“Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.”

 

~Joan Lunden

 

[Day 077/365]

 

Had a headache today, I hate headaches, it just ruins my mood >_<

Native American, Frontier, & Canal History

 

In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Johnston as Indian Agent at the new trading agency in Fort Wayne, and by 1809 he was in charge of two Indian Agencies. His primary responsibility was to manage trade so that Indians in the area would not seek trade with the nearby British. Johnston was responsible to the territorial governor, William Henry Harrison, and to the Superintendent of Indian Trade. Almost immediately, however, a rivalry began between Johnston and William Wells, the official interpreter at Fort Wayne. The Miami of Fort Wayne trusted Wells, who had been adopted into their tribe, while U.S. government officials questioned Wells' loyalty and sided with Johnston. Johnston remained at Fort Wayne through a period of growing resentment between the American Indians and the United States, and filed a report summarizing Indian accounts of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

That same year, an Indian agency was established at Piqua, Ohio, and Johnston asked to be transferred to the new agency. He was at this agency during the War of 1812, and organized a Shawnee party under Captain Logan to rescue women and children during the Siege of Fort Wayne, where his brother, Stephen, was killed. He had much better relations with the local Shawnee and Wyandot than he had with the Indians at Fort Wayne, and served as Indian Agent until 1829. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Upper Sandusky in 1842, which removed the Wyandot from Ohio to the West. It was reported that he earned a $1200.00 salary per year as an agent, and he retained that position until let go by President Jackson - a total of thirty-one years.

nrhp # 74000872- Frankfort Cemetery- Daniel Boone (November 2, 1734 [O.S. October 22] – September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer, explorer, woodsman, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Although he also became a businessman, soldier and politician who represented three different counties in the Virginia General Assembly following the American Revolutionary War, Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now Kentucky. Although on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains from most European-American settlements, Kentucky remained part of Virginia until it became a state in 1791.

aniel Boone died of natural causes (other sources say from acute indigestion) on September 26, 1820, at Nathan Boone's home on Femme Osage Creek, five weeks short of his 86th birthday. His last words were, "I'm going now. My time has come." He was buried next to Rebecca, who had died on March 18, 1813. The graves, which were unmarked until the mid-1830s, were near Jemima (Boone) Callaway's home on Tuque Creek, about two miles (3 km) from the present-day Marthasville, Missouri. In 1845, the Boones' remains were supposedly disinterred and reburied in a new cemetery, Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Resentment in Missouri about the disinterment grew over the years, and a legend arose that Boone's remains never left Missouri. According to this story, Boone's tombstone in Missouri had been inadvertently placed over the wrong grave, but no one had ever corrected the error. Boone's relatives in Missouri, displeased with the Kentuckians who came to exhume Boone, kept quiet about the mistake, and they allowed the Kentuckians to dig up the wrong remains. No contemporary evidence indicates this actually happened, but in 1983, a forensic anthropologist examined a crude plaster cast of Boone's skull made before the Kentucky reburial and announced it might be the skull of an African American. Black slaves had also been buried at Tuque Creek, so it is possible the wrong remains were mistakenly removed from the crowded graveyard. Both the Frankfort Cemetery in Kentucky and the Old Bryan Farm graveyard in Missouri claim to have Boone's remains.[56] The Kentucky Legislature appropriated two thousand dollars in 1860 for the erection of a monument over the grave of Daniel Boone in Frankfort.[57] The monument at Boone's grave site today was built by John Haley in 1860.[58] In 1862 four marble panels were added depicting scenes from Daniel and Rebecca's lives. The panels were vandalized during the American Civil War and restored in 1906. Only one of the original panels still exists

 

from Wikipedia

Some History of Brisbane.

The first European settlement in Queensland was a small convict colony which was established at Redcliffe, now a northern beach suburb, in 1824. The settlement was soon moved in 1825 to a better location on the Brisbane River in what is now the CBD of Brisbane. John Oxley suggested this change of location and that the town be known as Brisbane after Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of NSW who visited this settlement in 1826. Prior to this the settlement was known as the Moreton Bay. By 1831 Moreton Bay had 1,241 people, but 86% were convicts, and almost all the rest were guards and administrators. One of the founding free men to settle in Brisbane was Andrew Petrie, a government clerk, who arrived in the settlement in 1837. His son later became the first mayor of Brisbane.

 

In 1842 (six years after the settlement of SA) Moreton Bay penal settlement was closed and the area opened to free settlers. Half the convicts at Moreton Bay were Irish Catholics which influenced the development of the settlement thereafter as many stayed on. By 1846 Moreton Bay had a population of 4,000 people, considerably less than that of Burra at the time which had over 5,000 people! In 1848 the first immigrants direct from Britain arrived, as did some Chinese. In 1849 three ship loads of Presbyterians arrived in Brisbane, the first ship being the Fortitude- hence the naming of Fortitude Valley. The colony was still far from self-sufficient in terms of food production. In the mid-1850s German immigrants also started to arrive in the settlement. The only building still standing built by convict labour is the Old Windmill in Wickham Park.

 

During the late 1840s a few grand houses were built in Brisbane like Newstead House at Hamilton and the city began to take shape. All the central streets were named after members of Queen Victoria’s family- Adelaide, Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary for the streets parallel to Queen Street, and Albert, Edward, George and William for the streets perpendicular to Queen Street. In 1859 the population had grown sufficiently, to about 30,000 people, for Queensland to be proclaimed a separate colony from NSW with Brisbane (about 6,000 people) as the capital city. It was now a self-governing independent colony. Old Government House was built shortly after this in 1862 followed by numerous colonial government buildings. The French Empire style Parliament House opposite the old Botanical Gardens was erected in 1865 to a design by Charles Tiffin. It had perfect symmetry a mansard roof and an arcaded loggia. It is still one of the most distinctive buildings in Brisbane. Nearby the pastoralists and wealthy built the Queensland Club in Alice Street in 1882 with classical columns but with Italianate style bay windows. The location near parliament house is much like the situation of the Adelaide Club on North Terrace almost adjacent to the SA parliament. The wealthy and pastoralists in both states had immeasurable influence over early colonial politics. One of the other finest colonial buildings of Brisbane is the Old Customs House with the circular copper domed roof on the edge of the Brisbane River. It was erected in 1888.

 

Although Brisbane grew quickly through the following decades it was not incorporated as a city until 1902.Part of the reason for the relatively slow of growth of Brisbane, compared to Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney was that it was not the focal point of the state railway network. Queensland always had other major regional centres. The railway from Brisbane reached out to southern Queensland only- Ipswich in 1864, Toowoomba in 1867, and Charleville in 1888. There was no early push to have a railway link between the coastal cities. They were not linked by a railway until 1927 when road transport had already taken over the transport of livestock and freight. The coastal railway to Cairns was always for passenger traffic as much as freight traffic.

 

Unlike the other Australian state capitals, Brisbane City Council governs most of the metropolitan area of Brisbane. In 1925 over twenty shires and municipalities were amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. It was at this time that the landmark Brisbane city Hall was built in Art Deco style. It was opened in 1930. During World War Two, Brisbane had a distinctive history as Prime Minister John Curtin had the “Brisbane Line” as a controversial defense plan, whereby if there was a land invasion of Australia, the northern half of the country would be surrendered at a line just north of Brisbane! Brisbane also became the headquarters for the American campaign in the South Pacific with General Douglas MacArthur based there at times. In 1942 a violent clash erupted between American and Australian service personnel in Brisbane. Between 2,000 and 5,000 men were involved in the riots which spread over two days. One soldier was killed and eight injured by gun fire as well as hundreds injured with black eyes, swollen faces, broken noses etc. On the second night 21 Americans were injured with 11 of them having to be hospitalised. This was The Battle of Brisbane. Yet around 1 million American troops passed through Queensland between December 1941 (just after the bombing of Pearl Harbour) and the end of 1945. They were here to spearhead attacks to take back the Philippines and to prevent the Japanese from taking New Guinea. Black American soldiers were especially unpopular in Brisbane as their landing contravened the “White Australia Policy” of those times. In response to this policy General Douglas MacArthur announced his support for the Australian government’s insistence that no more Black American troops be sent to Brisbane after 1942. The Black American units in Australia were later sent to New Guinea and New Caledonia. Black American troops in New Guinea were not allowed to visit Australia for rest and recreation leave although white American troops were allowed to visit Australia, mainly to Mackay. Resentment between American and Australian troops in Brisbane had to be contained and suppressed. Riots between troops also occurred in Townsville during the War. Today Brisbane is a fast growing city that has far outstripped Adelaide in terms of population, growth and infrastructure.

 

I was going to just do a quick and simple one with a traditional elf and tree (well, okay, one of my overblown little 'toon girls dressed as a traditional elf, with a tree), but then a Flickr friend posted a bunch of mid-Sixties PLAYBOY Christmas gift subscription ads. If those aren't quite up there with der Bingle's "White Christmas" and The Sleepy One's "No Place Like Home For The Holidays" and all the vintage cards and ornaments and toy ads and other Christmas nostalgia that various Flickr friends post this time of year (and some post all year 'round) as Ghosts of Christmases Past, they at least rank right alongside "Snoopy's Christmas".

 

Then, too, when hearing about it this time of year, I always wonder (whilst permitting myself an evil chuckle) how many Good People out there realize that what has become a traditional holiday favorite, a staple of holiday family viewing, was based on a story (with a few incidents from others thrown in) that originally appeared in PLAYBOY, and that the narrator, the grown-up Ralphie, was indeed the real-life grown-up Ralphie, author Jean Shepherd, whose stories all appeared in "THAT smutty magazine" (as the First Baptist Church ladies in my little burg--and, no doubt, in every other little burg across the length and breadth of our great land--were wont to call it).

 

And it WAS a nice, "clean", happy story, just like the movie, containing nothing of the "vulgarity" that the ill- or uninformed generally identified with PLAYBOY. Likewise, as all his stories were, this one was ultimately upbeat, the characters amiably eccentric and endearing rather than depressingly dysfunctional and embittered as they would undoubtedly be depicted these days (compare with those sad cases who populate Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegone). But, then, Jean Shepherd (July 26, 1921 - October 16, 1999), was a dues-paid member of The Greatest Generation, who came home from the Army and made a good life for himself being an amiable eccentric himself in those two greatest decades the United States ever had, 1945 - 1965, before we became the depressingly dysfunctional and increasingly embittered country we are now.

 

Along with those other aforementioned memories of mid-Twentieth Century Christmases (including those Playmates and Bunnies of yesteryear who, despite the celebrated nudity, really did have the kind of ingenue "girl next door" appeal that the magazine strove for back then, before the editors, photographers and models all "went Hollywood" on us), when Christmas was commercial (and yes, Virginia, it always was) but hadn't yet become cynically so, when it hadn't become politicized, and having a merry one was just something one cheerfully went about doing instead of making the effort a monomaniacal do-or-die frenzy to achieve some impossibly unattainable level of happiness and seething with resentment against those imaginary enemies keeping us from reaching it, Ralphie's Red Ryder B-B Gun should remind us that no matter how much we might want to be or how hard we strive to make it so, we are not the Pretty People in the commercials and life isn't ever going to be Just Perfect for us the way it is for them--but it can work out to be pretty good, if we let it. And if we're lucky. And for those of us who were so lucky, it should be a reminder of just how truly blessed we were to to be The Greatest Generation's kids, and had our own (sadly too few) years of childhood in those two glorious decades when things were never better. And, of course, remind us to be ultimately grateful to "the reason for the season", Who gave us that blessing.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL!!!

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

Young Veezy, artist unknown. Chelsea.

This mural shows a portrait of a solemn looking man, perhaps lost in thought or a portrayal of resentment. The black and grey tones and the fact the image is alone portrays solitude showing that even in a bustling city like New York, one can still feel lonely and isolated

"Someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability and to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has. To do something, as my colleague David Souter would say, outside myself. Because I’ve gotten much more satisfaction for the things that I’ve done for which I was not paid." RBG

 

Of course, there are times when I get annoyed about something. . . but then something catches my attention, or I learn or fall in love with something new, and it makes me wonder why I waste myself. Like when I see that my fav library had Christmas tree outside and I've never seen it before!!! I live for things that make me feel happy & alive, not the ones that suck my blood out of me. Or who I can help today or make someone’s day better.

When I worked as set photographer for the Gedda Headz music video in Hong Kong, there was always a cast and crew of at least thirty people on set. I haven't any experience of working on a film set of that size anywhere else, so I can't say whether it's because of a specifically Chinese work ethic of efficiency and diligence, but everything I wanted was brought to me, immediately and without fuss. As I stood chatting with one of the cast while a shot was being set up, I mentioned that I was thirsty. Overhearing this, one of the runners - one of whom is pictured here as we filmed one night on the streets of Mongkok - dashed off and, seconds later, handed me a bottle of water. Almost uncomfortable with their servility, I was gushing gratitude all the time and this seemed to surprise them: completely free of resentment or irritation at having to run around after other people, they understood that this was their job.

 

By way of contrast, I worked in offices and shops when I was younger and, when the boss would bring more work to be done or assign some tasks, my colleagues would moan about all the work they were being given. They would do as little work as possible and would complain when that minimum amount was raised. Although I understand that people don't like work, I never related to that particular dissatisfaction: whether I was asked to go and deliver something or make someone a cup of tea, I appreciated that it was my job and I was being paid for it, and I appreciated that the boss is the boss. Even if the workload seemed heavy, I knew that - at least in those jobs I was doing - come 5pm or whenever, I would be able to down tools and go home regardless.

 

Hong Kong, 2009.

Some History of Brisbane.

The first European settlement in Queensland was a small convict colony which was established at Redcliffe, now a northern beach suburb, in 1824. The settlement was soon moved in 1825 to a better location on the Brisbane River in what is now the CBD of Brisbane. John Oxley suggested this change of location and that the town be known as Brisbane after Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of NSW who visited this settlement in 1826. Prior to this the settlement was known as the Moreton Bay. By 1831 Moreton Bay had 1,241 people, but 86% were convicts, and almost all the rest were guards and administrators. One of the founding free men to settle in Brisbane was Andrew Petrie, a government clerk, who arrived in the settlement in 1837. His son later became the first mayor of Brisbane.

 

In 1842 (six years after the settlement of SA) Moreton Bay penal settlement was closed and the area opened to free settlers. Half the convicts at Moreton Bay were Irish Catholics which influenced the development of the settlement thereafter as many stayed on. By 1846 Moreton Bay had a population of 4,000 people, considerably less than that of Burra at the time which had over 5,000 people! In 1848 the first immigrants direct from Britain arrived, as did some Chinese. In 1849 three ship loads of Presbyterians arrived in Brisbane, the first ship being the Fortitude- hence the naming of Fortitude Valley. The colony was still far from self sufficient in terms of food production. In the mid 1850s German immigrants also started to arrive in the settlement. The only building still standing built by convict labour is the Old Windmill in Wickham Park.

 

During the late 1840s a few grand houses were built in Brisbane like Newstead House at Hamilton and the city began to take shape. All the central streets were named after members of Queen Victoria’s family- Adelaide, Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary for the streets parallel to Queen Street, and Albert, Edward, George and William for the streets perpendicular to Queen Street. In 1859 the population had grown sufficiently, to about 30,000 people, for Queensland to be proclaimed a separate colony from NSW with Brisbane (about 6,000 people) as the capital city. It was now a self governing independent colony. Old Government House was built shortly after this in 1862 followed by numerous colonial government buildings. The French Empire style Parliament House opposite the old Botanical Gardens was erected in 1865 to a design by Charles Tiffin. It had perfect symmetry a mansard roof and an arcaded loggia. It is still one of the most distinctive buildings in Brisbane. Nearby the pastoralists and wealthy built the Queensland Club in Alice Street in 1882 with classical columns but with Italianate style bay windows. The location near parliament house is much like the situation of the Adelaide Club on North Terrace almost adjacent to the SA parliament. The wealthy and pastoralists in both states had immeasurable influence over early colonial politics. One of the other finest colonial buildings of Brisbane is the Old Customs House with the circular copper domed roof on the edge of the Brisbane River. It was erected in 1888.

 

Although Brisbane grew quickly through the following decades it was not incorporated as a city until 1902.Part of the reason for the relatively slow of growth of Brisbane, compared to Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney was that it was not the focal point of the state railway network. Queensland always had other major regional centres. The railway from Brisbane reached out to southern Queensland only- Ipswich in 1864, Toowoomba in 1867, and Charleville in 1888. There was no early push to have a railway link between the coastal cities. They were not linked by a railway until 1927 when road transport had already taken over the transport of livestock and freight. The coastal railway to Cairns was always for passenger traffic as much as freight traffic.

 

Unlike the other Australian state capitals, Brisbane City Council governs most of the metropolitan area of Brisbane. In 1925 over twenty shires and municipalities were amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. It was at this time that the landmark Brisbane city Hall was built in Art Deco style. It was opened in 1930. During World War Two, Brisbane had a distinctive history as Prime Minister John Curtin had the “Brisbane Line” as a controversial defense plan, whereby if there was a land invasion of Australia, the northern half of the country would be surrendered at a line just north of Brisbane! Brisbane also became the headquarters for the American campaign in the South Pacific with General Douglas MacArthur based there at times. In 1942 a violent clash erupted between American and Australian service personnel in Brisbane. Between 2,000 and 5,000 men were involved in the riots which spread over two days. One soldier was killed and eight injured by gun fire as well as hundreds injured with black eyes, swollen faces, broken noses etc. On the second night 21 Americans were injured with 11 of them having to be hospitalised. This was The Battle of Brisbane. Yet around 1 million American troops passed through Queensland between December 1941 (just after the bombing of Pearl Harbour) and the end of 1945. They were here to spearhead attacks to take back the Philippines and to prevent the Japanese from taking New Guinea. Black American soldiers were especially unpopular in Brisbane as their landing contravened the “White Australia Policy” of those times. In response to this policy General Douglas MacArthur announced his support for the Australian government’s insistence that no more Black American troops be sent to Brisbane after 1942. The Black American units in Australia were later sent to New Guinea and New Caledonia. Black American troops in New Guinea were not allowed to visit Australia for rest and recreation leave although white American troops were allowed to visit Australia, mainly to Mackay. Resentment between American and Australian troops in Brisbane had to be contained and suppressed. Riots between troops also occurred in Townsville during the War. Today Brisbane is a fast growing city that has far outstripped Adelaide in terms of population, growth and infrastructure.

  

History:

Gor-borg is one of S.T.U.D. labs darkest secrets. He is an adult male silverback gorilla that was illegally acquired to perform experiments on. He appears to have had a vast majority of his body replaced with cybernetic fittings. He does however retain enough of his organic primal nature to have his own free will and has a genius level intellect. Regardless, the wild, savage primate has a short temper and a bad mean streak. It is highly doubtful that he can be controlled let alone reasoned with. The pity some may have for his condition is usually outweighed by hysteria and widespread panic. Gor-borg has no resentment toward his creator Mr. Cy-co due to Cyrus’s own cybernetic predicament, but he also feels no obligation to obey his every command. Gor-borg will work with Mr. Cy-co if he sees it as beneficial. He views those that would show pity on him as weak and those that would oppose him as pathetic. He keeps out of the public eye for the most part and stays hidden wherever he can. When he does make an appearance however, everyone would be wise to stay out of his way.

 

Built for the League of Lego Heroes

www.flickr.com/groups/llh/

Pisa is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city contains more than twenty other historic churches, several medieval palaces, and bridges across the Arno. Much of the city's architecture was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics.

 

The city is also home to the University of Pisa, which has a history going back to the 12th century, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, founded by Napoleon in 1810, and its offshoot, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies.

 

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Pisa.

Ancient times

The most believed hypothesis is that the origin of the name Pisa comes from Etruscan and means 'mouth', as Pisa is at the mouth of the Arno river.

 

Although throughout history there have been several uncertainties about the origin of the city of Pisa, excavations made in the 1980s and 1990s found numerous archaeological remains, including the fifth century BC tomb of an Etruscan prince, proving the Etruscan origin of the city, and its role as a maritime city, showing that it also maintained trade relations with other Mediterranean civilizations.

 

Ancient Roman authors referred to Pisa as an old city. Virgil, in his Aeneid, states that Pisa was already a great center by the times described; and gives the epithet of Alphēae to the city because it was said to have been founded by colonists from Pisa in Elis, near which the Alpheius river flowed. The Virgilian commentator Servius wrote that the Teuti founded the town 13 centuries before the start of the common era.

