 Exemplare gebaut

Maybach SW 38, 3,8 l Hubraum, um 1936–1939

Maybach SW 42, 4,2 l Hubraum, um 1939–1941

Maybach „Zeppelin“ Sport, um 1938

Maybach „Zeppelin“ DS 8 Cabriolet, 1930–1937, sechs- bis siebensitzig

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Between 2014 and 2018 Australia will commemorate the Anzac Centenary, marking 100 years since our nation's involvement in the First World War.

These photos are almost 10 years old to the day (7 days away) as it will soon be Anzac day 2015.

 

I have attended quite a few dawn services but none quite as sobering as being a foreigner, walking fields where Australian soldiers died during wartime, and were burried.

 

I thought it was time to post my photos from Kranji.

I got up at 4 am along with many other of my Australian Microsoft and MVP friends. Bleary eyed, fighting the fog, we found our way to the bus.

We were in a daze as we were bumped about making our way to the killing fields of Kranji.

 

Kranji is a suburb in northwestern Singapore, located about 22 kilometres (14 mi) from the city centre.

The Kranji War Memorial in Singapore honours the men and women from the Commonwealth who died in the line of duty during World War II.

 

A very appropropriate and solem place for Anzac Day 2005.

 

Back then I was not interested in Photography and my cameras were not that great. Still, that is not the reason for the photos. I did want to try for a perfect shot. I just wanted memories.

It was humid, dark and very quiet as the service started. Bagpipes from overhead and marching in front.

 

Deep within this quiet neighbourhood, lies the Kranji War Memorial, a hillside cemetery that is quite beautiful in its serenity once you get there.

Every year, a memorial service is held to pay tribute to those who gave their lives.

The memorial honours the men and women from Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand who died in the line of duty during World War II.

 

Here, we see more than 4,400 white gravestones lined up in rows on the cemetery’s gentle slope. Many graves hold unknown soldiers.

The Chinese Memorial in plot 44 marks a mass grave for 69 Chinese servicemen who were killed by the Japanese when Singapore fell in February 1942.

 

Next to the Kranji War Memorial are the Kranji Military Cemetery and the Singapore State Cemetery, where Singapore’s first and second presidents are buried.

As we walked the short flight of steps to the hilltop terrace, we saw four memorials.

 

The largest is the Singapore Memorial, with its huge star-topped central pylon that rises to a height of 24 metres.

This memorial bears the names of more than 24,346 Allied soldiers and airmen killed in Southeast Asia who have no known grave. You can find the register, kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, at the entrance.

 

Every year, on the Sunday closest to Remembrance Day on 11 November, a memorial service is held to pay tribute to those who gave their lives.

 

Next to the Kranji War Memorial is the Kranji Military Cemetery, a non-world war site of more than 1,400 burials, as well as the Singapore State Cemetery, where the country’s first and second presidents, Encik Yusof Ishak and Dr Benjamin Henry

 

Sheares, are buried.

 

The Battle of Kranji was the second stage of the Empire of Japan's plan for the invasion of Singapore during the Second World War. On 9 February 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army assaulted the north-western front of the British colony of

 

Singapore. Their primary objective was to secure a second beachhead after their successful assault at Sarimbun Beach on 8 February, in order to breach the Jurong-Kranji defence line as part of their southward thrust towards the heart of

 

Singapore City. Defending the shoreline between the Kranji River and the Johor–Singapore Causeway was the Australian 27th Brigade, led by Brigadier Duncan Maxwell, and one irregular company.

 

On 10 February the Japanese forces suffered their heaviest losses while moving up the Kranji River, which caused them to panic and nearly aborted the operation. However, a series of miscommunications and withdrawals by Allied forces in the

 

ensuing battles allowed the Japanese to swiftly gain strategic footholds, which eventually led to the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942.

 

The terrain around Kranji was primarily mangrove swamps and tropical forest intersected by streams and inlets. The shoreline between the Kranji River and the Johor–Singapore Causeway, nearly four kilometers long, was defended by the

 

Australian 27th Brigade, led by Australian Brigadier Duncan Maxwell. The 27th Infantry Brigade consisted of three battalions—the 2/30th, 2/29th, and 2/26th and was supported by the 2/10th Field Artillery Regiment, as well as one platoon from the

 

2/4th Machine Gun Battalion.

 

They were supported by one company from Dalforce (named after its commander, Lieutenant-Colonel John Dalley of the Malayan Police Special Branch), a local Chinese militia consisting of Communists, Nationalist supporters, and other

 

volunteers. As the war intensified, the Dalforce volunteers were given only three to four days of training and sent to the war front with elementary weapons. Lacking uniforms, the volunteers improvised by wearing a red triangle on their blue shirts to

 

avoid being mistaken for Japanese by the Australians.

 

The Allied forces at Kranji were to be assaulted by the Imperial Guards Division led by Major General Takuma Nishimura. 400 Imperial Guards had landed and taken Pulau Ubin, an island in the north-east of Singapore, in a feint attack on 7

 

February, where they encountered minimal resistance.

 

On 9 February, two divisions of the Japanese Twenty Fifth Army, led by Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita, landed on the northwestern coast of Singapore, in the Sarimbun area. Yamashita's headquarters (HQ) was in the Sultan of Johor's

 

palace on Istana Bukit Serene, which offered him and his officers a bird's eye view of virtually every key target in the northern sector of Singapore Island, only 1.6 kilometres (one mile) across the Straits of Johor. Sultan Ibrahim's palace was not fired

 

upon by the British because any damage caused would have extensive repercussions for British-Johor ties.

 

The primary objective of the Japanese at Kranji was to capture Kranji village; this would let them repair the demolished Causeway in order to facilitate easy flow of reinforcements and supplies down the roads of Woodlands and Mandai, and to the

 

rest of the island for their vanguard force. Once the leading wave of Japanese was safely ashore, the massed Japanese artillery switched their fire to the defensive positions at Kranji. Telegraph and telephone communications were destroyed in the

 

bombardment and communications between the front line and command HQ were broken. At 8:30pm that night, the men of the Imperial Guards Division began the crossing from Johor in special armoured landing-crafts, collapsible boats and by

 

swimming.

 

In the early hours of 10 February, Japanese forces suffered their heaviest losses during the Battle of Singapore. While moving up the Kranji River, advance landing parties from the 4th Regiment of the Imperial Guard Division found themselves

 

under heavy fire from Australian machine gunners and mortar teams. They also found themselves surrounded by oil slicks, which had been created by Allied personnel emptying the nearby Woodlands oil depot, to prevent its capture. A scenario

 

feared by Yamashita came to pass by accident; the oil was set alight by Allied small arms fire, causing many Japanese soldiers to be burnt alive. Sustaining heavy losses, Nishimura requested permission to abandon the operation. However,

 

Yamashita denied the request.

 

Maxwell, who had limited communications with his division headquarters, was concerned that his force would be cut off by fierce and chaotic fighting at Sarimbun and Jurong to the south west, involving the Australian 22nd Brigade. Maxwell's

 

force consequently withdrew from the seafront. This allowed the Japanese to land in increasing strength and take control of Kranji village. They also captured Woodlands, and began repairing the causeway, without encountering any Allied attacks.

 

Japanese light tanks, which had good buoyancy, were towed across the straits to Lim Chu Kang Road where they joined the battle at dusk. With reinforced troops and tanks advancing down Choa Chua Kang Road, the Australian troops were no

 

match for the tanks and fled to the hills of Bukit Panjang. The 5th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) captured Bukit Timah village by the evening of 11 February.

 

Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, General Officer Commanding of HQ Malaya Command, drew a defence perimeter covering Kallang aerodrome, MacRitchie and Peirce reservoirs and the Bukit Timah supply depot area to ensure the integrity

 

of the city's defence. One line of the north-western defence perimeter was the Jurong-Kranji defence line, a narrow ridge connecting the sources of the Jurong and the Kranji Rivers, forming a natural defence line protecting the north-west

 

approach to the Singapore City. (Its counterpart was the Serangoon Line, which was sited between Kallang Airfield and Paya Lebar village on the eastern part of Singapore). The troops were to defend this Line strongly against the invading

 

Japanese force. The Line was defended by the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade which covered milestone 12 on Jurong Road, the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade and the reinforced 22nd Australian Brigade which guarded the northern part of the Line and

 

maintained contact with the 44th Indian Brigade. The 15th Indian Infantry Brigade was re-positioned near Bukit Timah Road to guard the island's vital food and petrol supplies. A secret instruction to protect this area was issued to Percival's

 

generals.

 

Percival's secret orders to withdraw to the last defence line around the city only if necessary were misunderstood by Maxwell, who took this to be an order for an immediate withdrawal to the Line. As a result, the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade, the 12th

 

Indian Infantry Brigade and the 22nd Australian Brigade, reinforced after their withdrawal from Sarimbun beach in the north-west, abandoned the Line on 10 February. Fearing that the large supplies depot would fall into Japanese hands should

 

they make a rush for Bukit Timah too soon, General Archibald Wavell, Allied commander-in-chief of the Far East sent an urgent message to Percival:

 

It is certain that our troops in Singapore Island heavily outnumber any Japanese who have crossed the Straits. We must destroy them. Our whole fighting reputation is at stake and the honour of the British Empire. The Americans have held out in the

 

Bataan Peninsula against a far heavier odds, the Russians are turning back the picked strength of the Germans. The Chinese with an almost lack of modern equipment have held the Japanese for four and a half years. It will be disgraceful if we

 

yield our boasted fortress of Singapore to inferior enemy forces.

 

By 11 February, the Jurong-Kranji Defence Line was left undefended which allowed the Japanese forces to sweep through the Line to attack Bukit Timah. On the same day, Percival finally moved his Combined Operations Headquarters in Sime

 

Road to the underground bunker, The Battle Box at Fort Canning.

 

Despite their fighting spirit, the Dalforce fighters suffered from poor training and the lack of equipment. A further blow was delivered when the 27th Australian Brigade withdrew southwards. As a result, the Japanese established a stronghold in the

 

northern Woodlands area and secured a relatively easy passage into the island. General Wavell left Singapore for Java early on 11 February and sent a cable to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London on his assessment of the war front

 

in Singapore:

  

Battle for Singapore is not going well... I ordered Percival to stage counter-attack with all troops possible... Morale of some troops is not good and none is as high as I should like to see... The chief troubles are lack of sufficient training in some

 

reinforcing troops and an inferior complex which bold Japanese tactics and their command of the air have caused. Everything possible is being done to produce more offensive spirit and optimistic outlook. But I cannot pretend that these efforts

 

have been entirely successful up to date. I have given the most categorical orders that there is to be no thought of surrender and that all troops are to continue fighting to the end...

 

By 12 February, the Imperial Guards had captured the reservoirs and Nee Soon village. The defending troops, by this time, were badly shaken. Thousands of exhausted and frightened stragglers left the fighting to seek shelter in large buildings. On

 

the same night, British forces in the east of the island had begun to withdraw towards the city.

 

On 13 February, the Japanese 5th Division continued its advance and reached Adam and Farrer Roads to capture the Sime Road Camp. Yamashita moved his HQ forward to the bomb-damaged Ford Factory in Bukit Timah. Heading southwards,

 

the Japanese 18th Division advanced into Pasir Panjang, where the last major battle of Singapore would be fought with the Malay Regiments at Bukit Chandu.

 

In 1995, the former battle sites of Kranji and the defence line were gazetted by the National Heritage Board as two of the eleven World War II sites of Singapore.

  

2005

 

Panasonic

  

IMGA0027

Five of us had such a great day two days ago. It was a bird outing at Bow Valley Provincial Park, west of Calgary, at the foot of the very eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. I knew that I would be looking for wildflowers, insects and so on, as well : ) When we got to the meeting place in the city, the leader pulled out a poster for the Parks Day event that also happened to be going on at the park at the same time. To my absolute delight, it mentioned a Bird of Prey exhibit! After our first walk, which was the Flowing Waters trail, we returned to where everyone had parked and we had an hour in which to wander round the various exhibits. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a row of owls of different sizes - a tiny Burrowing Owl (seen in my macro photo above), a Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl (which we don't get in Alberta), a young Great Horned Owl with enormous eyes, a Turkey Vulture and a Golden Eagle! They were tethered along the edge of the trees and needless to say, there were plenty of other people taking photos, but despite the mix of shade and harsh sunlight, I got the chance to click to my heart's content : ) Thanks so much to the people down at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (near Lethbridge, down towards the Canada/US border) for bringing your gorgeous birds of prey for us to see! I have been south to the Centre three times I think, and always long to go back again, but it's not somewhere I can drive to, so this was such a treat yesterday!

 

The Alberta Mycological Society of Alberta also had an exhibit set up, which unfortunately I ran out of time to look at more than briefly. Thanks to those who had travelled south from Edmonton and set up a huge display of mushrooms that they and others had found in the park the previous day. Normally, of course, picking of mushrooms is not allowed in any of the parks, but the Society gets permission to collect for this special Parks Day exhibit. I had to drag myself away, as those of you who know me might guess, lol, but it was time to go on our afternoon bird walk around the Many Springs loop. Almost the whole trail was open (following the Flood of the Century) except for the boardwalk areas, that were still under water. Walking cautiously on planks and rolling logs in water is not one of my favourite things, ha, and in the end I decided that it was just easier to walk through the few inches of water. The cold water felt quite refreshing, really. So, as you can imagine, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day - and was tired out from sun, exercise and sheer delight. Thanks so much, Andrew, for arranging this special day and for driving two of us there and back. You did an awesome job!

 

""As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl

 

This afternoon, we are back to rain and thunder ....

Student Involvement Fair at Crossley Softball Field, 19 September, 2020. Photography by Glenn Minshall.

Hornet Rally 083116

On John Knox's memorial in the Glasgow Necropolis

The two-part episode The Incident presents two stories in parallel: a science-fiction adventure involving time-travel, electro-magnetism, and a mad scientist hoping to change things with a hydrogen bomb; and a fantasy myth involving mortals enslaved by ancient demigods, trying to change things with a knife and sacrificial fire. (In keeping with the disclaimer introduced earlier, it must be noted that ‘science’ and ‘fantasy’ are terms loosely applied, and that perhaps even the Jacob story might craft a more plausible scientific explanation than the Incident itself.) This work of fiction exists somewhere at the intersection of drama, sci-fi, and fantasy, but wholly within the category of Mythology. The episode’s first images evoke the dawn of human culture, the harnessed power of fire, shelters made of rock, hand-spun clothing and sandals, and primitive tools to gather fish from the ocean. After mankind adapted the necessary technology to survive, his mind began to expand to other pursuits, darkening his bare walls to produce painted images, carving majestic statues into rock, weaving decorative tapestries dyed different colors, telling stories through language, and even building ships to explore the seas (and planes to conquer the skies). Although Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey still holds the record for the longest flash-forward in cinema history, the centuries-long transition after the opening scene achieves a similar narrative effect. Even though man has evolved from taming the Promethean fire to building Edison’s light bulb to unleashing the power of the atom, our civilization is still in its infancy. Human beings themselves have not matured at the same rate as our technological progress. “They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.” The same petty jealousies that motivated the biblical rivalry of Jacob and Esau, also inform our nuclear-age warfare. A doctor can now perform once-unthinkable paralysis-saving surgery on your spine, but can that same doctor ever fix his own backbone when dealing with his father? Even our artwork, after generations of progress from cave paintings to wireless transmission of digital media, have also taken us from Homer to New Kids on the Block.

  

LOCKE: Years later a visiting prince came into Michelangelo's studio and found the master staring at a single 18 foot block of marble. Then he knew that the rumors were true -- that Michelangelo had come in everyday for the last four months, stared at the marble, and gone home for his supper. So the prince asked the obvious -- what are you doing? And Michelangelo turned around and looked at him, and whispered, sto lavorando, I'm working. Three years later that block of marble was the statue of David.

 

Two special artifacts from this classic opening scene, which are revisited at the ending of the episode, deserve special attention. The first is Jacob’s tapestry. The meticulously hand-crafted decoration initially appears in incomplete form. He has emblazoned the top section of the tapestry with ancient Greek lettering, a phrase from Homer’s Odyssey: “May the Gods grant thee all that thy heart desires”. Under those letters, the Egyptian symbol of the Eye of Horus, a symbol of divine power, occupies the center, between two massive wings. When Ben arrives at the statue centuries later, Jacob’s masterpiece is complete. Arms stretch down from the eye, towards nine human figures, while two kings observe from both sides. The image offers a visual representation of Jacob’s long-term plan, to give each piece ‘a little push’ into place for his endgame. Presumably, those nine individuals correspond to Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Ilana, Locke, Sun, Jin, Jack, and Hurley (although Ben might be the final person, as Ben received Jacob’s touch rather than Ilana). Much like the sequence of literal and figurative long cons that preceded this one, the tapestry doubles as a metaphor for the show’s writing process. The gods of this particular story, writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, strung the audience along for several years, slowly revealing pieces, painting each character with care, until it was time to unveil this man behind the curtain. Of course, they understood that the journey was more important than the final destination. As Jacob later confesses: “It takes a very long time when you're making the thread, but, uh... I suppose that's the point, isn't it?”.

   

Allusions to outside mythology, of course, occur quite frequently on Lost. For every direct reference that the show makes, there are a dozen other meaningful comparisons to be made, some intentional (such as Apollo the son of Zeus, or Everything That Rises Must Converge) but many others are merely fortuitous. Minds working independently across the globe tend to converge on the same core ideas or mythemes. Mythology scholars have produced a number of different theories to explain why authors from different cultures, without any direct contact, produce legends with such striking similarities. Each theory of mythology necessary rests on a simplification and generalization, more valid for some works than for others. In my assessment, the work of French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss offers the deepest insight into the objectives of Lost-style myth-making. Lévi-Strauss posited that human beings organize information primarily through binary oppositions (pairs like faith-empiricism, freedom-determinism). The underlying storytelling purpose of any myth is to unify those irreconcilable opposites, or at least create the illusion that the conflict has been resolved. Through the clash of thesis and antithesis, we can arrive at a synthesis. The commonly-cited analysis of the tragedy of Oedipus Rex offers a useful example: Sophocles revealed the consequences for a son showing not nearly enough affection for one parent, by killing his father; and far too much affection for the other parent, by marrying his mother. The great Lost myth revolves around the mirroring psyches of its pair of heroes, Jack Shephard and John Locke, one child who received far too much parenting (with Christian pushing his adult son around the clock) and another child who received far too little parenting (with Cooper pushing his adult son out of the eight-story window). The endless dichotomies of Lost are indeed false ones, and no one who chooses one extreme side, can ever be fully correct.

  

LOCKE: Backgammon is the oldest game in the world. Archeologists found sets when they excavated the ruins of ancient Mesopotamia. Five thousand years old. That's older than Jesus Christ.

WALT: Did they have dice and stuff?

LOCKE: [nods] But theirs weren't made of plastic. Their dice were made of bones.

WALT: Cool.

LOCKE: Two players. Two sides. One is light … one is dark.

 

The second key artifact is Jacob’s home, the Statue itself. As confirmed through outside sources (although hardly apparent from the actual episode), the Statue represents the hippopotamus-headed Egyptian fertility goddess Tawaret. (The interior chamber also includes a painting of the Egyptian deity Isis, another goddess similarly associated with protection, birth, and motherhood.) Before this revelation, many people, including myself, predicted incorrectly that the Statue would depict Anubis, the jackal-faced god of death, judgment, and the underworld. Images of Anubis last appeared during Season Five's Dead is Dead, on the tunnel walls where Linus confronted the black Smoke, also known by its Greek mythological moniker, Cerberus. The overall implication here is that the dividing lines have been drawn, with Jacob’s light side linked to Life, with the Man in Black associated with Death. In flashback, Jacob’s touch breathes life in Locke’s fallen body, while his nemesis apparently has been manipulating corpses for years to help him commit a murder.

  

Among the ancient secrets revealed in this episode, Ricardus answers Ilana’s ongoing riddle “What lies in the shadow of the Statue?” with the Latin phrase: ille qui nos omnes servabit. The standard translation apparently characterizes Jacob as a messiah figure: the one who will save us all. Despite all preliminary indications, it would be a premature mistake to equate the light-dark imagery with a good-evil metaphor. As Frank Lapidus wisely remarks: “In my experience, the people who go out of their way to tell you that the good guys are the bad guys.” The basic conclusions are undisputed: Jacob wants to keep bringing people to the Island to bring about an Ending, while the Man in Black wants to kill Jacob and keep the Island isolated. (The physical acting of the two rivals even conveys their dueling outlooks, with Mark Pellegrino relaxing as he scans the horizon, but with Titus Welliver squinting uncomfortably in the reflected sunlight.) Conceivably, Jacob’s Ending, his desire for change, could include the death of all mankind, to make way for the birth of a new progressive era. A phrase on the bottom of his tapestry offers a foreboding hint of Jacob’s final solution to end human corruption: “Only the dead have seen the end of war”. Keep in mind, the first on-screen action of Jacob, the great fisher of men, was to gather life from the ocean, rip its guts out, and then devour it.

  

(Here is another fun etymological fact for all of the Latin lovers out there. Early in the episode, Bram and Ilana share a cryptic exchange about whether Frank might be a Candidate for their side, a term that undoubtedly will reappear in Season Six scripts. The Latin adjective candidatus literally means “dressed in white,” and Mr. Lapidus clearly fits that bill. The word developed its English meaning from the white gowns worn by Romans seeking senatorial election. The word also shares a common origin with the adjective candidus which could be used for its literal meaning of “white,” or in a more figurative sense as “clear”, “candid”, or in other words “Frank.”)

  

MIKHAIL: Ha! Don’t waste your time. For ten years I have tried to defeat that game. But it was programmed by three grand masters. And it cheats.

LOCKE: Hmm. Well, I’ve played a lot of computers and I’m pretty sure they don’t know how to cheat. That’s what makes being human so distinctly wonderful.

 

For the first time, The Incident allows the viewer to rise up from a ground-level view of the game pieces on earth, to see the chess board from the player’s perspective in the sky. The story begins with the Man in White and the Man in Black trapped in an eternal stalemate. The fisherman Jacob gathers people from the seas, and then his enemy the hunter watches them destroy each other. Like the layman’s definition of insanity, Jacob repeats the same action over and over, while expecting a different result, faithful that one day the humans will change their nature, and the outcome. As Jacob points out, though, time is on his side: only one counterexample is necessary to disprove a negative. The rules of the game favor an endless cycle of perfectly symmetrical violence, until one of the players can find a way to change, break, or at least bend the rules. The Man in Black found the loophole in the rules that would allow him to kill Jacob. Evidently, he needed to impersonate Locke (and a number of other departed souls along the way) in order to persuade Ben, the leader of the Others, to choose to murder Jacob. At the same time, Jacob knew that his opponent would exploit the technicality eventually. In response, Jacob found his own way to cheat the rules: he brought a handful of special individuals to the Island, so that they could erase the events that lead to his death. To borrow a key phrase from Lost creator J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek opus: “Going back in time, changing history ... that's cheating.” Both master plans required a tremendous degree of faith in mankind: Jacob placed his confidence in the better angels of our nature, the ability of separate individuals to collaborate on one final goal; the Man in Black went all-in gambling on the inherent weakness of Locke, the corruption of Ben, and the mindlessness of his followers.

  

Their debate about whether mankind can change its nature arrives alongside the time-travel corollary question of whether human beings can alter their future. The “we’re the variables” framework presented in Season Five - note the emphasis on the plural - suggests that one person acting alone cannot alter history. Due to our natural tendency to oppose each other, the reactions of some other person will negate that action. Season Five's test case demonstrated the principle, as Kate's efforts to save little Benjamin negated Sayid's attempts to destroy him. The light will drive away the darkness, and vice-versa. However, if enough individuals combine in an effort to alter history, then the magnetism of their aggregate positive charge can overcome the negative pull. When the dark energy approaches the Swan (Jack, Sayid, Jin, and Hurley - all shown as adults in flashback), the forces of light gather to stop them (James, Juliet, and Kate – each one appearing as a child). The ensuing argument between echoes the central time-travel issue of Season Five: James asserts “What’s done is done,” and Jack responds “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.” The resulting boxing match between the Black-Jack and Light-LaFleur depicts the larger war between the dueling demigods in microcosm: the two men are evenly matched when trading punches, so James exploits a few holes in Jack’s rulebook. In the end, though, one side prevails with nothing more than a little push to tip the scales. Juliet’s paradoxical, circular logic, a freely-willed decision grounded on her concept of predestination, resolves the conflict into its synthesis.

   

BERNARD: You realize we're the only two married guys on the island?

[He shows his ring]

BERNARD: Married?

JIN: Married.

BERNARD: Yeah, well, no, not to each other. No. (laughing) You got it. It's not easy, is it? Oh, I mean, it's--it's wonderful, but... let's face it, every decision that you make takes twice as long. 'Cause you always gotta talk them into it.

