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For great photographs and the low down on the G20 Summit, Protests and Demonstrations visit www.ravishlondon.com/g20
The world faces a problem: recession and a spiraling fall in trade. The Economist puts it like this, “Trade is contracting again, at a rate unmatched in the post-war period. This week the World Trade Organisation (WTO) predicted that the volume of global merchandise trade would shrink by 9% this year. This will be the first fall in trade flows since 1982. Between 1990 and 2006 trade volumes grew by more than 6% a year, easily outstripping the growth rate of world output, which was about 3% (see chart 1). Now the global economic machine has gone into reverse: output is declining and trade is tumbling at a faster pace. The turmoil has shaken commerce in goods of all sorts, bought and sold by rich and poor countries alike.” According to the Economist, “The immediate cause of shrinking trade is plain: global recession means a collapse in demand. The credit crunch adds an additional squeeze, thanks to an estimated shortfall of $100 billion in trade finance, which lubricates 90% of world trade.”
According to the Guardian, “On Thursday 2 April Gordon Brown is going to host the G20 summit in London. Leaders from 22 countries will be at the summit. The G20 is an organisation for finance ministers and central bankers, who in the past met once a year to discuss international cooperation in finance. There are 19 countries who are members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The 20th member is the European Union, which is represented by whichever country holds the EU presidency (currently, it's the Czech Republic). These countries represent 90% of global GDP, 80% of world trade and two thirds of the world's population. The IMF and the World Bank also attend G20 meetings, although technically the London event isn't a normal G20 meeting.”
This G20 meeting will be for the leaders of all G20 countries. According to the Guardian the policy agenda developed by the last G20 meeting “did not in fact go much beyond pre-existing international initiatives that had recently been developed in more technocratic international bodies.” According to the Guardian, “On the London summit website, the British government has explained what it hopes to achieve. At the summit, countries need to come together to enhance global coordination in order to help restore global economic growth. World leaders must make three commitments:
• First, to take whatever action is necessary to stabilise financial markets and enable families and businesses to get through the recession.
• Second, to reform and strengthen the global financial and economic system to restore confidence and trust.
• Third, to put the global economy on track for sustainable growth.
Gordon Brown has argued that the world must avoid protectionism. According to the Economist, “The World Bank says that, since the G20 leaders last met in November in Washington, DC, 17 of their countries have restricted trade. Some have raised tariffs, as Russia did on second-hand cars and India did on steel. Citing safety, China has banned imports of Irish pork and Italian brandy. Across the world, there has been a surge in actions against “dumping”—the sale of exports, supposedly at a loss, in order to undermine the competition. Governments everywhere are favouring locally made goods.” The Economist also says, “Kei-Mu Yi, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, argues that trade has fallen so fast and so uniformly around the world largely because of the rise of “vertical specialisation”, or global supply chains. This contributed to trade’s rapid expansion in recent decades. Now it is adding to the rate of shrinkage. When David Ricardo argued in the early 19th century that comparative advantage was the basis of trade, he conceived of countries specialising in products, like wine or cloth. But Mr Yi points out that countries now specialise not so much in final products as in steps in the process of production.”
Protectionism in itself sounds bad – but it is a policy option available and used in all political economies – including the most liberal. Protectionism can also lead to a more self-sustainable economy, and can lead to the internal development of an economy, which means the economy is less reliant and dependent on external sources of finance. Development will be slower, but it can be more secure and sustainable. It is likely that if countries do operate protectionist policies it will be a short-term opportunist and populist response to workers and unions, but it could be seen as an alternative economic model of development. It worked in Brazil and Argentina during the 1960s and 1970s for a while, until a more neo-liberal and external finance model was preferred.
The Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was reported on Channel 4 News to have told Mr Brown the crisis was caused by "white blue eyed people". This overtly racist remark has been noted, but there has been no visible backlash. It is interesting how the whole agenda about racism never applies to the dominant one, i.e. you can racially slur white people, and white people with blue eyes without anyone batting an eye lid, whereas if you racially slur other ethnic groups you can find yourself battered. I find this state of affairs deeply offensive to the human race in general, and very patronizing to those groups who don’t come from the dominant ethnic group (i.e. its almost to say the whole anti-racist thing is a way of patting you on the head and saying there, there – because when it comes to racism we don’t really give a shit – see the way we couldn’t give a f*** if you slur our own dominant white ethnic group).
The reality is that the summit will represent a reshuffling of position, support and dependencies between the world’s twenty richest countries. Spectators are expecting China to come out feeling puffed up and proud, given that China has faired relatively in recent years, or so we are led to believe. Meanwhile national demonstrations seem to be focusing our attention to the fact that a different way of working is needed. In fact it will be work as usual – the question is who will come out on top.
In anticipation of the G20 summit a demonstration was held in London. 10,000 were predicted to attend the demonstrations. The police reported 35,000. I was there at the demonstration and I don’t believe I saw 35,000 people walk past Big Ben – and I saw it from start to finish. As one commentator, on the Guardian observed, “Apart from the small contingent of student SWP calling 'One solution, Revolution' and about 20 anarchists making noise the spirit was generally depressed and lacking any anger or sense of direction.” Cognitator joked, “Perhaps the police were adding their number to the protesters. As opposed to taking them away as per usual.”
According to the Guardian, “The Put People First march yesterday was organised by a collaboration of more than 100 trade unions, church groups and charities including ActionAid, Save the Children and Friends of the Earth. The theme was "jobs, justice and climate" and the message was aimed at the world leaders who will be gathering for the G20 summit here this week.”
The march started on the Embankment. When I arrived there I walked around desperately finding somewhere where I could have a piss for free. I tried Starbucks and Costa Cofee, but they seemed to have no toilets, I even tried the stamp collectors fayre a subterranean culture of badly dressed old people, with poor eyesight and even worse posture, which was momentary distraction from my full bladder, but which did not provide the answer to my pressing problem as the toilet door was locked and for staff only. Stephen Moss writing for the Guardian said, “Westminster is not a great place for someone like me, who has a weak bladder, to go on a march. The public loos there cost an outrageous 50p a go. The Socialist Worker magazine-seller next to Embankment tube station is on to this in a flash. "50p to have a piss – a lesson in capitalism," he is soon shouting. Later, I'm pleased to see someone has punched a hole in the wooden sign advertising the price.” In the end I walked all the way to the National Portrait Gallery where you can always be assured a good quality toilet seat.
The Guardian continued, “The marchers, estimated at 35,000 by police, accompanied by brass bands and drummers and a colourful assortment of banners and flags, walked the four miles from Embankment to Hyde Park, where speeches from comedian Mark Thomas and environmental campaigner Tony Juniper, and music from the Kooks, made for a party-like atmosphere.”
The Guardian reported, “A group of fewer than 200 anarchists joined the march and were kept isolated and surrounded by police. Chants of "Burn the bankers!" were the closest anyone came to any show of aggression.’ Yes I witnessed this, it was clear that the anarchists, dressed in black, some of them with scarves covering their faces, generally looked cool as fuck, like some post-nuclear vigilante gang, their black signifying the dark depressing reality from which humanity starts, and the point from which they wish to depart. Whether the police presence was heavy is debatable but they certainly had a line of police accompanying them, whereas no other group were honored with such a presence. Of the anarchists Stephen Moss says, “I fall in with some anarchists halfway through the march – a delightful young Greek called Alex and an Italian, who is happy to talk about Bakunin, but is, I sense, a little suspicious of me. The anarchists march together – with the police flanking them in a way they don't with the rest of the march – and I am intrigued that they never shout slogans or bang drums. Their mission is a serious one.” Moss goes on, “Alex tells me a reporter from the Sunday Times has already approached him to ask why anarchists wear masks. "Work it out for yourself – you're a journalist," he'd told him. "People always ask why we wear masks; they never ask about our ideology," he complains. In essence, that ideology is: power corrupts; all elites will be corrupt; so government should be by the people, for the people – a mass movement of the type they claim is emerging in South America. Hezbollah is also mentioned favourably, a movement they see as developing organically. "Organic" is a key word for anarchists, and it would save a lot of aggro and bad press if they were called organicists rather than anarchists.” Good point. But who wants to be called an organicist? And in any case everything is organic really – its just that some organisms develop in a way we or anarchists done like and some do. To call anarchists, organic is to miss the point, anarachists are like Christian, they dream of a reality which transcends human nature as it is and known. Structure, corruption, self-interest and greed underpin all human activity – the question is not how we can do away with it, but how can we manage it in a fair way.
Stephen Moss wrote about the variety of organizations on the march. He said, “Socialist Worker has a three-point strategy: "Seize their wealth," "Stamp out poverty," "End all wars." Sounds good, but I can't work out exactly who "their" refers to. The Socialist party is hot on slogans, colder on the mechanism by which they are put into practice. The likely outcome to the current crisis still appears to be government by Etonians.” Most of these movements are nothing to do with instituting political change. The people involved in them do not want to genuinely change things. Instead what these groups function as is self-help groups for people, for whatever reason, feel that they have been wronged in life, probably at a personal level, and feeling quite hopeless about their personal wrongs, they want to transpose their personal woe on to a faceless, unintelligible other – the government, the state, the capitalist, the rich and the greedy. Its not so much that socialist workers and anarchists want to change things, they know they are completely ineffectual, and too screwed up and traumatized, too aggressive, unintelligent and incapable of engaging people into a different way of organizing; they just want to shout out to people ‘we hurt’. Fair enough.
The TUC don’t seem to be turning up to do anything more than saying ‘there there’ to threatened workers, and stating the downright bloody obvious to the government. Their message is “The importance of this summit cannot be underestimated. Unemployment and deprivation will grow massively over the next two years unless governments work together. People need to know that there is an international solution to this crisis. If the summit suggests that there is not, many will turn to nationalist and protectionist politics with all that implies for the global economy and world peace.” Mind you they do go on to say that, “But while the immediate response to the crisis will be at the forefront of the leaders' minds, the unprecedented Put People First coalition shows there is a huge appetite for a new economic direction. Thirty years of the increasing dominance of the neo-liberal agenda has got us into this mess. The summit must show that the next 30 years need to be about a renewed era of economic growth based on a much fairer share of the proceeds. One that is environmentally sustainable and one that does not end in the burst of yet another financial bubble.” But what are they really saying? Nothing much.
There is of course something about how all of this is just about having a laugh, getting a kick, getting an emotional fix. There’s something very similar to the way that some of the more violent groups get ready for a rumble with the police and football hooliganism. Football hooligans are much more honest about the emotional kick they get from fighting. The protestors pretend that they are doing it for the people. Whatever the so called reasons, it is clear that a lot of protestors enjoy confrontation. They are much more focused on the enemy and combating the enemy than they are on creating peaceful societies. So Stephen Moss makes the interesting observation, “When the march eventually gets to Hyde Park, the anarchists refuse to join the "TUC bureaucrats" for the official rally and hold their own open-platform meeting at Speakers' Corner, dominated by elderly men in hats who talk less about Bakunin than about beating up the BNP and confronting the police on the streets of Whitechapel. It's all a bit depressing (and expletive-filled – I take serious exception to the denunciation of "Oxbridge cunts"), though I like the fact that the elderly men refuse even to use a megaphone – only the ordinary human voice is organic enough.” The media and police have both hyped the April 2009 marches as like the possible end of the British way of life, of democracy, of capitalism. Nothing could be further from the truth, but its like we all want to will it to happen – we all are looking for excitement – war may be bad but peace is fucking boring – I once read.
The Guardian also reported, “Thomas told the Observer he believed the protest marked "the start of a grassroots movement". He added: "This is a moment. This is the first time people have had a chance to come out on to the streets in a big way." But this is nonsense. This was just an opportunity for a plethora of groups, amongst whom there are more differences, and the only thing that can unite them is a general concern for jobs, justice and climate, which incidentally are three themes that unite most of the country, and all the main political parties, to catch the government at a weak moment, and hope to build up support for whatever cause they have, on the back of the anger and desperation amongst people at this time.
The protest ended up in Hyde Park. I didn’t go, it was too cold and rainy, and although I did aim to walk there via a short-cut through Victoria, I ended up taking refuge in Westminster Cathedral, where I saw another procession, of Catholic priests and altar boys, who were holding a service for the Union of Catholic Mothers. I listened to the Catholic priests, they sounded much more happy and at peace with themselves and their surroundings, than the rankerous socialist bile spitting leaders.
People are blaming the bankers, but there is in actual fact no-one to blame for this. The this needs to be qualified too. The ‘this’ is the fact that people are loosing their jobs, consumption will have to be reduced. It is ironic that it is precisely that people are facing the prospect of lower consumption that they are out on the streets protesting against greedy bankers, it is not so much the greed of the bankers that people resent, so much as the increased consuming power of the bankers that they are envious of. The bankers are not to blame for working within a system, which promoted risky investments, a system which was encouraged and deregulated by politicians who realized that whilst the bubble was growing there were huge financial gains to be made from encouraging bankers to reap the rewards both for themselves but through the state through taxation, and politicians who were encouraged by the people who voted them in, who probably formed the majority of people marching in demonstration and protest today, who voted in the governments believing the deregulation of banks not to be a serious enough issue to vote against a government for, and realizing that even if it was a risk, whilst the bubble was growing, they were happy enough to see their elected government ensuring that the country got a share of the pie. We all contributed to this fucking mess – if you can call it a mess – its only a mess for those who no longer have jobs and cannot consume so much – by voting in the government, who deregulated the banks and encouraged the lending of our money several times over to riskier and riskier ventures which in actual fact were not producing anything of material benefit, but were instead relying on house prices going up and up, as more people poured their money into it. Now we are in deep shit, because Gordon Brown has poured what little remaining money we have, and we have on credit into the black hole – it has simply disappeared.
There are some people who are saying the bankers should pay for the crisis they created. It doesn’t work like that – it works by people putting their money into a bank – and entrusting the bank to invest it wisely. Where the bank looses the money – the original investor looses the money. This creates a motivation on behalf of the investor to invest wisely, e.g. on the basis of what we know right now investing in Barclays rather than Lloyds TSB or the Royal Bank of Scotland. However reality begins to change once one’s livelihood is threatened – now it is solely the banker’s responsibility to have invested the money wisely, the public who invest their money into the banks are seen to be helpless, powerless twits, whose securities should have been looked after by a paternalistic and caring banking sector. So for example, according to Fox New, “Berlin police estimated that around 10,000 people gathered in front of the capital's city hall and more than 1,000 in Frankfurt, Germany's banking capital, for similar demonstrations under the slogan: "We won't pay for your crisis." Its not a crisis – its just that there are now lots of personal crises – the public didn’t bother to check whether their banks were investing their money properly or wisely and now they are paying for it. But the banks aren’t responsible for this – they really aren’t.
We have two problems. The first was created by the fact that banks lent out our money several times over – so we thought the country was several times as wealthy as it actually was. This led to inflationary pressures especially in the housing market – where the same money was lent to several different people – all investing in housing leading to unrealistic housing prices. We now realize we have a fraction of the wealth we thought we had. This creates deflationary pressures – i.e. where everyone has less money prices are reduced. This problem can be solved by creating a soft deflationary landing to a level where the price of labor and goods reflects the value of the money we have not the value of the money we have and we loaned. This means everyone has to accept lower wages – we can either do this peacefully based around a consensus and agreement between corporations, banks, trade unions or governments – or we can do it aggressively – letting perfectly good companies whose workers refuse to take pay cuts go to the wall – and then watch as millions of unemployed people try to reform and reorganize new companies and enterprises.
The second problem is that banks are no longer making such risky investments – so they are not looking to lend their money on to others – which means there is less money to be lent to people – which means less activity and less economy. We have to get used to less activity – but at least the activity will be invested in activities which are genuinely producing material benefit for people – not leading to an apparent generation of wealth – which is the artificial effect of lending x amount of money to people ten times, making it seem that we are ten times as rich as previously – when actual fact we are equally as wealthy – but with prices ten times as high. We should have also let the banks go to the wall – and started again with a heavily regulated banking sector – which was not allowed to lend out peoples’ money irresponsibly. No-one wants to have to feel the pain from this – i.e. the rich bankers who keep their pensions and bonuses, the people who have banked with them who want to keep their savings, and the businesses who are funded by the banks who want to hang on to their business and jobs. So what Gordon Brown is doing, is in the name of the people, funneling money into the banking system, paying for the debts, and thus, keeping the bankers sweet, keeping the investors sweet, keeping the businesses sweet. Who looses out? All of us – the poor! They never really had anything to loose in the first place, however whilst Gordon Brown borrows money to give to the banks so they can lend to businesses and pay bankers bonuses and salaries, we move a step closer to becoming bankrupt – i.e. not being able to borrow any more money because no-one believes we can pay it back. Once we become bankrupt, social services and welfare will be cut.