 

The maritime role of Pisa should have been already prominent if the ancient authorities ascribed to it the invention of the naval ram. Pisa took advantage of being the only port along the western coast between Genoa (then a small village) and Ostia. Pisa served as a base for Roman naval expeditions against Ligurians and Gauls. In 180 BC, it became a Roman colony under Roman law, as Portus Pisanus. In 89 BC, Portus Pisanus became a municipium. Emperor Augustus fortified the colony into an important port and changed the name to Colonia Iulia obsequens.

 

Pisa supposedly was founded on the shore, but due to the alluvial sediments from the Arno and the Serchio, whose mouth lies about 11 km (7 mi) north of the Arno's, the shore moved west. Strabo states that the city was 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away from the coast. Currently, it is located 9.7 km (6 mi) from the coast. However, it was a maritime city, with ships sailing up the Arno. In the 90s AD, a baths complex was built in the city.

 

Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages

During the last years of the Western Roman Empire, Pisa did not decline as much as the other cities of Italy, probably due to the complexity of its river system and its consequent ease of defence. In the seventh century, Pisa helped Pope Gregory I by supplying numerous ships in his military expedition against the Byzantines of Ravenna: Pisa was the sole Byzantine centre of Tuscia to fall peacefully in Lombard hands, through assimilation with the neighbouring region where their trading interests were prevalent. Pisa began in this way its rise to the role of main port of the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea and became the main trading centre between Tuscany and Corsica, Sardinia, and the southern coasts of France and Spain.

 

After Charlemagne had defeated the Lombards under the command of Desiderius in 774, Pisa went through a crisis, but soon recovered. Politically, it became part of the duchy of Lucca. In 860, Pisa was captured by vikings led by Björn Ironside. In 930, Pisa became the county centre (status it maintained until the arrival of Otto I) within the mark of Tuscia. Lucca was the capital but Pisa was the most important city, as in the middle of tenth century Liutprand of Cremona, bishop of Cremona, called Pisa Tusciae provinciae caput ("capital of the province of Tuscia"), and a century later, the marquis of Tuscia was commonly referred to as "marquis of Pisa". In 1003, Pisa was the protagonist of the first communal war in Italy, against Lucca. From the naval point of view, since the ninth century, the emergence of the Saracen pirates urged the city to expand its fleet; in the following years, this fleet gave the town an opportunity for more expansion. In 828, Pisan ships assaulted the coast of North Africa. In 871, they took part in the defence of Salerno from the Saracens. In 970, they gave also strong support to Otto I's expedition, defeating a Byzantine fleet in front of Calabrese coasts.

 

11th century

The power of Pisa as a maritime nation began to grow and reached its apex in the 11th century, when it acquired traditional fame as one of the four main historical maritime republics of Italy (Repubbliche Marinare).

 

At that time, the city was a very important commercial centre and controlled a significant Mediterranean merchant fleet and navy. It expanded its powers in 1005 through the sack of Reggio Calabria in the south of Italy. Pisa was in continuous conflict with some 'Saracens' - a medieval term to refer to Arab Muslims - who had their bases in Corsica, for control of the Mediterranean. In 1017, Sardinian Giudicati were militarily supported by Pisa, in alliance with Genoa, to defeat the Saracen King Mugahid, who had settled a logistic base in the north of Sardinia the year before. This victory gave Pisa supremacy in the Tyrrhenian Sea. When the Pisans subsequently ousted the Genoese from Sardinia, a new conflict and rivalry was born between these major marine republics. Between 1030 and 1035, Pisa went on to defeat several rival towns in Sicily and conquer Carthage in North Africa. In 1051–1052, the admiral Jacopo Ciurini conquered Corsica, provoking more resentment from the Genoese. In 1063, Admiral Giovanni Orlandi, coming to the aid of the Norman Roger I, took Palermo from the Saracen pirates. The gold treasure taken from the Saracens in Palermo allowed the Pisans to start the building of their cathedral and the other monuments which constitute the famous Piazza del Duomo.

 

In 1060, Pisa had to engage in their first battle with Genoa. The Pisan victory helped to consolidate its position in the Mediterranean. Pope Gregory VII recognised in 1077 the new "Laws and customs of the sea" instituted by the Pisans, and emperor Henry IV granted them the right to name their own consuls, advised by a council of elders. This was simply a confirmation of the present situation, because in those years, the marquis had already been excluded from power. In 1092, Pope Urban II awarded Pisa the supremacy over Corsica and Sardinia, and at the same time raising the town to the rank of archbishopric.

 

Pisa sacked the Tunisian city of Mahdia in 1088. Four years later, Pisan and Genoese ships helped Alfonso VI of Castilla to push El Cid out of Valencia. A Pisan fleet of 120 ships also took part in the First Crusade, and the Pisans were instrumental in the taking of Jerusalem in 1099. On their way to the Holy Land, the ships did not miss the occasion to sack some Byzantine islands; the Pisan crusaders were led by their archbishop Daibert, the future patriarch of Jerusalem. Pisa and the other Repubbliche Marinare took advantage of the crusade to establish trading posts and colonies in the Eastern coastal cities of the Levant. In particular, the Pisans founded colonies in Antiochia, Acre, Jaffa, Tripoli, Tyre, Latakia, and Accone. They also had other possessions in Jerusalem and Caesarea, plus smaller colonies (with lesser autonomy) in Cairo, Alexandria, and of course Constantinople, where the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus granted them special mooring and trading rights. In all these cities, the Pisans were granted privileges and immunity from taxation, but had to contribute to the defence in case of attack. In the 12th century, the Pisan quarter in the eastern part of Constantinople had grown to 1,000 people. For some years of that century, Pisa was the most prominent commercial and military ally of the Byzantine Empire, overcoming Venice itself.

 

12th century

In 1113, Pisa and Pope Paschal II set up, together with the count of Barcelona and other contingents from Provence and Italy (Genoese excluded), a war to free the Balearic Islands from the Moors; the queen and the king of Majorca were brought in chains to Tuscany. Though the Almoravides soon reconquered the island, the booty taken helped the Pisans in their magnificent programme of buildings, especially the cathedral, and Pisa gained a role of pre-eminence in the Western Mediterranean.

 

In the following years, the powerful Pisan fleet, led by archbishop Pietro Moriconi, drove away the Saracens after ferocious battles. Though short-lived, this Pisan success in Spain increased the rivalry with Genoa. Pisa's trade with Languedoc, Provence (Noli, Savona, Fréjus, and Montpellier) were an obstacle to Genoese interests in cities such as Hyères, Fos, Antibes, and Marseille.

 

The war began in 1119 when the Genoese attacked several galleys on their way home to the motherland, and lasted until 1133. The two cities fought each other on land and at sea, but hostilities were limited to raids and pirate-like assaults.

 

In June 1135, Bernard of Clairvaux took a leading part in the Council of Pisa, asserting the claims of Pope Innocent II against those of Pope Anacletus II, who had been elected pope in 1130 with Norman support, but was not recognised outside Rome. Innocent II resolved the conflict with Genoa, establishing Pisan and Genoese spheres of influence. Pisa could then, unhindered by Genoa, participate in the conflict of Innocent II against king Roger II of Sicily. Amalfi, one of the maritime republics (though already declining under Norman rule), was conquered on August 6, 1136; the Pisans destroyed the ships in the port, assaulted the castles in the surrounding areas, and drove back an army sent by Roger from Aversa. This victory brought Pisa to the peak of its power and to a standing equal to Venice. Two years later, its soldiers sacked Salerno.

 

New city walls, erected in 1156 by Consul Cocco Griffi

In the following years, Pisa was one of the staunchest supporters of the Ghibelline party. This was much appreciated by Frederick I. He issued in 1162 and 1165 two important documents, with these grants: Apart from the jurisdiction over the Pisan countryside, the Pisans were granted freedom of trade in the whole empire, the coast from Civitavecchia to Portovenere, a half of Palermo, Messina, Salerno and Naples, the whole of Gaeta, Mazara, and Trapani, and a street with houses for its merchants in every city of the Kingdom of Sicily. Some of these grants were later confirmed by Henry VI, Otto IV, and Frederick II. They marked the apex of Pisa's power, but also spurred the resentment of other cities such as Lucca, Massa, Volterra, and Florence, thwarting their aim to expand towards the sea. The clash with Lucca also concerned the possession of the castle of Montignoso and mainly the control of the Via Francigena, the main trade route between Rome and France. Last, but not least, such a sudden and large increase of power by Pisa could only lead to another war with Genoa.

 

Genoa had acquired a dominant position in the markets of southern France. The war began in 1165 on the Rhône, when an attack on a convoy, directed to some Pisan trade centres on the river, by the Genoese and their ally, the count of Toulouse, failed. Pisa, though, was allied to Provence. The war continued until 1175 without significant victories. Another point of attrition was Sicily, where both the cities had privileges granted by Henry VI. In 1192, Pisa managed to conquer Messina. This episode was followed by a series of battles culminating in the Genoese conquest of Syracuse in 1204. Later, the trading posts in Sicily were lost when the new Pope Innocent III, though removing the excommunication cast over Pisa by his predecessor Celestine III, allied himself with the Guelph League of Tuscany, led by Florence. Soon, he stipulated[clarification needed] a pact with Genoa, too, further weakening the Pisan presence in southern Italy.

 

To counter the Genoese predominance in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Pisa strengthened its relationship with its traditional Spanish and French bases (Marseille, Narbonne, Barcelona, etc.) and tried to defy the Venetian rule of the Adriatic Sea. In 1180, the two cities agreed to a nonaggression treaty in the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic, but the death of Emperor Manuel Comnenus in Constantinople changed the situation. Soon, attacks on Venetian convoys were made. Pisa signed trade and political pacts with Ancona, Pula, Zara, Split, and Brindisi; in 1195, a Pisan fleet reached Pola to defend its independence from Venice, but the Serenissima soon reconquered the rebel sea town.

 

One year later, the two cities signed a peace treaty, which resulted in favourable conditions for Pisa, but in 1199, the Pisans violated it by blockading the port of Brindisi in Apulia. In the following naval battle, they were defeated by the Venetians. The war that followed ended in 1206 with a treaty in which Pisa gave up all its hopes to expand in the Adriatic, though it maintained the trading posts it had established in the area. From that point on, the two cities were united against the rising power of Genoa and sometimes collaborated to increase the trading benefits in Constantinople.

 

13th century

In 1209 in Lerici, two councils for a final resolution of the rivalry with Genoa were held. A 20-year peace treaty was signed, but when in 1220, the emperor Frederick II confirmed his supremacy over the Tyrrhenian coast from Civitavecchia to Portovenere, the Genoese and Tuscan resentment against Pisa grew again. In the following years, Pisa clashed with Lucca in Garfagnana and was defeated by the Florentines at Castel del Bosco. The strong Ghibelline position of Pisa brought this town diametrically against the Pope, who was in a dispute with the Holy Roman Empire, and indeed the pope tried to deprive Pisa of its dominions in northern Sardinia.

 

In 1238, Pope Gregory IX formed an alliance between Genoa and Venice against the empire, and consequently against Pisa, too. One year later, he excommunicated Frederick II and called for an anti-Empire council to be held in Rome in 1241. On May 3, 1241, a combined fleet of Pisan and Sicilian ships, led by the emperor's son Enzo, attacked a Genoese convoy carrying prelates from northern Italy and France, next to the isle of Giglio (Battle of Giglio), in front of Tuscany; the Genoese lost 25 ships, while about a thousand sailors, two cardinals, and one bishop were taken prisoner. After this major victory, the council in Rome failed, but Pisa was excommunicated. This extreme measure was only removed in 1257. Anyway, the Tuscan city tried to take advantage of the favourable situation to conquer the Corsican city of Aleria and even lay siege to Genoa itself in 1243.

 

The Ligurian republic of Genoa, however, recovered fast from this blow and won back Lerici, conquered by the Pisans some years earlier, in 1256.

 

The great expansion in the Mediterranean and the prominence of the merchant class urged a modification in the city's institutes. The system with consuls was abandoned, and in 1230, the new city rulers named a capitano del popolo ("people's chieftain") as civil and military leader. Despite these reforms, the conquered lands and the city itself were harassed by the rivalry between the two families of Della Gherardesca and Visconti. In 1237 the archbishop and the Emperor Frederick II intervened to reconcile the two rivals, but the strains continued. In 1254, the people rebelled and imposed 12 Anziani del Popolo ("People's Elders") as their political representatives in the commune. They also supplemented the legislative councils, formed of noblemen, with new People's Councils, composed by the main guilds and by the chiefs of the People's Companies. These had the power to ratify the laws of the Major General Council and the Senate.

 

Decline

The decline is said to have begun on August 6, 1284, when the numerically superior fleet of Pisa, under the command of Albertino Morosini, was defeated by the brilliant tactics of the Genoese fleet, under the command of Benedetto Zaccaria and Oberto Doria, in the dramatic naval Battle of Meloria. This defeat ended the maritime power of Pisa and the town never fully recovered; in 1290, the Genoese destroyed forever the Porto Pisano (Pisa's port), and covered the land with salt. The region around Pisa did not permit the city to recover from the loss of thousands of sailors from the Meloria, while Liguria guaranteed enough sailors to Genoa. Goods, however, continued to be traded, albeit in reduced quantity, but the end came when the Arno started to change course, preventing the galleys from reaching the city's port up the river. The nearby area also likely became infested with malaria. The true end came in 1324, when Sardinia was entirely lost to the Aragonese.

 

Always Ghibelline, Pisa tried to build up its power in the course of the 14th century, and even managed to defeat Florence in the Battle of Montecatini (1315), under the command of Uguccione della Faggiuola. Eventually, however, after a long siege, Pisa was occupied by Florentines in 1405.[9] Florentines corrupted the capitano del popolo ("people's chieftain"), Giovanni Gambacorta, who at night opened the city gate of San Marco. Pisa was never conquered by an army. In 1409, Pisa was the seat of a council trying to set the question of the Great Schism. In the 15th century, access to the sea became more difficult, as the port was silting up and was cut off from the sea. When in 1494, Charles VIII of France invaded the Italian states to claim the Kingdom of Naples, Pisa reclaimed its independence as the Second Pisan Republic.

 

The new freedom did not last long; 15 years of battles and sieges by the Florentine troops led by Antonio da Filicaja, Averardo Salviati and Niccolò Capponi were made, but they failed to conquer the city. Vitellozzo Vitelli with his brother Paolo were the only ones who actually managed to break the strong defences of Pisa and make a breach in the Stampace bastion in the southern west part of the walls, but he did not enter the city. For that, they were suspected of treachery and Paolo was put to death. However, the resources of Pisa were getting low, and at the end, the city was sold to the Visconti family from Milan and eventually to Florence again. Livorno took over the role of the main port of Tuscany. Pisa acquired a mainly cultural role spurred by the presence of the University of Pisa, created in 1343, and later reinforced by the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (1810) and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies (1987).

 

Pisa was the birthplace of the important early physicist Galileo Galilei. It is still the seat of an archbishopric. Besides its educational institutions, it has become a light industrial centre and a railway hub. It suffered repeated destruction during World War II.

 

Since the early 1950s, the US Army has maintained Camp Darby just outside Pisa, which is used by many US military personnel as a base for vacations in the area.

 

Geography

Climate

Pisa has a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) and Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). The city is characterized by cool to mild winters and hot summers. This transitional climate allows Pisa to have summers with moderate rainfall. Rainfall peaks in autumn. Snow is rare. The highest officially recorded temperature was 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) on 22 August 2011 and the lowest was −13.8 °C (7.2 °F) on 12 January 1985.

 

Culture

Gioco del Ponte

In Pisa there was a festival and game fr:Gioco del Ponte (Game of the Bridge) which was celebrated (in some form) in Pisa from perhaps the 1200s down to 1807. From the end of the 1400s the game took the form of a mock battle fought upon Pisa's central bridge (Ponte di Mezzo). The participants wore quilted armor and the only offensive weapon allowed was the targone, a shield-shaped, stout board with precisely specified dimensions. Hitting below the belt was not allowed. Two opposing teams started at opposite ends of the bridge. The object of the two opposing teams was to penetrate, drive back, and disperse the opponents' ranks and to thereby drive them backwards off the bridge. The struggle was limited to forty-five minutes. Victory or defeat was immensely important to the team players and their partisans, but sometimes the game was fought to a draw and both sides celebrated.

 

In 1677 the battle was witnessed by Dutch travelling artist Cornelis de Bruijn. He wrote:

 

"While I stayed in Livorno, I went to Pisa to witness the bridge fight there. The fighters arrived fully armored, wearing helmets, each carrying their banner, which was planted at both ends of the bridge, which is quite wide and long. The battle is fought with certain wooden implements made for this purpose, which they wear over their arms and are attached to them, with which they pummel each other so intensely that I saw several of them carried away with bloody and crushed heads. Victory consists of capturing the bridge, in the same way as the fistfights in Venice between the it:Castellani and the Nicolotti."

 

In 1927 the tradition was revived by college students as an elaborate costume parade. In 1935 Vittorio Emanuele III with the royal family witnessed the first revival of a modern version of the game, which has been pursued in the 20th and 21st centuries with some interruptions and varying degrees of enthusiasm by Pisans and their civic institutions.

 

Festivals and cultural events

Capodanno pisano (folklore, March 25)

Gioco del Ponte (folklore)

Luminara di San Ranieri (folklore, June 16)

Maritime republics regata (folklore)

Premio Nazionale Letterario Pisa

Pisa Book Festival

Metarock (rock music festival)

Internet Festival San Ranieri regata (folklore)

Turn Off Festival (house music festival)

Nessiáh (Jewish cultural Festival, November)

Main sights

 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

While the bell tower of the cathedral, known as "the leaning Tower of Pisa", is the most famous image of the city, it is one of many works of art and architecture in the city's Piazza del Duomo, also known, since the 20th century, as Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), to the north of the old town center. The Piazza del Duomo also houses the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry and the Campo Santo (the monumental cemetery). The medieval complex includes the above-mentioned four sacred buildings, the hospital and few palaces. All the complex is kept by the Opera (fabrica ecclesiae) della Primaziale Pisana, an old non profit foundation that has operated since the building of the Cathedral in 1063 to maintain the sacred buildings. The area is framed by medieval walls kept by the municipal administration.

 

Other sights include:

Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, church sited on Piazza dei Cavalieri, and also designed by Vasari. It had originally a single nave; two more were added in the 17th century. It houses a bust by Donatello, and paintings by Vasari, Jacopo Ligozzi, Alessandro Fei, and Pontormo. It also contains spoils from the many naval battles between the Cavalieri (Knights of St. Stephan) and the Turks between the 16th and 18th centuries, including the Turkish battle pennant hoisted from Ali Pacha's flagship at the 1571 Battle of Lepanto.

St. Sixtus. This small church, consecrated in 1133, is also close to the Piazza dei Cavalieri. It was used as a seat of the most important notarial deeds of the town, also hosting the Council of Elders. It is today one of the best preserved early Romanesque buildings in town.

St. Francis. The church of San Francesco may have been designed by Giovanni di Simone, built after 1276. In 1343 new chapels were added and the church was elevated. It has a single nave and a notable belfry, as well as a 15th-century cloister. It houses works by Jacopo da Empoli, Taddeo Gaddi and Santi di Tito. In the Gherardesca Chapel are buried Ugolino della Gherardesca and his sons.

San Frediano. This church, built by 1061, has a basilica interior with three aisles, with a crucifix from the 12th century. Paintings from the 16th century were added during a restoration, including works by Ventura Salimbeni, Domenico Passignano, Aurelio Lomi, and Rutilio Manetti.

San Nicola. This medieval church built by 1097, was enlarged between 1297 and 1313 by the Augustinians, perhaps by the design of Giovanni Pisano. The octagonal belfry is from the second half of the 13th century. The paintings include the Madonna with Child by Francesco Traini (14th century) and St. Nicholas Saving Pisa from the Plague (15th century). Noteworthy are also the wood sculptures by Giovanni and Nino Pisano, and the Annunciation by Francesco di Valdambrino.

Santa Maria della Spina. A small white marble church alongside the Arno, is attributed to Lupo di Francesco (1230), is another excellent Gothic building.

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno. The church was founded around 952 and enlarged in the mid-12th century along lines similar to those of the cathedral. It is annexed to the Romanesque Chapel of St. Agatha, with an unusual pyramidal cusp or peak.

San Pietro in Vinculis. Known as San Pierino, it is an 11th-century church with a crypt and a cosmatesque mosaic on the floor of the main nave.

 

Borgo Stretto. This medieval borgo or neighborhood contains strolling arcades and the Lungarno, the avenues along the river Arno. It includes the Gothic-Romanesque church of San Michele in Borgo (990). There are at least two other leaning towers in the city, one at the southern end of central Via Santa Maria, the other halfway through the Piagge riverside promenade.