 

The episode’s black-and-white motif takes on a completely different meaning in the context of the Island’s two married couples. Part One includes the long-awaited return of Rose and Bernard, a couple whose bond transcends not only the color barrier between black and white, but also the perhaps deeper divide between a woman of faith and a man of science. The retired couple sets the example that the children refuse to follow, to lay down their differences and evolve into peaceful harmony. Subsequent flashbacks also reunite our other married couple, the wedding between Sun in her white dress and Jin in his black tuxedo. Western observers often mistakenly refer to the prominent Eastern symbols of yin and yang, as images of the struggle between good and evil. On the contrary, the black-and-white emblem common from Chinese philosophy (also incorporated into the flag of South Korea) represents duality rather than polarity. The dark and the light, the male and the female, instead of opposing each other become unified halves of a stronger whole. Jin provides another useful image: “We will never be apart, because being apart would be like the sky being apart from the earth.” Their wedding rings reinforce the idea of interconnectedness between the two halves of the same story, an unbreakable bond despite decades of separation. Sun’s later discovery of Charlie’s Driveshaft ring suggests a similar connection between the living and the dead, the past and the future. On a more depressing note, this episode also includes a third married couple, with the tragedy of Sayid and Nadia. While Sayid bleeds to death from his gunshot wound on the island, he suffers a deeper wound in flashback, his own sky being ripped away from his earth.

   

In what is either a sheer accident, or the product of intelligent design, the dark and light phenomenon even extends into the ongoing turmoil between the episode’s four romantic leads. On the physical level, James and Juliet share the same light-haired, lighter-eyed look of Jacob, while Jack and Kate share the same dark-haired, darker-eyed look of his nemesis. As Radzinsky might attest, basic electromagnetism holds that like charges repel and opposite charges attract. Even heading into the final season, the love quadrangle has never settled into a stable equilibrium, due to a peculiar mix of shared-physical-traits-with-opposite-personality-traits and vice versa. If you wanted a second opinion from Dr. Freud, then he could tell you a thing or too about Ms. Austen and Mrs. Shephard, Ms. Burke and Mrs. Ford. (Speaking of Freud, what can a psychoanalyst say about writers who changed temporarily the name of one of its leads from the revenge-driven Sawyer to flower-sniffing LaFleur. The Flower, as it translates from French to English, is traditionally associated with femininity, fertility, and even serves a common symbol for a certain part of the female anatomy. Fortunately, The Incident confirms that, “there ain’t no more LaFleur,” and with it the nominal castration of James Ford comes to an end.) The Incident focuses much of its creative energy on manufacturing motivations for each of the four lovers, to join forces to detonate Jughead, mostly at the expense of the supporting players. For each of these four characters, Lindelof and Cuse go too far in spelling out the answers to the audience in childish black-and-white terms, when shades of adult gray would have sufficed.

  

KATE: So, do you believe it?

JACK: Believe what?

KATE: That everything's going to be okay?

JACK: Yeah, I do.

KATE: Kind of unlike you -- the whole glass half-full thing.

JACK: There's a glass?

 

The childish immaturity of adults often comes across in a negative light, but child-like innocence can also be seen as a positive trait. Hurley, more than any other character, has been blessed (or, depending on your perspective, cursed) with the heart of a child. The adult Hugo not only enjoys a nice cherry Fruit Rollup on his ride home from jail, but he is thoughtful enough to offer to share it with a stranger. Just as any girl Juliet’s age will blame her own actions for her parents’ failed marriage, Hurley similarly internalizes the misfortunes of others as his own personal shortcoming. Hurley’s conversation with Jacob carries the same tune as any kid in need of parental guidance. Jacob’s words add another classic binary opposition to this tapestry of black and white: optimism and pessimism. There are always two ways to look at any situation. Even the darkest curse might be viewed as a brilliant blessing in disguise. As a point of caution, though, the converse of that principle also holds some merit. Throughout this story, Jack plays the unlikely role of a zealous optimist. Absolutely confident in the plan’s improbable success, he illuminates all of the wonderful merits of the revised timeline (Sayid’s life will be saved, Jin will get reunite with Sun, Claire will have the chance to keep Aaron, etc.). Foolish optimism can be a more dangerous force than cautious pessimism. His alternate future easily could result in an abyss of darkness, rather than a beacon of sunshine.

  

After so many rays of hope, the story of John Locke now ends in the gloomiest depths of tragedy. Frank quotes the same eternal question that links together Through the Looking Glass with There’s No Place Like Home: “What’s in the box?”. Three years later, the answer remains the same: Locke’s rotting corpse. John's life ended with him alone, miserable, and a failure. He was a puppet on strings, pulled by Cooper, by Ben, and by the Man in Black, and then discarded as a piece of trash, like on the day he was born. In a way, the entity now occupying Locke’s body has been fulfilling John Locke’s lifelong dreams. Locke always wanted to become a decisive leader, a man strong enough stand up to the Coopers and Linuses and Jacobs of the world. This master pulling the strings is unburdened by John’s emotional scars, his neediness, his self-doubt, even his morality. John’s ambitions of divinity could not be reconciled with his identity as a mortal, so one of those two needed to die. Even so, Locke’s tragic curse can be viewed as a blessing of martyrdom. Seemingly, Locke’s last chance for redemption hinges upon the success of Shephard’s mission to erase history. His phony resurrection in The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham could be explained only by a cheap deus ex machina. The alternative option, resuming his life in a wheelchair at LAX, would be the product of his own leadership, the effect of mentoring Jack into a true believer. Jack drops the warhead onto the Swan site, like a kid tossing a coin into a wishing well, with the hope that when the magic box opens again, whatever he imagines will come true.

   

LOCKE: You have to do it.

JACK: You do it yourself, John.

LOCKE: No, you saw the film, Jack. This is a two person job, at least. […] I can't do this alone, Jack. I don't want to. It's a leap of faith, Jack.

 

Jack’s mad quest to detonate the bomb and prevent the Incident should remind the audience of Locke’s equally mad quest to end the 108-minute cycle of button-pushing once and for all. The content of Season Two’s Live Together, Die Alone resembles The Incident in other ways as well, a two-hour flashback episode to introduce a new character, with a timer ticking down to a scheduled event, which ends with one last heroic gesture to "make it all go away" in a flash of light. (Also, it never hurts to add liberal doses of the Great Radzinsky into your script.) These two episodes pull their characters violently towards the same magnetic focal point, with metal projectiles flying through the air. In each case, the man of faith puts his blind beliefs to an empirical test, to find a yes-or-no, black-and-white scientific question. Locke told us: “I’m more sure about this than anything in my entire life,” and he was wrong. For Jack, the words are: “Nothing... nothing in my life has ever felt so right.” (These statements also reveal a great deal about the degree of confidence the two men felt in themselves over the years.) The destinies of these two great men have been intertwined quite beautifully. Indeed, the outcome of one question hinges upon the answer to the other. If Jack had succeeded in destroying the energy, then Locke would have been correct as the timer ticked down to zero. On the other hand, if the Button truly served no purpose, then Oceanic 815 would have crashed regardless of any Incident, and Jack’s plan would have no effect on the timeline. I cannot help but admire their pure strength of will required to risk everything, seemingly beyond good and evil, beyond fate and free will.

  

Lost’s famous Live Together, Die Alone dichotomy reappears in another form, in the story of Juliet. When Jack first spoke those words in Season One’s White Rabbit, he phrased it as an either-or choice: “if we can’t live together, then we’re going to die alone.” When Juliet references the mantra in The Incident, she makes a crucial misstatement, “Live together and die alone” (at least, according to the closed-captions on my DVD.) A few minutes later, Juliet indeed does die alone, in the hope that everyone else might live again, together at LAX. The method of her death, proved to be an inspired creative choice. James, who tried desperately to lift John from the well in This Place is Death, once again found himself on the losing end of a tug-of-war with the grim reaper. Despite moving on from the death of his parents to build a new life, he finds himself in the same place as his childhood self in Tennessee, losing the woman he loves most in the world. The magnetically-charged chains, pulling her down into the gaping hole, offers a more scientific counterpart to the fantasy-inspired image of the Smoke Monster’s black hand of Death. Chains commonly serve as a symbol of restraint, imprisonment, inevitability, the antithesis of human liberty. In the famous words of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." Pulled underground against her will, Juliet makes one last free choice, to erase countless freely-willed decisions of others. She achieves her destiny by destroying the chain of events that caused her to fulfill that destiny.

  

When the final white screen with black letters appears for the first time, after five years of white-on-black writing, the implication is clear: the Lost universe as we know it has inverted itself. The central binary dilemma of Season Five hangs in the balance with the flash of light. Two players, two sides. Did the events of the Season-Five-ending Incident prevent the Season One-opening Pilot’s crash of Oceanic 815? Or did the characters cause the very future they were trying to prevent? Both options offer a mix of positives and negatives. A brand new timeline would offer fresh storytelling opportunities, and a chance to revisit old friends long gone. On the other hand, the explosion would also incinerate the entire five-season hand-crafted tapestry of the Island story. The entire post-1977 universe, including the 2007 storyline of the Incident, would amount to nothing more than a dream. Preserving the old timeline would re-affirm the show’s fundamental rules for meaningful storytelling stakes: dead is dead; whatever happened, happened. With that solution, the entire time-travel story arc that lead to this finale event, and all those post-cliffhanger months of anticipation, would become meaningless. (Logistically, I don’t think either solution even makes much logical sense.) Perhaps the fatal flaw of this debate is that we view it as a debate. As Juliet did, maybe we should simple replace the word ‘OR’ with the word ‘AND’. There can be two universes, one in which Jacob succeeds, and one in which the Man in Black succeeds. Instead of conflict, we can find harmony. As the men who first painted on cave walls understood, one color is not enough. A world of pure white and a world of pure black would be indistinguishable from chaos. But, when you combine the dark and the light in some kind of balance, then any work of art becomes possible.

       

There was something for everyone at the Student Involvement Fair on Friday, 14 September, 2018, and judging by the signups there will be plenty of student led activities happening on campus in the weeks and months ahead. Photography by Glenn Minshall.

Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural).

 

Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime, citing the use of graffiti by street gangs to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Graffiti has become visualized as a growing urban "problem" for many cities in industrialized nations, spreading from the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States and Europe and other world regions

 

"Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). The term "graffiti" is used in art history for works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is "sgraffito", which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was primarily used by potters who would glaze their wares and then scratch a design into them. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν—graphein—meaning "to write".

 

The term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Historically, these writings were not considered vanadlism, which today is considered part of the definition of graffiti.

 

The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic, is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria, eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.

 

Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world are 40,000 year old ones found in Australia. The oldest written graffiti was found in ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from the time was boasts about sexual experiences Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was not considered vandalism.

 

Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. One reads:

 

Wet with cool dew drops

fragrant with perfume from the flowers

came the gentle breeze

jasmine and water lily

dance in the spring sunshine

side-long glances

of the golden-hued ladies

stab into my thoughts

heaven itself cannot take my mind

as it has been captivated by one lass

among the five hundred I have seen here.

 

Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet, was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra, manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis, and people used to read and circulate them very widely.

 

Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, or Filippino Lippi descended into the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea, they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration.

 

There are also examples of graffiti occurring in American history, such as Independence Rock, a national landmark along the Oregon Trail.

 

Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. Lord Byron's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica, Greece.

 

The oldest known example of graffiti "monikers" found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino?.

 

In World War II, an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to the wrongs of the Old World:

 

During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives".

 

Modern graffiti art has its origins with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia. Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti. Eventually, throw-ups and pieces evolved with the desire to create larger art. Writers used spray paint and other kind of materials to leave tags or to create images on the sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti.

 

While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer—others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch, considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. The ‘taggers’ called what they did ‘writing’—though an important 1974 essay by Mailer referred to it using the term ‘graffiti.’

 

Contemporary graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the myriad international styles derived from Philadelphia and New York City Subway graffiti; however, there are many other traditions of notable graffiti in the twentieth century. Graffiti have long appeared on building walls, in latrines, railroad boxcars, subways, and bridges.

 

An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading "Clapton is God" in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton. Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington, north London in the autumn of 1967. The graffito was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall.

 

Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi, MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983

 

Commercialization and entrance into mainstream pop culture

Main article: Commercial graffiti

With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs.

 

In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign, taking notice of the legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse".

 

Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration". Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities". Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York". The "sprawling metropolis", of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti"; Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples", and to "Brazil's chronic poverty", as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture". In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently". Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised", that is South American graffiti art.

 

Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos, Boleta, Nunca, Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. Their artistic success and involvement in commercial design ventures has highlighted divisions within the Brazilian graffiti community between adherents of the cruder transgressive form of pichação and the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite.

 

Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and in Iran. The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag, has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become a site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall. Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" ("Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel.

 

Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), especially following the events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem.

 

There are also a large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture, such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture.

 

The modern-day graffitists can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. This includes such techniques as scribing. However, spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one medium for graffiti. From this commodity comes different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and comes in virtually every color.

 

Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) to form an overall design or image. The stencil is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface.

 

Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne, where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis

 

Tagging is the practice of someone spray-painting "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to the writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti.

 

Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes (throwies) as new media for graffitists. yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists.

 

Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn, who in 1962 painting declared in a graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up"

 

Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or, in the achievement of a political goal

 

In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus, of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.

 

Many artists involved with graffiti are also concerned with the similar activity of stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colors using spray-paint. Recognized while exhibiting and publishing several of her coloured stencils and paintings portraying the Sri Lankan Civil War and urban Britain in the early 2000s, graffitists Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., has also become known for integrating her imagery of political violence into her music videos for singles "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun", and her cover art. Stickers of her artwork also often appear around places such as London in Brick Lane, stuck to lamp posts and street signs, she having become a muse for other graffitists and painters worldwide in cities including Seville.

 

Graffitist believes that art should be on display for everyone in the public eye or in plain sight, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for the artist that can be displayed anywhere form sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be showed to everyone for free.

 

Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing what one feels in the moment. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some a form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous or to hinder prosecution.

 

With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist.

 

Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol, England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout the world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is a prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it.

 

Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep her identity from the general public. Her work focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti as opposed to Banksy's anti-government shock value. Her paintings are often of flower designs above shops and stores in her local urban area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some store owners endorse her work and encourage others to do similar work as well. "One of the pieces was left up above Steve's Kitchen, because it looks pretty awesome"- Erin Scott, the manager of New England Comics in Allston, Massachusetts.

 

Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020, the Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation.

 

Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders a stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies. Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological.

 

Graffiti has been used as a means of advertising both legally and illegally. Bronx-based TATS CRU has made a name for themselves doing legal advertising campaigns for companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, and MTV. In the UK, Covent Garden's Boxfresh used stencil images of a Zapatista revolutionary in the hopes that cross referencing would promote their store.

 

Smirnoff hired artists to use reverse graffiti (the use of high pressure hoses to clean dirty surfaces to leave a clean image in the surrounding dirt) to increase awareness of their product.

 

Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist, and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered with names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti a punk magazine was started that was called Gallery Anus. So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s there was already a vibrant graffiti culture.

 

The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive, the graffiti gave a sense of the 'millenarian' and rebellious spirit, tempered with a good deal of verbal wit, of the strikers.

 

I think graffiti writing is a way of defining what our generation is like. Excuse the French, we're not a bunch of p---- artists. Traditionally artists have been considered soft and mellow people, a little bit kooky. Maybe we're a little bit more like pirates that way. We defend our territory, whatever space we steal to paint on, we defend it fiercely.

 

The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming, or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since, in most countries, graffiti art remains illegal in many forms except when using non-permanent paint. Since the 1990s with the rise of Street Art, a growing number of artists are switching to non-permanent paints and non-traditional forms of painting.

 

Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicize other art forms, and have used the prison sentences enforced on them as a means of further protest. The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each other's practices. For example, the anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers did a piece in 2004 about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery.

 

Berlin human rights activist Irmela Mensah-Schramm has received global media attention and numerous awards for her 35-year campaign of effacing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist graffiti throughout Germany, often by altering hate speech in humorous ways.

 

In Serbian capital, Belgrade, the graffiti depicting a uniformed former general of Serb army and war criminal, convicted at ICTY for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnian War, Ratko Mladić, appeared in a military salute alongside the words "General, thank to your mother". Aleks Eror, Berlin-based journalist, explains how "veneration of historical and wartime figures" through street art is not a new phenomenon in the region of former Yugoslavia, and that "in most cases is firmly focused on the future, rather than retelling the past". Eror is not only analyst pointing to danger of such an expressions for the region's future. In a long expose on the subject of Bosnian genocide denial, at Balkan Diskurs magazine and multimedia platform website, Kristina Gadže and Taylor Whitsell referred to these experiences as a young generations' "cultural heritage", in which young are being exposed to celebration and affirmation of war-criminals as part of their "formal education" and "inheritance".

 

There are numerous examples of genocide denial through celebration and affirmation of war criminals throughout the region of Western Balkans inhabited by Serbs using this form of artistic expression. Several more of these graffiti are found in Serbian capital, and many more across Serbia and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative entity, Republika Srpska, which is the ethnic Serbian majority enclave. Critics point that Serbia as a state, is willing to defend the mural of convicted war criminal, and have no intention to react on cases of genocide denial, noting that Interior Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin decision to ban any gathering with an intent to remove the mural, with the deployment of riot police, sends the message of "tacit endorsement". Consequently, on 9 November 2021, Serbian heavy police in riot gear, with graffiti creators and their supporters, blocked the access to the mural to prevent human rights groups and other activists to paint over it and mark the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism in that way, and even arrested two civic activist for throwing eggs at the graffiti.

 

Graffiti may also be used as an offensive expression. This form of graffiti may be difficult to identify, as it is mostly removed by the local authority (as councils which have adopted strategies of criminalization also strive to remove graffiti quickly). Therefore, existing racist graffiti is mostly more subtle and at first sight, not easily recognized as "racist". It can then be understood only if one knows the relevant "local code" (social, historical, political, temporal, and spatial), which is seen as heteroglot and thus a 'unique set of conditions' in a cultural context.

 

A spatial code for example, could be that there is a certain youth group in an area that is engaging heavily in racist activities. So, for residents (knowing the local code), a graffiti containing only the name or abbreviation of this gang already is a racist expression, reminding the offended people of their gang activities. Also a graffiti is in most cases, the herald of more serious criminal activity to come. A person who does not know these gang activities would not be able to recognize the meaning of this graffiti. Also if a tag of this youth group or gang is placed on a building occupied by asylum seekers, for example, its racist character is even stronger.

By making the graffiti less explicit (as adapted to social and legal constraints), these drawings are less likely to be removed, but do not lose their threatening and offensive character.

 

Elsewhere, activists in Russia have used painted caricatures of local officials with their mouths as potholes, to show their anger about the poor state of the roads. In Manchester, England, a graffitists painted obscene images around potholes, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.

 

In the early 1980s, the first art galleries to show graffitists to the public were Fashion Moda in the Bronx, Now Gallery and Fun Gallery, both in the East Village, Manhattan.

 

A 2006 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum displayed graffiti as an art form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early 1980s with the work of Crash, Lee, Daze, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It displayed 22 works by New York graffitists, including Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink. In an article about the exhibition in the magazine Time Out, curator Charlotta Kotik said that she hoped the exhibition would cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti.

 

From the 1970s onwards, Burhan Doğançay photographed urban walls all over the world; these he then archived for use as sources of inspiration for his painterly works. The project today known as "Walls of the World" grew beyond even his own expectations and comprises about 30,000 individual images. It spans a period of 40 years across five continents and 114 countries. In 1982, photographs from this project comprised a one-man exhibition titled "Les murs murmurent, ils crient, ils chantent ..." (The walls whisper, shout and sing ...) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

 

In Australia, art historians have judged some local graffiti of sufficient creative merit to rank them firmly within the arts. Oxford University Press's art history text Australian Painting 1788–2000 concludes with a long discussion of graffiti's key place within contemporary visual culture, including the work of several Australian practitioners.

 

Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris.

 

Spray paint has many negative environmental effects. The paint contains toxic chemicals, and the can uses volatile hydrocarbon gases to spray the paint onto a surface.

 

Volatile organic compound (VOC) leads to ground level ozone formation and most of graffiti related emissions are VOCs. A 2010 paper estimates 4,862 tons of VOCs were released in the United States in activities related to graffiti.

  

In China, Mao Zedong in the 1920s used revolutionary slogans and paintings in public places to galvanize the country's communist movement.

 

Based on different national conditions, many people believe that China's attitude towards Graffiti is fierce, but in fact, according to Lance Crayon in his film Spray Paint Beijing: Graffiti in the Capital of China, Graffiti is generally accepted in Beijing, with artists not seeing much police interference. Political and religiously sensitive graffiti, however, is not allowed.

 

In Hong Kong, Tsang Tsou Choi was known as the King of Kowloon for his calligraphy graffiti over many years, in which he claimed ownership of the area. Now some of his work is preserved officially.

 

In Taiwan, the government has made some concessions to graffitists. Since 2005 they have been allowed to freely display their work along some sections of riverside retaining walls in designated "Graffiti Zones". From 2007, Taipei's department of cultural affairs also began permitting graffiti on fences around major public construction sites. Department head Yong-ping Lee (李永萍) stated, "We will promote graffiti starting with the public sector, and then later in the private sector too. It's our goal to beautify the city with graffiti". The government later helped organize a graffiti contest in Ximending, a popular shopping district. graffitists caught working outside of these designated areas still face fines up to NT$6,000 under a department of environmental protection regulation. However, Taiwanese authorities can be relatively lenient, one veteran police officer stating anonymously, "Unless someone complains about vandalism, we won't get involved. We don't go after it proactively."

 

In 1993, after several expensive cars in Singapore were spray-painted, the police arrested a student from the Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him, and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty to vandalizing a car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Vandalism Act of Singapore, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of S$3,500 (US$2,233), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on 5 May 1994. Fay had originally received a sentence of six strokes of the cane, but the presiding president of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, agreed to reduce his caning sentence to four lashes.

 

In South Korea, Park Jung-soo was fined two million South Korean won by the Seoul Central District Court for spray-painting a rat on posters of the G-20 Summit a few days before the event in November 2011. Park alleged that the initial in "G-20" sounds like the Korean word for "rat", but Korean government prosecutors alleged that Park was making a derogatory statement about the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit. This case led to public outcry and debate on the lack of government tolerance and in support of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the painting, "an ominous creature like a rat" amounts to "an organized criminal activity" and upheld the fine while denying the prosecution's request for imprisonment for Park.

 

In Europe, community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti, in some cases with reckless abandon, as when in 1992 in France a local Scout group, attempting to remove modern graffiti, damaged two prehistoric paintings of bison in the Cave of Mayrière supérieure near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archeology.

 

In September 2006, the European Parliament directed the European Commission to create urban environment policies to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animal excrement, and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.

 

In Budapest, Hungary, both a city-backed movement called I Love Budapest and a special police division tackle the problem, including the provision of approved areas.

 

The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed "cool" or "edgy'" image.

 

To back the campaign, 123 Members of Parliament (MPs) (including then Prime Minister Tony Blair), signed a charter which stated: "Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem."

 

In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property is not damaged.

 

In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffitists for the first time. After a three-month police surveillance operation, nine members of the DPM crew were convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage costing at least £1 million. Five of them received prison sentences, ranging from eighteen months to two years. The unprecedented scale of the investigation and the severity of the sentences rekindled public debate over whether graffiti should be considered art or crime.

 

Some councils, like those of Stroud and Loerrach, provide approved areas in the town where graffitists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks, and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the "spray and run".

 

Graffiti Tunnel, University of Sydney at Camperdown (2009)

In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffitists. One early example is the "Graffiti Tunnel" located at the Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, which is available for use by any student at the university to tag, advertise, poster, and paint. Advocates of this idea suggest that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.[108][109] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. Some local government areas throughout Australia have introduced "anti-graffiti squads", who clean graffiti in the area, and such crews as BCW (Buffers Can't Win) have taken steps to keep one step ahead of local graffiti cleaners.

 

Many state governments have banned the sale or possession of spray paint to those under the age of 18 (age of majority). However, a number of local governments in Victoria have taken steps to recognize the cultural heritage value of some examples of graffiti, such as prominent political graffiti. Tough new graffiti laws have been introduced in Australia with fines of up to A$26,000 and two years in prison.

 

Melbourne is a prominent graffiti city of Australia with many of its lanes being tourist attractions, such as Hosier Lane in particular, a popular destination for photographers, wedding photography, and backdrops for corporate print advertising. The Lonely Planet travel guide cites Melbourne's street as a major attraction. All forms of graffiti, including sticker art, poster, stencil art, and wheatpasting, can be found in many places throughout the city. Prominent street art precincts include; Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Brunswick, St. Kilda, and the CBD, where stencil and sticker art is prominent. As one moves farther away from the city, mostly along suburban train lines, graffiti tags become more prominent. Many international artists such as Banksy have left their work in Melbourne and in early 2008 a perspex screen was installed to prevent a Banksy stencil art piece from being destroyed, it has survived since 2003 through the respect of local street artists avoiding posting over it, although it has recently had paint tipped over it.

 

In February 2008 Helen Clark, the New Zealand prime minister at that time, announced a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism, describing it as a destructive crime representing an invasion of public and private property. New legislation subsequently adopted included a ban on the sale of paint spray cans to persons under 18 and increases in maximum fines for the offence from NZ$200 to NZ$2,000 or extended community service. The issue of tagging become a widely debated one following an incident in Auckland during January 2008 in which a middle-aged property owner stabbed one of two teenage taggers to death and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.