According to Gaby Hinsliff, “Many economists believe a recovery now requires bursting that artificial bubble and rebalancing the economy so that Chinese consumers are encouraged spend a little more - reducing America's trade deficit - and Americans a little less. Malloch Brown suggests Britons, too, will need to relearn the art of saving.”
According to the Guardian, “But Scotland Yard is expecting a greater challenge on Wednesday 1 April, dubbed "Financial Fools Day", with a series of protests aiming to cause disruption in the Square Mile and elsewhere.” The Guardian says, “On 1 April an alliance of anti-capitalist groups called G20 Meltdown is organising a carnival headed by "Four Horsefolk of the Apocalypse", which will converge in front of the Bank of England. Anarchists are planning to target the second day of the summit at ExCel. Other groups mounting demonstrations include Climate Camp, the Stop the War Coalition, and Government of the Dead. An alternative summit will be held a few hundred yards from the ExCel centre at the University of East London.”
The alternative G20 summit website provides the following manifesto: Can we oust the bankers from power? Can we get rid of the corrupt politicians in their pay? Can we guarantee everyone a job, a home, a future? Can we establish government by the people, for the people, of the people? Can we abolish all borders and be patriots for our planet? Can we all live sustainably and stop climate chaos? Can we make capitalism history? YES WE CAN!
According to the Daily Telegraph, “The G20 conference will lead to a London "lockdown" next week, with parks, roads and businesses closed to keep world leaders safe, Government officials are warning.” The media are really building this up, as an attempt to build readership and sell advertising. Its interesting how a force created by the desire to advertise and promote consumption causes papers to distort and promote a threat and confrontation to the very system upon which it is built. The Daily Telegraph article continues, “Protesters with armed with buckets and spades are among several thousand people who are planning to bring chaos to the heart of central London.Last night it emerged that City workers were being advised to "dress down" next week to avoid drawing attention to themselves.”
To anyone really wanting revolution bear in mind these words from Stephen Moss, “Changing society is hard, and usually starts with a split in the elite. The English civil war and the French revolution both began with a fissure in the governing classes; their falling-out created the space for populist movements to develop. For a grassroots movement to effect change is enormously difficult. It was only possible in Russia in 1917 because of the devastation wrought by war.”
The reality of the demo was perhaps best summer up by ‘one789’ who said, “My experience of the demo, in talking to people and observing, is that no one had any real clue of why they were there. They recognise 'blame the bankers' to be futile and a distraction, think capitalism 'is rubbish' and 'want change', but say nothing beyond that.I at least expected a high degree of frustration and anger, but more than anything what came across was disillusionment and confusion. But then, that's what you get I suppose from such a middle-class yummy-mummy bleeding-heart rally.”
As rabbit95 said, “Be glad we live in a society free enough to protest and where, apart from the police possibly taping your presence at such a demo, there will be no comeback.”
www.londonsummit.gov.uk/en/summit-aims/summit-progress/
www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13362...
www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13362027
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/29/g20-protests-london
www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/mar/28/g20-protest-...
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2009/mar/28/g20-su...
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/28/g20-protest
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/29/g20-summit-globalisa...
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/25/g20-q-a
news.google.co.uk/news?q=G20+summit+London+2009&oe=ut...
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/g20-summit/5050...
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/29/g20-summit
www.londonsummit.gov.uk/en/global-update/cp-china/active-...
www.londonsummit.gov.uk/en/summit-aims/summit-progress/qu...
www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/domestic_politics...
www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_pol...
For great photographs and the low down on the G20 Summit, Protests and Demonstrations visit www.ravishlondon.com/g20
The causes of sexual problems are as varied and complex as the human race. Some problems stem from a simple, reversible physical problem. Others can stem from more serious medical conditions, difficult life situations, or emotional problems. Still others have a combination of causes. Any of the following can contribute to sexual problems:
Relationship problems: Discord in other aspects of the relationship, such as distribution of labor, childrearing, or money, can cause sexual problems. Issues of control or even abuse in the relationship are especially harmful to sexual harmony. Such problems can prevent a woman from communicating her sexual wants and needs to her partner.
Emotional problems: Depression, anxiety (about sex or other things), stress, resentment, and guilt can all affect a woman's sexual function.
Insufficient stimulation: A woman's (or her partner's) lack of knowledge about sexual stimulation and response may prevent a woman from achieving a satisfactory experience. Poor communication between partners can also be a culprit here.
Gynecologic problems: A number of pelvic disorders can cause pain in intercourse and thus decrease satisfaction.
Vaginal dryness: The most common reason for this in younger women is insufficient stimulation. In older women, the decrease in estrogen that occurs in perimenopause or menopause is the cause of vaginal dryness. Poor lubrication can also be linked to hormone imbalances and other illnesses and to certain medications. It can inhibit arousal or make intercourse uncomfortable.
Vaginismus: This is a painful spasm of the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening that causes the vaginal opening to "tighten." It can prevent penetration or make penetration extremely painful. Vaginismus can be caused by injuries or scars from surgery, abuse, or childbirth, by infection, or by irritation from douches, spermicides, or condoms. It can also be caused by fear.
Sexually transmitted diseases: Gonorrhea, herpes, genital warts, chlamydia, and syphilis are infectious diseases spread by sexual contact. They can cause changes in the genitals that make sex uncomfortable or even painful.
Vaginitis: Inflammation and irritation of vaginal tissues due to infection or other causes can make intercourse uncomfortable or painful.
Endometriosis, pelvic mass, ovarian cyst, surgical scars: Any of these can cause an obstruction or anatomical changes that prevent intercourse or make it difficult or painful.
Pelvic inflammatory disease: This is an infection of the vagina that moves up into the cervix, uterus, and ovaries. It can be very painful on its own and make intercourse extremely painful.
Nerve damage after surgery: Unavoidable cutting of small nerves during pelvic surgery (such as hysterectomy) may decrease sensation and response.
Physical conditions: Many physical or medical conditions can decrease a woman's satisfaction with her sex life.
Tiredness (fatigue)
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease
Cancer
Neurologic disorders
Vascular (blood flow) disorders
Hormonal imbalances
Menopause
Pregnancy
Alcohol or drug abuse
Medications: Certain medications can reduce desire or arousal. One well-known group of drugs that have this effect are the selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) group of antidepressants, which includes drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft. Others include certain chemotherapy drugs, drugs for high blood pressure, and antipsychotic medications.
Other medical treatments: Treatments such as radiation therapy for certain types of cancer can reduce vaginal lubrication. They can also make skin and the membranes lining the genitals tender and sensitive.
History of abuse: A woman who has suffered sexual or other abuse may have trouble trusting her partner enough to relax and become aroused. She may have feelings of fear, guilt, or resentment that get in the way of a satisfactory experience, even if she cares deeply about her current partner.
Attitudes toward sex: Many people, either because of the way they were brought up or because of earlier bad experiences, don't view sex as a normal and enjoyable part of a couple's relationship. They may associate sex or sexual feelings with shame, guilt, fear, or anger. On the other hand are people who have unrealistic expectations about sex. Portrayals of sex in television and movies as always easy and fantastic mislead some people into believing that is how it is in real life. These people are disappointed or even distressed when sex is sometimes not earth-shattering or when a problem occurs.
Sexual problems of the partner: If a woman's partner has sexual problems, such as impotence or lack of desire, this can inhibit her own satisfaction. Continue Reading
I'm quite sure all of you have been caught up doing something and a thought comes into your head and you for some unknown reason feel the need to scratch your head. And your holding something or if your Italian, talking to someone........ And you don't really, really want to put down or stop talking..........
Well.... There is another way. ...
Seeeeeeeeeee......... Yoga can be used for practical things other than exercise and meditation.
Tuttles ❤️❤️❤️💋🌹🐒🐒
I have just noticed this at our local bus stop. Just two days into the new busway service, Grant Palmer have had to alter their route around the Beecroft Estate in Dunstable because of badly parked cars. This means that the Co-op supermarket, Post Office and other shops are no longer served by bus. This parking problem was obviously anticipated as double yellow lines were recently painted on certain stretches of road. Odd then that the service was pulled so soon.
I walk this way to said Post Office every afternoon and have wondered why I havn't yet seen one of the new Scanias along here yet; now I know!!
We decided to go for a city break rather than sun in Tenerife again this September. Other than a few days in the North East we haven’t been away since last March and wanted a change and hopefully some sun. The problem is getting flights from the north of England to the places we want to go to. We chose Valencia as we could fly from East Midlands – which was still a pain to get to as it involved the most notorious stretch of the M1 at five in the morning. In the end we had a fairly good journey, the new Ryanair business class pre-booked scheme worked quite well and bang on time as usual. It was dull when we landed with storms forecast all week, the sky was bright grey – the kiss of death to the photography I had in mind. I was full of cold and wishing I was at work. It did rain but it was overnight on our first night and didn't affect us. There has been a drought for eleven months apparently and it rained on our first day there! The forecast storms didn't materialise in Valencia but they got it elsewhere.
You May notice discrepancies in the spelling of some Spanish words or names, this is because Valencian is used on signs, in some guide books and maps. There are two languages in common use with distinct differences. There may also be genuine mistakes - it has been known!
Over the course of a Monday to Sunday week we covered 75 miles on foot and saw most of the best of Valencia – The City of Bell Towers. The Old City covers a pretty large area in a very confusing layout. There was a lot of referring to maps – even compass readings! – a first in a city for us. The problem with photography in Valencia is that most of the famous and attractive building are closely built around, some have poor quality housing built on to them. Most photographs have to be taken from an extreme angle looking up. There are no high points as it is pan flat, there are a small number of buildings where you can pay to go up on to the roof for a better view and we went up them – more than once!
The modern buildings of The City of Arts and Sciences – ( Ciutat de Las Arts I de les Ciencies ) are what the city has more recently become famous for, with tourists arriving by the coachload all day until late at night. They must be photographed millions of times a month. We went during the day and stayed till dark one evening, I gave it my best shot but a first time visit is always a compromise between ambition and realism, time dictates that we have to move on to the next destination. I travelled with a full size tripod – another first – I forgot to take it with me to TCoAaS! so It was time to wind up the ISO, again! Needless to say I never used the tripod.
On a day when rain was forecast but it stayed fine, albeit a bit dull, we went to the Bioparc north west of the city, a zoo by another name. There are many claims made for this place, were you can appear to walk alongside some very large animals, including, elephants, lions, giraffe, rhino, gorillas and many types of monkey to name a few. It is laid out in different geographical regions and there is very little between you and the animals, in some cases there is nothing, you enter the enclosure through a double door arrangement and the monkeys are around you. It gets rave reviews and we stayed for most of the day. The animals it has to be said gave the appearance of extreme boredom and frustration and I felt quite sorry for them.
The course of The River Turia was altered after a major flood in the 50’s. The new river runs west of the city flanked by a motorway. The old river, which is massive, deep and very wide between ancient walls, I can’t imagine how it flooded, has been turned into a park that is five miles long. There is an athletics track, football pitches, cycle paths, restaurants, numerous kids parks, ponds, fountains, loads of bridges, historic and modern. At the western end closest to the sea sits The City of Arts and Sciences – in the river bed. Where it meets the sea there is Valencia’s urban Formula One racetrack finishing in the massive marina built for The Americas Cup. The race track is in use as roadways complete with fully removable street furniture, kerbs, bollards, lights, islands and crossings, everything is just sat on the surface ready to be moved.
We found the beach almost by accident, we were desperate for food after putting in a lot of miles and the afternoon was ticking by. What a beach, 100’s of metres wide and stretching as far as the eye could see with a massive promenade. The hard thing was choosing, out of the dozens of restaurants, all next door to each other, all serving traditional Paella – rabbit and chicken – as well as seafood, we don’t eat seafood and it constituted 90% of the menu in most places. Every restaurant does a fixed price dish of the day, with a few choices, three courses and a drink. Some times this was our only meal besides making the most of the continental breakfast at the hotel. We had a fair few bar stops with the local wine being cheap and pleasant it would have been a shame not to, there would have been a one woman riot – or strike!
On our final day, a Sunday, we were out of bed and down for breakfast at 7.45 as usual, the place was deserted barring a waiter. We walked out of the door at 8.30 – in to the middle of a mass road race with many thousands of runners, one of a series that take place in Valencia – apparently! We struggled to find out the distance, possibly 10km. The finish was just around the corner so off we went with the camera gear, taking photos of random runners and groups. There was a TV crew filming it and some local celebrity (I think) commentating. Next we came across some sort of wandering religious and musical event. Some sort of ritual was played out over the course of Sunday morning in various locations, it involved catholic priests and religious buildings and another film crew. The Catholic tourists and locals were filling the (many) churches for Sunday mass. Amongst all of this we had seen men walking around in Arab style dress – the ones in black looked like the ones from ISIS currently beheading people – all carrying guns. A bit disconcerting. We assumed that there had been some sort of battle enactment. We were wrong, it hadn’t happened yet. A while later, about 11.30 we could hear banging, fireworks? No it was our friends with the guns. We were caught up in total mayhem, around 60 men randomly firing muskets with some sort of blank rounds, the noise, smoke and flames from the muzzles were incredible. We were about to climb the Torres de Serranos which is where, unbeknown to us, the grand, and deafening, finale was going to be. We could feel the blast in our faces on top of the tower. Yet again there was a film camera in attendance. I couldn’t get close ups but I got a good overview and shot my first video with the 5D, my first in 5 years of owning a DLSR with the capability. I usually use my phone ( I used my phone as well). Later in the day there was a bullfight taking place, the ring was almost next to our hotel, in the end we had other things to do and gave it a miss, it was certainly a busy Sunday in the city centre, whether it’s the norm or not I don’t know.
There is a tram system in Valencia but it goes from the port area into the newer part of the city on the north side, it wouldn’t be feasible to serve the historic old city really. A quick internet search told me that there are 55,000 university students in the city, a pretty big number. I think a lot of the campus is on the north side and served by the tram although there is a massive fleet of buses as well. There is a massive, very impressive market building , with 100’s of stalls that would make a photo project on its own, beautiful on the inside and out but very difficult to get decent photos of the exterior other than detail shots owing to the closeness of other buildings and the sheer size of it. Across town, another market has been beautifully renovated and is full of bars and restaurants and a bit of a destination in its own right.
A downside was the all too typical shafting by the taxi drivers who use every trick in the book to side step the official tariffs and rob you. The taxi from the airport had a “broken” meter and on the way home we were driven 22 km instead of the nine that is the actual distance. Some of them seem to view tourists as cash cows to be robbed at all costs. I emailed the Marriot hotel as they ordered the taxi, needless to say no answer from Marriot – they’ve had their money. We didn’t get the rip off treatment in the bars etc. that we experienced in Rome, prices are very fair on most things, certainly considering the city location.
All in all we had a good trip and can highly recommend Valencia.
While the C-141A Starlifter had done well in the 1960s, especially in supply efforts over Vietnam, the aircraft had one glaring problem: it would “bulk out” before it reached its projected payload weight: the fuselage would be full, but the aircraft was capable of carrying more. In response to this and the C-141’s need for fueling stops on long trips, the USAF began upgrading the C-141A fleet to C-141B standard.
By adding two plugs fore and aft of the wings, the fuselage was stretched 23 feet. While the Starlifter was still incapable of carrying oversize loads, it now could carry up to its full weight. Inflight refuelling capability was also added. All surviving C-141As were upgraded between 1977 and 1982 to B standard, essentially adding 90 new C-141s to the fleet without building new aircraft. With the C-5B Galaxy also entering service, the C-141B gave the USAF unmatched air transport capability, something that would be very useful in time of war. Its first wartime service would be Operation Desert Shield, the buildup to the First Gulf War of 1991. Starlifters carried nearly half of all payloads delivered to the Southwest Asia theater.