Medici Palace. The palace was once a possession of the Appiano family, who ruled Pisa in 1392–1398. In 1400 the Medici acquired it, and Lorenzo de' Medici sojourned here.

Orto botanico di Pisa. The botanical garden of the University of Pisa is Europe's oldest university botanical garden.

Palazzo Reale. The ("Royal Palace"), once belonged to the Caetani patrician family. Here Galileo Galilei showed to Grand Duke of Tuscany the planets he had discovered with his telescope. The edifice was erected in 1559 by Baccio Bandinelli for Cosimo I de Medici, and was later enlarged including other palaces. The palace is now a museum.

Palazzo Gambacorti. This palace is a 14th-century Gothic building, and now houses the offices of the municipality. The interior shows frescoes boasting Pisa's sea victories.

Palazzo Agostini. The palace is a Gothic building also known as Palazzo dell'Ussero, with its 15th-century façade and remains of the ancient city walls dating back to before 1155. The name of the building comes from the coffee rooms of Caffè dell'Ussero, historic meeting place founded on September 1, 1775.

Mural Tuttomondo. A modern mural, the last public work by Keith Haring, on the rear wall of the convent of the Church of Sant'Antonio, painted in June 1989.

Museums

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo: exhibiting among others the original sculptures of Nicola Pisano and Giovanni Pisano, the Islamic Pisa Griffin, and the treasures of the cathedral.

Museo delle Sinopie: showing the sinopias from the camposanto, the monumental cemetery. These are red ocher underdrawings for frescoes, made with reddish, greenish or brownish earth colour with water.

Museo Nazionale di San Matteo: exhibiting sculptures and paintings from the 12th to 15th centuries, among them the masterworks of Giovanni and Andrea Pisano, the Master of San Martino, Simone Martini, Nino Pisano and Masaccio.

Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale: exhibiting the belongings of the families that lived in the palace: paintings, statues, armors, etc.

Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti per il Calcolo: exhibiting a collection of instruments used in science, between a pneumatic machine of Van Musschenbroek and a compass which probably belonged to Galileo Galilei.

Museo di storia naturale dell'Università di Pisa (Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa), located in the Certosa di Calci, outside the city. It houses one of the largest cetacean skeletons collection in Europe.

Palazzo Blu: temporary exhibitions and cultural activities center, located in the Lungarno, in the heart of the old town, the palace is easy recognizable because it is the only blue building.

Cantiere delle Navi di Pisa - The Pisa's Ancient Ships Archaeological Area: A museum of 10,650 square meters – 3,500 archaeological excavation, 1,700 laboratories and one restoration center – that visitors can visit with a guided tour. The Museum opened in June 2019 and has been located inside to the 16th-century Medicean Arsenals in Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli, restored under the supervision of the Tuscany Soprintendenza. It hosts a remarkable collection of ceramics and amphoras dated back from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century BC, and also 32 ships dated back from the second century BCE and the seventh century BC. Four of them are integrally preserved and the best one is the so-called Barca C, also named Alkedo (written in the ancient Greek characters). The first boat was accidentally discovered in 1998 near the Pisa San Rossore railway station and the archeological excavations were completed 20 years later.

 

Churches

St. Francis' Church

San Francesco

San Frediano

San Giorgio ai Tedeschi

San Michele in Borgo

San Nicola

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno

San Paolo all'Orto

San Piero a Grado

San Pietro in Vinculis

San Sisto

San Tommaso delle Convertite

San Zeno

Santa Caterina

Santa Cristina

Santa Maria della Spina

Santo Sepolcro

 

Palaces, towers and villas

Palazzo della Carovana or dei Cavalieri.

Pisa by Oldypak lp photo

Pisa

Palazzo del Collegio Puteano

Palazzo della Carovana

Palazzo delle Vedove

Torre dei Gualandi

Villa di Corliano

Leaning Tower of Pisa

 

Sports

Football is the main sport in Pisa; the local team, A.C. Pisa, currently plays in the Serie B (the second highest football division in Italy), and has had a top flight history throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, featuring several world-class players such as Diego Simeone, Christian Vieri and Dunga during this time. The club play at the Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani, opened in 1919 and with a capacity of 25,000.

 

Notable people

For people born in Pisa, see People from the Province of Pisa; among notable non-natives long resident in the city:

 

Giuliano Amato (born 1938), politician, former Premier and Minister of Interior Affairs

Alessandro d'Ancona (1835–1914), critic and writer.

Silvano Arieti (1914–1981), psychiatrist

Gaetano Bardini (1926–2017), tenor

Andrea Bocelli (born 1958), tenor and multi-instrumentalist.

Giosuè Carducci (1835–1907), poet and 1906 Nobel Prize in Literature winner.

Massimo Carmassi (born 1943), architect

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1920–2016), politician, former President of the Republic of Italy

Maria Luisa Cicci (1760–1794), poet

Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari (1677–1754), a musical composer and maestro di cappella at Pistoia.

Alessio Corti (born 1965), mathematician

Rustichello da Pisa (born 13th century), writer

Giovanni Battista Donati (1826–1873), an Italian astronomer.

Leonardo Fibonacci (1170–1250), mathematician.

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), physicist.

Giovanni Gentile (1875–1944), philosopher and politician

Orazio Gentileschi (1563–1639), painter.

Count Ugolino della Gherardesca (1214–1289), noble (see also Dante Alighieri).

Giovanni Gronchi (1887–1978), politician, former President of the Republic of Italy

Giacomo Leopardi [1798–1837), poet and philosopher.

Enrico Letta (born 1966), politician, former Prime Minister of Italy

Marco Malvaldi (born 1974), mystery novelist

Leonardo Ortolani (born 1967), comic writer

Antonio Pacinotti (1841–1912), physicist, inventor of the dynamo

Andrea Pisano (1290–1348), a sculptor and architect.

Afro Poli (1902–1988), an operatic baritone

Bruno Pontecorvo (1913–1993), nuclear physicist

Gillo Pontecorvo (1919–2006), filmmaker

Ippolito Rosellini (1800–1843), an Egyptologist.

Paolo Savi (1798–1871), geologist and ornithologist.

Antonio Tabucchi (1943–2012), writer and academic

Sport

Jason Acuña (born 1973), Stunt performer

Sergio Bertoni (1915–1995), footballer

Giorgio Chiellini (born 1984), footballer

Camila Giorgi (born 1991), tennis player

The village of Wallangarra is the one of the most southern towns in Queensland lying on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. It is also a town split in two, with the town of Jennings on the New South Wales side..

.

Founded in 1885, Wallangarra is famous for being the change over station for trains travelling between Queensland and New South Wales. As the train line gauges differed, Wallangarra is home to a grand station where all interstate travellers changed trains before the coast line was completed in 1930. At the time, Customs excise officers were relocated from Tenterfield and Stanthorpe to a purpose-built customs house where duties were imposed upon those crossing the border. Resentment of these duties helped to fuel the push towards federation. This grand station is now home to the Customs House, the Wallangarra Museum and Café..

During WWII the government created a general army store on the Queensland side of the border, and an ammunition depot the New South Wales side. This was known as the 1 Advanced Ammunition Depot (1AAD). Five semi-underground ammunition shelters were initially constructed. At a later stage ten timber structures and seventy Williams huts were erected. Minimum clearing of trees was permitted in the area to help camouflage the depot from aerial reconnaissance. Whilst there was some confusion by the NSW authorities in the early years whether to call their side of the railway station Wallangarra or Jennings, they finally settled on Wallangarra around April 1904. Hence there is no Jennings Railway Station..

During WW2 thousands of Allied troops passed through Wallangarra Railway Station on their way north or south. Due to wartime secrecy arrangements, railway staff were only given about 2 hours notice of the arrival of a troop train. By the 1970s the depot was the largest ammunition dump in the Southern Hemisphere.

"ICONIC SYMBOL OF ANGER AND RESENTMENT. A REMINDER THAT HATE BEGETS HATE. THE PATH TO THE DARK SIDE."

When the routine bites hard

And ambitions are low

And the resentment rides high

But emotions wont grow

And were changing our ways,

Taking different roads

Then love, love will tear us apart again

I have no jealousy or resentment toward my wife and her sexual activities with other men. I am

now a gay man, a sissy and a husband to my wife in name only

The Cathedral of Pisa , officially the Primate Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta , in the center of the Piazza del Duomo, also known as Piazza dei Miracoli , is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Pisa as well as the Primate church .

 

A masterpiece of the Romanesque , in particular of the Pisan Romanesque , it represents the tangible testimony of the prestige and wealth achieved by the maritime republic of Pisa at the moment of its apogee.

 

Its construction began in 1063 ( 1064 according to the Pisan calendar in force at the time) by the architect Buscheto , with the tenth part of the spoils of the Palermo campaign in Sicily against the Muslims ( 1063 ) led by Giovanni Orlandi belonging to the Orlandi family [ 1] . Different stylistic elements blend together: classical, Lombard-Emilian , Byzantine and in particular Islamic, proving the international presence of Pisan merchants in those times. In that same year the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice also began , so it may also be that there was a rivalry between the two maritime republics at the time to create the most beautiful and sumptuous place of worship.

 

The church was built in an area outside the early medieval city walls , to symbolize the power of Pisa which did not require protection. The chosen area was already used in the Lombard era as a necropolis and, already in the early 11th century , an unfinished church was built which was to be dedicated to Santa Maria. The new large church of Buscheto, in fact, was initially called Santa Maria Maggiore until it was finally named after Santa Maria Assunta.

 

In 1092 the church changed from a simple cathedral to being primatial, the title of primate having been conferred on Archbishop Daiberto by Pope Urban II , an honor which today is only formal. The cathedral was consecrated in 1118 by Pope Gelasius II , as recorded by the inscription placed internally on the counter-façade at the top left.

 

In the first half of the 12th century the cathedral was enlarged under the direction of the architect Rainaldo , who lengthened the naves by adding three bays in front of the old facade [2] according to the Buscheto style, widened the transept and designed a new facade, completed by the workers led by the sculptors Guglielmo and Biduino . The date of the start of the works is uncertain: immediately after Buscheto's death around the year 1120 , according to some, around the year 1140 according to others. The end of the works dates back to 1180 , as documented by the date affixed to the bronze doors by Bonanno Pisano on the main door.

 

The current appearance of the complex building is the result of repeated restoration campaigns that took place in different eras. The first radical interventions followed the disastrous fire on the night between 24 and 25 October 1595 [3] , which destroyed many decorative interventions and following which the roof was rebuilt and the three bronze doors of the facade were made, the work of sculptors from the workshop of Giambologna , including Gasparo Mola and Pietro Tacca . Starting from the eighteenth century, the progressive covering of the internal walls began with large paintings on canvas, the "quadroni" with Stories of Pisan blesseds and saints , executed by the main artists of the time thanks to the initiative of some citizens who financed themselves by creating a special business.

 

The Napoleonic spoliations of the Cathedral of Pisa and the Opera del Duomo were significant, many works converged on the Louvre where they are exhibited today, including The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas among the Doctors of the Church by Benozzo Gozzoli , now in the Louvre, Death of San Bernardo dell'Orcagna and San Benedetto , the work of Andrea del Castagno .

 

Among the various noteworthy interventions, it is worth mentioning the dismantling of Giovanni Pisano's pulpit which was reassembled only in 1926 in a different position and with several parts missing, including the staircase, and the dismantling of the monument to Henry VII created by Lupo di Francesco which was located in front of the door of San Ranieri and subsequently replaced by a simplified and symbolic version.

 

The subsequent interventions took place during the nineteenth century and affected both the internal and external decorations, which in many cases, especially the sculptures on the facade, were replaced by copies (the originals are in the Museo dell'Opera del duomo ).

 

The building has a Latin cross shape with a large dome at the intersection of the arms. The longitudinal body, divided into five naves , extends over ten bays . This plan continues in the choir with two more bays and a final apse crowning the central nave alone. The transept has 4 bays on each side (or six if we include the two in common with the longitudinal body) and has three naves with apses ending on both sides. In the center four large pillars delimit the rectangular cross ending at the top with a large elliptical dome.

 

The building, like the bell tower, has sunk perceptibly into the ground, and some defects in the construction are clearly visible, such as the differences in level between Buscheto's nave and the extension by Rainaldo (the bays towards the west and the facade) .

 

The exterior of the cathedral is mainly in white and gray marble although the older stones placed at the lower levels of the longitudinal body are of other poorer material. There is no shortage of valuable materials, especially on the facade, where there are multicolored marble inlays, mosaics and also bronze objects from war booty, including the Griffin used on the top of the roof at the back (east side), perhaps taken from Palermo in 1061 ( today there is a copy on the roof, the original is in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo ).

 

The longitudinal body, transept and choir have a rich facing punctuated by three orders or floors. On the lower floor, long rows of pilasters supporting blind arches , in turn enclosing lozenges or windows, punctuate the space on all sides of the building with very few interruptions (only the apse of the right transept). The second floor still has pilasters but this time these do not support blind arches and are rather architraved , a motif interrupted only in the apse of the right transept (where blind arches appear again) and in the main apse where two orders of loggias are visible . In addition to the windows and lozenges, inlaid oculi also appear between the pilasters . The third floor has columns or semi-columns which again support blind arches (longitudinal body and choir) or an architrave (transept) with the usual alternation of windows, lozenges and inlaid oculi.

 

The raised round arches on the facade and in the main apse recall elements of Muslim art from Sicily . The blind arches with lozenges recall the similar structures of the churches of Armenia . Even the ellipsoidal dome rebuilt after the fire of 1595, surmounted by a lantern, recalls Islamic architecture.

 

The gray and white marble façade , decorated with colored marble inserts, was built by master Rainaldo in the 12th century and finished by 1180. On the lower floor, the seven blind arches which enclose lozenges, one every two, echo the same motif which spreads over the remaining three sides of the Cathedral. On the façade, however, the ornamentation becomes richer: semi-columns placed against semi-rectangular pillars replace the slender pilaster strips on the sides and are surmounted by Corinthian or figurative capitals. The arches are embellished with a rich texture of vegetal motifs and the lozenges are also larger and inlaid with multicolored marble. The empty spaces between the three portals have marble slabs forming square or rectangular motifs and are embellished with horizontal ornamental bands with plant motifs. The empty spaces between the arches are also filled with marble tablets inlaid with geometric or animal motifs. Noteworthy is the one at the top right of the main portal which depicts a Christian brandishing the cross between two beasts and the writing of Psalm 21 : Salva me ex ore leonis et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam (Save me from the mouth of the lion Lord and my humility from the unicorn's horns), the original of which is preserved in the nearby Museo dell'Opera del Duomo .

 

Of the three portals , the central one has larger dimensions and is enclosed by two columns decorated with vegetal motifs which support, above the capitals, two lions to symbolize the two "faces" of Christ the Judge , the one who condemns on the left and the one who rewards and is merciful on the right (note the saved and protected lamb between the legs). All three portals have eighteenth-century mosaics by Giuseppe Modena da Lucca in their lunettes depicting the Assumption of the Virgin (centre), Santa Reparata (left) and Saint John the Baptist (right). The bronze doors were made by various artists of the caliber of Giambologna , after the fire of 1595, replacing the two wooden side doors and the bronze-covered wooden royal door by Bonanno Pisano which bore the date of 1180 (seen and described before the fire) to testify to the completion of the façade in that year. To the left of the north left portal, there is Buscheto's tomb.

 

The four upper floors are characterized by four orders of superimposed loggias, divided by finely sculpted frames, behind which there are single , double and triple lancet windows . Many of the friezes on the arches and frames were redone in the 17th century after the fire of 1595, while the polychrome marble inlays between the arches are original. Even higher up, to crown it, the Madonna and Child by Andrea Pisano and, in the corners, the four evangelists by Giovanni Pisano (early 14th century).

 

Contrary to what one might think, since ancient times the faithful have entered the Cathedral through the door of San Ranieri , located at the back in the transept of the same name, in front of the bell tower. This is because the nobles of the city went to the cathedral coming from via Santa Maria which leads to that transept. This door was cast around 1180 by Bonanno Pisano , and is the only door to escape the fire of 1595 which heavily damaged the church. The door is decorated with twenty-four panels depicting stories from the New Testament. This door is one of the first produced in Italy in the Middle Ages, after the importation of numerous examples from Constantinople , (in Amalfi , in Salerno , in Rome , in Montecassino , in Venice ...) and one admires an entirely Western sensitivity, which breaks away from the Byzantine tradition.

 

The original gràdule of the Duomo, designed by Giovanni Pisano and dating back to the end of the 13th century, were removed in 1865 and replaced by the current churchyard . These gràdule consisted of small walls, decorated with squares carved with figures of animals and heads, close to the external perimeter of the cathedral and served as a base for the numerous sarcophagi of the Roman era which, during the medieval era, were reused for the burials of nobles (among whom Beatrice of Canossa stands out ) and heroes. Currently some fragments are visible in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, while the sarcophagi were all moved within the enclosure of the monumental cemetery .

 

The lower register of the facade is not very rich in figurative sculptural decorations unlike other contemporary Romanesque cathedrals, but it still gives a rich meaning both to its unitary components and a complex allegory in its overall vision. To read the latter you need to start from the left where the outermost capital of the left side portal shows two ferocious lions devouring weak prey and two human figures further behind. The former represent the struggle between good and evil where evil dominates [6] , but behind them the figure of the old man stacking wood and the young man towering over a ram perhaps represent Abraham and Isaac and the sacrificial ram (or two peasants virtuous at work) which show preparation for God's plan of salvation. The arch that starts from the same capital shows a row of dragons that two virtuous human figures in the center are forced to face in the continuous struggle between good and evil. [6]

 

At the level of the central portal we enter the New Testament which concretizes the plan of salvation brought about by God starting from Abraham . It is the portal dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption and her Son , whose divine judgment is represented by the two lions of justice, the one that condemns on the left and the one that protects and saves on the right with the little lamb protected between its legs, for Divine Mercy or Justice whatever it is. [6] The 42 stylized human figurines present on the decorated arch show the 42 generations that separate, according to the Gospel of Matthew , Abraham from Jesus Christ (the figurines are actually 43 but perhaps due to renovation needs or other reasons for filling the frieze ). This transition from the old to the new is strengthened by the two marble inlays in the intrados of the main arch where a ferocious dragon and a lion facing each other depicting the perennial struggle between the evil forces (left inlay) [6] become two equally ferocious unicorns but in the middle to whom a Christian appears brandishing a cross to defend himself from them (inlay on the right) and where we read in Latin:

 

de ore leonis libera me domine et a cornibus unicorni humilitatem mea ("Save me from the lion's mouth, Lord, and my humility from the unicorn's horns", psalm 21 ).

The last element of this complex narrative is the outermost capital of the right portal, which acts as a pendant to that of the left portal from which we started. We are well beyond the coming of Jesus where the evil lions, previously in the foreground, are relegated to a backward and out of the way position, always ready to strike as shown by the heads turned back and the tongue out, but in a contorted position due to the continuous escapes to which the Savior and the Church forces them to do. [6] In a prominent position there are now two naked human figurines, the souls of those saved by the Savior through the intercession of the Church , which are composed and serene figures with large eyes, well anchored with their arms to the garland of the capital and the feet resting well on the acanthus leaves, symbol of men of faith, victorious over sin and blessed by faith rather than merit.

 

The five- nave interior is covered in black and white marble, with monolithic columns of gray marble and capitals of the Corinthian order . The arches of the ten bays are round arches (those of the central nave) or raised arches in the Moorish style of the time (those of the side naves).

 

The central nave has a seventeenth-century gilded coffered ceiling, in gilded and painted wood, by the Florentines Domenico and Bartolomeo Atticciati ; it bears the Medici coat of arms in gold . Presumably the ancient ceiling had a structure with exposed wooden trusses. The four side naves have a cross-shaped plastered roof. The coffered roof is also present in the choir and in the central nave of the transept, while a plastered barrel roof is present in the side naves of the transept. The coverage of the lateral naves of the transept at the level of the two bays shared with the lateral naves of the longitudinal body is curious: these are cross-shaped (as in the lateral naves of the longitudinal body), but are higher (as in the lateral naves of the transept) . There is also a women's gallery of Byzantine origin that runs along the entire church, including the choir and transept and which has a coffered roof (central body) or wooden beams (transept). Even higher up, thin and deep windows allow the church to be lit.