 

Graffiti databases have increased in the past decade because they allow vandalism incidents to be fully documented against an offender and help the police and prosecution charge and prosecute offenders for multiple counts of vandalism. They also provide law enforcement the ability to rapidly search for an offender's moniker or tag in a simple, effective, and comprehensive way. These systems can also help track costs of damage to a city to help allocate an anti-graffiti budget. The theory is that when an offender is caught putting up graffiti, they are not just charged with one count of vandalism; they can be held accountable for all the other damage for which they are responsible. This has two main benefits for law enforcement. One, it sends a signal to the offenders that their vandalism is being tracked. Two, a city can seek restitution from offenders for all the damage that they have committed, not merely a single incident. These systems give law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them not only to focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.

 

Many restrictions of civil gang injunctions are designed to help address and protect the physical environment and limit graffiti. Provisions of gang injunctions include things such as restricting the possession of marker pens, spray paint cans, or other sharp objects capable of defacing private or public property; spray painting, or marking with marker pens, scratching, applying stickers, or otherwise applying graffiti on any public or private property, including, but not limited to the street, alley, residences, block walls, and fences, vehicles or any other real or personal property. Some injunctions contain wording that restricts damaging or vandalizing both public and private property, including but not limited to any vehicle, light fixture, door, fence, wall, gate, window, building, street sign, utility box, telephone box, tree, or power pole.

 

To help address many of these issues, many local jurisdictions have set up graffiti abatement hotlines, where citizens can call in and report vandalism and have it removed. San Diego's hotline receives more than 5,000 calls per year, in addition to reporting the graffiti, callers can learn more about prevention. One of the complaints about these hotlines is the response time; there is often a lag time between a property owner calling about the graffiti and its removal. The length of delay should be a consideration for any jurisdiction planning on operating a hotline. Local jurisdictions must convince the callers that their complaint of vandalism will be a priority and cleaned off right away. If the jurisdiction does not have the resources to respond to complaints in a timely manner, the value of the hotline diminishes. Crews must be able to respond to individual service calls made to the graffiti hotline as well as focus on cleanup near schools, parks, and major intersections and transit routes to have the biggest impact. Some cities offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects for tagging or graffiti related vandalism. The amount of the reward is based on the information provided, and the action taken.

 

When police obtain search warrants in connection with a vandalism investigation, they are often seeking judicial approval to look for items such as cans of spray paint and nozzles from other kinds of aerosol sprays; etching tools, or other sharp or pointed objects, which could be used to etch or scratch glass and other hard surfaces; permanent marking pens, markers, or paint sticks; evidence of membership or affiliation with any gang or tagging crew; paraphernalia including any reference to "(tagger's name)"; any drawings, writing, objects, or graffiti depicting taggers' names, initials, logos, monikers, slogans, or any mention of tagging crew membership; and any newspaper clippings relating to graffiti crime.

Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is heavily centred on bringing about change and involving the younger generation in activist causes.

Early life[edit]

Bragg was born in 1957 in Barking, Essex (which is now in Greater London)[2] to Dennis Frederick Austin Bragg, an assistant sales manager to a Barking cap maker and milliner, and his wife Marie Victoria D'Urso, who was of Italian descent.[3] Bragg's father died of lung cancer in 1976,[4] and his mother died in 2011.[5]

Bragg was educated at Northbury Junior School and Park Modern Secondary School (now part of Barking Abbey Secondary School[6]) in Barking. He failed his eleven-plus exam, effectively precluding him from going to university.[7] However he developed an interest in poetry at the age of twelve, when his English teacher chose him to read a poem he had written for a homework assignment on a local radio station.[8] He put his energies into learning and practising the guitar with his next-door neighbour, Philip Wigg (Wiggy); some of their influences were the Faces, Small Faces and the Rolling Stones. He was also exposed to folk and folk-rock music during his teenage years, citing Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan as early influences on his songwriting.[8]

During the rise of punk rock and new wave in the late 1970s, Elvis Costello also served as an inspiration for Bragg.[9] He was also particularly influenced by the Clash, whom he'd seen play live in London in May 1977 on their White Riot Tour, and again at a Rock Against Racism carnival in April 1978, which he admits was the first time he really stepped into the world of music as it is used for political activism.[10] The experience of the gig and preceding march helped shape Bragg's left-wing politics, having previously "turned a blind eye" to casual racism.[10]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

In 1977 Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff with Wiggy. The band decamped to rural Oundle in Northamptonshire in 1978 to record a series of singles (the first on independent Chiswick Records) which did not receive wide exposure. After a period of gigging in Northamptonshire and London, they returned to Barking and split in 1980.[11] Taking a series of odd jobs including working at Guy Norris' record shop in Barking high street, Bragg became disillusioned with his stalled music career and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After completing three months' basic training, he bought himself out for £175 and returned home.[12]

Bragg peroxided his hair to mark a new phase in his life and began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar under the name Spy vs Spy (after the strip in Mad magazine).[13]

 

His demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records' A&R man Peter Jenner.[14] Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for music publisher Chappell & Co., so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy (credited to Billy Bragg) was released in July 1983 by Charisma's new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy albeit at the wrong speed (since the 12" LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm). Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.[14]

Within months Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, who had been made redundant, became Bragg's manager. Stiff Records' press officer Andy Macdonald – who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs – received a copy of Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy. He made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go! Discs in November 1983, at the fixed low price of £2.99.[15] Around this time, Andy Kershaw, an early supporter at Radio Aire in Leeds, was employed by Jenner as Bragg's tour manager. (He later became a BBC DJ and TV presenter, and he and Bragg appeared in an episode of the BBC TV programme Great Journeys in 1989, in which they travelled the Silver Road from Potosí, Bolivia, to the Pacific coast at Arica, Chile.)[16]

Though never released as a Bragg single, album track and live favourite "A New England", with an additional verse, became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl in January 1985. Since MacColl's early death, Bragg always sings the extra verse live in her honour.[17]

In 1984, he released Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, a mixture of political songs (e.g. "It Says Here") and songs of unrequited love (e.g. "The Saturday Boy"). This was followed in 1985 by Between the Wars, an EP of political songs that included a cover version of Leon Rosselson's "The World Turned Upside Down". The EP made the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and earned Bragg an appearance on Top of the Pops, singing the title track. Bragg later collaborated with Rosselson on the song "Ballad of a Spycatcher".[18]

In the same year, he embarked on his first tour of North America, with Wiggy as tour manager, supporting Echo & the Bunnymen.[19] The tour began in Washington D.C. and ended in Los Angeles. On the same trip, in New York, Bragg unveiled his "Portastack",[20] a self-contained, mobile PA system weighing 35 lbs (designed for £500 by engineer Kenny Jones), the wearing of which became an archetypal image of the singer at that time. With it, he was able to busk outside the New Music Seminar, a record industry conference.[21]

Late 1980s and early 1990s[edit]

In 1986 Bragg released Talking with the Taxman About Poetry, which became his first Top 10 album. Its title is taken from a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky and a translated version of the poem was printed on the record's inner sleeve. Back to Basics is a 1987 collection of his first three releases: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and Between the Wars. He enjoyed his only Number 1 hit single in May 1988, a cover of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home", a shared A-side with Wet Wet Wet's "With a Little Help from My Friends". Both were taken from a multi-artist re-recording of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band titled Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father coordinated by the NME in aid of the charity Childline. Wet Wet Wet's cover dominated radio airplay and its video was shown over three consecutive weeks on Top of the Pops; in week four, Bragg went on the programme to play his cover, with regular accompanist Cara Tivey on piano.[22]

Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime, in September 1988. With this album, Bragg added a full backing band and accompaniment, including Tivey on piano, Danny Thompson on double bass and veteran Micky Waller on drums. Wiggy earned a co-production credit with Joe Boyd.[23]

In August 1989 Bragg took lead vocal on the ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears’ sampling Norman Cook's UK top 40 hit "Won’t Talk About It", which was a double-A-side with "Blame It On the Bassline". The track was a bigger hit a year later with Lindy Layton replacing Bragg as lead vocal.[citation needed]

In May 1990 Bragg released the political mini-LP The Internationale on his and Jenner's own short-lived label Utility, which operated independently of Go! Discs, to which Bragg was still contracted. The songs were, in part, a return to his solo guitar style, but some featured more complicated arrangements and included a brass band. The album paid tribute to one of Bragg's influences with the song, "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", which is an adapted version of Earl Robinson's song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", itself an adaptation of a poem by Alfred Hayes.[24] Though the album only reached Number 34 in the UK Charts, Bragg described it as "a reassertion of my rights as an individual ... and a childish two fingers [to Go! Discs boss Andy Macdonald, who'd recently signed a distribution deal with entertainment industry giant PolyGram]."[25]

His sixth studio album Don't Try This at Home was recorded in the shadow of the build-up to the Gulf War and subsequent ground war, inspiring the track "Rumours of War". Although there is social comment ("The Few", "North Sea Bubble"), it was intended as a more commercial pop album, released in September 1991. (Bragg called it "a very long-range attempt to convert the ball between the posts."[26]). The first single was the upbeat "Sexuality", which, despite an accessible video and a dance remix on the B-side, only reached Number 27 on the UK Singles Chart. Following overtures by rival label Chrysalis, Bragg and Jenner had been persuaded by Go! Discs' Andy and Juliet Macdonald to sign a four-album deal for a million pound advance; in return he would promote the album with singles and videos.[27] A more commercial sound and aggressive marketing had no appreciable effect on album sales, and after a grueling, 13-month world tour with a full band (the Red Stars, led by Wiggy), and a period of forced convalescence after appendicitis, Bragg left Go! Discs in summer 1992, paying back the remainder of his advance in return for all rights to his back catalogue.[28]

Late 1990s and 2000s[edit]

Bragg released the album William Bloke in 1996 after taking time off to help new partner Juliet Wills raise their son Jack. (There is a reference to him in the track "Brickbat": "Now you'll find me with the baby, in the bathroom.")[29] After the ambitious instrumentation of Don't Try This at Home, it was a simpler record, musically, more personal and even spiritual, lyrically (its title a pun on the name of 18th-century English poet William Blake, who is referenced in the song "Upfield").[30]

Around that time, Nora Guthrie (daughter of American folk artist Woody Guthrie) asked Bragg to set some of her father's unrecorded lyrics to music. The result was a collaboration with the band Wilco and Natalie Merchant (with whom Bragg had worked previously). They released the album Mermaid Avenue in 1998,[31] and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in 2000.[32] The first album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category. A third batch, Mermaid Avenue Vol III, and The Complete Sessions followed in 2012 to mark Woody Guthrie's centennial.[33] A rift with Wilco over mixing and sequencing the first album led to Bragg recruiting his own band, The Blokes, to promote the album live. The Blokes included keyboardist Ian McLagan, who had been a member of Bragg's boyhood heroes The Faces. The documentary film Man in the Sand depicts the roles of Nora Guthrie, Bragg, and Wilco in the creation of the Mermaid Avenue albums.[34]

A developing interest in English national identity, driven by the rise of the BNP and his own move from London to rural Dorset in 1999, informed his 2002 album England, Half-English (whose single, "Take Down The Union Jack" put him back on Top of the Pops in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year[35]) and his 2006 book The Progressive Patriot. The book expressed his view that English socialists can reclaim patriotism from the right wing. He draws on Victorian poet Rudyard Kipling for an inclusive sense of Englishness.[36] In 2007 Bragg moved closer to his English folk music roots by joining the WOMAD-inspired collective The Imagined Village, who recorded an album of updated versions of traditional English songs and dances and toured through that autumn.[37]

In December Bragg previewed tracks from his forthcoming album Mr. Love & Justice at a one-off evening of music and conversation to mark his 50th birthday at London's South Bank.[38] The album was released in March 2008, the second Bragg album to be named after a book by Colin MacInnes after England, Half-English.[39][40] The same year, during the NME Awards ceremony, Bragg sang a duet with British solo act Kate Nash. They mixed up two of their greatest hits, Nash playing "Foundations", and Bragg redoing "A New England".[41] Also in 2008, Bragg played a small role in Stuart Bamforth's film A13: Road Movie.[42]

In 2009, Bragg was invited by London's South Bank to write new lyrics for "Ode to Joy", the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (original libretto by Friedrich Schiller), since adopted as an international anthem of unity. The London Philharmonic Orchestra performed it at the Royal Festival Hall in front of the Queen and Bragg met her afterwards to earn "brownie points" with his mother, also in attendance.[43]

2010s[edit]

He was involved in the play Pressure Drop at the Wellcome Collection in London in April and May 2010. The production, written by Mick Gorden, and billed as "part play, part gig, part installation", featured new songs by Bragg. He performed during the play with his band, and acted as compere.[44]

Bragg was invited by Michael Eavis to curate the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2010,[45] which he has continued to do in subsequent years.[46] He also took part in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty-Six Books, where he wrote a piece based upon a book of the King James Bible.[47] Bragg performed a set of the Guthrie songs that he had set to music for Mermaid Avenue during the Hay Literary Festival in June 2012,[48] he also performed the same set on the Friday night of the 2012 Cambridge Folk Festival.[49]

On 18 March 2013, five years after Mr. Love & Justice, Bragg released the studio album Tooth & Nail. Recorded in five days at the home studio of musician/producer Joe Henry in South Pasadena it featured 11 original songs, including one written for the Bush Theatre and a Woody Guthrie cover. Stylistically, it continued to explore genres of Americana and Alternative country, a natural progression since Mermaid Avenue.[50][51] The album was a commercial success, becoming his best charting record since 1991's Don't Try This at Home.[52]

  

Bragg with Joe Henry at the Union Chapel, Islington.

In February 2014, Bragg started a series of "radio shows" on Spotify, in which he talked listeners through self-curated playlists of "his favourite tracks and artists, and uncovering some little-known musical gems."[53] On 14 April 2014, Bragg put out Live at the Union Chapel, a souvenir album and DVD of a show he played on 5 June 2013 at the Union Chapel in London, featuring songs from Tooth & Nail as well as favourites from his back catalogue.[54]

In February 2016, Bragg was given the Trailblazer Award at the inaugural Americana Music Association UK Awards in London.[55] Following that, in September he was given the Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award at the Americana Music Association US Awards in Nashville.[56]

In August 2016, Bragg released his eleventh album, a collaboration with Joe Henry, Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad, recorded at various points on a journey between Chicago and Los Angeles by train in March. It reached number 28 in the UK Album Charts[57] and number one in the UK Americana album chart.[58] The pair started a dual Shine a Light tour at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville in September 2016, and taking them across the States and Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. In April 2017, they played in Australia.

Faber published Bragg's second nonfiction book (after 2006's The Progressive Patriot), Roots, Radicals and Rockers in June 2016, a history of the British skiffle movement, tracing the form from its 1950s boom back to ragtime, blues, jazz and American folk music. On BBC Music Day 2017, he helped unveil a blue plaque marking the studio (Trident) where the late David Bowie recorded two classic albums and the single Space Oddity, in Soho; he joined album sleeve designer George Underwood and BBC Radio London’s Robert Elms.[59] In November, he released all six tracks from the mini-album Bridges Not Walls as downloads through the Billy Bragg website,[60] followed by the single Full English Brexit through Cooking Vinyl.

In April 2018, Bragg was invited to deliver a Bank of England Flagship Seminar; his presentation was titled Accountability: the Antidote to Authoritarianism. The speech was made available on the Bank of England's website.[61] At the Ivor Novello Awards (the Ivors) in May, he accepted the PRS Outstanding Contribution to British Music award.[62] Also in May, his official biography Still Suitable for Miners was published in a new, 20th anniversary updated edition.[63]

He ended 2018 touring New Zealand and Australia. In Auckland, he road-tested a new live format for 2019 (first tried out in Toronto), One Step Forward, Two Steps Back. The idea was to play three consecutive shows over three nights at each venue: the first night a current, mixed Bragg set; the second from his first three albums; the third from his second three albums. "It’s a way of keeping things interesting," he said.[64] The tour would cover the United States and the UK and Ireland throughout 2019.

In May, Faber and Faber published The Three Dimensions of Freedom, a short polemic by Bragg intended, according to the publisher's blurb, to "protect ourselves from encroaching tyranny." The author urges readers to "look beyond [the] one-dimensional notion of what it means to be free" and "by reconnecting liberty to equality and accountability, restore ... the three dimensions of freedom."[65]

Politics and activism[edit]

For all of Bragg's 30-year-plus recording career he has been involved with grassroots, broadly leftist, political movements, and this is often reflected in his lyrics. He has also recorded and performed cover versions of famous socialist anthems such as "The Internationale" and "The Red Flag". Bragg said in an interview: "I don't mind being labelled a political songwriter. The thing that troubles me is being dismissed as a political songwriter."[66] Bragg has cited the Clash as a strong influence on his politically themed material and activism:

It wasn't so much their lyrics as what they stood for and the actions they took. That became really important to me. Phil Collins might write a song about the homeless, but if he doesn't have the action to go with it he's just exploiting that for a subject. I got that from the Clash, and I try to remain true to that tradition as best I can.[67]

From 1983 to 1997[edit]

Bragg's politics were focused by the Conservative Party's 144-seat majority landslide at the 1983 general election. He told his biographer, "By 1983, the scales had fallen from my eyes."[68] His record label boss Andy Macdonald observed that "his presence onstage took on more of the avenging angel."[69] Bragg was at the forefront of music's influence on the 1984 miners' strike, and played many benefit gigs in towns close to coalfields such as Newport and Sunderland.[70] He also released an EP during this year titled "Between the Wars", which connected struggles of class solidarity to the present issue. This single was his most successful up until this point, reaching number 15 on the charts.[71] The following year, after playing a short Labour Party-sponsored Jobs For Youth tour, he joined other like-minded activists in the public eye to form the musicians' alliance Red Wedge, which promoted Labour's cause – and in turn lobbied the party on youth issues – in the run-up to the 1987 general election,[72] with a national tour in 1986 alongside The Style Council, Jerry Dammers and The Communards.

Bragg travelled twice to the Soviet Union in 1986, the year Mikhail Gorbachev started to promote the policies of perestroika and glasnost. He played a gig in Leningrad, and the Festival of Song in the Struggle for Peace in Kyiv.[73]

 

On 12 June 1987, the night after Labour lost that year's general election, Bragg appeared on a notable edition of the Channel 4 discussion programme After Dark, alongside David Selbourne, Teresa Gorman and Hilary Hook among others. The Independent wrote "A show called Is Britain Working? brought together victorious Tory MP Teresa Gorman; ...Helen from the Stonehenge Convoy; old colonialist Colonel Hilary Hook... and Adrian, one of the jobless. It was a perfect example of the chemistry you can get. There were unlikely alliances (Bragg and Hook)".[74] Later Gorman "stormed off the set, claiming she had been misled about the nature of the programme"[75] "She told...Bragg: 'You and your kind are finished. We are the future now.'"[76] Bragg said "I sing in smokey rooms every night and I can keep talking for far longer than you can Teresa".[77] Bragg explained later: "She was so smug. And because she was Essex I took it personally. Then she accused me of being a fine example of Thatcherism."[78]

From 2010 to 2014[edit]

In the 2010 general election, Bragg supported the Liberal Democrats because "they've got the best manifesto".[88]

Bragg was also very active in his hometown of Barking as part of Searchlight magazine's Hope not Hate campaign, where the BNP's leader Nick Griffin was standing for election. At one point during the campaign Bragg squared up to BNP London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook, calling him a "Fascist racist" and saying "when you're gone from this borough, we will rebuild this community". The BNP came third on election day.[89]

In January 2011, news sources reported that 20 to 30 residents of Bragg's Dorset village, Burton Bradstock, had received anonymous letters viciously attacking him and his politics, and urging residents to oppose him in the village. He claimed that a BNP supporter was behind the letters, which argued that Bragg is a hypocrite for advocating socialism while living a wealthy lifestyle, and referred to him as anti-British and pro-immigration.[90]

In July 2011 Bragg joined the growing protests over the News of the World phone hacking affair with the release of his "Never Buy the Sun" single, which references many of the scandal's key points including the Milly Dowler case, police bribes and associated political fallout. It also draws on the 22-year Liverpool boycott of The Sun for their coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.[91]

In October 2011, Bragg joined the Occupy Movement protests in the City of London.[92]

In 2013, despite his scathing criticism of Margaret Thatcher, he urged people not to celebrate the death of the former Conservative Prime Minister:

The death of Margaret Thatcher is nothing more than a salient reminder of how Britain got into the mess that we are in today. Of why ordinary working people are no longer able to earn enough from one job to support a family; of why there is a shortage of decent affordable housing... of why cynicism and greed became the hallmarks of our society. Raising a glass to the death of an infirm old lady changes none of this. The only real antidote to cynicism is activism. Don't celebrate – organise![93]

In 2014, Bragg joined the March in March anti-government protests[94] in Sydney, Australia.

In June 2014, Bragg joined other musicians (including Radiohead's Ed O'Brien) in backing a call for the EU to intervene in a dispute between YouTube and independent labels. According to a BBC News report, the video-streaming site was offering "non-negotiable contracts" to its planned, Spotify-like music-subscription service to labels such as XL Recordings, 4AD, Cooking Vinyl and Domino "accompanied by the threat that music videos they have posted to their YouTube channels will be blocked from site altogether if they do not agree to the terms."[95]

Bragg supports both Scottish and Welsh independence.[96] In 2014, after David Bowie spoke in favour of Scotland remaining part of the UK, Bragg said, "Bowie's intervention encourages people in England to discuss the issues of the independence referendum, and I think English people should be discussing it, so I welcome his intervention."[97] Bragg was a vocal supporter of Scottish independence during the campaign prior to the referendum on 18 September 2014. Bragg wrote an article for the Guardian publication on 16 September, in which he addressed the objections he had previously received from people who conflated Scottish nationalism with the far-right ethos of the BNP. He described the independence campaign as "civic nationalism" and his opinion piece concluded:

Support for Scottish self-determination might not fit neatly into any leftwing pigeonhole, but it does chime with an older progressive tradition that runs deep in English history – a dogged determination to hold the over-mighty to account. If, during the constitutional settlement that will follow the referendum, we in England can rediscover our Roundhead tradition, we might yet counter our historic weakness for ethnic nationalism with an outpouring of civic engagement that creates a fairer society for all.[98]

2015 to present[edit]

Bragg was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas at the 2015 general election.[99] In August 2015, Bragg endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. He said: "His [Corbyn's] success so far shows you how bland our politics have become, in the aim of winning those swing voters in middle England the Labour Party has lost touch with its roots. We live in a time of austerity and what you want from that is not more austerity, you want compassion."[100] On an edition of Question Time in October 2015, he said that Corbyn represents a political "urge for change" and that Ed Miliband had failed to win the 2015 general election because Miliband and the party followed "the old way of doing things".[101] In 2016, Bragg, along with numerous other celebrities, toured the UK to support Corbyn's bid to become Prime Minister.[102][103] He also voiced his support for Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.[104]

In August 2016, The Times reported that at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Bragg had said: "I worry about Jeremy that he's a kind of twentieth century Labour man", and that "we need to be reaching out to people". Described as a "previously loyal supporter", who has "lent his support to Mr Corbyn on numerous occasions since he became Labour leader", The Times quoted Bragg: "I don't have a simple answer. My hope is that the party does not split and that we resolve this stalemate". Corbyn at the time was campaigning in an enforced second leadership election in the summer of 2016.[105]

After The Times article appeared, the singer tweeted that he had "joined the long list of people stitched up by the Murdoch papers"[106] and accused the Times of "twisting my words to attack Corbyn", urging "don’t let Murdoch sow discord".[107] The Guardian reproduced a quote from a recording of the event absent from The Times article: "It's a challenge. Labour has fires to fight on different fronts. This would be happening even without Corbyn if any of the other candidates had won last year, these problems would still be there".[106] In August 2016, Bragg also endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[108]

During the general election campaign in May 2017, Bragg added his signature to a letter published in The Guardian calling for Labour to withdraw its candidates in two constituencies; Brighton Pavilion and the Isle of Wight and potentially allowing the Green Party to defeat the Tories in both, where Labour were running second. The letter was also signed by Labour MP Clive Lewis, former policy chief Jon Cruddas, former shadow children's minister Tulip Siddiq and journalists Paul Mason and Owen Jones. The initiative was shut down by Jeremy Corbyn.[109]

In June 2019, Bragg publicly criticised fellow singer-songwriter Morrissey for his recent political comments and endorsement of a far-right political party, and accused him of dragging the legacy of Johnny Marr and the Smiths "through the dirt".[110]

In November 2019, Bragg endorsed the Labour Party in the 2019 general election.[111]

 

Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is heavily centred on bringing about change and involving the younger generation in activist causes.