The 1990s would see the most use of the aircraft, especially over the wartorn former nations of Yugoslavia. During NATO efforts to resupply Bosnian towns cut off by Serbian forces, C-141s were flown from Rhein-Main airbase at low level over Bosnia, where cargo pallets were dropped from the rear filled with food. As these pallets could cause damage when they hit the ground, the pallets were replaced by food boxes tied together: these boxes would break apart in midair and float down on individual parachutes. These “food bombs” would be used later in other areas where the C-141 was unable to land. Other Rhein-Main based Starlifters made the trip into the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, the airport of which was considered one of the most dangerous spots on earth, constantly subject to mortar and sniper fire, and required a diving approach to avoid being shot at by Serbian antiaircraft units posted in the mountains around the airport. C-141s and other NATO transports kept the city alive during its three-year siege, which finally ended in 1995.
In response to this, 13 C-141Bs were modified to SOLL II standard, with low-light vision equipment, GPS, and defensive chaff/flare countermeasures, for operations over high-threat areas or in conjunction with Special Forces units. Later, about a third of the lowest-timed Starlifters were modified to C-141C standard, with a new “glass” cockpit and upgraded avionics.
Despite the upgrade, the days of the C-141 were numbered. It was getting old, and wing cracks had begun to appear on older aircraft. As the C-17 Globemaster III was now coming into service, Starlifters began to be retired. The C-141Cs soldiered on long enough to be used in Afghanistan and Iraq, where they finally used their paratroop-carrying capability in combat, dropping elements of the 101st Airborne Division near Tikrit in northern Iraq. After 2004, the Starlifter was retired from active units and passed on to Air National Guard and Reserve units; the last eight operational C-141s were used to shuttle supplies into New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. This was the Starlifter’s swan song, as after this operation ended the C-141 finally left USAF service after forty years of service. Of 285 aircraft, 19 were lost in accidents; 13 are preserved in museums.
The most famous C-141 ever flown, 66-0177 is known better by its nickname--the "Hanoi Taxi." First assigned as a C-141A to the 63rd Military Airlift Wing at Norton AFB, California, 66-0177 was a regular visitor to Southeast Asia on transport missions. A month after the Paris Peace Accords were signed, North Vietnam began the release of American prisoners of war held at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton"--in some cases, since 1965. 66-0177 was the first to land at Hanoi to pick up the first batch of 80 POWs, and as such became the first bit of America to welcome the prisoners home. Though only one of almost a dozen C-141s that brought POWs out of North Vietnam, 66-0177 was the first, and thus became dubbed the Hanoi Taxi.
Long after the Vietnam War was over, 66-0177 remained in service. In the early 1980s, it was stretched and became a C-141B, and was eventually assigned to the 445th Airlift Wing (USAF Reserve), based at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; in the early 1990s, it received the C-141C upgrade. As the Taxi closed in on the end of her service life, she was repainted from her AMC Gray scheme to the older Military Airlift Command colors to commemorate the aircraft's history. As such, the Taxi became something of a touchstone and living history museum for former Vietnam POWs. In 2004, the Taxi made one final trip to Hanoi, this time to pick up the remains of two American servicemembers once listed as missing in action. Finally, in May 2006, it was retired and made the short flight from the main part of Wright-Patterson to the National Museum of the USAF.
Today the Hanoi Taxi sits in the Experimental Aircraft and Transport Gallery at the NMUSAF. As mentioned above, it carries the old white-over-gray MAC scheme, complete with MAC stripe on the tail (though it reads "AFRC" for Air Force Reserve Command). The aircraft is open to the public to tour the cavernous cargo bay, as well as see the signatures of POWs who signed the interior.
Members of the NMH Math Club problem solving with the guidance of Bailey Koo '23 and faculty advisor Mark Yates on October 14, 2020. Photography by Glenn Minshall.
The problem with fall weather of course is the variability and this week sure proved that point with only one decent day for photography. So I finally finished up Monday's shots and here is one last picture of a LeConte's Sparrow from that shoot.
I love autumn, the colors of the season, and how nicely this little sparrow fits the colors of the season.
LeConte's Sparrows observed at Prairie Green Geneva Park District in Geneva, IL
BLUE light services in Wisbech have come together to tackle the problem of inconsiderate parking in some of the town’s hotspots.
Wisbech firefighters yesterday (April11) took to the streets with PCSOs from Cambridgeshire Constabulary to highlight roads that a fire engine struggles to fit along owing to inconsiderate parking.
Nine fixed penalty notices were issued and the same number of verbal warnings were given to members of the public who were with their vehicles.
PCSO Lisa Mann said: “Parking inconsiderately not only causes unnecessary obstructions and frustrations to other road users but it can also make it difficult for emergency services to access certain areas in time of need.
“There are clear designated areas for parking within Wisbech and we encourage motorists to use them.”
Phil Pilbeam, watch commander at Wisbech Fire Station, said: “Inconsiderate parking, leading to problems with access for our fire engines, is an issue in a number of roads in Wisbech. Our crews have historically found getting along roads in North Brink, Hill Street, Union Street and the High Street a tight squeeze owing to the large number of cars double parked, parked on both sides of the road and sometimes also parked on double yellow lines. This can make it extremely hard and sometimes impossible for emergency vehicles to get through, which could cause a delay in a fire engine getting to an emergency incident.
“It is imperative that when drivers park their cars they leave enough room for a fire engine to pass – just remember, we could be trying to get to your home or to rescue you or your family another time.”
A fire engine measures 2.6 metres wide and 8 metres long. Drivers are asked to make sure they parked their cars sensibly to allow a vehicle of this size to get through.
.… (portrait of devotees of St. Agatha) ….
.… (ritratto di devoti di Sant' Agata) ….
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Fear of the unknown, the fear of losing own physical or mental health, or worse, having already lost it, possible problems with work (if a work has it), old age advancing, awareness of the existence of a Higher Being, are just some of the reasons that push people to search for a contact with the Divine, with the supernatural, leading them to plead for help, but this is not enough to completely explain the close link fact of absolute devotion and enormous affection that the people of Catania (province) have towards their young martyr Agatha; an entire city partecipate in these days to ceremony and procession, one can not help but ask this question, what binds in such a profound and peculiar citizens to their Patron Saint Agata? Maybe I was lucky enough to capture photographically what is a partial response: a child at a very early age is brought to the window from her mother while passing the float of St. Agatha, so it's easy to understand... the devotion and attachment to the Martyr starts very young , transmitted by their parents as a treasure to be preserved and grow throughout their lives, which leads you in the days of the feast to a great collective.
This is a short-long report I did this year 2016, in the city of Catania (Sicily) in occasion of the feast of her patron saint Agatha, which took place on the 3, 4 and 5 February (this dates commemorates the martyrdom of the young Saint), and on 17 August too (this date celebrates the return to Catania of her remains, after these had been transferred to Constantinople by the Byzantine general Maniaces as war booty, and there remained for 86 years), when the Sicilian city is dressed up to feast, with a scent of orange blossom and mandarins, and its citizens show that they possess an extraordinary love and bond with the young martyr saint Agatha.
The religious sicilian feast of Saint Agatha is the most important feast of Catania, its inhabitants from five centuries, during the three days of the feast in honor of her "Santuzza" (young Saint), create a unique setting, with celebrations and rituals impressive, which means that this event is regarded as the third religious festival in the world (some say the second ...) after the "Semana Santa" in Seville and the "Corpus Christi" in Cuzco, Peru. Unlike other religious holidays, more sober, to Sant'Agata highlights a vocation exuberant typical of the south Italy, who loves to combine the sacred with the profane.
The cult of the young Santa dates back to the third century, when the teenager Agatha was martyred for refusing the roman proconsul Quintiziano. One year after the death of the young Agatha, on 5 February of the year 252, his virginal veil was carried in procession, and it is said it was able to save Catania from destruction due to a devastating eruption of Mount Etna.
The festivities begin with the procession of Candlemas (this year were in greater number, perhaps 14 instead of the 11 years of the other years); the "Candlemas" are giant Baroque wooden "candlesticks" paintings in gold, each representing an ancient guild (butchers, fishmongers, grocers, greengrocers, etc.), which are brought by eight devotees; the "cannalore" (candlemas) anticipate the arrival of the "float" of Saint Agatha during the procession. Devotees, men and women, wearing a traditional garment similar to a white bag, cinched at the waist by a black rope, gloves and a white handkerchief, and a black velvet cap, and it seems that such clothing evoke nightgown with the qule the Catanese, awakened with a start by the touch of the bells of the Cathedral, welcomed the naval port, in 1126, the relics of the Holy which fell from Constantinople. On float, consisting of a silver chariot sixteenth of thirty tons, which is driven by a double and long line of devotees with the robust and long ropes, takes place the bust of Saint Agatha, completely covered with precious stones and jewels. On February 4, the parade celebrates the so-called "external path" that touches some places of martyrdom in the city of Catania; the next day, the 5 instead the procession along the "aristocrat path", which runs along the main street, Via Etnea, the parlor of Catania. On this day the devotees carry on their shoulders the long candles of varying thickness, there are some not very big, others are fairly heavy, but some skim exceptional weights.
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La paura dell’ignoto, il timore di perdere la salute fisica o psichica, o peggio, averla già persa, possibili problemi col lavoro (per chi un lavora l’ha) o peggio non averlo dovendo così “inventarsi” la giornata, la vecchiaia che avanza, la consapevolezza dell’esistenza di un Essere Superiore, sono solo alcuni dei motivi che spingono gli uomini a cercare un contatto col Divino, col Sovrannaturale, portandoli ad invocare il Suo aiuto, ma tutto ciò non basta assolutamente a spiegare lo stretto legame fatto di assoluta devozione ed enorme attaccamento che gli abitanti di Catania (e provincia) hanno nei confronti della loro “Santuzza” la giovanissima martire Agata; nel vedere partecipare quella che sembra essere una città intera a questi giorni di rito e processione, non ci si può non porre questa domanda, cosa lega in maniera così profonda e peculiare i cittadini Catanesi alla loro Santa Patrona Agata? Forse ho avuto la fortuna di cogliere fotograficamente quella che è una risposta parziale e certamente non unica alla domanda: un bimbo in tenerissima età viene portato alla finestra dalla sua mamma mentre passa la vara di S.Agata, ecco… la devozione e l’attaccamento alla giovanissima Martire inizia da piccolissimi, trasmessa dai propri genitori (e non solo…) come un tesoro da custodire e coltivare per tutta la vita, che porta che nei giorni della festa ad un fantastico rito collettivo al quale nessun Catanese sembra non possa o non voglia rinunciare.
Questa è un breve e lungo report, da me realizzato nel febbraio di quest’anno 2016, nella città di Catania (Sicilia) in occasione della festa della sua giovane santa patrona Agata, che ha avuto luogo come ogni anno il 3, il 4 ed il 5 di febbraio (questa data commemora il martirio della Santa giovinetta), festa che viene ripetuta anche il 17 agosto (questa data rievoca il ritorno a Catania delle sue spoglie, dopo che queste erano state trasferite a Costantinopoli da parte del generale bizantino Maniace come bottino di guerra, spoglie che ivi rimasero per 86 anni); per questa occasione la città siciliana è vestita a festa con profumi di fiori d'arancio e mandarini, coi suoi cittadini che mostrano di possedere uno straordinario amore e legame con la giovane martire Agata.
Gli abitanti di Catania, oramai da cinque secoli, nei tre giorni della festa in onore della "Santuzza", danno vita ad una scenografia unica, con celebrazioni e riti imponenti, che fanno si che questo evento sia considerato come la terza festa religiosa al mondo (qualcuno dice la seconda ...) dopo la "Semana Santa" di Siviglia ed il "Corpus Domini" a Cuzco, in Perù. A differenza di altre feste religiose, più sobrie, quella di Sant'Agata mette in luce una vocazione esuberante tipica del meridione, che ama unire il sacro col profano.
Il culto della giovane Santa risale al terzo secolo, quando l'adolescente Agata fu martirizzata per aver rifiutato il proconsole romano Quintiziano. Un anno dopo la morte della giovane Agata, avvenuta il 5 febbraio dell'anno 252, il suo velo virginale venne portato in processione, e si narra esso riuscì a salvare Catania dalla sua distruzione a causa di una devastante eruzione del vulcano Etna.
I festeggiamenti iniziano con il corteo delle "candelore", queste sono dei giganteschi e pesanti "candelabri" in legno, in stile barocco, dipinti in oro, ognuna rappresentante una antica corporazione (macellai, pescivendoli, pizzicagnoli, fruttivendoli, ecc.), che vengono portati da otto devoti, le quali "cannalore" durante la processione anticipano l'arrivo della "vara" di Sant'Agata. I devoti, sia donne che uomini, indossano un tipico indumento simile ad un sacco bianco, stretto in vita da una cordicella nera, guanti ed un fazzoletto bianchi, ed infine una papalina di velluto nero, sembra che tale abbigliamento rievochi la camicia da notte con la quale i Catanesi, svegliatisi di soprassalto dal tocco improvviso delle campane del Duomo, accolsero al porto navale, nel 1126, le reliquie della Santa che rientravano da Costantinopoli. Sulla vara, costituita da un carro argentato cinquecentesco di trenta quintali, trainata da una doppia e lunghissima fila di devoti tramite delle robuste e lunghe funi, prende posto il busto di Sant'Agata, completamente ricoperto di pietre preziose e gioielli. Il 4 febbraio, il corteo compie il cosiddetto "giro esterno" che tocca alcuni luoghi del martirio nella città catanese; il giorno dopo, il 5, il corteo percorre il "giro aristocratico", che percorre la strada principale, la via Etnea, salotto buono di Catania. In questo giorno i devoti portano in spalla dei lunghi ceri di vario spessore, ce ne sono alcuni non molto grossi, altri sono discretamente pesanti, ma alcuni sfiorano pesi eccezionali.
Like sea pollution, plastic waste seems to appear everywhere. This is used to protect or mulch plants. Here it appears to have been ploughed in and would be difficult to separate out. Maybe it is biodegradable in which case what sort of residue does it leave?
articles.extension.org/pages/67951/current-and-future-pro...
Flickr is a mess in Firefox. It started midday on Monday. I thought it was just another problem with the system (note the uploading problems on Monday), but eventually I realized that the site was showing up just fine in IE.
So what in the world is going on? I deleted the Flickr cookies, but that didn't change anything. The css files seem to come up fine on their own, but it looks like they're not being pulled in when rendering the basic pages.
Any ideas? Thanks!
In the end, clearing the cache worked. It's something I really didn't want to have to do, but after trying several other things, it was the only idea I had left.
Dar más ancho de banda: Al ofrecer más ancho de banda el problema de retardo no se garantiza, siempre existe probabilidad para colisiones, se requiere un gran tamaño de ancho de banda en la red para manejar todas las llamadas sin congestión.
Dar un protocolo de retardo garantizado sobre los...
www.servervoip.com/blog/resolviendo-los-problemas-de-reta...
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.
My Nikon D610 had fallen down today (small screen and top body broken), I have received a D600 with around 20.000 clicks for replacement. This is the oil and dust problem... Whoooooo !
NOTE - Do not use this picture without permission !
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
LTE 6409 nadert Standic aan de Wieldrechtseweg met een ketelwagentrein. De vrachtwagenchauffeur links heeft het hogerop gezocht om het einde van de trein te vinden; zijn bestemming ligt aan de andere kant van het spoor. Hij was overigens niet de enige die op deze vrijdagmiddag om kwart voor vijf met dit probleem te maken kreeg... Dordrecht, 31-03-2017
by Alfredo Fernandes
Alfi Art Production, Divar
41st Tiatr Competition A group Of Kala Academy supported by TAG
13.10.2015
more here
joegoauk-tiatr.blogspot.in/2015/10/41st-tiatr-competition...
Elvis Mascarenhas
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Stability.
Stabiliteit van het evenwicht.
Construction material in the line of the forces.
Constructie materiaal in de lijn van de krachten.
Stable sailing is a building skill.
Spailboat levert zijn energie, ammoniak, en / of waterstof, LH2, af aan tankers die het naar havens brengen.
Men moet olie gebruiken om ermee te bouwen.