 

The interior suggests a spatial effect that has some analogy with that of mosques , for the use of raised arches, for the alternation of white and green marble bands, for the unusual elliptical dome , of oriental inspiration, and for the presence of women's galleries with solid monolithic granite columns in the mullioned windows , a clear sign of Byzantine influence. The architect Buscheto had welcomed stimuli from the Islamic Levant and Armenia . [7]

 

Only part of the medieval decorative interventions survived the fire of 1595. Among these is the fresco with the Madonna and Child by the Pisan Master of San Torpè in the triumphal arch (late 13th-early 14th century), and below it the Cosmatesque flooring , of a certain rarity outside the borders of Lazio . It was made of marble inlays with geometric "opus alexandrinum" motifs (mid- 12th century ). Other late medieval fresco fragments have survived, among them Saint Jerome on one of the four central pillars and Saint John the Baptist , a Crucifix and Saint Cosimo and Damian on the pillar near the entrance door, partially hidden by the compass .

 

At the meeting point between the transept and the central body the dome rises, the decoration of which represented one of the last interventions carried out after the fire mentioned. Painted with the rare encaustic painting technique [8] (or wax on wall) [9] , the dome represents the Virgin in glory and saints ( 1627 - 1631 ), a masterpiece by the Pisan Orazio Riminaldi , completed after his death. which occurred in 1630 due to the plague, by his brother Girolamo . The decoration underwent a careful restoration which returned it to its original splendor in 2018.

 

The presbytery, ending in a curved apse, presents a great variety of ornaments. Above, in the basin, the large mosaic of Christ enthroned between the Virgin and Saint John is made famous by the face of Saint John, a work by Cimabue from 1302 which miraculously survived the fire of 1595. Precisely that Saint John the Evangelist was the The last work created by Cimabue before his death and the only one for which certified documentation exists. It evokes the mosaics of Byzantine churches and also Norman ones, such as Cefalù and Monreale , in Sicily . The mosaic, largely created by Francesco da Pisa, was finished by Vincino da Pistoia with the depiction of the Madonna on the left side ( 1320 ).

 

The main altar, from the beginning of the twentieth century, features six Angels contemporary with Ludovico Poliaghi , and in the center the bronze Crucifix by Giambologna , of which there are also the two candle-holder Angels at the end of the rich marble transenna, while the third Angel on the column to the left of the altar is by Stoldo Lorenzi .

 

Below, behind the main altar, there is the large decorative complex of the Tribune, composed of 27 paintings depicting episodes from the Old Testament and Christological stories. Begun before the fire with the works of Andrea del Sarto (three canvases, Saint Agnes , Saints Catherine and Margaret and Saints Peter and John the Baptist ) del Sodoma and Domenico Beccafumi ( Stories of Moses and the Evangelists ), it was completed after this calamity with the works of several Tuscan painters, including Orazio Riminaldi .

 

The pulpit , a masterpiece by Giovanni Pisano (1302-1310), survived the fire, but was dismantled during the restoration work and was not reassembled until 1926 . With its articulated architectural structure and complex sculptural decoration, the work is one of the largest narratives in fourteenth-century images that reflects the renewal and religious fervor of the era. The episodes from the Life of Christ are carved in an expressive language on the slightly curved panels . The structure is polygonal, as in the similar previous examples, in the baptistery of Pisa , in the cathedral of Siena and in the church of Sant'Andrea in Pistoia , but for the first time the panels are slightly curved, giving a new idea of ​​circularity in its type. Equally original are: the presence of caryatids , sculpted figures in place of simple columns, which symbolize the Virtues ; the adoption of spiral brackets instead of arches to support the mezzanine floor; the sense of movement, given by the numerous figures that fill every empty space.

 

For these qualities combined with the skilful narrative art of the nine scenes it is generally considered Giovanni's masterpiece and more generally of Italian Gothic sculpture. The pulpit commissioned from Giovanni replaced a previous one , created by Guglielmo ( 1157 - 1162 ), which was sent to the cathedral of Cagliari . Since there is no documentation of what the pulpit looked like before its dismantling, it was rebuilt in a different position from the original one and, certainly, with the parts not in the same order and orientation as had been thought. It is not known whether or not he had a marble staircase.

 

The right transept is occupied by the Chapel of San Ranieri , patron saint of the city, whose relics are preserved in the magnificent shrine on the altar. Also in the chapel, on the left, is preserved part of the fragmentary tomb of Henry VII of Luxembourg , Holy Roman Emperor , who died in 1313 in Buonconvento while besieging Florence in vain . The tomb, also dismantled and reassembled, (it was sculpted by Tino di Camaino in 1313 - 1315 ) and was originally placed in the center of the apse, as a sign of the Ghibelline faith of the city. It was also a much more complex sculptural monument, featuring various statues. Moved several times for political reasons, it was also separated into several parts (some inside the church, some on the facade, some in the Campo Santo). Today we find the sarcophagus in the church with the deceased depicted lying on it, according to the fashion in vogue at that time, and the twelve apostles sculpted in bas-relief. The lunette painted with curtain-holding angels is instead a later addition from the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio (end of the 15th century ). The other remains of the monument have been reassembled in the nearby Museo dell'Opera del Duomo . The left transept is occupied by the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, in the center of which is the large silver tabernacle designed by Giovan Battista Foggini (1678-86).

 

On the numerous side altars there are sixteenth-seventeenth century paintings. Among the paintings housed on the minor altars, we remember the Madonna delle Grazie with saints, by the Florentine mannerist Andrea del Sarto, and the Madonna enthroned with saints in the right transept, by Perin del Vaga , a pupil of Raphael , both finished by Giovanni Antonio Sogliani . The canvas with the Dispute of the Sacrament is in Baroque style, by the Sienese Francesco Vanni , and the Cross with saints by the Genoese Giovanni Battista Paggi . Particularly venerated is the image of the thirteenth-century Madonna and Child , known as the Madonna di sotto gli organi , attributed to the Volterra native Berlinghiero Berlinghieri .

 

Pisa is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city contains more than twenty other historic churches, several medieval palaces, and bridges across the Arno. Much of the city's architecture was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics.

 

The city is also home to the University of Pisa, which has a history going back to the 12th century, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, founded by Napoleon in 1810, and its offshoot, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies.

 

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Pisa.

Ancient times

The most believed hypothesis is that the origin of the name Pisa comes from Etruscan and means 'mouth', as Pisa is at the mouth of the Arno river.

 

Although throughout history there have been several uncertainties about the origin of the city of Pisa, excavations made in the 1980s and 1990s found numerous archaeological remains, including the fifth century BC tomb of an Etruscan prince, proving the Etruscan origin of the city, and its role as a maritime city, showing that it also maintained trade relations with other Mediterranean civilizations.

 

Ancient Roman authors referred to Pisa as an old city. Virgil, in his Aeneid, states that Pisa was already a great center by the times described; and gives the epithet of Alphēae to the city because it was said to have been founded by colonists from Pisa in Elis, near which the Alpheius river flowed. The Virgilian commentator Servius wrote that the Teuti founded the town 13 centuries before the start of the common era.

 

The maritime role of Pisa should have been already prominent if the ancient authorities ascribed to it the invention of the naval ram. Pisa took advantage of being the only port along the western coast between Genoa (then a small village) and Ostia. Pisa served as a base for Roman naval expeditions against Ligurians and Gauls. In 180 BC, it became a Roman colony under Roman law, as Portus Pisanus. In 89 BC, Portus Pisanus became a municipium. Emperor Augustus fortified the colony into an important port and changed the name to Colonia Iulia obsequens.

 

Pisa supposedly was founded on the shore, but due to the alluvial sediments from the Arno and the Serchio, whose mouth lies about 11 km (7 mi) north of the Arno's, the shore moved west. Strabo states that the city was 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away from the coast. Currently, it is located 9.7 km (6 mi) from the coast. However, it was a maritime city, with ships sailing up the Arno. In the 90s AD, a baths complex was built in the city.

 

Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages

During the last years of the Western Roman Empire, Pisa did not decline as much as the other cities of Italy, probably due to the complexity of its river system and its consequent ease of defence. In the seventh century, Pisa helped Pope Gregory I by supplying numerous ships in his military expedition against the Byzantines of Ravenna: Pisa was the sole Byzantine centre of Tuscia to fall peacefully in Lombard hands, through assimilation with the neighbouring region where their trading interests were prevalent. Pisa began in this way its rise to the role of main port of the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea and became the main trading centre between Tuscany and Corsica, Sardinia, and the southern coasts of France and Spain.

 

After Charlemagne had defeated the Lombards under the command of Desiderius in 774, Pisa went through a crisis, but soon recovered. Politically, it became part of the duchy of Lucca. In 860, Pisa was captured by vikings led by Björn Ironside. In 930, Pisa became the county centre (status it maintained until the arrival of Otto I) within the mark of Tuscia. Lucca was the capital but Pisa was the most important city, as in the middle of tenth century Liutprand of Cremona, bishop of Cremona, called Pisa Tusciae provinciae caput ("capital of the province of Tuscia"), and a century later, the marquis of Tuscia was commonly referred to as "marquis of Pisa". In 1003, Pisa was the protagonist of the first communal war in Italy, against Lucca. From the naval point of view, since the ninth century, the emergence of the Saracen pirates urged the city to expand its fleet; in the following years, this fleet gave the town an opportunity for more expansion. In 828, Pisan ships assaulted the coast of North Africa. In 871, they took part in the defence of Salerno from the Saracens. In 970, they gave also strong support to Otto I's expedition, defeating a Byzantine fleet in front of Calabrese coasts.

 

11th century

The power of Pisa as a maritime nation began to grow and reached its apex in the 11th century, when it acquired traditional fame as one of the four main historical maritime republics of Italy (Repubbliche Marinare).

 

At that time, the city was a very important commercial centre and controlled a significant Mediterranean merchant fleet and navy. It expanded its powers in 1005 through the sack of Reggio Calabria in the south of Italy. Pisa was in continuous conflict with some 'Saracens' - a medieval term to refer to Arab Muslims - who had their bases in Corsica, for control of the Mediterranean. In 1017, Sardinian Giudicati were militarily supported by Pisa, in alliance with Genoa, to defeat the Saracen King Mugahid, who had settled a logistic base in the north of Sardinia the year before. This victory gave Pisa supremacy in the Tyrrhenian Sea. When the Pisans subsequently ousted the Genoese from Sardinia, a new conflict and rivalry was born between these major marine republics. Between 1030 and 1035, Pisa went on to defeat several rival towns in Sicily and conquer Carthage in North Africa. In 1051–1052, the admiral Jacopo Ciurini conquered Corsica, provoking more resentment from the Genoese. In 1063, Admiral Giovanni Orlandi, coming to the aid of the Norman Roger I, took Palermo from the Saracen pirates. The gold treasure taken from the Saracens in Palermo allowed the Pisans to start the building of their cathedral and the other monuments which constitute the famous Piazza del Duomo.

 

In 1060, Pisa had to engage in their first battle with Genoa. The Pisan victory helped to consolidate its position in the Mediterranean. Pope Gregory VII recognised in 1077 the new "Laws and customs of the sea" instituted by the Pisans, and emperor Henry IV granted them the right to name their own consuls, advised by a council of elders. This was simply a confirmation of the present situation, because in those years, the marquis had already been excluded from power. In 1092, Pope Urban II awarded Pisa the supremacy over Corsica and Sardinia, and at the same time raising the town to the rank of archbishopric.

 

Pisa sacked the Tunisian city of Mahdia in 1088. Four years later, Pisan and Genoese ships helped Alfonso VI of Castilla to push El Cid out of Valencia. A Pisan fleet of 120 ships also took part in the First Crusade, and the Pisans were instrumental in the taking of Jerusalem in 1099. On their way to the Holy Land, the ships did not miss the occasion to sack some Byzantine islands; the Pisan crusaders were led by their archbishop Daibert, the future patriarch of Jerusalem. Pisa and the other Repubbliche Marinare took advantage of the crusade to establish trading posts and colonies in the Eastern coastal cities of the Levant. In particular, the Pisans founded colonies in Antiochia, Acre, Jaffa, Tripoli, Tyre, Latakia, and Accone. They also had other possessions in Jerusalem and Caesarea, plus smaller colonies (with lesser autonomy) in Cairo, Alexandria, and of course Constantinople, where the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus granted them special mooring and trading rights. In all these cities, the Pisans were granted privileges and immunity from taxation, but had to contribute to the defence in case of attack. In the 12th century, the Pisan quarter in the eastern part of Constantinople had grown to 1,000 people. For some years of that century, Pisa was the most prominent commercial and military ally of the Byzantine Empire, overcoming Venice itself.

 

12th century

In 1113, Pisa and Pope Paschal II set up, together with the count of Barcelona and other contingents from Provence and Italy (Genoese excluded), a war to free the Balearic Islands from the Moors; the queen and the king of Majorca were brought in chains to Tuscany. Though the Almoravides soon reconquered the island, the booty taken helped the Pisans in their magnificent programme of buildings, especially the cathedral, and Pisa gained a role of pre-eminence in the Western Mediterranean.

 

In the following years, the powerful Pisan fleet, led by archbishop Pietro Moriconi, drove away the Saracens after ferocious battles. Though short-lived, this Pisan success in Spain increased the rivalry with Genoa. Pisa's trade with Languedoc, Provence (Noli, Savona, Fréjus, and Montpellier) were an obstacle to Genoese interests in cities such as Hyères, Fos, Antibes, and Marseille.

 

The war began in 1119 when the Genoese attacked several galleys on their way home to the motherland, and lasted until 1133. The two cities fought each other on land and at sea, but hostilities were limited to raids and pirate-like assaults.

 

In June 1135, Bernard of Clairvaux took a leading part in the Council of Pisa, asserting the claims of Pope Innocent II against those of Pope Anacletus II, who had been elected pope in 1130 with Norman support, but was not recognised outside Rome. Innocent II resolved the conflict with Genoa, establishing Pisan and Genoese spheres of influence. Pisa could then, unhindered by Genoa, participate in the conflict of Innocent II against king Roger II of Sicily. Amalfi, one of the maritime republics (though already declining under Norman rule), was conquered on August 6, 1136; the Pisans destroyed the ships in the port, assaulted the castles in the surrounding areas, and drove back an army sent by Roger from Aversa. This victory brought Pisa to the peak of its power and to a standing equal to Venice. Two years later, its soldiers sacked Salerno.

 

New city walls, erected in 1156 by Consul Cocco Griffi

In the following years, Pisa was one of the staunchest supporters of the Ghibelline party. This was much appreciated by Frederick I. He issued in 1162 and 1165 two important documents, with these grants: Apart from the jurisdiction over the Pisan countryside, the Pisans were granted freedom of trade in the whole empire, the coast from Civitavecchia to Portovenere, a half of Palermo, Messina, Salerno and Naples, the whole of Gaeta, Mazara, and Trapani, and a street with houses for its merchants in every city of the Kingdom of Sicily. Some of these grants were later confirmed by Henry VI, Otto IV, and Frederick II. They marked the apex of Pisa's power, but also spurred the resentment of other cities such as Lucca, Massa, Volterra, and Florence, thwarting their aim to expand towards the sea. The clash with Lucca also concerned the possession of the castle of Montignoso and mainly the control of the Via Francigena, the main trade route between Rome and France. Last, but not least, such a sudden and large increase of power by Pisa could only lead to another war with Genoa.

 

Genoa had acquired a dominant position in the markets of southern France. The war began in 1165 on the Rhône, when an attack on a convoy, directed to some Pisan trade centres on the river, by the Genoese and their ally, the count of Toulouse, failed. Pisa, though, was allied to Provence. The war continued until 1175 without significant victories. Another point of attrition was Sicily, where both the cities had privileges granted by Henry VI. In 1192, Pisa managed to conquer Messina. This episode was followed by a series of battles culminating in the Genoese conquest of Syracuse in 1204. Later, the trading posts in Sicily were lost when the new Pope Innocent III, though removing the excommunication cast over Pisa by his predecessor Celestine III, allied himself with the Guelph League of Tuscany, led by Florence. Soon, he stipulated[clarification needed] a pact with Genoa, too, further weakening the Pisan presence in southern Italy.

 

To counter the Genoese predominance in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Pisa strengthened its relationship with its traditional Spanish and French bases (Marseille, Narbonne, Barcelona, etc.) and tried to defy the Venetian rule of the Adriatic Sea. In 1180, the two cities agreed to a nonaggression treaty in the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic, but the death of Emperor Manuel Comnenus in Constantinople changed the situation. Soon, attacks on Venetian convoys were made. Pisa signed trade and political pacts with Ancona, Pula, Zara, Split, and Brindisi; in 1195, a Pisan fleet reached Pola to defend its independence from Venice, but the Serenissima soon reconquered the rebel sea town.

 

One year later, the two cities signed a peace treaty, which resulted in favourable conditions for Pisa, but in 1199, the Pisans violated it by blockading the port of Brindisi in Apulia. In the following naval battle, they were defeated by the Venetians. The war that followed ended in 1206 with a treaty in which Pisa gave up all its hopes to expand in the Adriatic, though it maintained the trading posts it had established in the area. From that point on, the two cities were united against the rising power of Genoa and sometimes collaborated to increase the trading benefits in Constantinople.

 

13th century

In 1209 in Lerici, two councils for a final resolution of the rivalry with Genoa were held. A 20-year peace treaty was signed, but when in 1220, the emperor Frederick II confirmed his supremacy over the Tyrrhenian coast from Civitavecchia to Portovenere, the Genoese and Tuscan resentment against Pisa grew again. In the following years, Pisa clashed with Lucca in Garfagnana and was defeated by the Florentines at Castel del Bosco. The strong Ghibelline position of Pisa brought this town diametrically against the Pope, who was in a dispute with the Holy Roman Empire, and indeed the pope tried to deprive Pisa of its dominions in northern Sardinia.

 

In 1238, Pope Gregory IX formed an alliance between Genoa and Venice against the empire, and consequently against Pisa, too. One year later, he excommunicated Frederick II and called for an anti-Empire council to be held in Rome in 1241. On May 3, 1241, a combined fleet of Pisan and Sicilian ships, led by the emperor's son Enzo, attacked a Genoese convoy carrying prelates from northern Italy and France, next to the isle of Giglio (Battle of Giglio), in front of Tuscany; the Genoese lost 25 ships, while about a thousand sailors, two cardinals, and one bishop were taken prisoner. After this major victory, the council in Rome failed, but Pisa was excommunicated. This extreme measure was only removed in 1257. Anyway, the Tuscan city tried to take advantage of the favourable situation to conquer the Corsican city of Aleria and even lay siege to Genoa itself in 1243.

 

The Ligurian republic of Genoa, however, recovered fast from this blow and won back Lerici, conquered by the Pisans some years earlier, in 1256.

 

The great expansion in the Mediterranean and the prominence of the merchant class urged a modification in the city's institutes. The system with consuls was abandoned, and in 1230, the new city rulers named a capitano del popolo ("people's chieftain") as civil and military leader. Despite these reforms, the conquered lands and the city itself were harassed by the rivalry between the two families of Della Gherardesca and Visconti. In 1237 the archbishop and the Emperor Frederick II intervened to reconcile the two rivals, but the strains continued. In 1254, the people rebelled and imposed 12 Anziani del Popolo ("People's Elders") as their political representatives in the commune. They also supplemented the legislative councils, formed of noblemen, with new People's Councils, composed by the main guilds and by the chiefs of the People's Companies. These had the power to ratify the laws of the Major General Council and the Senate.

 

Decline

The decline is said to have begun on August 6, 1284, when the numerically superior fleet of Pisa, under the command of Albertino Morosini, was defeated by the brilliant tactics of the Genoese fleet, under the command of Benedetto Zaccaria and Oberto Doria, in the dramatic naval Battle of Meloria. This defeat ended the maritime power of Pisa and the town never fully recovered; in 1290, the Genoese destroyed forever the Porto Pisano (Pisa's port), and covered the land with salt. The region around Pisa did not permit the city to recover from the loss of thousands of sailors from the Meloria, while Liguria guaranteed enough sailors to Genoa. Goods, however, continued to be traded, albeit in reduced quantity, but the end came when the Arno started to change course, preventing the galleys from reaching the city's port up the river. The nearby area also likely became infested with malaria. The true end came in 1324, when Sardinia was entirely lost to the Aragonese.

 

Always Ghibelline, Pisa tried to build up its power in the course of the 14th century, and even managed to defeat Florence in the Battle of Montecatini (1315), under the command of Uguccione della Faggiuola. Eventually, however, after a long siege, Pisa was occupied by Florentines in 1405.[9] Florentines corrupted the capitano del popolo ("people's chieftain"), Giovanni Gambacorta, who at night opened the city gate of San Marco. Pisa was never conquered by an army. In 1409, Pisa was the seat of a council trying to set the question of the Great Schism. In the 15th century, access to the sea became more difficult, as the port was silting up and was cut off from the sea. When in 1494, Charles VIII of France invaded the Italian states to claim the Kingdom of Naples, Pisa reclaimed its independence as the Second Pisan Republic.