Early life[edit]

Bragg was born in 1957 in Barking, Essex (which is now in Greater London)[2] to Dennis Frederick Austin Bragg, an assistant sales manager to a Barking cap maker and milliner, and his wife Marie Victoria D'Urso, who was of Italian descent.[3] Bragg's father died of lung cancer in 1976,[4] and his mother died in 2011.[5]

Bragg was educated at Northbury Junior School and Park Modern Secondary School (now part of Barking Abbey Secondary School[6]) in Barking. He failed his eleven-plus exam, effectively precluding him from going to university.[7] However he developed an interest in poetry at the age of twelve, when his English teacher chose him to read a poem he had written for a homework assignment on a local radio station.[8] He put his energies into learning and practising the guitar with his next-door neighbour, Philip Wigg (Wiggy); some of their influences were the Faces, Small Faces and the Rolling Stones. He was also exposed to folk and folk-rock music during his teenage years, citing Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan as early influences on his songwriting.[8]

During the rise of punk rock and new wave in the late 1970s, Elvis Costello also served as an inspiration for Bragg.[9] He was also particularly influenced by the Clash, whom he'd seen play live in London in May 1977 on their White Riot Tour, and again at a Rock Against Racism carnival in April 1978, which he admits was the first time he really stepped into the world of music as it is used for political activism.[10] The experience of the gig and preceding march helped shape Bragg's left-wing politics, having previously "turned a blind eye" to casual racism.[10]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

In 1977 Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff with Wiggy. The band decamped to rural Oundle in Northamptonshire in 1978 to record a series of singles (the first on independent Chiswick Records) which did not receive wide exposure. After a period of gigging in Northamptonshire and London, they returned to Barking and split in 1980.[11] Taking a series of odd jobs including working at Guy Norris' record shop in Barking high street, Bragg became disillusioned with his stalled music career and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After completing three months' basic training, he bought himself out for £175 and returned home.[12]

Bragg peroxided his hair to mark a new phase in his life and began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar under the name Spy vs Spy (after the strip in Mad magazine).[13]

 

His demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records' A&R man Peter Jenner.[14] Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for music publisher Chappell & Co., so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy (credited to Billy Bragg) was released in July 1983 by Charisma's new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy albeit at the wrong speed (since the 12" LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm). Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.[14]

Within months Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, who had been made redundant, became Bragg's manager. Stiff Records' press officer Andy Macdonald – who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs – received a copy of Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy. He made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go! Discs in November 1983, at the fixed low price of £2.99.[15] Around this time, Andy Kershaw, an early supporter at Radio Aire in Leeds, was employed by Jenner as Bragg's tour manager. (He later became a BBC DJ and TV presenter, and he and Bragg appeared in an episode of the BBC TV programme Great Journeys in 1989, in which they travelled the Silver Road from Potosí, Bolivia, to the Pacific coast at Arica, Chile.)[16]

Though never released as a Bragg single, album track and live favourite "A New England", with an additional verse, became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl in January 1985. Since MacColl's early death, Bragg always sings the extra verse live in her honour.[17]

In 1984, he released Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, a mixture of political songs (e.g. "It Says Here") and songs of unrequited love (e.g. "The Saturday Boy"). This was followed in 1985 by Between the Wars, an EP of political songs that included a cover version of Leon Rosselson's "The World Turned Upside Down". The EP made the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and earned Bragg an appearance on Top of the Pops, singing the title track. Bragg later collaborated with Rosselson on the song "Ballad of a Spycatcher".[18]

In the same year, he embarked on his first tour of North America, with Wiggy as tour manager, supporting Echo & the Bunnymen.[19] The tour began in Washington D.C. and ended in Los Angeles. On the same trip, in New York, Bragg unveiled his "Portastack",[20] a self-contained, mobile PA system weighing 35 lbs (designed for £500 by engineer Kenny Jones), the wearing of which became an archetypal image of the singer at that time. With it, he was able to busk outside the New Music Seminar, a record industry conference.[21]

Late 1980s and early 1990s[edit]

In 1986 Bragg released Talking with the Taxman About Poetry, which became his first Top 10 album. Its title is taken from a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky and a translated version of the poem was printed on the record's inner sleeve. Back to Basics is a 1987 collection of his first three releases: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and Between the Wars. He enjoyed his only Number 1 hit single in May 1988, a cover of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home", a shared A-side with Wet Wet Wet's "With a Little Help from My Friends". Both were taken from a multi-artist re-recording of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band titled Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father coordinated by the NME in aid of the charity Childline. Wet Wet Wet's cover dominated radio airplay and its video was shown over three consecutive weeks on Top of the Pops; in week four, Bragg went on the programme to play his cover, with regular accompanist Cara Tivey on piano.[22]

Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime, in September 1988. With this album, Bragg added a full backing band and accompaniment, including Tivey on piano, Danny Thompson on double bass and veteran Micky Waller on drums. Wiggy earned a co-production credit with Joe Boyd.[23]

In August 1989 Bragg took lead vocal on the ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears’ sampling Norman Cook's UK top 40 hit "Won’t Talk About It", which was a double-A-side with "Blame It On the Bassline". The track was a bigger hit a year later with Lindy Layton replacing Bragg as lead vocal.[citation needed]

In May 1990 Bragg released the political mini-LP The Internationale on his and Jenner's own short-lived label Utility, which operated independently of Go! Discs, to which Bragg was still contracted. The songs were, in part, a return to his solo guitar style, but some featured more complicated arrangements and included a brass band. The album paid tribute to one of Bragg's influences with the song, "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", which is an adapted version of Earl Robinson's song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", itself an adaptation of a poem by Alfred Hayes.[24] Though the album only reached Number 34 in the UK Charts, Bragg described it as "a reassertion of my rights as an individual ... and a childish two fingers [to Go! Discs boss Andy Macdonald, who'd recently signed a distribution deal with entertainment industry giant PolyGram]."[25]

His sixth studio album Don't Try This at Home was recorded in the shadow of the build-up to the Gulf War and subsequent ground war, inspiring the track "Rumours of War". Although there is social comment ("The Few", "North Sea Bubble"), it was intended as a more commercial pop album, released in September 1991. (Bragg called it "a very long-range attempt to convert the ball between the posts."[26]). The first single was the upbeat "Sexuality", which, despite an accessible video and a dance remix on the B-side, only reached Number 27 on the UK Singles Chart. Following overtures by rival label Chrysalis, Bragg and Jenner had been persuaded by Go! Discs' Andy and Juliet Macdonald to sign a four-album deal for a million pound advance; in return he would promote the album with singles and videos.[27] A more commercial sound and aggressive marketing had no appreciable effect on album sales, and after a grueling, 13-month world tour with a full band (the Red Stars, led by Wiggy), and a period of forced convalescence after appendicitis, Bragg left Go! Discs in summer 1992, paying back the remainder of his advance in return for all rights to his back catalogue.[28]

Late 1990s and 2000s[edit]

Bragg released the album William Bloke in 1996 after taking time off to help new partner Juliet Wills raise their son Jack. (There is a reference to him in the track "Brickbat": "Now you'll find me with the baby, in the bathroom.")[29] After the ambitious instrumentation of Don't Try This at Home, it was a simpler record, musically, more personal and even spiritual, lyrically (its title a pun on the name of 18th-century English poet William Blake, who is referenced in the song "Upfield").[30]

Around that time, Nora Guthrie (daughter of American folk artist Woody Guthrie) asked Bragg to set some of her father's unrecorded lyrics to music. The result was a collaboration with the band Wilco and Natalie Merchant (with whom Bragg had worked previously). They released the album Mermaid Avenue in 1998,[31] and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in 2000.[32] The first album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category. A third batch, Mermaid Avenue Vol III, and The Complete Sessions followed in 2012 to mark Woody Guthrie's centennial.[33] A rift with Wilco over mixing and sequencing the first album led to Bragg recruiting his own band, The Blokes, to promote the album live. The Blokes included keyboardist Ian McLagan, who had been a member of Bragg's boyhood heroes The Faces. The documentary film Man in the Sand depicts the roles of Nora Guthrie, Bragg, and Wilco in the creation of the Mermaid Avenue albums.[34]

A developing interest in English national identity, driven by the rise of the BNP and his own move from London to rural Dorset in 1999, informed his 2002 album England, Half-English (whose single, "Take Down The Union Jack" put him back on Top of the Pops in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year[35]) and his 2006 book The Progressive Patriot. The book expressed his view that English socialists can reclaim patriotism from the right wing. He draws on Victorian poet Rudyard Kipling for an inclusive sense of Englishness.[36] In 2007 Bragg moved closer to his English folk music roots by joining the WOMAD-inspired collective The Imagined Village, who recorded an album of updated versions of traditional English songs and dances and toured through that autumn.[37]

In December Bragg previewed tracks from his forthcoming album Mr. Love & Justice at a one-off evening of music and conversation to mark his 50th birthday at London's South Bank.[38] The album was released in March 2008, the second Bragg album to be named after a book by Colin MacInnes after England, Half-English.[39][40] The same year, during the NME Awards ceremony, Bragg sang a duet with British solo act Kate Nash. They mixed up two of their greatest hits, Nash playing "Foundations", and Bragg redoing "A New England".[41] Also in 2008, Bragg played a small role in Stuart Bamforth's film A13: Road Movie.[42]

In 2009, Bragg was invited by London's South Bank to write new lyrics for "Ode to Joy", the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (original libretto by Friedrich Schiller), since adopted as an international anthem of unity. The London Philharmonic Orchestra performed it at the Royal Festival Hall in front of the Queen and Bragg met her afterwards to earn "brownie points" with his mother, also in attendance.[43]

2010s[edit]

He was involved in the play Pressure Drop at the Wellcome Collection in London in April and May 2010. The production, written by Mick Gorden, and billed as "part play, part gig, part installation", featured new songs by Bragg. He performed during the play with his band, and acted as compere.[44]

Bragg was invited by Michael Eavis to curate the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2010,[45] which he has continued to do in subsequent years.[46] He also took part in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty-Six Books, where he wrote a piece based upon a book of the King James Bible.[47] Bragg performed a set of the Guthrie songs that he had set to music for Mermaid Avenue during the Hay Literary Festival in June 2012,[48] he also performed the same set on the Friday night of the 2012 Cambridge Folk Festival.[49]

On 18 March 2013, five years after Mr. Love & Justice, Bragg released the studio album Tooth & Nail. Recorded in five days at the home studio of musician/producer Joe Henry in South Pasadena it featured 11 original songs, including one written for the Bush Theatre and a Woody Guthrie cover. Stylistically, it continued to explore genres of Americana and Alternative country, a natural progression since Mermaid Avenue.[50][51] The album was a commercial success, becoming his best charting record since 1991's Don't Try This at Home.[52]

  

Bragg with Joe Henry at the Union Chapel, Islington.

In February 2014, Bragg started a series of "radio shows" on Spotify, in which he talked listeners through self-curated playlists of "his favourite tracks and artists, and uncovering some little-known musical gems."[53] On 14 April 2014, Bragg put out Live at the Union Chapel, a souvenir album and DVD of a show he played on 5 June 2013 at the Union Chapel in London, featuring songs from Tooth & Nail as well as favourites from his back catalogue.[54]

In February 2016, Bragg was given the Trailblazer Award at the inaugural Americana Music Association UK Awards in London.[55] Following that, in September he was given the Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award at the Americana Music Association US Awards in Nashville.[56]

In August 2016, Bragg released his eleventh album, a collaboration with Joe Henry, Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad, recorded at various points on a journey between Chicago and Los Angeles by train in March. It reached number 28 in the UK Album Charts[57] and number one in the UK Americana album chart.[58] The pair started a dual Shine a Light tour at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville in September 2016, and taking them across the States and Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. In April 2017, they played in Australia.

Faber published Bragg's second nonfiction book (after 2006's The Progressive Patriot), Roots, Radicals and Rockers in June 2016, a history of the British skiffle movement, tracing the form from its 1950s boom back to ragtime, blues, jazz and American folk music. On BBC Music Day 2017, he helped unveil a blue plaque marking the studio (Trident) where the late David Bowie recorded two classic albums and the single Space Oddity, in Soho; he joined album sleeve designer George Underwood and BBC Radio London’s Robert Elms.[59] In November, he released all six tracks from the mini-album Bridges Not Walls as downloads through the Billy Bragg website,[60] followed by the single Full English Brexit through Cooking Vinyl.

In April 2018, Bragg was invited to deliver a Bank of England Flagship Seminar; his presentation was titled Accountability: the Antidote to Authoritarianism. The speech was made available on the Bank of England's website.[61] At the Ivor Novello Awards (the Ivors) in May, he accepted the PRS Outstanding Contribution to British Music award.[62] Also in May, his official biography Still Suitable for Miners was published in a new, 20th anniversary updated edition.[63]

He ended 2018 touring New Zealand and Australia. In Auckland, he road-tested a new live format for 2019 (first tried out in Toronto), One Step Forward, Two Steps Back. The idea was to play three consecutive shows over three nights at each venue: the first night a current, mixed Bragg set; the second from his first three albums; the third from his second three albums. "It’s a way of keeping things interesting," he said.[64] The tour would cover the United States and the UK and Ireland throughout 2019.

In May, Faber and Faber published The Three Dimensions of Freedom, a short polemic by Bragg intended, according to the publisher's blurb, to "protect ourselves from encroaching tyranny." The author urges readers to "look beyond [the] one-dimensional notion of what it means to be free" and "by reconnecting liberty to equality and accountability, restore ... the three dimensions of freedom."[65]

Politics and activism[edit]

For all of Bragg's 30-year-plus recording career he has been involved with grassroots, broadly leftist, political movements, and this is often reflected in his lyrics. He has also recorded and performed cover versions of famous socialist anthems such as "The Internationale" and "The Red Flag". Bragg said in an interview: "I don't mind being labelled a political songwriter. The thing that troubles me is being dismissed as a political songwriter."[66] Bragg has cited the Clash as a strong influence on his politically themed material and activism:

It wasn't so much their lyrics as what they stood for and the actions they took. That became really important to me. Phil Collins might write a song about the homeless, but if he doesn't have the action to go with it he's just exploiting that for a subject. I got that from the Clash, and I try to remain true to that tradition as best I can.[67]

From 1983 to 1997[edit]

Bragg's politics were focused by the Conservative Party's 144-seat majority landslide at the 1983 general election. He told his biographer, "By 1983, the scales had fallen from my eyes."[68] His record label boss Andy Macdonald observed that "his presence onstage took on more of the avenging angel."[69] Bragg was at the forefront of music's influence on the 1984 miners' strike, and played many benefit gigs in towns close to coalfields such as Newport and Sunderland.[70] He also released an EP during this year titled "Between the Wars", which connected struggles of class solidarity to the present issue. This single was his most successful up until this point, reaching number 15 on the charts.[71] The following year, after playing a short Labour Party-sponsored Jobs For Youth tour, he joined other like-minded activists in the public eye to form the musicians' alliance Red Wedge, which promoted Labour's cause – and in turn lobbied the party on youth issues – in the run-up to the 1987 general election,[72] with a national tour in 1986 alongside The Style Council, Jerry Dammers and The Communards.

Bragg travelled twice to the Soviet Union in 1986, the year Mikhail Gorbachev started to promote the policies of perestroika and glasnost. He played a gig in Leningrad, and the Festival of Song in the Struggle for Peace in Kyiv.[73]

 

On 12 June 1987, the night after Labour lost that year's general election, Bragg appeared on a notable edition of the Channel 4 discussion programme After Dark, alongside David Selbourne, Teresa Gorman and Hilary Hook among others. The Independent wrote "A show called Is Britain Working? brought together victorious Tory MP Teresa Gorman; ...Helen from the Stonehenge Convoy; old colonialist Colonel Hilary Hook... and Adrian, one of the jobless. It was a perfect example of the chemistry you can get. There were unlikely alliances (Bragg and Hook)".[74] Later Gorman "stormed off the set, claiming she had been misled about the nature of the programme"[75] "She told...Bragg: 'You and your kind are finished. We are the future now.'"[76] Bragg said "I sing in smokey rooms every night and I can keep talking for far longer than you can Teresa".[77] Bragg explained later: "She was so smug. And because she was Essex I took it personally. Then she accused me of being a fine example of Thatcherism."[78]

From 2010 to 2014[edit]

In the 2010 general election, Bragg supported the Liberal Democrats because "they've got the best manifesto".[88]

Bragg was also very active in his hometown of Barking as part of Searchlight magazine's Hope not Hate campaign, where the BNP's leader Nick Griffin was standing for election. At one point during the campaign Bragg squared up to BNP London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook, calling him a "Fascist racist" and saying "when you're gone from this borough, we will rebuild this community". The BNP came third on election day.[89]

In January 2011, news sources reported that 20 to 30 residents of Bragg's Dorset village, Burton Bradstock, had received anonymous letters viciously attacking him and his politics, and urging residents to oppose him in the village. He claimed that a BNP supporter was behind the letters, which argued that Bragg is a hypocrite for advocating socialism while living a wealthy lifestyle, and referred to him as anti-British and pro-immigration.[90]

In July 2011 Bragg joined the growing protests over the News of the World phone hacking affair with the release of his "Never Buy the Sun" single, which references many of the scandal's key points including the Milly Dowler case, police bribes and associated political fallout. It also draws on the 22-year Liverpool boycott of The Sun for their coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.[91]

In October 2011, Bragg joined the Occupy Movement protests in the City of London.[92]

In 2013, despite his scathing criticism of Margaret Thatcher, he urged people not to celebrate the death of the former Conservative Prime Minister:

The death of Margaret Thatcher is nothing more than a salient reminder of how Britain got into the mess that we are in today. Of why ordinary working people are no longer able to earn enough from one job to support a family; of why there is a shortage of decent affordable housing... of why cynicism and greed became the hallmarks of our society. Raising a glass to the death of an infirm old lady changes none of this. The only real antidote to cynicism is activism. Don't celebrate – organise![93]

In 2014, Bragg joined the March in March anti-government protests[94] in Sydney, Australia.

In June 2014, Bragg joined other musicians (including Radiohead's Ed O'Brien) in backing a call for the EU to intervene in a dispute between YouTube and independent labels. According to a BBC News report, the video-streaming site was offering "non-negotiable contracts" to its planned, Spotify-like music-subscription service to labels such as XL Recordings, 4AD, Cooking Vinyl and Domino "accompanied by the threat that music videos they have posted to their YouTube channels will be blocked from site altogether if they do not agree to the terms."[95]

Bragg supports both Scottish and Welsh independence.[96] In 2014, after David Bowie spoke in favour of Scotland remaining part of the UK, Bragg said, "Bowie's intervention encourages people in England to discuss the issues of the independence referendum, and I think English people should be discussing it, so I welcome his intervention."[97] Bragg was a vocal supporter of Scottish independence during the campaign prior to the referendum on 18 September 2014. Bragg wrote an article for the Guardian publication on 16 September, in which he addressed the objections he had previously received from people who conflated Scottish nationalism with the far-right ethos of the BNP. He described the independence campaign as "civic nationalism" and his opinion piece concluded:

Support for Scottish self-determination might not fit neatly into any leftwing pigeonhole, but it does chime with an older progressive tradition that runs deep in English history – a dogged determination to hold the over-mighty to account. If, during the constitutional settlement that will follow the referendum, we in England can rediscover our Roundhead tradition, we might yet counter our historic weakness for ethnic nationalism with an outpouring of civic engagement that creates a fairer society for all.[98]

2015 to present[edit]

Bragg was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas at the 2015 general election.[99] In August 2015, Bragg endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. He said: "His [Corbyn's] success so far shows you how bland our politics have become, in the aim of winning those swing voters in middle England the Labour Party has lost touch with its roots. We live in a time of austerity and what you want from that is not more austerity, you want compassion."[100] On an edition of Question Time in October 2015, he said that Corbyn represents a political "urge for change" and that Ed Miliband had failed to win the 2015 general election because Miliband and the party followed "the old way of doing things".[101] In 2016, Bragg, along with numerous other celebrities, toured the UK to support Corbyn's bid to become Prime Minister.[102][103] He also voiced his support for Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.[104]

In August 2016, The Times reported that at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Bragg had said: "I worry about Jeremy that he's a kind of twentieth century Labour man", and that "we need to be reaching out to people". Described as a "previously loyal supporter", who has "lent his support to Mr Corbyn on numerous occasions since he became Labour leader", The Times quoted Bragg: "I don't have a simple answer. My hope is that the party does not split and that we resolve this stalemate". Corbyn at the time was campaigning in an enforced second leadership election in the summer of 2016.[105]

After The Times article appeared, the singer tweeted that he had "joined the long list of people stitched up by the Murdoch papers"[106] and accused the Times of "twisting my words to attack Corbyn", urging "don’t let Murdoch sow discord".[107] The Guardian reproduced a quote from a recording of the event absent from The Times article: "It's a challenge. Labour has fires to fight on different fronts. This would be happening even without Corbyn if any of the other candidates had won last year, these problems would still be there".[106] In August 2016, Bragg also endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[108]

During the general election campaign in May 2017, Bragg added his signature to a letter published in The Guardian calling for Labour to withdraw its candidates in two constituencies; Brighton Pavilion and the Isle of Wight and potentially allowing the Green Party to defeat the Tories in both, where Labour were running second. The letter was also signed by Labour MP Clive Lewis, former policy chief Jon Cruddas, former shadow children's minister Tulip Siddiq and journalists Paul Mason and Owen Jones. The initiative was shut down by Jeremy Corbyn.[109]

In June 2019, Bragg publicly criticised fellow singer-songwriter Morrissey for his recent political comments and endorsement of a far-right political party, and accused him of dragging the legacy of Johnny Marr and the Smiths "through the dirt".[110]

In November 2019, Bragg endorsed the Labour Party in the 2019 general election.[111]

 

HOLLYWOOD - A fire involving vehicles in a carport quickly spread to a pair of apartment buildings in Hollywood late Wednesday afternoon, briefly trapping and injuring one woman, and displacing twenty-two residents.

 

The Los Angeles Fire Department was notified by the first of several 9-1-1 callers at 5:21 PM on July 12, 2023, of one or more vehicles ablaze in a detached carport behind 7764 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.

 

First arriving firefighters, discovering that flames had extended beyond the carport to vegetation and one nearby two-story apartment building - in which a woman was reportedly trapped, requested additional personnel as they began a rescue effort alongside the attack on escalating flames.

 

Discovering the woman on the second floor, they assisted her outdoors. She was subsequently treated and transported to an area hospital for smoke inhalation and burn injury.

 

As the intense fire spread to flammable vegetation between the buildings, including cypress trees, flames took hold within the attic of the neighboring and nearly identical two story apartment building to the east, as heavy smoke impacted a separate three story apartment building beyond.

 

A total of 126 firefighters under the command of LAFD Assistant Chief Luis Aldana, including members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department from nearby stations responding in automatic aid, confined the fire to two apartment buildings and carport, extinguishing the flames in 102 minutes.

 

Two Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters sustained injury in the firefight. One sustaining a hand laceration was treated at scene before returning to the battle, while another sustained non-life threatening burn injury, and was transported to an area hospital.

 

With eighteen apartment units seriously damaged by flames, volunteers from the American Red Cross assisted twenty-two displaced residents, while Inspectors from the City's Department of Building & Safety were summoned to examine the building to determine what repairs would be necessary before residents could return.

 

Monetary loss from the fire is still being tabulated. The cause of this major emergency incident remains under active investigation.

 

LAFD Photo by Harry Garvin

 

LAFD Incident 071223-1353

 

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

(The following is a completely fictional history!)

 

By 1982, the deficiences of the SA-77C Wildfire program were rapidly becoming apparent, and so the FIRAF began looking at a replacement. To preserve the FIR’s self-sufficiency and desire for armament sources beyond the United States, Minister of Defense Akela Canis authorized Intelani Aeronautics to begin designing a replacement for the Wildfire in strict secrecy. Emphasis was placed on affordability and manueverability above all other aspects of the new design. Like the SA-77C, it would be a pure fighter rather than a multirole aircraft.

 

The design team decided to start from scratch, and numerous ideas were put on the table. This included a license-built, simplified F-16A (based on the unsuccessful F-16/79 proposal), resurrecting the Northrop YF-17 Cobra (which had provided the prototype for the F/A-18 Hornet), and essentially a scaled-down version of the Wildfire with variable-sweep wings. The proposal that was liked the most was to design something that would be “radical and practicable,” and centered around the research being made by Grumman Aerospace on forward-swept wing designs. The forward swept wing (FSW) would offer unparalleled (at the time) manueverability, excellent low-speed handling characteristics, and high-Alpha capability.

 

With the permission of Canis, IA contacted Grumman and offered to partner with them in the design of a testbed for the FSW design, which would become the X-29, in August 1983. The X-29 had already begun design work funded by DARPA, and Intelani Aeronautics’ involvement in the design was officially “observer only,” and the fact that much of the research funding came from IA was kept secret.

 

In the interests of speed and cost, the X-29 prototypes were adapted from existing F-5A Freedom Fighter airframes, retaining the forward fuselage and nose landing gear of the type, with main landing gear and control surface actuators of the F-16A. IA, with a better knowledge of composites than Grumman, provided the wings. The X-29 first flew in December 1984.

 

By this time, the Third World War had begun, and a crash program was started to design a military version of the X-29, designated XF-31 Stingray. The second X-29 was designed with a strengthened wing to simulate the addition of hardpoints and first flew in March 1985. By this time, the third X-29 prototype was already being reworked into the first XF-31.