Spailboat is een naam. Er zit speed spailing in, uit het Engels, terwijl er ook spelevaren in zit. Spelevaren is een denigrerende term voor rijke lui die uit verveling niets anders kunnen doen dan doelloos varen, op hun omslaande jachten. De echte verwijzing is echter de letterlijke. Spelen. Toevallig ook met ai, de klank van Sail. Dus, de naam voor het nieuwe type zeilboot, respectievelijk, windsurfboot, of, kitesurfboot, is Speelboot, respectievelijk, Spailboat.
Een Spailboat, speed-sail-boat, is zeilboot die de lift normaal behandelt. Alle gewone -niet normaal- langsgetuigde zeilboten slaan om. Het is eigenlijk ongelofelijk maar, alle zeilboten zijn instabiel, ofwel, labiel, ofwel in mensentermen, een wankel gebeuren. En, levensgevaarlijk. Dus, een Speelboot is wel een zeilende boot, maar, het mag geen zeilboot heten, omdat zeilboot al bezet is door de gangbare. Maar kitesurfen is ook zeilen, maar toch geen zeilboot. Speelboot is een kitesurfboot, met de monoliete behandeling van een windsurfer.
Omdat speelboten niet omslaan. Sterker, speelboten gaan vliegen. De massa, echter, is veel te groot om te gaan vliegen, desalniettemin wil de tuigage het geheel dat deze vasthoudt, opliften. Dus, een speelboot lijkt op een kitesurfer. Want, een kite staat eigenlijk zoals speelbootzeilen staan opgesteld. Een nadere kijk leert ons namelijk dat vleugels die als kite staan, de behandelaars van die vleugels in staat stellen de overbrenging tussen de lift en de blokkade hierop te normaliseren. Ofwel, alleen en slechts dan als de vleugel staat opgesteld als een kite, maar ook windsurferzeil, werkt de lift opwaarts.
Logisch, als men bedenkt dat andere bekende vleugels, aan vogels of vliegtuigen, de lift ook omhoog werken. Heel onlogisch dus dat zeilboten eigenlijk van vliegende naar duikende evolueerden. Vikingschepen, Latijnse zeilboten, de eerste brikken en barken, de latere windjammers (volschepen, barken, brikken) hielden hun zeilen in feit ook al op als kite. Zeilen was aanvankelijk windsurfen. Toen kwamen er rond 1800 AD langsgetuigde zeilboten, en nu kon er wel hoger aan de wind worden gelopen.
Om energie op te wekken hoeven we nergens heen, zodat de "aan de windse koers" waardeloos wordt > weinig snelheid. We kunnen weer vliegen. Dus, een speelboot is geen windsurfer, omdat de zeilen ver weg staan. Wel lijkt een speelboot in alles op een windsurfer. Werkelijk, een speelboot is in feite een windsurfer. De zeilen worden volledig gemanipuleerd met als enige doelen de snelheid en, het vliegen. Dus, een speelboot lijkt het meeste op een kitesurfer, heeft de eigenschappen van een windsurfer, en valt onder de noemer: zeilboten. Maar, een speelboot lijkt in feite nergens op. Het is, zoals gezegd, geen zeilboot, terwijl het wel zeker een zeilboot is. Maar natuurlijk. Kort gezegd komt het erop neer dat een speelboot iets nieuws is.
Een speelboot vaart, net als windsurfers en kitesurfers, half wind en voor de wind, maar, een speelboot kan ook wel degelijk hoogte winnen. Een speelboot kan alles, als het komt tot zeilen. Windsurfen is eigenlijk super zeilen. Een windsurfer zeilt ook, en een kiter zeilt ook. Toch heet kitesurfen geen zeilen, maar kiten. Een windsurfer surft, terwijl surfen toch echt oorspronkelijk zonder zeil gebeurde. Een Spailboat spailt. Ofwel, een speelboot speelt. De link terug naar de actualiteit is spelen van de jeugd. Het leukste spel van allemaal is kiten. Als de jeugd heet voor het zeggen had, dan zouden ze altijd zeilen, als het waait. En dat noem ik spelen.
Een Spailboat is een robot die kan windsurfen. Massa, M, in kg, dat kan windsurfen. Windsurfen kenmerkt zich door de snelheid, v, in m/s en het surfen met de korte windgolven. Het surfen is het mooiste wat er is op aarde. We nemen een groot stuk water. We blazen er wind overheen. Er ontstaan golven. De golven lopen haaks op de wind. De half windse koers loopt parallel aan de golven.
We need stable wind surf machines with turbines.
The new riggings lead to stable sailing compositions. The already mentioned windsurfing, SB, is the wave riding version of the stable sailing compositions and; meant for usage at the windy waters near the both poles, in fact just outside the cargo shipping routes. Also the edges of overcoming hurricanes, especially the periodic appearing ones like, the ones in the Mexican Gulf during the so-called hurricane season, are goals. On both working grounds is room enough for a very large fleet. A “million” super sized, SB, can provide the worlds' hunger for energy, by means of the *provision of hydrogen and electricity. Imagine then an entering of an imaginary million super sized, SB: a tiny significant amount of energy will be sucked out of the hurricane, causing the hurricane to loose a bit of its ferocious strength and so, causing lesser devastating power when hitting land! The mentioned working grounds are characterized by high winds, making beautiful “water mountain chains”, or swell, and in between two “stretched hills” are long “valleys”. These valleys -tubes- can be considered as speedways, which make the ocean in high winds like an endlessly wide freeway, making enough room to spare for the earlier mentioned absurd sounding amount super sized, SB. Gaining maximum speed out of windsurfing is done perpendicular to the wind so that, the mentioned freeways are always windsurfed parallel with the wind front. Because, the wind sweeps the waves. The wave fronts on open sea run perfectly perpendicular to the wind because, here is no diffraction or, refraction of the waves!
In the fact of the matter happens now the coincidence that, both surfing the swell and the usage of the wind alone are done most economically in the same direction; parallel with the wave fronts, perpendicular to the wind. So, the both directions, in where for the two maximum speeds are reached, are the very same. It is therefor that the both speeds reinforce each other, leading towards better sail positions.
The hydrogen, LH2, can be stored on board in special tanks, with Indium.
Cavitation, air bubbles around the water appendages beacause of the high speed. So, SB has luxury problems in high winds, by means of the potential to go faster than the water can take without creating air bubbles around the swords, the water appendages. Windsurfers call this cavitation phenomena: “spin out”. It is therefor no wonder that the needed speed tempering force on the windsurfing, SB, in high winds is, logically, to be used to make passive working paddle wheels, or scoops, spin, in order to drive for instance a continuous current dynamo. There is, however, a major down side in keeping the speed down. More speed means more overall lift and more overall lift means more compulsion and more vertical lifting force. SB, definitely wants to get airborne in order to get rid of the water resistance on the hulls. Without the hulls dragging though water opens way to put the sails in a more economic way, flatter to the wind. This rotatory mechanism, in which the increasing speed then at some point leads towards the possible clear lifting of the windsurfing SB, out off the water -because of more lift and better sail positions-, is now suddenly stopped because of the spin outs, cavitation, around the through water dragging swords! In this rotatory mechanism, one must be aware that by doubling the speed, the lift force increases by a factor four, in other words, the speed and the lift are quadratically related! After all, for getting air born we only need the rotatory speed making boat lifting mechanism to go on for just a bit longer. If we walk around dragging problems in general, then we encounter, at some point of the walk, the replacement of slides by wheels, by firstly the Egyptians. Digging further into the context, in where dragging and cutting are combinations, we encounter the successful replacements of the slide-like dragging cutters, by cutting wheels; in for instance glass cutters and can openers. These cutting wheels spin, during the cutting, causing less cutting resistance. Even a side force can be taken by the cutting wheels, during the cut making! In fact, besides the lower cutting resistance, cutting wheels have the same characteristics as cutting knives. If we translate this cutting information back towards the drag related cavitation problems in the water, then we find that the air bubbles around the water appendages, might not necessary occur, when replacing the former used swords by spinning sword wheels. By dragging spinning wheels with the cutting edges through water, the speed of the windsurfing, SB, now differs from the dragging speed of the cutting edges of the cutting wheels through the water. In other words, the water now “feels” a lower dragging speed, allowing the water to keep its original form, because no cavitation is caused. By controlling the circular speed of the spinning sword wheels, by means of a gear box, the cavitation can be avoided at all times. But off course, cutting water differs from cutting glass and in order to create side ways blocking force on spinning sword wheels in water, these sword wheels must slip! The side ways blocking force in water is also quadratic related with the dragging speed. In order to let the sword wheels slip, for creating -more- side ways blocking force, there is a certain amount of resistance needed! Once again the gear box can regulate the resistance, and so, the spinning speed and once again the tempering force is, logically, to be used for making continuous current and with the surplus, hydrogen. Using sword wheels means most of all that the speed of the hull may now over top the former cavitation speed barrier. More speed implies, notably quadratically, more lift, clearing the way to allow the,SB, to get air born; now leading at once towards lesser water resistance, which now, also at once, speeds up the SB, importantly, resulting once more in better sail positions, et cetera. In other words, the earlier mentioned rotatory mechanism is with usage of swords wheels back in action. In facto, the, as the result of the mentioned rotatory mechanism, reachable speeds over water now have to be tempered for safety reasons, making it once again appropriate to use the speed tempering force on the spinning wheels for generating continuous current! For an optimum energy conversion, we need to solve a so-called differential equation, in where all the parameters are related to one and other. The versions of the composition, SB, for over land ride, or over asphalt, or over non-hardened ground -with then very big wheels under, SB-, or over a special track, rails. The last mentioned version of, SB, the so-called Spailtrains over a special track, might possibly reach speeds running up towards, 400km/hr; because these under carriers clamp their wheels around the rails, like the carriers on roller coaster tracks, increasing the massive control over the sails importantly. And again, these possibly reachable high speeds need to be tempered for safety reasons, making it obvious that again the tempering forces are used to drive continuous current dynamos. The continuous current might now directly be led towards the electricity network. Special tracks for Spailtrains are favorably moored on places where windmills are active, because the electricity transportation cables towards the main electricity networks are already installed. Also one may assume that windmills are placed in windy places on land, where the wind is blowing most of the time from one particular direction. The Spailtrains can be used next to the windmills, at the same time, and, in case the wind is over topping the maximum wind mill operating wind force, clearly additionally, and by doing so, widening the wind force window from, eight bfr, towards, ten, or even twelve bfr. SB, compositions operate, just like windmills, flat on the winds direction, for maximum benefit of the given sail areas. The ends of wind mill blades move, at maximum speed in wind force, eight bfr, up to, 250km/hr. The blade, towards the end, is indeed positioned almost perfectly flat, respectively perpendicular, on the wind. If only wind mills did not vibrate and if the positions at the ends of the blades should be hold in a stable and firm way, then the speed at the ends of the blades, in wind force, twelve bfr, might easily run towards the, 800km/hr, though circular. Steady in position hold transversally moving blades do not have the problem of vibrating caused by the turning motion. In other words, a transversal moving blade could reach, 800km/hr, without shaking to pieces. Spailtrains, clamping their selves around rails, are able to position wings in a stable way, making theoretical speeds of, 800km/hr, possible. SB, in general, widens the operating window of the wind force and, as a consequence, the working ground. Antarctica.
Because of the normalization of the lift transfer, SB can be made strong enough! The fact of the matter is that all stable constructions can be forced to the limit, in where the heaviest loaded parts of the structure firstly collapse. Stabilized towers out of rock, like pyramids or, church towers, are only limited in their heights by the strength of the rocks at the very bottoms. Within, SB, the lift transfer is normalized, making composition, SB, stable constructions, which therefor can be made strong enough and perfectly suitable to get sized -, respectively scaled, up. And then, next to the overall stability of the composition, SB, each mast in, SB, is also almost normally used itself; because the lift force, vector, 10, works only slightly outside the mast line. There are, in certain variations of the composition, SB, periods of time noticeable in where the masts are stressed out perfectly through the center of the so-called core of the mast cross section! In this case of pure stress on the mast, the maximum stress load, to be taken by the mast, is nothing more the product of material strength and the area of cross section. In this very case, we can use a massive mast, as well as a rope! However, SB, is not a kite surfer, it is a wind surfer, in where each towards the wings running mast take care of the first condition for the eventual monolith kind of control, the so-called massive trim, over the wings, 6. On, SB, the masts work the cumulated lift force, vector, 10, slightly outside the mast lines, in order to direct the lift at all times in a straight line towards the blocking force, in water created by the water appendages. SB, masts are mainly stressed out and at the same time loaded with bending forces. In this very case it is wise to use hollow masts; lesser material, same bending strength. Presume now a square hollow mast cross section, of twenty, by, twenty meters, with skin thickness, 1000mm, loaded with a, around a parallel with two sides of the square, working couple, respectively torque. Now, one side of the square cross section is stressed out towards the limit. If the used materials are of highly strong composite materials, which can withstand, 1000N, approximately 100Kg, per square mm, and if the torque then put, 25%, on top of the stress load, then follows for maximum amount of stress force in this mast cross section, approximately: average tension in the cross section, sigma, times the working area of the cross section, A, or: sigma = 0.25 x ((1 x 0.6) + (2 x 0.8)) x 10^3N/mm^2 = 0.8 x 10^3N/mm^2 , A = (10^3mm x 2 x 2 x 10^4mm + 10^3mm x 2 x 1.8 x 10^4mm) = 7.6 x 10^7mm^2. Maximum lift force, vector, 10 = sigma x A = 0.8 x 10^3 N/mm^2 x 7.6 x 10^7mm^2 = 6.08 x 10^10N. One square meter sail area, in 100km/hr, generates, approximately, 300N = 3 x 10^2N, so, on this mast might hang, 2.026 x 10^8m^2, sail area! The common maximum wing on three supporting points, is, 300m x 20m, or, about twice the width and the length of an Airbus380 wing. At a mast of, 300m, length, might, roughly, hang twenty wings, running from the size, 300m x 20m, towards, 50m x 10m. The total sail area the leads, to, approximately: 0.6 x 20 x 300m x 20m = 7.2 x 10^5m^2 = way below, factor, 400, the theoretical maximum applicable sail area. In reality there are dynamic forces working on, and in, the mast, leading,towards maximum mast lengths of, 200m, for safety reasons. In, 315km/hr, the lift per, m^2, is approximately, 3000N. 3 x 10^3N, times the maximum theoretical total sail area, at masts of, 200m; 7.2 x 10^5m^2, provides lift force: 2.26 x 10^9N is smaller than 6.08 x 10^10N, and in this extreme case, even a mast of 200m, length can be made strong enough! Round and oval mast are even better. Well, 200m, mast length, that is something else than regular masts on conventional capsizing sailboats. SB, with four masts, can be made up to a kilometer long! If such, SB, move along with, 100km/hr, over water, or, 300km/hr, over special tracks, it is easy to understand that there is a lot of kinetic energy, ready to be converted into continuous current and after, into hydrogen. Once in race course, the sail positions are not moving too much, with respect to each other and with respect to the under carrier, so that the hydraulic motors and jacks won't take a lot of continuous current; leading to an enormous surplus to drive the hydrogen reactors, in order to make hydrogen. Holding positions of the with respect to each other movable parts, is done by break mechanisms, which might only take from the continuous current during installation. Off course, making nuance differences takes off of the continuous current, but after all, once in race, SB, compositions are almost static compositions,. At the end of the song, SB, are to be considered as mass, M, running from an endlessly long hill, which then only need to steer occasionally. Ekin = 1/2 M v^2, with M as mass in kg and v as velocity in m/s. Super positioning leads towards the conclusion that Spailboat is a peace machine because, any nation in the world can build them; in order to provide them selves with hydrogen and fresh water. With the deliverance of shear endless amounts of clean energy ( hydrogen ), the need for making war over oil can be put to the past. Also nuclear power can be put back. Drinking water can be made and, transported, without any down sides. Even ecosystems can be purified. SB hits the ground running.
Why this picture and the ones after? Imagine wind, storm, and one side of the church will go. The flying butres hangs in there on the pulling side, that is incredible.