 

The new freedom did not last long; 15 years of battles and sieges by the Florentine troops led by Antonio da Filicaja, Averardo Salviati and Niccolò Capponi were made, but they failed to conquer the city. Vitellozzo Vitelli with his brother Paolo were the only ones who actually managed to break the strong defences of Pisa and make a breach in the Stampace bastion in the southern west part of the walls, but he did not enter the city. For that, they were suspected of treachery and Paolo was put to death. However, the resources of Pisa were getting low, and at the end, the city was sold to the Visconti family from Milan and eventually to Florence again. Livorno took over the role of the main port of Tuscany. Pisa acquired a mainly cultural role spurred by the presence of the University of Pisa, created in 1343, and later reinforced by the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (1810) and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies (1987).

 

Pisa was the birthplace of the important early physicist Galileo Galilei. It is still the seat of an archbishopric. Besides its educational institutions, it has become a light industrial centre and a railway hub. It suffered repeated destruction during World War II.

 

Since the early 1950s, the US Army has maintained Camp Darby just outside Pisa, which is used by many US military personnel as a base for vacations in the area.

 

Geography

Climate

Pisa has a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) and Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). The city is characterized by cool to mild winters and hot summers. This transitional climate allows Pisa to have summers with moderate rainfall. Rainfall peaks in autumn. Snow is rare. The highest officially recorded temperature was 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) on 22 August 2011 and the lowest was −13.8 °C (7.2 °F) on 12 January 1985.

 

Culture

Gioco del Ponte

In Pisa there was a festival and game fr:Gioco del Ponte (Game of the Bridge) which was celebrated (in some form) in Pisa from perhaps the 1200s down to 1807. From the end of the 1400s the game took the form of a mock battle fought upon Pisa's central bridge (Ponte di Mezzo). The participants wore quilted armor and the only offensive weapon allowed was the targone, a shield-shaped, stout board with precisely specified dimensions. Hitting below the belt was not allowed. Two opposing teams started at opposite ends of the bridge. The object of the two opposing teams was to penetrate, drive back, and disperse the opponents' ranks and to thereby drive them backwards off the bridge. The struggle was limited to forty-five minutes. Victory or defeat was immensely important to the team players and their partisans, but sometimes the game was fought to a draw and both sides celebrated.

 

In 1677 the battle was witnessed by Dutch travelling artist Cornelis de Bruijn. He wrote:

 

"While I stayed in Livorno, I went to Pisa to witness the bridge fight there. The fighters arrived fully armored, wearing helmets, each carrying their banner, which was planted at both ends of the bridge, which is quite wide and long. The battle is fought with certain wooden implements made for this purpose, which they wear over their arms and are attached to them, with which they pummel each other so intensely that I saw several of them carried away with bloody and crushed heads. Victory consists of capturing the bridge, in the same way as the fistfights in Venice between the it:Castellani and the Nicolotti."

 

In 1927 the tradition was revived by college students as an elaborate costume parade. In 1935 Vittorio Emanuele III with the royal family witnessed the first revival of a modern version of the game, which has been pursued in the 20th and 21st centuries with some interruptions and varying degrees of enthusiasm by Pisans and their civic institutions.

 

Festivals and cultural events

Capodanno pisano (folklore, March 25)

Gioco del Ponte (folklore)

Luminara di San Ranieri (folklore, June 16)

Maritime republics regata (folklore)

Premio Nazionale Letterario Pisa

Pisa Book Festival

Metarock (rock music festival)

Internet Festival San Ranieri regata (folklore)

Turn Off Festival (house music festival)

Nessiáh (Jewish cultural Festival, November)

Main sights

 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

While the bell tower of the cathedral, known as "the leaning Tower of Pisa", is the most famous image of the city, it is one of many works of art and architecture in the city's Piazza del Duomo, also known, since the 20th century, as Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), to the north of the old town center. The Piazza del Duomo also houses the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry and the Campo Santo (the monumental cemetery). The medieval complex includes the above-mentioned four sacred buildings, the hospital and few palaces. All the complex is kept by the Opera (fabrica ecclesiae) della Primaziale Pisana, an old non profit foundation that has operated since the building of the Cathedral in 1063 to maintain the sacred buildings. The area is framed by medieval walls kept by the municipal administration.

 

Other sights include:

Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, church sited on Piazza dei Cavalieri, and also designed by Vasari. It had originally a single nave; two more were added in the 17th century. It houses a bust by Donatello, and paintings by Vasari, Jacopo Ligozzi, Alessandro Fei, and Pontormo. It also contains spoils from the many naval battles between the Cavalieri (Knights of St. Stephan) and the Turks between the 16th and 18th centuries, including the Turkish battle pennant hoisted from Ali Pacha's flagship at the 1571 Battle of Lepanto.

St. Sixtus. This small church, consecrated in 1133, is also close to the Piazza dei Cavalieri. It was used as a seat of the most important notarial deeds of the town, also hosting the Council of Elders. It is today one of the best preserved early Romanesque buildings in town.

St. Francis. The church of San Francesco may have been designed by Giovanni di Simone, built after 1276. In 1343 new chapels were added and the church was elevated. It has a single nave and a notable belfry, as well as a 15th-century cloister. It houses works by Jacopo da Empoli, Taddeo Gaddi and Santi di Tito. In the Gherardesca Chapel are buried Ugolino della Gherardesca and his sons.

San Frediano. This church, built by 1061, has a basilica interior with three aisles, with a crucifix from the 12th century. Paintings from the 16th century were added during a restoration, including works by Ventura Salimbeni, Domenico Passignano, Aurelio Lomi, and Rutilio Manetti.

San Nicola. This medieval church built by 1097, was enlarged between 1297 and 1313 by the Augustinians, perhaps by the design of Giovanni Pisano. The octagonal belfry is from the second half of the 13th century. The paintings include the Madonna with Child by Francesco Traini (14th century) and St. Nicholas Saving Pisa from the Plague (15th century). Noteworthy are also the wood sculptures by Giovanni and Nino Pisano, and the Annunciation by Francesco di Valdambrino.

Santa Maria della Spina. A small white marble church alongside the Arno, is attributed to Lupo di Francesco (1230), is another excellent Gothic building.

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno. The church was founded around 952 and enlarged in the mid-12th century along lines similar to those of the cathedral. It is annexed to the Romanesque Chapel of St. Agatha, with an unusual pyramidal cusp or peak.

San Pietro in Vinculis. Known as San Pierino, it is an 11th-century church with a crypt and a cosmatesque mosaic on the floor of the main nave.

 

Borgo Stretto. This medieval borgo or neighborhood contains strolling arcades and the Lungarno, the avenues along the river Arno. It includes the Gothic-Romanesque church of San Michele in Borgo (990). There are at least two other leaning towers in the city, one at the southern end of central Via Santa Maria, the other halfway through the Piagge riverside promenade.

Medici Palace. The palace was once a possession of the Appiano family, who ruled Pisa in 1392–1398. In 1400 the Medici acquired it, and Lorenzo de' Medici sojourned here.

Orto botanico di Pisa. The botanical garden of the University of Pisa is Europe's oldest university botanical garden.

Palazzo Reale. The ("Royal Palace"), once belonged to the Caetani patrician family. Here Galileo Galilei showed to Grand Duke of Tuscany the planets he had discovered with his telescope. The edifice was erected in 1559 by Baccio Bandinelli for Cosimo I de Medici, and was later enlarged including other palaces. The palace is now a museum.

Palazzo Gambacorti. This palace is a 14th-century Gothic building, and now houses the offices of the municipality. The interior shows frescoes boasting Pisa's sea victories.

Palazzo Agostini. The palace is a Gothic building also known as Palazzo dell'Ussero, with its 15th-century façade and remains of the ancient city walls dating back to before 1155. The name of the building comes from the coffee rooms of Caffè dell'Ussero, historic meeting place founded on September 1, 1775.

Mural Tuttomondo. A modern mural, the last public work by Keith Haring, on the rear wall of the convent of the Church of Sant'Antonio, painted in June 1989.

Museums

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo: exhibiting among others the original sculptures of Nicola Pisano and Giovanni Pisano, the Islamic Pisa Griffin, and the treasures of the cathedral.

Museo delle Sinopie: showing the sinopias from the camposanto, the monumental cemetery. These are red ocher underdrawings for frescoes, made with reddish, greenish or brownish earth colour with water.

Museo Nazionale di San Matteo: exhibiting sculptures and paintings from the 12th to 15th centuries, among them the masterworks of Giovanni and Andrea Pisano, the Master of San Martino, Simone Martini, Nino Pisano and Masaccio.

Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale: exhibiting the belongings of the families that lived in the palace: paintings, statues, armors, etc.

Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti per il Calcolo: exhibiting a collection of instruments used in science, between a pneumatic machine of Van Musschenbroek and a compass which probably belonged to Galileo Galilei.

Museo di storia naturale dell'Università di Pisa (Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa), located in the Certosa di Calci, outside the city. It houses one of the largest cetacean skeletons collection in Europe.

Palazzo Blu: temporary exhibitions and cultural activities center, located in the Lungarno, in the heart of the old town, the palace is easy recognizable because it is the only blue building.

Cantiere delle Navi di Pisa - The Pisa's Ancient Ships Archaeological Area: A museum of 10,650 square meters – 3,500 archaeological excavation, 1,700 laboratories and one restoration center – that visitors can visit with a guided tour.[19] The Museum opened in June 2019 and has been located inside to the 16th-century Medicean Arsenals in Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli, restored under the supervision of the Tuscany Soprintendenza. It hosts a remarkable collection of ceramics and amphoras dated back from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century BC, and also 32 ships dated back from the second century BCE and the seventh century BC. Four of them are integrally preserved and the best one is the so-called Barca C, also named Alkedo (written in the ancient Greek characters). The first boat was accidentally discovered in 1998 near the Pisa San Rossore railway station and the archeological excavations were completed 20 years later.

 

Churches

St. Francis' Church

San Francesco

San Frediano

San Giorgio ai Tedeschi

San Michele in Borgo

San Nicola

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno

San Paolo all'Orto

San Piero a Grado

San Pietro in Vinculis

San Sisto

San Tommaso delle Convertite

San Zeno

Santa Caterina

Santa Cristina

Santa Maria della Spina

Santo Sepolcro

 

Palaces, towers and villas

Palazzo della Carovana or dei Cavalieri.

Pisa by Oldypak lp photo

Pisa

Palazzo del Collegio Puteano

Palazzo della Carovana

Palazzo delle Vedove

Torre dei Gualandi

Villa di Corliano

Leaning Tower of Pisa

 

Sports

Football is the main sport in Pisa; the local team, A.C. Pisa, currently plays in the Serie B (the second highest football division in Italy), and has had a top flight history throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, featuring several world-class players such as Diego Simeone, Christian Vieri and Dunga during this time. The club play at the Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani, opened in 1919 and with a capacity of 25,000.

 

Notable people

For people born in Pisa, see People from the Province of Pisa; among notable non-natives long resident in the city:

 

Giuliano Amato (born 1938), politician, former Premier and Minister of Interior Affairs

Alessandro d'Ancona (1835–1914), critic and writer.

Silvano Arieti (1914–1981), psychiatrist

Gaetano Bardini (1926–2017), tenor

Andrea Bocelli (born 1958), tenor and multi-instrumentalist.

Giosuè Carducci (1835–1907), poet and 1906 Nobel Prize in Literature winner.

Massimo Carmassi (born 1943), architect

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1920–2016), politician, former President of the Republic of Italy

Maria Luisa Cicci (1760–1794), poet

Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari (1677–1754), a musical composer and maestro di cappella at Pistoia.

Alessio Corti (born 1965), mathematician

Rustichello da Pisa (born 13th century), writer

Giovanni Battista Donati (1826–1873), an Italian astronomer.

Leonardo Fibonacci (1170–1250), mathematician.

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), physicist.

Giovanni Gentile (1875–1944), philosopher and politician

Orazio Gentileschi (1563–1639), painter.

Count Ugolino della Gherardesca (1214–1289), noble (see also Dante Alighieri).

Giovanni Gronchi (1887–1978), politician, former President of the Republic of Italy

Giacomo Leopardi [1798–1837), poet and philosopher.

Enrico Letta (born 1966), politician, former Prime Minister of Italy

Marco Malvaldi (born 1974), mystery novelist

Leonardo Ortolani (born 1967), comic writer

Antonio Pacinotti (1841–1912), physicist, inventor of the dynamo

Andrea Pisano (1290–1348), a sculptor and architect.

Afro Poli (1902–1988), an operatic baritone

Bruno Pontecorvo (1913–1993), nuclear physicist

Gillo Pontecorvo (1919–2006), filmmaker

Ippolito Rosellini (1800–1843), an Egyptologist.

Paolo Savi (1798–1871), geologist and ornithologist.

Antonio Tabucchi (1943–2012), writer and academic

Sport

Jason Acuña (born 1973), Stunt performer

Sergio Bertoni (1915–1995), footballer

Giorgio Chiellini (born 1984), footballer

Camila Giorgi (born 1991), tennis player

EXPLORE 14. December 2011

.

“However many holy words you read,However many you speak,What good will they do you If you do not act on upon them?” by Buddha

.

“Never lose a holy curiosity.” by Albert Einstein

.

“Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” by Henry David Thoreau

.

“Acceptance of others, their looks, their behaviors, their beliefs, bring you an inner peace and tranquillity -- instead of anger and resentment” by unknown

       

Layer after layer

I'm scraping away at you

I've got blankets of my good intentions

soaked in paint remover

Every day I lay them over

your thick coats of shame and fear

that suffocates all your thoughts

that you continuously refuse to share

They've eventually gotta go some place...

but where?

They get buried under your growing resentment

that's coated over all your shame

which then floats in insecurities

that always have someone else to blame

And arguing, for you, is like a sport

that you'll do anything to win

I can't ever find a way out of this

when there's not even a way in

I keep running away

but only in circles

that lead right back to you

cause I'm not ready to choose

I'm not ready to lose ...

But the other night you told me

that when you leave you'll be just fine

Said you've got plenty of other things to do

and going in in your life

And I'm not sure if you meant to

but that felt like my chest got bruised

Because I'm not just fine

and I haven't been for quite some time

I want to feel close to you

But I don't feel safe to speak my truths

You quench me, and you dehydrate me

which completely tanks with mental health

Which I'm still not sure if you understand

I wanted you to be my safe space

I wanted you to be my man

  

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

This image is a photographic montage comprised from three frames of a 14 minute film entitled "New Zealand, 1950's" from the Huntley Film Archives - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg7Oo7eg0VU

 

It depicts a circa 1955, South-westerly aspect of the South side of Wellington Street East, Freemans Bay from near what was the intersection with Union Street and is now the overpass across a motorway junction.

 

Three years earlier the territorial authority had served compulsory purchase orders on most of the properties in the area, with compensation set at 1952 valuations. However, the Council was not in a hurry to effect the destruction of our patrimony, which, amid much resentment and controversy, was eventually completed in 1979 - at 1952 valuations. In the interim property owners were reluctant to incur the expense of anything beyond what decreasing rental values would justify.

 

And so it came to pass that what had once been an inner city suburb renowned for the solidarity of its social cohesion and the political unrest that had been a thorn in the side of conservative governments from 1913, declined into abject dereliction.

 

In what was possibly one of the ugliest examples of the corporate psychopathy that might seem to have plagued the territorial authority since its earliest inception, the consequential window of opportunity was used to plaster the popular Media with images of the deplorable state into which the area fell - dodgy propaganda justifying the premeditated demise of a community.

 

Although the houses that comprise most of the image survived from the late 1860s until 1977, the photograph is date-able to 1955 by the lack of houses and shops in the block between Howe and Hepburn Streets, which were subsequently replaced by the Freemans Park development of apartment blocks and courtyard houses.

 

1955 14-19 Wellington Street East South side South-westerly aspect Union Howe Hepburn Pratt Franklyn 'New Zealand, 1950's' 14 min film 30854 Huntley Film Archives.jpg

 

Sala dell’Albergo

 

The Sala dell’Albergo was very important in the life of the Scuola because it was the place where its governing body met. For this reason it was the first to be completed, although it did not immediately have any permanent decorations. It was not until 1544 that the large table was put in place to conceal the entrance to the so-called Scrigni, a kind of bank vault used for the safe keeping of candles, documents, money and precious relics. This is closed to the public.

 

In 1553 Titian had offered to paint the large canvas for the wall above the table, but it had come to nothing. It was not until many years later, on 22nd May 1564, that the Banca and Zonta (the Scuola’s supervisory boards) decided to have the ceiling decorated at their own expense, beginning with the central oval panel. Tintoretto, who at the time had already done some paintings for the church of San Rocco, was probably chosen for the commission right from the start, but there was initially a lack of agreement on his appointment.

 

Thus it was decided on 31st May to announce a competition among the best painters in Venice, Giuseppe Salviati, Federico Zuccari, Paolo Veronese and of course, Tintoretto, who had to present their drawings to the Scuola within a month. According to Vasari’s account however, while the others were still working on their projects, Tintoretto took everyone by surprise. He actually managed to install his painting of St. Roch in glory in the centre of the ceiling, provoking the indignant reaction of the clients, who claimed they had only asked for drawings and had not commissioned the work itself. But the painter replied that this was his way of drawing, that he knew no other way, that drawings and models should be done this way so as not to swindle anyone, and finally that if they did not want to pay him for the work, he would donate it to them. On 22nd June the Scuola accepted the gift, and a few days later they ordered that the painting should not be removed.

With this decision, which was undoubtedly meant to placate any resentment against Jacopo for his somewhat questionable behaviour, an extraordinary “art compact” was established between Tintoretto and the School, an arrangement which was destined to last until his death and to produce one of the most extraordinary and coherent painting cycles in the whole of Venetian art. Between the summer and the autumn of 1564 Tintoretto completed the remainder of the ceiling decoration free of charge.

 

When he finished the decoration of the ceiling, Tintoretto, who had in the meantime become a member of the Scuola, had no difficulty in also obtaining the commission for the wall paintings. By 1565, he had already finished the Crucifixion, and he then completed the cycle between 1566 and the first months of 1567.

 

It is interesting to note how the paintings of the Sala dell’Albergo do not follow the typical subjects of the Venetian Scuole, which tended to illustrate miracles and episodes from the life of the patron saint; instead they represent scenes from the Passion of Christ. This was probably because the life of St. Roch was already the subject of the paintings in the confraternity’s church. The painter and the Scuola could thus choose a new theme; this was the beginning of a complex iconographical scheme which would be further developed in the Sala Capitolare (in English, “Chapter Room”).

 

On the entrance wall, the story of the Passion does not unfold according to the usual narrative order from left to right. The episodes leading up to the monumental Crucifixion follow one another in an opposite direction: on the extreme right we see Christ before Pilate; in the centre, above the doorway, the Ecce Homo; on the left the Road to Calvary. The arrangement is determined by the particular meaning intended for it; the sequence is presented as the vision of the two Prophets who appear in the painted niches between the windows; in any case, the paintings are intended as objects of meditation, following a scheme which is highly charged with complex religious and spiritual meanings.

 

Tintoretto also painted the continuous frieze, with cherubs, garlands of flowers and fruit and the coats-of-arms of the Scuole Grandi, between the ceiling and the walls of the room. A fragment of this frieze showing Three apples, which was discovered in 1905 during restoration, and is now framed on the table, gives us a good idea of the original dazzling colours not only of the frieze but of all the painted decorations. The brightness of the original colours has in fact also been confirmed by recent scientific analysis, which has revealed how all the figures of the ceiling originally stood out against a very bright blue sky, which acted as a unifying element and made the whole decorative scheme extraordinarily luminous.

Yours To Discover Beautiful Somaliland.

Abdilahi Omar sips on a glass of sweet milky tea as traffic in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, increases ahead of the morning rush.

 

In front of him young boys ride their donkey carts to the river to collect water while ice-cream trucks serving soft-scoop start their rounds.

 

"So you can see, Hargeisa is calm," says the newspaper editor gesturing to the traffic police armed not with automatic rifles but with fluorescent batons and whistles.

 

"People are going to work peacefully, you can walk freely. There are no guns on the streets here."

 

This is not Somalia as the outside world knows it. But then, Somalilanders will tell you this is not Somalia. Period.

 

Somaliland, which is 137,600 square kilometres in size (comparable to England and Wales) and lies to the north of Mogadishu, is also a territory in limbo: it prints its own currency, flies its own flag and even issues its own passports.

 

But it is a state no other country will recognise.