 

Though the X-29 performed well in all respects, Intelani Aeronautics made some improvements to the design. The wing was made slightly larger with more area, while the forward fuselage was made slightly longer and deeper to accommodate the APG-65 radar of the F-16A. A gatling gun setup similar to that of the F/A-18 was proposed, but ultimately rejected in favor of two M39A2 20mm cannon; this was because the F-5 fuselage that the XF-31 was adapted was easily fitted with the M39s and FIRAF pilots were already more used to the cannon armament of the SA-77C and A-4ES. The analog cockpit of the X-29/F-5A was revised to include three multifunction displays, and, taking advantage of combat reports from Europe, an undernose Television Camera System (TCS), adapted from the F-14A+ Tomcat, was added underneath the nose. Because of weight distribution, the decision was made to place the TCS behind the forward landing gear rather than in front of it.

 

Wingtip and underwing fuselage hardpoints were added (the fuselage being too narrow for an underfuselage hardpoint), with the inner pylons “plumbed” for drop tanks. Though the XF-31 was cleared for unguided rocket pods and bombs, and software included for air-to-ground missions, the Stingray was meant to be a pure fighter first and foremost. For the same reason, the canopy was revised as a bubble canopy and the rear fuselage slightly cut down from the X-29, giving better all-around visibility, though not as good as the F-16’s.

 

The most radical change to the X-29 design was the rear fuselage. While it retained the long rear-leading edge extensions (RLEX) of the X-29, a forked twin-tail configuration was adapted for better handling. It was also planned to equip the XF-31 with two engines instead of one, but in the interests of speed the X-29’s single F404 powerplant was retained. The “canoe” that the X-29’s tail was mounted on was retained and used to hold a Holly Stinger ECM suite, essentially equipping the Stingray with internal ECM equivalent to the ALQ-119 pods used over wartime Europe. It was also a “no-frills” aircraft, designed to be built purely for the air superiority role in a hurry at a reasonable price; indeed, the flyaway cost of the Stingray was only $6.2 million per aircraft, half that of the F-16. Because of the speed required to get the aircraft into production, no two-seat conversion trainer F-31 was built.

 

For all the design changes, the XF-31 first flew in May 1985. Again, it was found to be generally a good design, and not as difficult to fly as first thought; the forward swept wing made it virtually impossible to stall, and it was found to be controllable even at an angle of attack of 67 degrees. The heavier nose and twin tails caused some airflow problems, and so the canards were raised a foot higher than those on the XF-31 and made fully controllable; pilots could angle the canards completely down and drop their airspeed precipitously, though this made the Stingray very difficult to control. Strakes were added to the nose (similar to that of the IAI Kfir) to improve longitudinal stability.

 

Production of the standard F-31A was already begun before testing of the XF-31 prototype was complete, and the first production aircraft was rolled out in August 1985. This was done without a formal ceremony to keep the design secret, and the first three F-31As were intended purely for research; these were flown against captured MiG-21s and MiG-23s to develop tactics. Instrumental in this development was Akela Canis Jr., the top-ranked intelani ace, who test-flew the Stingray in October 1985 and proclaimed the design “superb.” The formal announcement of the F-31A was made in November, by which time six were already in Europe with the 51st Fighter Squadron.

 

The Stingray saw its first combat in December, and pilots reported that Soviet pilots were obviously stunned by the radical design being operational. These combat trials also revealed a number of small technical problems, mainly with the guns and TCS system; it also showed the Stingray’s Achilles heel, though one that had been anticipated: the design was very short-ranged compared to other fighters, and was not truly suited for all-weather operations over Europe. Nonetheless, the design was a huge leap forward over the SA-77C and A-4ES, and was placed in full production with priority over all other weapons for the FIR armed forces.

 

Akela Canis Jr. lobbied hard for his 1st Fighter Squadron to be reequipped with Stingrays, and got his wish in February 1986. Pairing the most manueverable fighter then in existence with some of the best-trained fighter pilots in the world proved to be a deadly combination, and “Polar” would go on to score an incredible 420 aerial kills in the Stingray between February 1986 and May 1987. Canis, in his memoirs, attributed this high number to a number of factors: the Stingray’s sudden appearance caught the Soviets by surprise and did not give them enough time to develop counter-tactics; the marked decrease in Soviet pilot quality by summer 1986, which meant poorly-trained pilots were going up against hardened veterans; the Stingray’s unmatched capability in the short-range turning dogfight—up to that point one of the Soviets’ best tactics against large, less manueverable fighters like the Wildfire, F-4, and F-15. This, in Canis’ words, gave Polar the “perfect storm” they needed to achieve a murderous kill ratio, fully ten percent of all NATO kills of the war.

 

The heavy use of composites in the Stingray also made it a very resilient aircraft; Canis returned to base with an entire wingtip missing, while Matthew White, another Polar ace, collided with a flagpole on a strafing mission and managed to return home despite a huge rent in the lower fuselage.

 

The Stingray proved wildly popular, and by the end of the war, four squadrons were equipped with them. It was thought that as many as twenty squadrons might be reequipped with Stingrays, but postwar cuts and the F-31A’s shortcomings proved to limit their numbers. While the Stingray had proven to be arguably the best fighter of the Third World War, it was nonetheless hampered by a lack of range and lack of multirole capability.

 

F-31As were committed to Operation Desert Shield/Storm, using oversize ferry tanks to improve their range. Once more, put into an environment where they excelled, the Stingray reigned supreme, scoring 32 kills, nearly half of all Coalition aerial victories of the war.

 

Though outnumbered by F-15s and F-16s in FIRAF service, the F-31C Stingray remains an important part of the FIRAF and a much-sought after assignment. 72 Stingrays are in service with the FIRAF. These aircraft are slated to be replaced beginning in 2015, possibly by F-32A Mantas or F-35A Lightnings.

 

Completely made-up history aside, I got the idea of equipping my literary characters and fantasy air force with FSW fighters from my childhood, when one of my favorite toys was the GI Joe X-30 Conquest. Dad and I collaborated on the F-31 design, with Dad using the 1/48 scale Hasegawa X-29 kit. He used F-18 tails for the twin tails of the Stingray design, moved the canards to the top of the intakes, added the guns to the nose, and some assorted bumps and such for ECM. (There is a TCS taken from a F-14B kit, but it can't be seen from this angle.) Then hardpoints were added under the wings and on the wingtips, with two drop tanks, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and two AIM-9L Sidewinders. Most decals were taken from a F-16 sheet, with JASDF hinomarus used for the "Free Intelani Air Force" roundels; a F-15 sheet supplied both the bear and the blue/white starburst for the tail logo (the bear is from a JASDF F-15 unit, while the starburst is from the 318th FIS from McChord AFB, WA). The whole thing was painted in F-16 style camouflage.

 

The end result was a great looking kitbash, and it was our favorite collaboration. I ran the design by some aviation designers, and they said it was a viable design--though the tails should be moved down to the ends of the RLEXs, as the split tail doesn't offer any benefits to aerodynamics as placed. I was interested to see that the Iranian F-5 Shahegh variant uses a similar tail configuration...

 

Despite my involvement, this movie is a tender, comic gem. An amazing cast to work alongside in Martin Landau, Bill Murray, et al., but, of course, with Tim, there exists an almost brotherly sensibility, which made the whole experience a joy. Ultimately, I feel, with the artistic freedom we had, TB produced an American classic. A love letter to a filmmaker that didn't receive many.-- Johnny Depp

 

After his death in 1978, Ed Wood became best known as the world's worst film director and a cult following was born. Among his biggest fans were Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

 

"This is Edward D. Wood, Jr."

Ed Wood's most famous features are the autobiographical Glen or Glenda, which explores a transvestite's struggle for a normal life, and Plan 9 from Outer Space, a science fiction/horror movie that was funded by local Baptist churches and completed in 5 days. Unlike your typical director, who may take all day to shoot one scene and finish a film in months, Ed Wood might have shot 30 scenes in a single day. Usually without permits, he had to steal shots whenever and as quickly as possible. His films weren't your typical Hollywood blockbusters; they were Ed Wood opuses. As scriptwriter Larry Karaszewski explained, "There's a personality to Ed Wood films that you don't necessarily get in a lot of other people's films. A lot of bad films are simply bad movies or incompetently put together. With Ed, you get a real sense of the filmmaker behind the camera. You see an Ed Wood movie, and you know it's an Ed Wood movie because of the obsessions and the fetishes. The stuff he's throwing up on the screen is clearly his way of working something out inside of him."

 

In Ed Wood's eyes, every film he made would be the one to make it big. Scriptwriter Scott Alexander noted, "Where Ed's movies are distinctive is that there's such passion there. The passion is oftentimes misguided, but it's there." That's where Tim Burton's film takes flight.

 

Ed Wood focuses on the director's friendship with aging Bela Lugosi, who had fallen from stardom after portraying Dracula during the Silent Era and was now battling drug addiction and poverty. After a chance meeting, Ed wanted to help Bela--one of his childhood heroes--by giving him parts in his films. The friendship lasted until Bela's death 5 years later.

 

"Let's Shoot This F#*%@r!"

When Tim Burton received this bio-pic's script, co-written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, he dropped his other projects and got to work, hardly changing anything on the page. He remembered, "It's probably the first time ever that I got a script and said, 'Yeah, let's shoot this.'"

 

Studying Ed Wood's original letters, Tim and Johnny got a sense of an unwavering upbeat optimism about his work. Because of that, Johnny's performance is hilariously over-enthusiastic and joyful. His other ingredients for the character of Ed Wood included the heart of The Wizard of Oz's Tin Man, the blind optimism of Ronald Reagan, and the distinctive voice of Casey Kasem. Working with Tim again on a project that became a labor of love for all involved was just what Johnny needed to break out of the, let's say, dark place he was stuck in while filming What's Eating Gilbert Grape? "Ed was the rocket ship that took me away from that horrible, black, bleak time," he said. "This guy needed to be the ultimate optimist, dreamer, idealist. It was like being in a completely different suit or skin. It felt very good." His friend, Director Jim Jarmusch can attest: "I was staying at his house for a while when he was shooting Ed Wood, and sometimes I would pick him up from the set and we'd get dinner. It would take him three hours to stop being Ed Wood. I just wanted to slap him to get that stupid smile off his face. We'd be in this Thai restaurant and Johnny is going, 'Hey, this Pad Thai is fabulous!'"

 

Johnny's performance fits perfectly into Tim Burton's version of an Ed Wood film--beautifully stylized in black-and-white with all the perceived normalcy of the 1950s. "You're mixing different elements," Tim explained. "You want to get the flavor of an Ed Wood movie without being an Ed Wood exactly."

 

"This is perfect!"

Tim Burton's Ed Wood is one of his best. It's one of Johnny's best. It's one of the world's best! They made a movie that struck a bittersweet balance between Ed Wood's rosy vision and reality. It is at once hilarious, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and joyful.

 

This movie is about the love of filmmaking. In his review, Roger Ebert proclaimed that every film school in the country should show this film to their students to instill the devotion to and joy of the work. No matter what happens, everything is perfect in Ed's eyes. His love of producing and directing--getting the film in the can--was all that mattered.

 

The writers noted that there were several more scenes reflecting Ed's insecurities and self-doubt, but they didn't make it into the film. Larry Karaszewski explained, "Johnny and Tim grew to love Ed so much that it made them uncomfortable to give Ed those moments."

 

At the heart of this movie is friendship and acceptance. No one in Ed Wood's circle is "normal," yet by the end of the film you are cheering for all of them. Aside from Bela Lugosi and himself, Ed Wood's cast often included Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson (George "The Animal" Steele), ghoulish TV hostess Vampira (Lisa Marie), self-proclaimed psychic Criswell (Jeffrey Jones), and drag queen Bunny Breckenridge (Bill Murray). The "bad guys" in this movie were those embarrassed by Ed's love for cross-dressing or confused by his films' lack of continuity or retakes. But this troupe of misfits stuck together like family. And that was no clearer than in the relationship between Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi.

 

Brilliantly played by Martin Landau, becoming Bela Lugosi was a challenge: "What you've got here is a 74-year-old Hungarian morphine addict/alcoholic who has mood swings," Martin explained. "That would be hard enough, but it had to be Bela Lugosi, who everyone knows!" Paying homage to the actor, Martin considered this film a male love story, one between two guys who really needed and depended on each other. "You could tell that between Martin and Johnny there was a real respect and a kind of bonding that went on with them because they were both good at a certain level," Tim said. "It was exciting to see that."

 

"We have to go see Ed Wood!"

I had no idea who Ed Wood was at the time I saw this movie, and I don't remember how or where my family and I went to see the film. But I do remember two things: 1) There was no question that we were going to see it this time--no convincing, plotting, or pleading necessary, and 2) While watching the movie for the first time, I was worried about what my parents thought while Johnny strutted around in drag doing a strip tease among his friends in a meat packing plant. On the other hand, I was thrilled by Johnny's fearlessness to do whatever--and for Johnny, "whatever" usually guarantees the unexpected. It's a trait that remains in full force today, and one of the reasons I will always see his movies. Tim agrees, as he discussed being able to work with Johnny again on this project: "Edward Scissorhands was a character who didn't speak, and now we're dealing with a character that won't shut up. It's great to see an actor go from one thing to something completely different. There's a great energy to seeing something like that. He's just so willing to do anything that way. In fact, he usually wants to go farther than you want him to go. It's nice for other actors to see." The reviews everywhere for Tim Burton's little film were positive, even those from my own family.

 

Ed Wood was nominated for too many awards to list here. Among them were Johnny's third Golden Globe nomination and his win for Actor of the Year from the London Film Critics. Ed Wood earned two Oscars--one for Martin Landau's amazing performance and one for the makeup team who transformed him into Bela Lugosi.

 

Because of this movie, I sought out Ed Wood's own films, which I so much wanted to love as much as Tim, Johnny, and company did. But I just couldn't do it. They actually made me sad. I felt better once I found out that the writers are aware of this phenomenon: "What's interesting is that when you watch our movie, and then watch Ed Wood's films, our movie affects the Ed Wood films themselves," writer Larry Karaszewski said. "It's much harder to laugh at Ed Wood films, particularly Glen or Glenda. It feels like a piece of personal filmmaking where you feel like this guy is putting his soul onto film." It's true: Watching the real Ed Wood movies, I was excited to see all the real people who were portrayed in Tim's Ed Wood, and I was still rooting for them to do well. I probably always will.

 

Check it out: Once you see Ed Wood--and you should all see it--it'll happen to you too. This labor of love is contagious.

 

The Kitties will do anything to get this one made!

The Kitties were all for the Ed Wood homage in black and white. We had to choose a filming scene because that's what Ed loved best. Here is one of his great moments: He's dragged the crew (including Norman, Simon, and Comet) out at 3 a.m. to steal an octopus prop from a nearby studio. Now, he's plopping Bela (B.J.) in the middle of it all to stage a big fight. This will match up perfectly with the big underwater finish Ed has planned for his latest movie. Who cares that they forgot to get the octopus motor, or that Bela isn't quite underwater? This is perfect! (And only 25 more scenes to go tonight....)

 

What's next?

Johnny trades in his angora sweater for a mask. Next month, we'll meet the world's greatest lover, Don Juan DeMarco.

 

For more images from Ed Wood and Johnny Kitties, visit Melissa's Kitties' blog: melissaconnolly.blogspot.com.

M6 Gailey 03/07/2023

Hornet Rally 083116

 

Art Around the Park.

 

Howl Festival 2011. Tompkins Square Park.

 

East Village, New York City.

 

"A live action weekend-long event involving 140 artists of all ages turns an 8 foot high, 900 foot long blank "canvas" encircling the exterior of Tompkins Square Park into an explosion of color and creativity....Inspired by the late poet–philosopher Allen Ginsberg – a lifelong spokesperson for peace, justice, and freedom of expression – HOWL! Arts Inc. the umbrella for all things HOWL!, exemplifies the uninhibited, spirited, iconoclastic, and irreverent embrace of poet Allen Ginsberg's artistic invention. HOWL! Arts claims this legacy – as home to "the best minds" of successive generations – to inspire and galvanize new artists and audiences.

 

Presenting poetry, music, dance, theater, fine art, and intersections of popular culture, new technologies and artistic expression that defy easy categorization, everything HOWL! engages and incites people to connect with the arts." Howl Festival website

 

--

 

View more of my photography at my website NY Through The Lens.

 

To purchase any of my work as prints or cards, view my site gallery and store for info here.

 

To use any of my photos commercially, simply click the link which reads "Request to license Vivienne Gucwa's photos via Getty Images". This link can be found on the bottom right corner of the page of the photo you are interested in using.

The Student Involvement Fair, inside and outside of Social Hall, showcased the many opportunities for extra curricular enrichment both inside and outside of the NMH community.

Involvement Expo on the quad Wednesday, August 28, 2019.

The interfaith EarthKeepers II Team held a strategy meeting on April 5, 2013 at the Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast in Big Bay, Michigan to plan the 30 faith community gardens.

 

EarthKeepers II is an Interfaith Energy Conservation and Community Garden Initiative across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

 

Over the next two years, at least 30 interfaith community gardens will be planted that include vegetables (some fresh produce will be given to food banks) - plus native species plants.

 

EarthKeepers II has representatives from 10 faith communities involving 250 churches/temples in northern Michigan: Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Bahá'í, Unitarian Universalist and Zen Buddhist.

 

These gardens will serve as a pollinator central for all plants in the area.

 

Native species plants are pollinator friendly - and that is important as one-third of America's pollinators have died in the past 7 years.

 

The reasons for the pollinator disappearances (bees, butterflies) are varied but most of which are human related especially a new and deadly pesticide/fertilizer powder that is used to coat seeds.

 

Humans cannot live without pollinators.

 

A presentation on native species plants and pollinators was given by U.S. Forest Service Midwest Botanist Jan Schultz.

 

Schultz is the Head Botanist at the USFS Eastern Region (R-9) Office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and we are fortunate she is the EarthKeepers II Technical Advisor for Community Gardens

 

EarthKeepers II Project Coordinator Kyra Fillmore Ziomkowski explained the community garden plans at churches and temples across the U.P.

 

Funded by the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, EarthKeepers II has a major goal of reducing toxins in the Great Lakes including airborne mercury - through energy conservation audits and grants for churches/temples - and educating their congregations on ways to reduce energy consumption at home - while getting financial incentives to do so.

 

An EarthKeepers II contractor has completed 17 of the 40 energy audits at churches/temples in the U.P. - and all will be completed by this fall, according to Delta Green Ex. Dir. Doug Russell, Executive Director, EarthKeepers II Energy Conservation Consultant.

 

Grants of up to $500 (in a few cases more) will be offered to these congregations to help make energy conservations repairs at the houses of worship

 

Those attending the Big Bay meeting included faith leaders and representatives, project organizers and the EarthKeepers II Student Team from Northern Michigan University.

 

Attendees included:

 

Longtime EarthKeeper Rev. Tesshin Paul Lehmberg of the Lake Superior Zendo, a Zen Buddhist temple located at 2222 Longyear Ave, in Marquette, MI.

906-226-6407

plehmber@nmu.edu

 

Guest speaker the Rev. Stephen Gauger of Calvary Lutheran Church

Rapid River, Michigan - representing the Northern Great Lakes Synod (NGLS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - and NGLS Bishop Thomas Skrenes.

www.elca.org

www.nglsynod.org

 

Helen Grossman, representing Jewish Temple Beth Sholom in Ishpeming, MI

www.templebethsholom-ishpeming.org

 

Rev. Christine Bergquist of the Bark River United Methodist Church (UMC) and the First UMC of Hermansville - and representing the United Methodist Church Marquette District - and Rev Elbert P Dulworth, District Superintendent.

www.mqtdistrict.com

 

(EarthKeepers II also thanks Grant Lobb, former Mqt. Dist. Supt. (who has taken another position) and a longtime supporter of U.P. EarthKeepers projects - and we remember the late Episcopal "Earth Bishop" - Bishop James "Jim" Kelsey - who was with the EarthKeepers from our humble beginnings in 2005 - and now watches over us from above.)

 

Rev. Albert Valentine II of the Manistique Presbyterian Church of the Redeemer and the Gould City Community Presbyterian Church - and representing the Presbytery of Mackinac.

www.presbymac.org

www.pcusa.org

 

Rev. Pete Andersen, a retired ELCA pastor from Marquette.

 

Rev. Elisabeth Zant of the NGLS ELCA Eden Evangelical Lutheran Church in Munising, MI.

www.edenevangelical.org

 

Heidi Gould of

Marquette representing the Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation, a liberal religious community for the Marquette community

www.mqtuu.org

twitter.com/Heidi_Gould

www.uua.org

 

Check out the EarthKeepers II social sites (see links below) including our videos - that include beautiful pollinator and nature photos in videos by environmentalist Nancy Parker Hill.

www.nancyhillphoto.com

 

And vegetable garden photos by Carol Michel, a garden blogger, garden writer, eccentric gardener in the Indianapolis, IN area.

Indygardener at gmail.com

 

May Dreams Gardens:

www.maydreamsgardens.com

www.maydreamsgardens.blogspot.com

twitter.com/Indygardener

www.facebook.com/MayDreamsGardens

 

Among those involved in the project but not mentioned above are:

 

Rev. Jon Magnuson, Executive Director

Nonprofit Cedar Tree Institute

EarthKeepers II Project Director

Marquette, Michigan

Nonprofit Cedar Tree Institute projects include Zaagkii Wings and Seeds Project, the Manitou Project and the Zaagkii Wings and Seeds Project

www.wingsandseeds.org

 

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC)

Baraga, Michigan

 

KBIC Natural Resources Department

KBIC Solar-Powered Green House

L'Anse, Michigan

 

Borealis Seed Company

Judy Keast, Suzanne Rabitaille

Big Bay, Michigan

 

NMU EarthKeepers II Student Team:

Katelin Bingner

Tom Merkel

Adam Magnuson

 

10 Faith Communities:

Roman Catholic

Episcopal

Jewish

Lutheran

Presbyterian

United Methodist

Bahá'í

Unitarian Universalist

Zen Buddhist

 

Rev. Charlie West

EarthKeepers II Religious Communications

 

Obadiah Metivier

EarthKeepers II Webmaster

Owner & Creative Director of Middle Ear Media

Marquette, Michigan

 

Videography, Editor, Producer, and Project Volunteer Media Advisor:

Greg Peterson

EarthKeepersII@gmail.com

906-401-0109

 

Special thanks to the Marquette Community Gardens

www.marquettecommunitygardens.org

www.facebook.com/pages/Marquette-Community-Gardens/277739...

 

EarthKeepers II thanks everyone named and unnamed for their loving help with this project:

 

An Interfaith Energy Conservation and Community Garden Initiative Across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Restore Native Plants and Protect the Great Lakes from Toxins like Airborne Mercury in cooperation with the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, U.S. Forest Service, 10 faith traditions and Native American tribes like the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

 

Official EarthKeepers II website

EarthKeepersUP.org

 

Nonprofit Cedar Tree Institute in Marquette, MI

www.CedarTreeInstitute.org

 

EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

www.greatlakesrestoration.us

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

www.epa.gov

 

Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy (GLBTS)

 

Deborah Lamberty

Program Analyst

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Great Lakes National Program Office

77 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, IL

60604-3590

 

Lamberty.Deborah@epa.gov

312-886-6681 (wk)

312-692-2974 (fax)

 

Elizabeth 'Liz' LaPlante, senior manager for the EPA Great Lakes National Programs Office in Chicago, Ill

 

EarthKeepers II social sites:

 

www.youtube.com/EarthKeepersII

 

EarthKeepersII.blogspot.com

 

EarthKeepersII.wordpress.com

 

www.facebook.com/EarthKeepersII

 

vimeo.com/EarthKeepersII

 

www.twitter.com/EarthKeeperTeam

 

pinterest.com/EarthKeepersII/

 

pinterest.com/EarthKeepersII/EarthKeepers-II-and-the-EPA-...

 

pinterest.com/EarthKeepersII/Great-Lakes-Restoration-Init...

 

Google youtube page for EKII:

 

plus.google.com/u/0/b/104404714072685272630/1044047140726...