BOOK BOEK
vervolg hoofdstuk 9
intussen al twee jaar van voorbij. In dat opzicht is dat verlies. In mijn beleving mocht alles zo blijven zoals het was in, 1990. Zeker in het begin was het een zeldzaamheid, als een plectrum gericht naar iemand toe werd geschoten. Ronnie, kan het beter en dit zinde, Keith, niet. Op een gegeven moment leek het wel een wedstrijd tussen, Keith, en, Ronnie; wie het beste de plectrums naar de bestemde persoon kon schieten. Zoals kleine veranderingen tijdens en na een concert is dit er een van. Feitelijk hebben, Harry, David, Libgart, Ken, Dirk en ik een nieuwe manier van leven geïntroduceerd. David, vraagt vandaag de dag nog steeds hoe het gaat met mijn, “Trail of Terror”. Een leven dat een spoor van vernieling achterlaat, ja dat is mijn leven. Alle schepen heb ik verbrand, terwijl ik nieuwe schepen met succes enterde. Ik haalde mijn universiteit diploma in een werkelijk zeer turbulente tijd, en sleepte het diploma letterlijk uit het vuur. In het verbranden van schepen ben ik altijd goed geweest en, net als, Harry, woon ik nu in een andere stad. Van, Zaandam, ben ik verhuisd naar Delft. En nu woon ik sinds kort in, Den Haag. Als ik nu door de stad fiets, bekruipt me altijd het gevoel van vakantie. De sfeer van een grote stad is toch wel euforisch te noemen. Het doet me kortsluiting maken naar de ervaringen tijdens de Stones-tournee’s langs de wereldsteden van, Europa, en, Amerika. Ik kon bij wijze van spreken naakt op de fiets door het centrum van, Delft, rijden zonder dat mijn familie het te weten komt. Het verbrande schip heette, Zaandam, en door mijn wilde leven hoef ik nergens meer aan te kloppen. Ze hebben allemaal een beetje een hekel aan me gekregen. Ik denk omdat ik altijd blijf volhouden waar ik mee bezig ben en ook nog succes verhaal. Mensen zien niet graag de zweetdruppels, maar veroordelen me snel als ik weer eens naar Amerika ga, want dat valt dan wel in het oog. Je ziet de mensen denken: “Wat doet-ie nu?” Dat is ongehoord. Is ie wel wijs? Mijn leven speelde zich voornamelijk af in de, “frontrow”. Een leven vooraan tijdens een Stones show, waar dan ook ter wereld. In het begin krijg je geen respons van de band, omdat alles, ook voor de Stones zelf, in veel opzichten nieuw was en, vooral Keith had het veel te druk had met zijn nummers en de sound. Aan het einde van de Urban Jungle Tour herkenden ze met gemak Ken, mijn persoon, Libgart, Harry, David en Dirk. We waren er altijd en altijd op hetzelfde plekje aan de barrier. Later, tijdens de, Bridges To Babylon Tour, en verder werd het publiek dat de, Stones, overal volgde, groter en voor mij raakte de jus er een beetje af, omdat mensen hetzelfde trucje herhaalden van wat wij al eerder hadden gedaan. De eerste plectrum van, Keith, was een mijlpaal en een zeldzaam gebeuren. In, 2003, is het altijd hetzelfde vooraan en iedereen heeft wel een plectrum. Maar toen was een, door, Keith Richards, zelf, aangereikte plectrum, een schaars goed, en voor mij was duidelijk dat de, Stones, in, 1997, een gemeenschapsgoed was geworden, omdat er veel plectrums worden verschoten per show. Soms wel tien tussen de nummers door. Iedereen had alles. Het publiek is verwend en steevast nukkig en weinig inspirerend. Ze leven echt voor die ene glimp van Keith en dat is triest. Als de nieuwe helden, doorgezakte veertigers en vijftigers met geld als drek, dan van, Libgart, horen dat wij het al deden in, 1990, deinzen ze terug. Wij gingen het avontuur aan. Zonder veel geld en met veel inventiviteit. Zo stelde, Harry, zijn hagel-nieuwe motor ter beschikking aan, Dan Reed, die het voorprogramma verzorgde tijdens het tweede deel van de, Urban Jungle Tour. In ruil kreeg hij dan backstage-passes. Wij waren vaak ‘s middags al in het stadion. Deze generatie oude zakken koopt alles. Maar ze kunnen toch nooit de rehearsals zien, daar steken de, Stones, wel een stokje voor. Ze staan vooraan, a la, alles geregeld, maar kopen voor grof geld deze plaatsen, daar waar wij vroeger al, door geldgebrek, allerlei listen nodig hadden om telkens maar weer vooraan te kunnen staan. Er waren journalisten die ons volgden om ons verhaal te horen. In ruil kregen we dit en dat. Het spel rondom het stadion was een deel van ons leven geworden. En we werden dan ook steeds beter in het bereiken van ons doel. De eerste rij en backstage passes. Wij baarden in, 1990, nog opzien door overal op te duiken. Het felbegeerde zogenaamde, “all-access-laminate”, maakte en drukte Harry op een gegeven moment zelfs zelf in, 1994, en, 1995. Harry, is een art-director en geniaal op het gebied van ontwerpen en logo’s. Het namaken van de stickers resulteerde zelfs in het veranderen van rond naar ovale stickers, omdat, Harry, zijn stickers verkocht. Had ik al verteld dat hij ook joods bloed had. Zelfs de hologrammen waren niet van echt te onderscheiden. We kregen wel op ons kop van de, Stones, maar ze vonden het prachtig. Jaloezie tussen Stones-fans onderling is immer aanwezig en zo gemoedelijk als het was in, 1990, zou het niet meer worden. In de latere jaren van de jaren negentig en in, 2003, was er veel geld te verspillen voor complete stelletjes en idioten. Maar telkens denk ik dan: ”Waar waren jullie tijdens de Urban Jungle Tour?” Toen ze echt goed waren en snel speelden en het weer opnieuw ontdekten om de, Stones, te zijn. In, 2003, werden complete reizen gearrangeerd voor rijke Canadezen en Amerikanen, die vroegtijdig in het stadion werden binnen gelaten en zo zonder moeite vooraan konden staan. Dat is geen sport meer. Dit is vervlakking van het Stones-publiek. Als ik dan met veel moeite, door steeds weer andere manieren, aan het front kom wordt dat zelfs opgevat als, “vals spelen”, terwijl ik juist uit geldgebrek inventief ben. Vals spelen is wel degelijk een verhaal. Want met, “vals spelen”, kun je de sound-checks zien en in de keuken kijken van de, Stones. Ze zijn dan nog normaal. En ik heb veel sound-checks gezien en altijd is het een belevenis, want, sound-checken doen ze niet vaak. Eigenlijk zouden mensen dit moeten kunnen zien. Want de geadoreerde helden proberen net zoals iedereen een mooi kunstwerkje af te leveren. Net zoals de overdreven aandacht voor een gepoetste auto op zondagmiddag, zo wordt door de Stones de laatste hand gelegd aan een intermezzo of intro. Mensenwerk en burgerlijkheid tot in den treuren. Meerdere malen is het voor gekomen dat ik de helpende hand toesteek aan timmer werkzaamheden en het opruimen van het veld. Eenmaal binnen gedraag ik me als een werknemer, een zogenaamde rodie en omdat niemand, behalve, J.C, een compleet overzicht heeft over de genen op de vloer is het mogelijk de hele dag binnen in het stadion te blijven, zonder dat iemand vragen stelt. Een beetje opruimen hier en een beetje timmeren daar en de middag is zo om. Als dan de poorten opengaan is het chaos en in die chaos begeef ik me naar het front aan de barrière en sta dan weer vooraan. Intussen kostte het me een hele dag werken in het stadion. Zoals gezegd varieert dat van opruimen tot aan timmeren, en de helpende hand toesteken, waar maar kan, of is gewenst. Gratis naar binnen heeft een consequentie en die is dat je moet werken, anders wordt je gepakt en het stadion uit gegooid. Het schijnt heel moeilijk te zijn voor de moderne mens om zich te schikken in een knechtenrol waar je dan uiteindelijk zelf beter van wordt. Als ik met iemand anders in het stadion ben, en komt het erop aan, dan kijken ze vertwijfeld naar me en willen eigenlijk niet werken. Ze willen niet meehelpen en niet werken, maar juist dan val je op en word je eruit gegooid. Het is blijkbaar moeilijk voor nieuwste generatie in te zien dat de kost voor de baat uit gaat. Lang leve, Amsterdam. Op die manier lukt het me steeds weer opnieuw binnen te blijven. De laatste jaren is het steeds raak. In verhouding veel meer sound-checks ten opzichte van gevolgde concerten. In, 1990, was dat nog een op twintig nu loopt het op tot een op vier. Van de afgelopen concerten, vanaf, 1997, heb ik weinig sound-checks gemist. Een keer was ik een paar platen aan het zagen, vlakbij het mindden-podium, voor een paar hekken in de toren. Plotseling voelde ik ogen in me priemen en ik voelde een raar soort spanning. Niemand was meer op het veld, behalve de andere timmerman en ik. Ik voelde dat ik door moest zagen. Het was, Charlie, die met bewondering naar me stond te kijken, en wachtte totdat ik klaar was, want de sound-check ving aan. Dit was kenmerkend, omdat ik druk aan het werk was. Ik ben immers timmerman in hart en ziel. Mijn handigheid met timmergereedschap komt me dan goed uit. Met dank aan de werkplaats van mijn oom, waar ik ben opgeleid tot timmerman, meubelmaker. Het voordeel van binnen zijn is dat je de sound-checks mag meemaken, en daar is het me natuurlijk allemaal om te doen. Menigmaal verstopte ik me ergens in een kast of onder de tribune om niet op te vallen en rustig te genieten van de sound-check. sound-checks zijn de ultieme beloning voor een dag zweten om in het stadion te komen. De sound-checks vormen de basis van dit script. Niemand ziet dit namelijk. Het best bewaarde geheim van de, Stones, wordt hier geopenbaard.
Het resultaat van de rechtszaak volgde de volgende dag. Het vonnis was hard voor de hooligans. Het gerechtshof stuurde de hooligans naar de gevangenis en de vergoeding voor mij was tienduizend gulden. De rechtszaak zelf was een farce maar succesvol. De rechtzaak en het verblijf, destijds in, Engeland, bij, Harry, was een toppunt van het einde. Harry, was naar de klote door drugs, werk en, Mel, zijn beoogde vriendin. Bovendien was die periode voor, Harry, een bewogen tijd, omdat hij toen veel, zo niet al zijn schepen in Engeland, aan het verbranden was. Hij was duidelijk zoekende en zocht een weg om te emigreren naar Amerika; iets waar hij een paar maanden ook toe leek gedwongen, door de uitzichtloze situatie. In Amerika zal hij het wel gaan maken, en verdraaid, twaalf jaar later heeft hij het daar ook gemaakt! Ja, zijn, Rock ‘N Roll-leven, is hard. Feitelijk leeft, Harry, een veel te zwaar leven. Anders dan mijn gestel is zijn gestel van staal. Maar hij gaat elke dag over de schreef en predikt dan, dat dat nu juist de vrijheid is, om te doen waar je zin in hebt. En vrijheid biedt altijd de kans te schijnen. Harry, is en kunstenaar en laat zich niet sturen. Hij voelt zich waarschijnlijk als een strijder. Zijn kunst wordt gevormd door zijn talent en door de keuzes die hij maakt. Hij heeft een feilloos gevoel voor kleuren en zijn werk bestaat voor een groot deel uit inkleuren van voornamelijk mensen. De vlezige huidskleur van mensen op zwart-wit prentjes, moeten worden gevonden op het zogenaamde pallet, en Harry is daar een meester in. Hij heeft bovendien een gave om zich te kunnen uiten met behulp van computers. Naar eigen zeggen is de computer zijn enige echte vriend. Opdrachten volbrengt hij altijd binnen een paar dagen, om vervolgens een week bij te komen. Hij werkt achter elkaar door, als er een opdracht binnenkomt en verdient dan een paar duizend dollar per dag! Zijn inspiratie komt van reizen, motorrijden op zijn Harley Davidson, science-fiction-films en muziek. Zijn concurrenten bedienen zich van veel administratie en weinig talent. Hier is, Harry, door gegriefd. Hij weet dat hij op eenzame hoogte staat, maar de huidige maatschappij is vastgeroest en biedt weinig plaats voor kunstenaars. De reden, aangegrepen voor vertrek uit Engeland, herhaalt zich in Amerika en dat doet hem verdriet. Samen met een vriend, Colin, startten zij een bedrijf en investeerden in een drukkerij. Colin, is leider van de motorbende, maar een ongelooflijke aardige jongen. Hij heeft ook nog eens gestudeerd. Daarnaast is hij, Kunfu-Master, en werkelijk elke dag had hij een andere vriendin. Bende-leider zijn heeft zo zijn voordelen! Eenmaal geïnvesteerd en geïnstalleerd als grafisch bedrijf in, L.A., volgde toen precies de computerrace en hun aanschaf bleek binnen een paar jaar ouderwets en achterhaald. Ze konden niet meer concurreren met grotere bedrijven, die de vernieuwingsrace wel konden volhouden en het bedrijf heeft drie jaar bestaan en toen was het op. Intussen is zijn compagnon werkzaam bij een bouwbedrijf en, Harry, werkt thuis aan zijn ontwerpen en logo’s. Nu is hij dus letterlijk de eenzame strijder. Het onheil heeft hij over zichzelf afgeroepen, maar hij blijft vechten voor zijn bestaan. Het enige dat hem staande houdt is zijn geloof. Hij onderscheidt zich door prachtige ontwerpen, maar die worden verkocht in een commerciële markt en worden niet als kunst erkend, maar als een vervulling van een opdracht. Zijn opdrachten hielden hem lange tijd staande, maar ook, Harry, moest op zoek naar ander werk. Hij vond dit in de vorm van een muziek-bedrijf, MOD, Music On Demand, en is daar eindredacteur, niet slecht. Tussen al de troebelheden van de maatschappij biedt de, Rock ‘N Roll, voor het individu vertrouwen. Harry, laat zich nooit ontmoedigen en gelukkig voor hem leefde zijn muziek helemaal op in de jaren negentig. AC/DC, is zijn favoriete band en juist die deden het voorprogramma van de Stones. Intussen gaan de geruchten over, AC/DC, dat zanger, Brion Johnson, in, Moskou, gaat optreden, met het Russisch filharmonisch orkest. Harry regelt dit bijvoorbeeld. Harry, is een moderne zwerver, met altijd geld! In iedere donkere periode schijnt altijd het licht van de verwondering. De kanonnen, die altijd gepaard gaan met een optreden van concert van, AC/DC, worden vervangen door de echte kanonnen van het Russische leger. Tot zover de laatste geruchten in, April, 2005. Ik heb er weinig van gemerkt. Volgens mij is dit optereden nooit doorgegaan. Maar, Harry, was destijds zeer enthousiast. Hij ziet licht, in het pikkedonker. Ook zal, J.C., inmiddels zijn ontslagen door de, Stones, omdat hij kaartjes zou hebben verkocht. Voor, Harry, en mij betekent dit slecht nieuws. En inderdaad, na 2003, was het betalen om naar binnen te komen. Trouwens, na vier tournee's was mijn geld toch echt op. In, 2006, en, 2007, Bigger Bang Tour, stopte ik met het volgen van alle optredens. Harry, en ik, beseften heel goed dat onze tijd voorbij was. Harry is aan de grond, ging terug naar Engeland en ging zich nestelen. Het laatse wat ik van hem zag, voor mijn voordeur, was hoe hij op zijn motor stapte, met een grote tas op de tank, en me die blik gaf. Dit was goodbye, farewell. Harry, en ik hebben altijd al weinig woorden nodig gehad om punten duidelijk te maken. Harry ging naar huis, na zeventien jaar in L.A. te hebben gewoond. Ik wist het. Voelde het. Dit is het einde van een periode. Juni 2009, het einde, en een nieuw begin. Mijn vriendin heeft toen nog vier jaar met alle mogelijkheden geprobeerd mijn leven te bederven, en het lukte haar ook nog aardig. Harry maakte ook haar duidelijk dat ik niets waard was. Ja, ik heb slaapproblemen, en ben een wrak. In 2014 heeft ze een ander en ik vraag daarom af: hoelang heeft ze al een ander? U moet weten dat ik geen twee minuten weg mocht. Zij had besloten dat ik vreemd ging. En nu moest ik boeten. Harry woonde destijds bij me in, en vond dit helemaal prachtig. En dan ineens kwam er mailtje; kom je nog naar Hyde Park? Ik zei: Nee. Ik peins er niet over. Do you want to melt down on the field, I replied. En dat was het dan. De kunst is om de lichtpunten te zien en, Rock ‘N Roll, is een lichtpunt. Rock ‘N Roll, maakt je blij. Het laat mij zingen. Zomaar. Vooral als de omgeving zo somber is. Het biedt gewoon houvast, dat juist voor gitaristen, die door en door naar de klote zijn, toch nog hun talent de kans geven. De klank van een akoestische gitaar is vergelijkbaar mooi als de klank van een harp. Hun talent om de gitaar te spelen, zullen ze nooit verliezen. Een gitaar klinkt altijd, moe of niet. Zo moet ook, Harry, gedacht hebben. De heldere klanken van inspiratie klinken door en je vergeet de rest. Harry, wist dus zijn droom vast te houden. Ik zal dit van hem overnemen, als levensles. Achteraf is dit de les van de, Stones: “Nooit opgeven en altijd vertrouwen in jezelf houden. Er is op deze aarde ruimte genoeg voor ook jouw persoontje.” Als, Keith, inderdaad te weinig talent zou hebben, is dit nog meer waar.