 

Turbulent history

 

Somaliland won its independence from Britain in June 1960, a few days before Italy relinquished colonial control of neighbouring Somalia.

 

An emotional union ensued, creating a Somali Republic with its capital located in Mogadishu. But it soon proved to be an unhappy marriage.

 

"Somaliland became the poor relative, the isolated, forgotten corner of the Union,” Edna Adan, a retired senior UN official and former wife of Somalia's first Prime Minister, Mohammed Ibrahim Egal, told Al Jazeera.

 

Issues over adequate political representation for Somaliland in the national parliament and government fuelled resentment and distrust and led to the creation of a rebel group opposed to Mogadishu's control.

 

By the time the war ended in 1991 Somali bombers had razed Hargeisa to the ground but the Republic had crumbled leaving Mogadishu in the hands of warring tribes.

 

Somaliland's own clan-based society emerged from three decades of turmoil and the conflict with Mogadishu deeply divided.

 

But on May 18, 1991, tribal elders held negotiations in the shade of Acacia trees and in the ruins of schools before unilaterally declaring Somaliland independent.

 

Today, in downtown Hargeisa a Soviet-era MiG fighter jet sits mounted on a plinth to remind people of the civil war Somaliland rebels fought against Siad Barre, who ruled Somalia from 1969 to 1991.

 

International obscurity

 

A Soviet-era MiG fighter in downtown Hargeisa reminds people of the civil war

But despite a degree of stability compared to many corners of the continent, not least the perennial chaos in Somalia, Somaliland leaders say the outside world has turned its back on them.

 

The government of Somalia does not recognise Somaliland's independence.

 

Mohammed Osman Aden, the first consul at the Somali Republic embassy in Nairobi, told Al Jazeera there has been no country-wide referendum which allows for Somaliland's secession.

 

"Somaliland is categorically a part of Somalia. It is one of the regions where we have good stability. No matter what they are part of Somalia," he said.

 

However, he does not believe conflict will be renewed.

 

"We are not applying any pressure right now because we have other priorities in southern Somalia. When southern Somalia is viable we will talk with Somaliland. There will be no problem, we will talk easily," Aden added.

 

But with no international support for Somaliland's independence, Hargeisa may have little negotiating room.

 

African neighbours have refused to allow the Horn of Africa to be partitioned and the UN and other international countries have refused to recognise Somaliland's secession.

 

"The international community has taken the wrong decision, ignoring Somaliland while it waits for Somalia to wake from its coma," said Dahir Riyale Kahin, Somaliland's President.

 

Self-sustenance

 

Money vendors in Hargesia have substituted bank transfers

The lack of political recognition has also meant that it is impossible for Hargesia to negotiate loans and assistance from international donors. It is not party to the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.

 

"We are a democratically functioning state … but the international community is hindering our success," Kahin told Al Jazeera.

 

With lack of international donor assistance, Somaliland’s infrastructure is slowly being crippled. There is no international postal service here and no banking system recognised by financial institution abroad.

 

Exchange companies and money vendors provide an alternative for funds coming in and out of Somaliland.

 

The paediatric ward at the Hargeisa General Hospital – the country's only referral hospital – swarms with flies.

 

The plaster-board ceiling is caving in. The ward's only oxygen cylinder lies discarded in a corner, covered in dust.

 

"The facilities here are very limited," said Dr Farhan Omar, one of 16 junior doctors who qualified last year, the first to train locally for years.

 

“We have three severely malnourished young children and we don't even have the high-energy milk they require."

 

The lack of doctors, drugs and equipment is woeful, but not a surprise. The government's total budget this year is a modest $50 million - Britain spends that on health alone every four hours.

 

Somaliland's health, education, and infrastructure sectors require massive inflows of cash.

 

But for as long as Somaliland's international status remains disputed, financial assistance will remain out of reach. So, too, will bilateral agreements with foreign governments.

 

Diaspora Money

 

Related Articles

 

Somaliland leaves Somalis in limbo

 

Economic success in Somaliland

 

Vote rekindles Somaliland's hopes

 

Somalia: More chaos

 

Somalia most unstable state

It is money from the Diaspora that is behind Hargeisa's transformation from concrete-ruin to bustling-city.

 

Glass-fronted multi-storey buildings now dot the skyline while numerous telecommunications companies vie for a slice of the lucrative Internet market.

 

"I came here first and foremost for the money. It is your money and business is business," said Abdul Abdirihaman Wabere, a Somaliland entrepreneur.

 

Wabere fled to North America at the outset of war in the 1980s. Now he divides his time between the US and Hargeisa where he runs a successful IT firm.

 

"There was nostalgia too. This is my country and we have brought a technology that was not here before and that itself is a leap-frog," he added.

 

Many families still depend on remittances from relatives living abroad. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) believes the Diaspora sends home more than $500 million to Somaliland every year.

 

Wabere fears this gives Somalilanders a false sense of financial security when ultimately their economy remains fragile.

 

Charm Offensive

 

Hargesia says neighbouring Somalia is still unstable due to continued armed conflict [EPA]

The Somaliland government is trying to charm its way to global recognition.

 

Kahin recently offered Somaliland's natural deep-water harbour at Berbera as a home for America's AFRICOM headquarters.

 

"Our only hope is the US which says it promotes democracy and has spent a lot of money in the Middle East,” says Faizal Warabe, Chairman of Somaliland's opposition Justice and Welfare Party and a candidate in next year's presidential elections.

 

The government is quick to highlight its democratic credentials in comparison to the lawlessness of its southern neighbour.

 

However, there are shortcomings. Critics claim the government is repressive, exerting excessive control over political opponents and the media.

 

Allegations of corruption tarnish the government's record.

 

"There is a lot of internal mismanagement of finances. Even within the Ministry of Finance there are no systems of accountability," confirmed one UN official on condition of anonymity.

 

Nevertheless, Somalilanders feel they should be allowed to reap the peace dividend. That should start with formal recognition, argues Edna Adan. Anything else is a slap in the face to a country pushing for peace and stability.

 

“Failure to recognise Somaliland is a failure to recognise democracy itself. The achievements of Somaliland could have been a good example for other African countries," she said.

Source: Al Jazeera

 

In 1989 I left apartheid South Africa and spent much of the next year travelling Europe. In October I found myself in the outback of Turkey, and the word on the street was that the Berlin Wall was about to fall. With it's fascinating history, cold war angst and strong David Bowie connection, Berlin had always been on my "must visit" list and I accelerated my plans to get there. Unfortunately the wall began crumbling on the evening of November 9, 1989 and continued over the following days and weeks. Nevertheless, I skipped through the Greek islands and caught the ferry from the port of Piraeus in Athens to Brindisi in Italy. I decided to bypass Naples and caught a fast train north to Rome. I think it was either on the ferry or on the train that I met fellow traveller, Serge Bowers from Pennsylvania in the USA. He and I made good companions and has a Chianti-fuelled blast through Rome, Florence, Pisa and Venice (but that's another story).

 

On November 25, Serge and I went our own ways - he headed for Amsterdam, while I spent a couple of days in Milan, visiting the magnificent Il Museo Storico dell’Alfa Romeo in Arese. I then skipped through Switzerland (Lausanne, Bern, Luzern and Lurich) beofre finally making it to Stuttgart in Germany, taking in the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Porsche Museum. By this time (December 4) I was running low on cash and so resorted to hitch-hiking from Stuttgart to Mannheim, heading for Bonn where I was going to be staying with Prof. Dr. Marcella Rietschel (a Research Fellow at the Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn) who I had met in Istanbul in October. It was freezing cold and snowing out on the road, and by the time I reached Mannheim, I had had enough and headed to the Hauptbahnhof. After a cup of steaming coffee, I bought a ticket to Bonn, boarded the milk-train and continued the journey north. As fate would have it, I ended up in Zeppelinheim, close to Frankfurt, and that extraordinary interlude is detailed here.

 

Being on the bones of my financial arse, and with a severe cold snap making hitch-hiking a really bad idea, I now resorted to using the Mitfahrzentrale - an organised hitch-hiking (or "cap pooling") service where a driver can register how many spare seats they have in their car and where they are travelling from, to, and on what date. Potential passengers are provided with contact details and descriptions of the journey including any proposed stops along the way. As all travellers share costs, the savings can be extensive and it also serves as a good way to meet interesting people and to practice your German!

 

Our route to the east The so-called "inner German border" (a.k.a. "Zonengrenze") was the frontier between the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, West Germany) from 1949 to 1990. The border was a physical manifestation of Winston Churchill's metaphorical Iron Curtain that separated the Soviet and Western blocs during the Cold War. The border could be crossed legally only through a limited number of routes and foreigners were able to traverse East German territory to or from West Berlin via a limited number of road corridors, the most used of which was at Helmstedt-Marienborn on the Hanover–Berlin A2 autobahn. Codenamed Checkpoint Alpha, this was the first of three Allied checkpoints on the road to Berlin. The others were Checkpoint Bravo, where the autobahn crossed from East Germany into West Berlin, and most famous of all, Checkpoint Charlie, the only place where non-Germans could cross from West to East Berlin. Lengthy inspections caused long delays to traffic at the crossing points, and for some the whole experience was very disturbing: "Travelling from west to east through [the inner German border] was like entering a drab and disturbing dream, peopled by all the ogres of totalitarianism, a half-lit world of shabby resentments, where anything could be done to you, I used to feel, without anybody ever hearing of it, and your every step was dogged by watchful eyes and mechanisms." (Jan Morris) Personally, having spent almost three decades of my life under the oppression of the apartheid regime, it felt all too familiar.

 

So, after an uncomfortable 6-8 hour road trip, I was finally there - Berlin! One of my German friends from South Africa (P.A.) had been a regular visitor to Berlin during our high school and university years, before relocating to the city in the mid-80's. In those days it made a lot of sense - getting out of South Africa after studying meant escaping two years military service with the south African Defence Force and moving to Berlin meant avoiding conscription into the German military as well. That is, in order to encourage young people to move to West Berlin, they were lured in with exemptions from national service and good study benefits. It was December 8, 1989 and P.A. was unfortunately not in town. But a mutual friend was - L.M. had left Africa at about the same time as Pierre and was an aspirant artist in Berlin. He offered me a place to stay and we spent a brilliant week together, partying, clubbing and taking in all the delights that this city in change had to offer! I don't remember too much, but have some photos that I am sharing for the first time, a quarter of a century later, to the day.

 

45654-33-ew - the caption on the back of the photo reads:

"Looking over "The Wall" into Communist East Berlin. The Brandenburger Tor viewed from an observation platform in West Berlin. Exactly one month after the East Germans punched the first "hole" in the wall at Leipziger Strasse. West Germany. Saturday, December 9, 1989."

 

A population in deep denial

Contagion released from a vial

 

I am the fury

the spirit of outrage

I am the fire

I am the virus I am the virus

I am the furnace where resentment glows

I am the bias

I am the virus I am the virus

 

I am the virus / killing Joke

 

Olympus OM1n

Vivitar 19/3.8

Fomapan 100

Orange filter

Rodinal 9min @ 20c

 

I don't know what to title this =P

 

“Let a smile be your umbrella, and you'll end up with a face full of rain.” George Carlin ( American stand-up Comedian, Actor and Author. b.1937)

 

"Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.” Joan Lunden

 

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

  

LOL I know this is so different from all my previous pictures I’ve taking but I really want to reflect my personality towards my pictures. A lot of my pictures are so dry and I really want to put some humor into it. I’m just letting you all know that I really love to laugh and joke around. =) Laughter always helps me deal with my personal problems. I honestly don’ t like to get mad or get made at somebody because I just want to enjoy my life. BTW I MADE THIS A BIT CARTOONISH BY ACCIDENT BUT IT’S OKAY I GUESS

 

But there’s a reason behind this story. When I was a kid I’ve always love watching Loony Tones , Scooby doo, inspector gadget, Thunder cats and etc; If you know what I’m talking about for those who love watching classic cartoons. I miss those cartoons! I still enjoy watching them. My favorite cartoon is the Loony tones (I love the Road Runner and the Coyote) and so this picture is inspired from that cartoon.

 

So yesterday, I realized that my filing from my tooth is all gone. Man! I really need to go the dentist because I don’t want any cavities and stuff. My mom wants to do it in the Philippines but I don’t want to wait a year to go back…geez! That’s super long yo! I’m also hoping to get some braces to straighten my teeth after college. It’s time for teeth to get all pampered and happy =)

 

have a good day everyone =)

"We must accept finite disappointment but we must never lose infinite hope."

 

Created on Day Sixteen of the Design Across America Zerflin tour. Quote submitted by Zenia Lasola-Smith. Font by Slava Kirilenko at astronautdesign.com/

 

The quote comes from one of the at least 8 books that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his lifetime called "Strength to Love", published in 1963. The book used material from his sermons, and focused on scriptural teaching and dealing with the problems of racism. Notably missing from the contents were his more controvertial antiwar and anti-capitalist views; focusing more on a message of love, as the title states.

 

The passage the quote is from has actually been sourced for quite a few notable quotes from King; here's an excerpt:

 

"To guard ourselves from bitterness, we need the vision to see in this generation's ordeals the opportunity to transfigure both ourselves and American society. Our present suffering and our nonviolent struggle to be free may well offer to Western civilization the kind of spiritual dynamic so desperately needed for survival.

Some of us, of course, will die without having received the realization of freedom, but we must continue to sail on our uncharted course.

We must accept finite disappointment but we must never lose infinite hope. Only in this way shall we live without the fatigue of bitterness and the drain of resentment.

This was the secret of the survival of our slave foreparents."

 

You can find out more about the tour here: zerflin.com/2012/05/31/2-festivals-20-cities-20-days-desi...

 

Tintype.

Be on top of the chains when you need a perch

Be ready to fly away when it's answers you need to search.

- Quoted by self

 

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment, the handcuffs of hate, the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness"

- Anon

 

And how many of us actually realise this simple principle in life?

 

Clicked in my office parking lot.

 

COPYRIGHT 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

For more such pics, visit my site. Join my FB page, follow me on twitter

Some History of Brisbane.

The first European settlement in Queensland was a small convict colony which was established at Redcliffe, now a northern beach suburb, in 1824. The settlement was soon moved in 1825 to a better location on the Brisbane River in what is now the CBD of Brisbane. John Oxley suggested this change of location and that the town be known as Brisbane after Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of NSW who visited this settlement in 1826. Prior to this the settlement was known as the Moreton Bay. By 1831 Moreton Bay had 1,241 people, but 86% were convicts, and almost all the rest were guards and administrators. One of the founding free men to settle in Brisbane was Andrew Petrie, a government clerk, who arrived in the settlement in 1837. His son later became the first mayor of Brisbane.

 

In 1842 (six years after the settlement of SA) Moreton Bay penal settlement was closed and the area opened to free settlers. Half the convicts at Moreton Bay were Irish Catholics which influenced the development of the settlement thereafter as many stayed on. By 1846 Moreton Bay had a population of 4,000 people, considerably less than that of Burra at the time which had over 5,000 people! In 1848 the first immigrants direct from Britain arrived, as did some Chinese. In 1849 three ship loads of Presbyterians arrived in Brisbane, the first ship being the Fortitude- hence the naming of Fortitude Valley. The colony was still far from self sufficient in terms of food production. In the mid 1850s German immigrants also started to arrive in the settlement. The only building still standing built by convict labour is the Old Windmill in Wickham Park.

 

During the late 1840s a few grand houses were built in Brisbane like Newstead House at Hamilton and the city began to take shape. All the central streets were named after members of Queen Victoria’s family- Adelaide, Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary for the streets parallel to Queen Street, and Albert, Edward, George and William for the streets perpendicular to Queen Street. In 1859 the population had grown sufficiently, to about 30,000 people, for Queensland to be proclaimed a separate colony from NSW with Brisbane (about 6,000 people) as the capital city. It was now a self governing independent colony. Old Government House was built shortly after this in 1862 followed by numerous colonial government buildings. The French Empire style Parliament House opposite the old Botanical Gardens was erected in 1865 to a design by Charles Tiffin. It had perfect symmetry a mansard roof and an arcaded loggia. It is still one of the most distinctive buildings in Brisbane. Nearby the pastoralists and wealthy built the Queensland Club in Alice Street in 1882 with classical columns but with Italianate style bay windows. The location near parliament house is much like the situation of the Adelaide Club on North Terrace almost adjacent to the SA parliament. The wealthy and pastoralists in both states had immeasurable influence over early colonial politics. One of the other finest colonial buildings of Brisbane is the Old Customs House with the circular copper domed roof on the edge of the Brisbane River. It was erected in 1888.

 

Although Brisbane grew quickly through the following decades it was not incorporated as a city until 1902.Part of the reason for the relatively slow of growth of Brisbane, compared to Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney was that it was not the focal point of the state railway network. Queensland always had other major regional centres. The railway from Brisbane reached out to southern Queensland only- Ipswich in 1864, Toowoomba in 1867, and Charleville in 1888. There was no early push to have a railway link between the coastal cities. They were not linked by a railway until 1927 when road transport had already taken over the transport of livestock and freight. The coastal railway to Cairns was always for passenger traffic as much as freight traffic.

 

Unlike the other Australian state capitals, Brisbane City Council governs most of the metropolitan area of Brisbane. In 1925 over twenty shires and municipalities were amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. It was at this time that the landmark Brisbane city Hall was built in Art Deco style. It was opened in 1930. During World War Two, Brisbane had a distinctive history as Prime Minister John Curtin had the “Brisbane Line” as a controversial defense plan, whereby if there was a land invasion of Australia, the northern half of the country would be surrendered at a line just north of Brisbane! Brisbane also became the headquarters for the American campaign in the South Pacific with General Douglas MacArthur based there at times. In 1942 a violent clash erupted between American and Australian service personnel in Brisbane. Between 2,000 and 5,000 men were involved in the riots which spread over two days. One soldier was killed and eight injured by gun fire as well as hundreds injured with black eyes, swollen faces, broken noses etc. On the second night 21 Americans were injured with 11 of them having to be hospitalised. This was The Battle of Brisbane. Yet around 1 million American troops passed through Queensland between December 1941 (just after the bombing of Pearl Harbour) and the end of 1945. They were here to spearhead attacks to take back the Philippines and to prevent the Japanese from taking New Guinea. Black American soldiers were especially unpopular in Brisbane as their landing contravened the “White Australia Policy” of those times. In response to this policy General Douglas MacArthur announced his support for the Australian government’s insistence that no more Black American troops be sent to Brisbane after 1942. The Black American units in Australia were later sent to New Guinea and New Caledonia. Black American troops in New Guinea were not allowed to visit Australia for rest and recreation leave although white American troops were allowed to visit Australia, mainly to Mackay. Resentment between American and Australian troops in Brisbane had to be contained and suppressed. Riots between troops also occurred in Townsville during the War. Today Brisbane is a fast growing city that has far outstripped Adelaide in terms of population, growth and infrastructure.

 

Life Before The Third Reich

Hall Display

Jewish Community Center

Tucson, Arizona, USA

 

Ten million Jews lived in Europe in the late 1930s

It was a continent overtaken by economic depression and racial/religious resentment.

Jews in Europe existed along a religious spectrum from strictly orthodox to highly secular; and along an economic spectrum from the crushing poverty of the vast majority to a small well to do elite of successful entrepreneurs.

 

- IMG_6994 - Version 2

We are still celebrating the nations birthday on the 26th day of January the anniversary when the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay in NSW but there is resentment in some quarters mainly with our Indigenous peoples who refer to this day as Invasion Day and there is much truth in that matter for them .. They want to see the day changed to reflect a more universal date when we can all celebrate . The numbers are stacked against them with many wanting this date to remain as it is , the 26th January .

The country is also going through a drought , so typical of Australia but this one is biting hard for many out on the land . Lets hope the rains come soon .

 

Oz , the Land Down Under

The Ruby

115 Studs in length

 

After the defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Good Witch of the North helped Dorothy Gale return home to Kansas. The Land of Oz was left, by the Wizard, in the capable hands of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion. Although they lead the people of Oz with grace and wisdom, the lands were so large that even they could not keep everything in check. Oz began to fall to ruin...

 

The Winkies, once slaves to the Wicked Witch’s whims, attempted to rebuild their society, but were hampered by the prejudice they faced from other citizens of Oz. The Munchkins could not relate to them given their history with the Wicked Witch of the East; the citizens of the Emerald City looked down on them as gullible puppets; even the Gillikins of the North, under the guidance of Glinda, held on to their resentment. The Tin Man tried to teach his people compassion, but their hearts could not be changed.