 

www.linkedin.com/in/gregpetersonyoopernewsman

 

www.facebook.com/GregJohnPeterson

 

www.facebook.com/EarthKeepersII

 

fyi:

 

EarthKeeper II Energy Conservation Audits finished as of 6-12-13

 

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Marquette, MI

 

St. Matthais Episcopal Church

Pickford, MI

 

St. James Episcopal Church

Sault Ste. Marie, MI

 

Temple Beth Sholom

Jewish Synagogue

Ishpeming, MI

 

Messiah Lutheran Church

Marquette, MI

 

St. Mark's Church

Marquette, MI

 

Grace Lutheran Church

Pembine, WI

 

Trinity Lutheran Church

Rhinelander, WI

 

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Skandia, MI

 

St. James Lutheran Church

Rudyard, MI

 

Pickford United Methodist Church (UMC)

Pickford, MI

 

First UMC

Marquette, MI

 

Newberry UMC

Newberry, MI

 

Paradise UMC

Paradise, MI

 

Hulbert/Taquamenon UMC

Hulbert, MI

 

Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Marquette, MI

 

Lake Superior Zendo

Zen Buddhist

Aurora Dharma Temple

Marquette, MI

 

Thanks to our friends at the Big Bay lighthouse:

 

Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast

#3 Lighthouse Road

Big Bay, Michigan

49808

 

906-345-9957 (office)

keepers@BigBayLighthouse.com

www.bigbaylighthouse.com

©AVucha 2015

On Friday, August 28th at 9:53am, the Richmond Township Fire Protection District responded to the intersection of Rt. 173 and Keystone Rd. for a two vehicle, t-bone style, accident involving a dump truck. Fire crews required heavy extrication equipment to free the driver, who was subsequently flown via Flight For Life to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Preliminary investigations indicated the small Dodge sedan was traveling northbound on Keystone Rd. when the driver proceeded through the intersection and got struck on the passenger side by a dump truck traveling westbound on Rt. 173. The driver of the truck was evaluated on scene but did not require any medical attention. The driver of the sedan is being identified only as a teenager. The accident is under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

 

This photograph is being made available only for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial material, advertisements, emails, products, promotions without the expressed consent of Alex Vucha. For inquiries: avuchanewsphotos@hotmail.com

Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural).

 

Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime, citing the use of graffiti by street gangs to mark territory or to serve as an indicator of gang-related activities. Graffiti has become visualized as a growing urban "problem" for many cities in industrialized nations, spreading from the New York City subway system and Philadelphia in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States and Europe and other world regions

 

"Graffiti" (usually both singular and plural) and the rare singular form "graffito" are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). The term "graffiti" is used in art history for works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is "sgraffito", which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. This technique was primarily used by potters who would glaze their wares and then scratch a design into them. In ancient times graffiti were carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The word originates from Greek γράφειν—graphein—meaning "to write".

 

The term graffiti originally referred to the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchres or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Historically, these writings were not considered vanadlism, which today is considered part of the definition of graffiti.

 

The only known source of the Safaitic language, an ancient form of Arabic, is from graffiti: inscriptions scratched on to the surface of rocks and boulders in the predominantly basalt desert of southern Syria, eastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Safaitic dates from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.

 

Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world are 40,000 year old ones found in Australia. The oldest written graffiti was found in ancient Rome around 2500 years ago. Most graffiti from the time was boasts about sexual experiences Graffiti in Ancient Rome was a form of communication, and was not considered vandalism.

 

Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka write their names and commentary over the "mirror wall", adding up to over 1800 individual graffiti produced there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Most of the graffiti refer to the frescoes of semi-nude females found there. One reads:

 

Wet with cool dew drops

fragrant with perfume from the flowers

came the gentle breeze

jasmine and water lily

dance in the spring sunshine

side-long glances

of the golden-hued ladies

stab into my thoughts

heaven itself cannot take my mind

as it has been captivated by one lass

among the five hundred I have seen here.

 

Among the ancient political graffiti examples were Arab satirist poems. Yazid al-Himyari, an Umayyad Arab and Persian poet, was most known for writing his political poetry on the walls between Sajistan and Basra, manifesting a strong hatred towards the Umayyad regime and its walis, and people used to read and circulate them very widely.

 

Graffiti, known as Tacherons, were frequently scratched on Romanesque Scandinavian church walls. When Renaissance artists such as Pinturicchio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, or Filippino Lippi descended into the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea, they carved or painted their names and returned to initiate the grottesche style of decoration.

 

There are also examples of graffiti occurring in American history, such as Independence Rock, a national landmark along the Oregon Trail.

 

Later, French soldiers carved their names on monuments during the Napoleonic campaign of Egypt in the 1790s. Lord Byron's survives on one of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Attica, Greece.

 

The oldest known example of graffiti "monikers" found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s. The Bozo Texino monikers were documented by filmmaker Bill Daniel in his 2005 film, Who is Bozo Texino?.

 

In World War II, an inscription on a wall at the fortress of Verdun was seen as an illustration of the US response twice in a generation to the wrongs of the Old World:

 

During World War II and for decades after, the phrase "Kilroy was here" with an accompanying illustration was widespread throughout the world, due to its use by American troops and ultimately filtering into American popular culture. Shortly after the death of Charlie Parker (nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird"), graffiti began appearing around New York with the words "Bird Lives".

 

Modern graffiti art has its origins with young people in 1960s and 70s in New York City and Philadelphia. Tags were the first form of stylised contemporary graffiti. Eventually, throw-ups and pieces evolved with the desire to create larger art. Writers used spray paint and other kind of materials to leave tags or to create images on the sides subway trains. and eventually moved into the city after the NYC metro began to buy new trains and paint over graffiti.

 

While the art had many advocates and appreciators—including the cultural critic Norman Mailer—others, including New York City mayor Ed Koch, considered it to be defacement of public property, and saw it as a form of public blight. The ‘taggers’ called what they did ‘writing’—though an important 1974 essay by Mailer referred to it using the term ‘graffiti.’

 

Contemporary graffiti style has been heavily influenced by hip hop culture and the myriad international styles derived from Philadelphia and New York City Subway graffiti; however, there are many other traditions of notable graffiti in the twentieth century. Graffiti have long appeared on building walls, in latrines, railroad boxcars, subways, and bridges.

 

An early graffito outside of New York or Philadelphia was the inscription in London reading "Clapton is God" in reference to the guitarist Eric Clapton. Creating the cult of the guitar hero, the phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington, north London in the autumn of 1967. The graffito was captured in a photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall.

 

Films like Style Wars in the 80s depicting famous writers such as Skeme, Dondi, MinOne, and ZEPHYR reinforced graffiti's role within New York's emerging hip-hop culture. Although many officers of the New York City Police Department found this film to be controversial, Style Wars is still recognized as the most prolific film representation of what was going on within the young hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Fab 5 Freddy and Futura 2000 took hip hop graffiti to Paris and London as part of the New York City Rap Tour in 1983

 

Commercialization and entrance into mainstream pop culture

Main article: Commercial graffiti

With the popularity and legitimization of graffiti has come a level of commercialization. In 2001, computer giant IBM launched an advertising campaign in Chicago and San Francisco which involved people spray painting on sidewalks a peace symbol, a heart, and a penguin (Linux mascot), to represent "Peace, Love, and Linux." IBM paid Chicago and San Francisco collectively US$120,000 for punitive damages and clean-up costs.

 

In 2005, a similar ad campaign was launched by Sony and executed by its advertising agency in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami, to market its handheld PSP gaming system. In this campaign, taking notice of the legal problems of the IBM campaign, Sony paid building owners for the rights to paint on their buildings "a collection of dizzy-eyed urban kids playing with the PSP as if it were a skateboard, a paddle, or a rocking horse".

 

Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration". Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities". Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York". The "sprawling metropolis", of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti"; Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples", and to "Brazil's chronic poverty", as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture". In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently". Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised", that is South American graffiti art.

 

Prominent Brazilian writers include Os Gêmeos, Boleta, Nunca, Nina, Speto, Tikka, and T.Freak. Their artistic success and involvement in commercial design ventures has highlighted divisions within the Brazilian graffiti community between adherents of the cruder transgressive form of pichação and the more conventionally artistic values of the practitioners of grafite.

 

Graffiti in the Middle East has emerged slowly, with taggers operating in Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf countries like Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and in Iran. The major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri has published two articles on illegal writers in the city with photographic coverage of Iranian artist A1one's works on Tehran walls. Tokyo-based design magazine, PingMag, has interviewed A1one and featured photographs of his work. The Israeli West Bank barrier has become a site for graffiti, reminiscent in this sense of the Berlin Wall. Many writers in Israel come from other places around the globe, such as JUIF from Los Angeles and DEVIONE from London. The religious reference "נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן" ("Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman") is commonly seen in graffiti around Israel.

 

Graffiti has played an important role within the street art scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), especially following the events of the Arab Spring of 2011 or the Sudanese Revolution of 2018/19. Graffiti is a tool of expression in the context of conflict in the region, allowing people to raise their voices politically and socially. Famous street artist Banksy has had an important effect in the street art scene in the MENA area, especially in Palestine where some of his works are located in the West Bank barrier and Bethlehem.

 

There are also a large number of graffiti influences in Southeast Asian countries that mostly come from modern Western culture, such as Malaysia, where graffiti have long been a common sight in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Since 2010, the country has begun hosting a street festival to encourage all generations and people from all walks of life to enjoy and encourage Malaysian street culture.

 

The modern-day graffitists can be found with an arsenal of various materials that allow for a successful production of a piece. This includes such techniques as scribing. However, spray paint in aerosol cans is the number one medium for graffiti. From this commodity comes different styles, technique, and abilities to form master works of graffiti. Spray paint can be found at hardware and art stores and comes in virtually every color.

 

Stencil graffiti is created by cutting out shapes and designs in a stiff material (such as cardboard or subject folders) to form an overall design or image. The stencil is then placed on the "canvas" gently and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image begins to appear on the intended surface.

 

Some of the first examples were created in 1981 by artists Blek le Rat in Paris, in 1982 by Jef Aerosol in Tours (France); by 1985 stencils had appeared in other cities including New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne, where they were documented by American photographer Charles Gatewood and Australian photographer Rennie Ellis

 

Tagging is the practice of someone spray-painting "their name, initial or logo onto a public surface" in a handstyle unique to the writer. Tags were the first form of modern graffiti.

 

Modern graffiti art often incorporates additional arts and technologies. For example, Graffiti Research Lab has encouraged the use of projected images and magnetic light-emitting diodes (throwies) as new media for graffitists. yarnbombing is another recent form of graffiti. Yarnbombers occasionally target previous graffiti for modification, which had been avoided among the majority of graffitists.

 

Theories on the use of graffiti by avant-garde artists have a history dating back at least to the Asger Jorn, who in 1962 painting declared in a graffiti-like gesture "the avant-garde won't give up"

 

Many contemporary analysts and even art critics have begun to see artistic value in some graffiti and to recognize it as a form of public art. According to many art researchers, particularly in the Netherlands and in Los Angeles, that type of public art is, in fact an effective tool of social emancipation or, in the achievement of a political goal

 

In times of conflict, such murals have offered a means of communication and self-expression for members of these socially, ethnically, or racially divided communities, and have proven themselves as effective tools in establishing dialog and thus, of addressing cleavages in the long run. The Berlin Wall was also extensively covered by graffiti reflecting social pressures relating to the oppressive Soviet rule over the GDR.

 

Many artists involved with graffiti are also concerned with the similar activity of stenciling. Essentially, this entails stenciling a print of one or more colors using spray-paint. Recognized while exhibiting and publishing several of her coloured stencils and paintings portraying the Sri Lankan Civil War and urban Britain in the early 2000s, graffitists Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., has also become known for integrating her imagery of political violence into her music videos for singles "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun", and her cover art. Stickers of her artwork also often appear around places such as London in Brick Lane, stuck to lamp posts and street signs, she having become a muse for other graffitists and painters worldwide in cities including Seville.

 

Graffitist believes that art should be on display for everyone in the public eye or in plain sight, not hidden away in a museum or a gallery. Art should color the streets, not the inside of some building. Graffiti is a form of art that cannot be owned or bought. It does not last forever, it is temporary, yet one of a kind. It is a form of self promotion for the artist that can be displayed anywhere form sidewalks, roofs, subways, building wall, etc. Art to them is for everyone and should be showed to everyone for free.

 

Graffiti is a way of communicating and a way of expressing what one feels in the moment. It is both art and a functional thing that can warn people of something or inform people of something. However, graffiti is to some people a form of art, but to some a form of vandalism. And many graffitists choose to protect their identities and remain anonymous or to hinder prosecution.

 

With the commercialization of graffiti (and hip hop in general), in most cases, even with legally painted "graffiti" art, graffitists tend to choose anonymity. This may be attributed to various reasons or a combination of reasons. Graffiti still remains the one of four hip hop elements that is not considered "performance art" despite the image of the "singing and dancing star" that sells hip hop culture to the mainstream. Being a graphic form of art, it might also be said that many graffitists still fall in the category of the introverted archetypal artist.

 

Banksy is one of the world's most notorious and popular street artists who continues to remain faceless in today's society. He is known for his political, anti-war stencil art mainly in Bristol, England, but his work may be seen anywhere from Los Angeles to Palestine. In the UK, Banksy is the most recognizable icon for this cultural artistic movement and keeps his identity a secret to avoid arrest. Much of Banksy's artwork may be seen around the streets of London and surrounding suburbs, although he has painted pictures throughout the world, including the Middle East, where he has painted on Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. One depicted a hole in the wall with an idyllic beach, while another shows a mountain landscape on the other side. A number of exhibitions also have taken place since 2000, and recent works of art have fetched vast sums of money. Banksy's art is a prime example of the classic controversy: vandalism vs. art. Art supporters endorse his work distributed in urban areas as pieces of art and some councils, such as Bristol and Islington, have officially protected them, while officials of other areas have deemed his work to be vandalism and have removed it.

 

Pixnit is another artist who chooses to keep her identity from the general public. Her work focuses on beauty and design aspects of graffiti as opposed to Banksy's anti-government shock value. Her paintings are often of flower designs above shops and stores in her local urban area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some store owners endorse her work and encourage others to do similar work as well. "One of the pieces was left up above Steve's Kitchen, because it looks pretty awesome"- Erin Scott, the manager of New England Comics in Allston, Massachusetts.

 

Graffiti artists may become offended if photographs of their art are published in a commercial context without their permission. In March 2020, the Finnish graffiti artist Psyke expressed his displeasure at the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat publishing a photograph of a Peugeot 208 in an article about new cars, with his graffiti prominently shown on the background. The artist claims he does not want his art being used in commercial context, not even if he were to receive compensation.

 

Territorial graffiti marks urban neighborhoods with tags and logos to differentiate certain groups from others. These images are meant to show outsiders a stern look at whose turf is whose. The subject matter of gang-related graffiti consists of cryptic symbols and initials strictly fashioned with unique calligraphies. Gang members use graffiti to designate membership throughout the gang, to differentiate rivals and associates and, most commonly, to mark borders which are both territorial and ideological.

 

Graffiti has been used as a means of advertising both legally and illegally. Bronx-based TATS CRU has made a name for themselves doing legal advertising campaigns for companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, and MTV. In the UK, Covent Garden's Boxfresh used stencil images of a Zapatista revolutionary in the hopes that cross referencing would promote their store.

 

Smirnoff hired artists to use reverse graffiti (the use of high pressure hoses to clean dirty surfaces to leave a clean image in the surrounding dirt) to increase awareness of their product.

 

Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although the considerations of the practitioners often diverge and can relate to a wide range of attitudes. It can express a political practice and can form just one tool in an array of resistance techniques. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who conducted a campaign of stenciling anti-war, anarchist, feminist, and anti-consumerist messages throughout the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Amsterdam graffiti was a major part of the punk scene. The city was covered with names such as "De Zoot", "Vendex", and "Dr Rat". To document the graffiti a punk magazine was started that was called Gallery Anus. So when hip hop came to Europe in the early 1980s there was already a vibrant graffiti culture.

 

The student protests and general strike of May 1968 saw Paris bedecked in revolutionary, anarchistic, and situationist slogans such as L'ennui est contre-révolutionnaire ("Boredom is counterrevolutionary") and Lisez moins, vivez plus ("Read less, live more"). While not exhaustive, the graffiti gave a sense of the 'millenarian' and rebellious spirit, tempered with a good deal of verbal wit, of the strikers.

 

I think graffiti writing is a way of defining what our generation is like. Excuse the French, we're not a bunch of p---- artists. Traditionally artists have been considered soft and mellow people, a little bit kooky. Maybe we're a little bit more like pirates that way. We defend our territory, whatever space we steal to paint on, we defend it fiercely.

 

The developments of graffiti art which took place in art galleries and colleges as well as "on the street" or "underground", contributed to the resurfacing in the 1990s of a far more overtly politicized art form in the subvertising, culture jamming, or tactical media movements. These movements or styles tend to classify the artists by their relationship to their social and economic contexts, since, in most countries, graffiti art remains illegal in many forms except when using non-permanent paint. Since the 1990s with the rise of Street Art, a growing number of artists are switching to non-permanent paints and non-traditional forms of painting.

 

Contemporary practitioners, accordingly, have varied and often conflicting practices. Some individuals, such as Alexander Brener, have used the medium to politicize other art forms, and have used the prison sentences enforced on them as a means of further protest. The practices of anonymous groups and individuals also vary widely, and practitioners by no means always agree with each other's practices. For example, the anti-capitalist art group the Space Hijackers did a piece in 2004 about the contradiction between the capitalistic elements of Banksy and his use of political imagery.

 

Berlin human rights activist Irmela Mensah-Schramm has received global media attention and numerous awards for her 35-year campaign of effacing neo-Nazi and other right-wing extremist graffiti throughout Germany, often by altering hate speech in humorous ways.

 

In Serbian capital, Belgrade, the graffiti depicting a uniformed former general of Serb army and war criminal, convicted at ICTY for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnian War, Ratko Mladić, appeared in a military salute alongside the words "General, thank to your mother". Aleks Eror, Berlin-based journalist, explains how "veneration of historical and wartime figures" through street art is not a new phenomenon in the region of former Yugoslavia, and that "in most cases is firmly focused on the future, rather than retelling the past". Eror is not only analyst pointing to danger of such an expressions for the region's future. In a long expose on the subject of Bosnian genocide denial, at Balkan Diskurs magazine and multimedia platform website, Kristina Gadže and Taylor Whitsell referred to these experiences as a young generations' "cultural heritage", in which young are being exposed to celebration and affirmation of war-criminals as part of their "formal education" and "inheritance".

 

There are numerous examples of genocide denial through celebration and affirmation of war criminals throughout the region of Western Balkans inhabited by Serbs using this form of artistic expression. Several more of these graffiti are found in Serbian capital, and many more across Serbia and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative entity, Republika Srpska, which is the ethnic Serbian majority enclave. Critics point that Serbia as a state, is willing to defend the mural of convicted war criminal, and have no intention to react on cases of genocide denial, noting that Interior Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin decision to ban any gathering with an intent to remove the mural, with the deployment of riot police, sends the message of "tacit endorsement". Consequently, on 9 November 2021, Serbian heavy police in riot gear, with graffiti creators and their supporters, blocked the access to the mural to prevent human rights groups and other activists to paint over it and mark the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism in that way, and even arrested two civic activist for throwing eggs at the graffiti.

 

Graffiti may also be used as an offensive expression. This form of graffiti may be difficult to identify, as it is mostly removed by the local authority (as councils which have adopted strategies of criminalization also strive to remove graffiti quickly). Therefore, existing racist graffiti is mostly more subtle and at first sight, not easily recognized as "racist". It can then be understood only if one knows the relevant "local code" (social, historical, political, temporal, and spatial), which is seen as heteroglot and thus a 'unique set of conditions' in a cultural context.

 

A spatial code for example, could be that there is a certain youth group in an area that is engaging heavily in racist activities. So, for residents (knowing the local code), a graffiti containing only the name or abbreviation of this gang already is a racist expression, reminding the offended people of their gang activities. Also a graffiti is in most cases, the herald of more serious criminal activity to come. A person who does not know these gang activities would not be able to recognize the meaning of this graffiti. Also if a tag of this youth group or gang is placed on a building occupied by asylum seekers, for example, its racist character is even stronger.

By making the graffiti less explicit (as adapted to social and legal constraints), these drawings are less likely to be removed, but do not lose their threatening and offensive character.

 

Elsewhere, activists in Russia have used painted caricatures of local officials with their mouths as potholes, to show their anger about the poor state of the roads. In Manchester, England, a graffitists painted obscene images around potholes, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.

 

In the early 1980s, the first art galleries to show graffitists to the public were Fashion Moda in the Bronx, Now Gallery and Fun Gallery, both in the East Village, Manhattan.

 

A 2006 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum displayed graffiti as an art form that began in New York's outer boroughs and reached great heights in the early 1980s with the work of Crash, Lee, Daze, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It displayed 22 works by New York graffitists, including Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink. In an article about the exhibition in the magazine Time Out, curator Charlotta Kotik said that she hoped the exhibition would cause viewers to rethink their assumptions about graffiti.

 

From the 1970s onwards, Burhan Doğançay photographed urban walls all over the world; these he then archived for use as sources of inspiration for his painterly works. The project today known as "Walls of the World" grew beyond even his own expectations and comprises about 30,000 individual images. It spans a period of 40 years across five continents and 114 countries. In 1982, photographs from this project comprised a one-man exhibition titled "Les murs murmurent, ils crient, ils chantent ..." (The walls whisper, shout and sing ...) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

 

In Australia, art historians have judged some local graffiti of sufficient creative merit to rank them firmly within the arts. Oxford University Press's art history text Australian Painting 1788–2000 concludes with a long discussion of graffiti's key place within contemporary visual culture, including the work of several Australian practitioners.

 

Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris.

 

Spray paint has many negative environmental effects. The paint contains toxic chemicals, and the can uses volatile hydrocarbon gases to spray the paint onto a surface.

 

Volatile organic compound (VOC) leads to ground level ozone formation and most of graffiti related emissions are VOCs. A 2010 paper estimates 4,862 tons of VOCs were released in the United States in activities related to graffiti.

 

In China, Mao Zedong in the 1920s used revolutionary slogans and paintings in public places to galvanize the country's communist movement.

 

Based on different national conditions, many people believe that China's attitude towards Graffiti is fierce, but in fact, according to Lance Crayon in his film Spray Paint Beijing: Graffiti in the Capital of China, Graffiti is generally accepted in Beijing, with artists not seeing much police interference. Political and religiously sensitive graffiti, however, is not allowed.

 

In Hong Kong, Tsang Tsou Choi was known as the King of Kowloon for his calligraphy graffiti over many years, in which he claimed ownership of the area. Now some of his work is preserved officially.

 

In Taiwan, the government has made some concessions to graffitists. Since 2005 they have been allowed to freely display their work along some sections of riverside retaining walls in designated "Graffiti Zones". From 2007, Taipei's department of cultural affairs also began permitting graffiti on fences around major public construction sites. Department head Yong-ping Lee (李永萍) stated, "We will promote graffiti starting with the public sector, and then later in the private sector too. It's our goal to beautify the city with graffiti". The government later helped organize a graffiti contest in Ximending, a popular shopping district. graffitists caught working outside of these designated areas still face fines up to NT$6,000 under a department of environmental protection regulation. However, Taiwanese authorities can be relatively lenient, one veteran police officer stating anonymously, "Unless someone complains about vandalism, we won't get involved. We don't go after it proactively."

 

In 1993, after several expensive cars in Singapore were spray-painted, the police arrested a student from the Singapore American School, Michael P. Fay, questioned him, and subsequently charged him with vandalism. Fay pleaded guilty to vandalizing a car in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Vandalism Act of Singapore, originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, the court sentenced him to four months in jail, a fine of S$3,500 (US$2,233), and a caning. The New York Times ran several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called on the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy with protests. Although the Singapore government received many calls for clemency, Fay's caning took place in Singapore on 5 May 1994. Fay had originally received a sentence of six strokes of the cane, but the presiding president of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong, agreed to reduce his caning sentence to four lashes.

 

In South Korea, Park Jung-soo was fined two million South Korean won by the Seoul Central District Court for spray-painting a rat on posters of the G-20 Summit a few days before the event in November 2011. Park alleged that the initial in "G-20" sounds like the Korean word for "rat", but Korean government prosecutors alleged that Park was making a derogatory statement about the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, the host of the summit. This case led to public outcry and debate on the lack of government tolerance and in support of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the painting, "an ominous creature like a rat" amounts to "an organized criminal activity" and upheld the fine while denying the prosecution's request for imprisonment for Park.

 

In Europe, community cleaning squads have responded to graffiti, in some cases with reckless abandon, as when in 1992 in France a local Scout group, attempting to remove modern graffiti, damaged two prehistoric paintings of bison in the Cave of Mayrière supérieure near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archeology.

 

In September 2006, the European Parliament directed the European Commission to create urban environment policies to prevent and eliminate dirt, litter, graffiti, animal excrement, and excessive noise from domestic and vehicular music systems in European cities, along with other concerns over urban life.

 

In Budapest, Hungary, both a city-backed movement called I Love Budapest and a special police division tackle the problem, including the provision of approved areas.

 

The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16. The press release also condemned the use of graffiti images in advertising and in music videos, arguing that real-world experience of graffiti stood far removed from its often-portrayed "cool" or "edgy'" image.

 

To back the campaign, 123 Members of Parliament (MPs) (including then Prime Minister Tony Blair), signed a charter which stated: "Graffiti is not art, it's crime. On behalf of my constituents, I will do all I can to rid our community of this problem."

 

In the UK, city councils have the power to take action against the owner of any property that has been defaced under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) or, in certain cases, the Highways Act. This is often used against owners of property that are complacent in allowing protective boards to be defaced so long as the property is not damaged.

 

In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffitists for the first time. After a three-month police surveillance operation, nine members of the DPM crew were convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage costing at least £1 million. Five of them received prison sentences, ranging from eighteen months to two years. The unprecedented scale of the investigation and the severity of the sentences rekindled public debate over whether graffiti should be considered art or crime.