In de periode van de rechtzaak was ik ook al gecrashed en woonde weer bij mijn ouders in, samen met mijn vriendin, Moniwi en dat ging ook helemaal niet goed. De trip naar, Engeland, bleek de relatie met, Moniwi, te breken, omdat ze niet mee mocht van mij en dus een week alleen bij mijn ouders woonde. Bij terugkomst begreep ik niets van de apathische liefde van, Moniwi, en op het vliegveld in, Amsterdam, vloog ze om mijn nek van blijdschap. Doordat ik niet in staat was dit te filteren, in wat voor, Moniwi, een laatste poging was, om toch nog iets van onze relatie te maken, heeft ze waarschijnlijk een keuze gemaakt. Ongelukkiger kon ze moeilijk worden; ik was weg en ze woonde bij mijn ouders in. Bij terugkomst was ik zo versleten, dat ik niets anders wilde dan met rust gelaten te worden. Stom rund, denk ik wel eens. Maar ja. Had ik maar van haar gehouden zoals ik nu van haar houd! Mmm, trouwens, niet getreurd, de aanspraak van mooie meisjes begint weer te komen. De ergste tijd van depressiviteit is voorbij! Het is niet voor niets, 2014, en de ellende ligt achter me, vandaar de kracht om dit op te schrijven. Daags voor de rechtzaak kwam ik aan in, Engeland. In, Londen, haalde, Harry, me op en we gingen naar zijn nieuwe flat. Wat een puinhoop, die flat met twee verdiepingen en grote kamers, maar donker en zeer groot. Ik kreeg een tablet in mijn mond geduwd, was nog niet eens binnen, en stapte toen over de drempel zijn flat binnen en werd linea recta naar de televisiekamer, met een tweepersoons bed, geleid. Harry, gaf me zijn kamer. Hij, en, Mel, waren overal door het huis. Het licht mocht niet aan van, Mel. Zijn kamer was zeer goed aangekleed voor verblijf. Perfect eigenlijk, met super-films als, Black Adder, en, David Bowie, en, Monty Pytons, “Quest for the Holy Grale”. U weet wel, die film die zich afspeelde ten tijde van, Koning Arthur, en ridders van de ronde tafel, die op zoek gaan naar de heilige graal. Ineens stond daar een politie korps, met wapenstok, de invasie van de ridders te verijdelen, en betekende hiermee het einde van de film. Verwoed zocht ik naar de oorzaak van het plotseling stoppen van de film. De video werkte wel. Na een poos ging ik, Harry, halen en die lachte het uit: ”Dat is juist de bedoeling van, John Cleese, dat je denkt dat de film doorgaat, maar door een paar agenten wordt, Koning Arthur, ingerekend en zodoende is de zoektocht naar de heilige graal afgebroken.” Jammer vond ik dat. Het begon net leuk te worden. Black Adder volgde, lang voordat hij werd ontdekt in Nederland en ik kon gewoon niet begrijpen dat er zulke goede humor bestaat. Black Adder, is, Rowan Atkinson, en belichaamt Britse humor. Niet te vertellen en dat probeer ik ook niet eens. En, Black Adder, is anderhalf uur achter elkaar proesten van het lachen. De volgende dag moesten we nog eventjes naar, Oxford, voor de rechtzaak, maar, na een paar uur voor de video, trippend en wel, maakte dat allemaal niets meer uit. Lachen. De dag zelf zou minder leuk worden, al was het resultaat van rechtzaak ongelooflijk.
De winter na de tournee van, 1990, dus de winter van, 1990 / 1991, was een ommekeer in mijn leven, Moniwi kwam terug. Niet in de laatste plaats omdat ik haar beste vriendinnen had gebruikt om haar jaloers te maken, en dat werkte. In, 1989, had Moniwi het uitgemaakt, nadat ze in de zomer in Spanje een Spaanse jongen ontmoette. Moniwi maakte het na de zomer uit en ik was zielsverloren. De naweeën ervan bestonden uit drugsgebruik en veel stappen, uitgaan dus, en zuipen. Hij, de Spaanse jongen, verlegen, mooi en perfect eigenlijk, stond voor de deur en ik liet, Moniwi, en hij een avond alleen. Urban Jungle-concerten. Dan krijg je tenminste wat je wilt en vergeet je even de realiteit. Mooier kan toch niet? Niets dan. Al het touren zou volgen. Bovendien trok ik tijdens de, Steel Wheels Tour, bij mijn oom en tante in, na de zomer van, 1989. De eerste paar maanden voelde de vrijheid goed aan. Vrijheid in doen en laten, uitslapen bijvoorbeeld. Thuis blijven, bij mijn vader en moeder bleek niet te kunnen. Mijn hoofd spookte en ik sliep niet. Ik voelde me teugelloos en moest weg. Bij mijn oom en tante sliep ik nog steeds slecht, maar omdat ze des morgens weggingen, kon ik toch overdag bij slapen en voelde me redelijk. Ik kon mijn eigen ritme gaan bepalen. Op een gegeven moment kreeg mijn oom in de gaten dat ik vooral overdag sliep en alleen leefde voor het voetbal. Op dat moment droomde ik nog van idealen, zoals het worden van een goede voetballer. Talent had ik, maar mijn lichamelijke gesteldheid werkte niet mee om door te breken. Zo kwam de marihuana van mijn oom en tante, langzaam in mijn leven als slaapmiddel, maar drank en drugs waren gelukkig, ook voor mijn oom en tante taboe. Want drank en drugs maakten je kapot. Weed niet? Nee, volgens hen kon weed geen kwaad. Want dan sliep ik lekker en was ik niet tot last. In de winter van, 1991, in, Februari, ging mijn opa dood en net voor die tijd werd ik het huis uitgezet, geplaatst in een kleine flat. Mijn oom en tante hadden deze flat geregeld, en ik kon mooi daar wonen. In die zes maanden tijdens mijn verblijf aldaar was ik verwend, letterlijk gedrogeerd en mijn baantje kwijt bij de catamaran-importeur, omdat ik voor mijn oom ging werken. Op school ging het slecht en ik bleef ook zitten dat jaar. Ik hunkerde naar weed en seks. Allebei was het op mij flatje in overvloed voorhanden. Moniwi, had altijd zin, en ik ook. Bovendien werkte ik toen voor een klein aannemertje die me grof betaalde. Geld was er gelukkig genoeg om de levensstijl te handhaven, voor een tijdje. Niemand kon werkelijk iets doen. Mijn grootste passie, voetballen ging ook niet meer en ik verspeelde mijn plaats in de selectie en ik moest nu gaan ploeteren in de zogenaamde B-selectie. We werden dat jaar wel kampioen, en het jaar daarop ook en ik heb gelukkig mooie wedstrijden gespeeld en bovendien kwam ik na een jaar in de, B-selectie, weer in aanmerking voor de, A-selectie. Direct tijdens de eerste training van de A-selectie ging het niet. Ik moest afwerken op doel. Mijn enkel was verrekt, mijn bovenbeenspieren waren verrekt, maar dat verzweeg ik natuurlijk. Ik leerde de regels van de straat. Ik moest vechten voor mijn vriendinnetje, ik moest vechten om de school te halen, ik moest vechten op mijn werk. Ik moest een huis bouwen en blijven functioneren. Kortom, ik was naar de klote, en dat voor iemand van, 21 jaar! Ik voelde me tachtig of nog veel ouder. Ik kon, tijdens die selectie-training niet aanzetten en niet schieten en precies die training ging het om felle sprints gevolgd door afwerken op doel. Ik was niet explosief en kon niet voluit schieten, kortom, raakte geen bal en de trainer keek me vertwijfeld aan. Ik kon goed voetballen, passeerde verdedigers met alle gemak, maar in deze training ging het niet om een mannetje te passeren, maar het kwam aan op kracht. De trainer was een Amsterdammer en had veel meegemaakt met zijn pupillen en spelers, maar hoe ik erbij liep was klaarblijkelijk voor hem zelfs deerniswekkend. Met spijt in zijn stem en handelen zei hij niet te begrijpen waarom juist de meest getalenteerde speler, linksbuiten nog wel, zo gebukt gaat onder spanningen. Het waren niet alleen spanningen trainer. De reden dat ik letterlijk steeds door mijn benen zakte was meer, plus het gevoel onbegrepen te zijn en zoals ik later begreep, geluk dat ik ontbeerde, daar waar ik zo gewend aanraakte in de Jaren Tachtig. Mijn bovendijbeen was gescheurd, maar ik zei dit niet. En, we moesten toen precies, natuurlijk, schieten van afstand, afwerken vanaf de tweede lijn, 20 meter van de goal. En bovendien kreeg ik in de grote partij, aan het einde, gewoonweg de bal niet toegespeeld, hoe vrij ik ook stond. Ik werd, “even”, door de, A-selectie, genegeerd en zo ontnamen ze me mijn kans iemand te passeren en een opening te vinden. Ook de plekjes in de kleedkamer zijn voor de grote jongens. Toen vond ik het opzienbarend en kinderachtig en vooral stom om zo opzichtig met de aanvoerders-band te lopen, alsof er nooit een andere zal komen. Werkelijk hilarisch wordt het toneel in de kleedkamer voor de wedstrijd of training als ze blijven staan en grapjes maken, en jou wegkijken, en ik me inderdaad zo gespannen voelde en ergens anders ging zitten. En ik vond dat niet erg. Met inderdaad spot verliet ik dan mijn stelling en zocht een andere kapstok uit, ver weg van de verwarming. De aanvoerder van het elftal was goed en had een perfect atletisch, halfbloedig en dus een aanstekelijk lijf voor de oudere heren, kon de bal goed raken, maar had tijd nodig in de aanname. Hij was ook een goede kickbokser en hier pronkte hij mee door middel van zijn hardheid. Maar met alleen een bal, dus zonder de lange bal, had hij geen kans in het korte spel. Als het eerste speelde, op zondag middag, liep de aanvoerder meer in de rondte als een lust-object, dan als een goede voetballer. Als ik maar eens de kans kreeg om te voetballen in het eerste en als ze me maar de bal toeschoven. Mijn moeder wilde dat ik op atletiek of een andere individuele sport ging, om zo maar niet afhankelijk te zijn van, “klootzakken”. Tijd gaf ik de aanvoerder niet en ik zou hem wel even laten zien wat er gebeurt in de kleine ruimte. Het korte spel en de bal slechts een keer raken en versnellen en hem passeren gebeurde niet in werkelijkheid, slechts in mijn dromen. Om in een eerste elftal te mogen spelen is een ieder afhankelijk van de wensen van de club. Klasse justitie, de zonen van de voorzitter en zo mogen wel meespelen en krijgen kans op kans. Mijn enige kans werd door die ene training vergooid; iets waarvoor ik leefde! De club stelde vervolgens vast, dat het wel plezierig was dat de B-selectie telkens kampioen werd. Voornamelijk door mijn doelpunten en assists. Het zat me wel en niet mee in die tijd op het voetbalveld. Toch heb ik mooie herinneringen, want ik speelde goed. Zo goed dat altijd iedereen bleef staan om me te zien spelen. Het nadeel van de, B-selectie, is dat je zondag om tien uur moet spelen. Voor iemand met slaap-problemen is dat niet een beetje vroeg, maar zeg maar gerust onmogelijk vroeg. Daarna zuipen in de kantine en verplicht naar het eerste kijken en daarna thuis aan de dope. Maandag kon ik niet naar school, punt. Dat was een ding dat zeker was. Dinsdag, donderdag en zaterdagmiddag trainen, alle energie naar het voetballen, terwijl ik die luttele energie nodig had om orde op zaken te stellen, in mijn gewone leven. Waarom zat mijn vader niet in het bestuur? En waarom deed mijn oom, die wel het een en ander te zeggen binnen de club, niet een goed woordje voor me. Oh ja, dat was natuurlijk omdat hij en mijn vader een levenslange ruzie met elkaar hadden, dat was ik even in mijn naïviteit vergeten. Maar voor mij onbegrijpelijk dat werkelijk middelmatige voetballers zich staande hielden in het eerste. Triviaal en kenmerkend voor de grootste club uit de, Zaanstreek, was het absurde lage niveau van het eerste. Ik wist intussen wel hoe dat kwam. Het leek wel een club uit het, Midden Oosten, waar de sheiks het voor het zeggen hebben en per definitie neefjes opstelden in het eerste en niet mijn persoontje, klein en mager maar toch echt wel een talent, de kans gaven om te groeien. Deze ontkenning van mijn voetbal-capaciteiten heeft mij zeer aangegrepen. Mijn neef, die bij een andere club speelde kreeg wel die kans en werd doodleuk uitgenodigd door een prof-club uit de regio, Volendam. Hij speelde daar met, Johan Steur. Helaas voor mijn neef; hij brak zijn enkel. Weg carrière. We voetbalden vaak samen en leerden elkaar trucjes en passeerbewegingen en we waren gewoon echt goede voetballers. Maar hij kreeg de kans en ik niet. Oververmoeid en letterlijk met een waas voor ramde ik steeds vaker zomaar, Moniwi, in elkaar. Steeds vaker uitte mijn agressie zich en op een gegeven moment leek ik gek te worden. Ook in het uitgaansleven heb ik veel ruzies uitgelokt. Mijn broer zal vaak zijn geramd en een enkele keer hard ook. Excuses, Bernard. Toen ik in 1994, zoals dat heet, op een blauwe maandag, nog eenmaal ging voetballen stond ik wel direct in het eerste. Ik was toch sterker en groter geworden en evenwichtiger en nu kon niemand meer om me heen. Maar de, Voodoo Lounge Tour, van, 1994, begon tegelijkertijd met het voetbalseizoen en na een paar weken zegde ik mijn lidmaatschap op en vertrok in, Oktober, naar, Amerika. Het was heel zoet om toch nog een keer in het eerste te spelen. Nog geen maand na de verhuizing, van mijn oom en tante naar de kleine flat, stond Moniwi met een grote koffer op de stoep en ze vroeg of ze bij me mocht wonen. Dit was een droom, maar die verstoorde ik dus zelf. Natuurlijk! De omstandigheden de komende vier jaar waren ook ongunstig. We verhuisden naar een oud huis waarvan zelfs de fundering en de gevels opnieuw opgetrokken dienden te worden. Niet echt een plek om rustig aan een relatie te bouwen. Toen had ik alles op alles moeten zetten om een gewoon leven te gaan leiden en niet domweg blind aan het huis werken om het daarna te verkopen, om Stones-concerten te zien, om maar niet de realiteit van het leven te hoeven zien. Sterker, ik overtuigde, Moniwi, dat het volgen van een Stones-tour geweldig is. En ik dacht echt dat de, Stones, niet meer gingen touren, na het geweldige succes van de, Steel Wheels -, en, Urban Jungle Tour. Dat konden ze onmogelijk overtoppen. Bovendien was het acht jaar stil geweest en ik verwachtte weer zo’n stilte. Dus ik kon makkelijk zoiets suggereren. Ik leefde met de dag. Het ongelooflijke nieuws van de, Voodoo Lounge Tour, deed me letterlijk verblinden. Ja, toen dacht ik echt dat ze nog een keer zouden gaan touren. In, 1994, was het huis klaar en ik zou naar, Amerika, gaan voor de, Voodoo Lounge Tour. Nogmaals, ik was ervan overtuigd dat dit de laatste keer zou worden. Ik vond het toen al gewaagd van de, Stones, om, in, 1994, al T-shirts te drukken met doodleuk de vermelding: 1994/1995 World Tour. Ik moest eerst nog zien dat ze, 1994, volmaakten. 