 

The three leaders decided that Dorothy was needed in Oz once more. Through her leadership, they would work to restore Oz to not only what it once was, but what it could truly be. The Scarecrow devised a way to contact her, and she agreed to return to them. Once back in the Emerald City, she took on the title of General, and began working on a plan to unite the people of Oz. Dorothy first went to the Munchkins, who welcomed her back as the hero she once was. The Munchkin people, she had heard, had moved on from their agricultural roots and had been delving into engineering and technologies. She requested of them a vehicle capable to her task.

 

The Munchkins constructed the MK-78, which Dorothy nicknamed The Ruby. This craft would allow General Gale and her team to travel across the Land of Oz, finding refugee Winkies and teaching tolerance to the other citizens. Two removable containers (one communication, one a mobile garage) could remain in an area while the ship continued searching for those in need. If difficulty occurs, the ship is equipped with a small fighter dubbed the ”Flying Monkey” to protect both it and those they are trying to help, while the bridge-module also serves as a shuttle. Three Munchkin engineers travel with the ship to keep it operational.

 

Through her work, Dorothy has been able to bring the Winkies together with the Quadlings, the Rlys and the Hilanders who helped shelter them and guide them on the path to a functional society. Dorothy remains at the helm of The Ruby, bringing the people of Oz together, one brick at a time.

 

Buildings to Watch Out for in Brisbane.

•Parliament House in the French Empire style. The architect Charles Tiffin was inspired by the Louvre Art gallery in Paris! It is open for free public inspection but only when parliament is not sitting (QLD parliament is meant to rise on 6 August). It was built in 1868. It is located on the corner of George and Alice Streets, opposite the Old Botanical Gardens. This

Photograph shows the 2 side pavilions or wings making it Palladian in style.

•Old Government House. This is now part of the QUT (Queensland University of Technology). It has recently been extensively restored and re-opened to the public over the Queens birthday long weekend in June. It too has free entry with the upstairs devoted to the art of William Robinson a gifted Queensland painter. Old Government House was built in 1862 and is one of the older buildings in Brisbane. It is a grand two storey house with arcaded loggias, classical facades and features, and two semi-circular balconies. The interior has a grand staircase. The complex is in the Old Botanical Gardens and has a café too.

•The Old Customs House. (399 Queen Street.) Pictured below with its green copper dome, classical balustrades, Corinthian columns and pilasters and triangular roof pediment etc. It is now a commercial building with a café on the river front.

 

•Brisbane City Hall. This Art Deco building built between 1920 and 1930 with classical features is dominated by the 92 metre high clock tower. The building and the clock tower are open free for public inspection during office hours. Note the tympanum frieze decoration in the triangular pediment across the façade.

 

•Albert St Uniting Church. This distinctive brick, gothic style church is across the plaza from the Town Hall. It is open on Fridays till 4 pm. The most prominent feature of the external design is the spire rising to a height of 42 metres from the street. It is capped with a handsome wrought iron final. The original organ was imported from England, and built by George Benson of Manchester. The front pipes are coloured and gilded with gold leaf.

 

•ANZAC Square War Memorial is uniquely and ideally set in peaceful surrounds and worth a visit. The Shrine of Remembrance, with its Eternal Flame, forms the focal point for the radial patterned pathways, pools and lawns. From here you get a view down to the Old Post Office which was built of local sandstone in 1872 by Mr Petrie.

 

A Very brief History of Brisbane.

Australia’s third largest city is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, Scotsman who was governor of NSW from 1821 to 1825. The first European settlement in Queensland was a small convict colony which was established at Redcliffe in 1824. Redcliffe is a northern beach suburb of Brisbane. The settlement was soon moved in 1825 to better location on the Brisbane River in what is now the CBD of Brisbane. John Oxley suggested this change of location and also that the town be known as Brisbane after Sir Thomas Brisbane who visited the settlement in 1826. The settlement area was known as the Moreton Bay. By 1831 Moreton Bay had 1,241 people, but 86% were convicts, and almost all the rest were guards and administrators. One of the founding pioneers to settle in Brisbane was Andrew Petrie, a government clerk, who arrived in the settlement in 1837. His son later became the first mayor of Brisbane.

 

In 1842 (six years after the settlement of SA) Moreton Bay penal establishment was closed and the area opened to free settlers. Half the convicts at Moreton Bay were Irish Catholics which influenced the development of the settlement thereafter. By 1846 Moreton Bay had a population of 4,000 people, considerably less than that of Burra at the time which had over 5,000 people! In 1848 the first immigrants direct from Britain arrived, as did some Chinese. In 1849 three ship loads of Presbyterians arrived in Brisbane, the first ship being the Fortitude- hence the naming of Fortitude Valley. The colony was still far from self sufficient in terms of food production. In the mid 1850s German immigrants also started to arrive in the settlement. The only building still standing built by convict labour is the Old Windmill in Wickham Park. Most of the other convict built buildings were in the CBD and gradually demolished during phases of growth in the 19th century.

 

During the late 1840s a few grand houses were built in Brisbane like Newstead House at Hamilton, and the city began to take shape. All the central streets were named after members of Queen Victoria’s family- Adelaide, Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary for the streets parallel to Queen Street, and Albert, Edward, George and William for the streets perpendicular to Queen Street. In 1859 the population had grown sufficiently, to about 30,000 people for Queensland to be proclaimed a separate colony from NSW with Brisbane (about 6,000 people) as its capital city. It was now a self governing independent colony. Old Government House was built shortly after this in 1862 followed by numerous colonial government buildings. The French Empire style Parliament House opposite the old Botanical Gardens was erected in 1865 to a design by Charles Tiffin. It had perfect symmetry, mansard roof lien with dormer windows, triangular pediments above some windows, and an arcaded loggia. It is still one of the most pleasing and distinctive buildings in Brisbane. Nearby the pastoralists and wealthy built the Queensland Club in Alice Street in 1882 with classical columns, roof line pediment, balustrade and perfect symmetry, but with Italianate style bay windows. The location near parliament house is much like the situation of the Adelaide Club on North Terrace almost adjacent to the SA parliament. The wealthy and pastoralists in both states had immeasurable influence over early colonial politics. One of the other finest colonial buildings of Brisbane is the Old Customs House with the circular copper domed roof on the edge of the Brisbane River. It was erected in 1888.

 

Although Brisbane grew quickly through the following decades it was not incorporated as a city until 1902.Part of the reason for the relatively slow of growth of Brisbane, compared to Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney was that it was not the focal point of the state railway network. Queensland always had other major regional centres. The railway from Brisbane reached out to southern Queensland only- Ipswich in 1864, Toowoomba in 1867, and Charleville by 1888. There was no early push to have a railway link with the coast cities and their hinterlands. The coastal cities of Queensland were not linked by a railway until 1927 when road transport had already taken over the transport of livestock and freight. The coastal railway in Queensland was always for passenger traffic as much as freight traffic.

 

Unlike the other Australian state capitals, Brisbane City Council governs most of the metropolitan area of Brisbane. In 1925 over twenty shires and municipalities were amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. It was at this time that the landmark Brisbane city Hall was built in Art Deco style. It was opened in 1930 and members of the public can enter and walk around the inside of the building.

 

During World War Two, Brisbane had a distinctive history as Prime Minister John Curtin had the “Brisbane Line” as a controversial defense plan, whereby if there was a land invasion of Australia, the northern half of the country would be surrendered at a line just north of Brisbane! Brisbane also became the headquarters for the Americans campaign in the South Pacific with General Douglas MacArthur based there at times. In 1942 a violent clash erupted between American and Australian service personnel in Brisbane. Between 2,000 and 5,000 men were involved in the riots which spread over two days. One soldier was killed and eight injured by gun fire as well as 100s injured with black eyes, swollen faces, broken noses etc. On the second night 21 Americans were injured with 11 of them having to be hospitalised. It was locally known as The Battle of Brisbane.

 

Yet around 1 million American troops passed through Queensland between December 1941 (just after the bombing of Pearl harbour) and the end of 1945. They were here to spearhead attacks to take back the Philippines, and to prevent the Japanese from taking New Guinea.

Black American soldiers were especially unpopular in Brisbane as their landing contravened the “White Australia Policy” of the times. In response to this policy General Douglas MacArthur announced his support for the Australian government’s insistence that no more Black American troops be sent to Brisbane after 1942. The Black American units in Australia were later sent to New Guinea and New Caledonia. Black American troops in New Guinea were not allowed to visit Australia for rest and recreation leave although white American troops were allowed to visit Australia, mainly to Mackay. Resentment between American and Australian troops in Brisbane had to be contained and suppressed. Riots between troops also occurred in Townsville during the War.

 

A bat in purple-ish skies.

 

And down here on earth, the POETRY INVASION continues unabated.

 

WITHOUT TRUST

 

Without trust, might as well just

Forget it. Without trust, suspicion

And doubt will multiply to feed on

Your well-being until what could

Have been a good thing is over

Before it’s even begun. Without

Trust, it’s just mutual using, fine

Until you have to take responsibilty

For it. Without trust, togetherness

Is just an illustion, beautiful at first,

About as permanent as a raindrop.

We’re like freezers now, forever

Cold and closed. To understand

Why, look at our story from the

Very beginning, look at all that’s

Gone down, and ask yoursellf

How such a complete absence

Of trust could ever come to be.

 

SINK

 

Way too deep in the dirty, shitty,

Polluted waters of bad emotions,

And trying not to sink. Swim on,

Keep going – as sure as the waters

Are not supposed to be this way,

There must be something cleaner

Up ahead. Don’t drown because

Another was carelessness with

Their ocean. Swim on, these

Waters are just part of a much

Bigger sea that cleanses itself in

Time and will dissolve all this filth.

 

BIG EGGY

 

Eggs came flying from the hens

Like bullets. Hens on a steady

Amphetamine diet in the egg

Factory, meeting the demands

Of America’s breakfast each

And every morning. Till one

Day the hens used the eggs

As their weapons, rebelled,

Shot their way out of slavery.

Hens like Spartacus, a band

Of feathered refugees, on a

Quest to find freedom in the

Land of the free. I thought of

This after a really good omlett.

Maybe there realy are drugs in

The eggs. Or else this freedom

Thing is just contagious.

 

AN HONOR THING

 

I can get conflicted about returning

Somewhere I’ve previously been

Declared unwelcome. If you treat

Me like someone you’d rather not

Have around, until I hear differently

That’s how I’ll always see you. It’s

An honor thing. That might sound

Completely outdated in this day and

Age, but I’m talking about honor

Given, not just honor received. If

You’ve asked me for distance, then

The respectful response is to give

You that distance. If you’ve ever felt

Differently, you’ve never so much as

Lifted a finger to show it, so what is

The respectful, honorable thing for

Me to assume? Sorry if I’m sounding

Redundant, but sometimes you look

Upset at me for ignoring you.

 

NAKED

 

When a fully clothed man feels

Naked, that’s his problem. When

A naked man feels fully clothed,

That’s our problem. As much as

I try to undress a subject with

Words, without resorting to

Coarseness of speech, we keep

A veil over the unadorned truth

For the sake of public decency.

 

THE DOGS WHO ARE OUR FRIENDS

 

I don’t mean to feed the rats. I

Don’t want to feed the rats. But

Then there are the dogs who

Are our friends. The ones who

Belong to no one, no security,

No guarantee of the next meal.

Grateful for the scraps –different

Value system. You feed them and

They’ll guard you. Unlike people –

You feed them and they’ll rob you.

I am not my brother’s keeper and

I know even less about keeping a

Dog. They just stay close because

They want to, I guess.

 

SPINACH BELIEVER

 

Speechless – don’t even feel like

Talking. But it’s these moments

When speech eludes me that I’m

Probably closest to the truth, when

My particular state of affairs, state

Of being, state the union makes

Like Popeye, proclaiming, I am

What I am, and there you have it.

You can see clearly now, the rain

Is gone. Ok, Mr. Spinach Believer,

Kindly explain what’s up with this

Not being able to sleep? With this

Nagging feeling something isn’t

Exactly right? That I’m not quite

Where I’m supposed to be? Is

This a never-ending lesson in

Patience? The Buddha, I’m told,

Sat under a tree for years until

He’d transcended attachment

And found enlightenment. I don’t

Have the patience to follow his

Example. I think enlightenment

Hides behind these big questions

And little mysteries that never

Fail to leave me speechless.

 

SPIRITS IN MANU’A

 

People here so casually mention

Spirits in Manu’a, I have no doubt

They believe in them. I think it’s

Great there are spirits in Manu’a –

Spirits need a higher visual profile,

For sure, because people will only

Pay lip service to what they can’t

See. It’s high time the spirits kick

Some ass on the legion of stupid

Humans who would dare to mess

With them. I know most people

Here firmly believe Manu’a spirits

Exist. This fills me with fear, not

Because I think the spirits would

Harm me, but because so many

Here know that spirits are real

And still act the way they do.

 

PRECIOUS THING

 

Maybe someday when it doesn’t

Really matter, you’ll tell me what

Was going on in your head and I’ll

Tell you what was going on in mine

And we’ll both feel like idiots. We

Both felt the precious thing, and

Proceeded to create conditions

For it that the other couldn’t even

Cognate, never mind live up to.

Having no way to tell which way

Was up, it became more a matter

Of who was trashing it the worst.

I guess that’s the true nature of

The precious thing – it doesn’t

Really teach you that much about

Someone else, just about yourself.

 

YUM, COMFORTABLE SLUG

 

Fear reinforces conformity,

But, I’d wager to say, does

Not engender excellence.

For conformity stifles the

Aspirtion to rise above the

Anonymous mediocrity, to

Risk getting noticed out of

Line. Therefore, be a rebel

Or be a slug. Imagine if you

Breathe your last and the

Best thing you can say

About your life is, “It was

Comfortable”. Yep, very

Comfortable in a shell, in a

Mental cell, under the spell

Of mindless conformity.

Content to be just another

Comfortable slug, quietly

Waiting in line to provide

Some bird with breakfast.

 

SUMMER

 

We’re both living organisms

And nature made us a layaway

Plan. This is totally organic,

The most popular mechanics,

Encyclopedia Britannica

Defines it as life carrying on.

These cells weren’t meant for

Confinement, and the high

Court of nature recently ruled

In their favor. Time to think

Of future generations and

Whether they’ll remember us.

We leave behind poems and

A long story for others to tell

As summer approaches.

 

FULL MOON

 

I was born under the sign ruled by

The Moon. Its fullness has the

Strongest pull on the tides. We’re

Mostly liquid, but not enough for

The Moon to make us levitate.

How strange that would be – the

Bigger you are, the closer you’d

Get to the Moon. Even if we don’t

Float into the sky, the waters inside

Us feel the pull of the Moon. Our

Thoughts, feelings, emotions and

Perceptions all grow more intense.

It’s a time when joys can run high,

Sorrows deep. The stillness of the

Moon throws into contrast all the

Turbulence we carry. Things seem

Slightly distorted, but no, it’s just

The agonies and ecstasies of daily

Existence amplified by the Moon.

In a heightened state, transfixed

By the glow, I sometimes wonder

If floating into the sky might not be

Such a bad idea after all.

 

CRISES

 

Emotional crisis, health crisis, plumbing

Crisis – can you blame me if I think life

Has something personal against me?

Am I using too much air? Would the

Food I eat be better allocated to the

Starving in Africa? Do my words add

Irreparable damage to the general

Peace, harmony and understanding

Among mankind? Is even thinking I’m

That significant just another ego trip?

So many questions… Meanwhile, the

Crises need tending to. One by one

I’ll put a band aid on each and carry

On just like any other day.

 

ETIQUETTE

 

Look, sorry if you think this is

Strange, but on the planet I

Come from , this would be

Considered good manners.

This would be considered a

Gesture of affection and

Sincere respect. It would

Express appreciation for

All the things so special

About you, for the way you

Make things better just by

Being you. On the planet I

Come from expressions

Such as these are not

Considered in poor taste,

And are given and received

With grace. On the planet I

Come from it’s considered

Important to express such

Things if you feel them. But

On this planet everything

Is the opposite.

 

I.O.U.

 

There’s a difference of opinion

Over what my civic duty is. My

Controversial purse strings are

Being called to account. The

Public sticks its nose into my

Business records as if I owe

Them, as if the check is in the

Mail. They’re just jealous of

Success, real or perceived,

And think a high profile gives

Them an excuse for low blows.

 

NANNIES

 

Sometimes crimes don’t seem

Like crimes at all at the time,

More like a smart move – too

Bad the other dimwits missed

It – a chance to take advantage

While the tides have turned in

Your favor. So there you sit

Trying to explain what you did

To all the people you hurt, and

Your only defense is no one

Stopped you, as if all the laws

Of the courts and the heart are

Nothing more than nannies,

Derelict in their duty to keep

You from burining inquisitive

Fingers on the hot stove.

 

FILE

 

Judas on the computer, forwarding

The Pharisees useful tidbits they

Reward with pieces of silver and

Crumbs of approval. We keep a

File on you. Everything you’ve

Done, all you’ve ever shared with

Anyone, is documented, can be

Used as proof. When good times

Turn bad, good time friends turn

Witness. Think Heaven has issued

You a free pass? It doesn’t apply

Till you expire. Till then, you’re

Liable for an outstanding balance

Here on earth, and we’ll collect

By any means necessary. That’s

Why our meticulous file records

Everyone you ever sold out to get

Where you are. Just call it looking

After Number One, like Judas did.

 

FOREST

 

Subtleties of understanding are

One thing, but lacking an idea

In common, you can’t see the

Forest for the trees. The same

Thing looks different from a

Few feet away. The sublime

Just sounds crude unless you

Describe it with the right kind

Of English. It’s simple enough

We’re in a forest, but all the

Subtleties filter the light so

Differently, making the path

Appear a dead end. I left an

Offering of crumbs to mark

Some kind of trail, but now

My knapsack’s out and every

Direction looks no different

From the other. Have to find

My way through this forest

Of understanding on intuition

And faith, which is another

Way of saying I’m lost.

 

TOOLS IN HAND

 

Tools in hand, I threaten to carve

In stone a yes or no. Instead, it’s

Something ridiculous engraved

On this unsuspecting rock. I’d

Hate to immortalize anything

Really important on this eternal

Surface. Importance is so often

Nothing more than a response

To a moment. Subject the ages

To it? That would be like waking

Up one morning with a tattoo

You’re not so sure you even

Like anymore. So tools in hand,

Hoping to look important, what

Shall I carve in stone? Try sound

Profound – We need to laugh

At the ridiculous, or else it’s too

Easy to become frightened by it.

 

TIP THE SCALES

 

Weigh my flawed actions,

Speech and understanding

To see if they tip the scales

Of blind justice, knowing

Justice is never really blind,

Just suspending plain sight

To avoid judging solely by

How things appear. Blind

Judges use a third eye, feel

Vibes, an otherworldy sense

Of knowing , a logic of the

Subconscious. Still , among

Humans no objectivity is

Pure. At best, there is only

Balance or its absence, and

So the symbol of the scale

To weigh the right or wrong,

Inconsequence or severity

Of our every flawed action,

Speech and understanding.

 

PAIN

 

Pain wants to have a conversation,

Making its presence known. Pain

Has the uncanny knack of leading

You to believe it’s moved on, but

Just when you’re basking in the

Sun, a moving shadow distracts

You from your warm imaginings

And you just know. Pain wants to

Powwow, update its files, inquire

Discretely, do a routine service

Check while you’re still under

Warranty. Our relationship is

Purely professional, pain and me.

I don’t exactly relate, just grow

Accustomed to how it comes

And goes. I asked why, how long,

It looked at me thoughtfully and

Replied, sorry, that’s classified.

Not knowing just comes with the

Pain, and vice versa.

 

STAR AND DIRECTOR

 

Very few actors can handle being

Both star and director. This leads

To the shocking revelation that

The star isn’t really what’s best

About a movie, only what’s most

Visible. If it’s only the star that

Matters, then how come some

Of them turn out one lousy film

After another? Star, director,

And some mysterious X factor

All combine to make a movie

Memorable. We might both be

Stars in our own way, or even

Directors when someone needs

To take that role. Neither of us

Might require star billing, but I

know we’d both resist taking

Direction from each other. This

Has something to do with self-

Perception, artistic vision and

Who controls either or both.

How dare you presume you can

Direct me??? We two could only

Combine talents were we to cede

Direction to a source that’s bigger

Than the both of us.

 

LETTERS TO A LOVE

 

It meant something to try and

Make contact and keep in touch.

I wonder how many great love

Poems are really letters to a love

That never was. Whether you’re

A poet, a house painter, or a

Parking lot attendant, you’ve got

To have hope, do something

With what you know inside, try

To make contact and keep in

Touch, just so someone knows

They’re not the only one who

Feels the same things you do.