 

Some councils, like those of Stroud and Loerrach, provide approved areas in the town where graffitists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks, and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the "spray and run".

 

Graffiti Tunnel, University of Sydney at Camperdown (2009)

In an effort to reduce vandalism, many cities in Australia have designated walls or areas exclusively for use by graffitists. One early example is the "Graffiti Tunnel" located at the Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, which is available for use by any student at the university to tag, advertise, poster, and paint. Advocates of this idea suggest that this discourages petty vandalism yet encourages artists to take their time and produce great art, without worry of being caught or arrested for vandalism or trespassing.[108][109] Others disagree with this approach, arguing that the presence of legal graffiti walls does not demonstrably reduce illegal graffiti elsewhere. Some local government areas throughout Australia have introduced "anti-graffiti squads", who clean graffiti in the area, and such crews as BCW (Buffers Can't Win) have taken steps to keep one step ahead of local graffiti cleaners.

 

Many state governments have banned the sale or possession of spray paint to those under the age of 18 (age of majority). However, a number of local governments in Victoria have taken steps to recognize the cultural heritage value of some examples of graffiti, such as prominent political graffiti. Tough new graffiti laws have been introduced in Australia with fines of up to A$26,000 and two years in prison.

 

Melbourne is a prominent graffiti city of Australia with many of its lanes being tourist attractions, such as Hosier Lane in particular, a popular destination for photographers, wedding photography, and backdrops for corporate print advertising. The Lonely Planet travel guide cites Melbourne's street as a major attraction. All forms of graffiti, including sticker art, poster, stencil art, and wheatpasting, can be found in many places throughout the city. Prominent street art precincts include; Fitzroy, Collingwood, Northcote, Brunswick, St. Kilda, and the CBD, where stencil and sticker art is prominent. As one moves farther away from the city, mostly along suburban train lines, graffiti tags become more prominent. Many international artists such as Banksy have left their work in Melbourne and in early 2008 a perspex screen was installed to prevent a Banksy stencil art piece from being destroyed, it has survived since 2003 through the respect of local street artists avoiding posting over it, although it has recently had paint tipped over it.

 

In February 2008 Helen Clark, the New Zealand prime minister at that time, announced a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism, describing it as a destructive crime representing an invasion of public and private property. New legislation subsequently adopted included a ban on the sale of paint spray cans to persons under 18 and increases in maximum fines for the offence from NZ$200 to NZ$2,000 or extended community service. The issue of tagging become a widely debated one following an incident in Auckland during January 2008 in which a middle-aged property owner stabbed one of two teenage taggers to death and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.

 

Graffiti databases have increased in the past decade because they allow vandalism incidents to be fully documented against an offender and help the police and prosecution charge and prosecute offenders for multiple counts of vandalism. They also provide law enforcement the ability to rapidly search for an offender's moniker or tag in a simple, effective, and comprehensive way. These systems can also help track costs of damage to a city to help allocate an anti-graffiti budget. The theory is that when an offender is caught putting up graffiti, they are not just charged with one count of vandalism; they can be held accountable for all the other damage for which they are responsible. This has two main benefits for law enforcement. One, it sends a signal to the offenders that their vandalism is being tracked. Two, a city can seek restitution from offenders for all the damage that they have committed, not merely a single incident. These systems give law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them not only to focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.

 

Many restrictions of civil gang injunctions are designed to help address and protect the physical environment and limit graffiti. Provisions of gang injunctions include things such as restricting the possession of marker pens, spray paint cans, or other sharp objects capable of defacing private or public property; spray painting, or marking with marker pens, scratching, applying stickers, or otherwise applying graffiti on any public or private property, including, but not limited to the street, alley, residences, block walls, and fences, vehicles or any other real or personal property. Some injunctions contain wording that restricts damaging or vandalizing both public and private property, including but not limited to any vehicle, light fixture, door, fence, wall, gate, window, building, street sign, utility box, telephone box, tree, or power pole.

 

To help address many of these issues, many local jurisdictions have set up graffiti abatement hotlines, where citizens can call in and report vandalism and have it removed. San Diego's hotline receives more than 5,000 calls per year, in addition to reporting the graffiti, callers can learn more about prevention. One of the complaints about these hotlines is the response time; there is often a lag time between a property owner calling about the graffiti and its removal. The length of delay should be a consideration for any jurisdiction planning on operating a hotline. Local jurisdictions must convince the callers that their complaint of vandalism will be a priority and cleaned off right away. If the jurisdiction does not have the resources to respond to complaints in a timely manner, the value of the hotline diminishes. Crews must be able to respond to individual service calls made to the graffiti hotline as well as focus on cleanup near schools, parks, and major intersections and transit routes to have the biggest impact. Some cities offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects for tagging or graffiti related vandalism. The amount of the reward is based on the information provided, and the action taken.

 

When police obtain search warrants in connection with a vandalism investigation, they are often seeking judicial approval to look for items such as cans of spray paint and nozzles from other kinds of aerosol sprays; etching tools, or other sharp or pointed objects, which could be used to etch or scratch glass and other hard surfaces; permanent marking pens, markers, or paint sticks; evidence of membership or affiliation with any gang or tagging crew; paraphernalia including any reference to "(tagger's name)"; any drawings, writing, objects, or graffiti depicting taggers' names, initials, logos, monikers, slogans, or any mention of tagging crew membership; and any newspaper clippings relating to graffiti crime.

Students learn about services, clubs, and volunteer opportunities from both on-campus and community organizations at the 2017 Involvement Expo on the UIS Quad Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Students got a chance to explore some of Lafayette’s organizations, clubs, and programs during the Involvement Fair on the Quad. The College boasts more than 200 opportunities for students to become involved in campus life, including academic honor societies, cultural and social organizations, community outreach, arts programs, sports clubs, and living groups. The fair is sponsored by Student Government and the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement.

 

Photos by Zachary Hartzell

Sept. 8, 2015

 

The PantherPalooza Student Involvement Fair was held on the Library Quad on August 30, 2022. (Dominic Baima)

In contrast to the chilly reception at West Peckham, Hadlow was a delight. Though it did involve a bit of a wait, as there was a wedding on. The poor couple we met outside had been invited to the wedding, but that week's updated advice meant guests inside the church had been cut from 30 to 15, so they lost out.

 

We talked as they waited, and told me some of the history of the town, the church and the castle next door. And of the Hop-picker's Memorial in the churchyard, which I went out to photograph.

 

There was no guarantee that we would be let in once the wedding was over, and once they did troop out, and the photographs taken, I thought that the west door would be locked and the hours wait wasted.

 

But it swung open, and the poor vicar was getting the chairs ready for the next day's service, and mentioned several years in seminary all to be a furniture mover.

 

I explained the project, and asked if I could take shots, explaining I would be quick and when he was done I would leave. But he was fine, let me take my time and showed me detail I would have otherwise missed.

 

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

 

The first record of a church in Hadlow was in 975.[2] This church would probably have been a wooden building. In 1018, the early church was replaced by a building of stone. In the 12th century, the church was rebuilt and extended by Richard de Clare, then lord of the Manor of Hadlow. De Clare granted the church to the Knights Hospitallers in 1166. The Knights Hospitallers later had a preceptory at nearby West Peckham, which was their local administrative base. From the Norman Conquest until the 18th century, Hadlow did not have a resident Lord of the Manor, being held under Tonbridge Castle.[3] It is thought that the tower was raised and the spire added in the 15th century.[4] Little money was spent on the maintenance of the church, although some 15th- and 16th-century bequests are recorded. Thomas Walter, Yeoman bequeathed 20s in 1448 "To make a window on the north side of the church by the altar of Our Lady". John Tatlyngbery bequeathed 10 marks "For repair of the great door of the church". In 1456, Richard Bealde bequeathed 13s 4d "For repair of the tower of Hadlow church".[5] In 1461, Dionysia Ippenbury left 3d for masses to be said each year for 12 years.[6] In 1465, William Palle, yeoman left a cow to the church. It was to be sold and "the profits therefrom to be devoted to the maintenance of a lamp in the chancel".[5] In 1509, Thomas Fisher, yeoman bequeathed £20 "for making a new rood loft". The rood screen may not have been in existence long, although it was mentioned in bequests dated 1510 and 1513.[7] The church remained under the ownership of the Knights Hospitallers until 1540, when the order was dissolved by Henry VIII.[3] In 1533, Henry Fane left two chalices valued at £4.[6]

 

The west door is inscribed "WB 1637 ES". The tower and steeple were repaired in that year. The churchwardens were Walter Barton and Essau Simmons.[7] In 1791, the clock was installed in the tower. It was made by John Thwaites of Clerkenwell.[8] At the beginning of the 19th century, the church was in disrepair. In 1847, the chancel was rebuilt and the vestry added. In 1853, the south porch was blocked up. The north aisle was added in this year at a cost of £470, which was raised by public subscription. A private gallery was erected by Walter Barton May, owner of Hadlow Castle. This had its own private access and was located at the west end of the nave. In 1885, an altar reredos was erected to the memory of Sir William Yardley and his wife Amelia. Yardley was a former judge in the High Court of Bombay, India. In 1936, the gallery was removed.[5] Work on the doorway at the west of the church in 1936 exposed some small crosses carved in the stonework. These are attributed to Nicholas de Hadloe and his son, who lived at Hadlow Place. They were carved to commemorate their safe return from the Third Crusade in 1189.[4] St Mary's was listed on 20 October 1954. It is currently Grade II* listed.

 

St Mary's is mostly constructed from ragstone, with some ashlar detail and quoins of Tunbridge Wells sandstone. The church is built in the Early English and Decorated style. The chancel roof is of slate, while the nave and aisle roofs are tiled. The spire is covered in shingles. The stained glass windows date from the 19th and 20th centuries,[9] the most recent of which is "The Visitation" created by Francis Skeat in 1956.

 

In 1919, the Coverdale Chair was presented to St Mary's by T E Foster MacGeagh of Hadlow Castle. The chair is so-named because it was owned by Miles Coverdale, Bishop of Exeter, who made the first translation of the Bible into English. In 1954, the chair was transferred to Rochester Cathedral, but it was returned to St Mary's in 1967.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Church,_Hadlow

 

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

 

The lowy of Tunbridge: Hadlow

 

HADLOW.

THE BOROUGH OF HARDLOW, within the lowy of Tunbridge, contains the parish of Hadlow, with the church, except a small district of the northern part of it, which is in the hundred of Littlefield.

 

THE PARISH of Hadlow is of large extent, joining to West Peckham northward, and to the river Medway, its boundary southward; to the west it extends to the Northfrith woods and the parish of Tunbridge. It is far from being a pleasant situation, being a flat low country, much covered with large and spreading oaks, and broad hedge rows; the soil is in general a stiff clay, much of which is very swampy and wet; towards the upper part of the parish it is but poor, being very panny, and in some places inclining to gravel; lower down it is much more fertile, and bears good corn, and is kindly for hops, of which there are many plantations, which have much increased of late years. Near the river the grass lands are very rich, and capable of fatting beasts of a large size. The rivulet called the Sheet, which flows from Plaxtool by Oxenhoath, crosses this parish, joining the river Medway, a little above Brandt bridge, near which at Hartlake bridge, at the east end of this parish, is what is here called a flowing bolt, being an ingenious contrivance to pen up the water to a certain height, by which means it is capable of being let out in dry seasons, to flow over and moisten the adjoining meadows, which is at that time of the greatest advantage to them. The high road from Maidstone through Mereworth to Tunbridge, crosses this parish over Hadlow common, at the northern boundary of it, whence it goes through the town or village of Hadlow, between which and the river is Fish-hall and Hadlow-place, and more eastward the small hamlets of Goldwell-green, Barnes, and Mill-street.

 

On the bank of the Medway, at the west end of the parish, is a wharf and landing place, called Hadlow-stairs, for the lading and unlading of timber, coals and other merechandize.

 

A fair is yearly held in Hadlow town on WhitMonday.

 

IT APPEARS from the survey of Domesday, that this place was part of those vast possessions with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux, whom he afterwards made earl of Kent, under the title of whose lands it is thus entered there.

 

Richard de Tonebridge holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Hastow. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are three, and forty-seven villeins, with fifteen borderers, having fifteen carucates. There is a church and ten servants, and two mills of eleven shillings, and twelve fisheries of seven shillings and six-pence, and twelve acres of meadow, Wood for the pannage of sixty hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, and now, it was and is worth thirty pounds. Eddeva held it of king Edward.

 

In the reign of king Henry III. the seignory of this manor was claimed by the archbishop of Canter dury, and an agreement was entered into in the 42d year of it, between archbishop Boniface and Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, concerning the customs and services which the archbishop required of the earl, on account of the tenements which the latter held of him in Tunebregge, Hanlo, &c. that is, the manors of Tunebregge and Hanlo, together with the whole lowy of Tonebregge, whence the archbishop required of the earl that he should do him homage, the service of four knights fees, and suit to his court at Canterbury, and that he should be the high steward of him and his successors, at their great feast, whenever it should happen that the archbishop should be inthroned.

 

The above-mentioned Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, dying at Eschemerfield, in this county, in the 46th year of the reign of king Henry III. anno 1261. Gilbert, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, his son, succeeded him in this manor, and whose son of the same name, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, dying in the 7th year of Edward II. anno 1313, without surviving issue, his three sisters became his coheirs. (fn. 1) Upon which the manor of Hadlow, with the adjoining manor and castle of Tunbridge, and others in these parts, seem to have been allotted to the share of Margaret, the second sister, wife of Hugh de Audley, who in her right became possessed of this manor, and in the 11th year of king Edward III. was, in respect of this marriage, in parliament created earl of Gloucester.

 

Margaret, countess of Cornwall and Gloucester, died in the 16th year of that reign, and her husband, earl Hugh, outliving her about five years, died then possessed of this manor by courtesy of the realm, and leaving by her an only daughter and heir Margaret, then the wife of Ralph Stafford, lord Stafford. He before the end of that year obtained a special possession of all the lands of her inheritance, and among them of this manor, and in his descendants, earls of Stafford, and afterwards, by creation, dukes of Buckingham, of high estimation for the great offices of state which they held in the different reigns in which they lived. This manor continued down to Edward, duke of Buckingham, who in the 13th year of Henry VIII. being accused of conspiring the king's death, was found guilty, and beheaded that year; and although there was an act passed for his attainder, yet another act passed likewise for the restitution in blood of Henry his eldest son, but not to his honors and lands, which remained forfeited to the crown, and the king in his 16th year, granted the manors of Hadlow and Northfrith, aud several messuages, tenements, parks, &c. in the parishes of Hadlow, Shipborne, and Tunbridge, late belonging to Edward, duke of Buckingham, attainted, to Sir Henry Guildford, comptroller of his household, to hold by knight's service.

 

Sir Henry Guildford had greatly signalized himself by his valour against the Moors in Spain, and being first knighted, afterwards created a knight banneret, and made master of the horse. In the 17th year of king Henry VIII. he was made one of the chamberlains of the exchequer, and next year was elected a knight of the garter, being only thirty-nine years of age at the time of his election. (fn. 2)

 

On his death in the 23d year of king Henry VIII. this manor seems to have reverted to the crown, where it remained till king Edward VI. in his 4th year, granted the manor and park of Hadlow to John Dudley, earl of Warwick, who was afterwards created duke of Northumberland, and he by indenture, in the 7th year of that reign, inrolled in the Augmentation-office, sold this manor, among other premises, to the king, in exchange for lands in several other counties. (fn. 3)

 

The manor of Hadlow remained in the crown till the accession of queen Elizabeth, who in her 1st year granted it, together with the park called Northfryth, to her kinsman, Henry Carey, lord Hunsdon, to hold in capite; and he seems to have given it before his death to his eldest son, Sir George Carey, who possessed it.

 

in the 25th year of that reign, and on his father's death in the 38th year of it, succeeded to the title of lord Hunsdon. He died in the 1st year of king James I. without male issue, upon which this manor came to his next brother John, who succeeded him likewise as lord Hunsdon, and died in the 15th year of James I. and his eldest son Henry, lord Hunsdon, soon afterwards conveyed this manor by sale to James Faircloth, M. D. of London, who alienated it to George Rivers, esq. of this parish, second son of Sir George Rivers, of Chafford, in this county, whose son Edward Rivers, esq. was of Fishall, in this parish, and dying possessed of this manor in 1660, was buried near his father in this church. His successor alienated it in the reign of king Charles II. to Jeffry Amherst, gent. and he in the year 1699 sold it to Mr. John France, who dying without male issue, his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, became his coheirs; the eldest of whom married Walter Barton, gent. and the youngest George Swayne, gent. On his death, the former by settlement succeeded to this manor, as did his son Mr. John Barton, (by the entail in the same settlement, on his father's decease) and his son Walter who has since taken the name of May, is the present proprietor of it.

 

This manor holds a court leet and court baron, which seems to be entirely independent of the court leet of the manor of Tunbridge, for in 1759 a constable of Tunbridge was chosen at the court leet of that manor, and as such claimed jurisdiction over the parish of Hadlow; but on a trial had on a suit concerning it, at the Lent assizes for this county in 1761, it was proved, that the courts leet of Tunbridge and Hadlow had no connection with each other, and a verdict was found accordingly.

 

HADLOW-PLACE is a seat and estate in this parish, which, in all probability, gave both name and residence to a family of no small note in antient time.

 

John de Hadloe, a descendant of Nicholas de Hadloe, was among those gentlemen of this county, who attended king Edward I. in his expedition into Scotland, in the 28th year of his reign, and for his remarkable service there, at the siege of Carlaverock, was made knight banneret by that prince. The Hadlows bore for their arms, three crescents, to which was afterwards added, seven cross-croslets, in token of some exploit or expedition against the Saracens in the holly land; a usual mark of honor in those times. This addition was most likely granted to Nicholas de Hadloe, who is in the list of those Kentish gentlemen, who were with king Richard I. at the siege of Acon, in Palestine.

 

How long Hadlow-place remained in the above mentioned family I do not find; but most likely till it was alienated to that of Vane, aliasFane. Henry Fane, the eldest son of John Fane, esq. of Tunbridge, was possessed of it in the reign of king Henry VII. and was sheriff in the 23d year of it. (fn. 4) He died in the 30th year of king Henry VIII. anno 1538, leaving no issue by Alice his wife, sister of John Fisher, gent. of this parish. By his will he gave this manor-place, in which he then dwelt, with all his lands in Hadloe and Capel, to his kinsman Ralph Fane, son of Henry, his father's youngest brother, in tail male, remainder to each of the sons of his youngest brother, John Fane, successively in like tail. (fn. 5)

 

¶Ralph Fane was afterwards knighted at the siege of Bulleyn in 1544, and for his gallant behaviour at the battle of Musselborough, in the 1st year of king Edward VI. was made a knight banneret; but in the 6th year of that reign, being found guilty of high treason, he was executed. He died without issue, and Hadlow-place, with the adjoining lands, by virtue of the above entail, came to Henry Fane, the eldest son of John Fane, deceased, the youngest brother of Henry, of Hadlow, before-mentioned, who was of Hadlow-place; being concerned in Sir Thomas Wyatt's insurrection, he was attainted, but the queen pardoned him on account of his youth, and his estates were restored to him; his son Henry, wrote himself, as his ancestors had formerly done, Vane, which his posterity have continued to do ever since. He removed his residence to Raby-castle, in the bishopric of Durham, and was afterwards knighted, from which time he acted a conspicuous part in public affairs, and was greatly favored by king Charles I. (fn. 6) But in the year 1642, the king being offended at his forwardness in the prosecution of the earl of Strafford, he was removed from his place of secretary of state, and from the privy council, and became one of the most malicious of the king's enemies, soon after whose death he alienated this seat, with the estate belonging to it in this parish, to Mr. Thomas Petley, of Filston, in Shoreham, who at his death gave it to his son, Ralph Petley, by his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Cam, of London, and he removed from Shoreham to Riverhead, in Sevenoke, where he afterwards resided, and in his descendants resident there this estate continued down in like manner with that seat to Ralph Robert Carter Petley, esq. who died in 1788, leaving his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Petley surviving, who is the present possessor of this estate. (fn. 7)

  

HADLOW is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester, and deanry of Malling.

 

The church, which stands on the east side of the town, in Hadlow borough, is dedicated to St. Mary. It is a small building with a low pointed steeple at the west end. There is a monument in it for Sir John Rivers and his lady. It was part of the possessions of the knights of St. John of Jerusalem, commonly called the knights hospitallers, so early as the reign of king John; for in the last year of it, anno 1216, Benedict, bishop of Rochester, at the presentation of the prior and brethren of that hospital, admitted and instituted Adam de Fontibus to this church, saving to the prior and brethren the antient pension of two shillings yearly paid to them from it; and the right likewise of the church of Rochester in all matters, and the right of those who were accustomed to take tithes in this parish, separated from the mother church.

 

Thomas de Inglethorpe, bishop of Rochester, in 1287, appropriated this church, then vacant, and of the patronage of the prior and brethren, to them and their house, for ever; reserving a competent vicarage in it, which he decreed should consist of all the small tithes, oblations, obventions, and all other matters belonging to the altarage, excepting the tithe of the hay of the parish; and he decreed, that the vicar should have one acre of land, where he might conveniently build a house, and two acres of meadow, fit to be mowed, of the demesne of the church; and that he should sustain the ordinary burthens of the church, viz. the procurations of the archdeacon, and should pay yearly to the rector of the church of Adintone, eighteen pence, which the rector of the church of Hadlo used to pay to it, time out of mind; and that the prior and brethren should pay to the prior and convent of Rochester five shillings yearly, as had been accustomed to be paid to them from this church from antient time.

 

On the establishment of the preceptory in the adjoining parish of West Peckham by those knights, this church was allotted as an appendage to it; in which state it continued till the general dissolution of their hospital in the 32d year of king Henry VIII. when that order was suppressed by an act specially passed for the purpose, and all their lands and revenues given by it to the king. At which time the parsonage or rectory of Hadlow, appears to have been esteemed a manor.

 

King Edward VI. July 16, in his first year, granted the rectory and advowson of Hadlow, to Sir Ralph Fane, and lady Elizabeth Fane his wife, to hold in capite by knights service. (fn. 10) On Sir Ralph Fane's death, lady Elizabeth Fane, his widow, became possessed of it, and soon afterwards alienated one part of it, by the description of the manor of the rectory of Hadlow, together with all houses, glebes, tithes, and other appurtenances, lying in Hadlow-ward in this parish, to Thomas Roydon, esq. of East Peckham, whose daughter and coheir Elizabeth, married William Twysden, of Chelmington, who became in her right possessed of this manor and rectory; and his descendant, Sir William Jarvis Twysden, bart. lately sold it to Mr. Walter Barton, who is the present pos sessor of this tithery, with the manor and appurtenances belonging to it.

 

¶The other two parts of the rectory of Hadlow, consisting of the tithes of this parish, in the tithe wards of Goldwell, alias Coldweld and Stair, as well as the advowson, remained (after the above-mentioned alienation to Roydon) in the possession of lady Eliz. Fane, who in the 1st and 2nd year of king Philip and queen Mary, alienated the remainder of the parsonage of Hadlow to Henry Fisher, and he, in the first year of queen Elizabeth passed it away to Richard Smithe, who next year alienated it to John Rivers; his son, Sir George Rivers, possessed this parsonage, as well as the advowson of the church, which seems to have passed with it from lady Fane, and his eldest son, John Rivers, esq. was created a baronet, and in the 21st year of king James I. procured an act of parliament to disgavel as well his lands as those of Sir George Rivers, his father, and to settle the inheritance of them upon himself and his heirs by dame Dorothy his wife, daughter of Thomas Potter, esq. of Westerham. His grandson and heir, Sir Thomas Rivers, bart. son of James Rivers, esq. who died in his life time, in 1657 conveyed that part of this parsonage, which consisted of the tithes arising within the ward of Stayer, to Edward Rivers, esq. son of George Rivers, esq. of this parish, next brother to Sir John Rivers, created a baronet as above-mentioned, and he died possessed of it in 1660, and was buried in this church. His son, George Rivers, esq. possessed it near seventy years, and then dying, by will gave it to his god-son, George Rivers, esq. of the Inner Temple, who in 1737, reserving to himself a life estate in this tithery, sold the reversion of it to Stephen Hervey, esq. of London, and he soon after Mr. Rivers's death, in 1777, conveyed the fee of it to Mr. Robert Simmons, of Hadlow, who gave it by will to his nephew Mr. William Simmons, the present possessor of this part of the parsonage of Hadlow.

 

The remaining part of the parsonage of Hadlow, consisting of the tithe within Goldwell, commonly called Colweld-ward, passed afterwards into the possession of Wm. Lea, gent. of Hadlow, whose granddaughter, Mrs. Eliz. Leavens, of Hadlow, in 1701, conveyed it to Mr. John Weekley, of Town Malling, who in 1738 gave it by will to his brother, Mr. George Weekley, late of Ware, in Hertfordshire, on whose death in 1777 it descended to his only daughter and heir, Miss Jane Weekley, since whose death this tithery has been sold by her devisees to Mr. Thomas Swayne, of Tunbridge, the present possessor of it.