1995, was nog zover weg. Maar ik was dom om te denken dat, Moniwi, altijd aan mijn zijde bleef. Ik heb daar geen minuut meer aan getwijfeld, hoewel, Moniwi, er toch anders over ging denken. Ze hield echt van me, dat bewees ze eigenlijk elke dag, maar op een gegeven moment heeft ze het opgegeven. Ik was gefocusseerd op alles, met name op de verrichtingen van de, Stones, en de voortgang van het huis, behalve op, Moniwi. Nu besef ik dat de ideale situatie er een is die je dagelijks moet onderhouden. Of te wel: ”Er moet gewerkt worden aan relaties, net zoals er gewerkt moet worden aan een huis.” En toch maakte de schoonheid van, Moniwi, me niet gelukkig. Ik was alleen maar met mezelf bezig, en vond de gevoelens van, Moniwi, ondergeschikt. Dit zou ze me terugbetalen, en letterlijk heb ik er tien jaar last van gehad. Mijn deel was verdriet en ongelukkigheid. Ik besloot te gaan studeren in, 1995, omdat ik bang was dat ik dood zou gaan van verdriet. Ik moest een doel hebben om te leven. Stones-concerten waren het enige dat me verroerde en, “over bewust”, lette ik thuis op de uitvoeringen van nummers en diepte ze uit tot in den treuren. Ik had niets beters te doen, lijkt wel. Maar bedenk dat ik geen televisie had gedurende de jaren 90 en altijd aan het werk of studeren was en muziek was mijn rustpunt. Nummers die mijn gehele jeugd hebben bepaald. Mijn steun en toeverlaat. Ik snapte werkelijk niets van de manier van spelen. Waarom zijn de Stones anders dan alle andere bands? Ik kon dan ook de veranderingen van de shows goed meemaken. Hoe is het mogelijk dat de band, in de, Jaren Negentig, dezelfde kleur en emoties kan oproepen als van, de Jaren Zestig. Geen andere band heeft die kleurechtheid. Under My Thumb, Let’s Spend The Night Together, Shattered, en, 19th Nervous Breakdown, klonken tijdens de, Voodoo Lounge Tour, ongehoord echt. Ongelooflijk vond ik dat. Bij het horen van de intro’s voel je dat ze de juiste snaar weten te raken en dat ze terugkeren naar vervlogen tijden. Mijn moeder zei altijd dat de, Beatles, en, Stones, tijdloos waren. En nu begrijp ik dit. Tijdens de, Bridges to Babylon Tour, 1997, en, 1998, en de, No Security Tour, van, 1999, waren de, Stones, weer ouderwets op elkaar ingespeeld en speelden, op verzoek, nummers. Een keer werd, Waiting on a Friend, aangevraagd, via voorkeurstemmen op de internet-site. Bill Gates, sponsorde die tournee en als tegenprestatie kon het publiek voorkeurstemmen uitbrengen, via de website. Ik heb al veel gehoord, maar toen, Waiting on a Friend, out of the blue werd ingezet, was het overduidelijk dat, Waiting on a Friend, en feitelijk alle andere nummers symfonietjes zijn. Nummers van, Keith, kunnen perfect worden geconserveerd. De lijnen en contouren bestaan uit basiselementen. Waarschijnlijk omdat elk Stones-nummer en zeker ook die van de, Beatles, bestaan uit losse elementen, is de kleur-echtheid gegarandeerd. Anders dan het gerommel en gehark en gegraaf, met als gevolg dat de muziek een brei wordt van bandjes die proberen, Rock’ N Roll, te spelen, speelt, Keith, sober en schoon en ontvouwt stalen brug waarop, Waiting on a Friend, leunt. En ook, 19th Nervous Breakdown, werd bijvoorbeeld gedragen door, Keith. De lijnen en de bas-loopjes zijn uitgekristalliseerd. Mijn voorlopige conclusie is dat een nummer eerst zijn vorm aanneemt als de bas-loop is uitgelegd. Om minimaal te spelen, zoals de, Stones, doen, moet de basis helder zijn. Omdat elk nummer bestaat uit basis-lijnen is het zaak te weten wat deze zijn. En omdat, Keith, de nummers zelf schrijft is het triviaal te vermelden, dat hij die gene is, die precies weet wat die basis elementen van zijn nummers zijn. Doordat het onmogelijk is om te spelen als, Keith, is het simpelweg onmogelijk voor bands om dit te kopiëren. En doordat de, Stones, zichzelf, tijdens de jaren negentig, in een levensecht oefenterrein begeven, is het niet verwonderlijk, dat met het verstrijken van de jaren, de klassieke nummers een voor een, klakkeloos, werden afgestoft. Verreweg hoogtepunten waren de versies van, When The Whip Comes Down, Some Girls, You Got The Silver, Sister Morphine, met een toen, uniek voor een Stones-concert, tweede toegift, tijdens de, No Security Tour: You Can’t Always Get What You Want, werd plotseling ingezet, als extra toegift, door, Keith, en volgens mij was dit niet gepland. Voor de liefhebber: Eerste show in, Houston, Februari, 1999. Tijdens de, No Security Tour, van, 1999, was, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, inmiddels uit het repertoire geschrapt, want de, No Security Tour, had een veel harder karakter dan alle voorgaande tournee’s. Mick had pijn. Er knaagde bovendien iets aan zijn geweten en werd zich bewust van zijn bovenmenselijke status, vergelijkbaar met Caesar of Alexander De Grote. Marianne Faithfull, vergelijkt hem met de Zonne-koning, Louis XIV. De grote, Mick Jagger, werd, naar mijn mening, voor het eerst in zijn leven aan de kant geschoven door een vrouw; Jerry Hall. Toen, Keith, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, inzette stond daar een duidelijk geëmotioneerde, Mick Jagger. Je kon het hoopje verdriet opvegen. Ik stond toen, in, Houston, in de, Compaq Centre, direct aan het podium en zag hoe, Keith, plotseling weer naar het midden van het podium liep en achteloos het nummer inzette. Eerder werd die avond ook al, Sister Morphine, op schrijnende wijze vertolkt. Mick, had pijn, dat was duidelijk en, Keith, hielp hem daar overheen. Net zoals bij de tweede toegift liep, Keith, gedurfd, tijdens de intro, naar de rand van het podium en was op dat moment de bliksemafleider. Natuurlijk is het normaal als, Mick, de show steelt, maar toen kon dat even niet. Mick, was een hoopje verdriet. Keith, nam de honeurs waar als voorman en, Mick, kon, na zichzelf weer te hebben hervonden, op hartverscheurende wijze, Sister Morphine, brengen. Inclusief de gebroken stem die precies bij het nummer past. De, No Security Tour, was geen doorsnee tour. De geluidsinstallatie had veel te veel vermogen en was bestemd voor stadions. En de, No Security Tour, had in, Amerika, plaats, in, kleine arena’s. Toen, Some Girls, op verbluffende wijze, authentiek, werd gebracht, met een werkelijk spectaculaire staande intro, waarbij binnen de seconde, alle instrumenten zich perfect mengden, was het duidelijk: Mick, moest weer zingen, iets anders zou hij niet kunnen op dat moment. Hij zou in het dagelijks leven worden uitgehold door verdriet en onmacht, ten gevolge van zijn scheiding. Anders zou hij sterven van verdriet. Wie nu nog durft te zeggen dat de, Stones, slechts voor het geld spelen is niet goed bij zijn hoofd. Die tournee van, 1999, was niet voor het geld. Die was er, om, Mick, te laten te overleven. Om hem zijn verdriet te laten uiten. En, wat is er beter, dan uiting door middel van muziek. Mijn broer was mee naar, Amerika, en zag het ook. Nog steeds verhaalt hij met ontzag de impact van de, Stones, als ze kwaad zijn. Hij vertelde dat de stoere Amerikaanse yuppies, met allemaal een prachtige vriendin aan hun zijde, inclusief een vlotte zonnebril, letterlijk verbleekten toen, Keith, en, Ronnie, bij wijze van hoge uitzondering, over gingen op, Trash Rock. Nogmaals, When the Whip Comes Down, Midnight Rambler, en, Star Fucker, gespeeld op het midden podium in de kleine arena’s, begin, 1999, in, Amerika, waren een zegen voor de diehard fans, maar een regelrechte kwelling voor mensen, die dachten, dat ze het hadden gemaakt in hun leven. Al hun zekerheden konden de prullenbak in. Hun vriendinnen vonden het plotseling geweldig, en vonden, Mick, en, Keith, nu ineens zeer aantrekkelijke beesten. De yuppies en de jetset, zo moet u zich voorstellen, kochten voor honderden dollars een plekje vooraan en probeerde natuurlijk indruk te maken met die plaatsen, op hun veel te mooie, “gekochte”, vriendinnen. De Amerikanen verwachten weer een, Stones-concert, zoals ze die kenden van de, Voodoo Lounge, en, Bridges to Babylon. Zo kenden ze de, Stones, niet, en zo zijn de, Stones, ook helemaal niet aardig voor hun publiek. Letterlijk niet wetende waar te zoeken en te kijken, om zich nog enigszins te profileren als vlotte veertiger, volgde vooral de vrouwelijke, en veel jongere aanhang, de wulpse bewegingen van, Mick. De jetset werd getrakteerd op primitieve omgangs-normen, waar zij dus zogenaamd ver boven dient te staan en er nu met hun neus werden ingewreven. De meisjes vonden dat prachtig en hadden plotseling geen oog meer, en zeker geen interesse voor hun welgemanierde partners. Ze wilden bruut worden aangerand en worden verkracht en als oud vuil worden behandeld. Ze wilden ook die primitieve manier van leven ondervinden. Ze wilden ook wel eens gillend en schreeuwend klaarkomen! Keith, en, Ronnie, gooiden het ene spervuur na het andere de zaal in. Met de veel te grote geluidsinstallatie in de kleine zalen, was het een ware geseling voor de genen, die nog niet uit de zaal waren gevlucht. In het oog van de orkaan stond daar plotseling weer een herboren, Mick Jagger, die zichtbaar opluchtte tijdens de storm. Mick, kwam tot rust en, Keith, lachte liefkozend naar hem. Alsjeblieft, maatje, hier heb je je verdriet, verwerk het maar lekker. Alles komt goed. Wat een band! Sentiment komt wel erg hard aan, maar dat is het leven! Ik sta altijd vooraan en was waar de, Stones, waren. Maniakaal volgde ik ze door heel, Europa, en later, in, 1994, en verder door de, USA. Tot mijn verbazing zag ik van dichtbij de oogcontacten tussen de bandleden en zag dat de, Stones, konden temporiseren en pieken, wanneer ze maar wilden. Zo waren ze instaat een menigte van honderdduizend man in slaap te sussen om ze daarna meedogenloos wakker te schudden. Als ze zin hadden in experimenten werd een gehele set aangepast om de experimenten in te kleden, met als vangnet opsluiting door gepaste nummers. Na bijvoorbeeld probeersels als, Factory Girl, en, I Just Want to Make Love to You, kwam een klassieker, een nummer met een voortstuwende kracht, als, Satisfaction. Dus al zou het experiment mislukken, de menigte zal dit snel vergeten. Klassieke Rock-nummers om de experimentele nummers maskeerden dit, bij voorbaat. De boodschap van dit alles is dat iedereen een kans moet krijgen om te schijnen. De Stones hebben zelf de regie in handen. Ze maken tijd en ruimte voor probeersels, om zo het spectrum op te rekken. Omdat ze omringd worden door zekerheden, de nummers, het stadion en de enorme geluidsinstallatie, mislukken experimenten niet! Het heeft even geduurd, maar toevallig geluk moet je afdwingen.
De Stones, hebben zich een weg gebaand door de tijd en steeds goed opgelet wat mogelijk is voor de tijd. En bekend is dat in deze tijd alles mogelijk is. De, Stones, hebben de tijd met glans naar hun hand gezet. Ik voelde me sterk verbonden met de kracht van de muziek van de, Stones, maar was verloren en zocht ongewild grip in de goede muziek en de entourage van de Stones-karavaan en kwam verder en zo kwam ik in contact met, Alan Dunn, eerst in, Birmingham, USA!, via de telefoon, via, Arend Jan van der Marel in, Amsterdam!, en later in levende lijve bij aanvang van het concert in, 1995, in, Wembley. Alan Dunn, grijnsde. Ik maakte zo goed als deel uit van het Stones-circus en werd zelfs herkend door fans, die me hadden gezien tijdens de, Stones-film, van, 1990, in het, IMAX-theater. Alan Dunn, en meerdere leden van de vaste kern van de Stones-administratie kenden me en in, Londen, in, 1995, zei, Alan Dunn, dat hij wel een vermoeden had, waarom ze elke keer beter gingen spelen en dat dit voor betrokkenen een eindeloze rit is geworden. De crew en de die-hard fans zitten gevangen en worden verblind door de voortgang van de grootste, Rock ‘N Roll-band, aller tijden. Zij worden beter en de fans, die het volgen, gaan langzaam stuk. Het wordt altijd beter, dus de mensen die het laatste goede concert hebben gezien weten net zoveel als de mensen die alle concerten volgen. De groep vaste bezoekers van de eerste rij werd zodoende steeds groter en eind jaren negentig, en tijdens de laatste, Licks Tour, namen zij met honderden mijn plaats in op de eerste rijen en ik distantieerde me ervan. Noodzakelijk, door geldgebrek. Maar ook omdat ik nu zeker wist dat de Stones zo groot zijn geworden door het afdwingen van inspanningen van anderen en als de lachende derde er van door te gaan, met de opgedane kennis. Kijk naar, bijvoorbeeld, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, Billy Preston. Ik wist dat de, Stones, niet of nauwelijks acht slaan op mensen die hun eigen leven vergooien om, Rock ‘N Roll, te spelen en te zien. Weten ze wat ik weet? Zoeken ze wat? Billy Preston, weet nu dat zijn muziek is samengevat in een nummer, niet van hem zelf, maar van, Jagger / Richards, en heet, Hot Stuff. In dit nummer is de alle franje en tierelantijn afgeschud en wat overblijft is definiërende muziek. Uitgedroogd en sober, als een overblijfsel of relikwie van de muziek van, Preston, is de beat van, Hot Stuff, een belichaming van wat eens zijn muziek was. De, Stones, hebben in alle rust van dichtbij het kunstje afgekeken van, Billy. Hij verzorgde tijdens de, tour van, 1975, en, 1976, het voorprogramma en deed twee nummers tijdens het Stones-optreden. De, Stones, verloren destijds in rap tempo terrein aan met name, Led Zeppelin. De funky muziek van, Billy, was een uitgelezen mogelijkheid voor de, Stones, om zich aan te passen aan de tijd. Led Zeppelin, was onaantastbaar. De kracht waarmee, Led Zeppelin, de jaren zeventig binnen kwam zeilen was ontzagwekkend. De gitarist, Jimmie Page, was in topvorm en de zanger, Robert Plant was de nieuwe belichaming geworden van, Rock ‘N Roll. Voor zowel Jagger als Richards werd, Exile on Main Street, pijnlijk bewaarheid. Ze werden van de weg gereden door, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, en door de nieuwe funk muziek en wat later door de, Punk. Iggy Pop, voorop.