 

THE ADVOWSON of the vicarage of Hadlow seems to have continued in the Rivers family, till the death of Sir George Rivers, in 1734, when, on disputes arising concerning the devise of his estates, they were put into chancery, and after several decrees and process at law, this advowson, among his other estates, was in 1743 ordered by the court to be sold, (fn. 11) and it was accordingly conveyed to the Rev. Arthur Spender, vicar of this parish, who died in 1750, and his son Arthur, dying unmarried, it came to his brother, Mr. John Spender, of Northamptonshire, who sold it not long since to Mr. Monypenny, who is the present patron of it.

 

It is valued in the king's books at 13l. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 6s.

 

The income of this vicarage greatly depends on the hop-plantations in this parish, which have been some years so advantageous as to increase the income of it to 240l. per annum.

 

In 1608 the communicants in this parish were in number three hundred and seventy-six.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp177-193

.... Archery involves using a bow to propel arrows at a target from a set distance. This sport is fully integrated, meaning it is played among able-bodied competitors as well as competitors with varying physical disabilities, such as a spinal cord injury or amputation. Competitors can shoot from a standing or sitting position while aiming towards the center of a target. Archery is a test of accuracy, strength and concentration ....

Rathfarnham Castle.

 

Origins:

 

The earlier Anglo-Norman castle which was replaced by the present building was built on lands which were confiscated from the Eustace family of Baltinglass because of their involvement in the Second Desmond Rebellion. It defended the Pale from the Irish clans in the nearby Wicklow Mountains. It is believed the present castle was built around 1583 for Yorkshireman, Adam Loftus, then Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Protestant Archbishop of Dublin. Originally a semi-fortified and battlemented structure, extensive alterations in the 18th century give it the appearance of a Georgian house.

 

The castle consisted of a square building four stories high with a projecting tower at each corner, the walls of which were an average of 5 feet (1.5 m) thick. On the ground level are two vaulted apartments divided by a wall nearly 10 feet (3.0 m) thick which rises to the full height of the castle. On a level with the entrance hall are the 18th century reception rooms and above this floor the former ballroom, later converted into a chapel.

 

Rathfarnham was described as a "waste village" when Loftus bought it. His new castle was not long built when in 1600 it had to withstand an attack by the Wicklow clans during the Nine Years War (Ireland).

 

Civil war:

 

Archbishop Loftus left the castle to his son, Dudley and it then passed to his son Adam in 1616. During Adam's ownership, the castle came under siege in the 1641 rebellion. It was able to hold out against the Confederate army when the surrounding country was overrun. Adam Loftus opposed the treaty of cessation in order the stop the fighting between the Irish Confederates and the English Royalists. Consequently, he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle.

 

During the subsequent Irish Confederate Wars (1641-53), the castle changed hands several times. From 1641 to 1647, it was garrisoned by English Royalist troops. In 1647, Ormonde, commander of the Royalists in Ireland, surrendered Dublin to the English Parliament and Parliamentary troops were stationed at the castle until 1649 when a few days before the Battle of Rathmines, the castle was stormed and taken without a fight by the Royalists. However, the Roundheads re-occupied it after their victory at the Battle of Rathmines. It has also been reported that Oliver Cromwell held council there during his campaign in Ireland before going south to besiege Wexford. Adam Loftus, who recovered his castle and lands under Cromwell, sided with the Parliamentarians and was killed at the Siege of Limerick in 1651.

 

After the English Civil War, the Loftus family retained ownership of the castle. In 1659, Dr. Dudley Loftus, great grandson of Archbishop Loftus, took over the castle. During his lifetime, Dudley held the posts of Commissioner of Revenue, Judge Admiralty, Master in Chancery, MP for Kildare and Wicklow and MP for Bannow and Fethard. His body is interred at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

 

The eighteenth century:

 

The property then passed by marriage to Philip Wharton. The young man lost his money in the South Sea Bubble and in 1723 the castle was sold to the Right Hon. William Connolly, speaker of the Irish House of Commons for £62,000. In 1742, the castle was sold to Dr. Hoadly, Archbishop of Armagh, and on his death four years later it passed to his son-in-law Bellingham Boyle. In 1767, he sold the property to Nicholas Hume-Loftus, second Earl of Ely, a descendant of Adam Loftus, the original builder of the castle.

The castle in 1774

 

Nicholas died within a few years, probably as an indirect result of great hardships which he had suffered in his youth, and the estate passed to his uncle, Hon. Henry Loftus, who was created Earl of Ely in 1771. In commemoration of regaining ownership, the Loftus family constructed another entrance for the castle in the form of a Roman Triumphal Arch. The arch can still be viewed from nearby Dodder Park Road. Henry Loftus, Earl of Ely was responsible for much of the conversion of the medieval fortress into a Georgian mansion and employed renowned architects Sir William Chambers and James 'Athenian' Stuart to carry out these works. The mullioned windows were enlarged and the battlements replaced by a coping with ornamental urns. A semi-circular extension was added to the east side and an entrance porch approached by steps, on the north. The interior was decorated in accordance with the tastes of the period and leading artists, including Angelica Kauffmann were employed in the work. Writers of the period who visited the house have left extravagant descriptions of its splendour.

 

Henry died in 1783 and was succeeded by his nephew Charles Tottenham. He subsequently became Marquess of Ely as a reward for his vote at the time of the Union.

 

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries:

 

In 1812, the family leased the estate to the Ropers and removed their valuable possessions to Loftus Hall in Wexford. The lands and castle were then used for dairy farming and fell into disrepair. To quote a contemporary account from 1838: "Crossing the Dodder by a ford, and proceeding along its southern bank towards Rathfarnham, a splendid gateway at left, accounted among the best productions of that species of architecture in Ireland, invites the tourist to explore the once beautiful grounds of Rathfarnham Castle, but they are now all eloquently waste, the undulating hills covered with rank herbage, the rivulet stagnant and sedgy, the walks scarce traceable, the ice-houses open to the prying sun, the fish-pond clogged with weeds, while the mouldering architecture of the castle, and the crumbling, unsightly offices in its immediate vicinity,…The castle, so long the residence of the Loftus family, and still the property of the Marquis of Ely, subject, however, to a small chief rent to Mr. Conolly, is an extensive fabric,.....The great hall is entered from a terrace, by a portico of eight Doric columns, which support a dome, painted in fresco with the signs of the Zodiac and other devices. This room was ornamented with antique and modern busts, placed on pedestals of variegated marble, and has three windows of stained gloss, in one of which is an escutcheon of the Loftus arms, with quarterings finely executed. Several other apartments exhibited considerable splendour of arrangement, and contained, until lately, numerous family portraits, and a valuable collection of paintings by ancient masters. But, when it is mentioned, that this structure has been for years a public dairy, and the grounds to the extent of 300 acres (1.2 km2) converted to its uses, some notion may be formed of their altered condition.

 

In 1852 it was bought by the Lord Chancellor, Francis Blackburne whose family resided there for three generations. The property developers Bailey & Gibson acquired the castle in 1912 and divided up the estate. The eastern part became the Castle Golf Club, the castle and the southwestern portion were bought in 1913 by the Jesuit Order and the northwestern part was devoted to housing.

 

The Jesuits are an order renowned for their education and one of them; Father O'Leary S.J. constructed a seismograph. This machine could detect earth tremors and earthquakes from anywhere in the world and for a time, Rathfarnham Castle became a source of earthquake information for the national media.

 

To the north of the castle was a long vaulted chamber formerly known as Cromwell’s Court or Fort. This was apparently a barn or storehouse erected as part of the castle farm and had narrow loopholes in its 5-foot (1.5 m) thick walls. In 1922, it was incorporated into the new retreat house, to which it formed the ground story and its character concealed from the outside by a uniform covering of cement plaster.

 

Not far from the Golf Club House was an attractive little temple built of stone and brick, another relic of Lord Ely’s occupation of Rathfarnham. Although rather out of repair, if restored, it would have added much to the charm of this part of the links. Unfortunately, by decision of the committee, it was demolished in 1979.

 

In 1986, the Jesuits sold Rathfarnham Castle but before leaving, they removed the stained glass windows, made in the famous Harry Clarke studios, from the chapel and donated them to Tullamore Catholic Church which had been destroyed by fire in 1983. The other windows were donated to Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross and Temple Street Children's Hospital, Dublin.

 

Preservation:

 

The castle was sold to Delaware Properties in 1985 and it was feared that it was facing demolition. After immense public pressure to save the building, it was purchased by the state in 1987 and was declared a National Monument. Currently, by the Office of Public Works, there is an extensive refurbishment going through the castle but it is still open to the public during the summer months (5th May - 12th October). The Castle is presented as a castle undergoing active conservation, where visitors can see, at first hand, tantalising glimpses of layers of its earlier existence uncovered during research.

The Oliver Road Floods. A letter sent to Cyril Smith by the then Secretary Fred Lineham highlighting the flooding problems at Oliver and Auckland Road sites. He says It took some time, but it was most enjoyable as I had to research quite extensively.

 

This may appear a bit rambling in places, as I am trying to remember six years on, three years of research involving over a thousand maps and related papers. I used materials from Valance House, Passmore Edwards, Metropolitan Water Board, Essex County Records, Bazalgette's own papers, Inland Waterways Library and local Parish Records plus Vestry House and London Records.

 

To understand the drainage system at Oliver Road, you have to take in a very much wider area than just the site. On the site itself you have to consider three points:

1.The complex system of the original underground streams.

2.The work done by Bazalgette during the Great Stink.

3.The extra piping laid due to the building of the Leyton Sewerage Works, the remains of which are at the lower end of the site.

Now all of this is totally complicated by the fact that most of the work was never incorporated into our local ground maps. An example of how this happened is as follows. Two brothers, one a Leyton Council official, the other a Leytonstone Council official were nominated by their respective Parish Councils to ensure that the London Drain would pass through their Parish and not the others as you got many Brownie Points by having the prestigious London Drain running under your high street. Both brothers kept their plans about their person at al times and when the Drain was awarded to Leytonstone, our lad in a fit of pique, stole his brother's papers and burnt them. In retaliation, the other brother hired two local hard men to duff up his brother and steal his papers, but the local police (I am sure it could not have been Frances Road Station) chased and caught the villains but before they were apprehended they fed the papers to a goat to lose the evidence. These papers contained details of all the local streams with flow rates, all the original piping and land drainage. This is why all of the very complex streams and pipes are not on the Water Board's ground maps of our site.

You are dealing with very ancient waterways here, as originally, our site area was at the edge of a great marsh east of London. A number of streams run down from the high forest areas of Epping and Wanstead, by way of Whipps Cross. For instance the Hollow and Eagle Ponds feed the Fillebrook Stream which runs alongside the Auckland Road Site. Another historical point, is that it was around here that Alfred blocked some rivers and streams to form extra marshland in order to keep the Danes at bay. There are two high points in this area, one at what is now Ruckholt Road. Ruckholt being a derivation of Rock Halt and this was an outcrop in the marshland area, fortified by an early Viking who used it as a power base to rule the marsh area, the second high point is at the present junction of Osier Way and Oliver Road. It was here that the Passmore Edwards team found a Neolithic Settlement, ideally placed between two main stream inlets to the marsh area. A minor stream flowed along the course where Windsor Road is today and joined up with one of the main streams which came through the Thornhill Road area, while the second main stream, this the one which we are interested in, flowed through Wilmot Road. These two main streams are mentioned by Julius Caesar, as when the locals Brits at Ilford were giving him trouble, overnight, he crossed the Ley with a strong force and crossing our two streams with difficulty, as he had cavalry with him and the banks were very steep, marched overland and set up his attack formation at the top of what is now Ilford Hill. When the local Brits got up the following morning, they found the Roman Army ready to fight. The Brits surrendered at once. During the 1800's there was quite a severe earthquake in Essex and this resulted in the Thornhill and Windsor Road streams being diverted along Oliver Road and running down to where the Fillebrook Stream was running. To avoid the major flooding that this caused an open land drain was run alongside the old Fillebrook. It is this which causes the flooding outside the Orient's Ground during heavy rainstorms. If the portcullis at the exit of the Fillebrook where it runs into the main Dagenham Ditch, which is on the Auckland Road Site is not kept clear, there will be a feed-back of flood water along the Fillebrook and the open land drain cannot expend its excess water into the stream, so it then comes up through the drains outside of the Orient's Ground. I realised this fifteen years ago when the Oliver Road site was always flooding in the rainy season. I undertook to keep the portcullis clear and the flooding stopped during the period. Sometime after I left the Sites I began to hear on the local wireless traffic reports of the flooding starting up again, it caused some inconvenience at the Rememberance Day march. When I wrote to the Waltham Forest Council about this I was informed that as I was not in the Borough it did not concern me.

We can now concentrate on the main Wilmot Road stream which os the one affecting the Oliver Road Site. I will say again that this is an ancient stream, it used to run past a Roman villa, the remains of which can still be seen in the grounds of the old Trades Hall where Church Road joins the High Road. It was burnt down by Boudicca when the Iceni revolted against the Romans In the first Century. In the area of Wilmot Road, it used to be an open stream backed onto by a number of local nurseries. The stream disappeared underground just this side of the old Oliver Road. Underground, it followed the contours of the underlying clay convolutions and broke up into three small waterways. One ran down towards the Bowling Green area, a second ran towards the Ive Farm area and this fed the watercress beds which were run by the Leyton Boatmen or marshmen. The central flow, the major one, is the one that runs through the Oliver Road Estates and feeds the pond in the allotment site. This was known since very early times as Jesus Christ's Cup because it was always flowing and always pure. Cedric the Hermit lived by it for seven years. It is possible that this is the pond at which King Harold drank when he was on his way from London to his power base at Waltham. He used to leave London, walk through the marsh area to the site of an old Iron Age fortress, which used to be where the present Drapers Field is today. He used to pick up the Waltham Road and just along it he used to practise the old Anglo-Saxon ploy of the defensive Shield Wall. Afterwards he used to drink at a 'magical spring' and then proceed on his way to Waltham. So the King Harold pub in the Leyton High Road may be quite significant as the place where he joined the Waltham Way. The Oliver Road Allotment Site was built around this spring as there was certain always to be water available for the plants.

This system ran without a hitch for many of hundreds of years until an engineer named Bazalgette was instructed to lay a sewer system for London in order to eliminate the stench that overhung London due to the many open sewers and streams full of debris that criss-crossed the capital. Bazalgette devised a plan to build 82 miles of underground, intercepting, contra-cleaning sewers, fed by water pumping stations that required a constant head of water being fed into them. At the same time the Burgers of West ham had petitioned the High Court about the sewerage that was floating down into their area from the increasing population of Leyton. Streams such as the Channelsea and Ley Duct were being blocked with sewerage and disease was abounding in these areas. Bazalgette realised that he would have to control all of the waterways running into his system if it was to work and he would have special difficulties in the Leyton area. The only place where a Sewerage Works could be built eventually was on marshland area, now the Auckland Area. Doing so would destroy the watercress beds of the Marshmen. He started work by getting his gang of Irish navvies to cut a V-shaped ditch south of Oliver Road, following the course of the main Jesus Christ's Cup stream and built a culvert, or rather a double culvert to ensure that the stream would always flow at a constant rate. To avoid an overflow, he dug a drop-hole so that the water from the Cup instead of flowing into the Dagenham Brook, would fall into an underground cross stream, known as the Etloe Pipe, as it was this stream that Etloe House used as its water supply. It's position, the drop-hole is on Plot 54 where the man-hole cover is now. This underground stream, the Etloe Pipe, was earmarked for use at a later stage as Bazalgette was to concentrate on the "Big Stink" works, for use with the proposed Leyton Sewerage Works and if you can get hold of a map of Leyton for 1894 Old Ordnance Survey Map Godfrey Edition, London Sheet 32, it will give you an overall layout of the area, from which you can deduce to a very close mark the runways of the streams and various pipes. When it became obvious that the watercress beds were being destroyed, the Marshmen took quite a poor view of it and attacked the Irish Navvies. As cutlasses and muskets were used by both sides, there was quite a loss of life. The battle started at Wilmot Road and then went down Oliver Road to where the Orient Ground now stands. As the mortuary was were the Council tip used to be (Bywaters) it was the ideal site for the battle. The Government of the day did not want any of this to get out because of the fear of a general up-rising throughout the country about living conditions, so the Guards were brought in and stationed at Etloe House and the old Trades Lodge in the High Street. A D-notice was put on the news of the battle and all plans for the area were made top secret and even if you look into Bazalgette's private papers, they are blank where Leyton is concerned while all of the other areas are written up in detail. But I actually spoke with a near eye-witness to the battle and it was he who put me onto this line of investigation, it was Mr Lovely, who had a plot on Auckland Road. He was ninety three when he died and he had lived in Leyton all of his life. His father and grandfather were Marshmen and his father had a cutlass slash down his face as a result. It was a shame that I only found out about his wealth of local history a few weeks before he died, as he had facts like the battle which only he knew then.

After Bazalgettes had left and the London Sewer System was working, work then started on the Leyton Sewerage Works. The drop-hole was expanded and the Etloe Pipe was replaced with an open underground culvert, which I believe you can still see today on Plot 67. This lined up with the Rake Tanks that were installed and shown quite plainly on the 1894 map from which you can deduce the path taken by the culvert. An extra drain was run along the lower banking of the Dagenham Brook on the allotment side, to carry away excess water that built up outside the Sewerage Works. It appears that the stream that leads towards Ive Farm from the Wilmot Road branch also started to flow and this was lead into the extra drain and an inspection hatch was put in the area around Plot 1 at the site. A water measuring station was put across the Dagenham Brook to record any increase in flow as any overflow could have flooded the new railway sidings that were being built.

We can now come up to modern times and it appears that the constructors of the old tower blocks were very lucky not to cause major flooding when they were pile driving the foundations. The first flood happened when they connected the main water supply up incorrectly and turned it on, this was the first flood that took off the top soil in the top corner plots as it followed the original course of the waterway that fed the watercress beds. Jesus Christ's Cup still kept its normal flow during this flood. When the tower blocks were about to be demolished is when the serious flooding started. We began to get seepage into all the top plots and the jesus Christ's Cup increased in flow rate. It was obvious that the heavy pounding equipment had done some form of damage when the foundations of the blocks were worked on. Straight away everyone denied that they were responsible. Bovis blamed it on the plot holders over watering the allotments and sent me a booklet on proper use of water in gardening. Ave Arup threatened me with legal action if I implied that they or any of their sub-contractors were responsible. That was when I had the story published on the front page of the Guardian. We got no support from the Council who sided with Bovis. I thought it quite unusual at the number of Council Officers, who finished up working for Bovis and the Housing Action Trusts, who agreed when in the council, unofficially, that there was a problem and denied with great gusto that there was nothing wrong when working for the Trusts. This was the start of three years investigation until I found out what had happened. For three years we lost the use of the plots at the top of the site and eventually I surmised that the pounding by Bovis had collapsed the culverts put in by old Bazalgette. The initial cutting off of the Jesus Christ's Cup was when the collapse stopped the supply and the increased flow was when the flow had found its way into the Ive Farm system and then fed back into the channel past the obstruction. I wrote out quite a long report and did detailed maps, photos taken from the firm's helicopter and even Geo-physics readings showing waterways but as there was considerable money involved it was thrown out. This was the infamous meeting where I knocked out two teeth of the Council Officer who tore up my report and threw it at me. My knuckle still aches today when the cold catches it.

The matter was only resolved when an Ave Arup engineer, the only decent one there, Jim Collins, and who was about to retire, came to the site to sort the matter out. This was not any goodwill on the part of Ave Arup, it was because they were still trying to get the Euro-Trak to run into Stratford. Jim and myself had a meeting at 9.30 in his office in the estate and we spent till 10.15 looking at my paperwork and plans. At 11.15 Jim started the first of two bore holes, the second bore hole came slap down on the collapsed culvert. It took two hours after lunch to open up a trench and by 6.30 the collapse had been cleared and steel sheets laid over the damaged area. By the next morning all of the flooding had stopped and the Jesus Christ's Cup was back to its normal flow. Three weeks later, a letter was sent to the Council Allotments' Committee from Bovis, Ave Arup's contractors - the flooding had stopped and their view that the flooding would eventually right itself had been proved correct. They claimed that they had saved the Council a hundred thousand pounds by not taking up the 'ramblings of a madman', myself, over this matter. A letter of thanks was sent by the Committee to the contractors.

During the flooding and when the Cup was overflowing, I suggested that we could modify the Cup and take the overflow directly into the drop hole as this is where any overflow originally went. But I was advised that it could be a protected structure, as it was part of the Victorian system. So I had the Council telling me that a structure that they claimed did not exist could not be tampered with as it was protected.

I will send a couple of rough drawings with as much information on them as I can remember, but to understand the situation properly you should send to Alan Godfrey, 57-58, Spoor Street, Dunston, Gateshead for the map I have quoted earlier on. Another address to get the map from is Paterson Printers, 12, Ladygate, South Shields. Better still call in at Smiths and ask them to order it for you. I think that you will find the ISBN number is 0 85054 032 1. I can remember it as it was very close to my old Works Number.

The cause of the increased flow of the Jesus Christ's Cup stream is now very deeply bedded under the new housing. The Council are going to deny all responsibility, the constructors will show you maps that prove it could not have been them, so I think the best way is to incorporate an overflow and buried runway directly into the drop hole. If the runway is laid along the natural soakaway that opens into the drop hole, then there will be minimum damage to any old structure. A deep trench between the pond and the drop hole should expose quite clearly the soakaway.

 

As my fingers are now just going numb and I think that I have put down all that I can remember. I'll read through it and if it is too did-jointed then I will type it out again, but if it is readable I will leave it as it is, warts and all.

 

Fred Lineham

©AVucha 2014

On March 3rd at 6:21pm, Woodstock Fire/Rescue was dispatched for a motor vehicle accident involving a Woodstock Police Officer at Route 14 and Dean St. The officer was extracted from his squad car and was transported via OSF Life Flight to St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

Woodstock, Illinois

 

News obtained from the Northwest Herald:

WOODSTOCK – A Woodstock police officer had to be extricated from an unmarked squad car and flown to a hospital Monday after a three-vehicle accident.

At 6:24 p.m., a 15-year-old male motorist from Woodstock, driving on a learner's permit, was waiting to turn left from westbound Route 14 onto Dean Street. When he turned left, he struck an unmarked Woodstock squad car, which was traveling eastbound on Route 14. The squad car then hit a vehicle facing north waiting on Dean Street.

Officer Eric Schmidtke was driving a Ford Interceptor and had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was transported to Woodstock Hospital, and subsequently flown to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Rockford, according to a press release from the McHenry County Sheriff's office.

He was released from the hospital late last night, according to McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Aimee Knop.

The traffic signal for eastbound and westbound Rt. 14 was green at the time of crash, the release said.

Because of the extra equipment in the squad car, such as the computer, radio and weapons, it took longer to conduct the extrication, Ryan said.

The juvenile driver and his adult passenger were taken to Centegra Hospital – Woodstock, where they were treated and released, Knop said.

The names of the juvenile and others involved in the crash were not released.

Eastbound Route 14 was shut down for about two hours after the accident, Ryan said.

The sheriff's office is investigating the crash because a Woodstock officer was involved.

Knop said the juvenile was cited for failure to yield when turning left at an intersection. She said everyone involved was wearing a seat belt, and alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor.

The officer was believed to be performing normal driving, Knop said.

©AVucha 2014

On March 3rd at 6:21pm, Woodstock Fire/Rescue was dispatched for a motor vehicle accident involving a Woodstock Police Officer at Route 14 and Dean St. The officer was extracted from his squad car and was transported via OSF Life Flight to St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

Woodstock, Illinois

 

News obtained from the Northwest Herald:

WOODSTOCK – A Woodstock police officer had to be extricated from an unmarked squad car and flown to a hospital Monday after a three-vehicle accident.

At 6:24 p.m., a 15-year-old male motorist from Woodstock, driving on a learner's permit, was waiting to turn left from westbound Route 14 onto Dean Street. When he turned left, he struck an unmarked Woodstock squad car, which was traveling eastbound on Route 14. The squad car then hit a vehicle facing north waiting on Dean Street.

Officer Eric Schmidtke was driving a Ford Interceptor and had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was transported to Woodstock Hospital, and subsequently flown to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Rockford, according to a press release from the McHenry County Sheriff's office.

He was released from the hospital late last night, according to McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Aimee Knop.

The traffic signal for eastbound and westbound Rt. 14 was green at the time of crash, the release said.

Because of the extra equipment in the squad car, such as the computer, radio and weapons, it took longer to conduct the extrication, Ryan said.

The juvenile driver and his adult passenger were taken to Centegra Hospital – Woodstock, where they were treated and released, Knop said.

The names of the juvenile and others involved in the crash were not released.

Eastbound Route 14 was shut down for about two hours after the accident, Ryan said.

The sheriff's office is investigating the crash because a Woodstock officer was involved.

Knop said the juvenile was cited for failure to yield when turning left at an intersection. She said everyone involved was wearing a seat belt, and alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor.

The officer was believed to be performing normal driving, Knop said.