De jaren zestig waren definitief verleden tijd, halverwege de jaren zeventig. Er stonden nu al weer nieuwe soldaten aan het front. De episode met, Mick Taylor, die de band nog steeds en, steeds meer, voorzag van muzikale impulsen, tijdens de begin Jaren Zeventig, liep plotseling af. Hoewel, Mick Taylor, was verworden tot oud vuil leunden de, Stones, op hem; dit oude vuil. Mick Taylor, verliet de band, om de afgang van zijn lichaam te voorkomen. De situatie van de Stones was niets meer dan een stelletje zielepoten, die net hun kip met de gouden eieren, Mick Taylor, zagen verdwijnen. Terug aan de grond in, 1975. Het enige wat overeind bleef waren de geweldige nummers. Zo blijkt, Gimme Shelter, echt een heel goed nummer, dat juist in die periode helemaal werd gearrangeerd en tot in de puntjes werd uitgekauwd. Happy, het solo-nummer van, Keith, bleek zich ook uitstekend modern en vooruitstrevend te gedragen tijdens live-optredens. De tour van, 1975, gaat gepaard met verwoede pogingen van de, Stones, zich te revancheren, op volgens mij met name, Led Zeppelin. Op het podium komen de gebruikelijke bovennatuurlijke krachten nog steeds moeiteloos los. En dat is bij beide bands zo. Duidelijk is alleen dat, op het gebied van pure rock, de, Stones, de meerdere moeten erkennen in, Led Zeppelin, vergelijkbaar zoals de, Who, de, Stones, in, 1968, naar huis speelde.
Gezegend met, zoals hij zelf zegt een antenne heeft, Keith, de teloorgang van zijn band aangekeken. De massieve knetterende drum van, Led Zeppelin, was niet normaal en inderdaad, de drummer overleed in, 1980. Net als overigens de super-drummer van de, Who, Keith Moon, die, in, 1978, overleed. Pink Floyd, pakte de muziek weer anders aan en toverde het ene na het andere sublieme album uit de hoge hoed. Toch, eerlijk is eerlijk, live on stage, kon, Keith, zich nog steeds meten met de nieuwe orde. Keith, heeft gelukkig heel zijn leven geluisterd, hij moest wel. Een gouden kans voor jonge, Mister Richards. Eerst ontspon hij de, Blues, op een manier die de, Beatles, bijkans deed verbleken. Hij deed dit overigens niet alleen, want een zekere, Brian Jones, was toen zijn maatje, zelfs toen, Keith, nog een tiener was. Hij kwam samen met, Brian, tot een synthese van twee gitaren, die klonken als een eenheid. Met name de manier van spelen van, Keith, dwingend, bepalende en ruig vereiste een drummer die niet probeerde die gitaar, de zogenaamde rythem gitaar, te overstemmen. En feitelijk
Third in a set of five photos about the rapid evolution
of HaringAi - Haringey Council's Artificial Intelligence
Report-a-Problem online e-form.
________________________
Back in April 2008, I felt I'd begun to make friends with HaringAi.
Spotting this dumped vacuum cleaner I supplied my electronic chum with a street-name and a real house number. But like a small child, it kept asking for more information.
Realising its database was then at an early stage, I typed into the Council's webform:
"A vacuum cleaner is a domestic cleaning machine which uses suction to remove unwanted matter - for example, crumbs, dust, cat hairs etc - from household objects like furniture; and surfaces such as carpets and other flooring. This model - dumped on the pavement in Carew Road - can be easily spotted by its shiny cherry-red colour."
______________________
Third in a set of five photos
◄◄ First photo | | ◄ Second photo | | ► Fourth photo | | ►► Fifth photo & what HaringAi did next.
This is another project I have been working on entitled, "the walls we build".
north end, boise, id
taken 19 september 2024
mamiya 7ii
mamiya 65mm f/4
kodak portra 160
Scanned with dslr
Home developed
cinestill cs41
3 min 30 sec
Despite the snow, 47416 is on time as it heads a diverted Newcastle - Poole service down the now closed Leamside line near Washington. February 1984.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
Vrijheid. Omdat het moet.
Hier kan alles. Dat is misschien het probleem?
In een stad waar veel verschillende mensen wonen kunnen vrijheden botsen. De vrijheid van de boerka-babe is niet die van de bling-bling bimbo en op straat kan jouw vrijheid door het gedrag van een ander worden ingeperkt. Is de geroemde Amsterdamse vrijheid "poep op de stoep en haat in de straat", of toch tolerantie en wederzijds respect?
Hoog tijd voor een vrolijk, diepgravend en verrassend onderzoek naar de stand van de vrijheid in Amsterdam. Psychiater en schrijver Theodore Dalrymple opent de avond met een kritisch betoog over vrijheid en lokt daarmee een prikkelende reactie uit van Femke Halsema. Dit zet de toon voor een programma op verschillende plekken in de schouwburg met debatten, film, poëzie, theater en beeldende kunst. Met optredens van Salah Edin, Jelka van Houten, Maggie MacNeal en salsaorkest Tipico Tampoco en José Lopretti. Te gast zijn verder Hedy d’Ancona, Eddy Terstall, Marjolijn Februari, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Rebecca Gomperts, Adriaan Jaeggi, Dolly Bellefleur, Gabi van Driem, Graham Locke, Nynke de Zoeten, Erik Jan Harmens, Alfred H. Stucki, Wimie Wilhelm, Lotje van Lunteren, Pieter Hilhorst, Khadija Arib, Snow Video, Ceylan Pektas-Weber, Nico Papineau Salm, Politie Balistraat en Parkour World Association Nederland. Kortom: een avond met dichters en denkers, filosofen, acteurs en muzikanten, Amsterdammers uit alle windstreken die een nacht lang de vrijheid proeven, peilen, onderzoeken en uitbundig vieren.
.....but a penguin ain't 1? This toy belongs to a 9 year old boy. What's he know 'bout 99 problems? I HOPE he means penguin considering the lyrics to the actual Jay-Z song and all.
Supposed to be 100 metres water resistance but turned out not even survived the typical rainy day in Edinburgh
===
My PRS-25 the Smiths Everest and PRS-27s the Smiths Big Date: Some second thoughts about my purchases with Time Factor
I have purchased three watches: the PRS-27A, PRS-27B, and PRS-25 from the Time Factors (by Edward Platts), and was happy to post some good comments and photos on the TZ-UK forum after getting them. I was once more than willing to recommend these watches to my watch loving friends. Unfortunately, after some incidents, I have my second thought. Here is my story:
- The PRS-25 Everest -Water resistance issue:
I had been happy and in love with my Everest, although I have many watches, I still managed to wear it at least two days a week. Nonetheless, after three months of its arrival, I was surprised to see my watch's crystal looked steamy after a walk in a typical Scottish rainy day on the streets of Edinburgh. It reminded me a cheap toy watch I had in my childhood and I could not believe it happened to my Everest, which supposed to have WR for 100 metres. Totally shocked.
I contacted Eddie at once, with detailed photos about the issue, and suspected that water was probably leaked between the crystal and the case as a drop of water was visible there. Eddie agreed to deal with the issue. I sent the watch back to the Time Factors and the watch was returned from Eddie after more than 2 months. No explanation, not to mention any apology, was given for the failure of the water resistance.
Sadly the happiness of the reunion with the Everest did not last long, upon a close look I just realised that many stains could be seen on the watch hands. I suspected those stains are fingerprints or glue left on them. I contacted Eddie right away but he replied that he had done his goodwill in replacing my battery of the PRS-27 (see below) for me, which is nothing related to this PRS-25, and he was not prepared to do anything further.
- The PRS-27s
1. The PRS-27B
Upon a closer look of my PRS-27B a few days after its arrival, I found a tiny white spot on upper side of the six o'clock dial and a tiny grey/black spot on the right-hand side of upper date window. Despite these poorly finished signs are not supposed to happen with any quality watch, I was so in love with the watch that I persuaded myself to go on with it - it turned out that truly love is blind.
2. The PRS-27A
After less than two months of its arrival, the watch hands stuck at a certain time of the day. I contacted Eddie at once. After a few email communications trying to diagnose the issue, Eddies' final reply suggested that it could be the battery and suspected THEY- the manufacturer- bought old batteries for next to nothing. He seemed to forget that HE is the owner of the brand and the seller of the watch after all. After the WR issue happened to the PRS-25, I asked Eddie if I could send the PRS-27A back together to him for a check in order to make sure it was merely a battery issue. I understood that the battery is not covered by the warranty despite I purchased the watch from the Time Factors, not the manufacturer, and it stopped just within two months of it's arrival, so I mentioned that I would attach with the watch a brand new battery on my cost in case the watch's issue was only the battery. He agreed. I sent the PRS-27A and a new battery back together with the Everest.
The watch came back to me with the PRS-25. But a scrap was found on the watch face that moves with the watch. I contacted Eddie about this issue together with the stained hands issue of the PRS-25. He seemed to be annoyed that I sent the PRS-27A back as the issue was only the battery after his check. As mentioned above, he told me that he was not prepared to do anything further to this watch either.
I chose not to believe that Eddie was telling me that getting watches from the Time Factors with stains on the watch face or hands, with scrap on the face, or with steam in the crystal is normal. Unfortunately the fact seemed to suggest otherwise.
Originally I intended to include some British brand watches in my collection as one of the many ways to remember my life in the UK, and I was glad to find that there indeed exists a British micro brand producing watches that looked good to me. Unfortunately it turned out to be a nightmare and indeed added something I would definitely remember the UK for. If someone is planing to buy any watch from the Time Factors I wish him/her the best luck. I unfortunately believe that, after getting three at least once defective watches from the Time Factors, I do not possess such good luck to dare to purchase anymore from Time Factors.
Discussions of similar issues:
forums.watchuseek.com/f2/problems-smiths-everest-800650.html
www.thewatchsite.com/index.php/topic,32035.0.html
www.thewatchsite.com/index.php?topic=37969.0
forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?239599-A-curious-incident-...
I always thought that people who bash GIMP's name are just flamers and trolls. But this comment seems to be from a person who does not know what the GIMP is...
We decided to go for a city break rather than sun in Tenerife again this September. Other than a few days in the North East we haven’t been away since last March and wanted a change and hopefully some sun. The problem is getting flights from the north of England to the places we want to go to. We chose Valencia as we could fly from East Midlands – which was still a pain to get to as it involved the most notorious stretch of the M1 at five in the morning. In the end we had a fairly good journey, the new Ryanair business class pre-booked scheme worked quite well and bang on time as usual. It was dull when we landed with storms forecast all week, the sky was bright grey – the kiss of death to the photography I had in mind. I was full of cold and wishing I was at work. It did rain but it was overnight on our first night and didn't affect us. There has been a drought for eleven months apparently and it rained on our first day there! The forecast storms didn't materialise in Valencia but they got it elsewhere.
You May notice discrepancies in the spelling of some Spanish words or names, this is because Valencian is used on signs, in some guide books and maps. There are two languages in common use with distinct differences. There may also be genuine mistakes - it has been known!
Over the course of a Monday to Sunday week we covered 75 miles on foot and saw most of the best of Valencia – The City of Bell Towers. The Old City covers a pretty large area in a very confusing layout. There was a lot of referring to maps – even compass readings! – a first in a city for us. The problem with photography in Valencia is that most of the famous and attractive building are closely built around, some have poor quality housing built on to them. Most photographs have to be taken from an extreme angle looking up. There are no high points as it is pan flat, there are a small number of buildings where you can pay to go up on to the roof for a better view and we went up them – more than once!
The modern buildings of The City of Arts and Sciences – ( Ciutat de Las Arts I de les Ciencies ) are what the city has more recently become famous for, with tourists arriving by the coachload all day until late at night. They must be photographed millions of times a month. We went during the day and stayed till dark one evening, I gave it my best shot but a first time visit is always a compromise between ambition and realism, time dictates that we have to move on to the next destination. I travelled with a full size tripod – another first – I forgot to take it with me to TCoAaS! so It was time to wind up the ISO, again! Needless to say I never used the tripod.
On a day when rain was forecast but it stayed fine, albeit a bit dull, we went to the Bioparc north west of the city, a zoo by another name. There are many claims made for this place, were you can appear to walk alongside some very large animals, including, elephants, lions, giraffe, rhino, gorillas and many types of monkey to name a few. It is laid out in different geographical regions and there is very little between you and the animals, in some cases there is nothing, you enter the enclosure through a double door arrangement and the monkeys are around you. It gets rave reviews and we stayed for most of the day. The animals it has to be said gave the appearance of extreme boredom and frustration and I felt quite sorry for them.
The course of The River Turia was altered after a major flood in the 50’s. The new river runs west of the city flanked by a motorway. The old river, which is massive, deep and very wide between ancient walls, I can’t imagine how it flooded, has been turned into a park that is five miles long. There is an athletics track, football pitches, cycle paths, restaurants, numerous kids parks, ponds, fountains, loads of bridges, historic and modern. At the western end closest to the sea sits The City of Arts and Sciences – in the river bed. Where it meets the sea there is Valencia’s urban Formula One racetrack finishing in the massive marina built for The Americas Cup. The race track is in use as roadways complete with fully removable street furniture, kerbs, bollards, lights, islands and crossings, everything is just sat on the surface ready to be moved.
We found the beach almost by accident, we were desperate for food after putting in a lot of miles and the afternoon was ticking by. What a beach, 100’s of metres wide and stretching as far as the eye could see with a massive promenade. The hard thing was choosing, out of the dozens of restaurants, all next door to each other, all serving traditional Paella – rabbit and chicken – as well as seafood, we don’t eat seafood and it constituted 90% of the menu in most places. Every restaurant does a fixed price dish of the day, with a few choices, three courses and a drink. Some times this was our only meal besides making the most of the continental breakfast at the hotel. We had a fair few bar stops with the local wine being cheap and pleasant it would have been a shame not to, there would have been a one woman riot – or strike!
On our final day, a Sunday, we were out of bed and down for breakfast at 7.45 as usual, the place was deserted barring a waiter. We walked out of the door at 8.30 – in to the middle of a mass road race with many thousands of runners, one of a series that take place in Valencia – apparently! We struggled to find out the distance, possibly 10km. The finish was just around the corner so off we went with the camera gear, taking photos of random runners and groups. There was a TV crew filming it and some local celebrity (I think) commentating. Next we came across some sort of wandering religious and musical event. Some sort of ritual was played out over the course of Sunday morning in various locations, it involved catholic priests and religious buildings and another film crew. The Catholic tourists and locals were filling the (many) churches for Sunday mass. Amongst all of this we had seen men walking around in Arab style dress – the ones in black looked like the ones from ISIS currently beheading people – all carrying guns. A bit disconcerting. We assumed that there had been some sort of battle enactment. We were wrong, it hadn’t happened yet. A while later, about 11.30 we could hear banging, fireworks? No it was our friends with the guns. We were caught up in total mayhem, around 60 men randomly firing muskets with some sort of blank rounds, the noise, smoke and flames from the muzzles were incredible. We were about to climb the Torres de Serranos which is where, unbeknown to us, the grand, and deafening, finale was going to be. We could feel the blast in our faces on top of the tower. Yet again there was a film camera in attendance. I couldn’t get close ups but I got a good overview and shot my first video with the 5D, my first in 5 years of owning a DLSR with the capability. I usually use my phone ( I used my phone as well). Later in the day there was a bullfight taking place, the ring was almost next to our hotel, in the end we had other things to do and gave it a miss, it was certainly a busy Sunday in the city centre, whether it’s the norm or not I don’t know.
There is a tram system in Valencia but it goes from the port area into the newer part of the city on the north side, it wouldn’t be feasible to serve the historic old city really. A quick internet search told me that there are 55,000 university students in the city, a pretty big number. I think a lot of the campus is on the north side and served by the tram although there is a massive fleet of buses as well. There is a massive, very impressive market building , with 100’s of stalls that would make a photo project on its own, beautiful on the inside and out but very difficult to get decent photos of the exterior other than detail shots owing to the closeness of other buildings and the sheer size of it. Across town, another market has been beautifully renovated and is full of bars and restaurants and a bit of a destination in its own right.
A downside was the all too typical shafting by the taxi drivers who use every trick in the book to side step the official tariffs and rob you. The taxi from the airport had a “broken” meter and on the way home we were driven 22 km instead of the nine that is the actual distance. Some of them seem to view tourists as cash cows to be robbed at all costs. I emailed the Marriot hotel as they ordered the taxi, needless to say no answer from Marriot – they’ve had their money. We didn’t get the rip off treatment in the bars etc. that we experienced in Rome, prices are very fair on most things, certainly considering the city location.
All in all we had a good trip and can highly recommend Valencia.