 

CONVENTION

 

Snub convention or take advantage

Of it, that is the question. I brought

With me the conventions of a

Different location, which renders

Me unconventional in this context

But a leopard can’t change stripes.

Boundaries, social responsibilities

And persona space all have their

Place, but I have two legs, I could

Walk through all that. You’ll notice

I won’t, because that would be

Ignoring the boundaries you set by

Implication. Your actions demarcate

Where the boundaries should be,

Until you indicate differently. That’s

The system, the convention, the

Way things are done among those

For whom doing things right means

More than simply victory or defeat.

True, I have two legs, I could walk

Through all that, but only if I knew

You wanted me to.

 

ONENESS AND LUST

 

Oneness, I wish I could bring you

A worthier gift than lust, than an

Admission of my weakness, than

A diagnosis of my disease. Little

Wonder you fail to find these

Attributes attractive. Or is it my

Own shame at the mortal truths

That reduce us to something so

Un-godlike we fear we displease

God who made us this way? You

Can read my intention at a glance,

And I don’t like feeling exposed

Any more than I like feeling alone.

 

IGLOO

 

In our polar bear skins, we blend in

With endless white, color of purity.

Since the cold comes so naturally

To you, I’m going to build an igloo

Where we can rendezvous. I don’t

Cherish the thought of killing seals

And walruses, but if we don’t eat

Them, something else will. Please

Let me draw the line at porpoises.

I’d even eat a porpoise for you, but

Only if we have to, and even then

With some regret. Alas, unfortunate

Porpoise, friend of man, it was you

Or me, buddy. That’s life in an igloo -

Not a McDonalds in sight but plenty

Of penguins.

 

ROPE

 

Judas, rope is not the answer.

Do you think running away

From what you’ve done will

Inspire compassion? Some

Would say it was all written

Before it happened, that you

Simply acted out your part as

Scripted. What is this, a last

Minute bid for sympathy?

To judge yourself unworthy

Of finding your soul again is

Not your judgment to make.

Who are you or I to shut the

Door to redemption for even

The worst, even ourselves?

It might seem futile atoning

For a crime impossible to

Forgive, but it would have

Mattered if you had at least

Tried. Judas, you’re not a

Bird, you don’t belong in the

Tree until you get your wings.

 

MENTALS

 

The mentals at the shopping center

Scare me by making me realize I’d

Like to slap them, report them to

Public Health, call the cops on them,

Complain to center management

(Or customer relations if they even

Bother).They make me realize I’m

Not such a nice guy after all, not so

Tolerant after all, not so forgiving

After all (but you already knew that).

You know you’re really nice, really

Tolerant and really forgiving when

In your heart you can pardon even

The mentals who ruin breakfast for

You with their thespian pleas for

Your extra change, not only those

More level-minded who really know

Better but steadfastly believe they

Can easily atone by simply making

The appropriately pious noises.

 

(inspired by the song “Royals”.)

 

TIDES

 

Our tides go in and out. So

Full at first, always ending

So empty. Nothing but a

Barren reef left sometimes,

But when the tide’s in, it has

A life of its own. Notoriously

Fickle, tides go where they

Will, but curiously, sooner

Or later they always seem to

Lead right back where they

Started. You can almost set

A clock by it. Ever feel like

The tides are trying to tell

Us something?

 

TWO HUNDRED GRAND

 

Hillary will give you a speech for

Two hundred grand. Once a price

Is known, it just makes you wonder

How far someone would go. Say the

Boy/Man Love Coalition had two

Hundred grand in the bank from

Bake sales - d’ya suppose she’d take

The gig? Or if a Saudi billionaire

Offered five if she’d read the local

Phone book for fifteen minutes,

Just as some kind of statement,

Would Hillary take it? For eight,

Would she pop out of a cake singing

“Emotions” to oilmen in Texas?

For nine, and an end to famine in

Africa, would Hillary strip down to

A flesh-colored one-piece live on

The web? And of course what they

All want to know – how many

Millions would it take for her to

Promise not to seek the Presidency?

Don’t take up a collection too soon,

Pal. What’s the matter? Afraid of a gal

Who knows her own worth and how

To budget her time?

 

CURVES

 

And so our story curves again.

I’m not afraid to comment, but

Taken out of context it might

Cause discomfort, which was

Never my intention in the first

Place. I was just hoping you’d

See the curve of my thoughts

And reconsider. Ideas come to

Me like freeway headlights, all

At once. I can only see them

Clearly for a second before they

Disappear. Sometimes one of

These passing thoughts makes

It all the way to the page. What’s

Inside me filters what’s around

Me and out comes these words.

Just so you’ll know if you have

Thoughts anything like mine.

 

HOOTENANNY MAN

 

Hootenanny man learned to use

Language to talk of things beyond

The barnyard. What makes the

World turn or the bar room fall

Silent. What makes schoolboys

Wish they could be president, or

Presidents wish they could spend

Summer at the fishing creek again.

Love growing from the ruins of war,

Our moment face to face with the

Eternal. Ever since we’ve had a

Language we’ve had poets using it

For more than the evening news,

Playing at being serious, seducing

With breathless invocations of the

Sanctified, reducing ageless wisdom

To blithe childishness, elevating a

Moment to eternal importance.

It’s not all contradictions, sings the

Hootenanny man, it’s as natural as

Having two eyes, two ears, two

Hands and two feet instead of one.

 

(Inspired by Bob Dylan)

 

LONG, LONG WAIT

 

Long, long wait for something

That never quite arrives. At the

End of the line, at least you can

Say you did your part. You try

And stay on a path with some

Kind of heart, hoping that if

You try to do right thing you’ll

Find the guidance you need

Whenever you come to a fork

In the road. When things go

Wrong, you try and take the

Knocks with grace, think about

What happened and why, and

How you can do better next

Time. Along the way, you’re

Going to lose a lot of Illusions,

But gain an insight or two that

Might help you make sense of

The long, long wait.

 

OVERBOARD

 

Overboard in matters of the heart,

Enthusiasms, passions, likes and

Dislikes, heartaches, suspicions,

Questions and more. Things seem

To resonate a bit deeper with me.

I have something to lose - you

Better take me seriously or take

A hike. But for the few I can trust,

I go overboard in my friendship

And wouldn’t think twice about

Giving whatever I can. I project

Balanced calm for appearances’

Sake, but shake the tree and I’m

Overboard before I can remember

My life vest.

 

PROFILE

 

How do you profile me in your

Mind? I’ve noticed how people

Do that – create you in their

Thoughts as whatever kind of

Character is convenient for the

Narrative they’re trying to sell.

Then one day you hear a person

Described who you don’t even

Recognize, and you realize its

Supposed to be you. Perhaps

You heard or saw something

That fit previously established

Prototypes, then constructed

A profile accordingly, but it’s

What you didn’t see or hear to

Factor in to your floor plan that

Brings me sadness.

 

HOPE AND DOUBT

 

Hope and doubt are battling it

Out. Emotionally speaking,

Self-protection can get violent.

Ideally, hope and doubt would

Just reach a balance, but mine

Want to get in each other’s

Faces and wreak havoc. Hope

Accuses doubt of having no

Faith in love. Doubt says hope

Is just an unrealistic fool. They

Both look bruised after clashing

Repeatedly. At the end of the

Day, for worse or better, I find

Myself favoring hope, only

Because doubt seems like a

Dead end. But I understand

Doubt’s resentment – just

Trying to look out for me and

Not being listened to.

 

DETECTIVE

 

Some people are scarier to think

About than to actually be around

Because they’re not like bank

Statements, easily reconciled

And confidently filed. Leave me

Alone with my thoughts for too

Long and my detective tendencies

Start me analyzing the profile,

Putting evidence together like a

Jigsaw puzzle. The emerging

Image isn’t always pretty which

Makes me question whether

Some pieces might be missing or

That’s it in all its contradictory

Glory. Bizarre as it may sound,

I really want you to be right, but

Can’t relax my guard untill my

Investigation of all the ways you

Could be wrong clears your name.

 

BUDDHISM 2014

 

The sins of this life, we pay for

In the next life, like karma is a

Credit card with a set limit to

How much forgiveness we can

Reasonably expect. Clear your

Balance of bad deeds in this

Lifetime and eventually you

Accumulate the bonus points

To transcend the karmic wheel

And buy into a timeshare in

Nirvana. But pass your limit

Too quickly and you’ll find

Your account overdrawn of

Grace, leaving you to a fate

Of paying back your debts to

Humanity while still human

(At least in appearance). All

This reveals why some can

Enjoy a spree of shockingly

Bad behavior and just smile

Like Mona Lisa, while others

Need only think a single bad

Thought and they’re promptly

Squashed like a bug under a

Bicycle. Splat: transcendence.

 

SILENCER

 

The national anthem asks, oh say,

Can you see? But some people

See more than they can say.

Like when I know I’ve been sold

Out – saying it aloud would only

Compound a painful absence of

Grace, so silence provides me my

Only solace. Wounds don’t need

Words or even sound to send a

Message, but if you see these

Soundless words, they’ll tell you

That what cuts even deeper than

Feeling sold out by you is the way

You can’t say you’re sorry. If you

Can’t say it, I can’t assume it.

 

ACCESS DENIED

 

Access denied because the

Password is some kind of

Family secret. What a fall

From lofty rank, like a big

Shot discovering he’s firing

Blanks. All thanks to the

Collective will of the herd,

Eager to hoof it for greener

Pastures and better friends,

While I fend for myself

Against coyotes. The herd

Heard rumors I know how

To download corrupt DNA

Into the deep end of your

Gene pool, making them

Panic for the sanctity of your

Bovine bloodline. Actually,

I was thinking one small

Small step at a time. What

Nerve of the herd not to

Investigate, just terminate

My access with no warning

Or farewell. If I’m outcast

So ingraciously, then may

It be coyotes instead who

Crack your sacred access

Code and bite you and your

Over-protective herd on

Your collective ass.

 

OVER-REACTION

 

Drop an atomic bomb on the mouse.

Oops, you took out the whole house –

Collateral damage. No, it’s not an

Over-reaction. We are the last bastion

Against the mice. It’s them or our

Civilization, like the Alamo defending

Us against Taco Bell.

 

IN MY OWN WEENIE WAY

 

It’s not exactly a new idea, some

Joker typing away trying to capture

A voice in his heard. They used to

Do it with pens. When the Marquis

De Sade got thrown in a French

Prison for writing blasphemy,

Pornography and politically

Insulting poetry and prose, they

Took away his pen just to be

Cruel but he continued to write

On the walls of his cell in his own

Blood and feces. This man had

Something to say. So do I, though

I’m just a weenie compared to the

Marquis. I don’t write to you in

Blood, but in my own weenie way,

Believe me, I’m bleeding.

 

SCRUTINY

 

Like a frog in biology class, I can

Feel scrutiny bearing down. You

Want to understand my mechanics

Like Japan always striving for a

Better radio. I better copyright

My consciousness, bottle up my

Lightning and sell in on special at

Rip Off Mart. You can buy Beatle

Wigs, Springsteen lunchboxes,

Rolling Stone dildos and Grateful

Dead bongs. Would you like to

Own my itch, or just brag you’ve

Got accurate data, made a factual

Analysis? Anal, yeah sis? I am of

No commercial or academic use.

I don’t even see why you like me

Unless your screws are tinny too.

 

MILESTONE

 

They left me to figure things

Out on my own, so I guess it’s

No surprise I soon deduced

What works for me. No one

Insisted I pursue a certain

Direction, so my process of

Self-becoming never involved

Pleasing anyone else. Left to

My own devices, of course I

Quickly intuited my vices of

Choice, but hopefully with a

Virtue or two as well here and

There. This self-reflection bit

Feels perilously close to self-

Promotion, but it’s another

Milestone so I’m supposed to

Tally up where I am and how

I got here. Ok, so where am I

And how did I get here? The

Answer is, I don’t really know,

Which I suppose is what I get

For watching the scenery

More than the signs.

 

UNCONVENTIONAL COUNSELING

(NOT TO MENTION UNSOLICITED)

 

When I say they live in the past,

I don’t mean it as an insult to

Their good intentions, but they

Were young in the ‘60s and ‘70s

And you’re young now. In their

Own way, they’re just trying to

Protect you, but some protection

If they force on you a partner

Who’ll beat you, cheat on you

And divorce you. Then what are

They going to do? Say it was your

Fault? Partner selection is a very

Personal thing, not just another

Community undertaking. You

Used to marry whole families

Together – that was all fine and

Good – but nowadays even

Families can’t guarantee if a

Particular pairing will soar like

High flying birds or crash like

A train off the tracks, and

Doesn’t staying together just

For the children’s sake sound

Like a benign form of torture?

Marry for serious love or don’t

Do it, I say, but everyone has to

Decide for themselves.

 

320/365 - Our Daily Challenge - "Free":

 

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B Smedes

 

A darker image than what I usually post, but it seemed to fit the subject. The older I get, the more I recognize how painful and exhausting it is to carry around resentment. Forgiveness is not particularly popular in today's society. Jacob Rodriguez says "In a world where personal vengeance is heroic and utter hatred is showcased on TV talk shows, to forgive seems a bit weak." However, he also says "Forgiveness is God's solution for the scarred soul." That is SO true. I could not do it on my own, but Jesus reminds me of how much He has forgiven me and I am convinced of my need to forgive others. When I am willing to let go, it is a freedom like no other!

 

It's bugging me that I should have put "forgiveness" instead of "forgive" on the 3rd heart to keep all the words parallel....but it wouldn't fit without making the font too small. lol

 

Nikon D5000, 50mm

3 textures were used on this image...one is sadly unknown. The other two are "Primitive" by ShadowHouse and "UggLove" by Kim Klassen.

This song is dedicated to Flickr. Best viewed large on black.

 

God, I’m worse than a teenage girl with all these hormonal hissy fits. I don’t expect anyone to care about this or to read this brainfart, but it kinda helps me put things in perspective and work things out.

 

I think I’m having a love hate relationship with flickr and photography at the mo. I’m calling on Flickr to employ a therapist that could help me through my photography journey and through the fuked up world that is flickrland....,then again I could just take my head out my of ass and do some thinking for myself.

 

I seem to have come to a stumbling block with my photography and think I might be blaming it on flickr to a certain extent. In fact I guess i’m just frustrated and disappointed in myself. I feel like I’ve experienced a speeded up version of photography learning over the past 14 months. You get to a stage quite quickly of being able to compose a shot, to expose it how you want and actually take shots that your mates go... ‘Wow!’ or ‘You are really good’.... but it’s a bit of scam really, It isn’t hard to do that. I know I could go out to take powerful, appealing images.... but i don’t want to. I want to play, experiment and express myself in ways that aren’t about producing pretty or perfect pictures that impress people. But it isn’t that easy, i get sucked in to it and flickr sometimes doesn’t’ help that. I have so many projects and ideas that I would have given a go a year ago, but now there is some sort of expectation on me (only put on by myself, i guess) I find it harder to get out there and do it. Procrastination strikes then the all too familiar feelings of frustration and resentment kick in. i want to get rid of that....

 

Anycheese, just feel like I had so much excitement at the beginning, I got wowed out that it was possible to capture moment, a mood, to express a feeling or even just capture a pretty scene. I really didn’t care whether others would like it or whether it was any good or not. I want that freedom and awe back. I’m going back to basics. I;m going to take shots for whatever reason i want, maybe just coz it’s pretty, maybe because it has a deep psychological meaning behind it or maybe just because it makes me smile.

 

Although Flickr can sometimes exacerbate the over inflation of one’s own talent & ability and encourage one down the path of least resistance of popularity and conformity, it does has its major plus points. Not just the incredible photography that does crop up... but the inspiration of people that shoot what they love, for themselves, no matter how others perceive it. I respect those that do that. I’m also astonished at how i really do feel a friendship to some people on here that i;ve never even met, and genuinely feel a care and interest for.... and that gives this place quite a unique, if not scary, appeal.

 

*Thanks for the comments and flickrmails recently, I really have appreciated it.

 

The Ruby

115 Studs in length

 

After the defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Good Witch of the North helped Dorothy Gale return home to Kansas. The Land of Oz was left, by the Wizard, in the capable hands of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion. Although they lead the people of Oz with grace and wisdom, the lands were so large that even they could not keep everything in check. Oz began to fall to ruin...

 

The Winkies, once slaves to the Wicked Witch’s whims, attempted to rebuild their society, but were hampered by the prejudice they faced from other citizens of Oz. The Munchkins could not relate to them given their history with the Wicked Witch of the East; the citizens of the Emerald City looked down on them as gullible puppets; even the Gillikins of the North, under the guidance of Glinda, held on to their resentment. The Tin Man tried to teach his people compassion, but their hearts could not be changed.

 

The three leaders decided that Dorothy was needed in Oz once more. Through her leadership, they would work to restore Oz to not only what it once was, but what it could truly be. The Scarecrow devised a way to contact her, and she agreed to return to them. Once back in the Emerald City, she took on the title of General, and began working on a plan to unite the people of Oz. Dorothy first went to the Munchkins, who welcomed her back as the hero she once was. The Munchkin people, she had heard, had moved on from their agricultural roots and had been delving into engineering and technologies. She requested of them a vehicle capable to her task.

 

The Munchkins constructed the MK-78, which Dorothy nicknamed The Ruby. This craft would allow General Gale and her team to travel across the Land of Oz, finding refugee Winkies and teaching tolerance to the other citizens. Two removable containers (one communication, one a mobile garage) could remain in an area while the ship continued searching for those in need. If difficulty occurs, the ship is equipped with a small fighter dubbed the ”Flying Monkey” to protect both it and those they are trying to help, while the bridge-module also serves as a shuttle. Three Munchkin engineers travel with the ship to keep it operational.

 

Through her work, Dorothy has been able to bring the Winkies together with the Quadlings, the Rlys and the Hilanders who helped shelter them and guide them on the path to a functional society. Dorothy remains at the helm of The Ruby, bringing the people of Oz together, one brick at a time.

 

By far one of the most advanced and iconic British aircraft of the 1960's, the Trident was Britain's attempt at a short-to-medium range jet airliner that was called upon by state-owned carrier British European Airways for their premier routes in Western Europe. However, it's involvement with BEA would later become a thorn in its side, and would ultimately destroy the Trident's chances, especially after the introduction of the Boeing 727 from North America.

 

With the introduction of Jet Airliners in 1952, pioneered by the De Havilland Comet, many airline managers and economists remained sceptical and advocated turboprop airliners as replacements of piston-engined airliners. Initial resentment to the jet airliner proposals however were quickly warmed, with BEA, who had openly rejected the idea of jet powered aircraft, going on to say they would consider jets to work alongside their Turboprop fleet. These jets would be required to carry a payload of some 20,000lb (the equivalent of 70 passengers) up to 1,000 miles, and have the ability to use runways of up to 6,000ft. Other requirements included a cruising speed of 610 to 620mph using two or more engines.

 

Initially, four British aircraft manufacturers took up the challenge of designing such a stringent aircraft. AVRO proposed the AVRO 740 Trijet, but would later join forces with Bristol and Hawker Siddeley. Vickers proposed a short-range version of their VC-10 dubbed the VC-11. The de Havilland company considered three possible contenders for the specification. Two were four-engined developments of the Comet: the D.H.119 and the D.H.120, the latter also intended for offer to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The third, the D.H.121 announced in May 1957, had three engines and was pitched at BEA. In February 1958, BEA announced that the D.H.121 had come closest to its requirements and that it would order 24 with options on 12 more. However, development of the D.H. 121 was stalled for another 6 months by the British Government, in which time they had taken favour to Hawker Siddeley for Industrial policy reasons. Meanwhile, BEA has taken a shine to the Sud Aviation Caravelle of France, but was deemed politically unacceptable, and thus the De Havilland option was taken up.

 

Over time the design was tinkered and altered due to BEA's continually changing requirements for the aircraft. Eventually, the aircraft, now dubbed the 'Trident', was brought to a final design. The aircraft would be constructed of metal, and wings would be swept back at 35 degrees. Power came from three Rolls Royce Spey engines mounted at the rear, with the T-Tail design bearing a similarity to the later Boeing 727. Performance wise, the Trident was capable of 610mph cruising speeds, and could take off in less than 6,000ft of runway. The main competition however, the newly developed Boeing 727 of the United States, could take off in 4,500ft. In flight, the Trident could descend routinely at rates of 4,500ft/min, with room to cater for emergency descents.

 

However, the Trident's main party piece was in fact it's automatic landing system, the first of its kind in the world. The Automatic Blind Landing system was developed by Hawker Siddeley and Smiths Aircraft Instruments, and was able to guide the aircraft automatically during airfield approach, flare, touchdown and even roll-out from the landing runway. The system was intended to offer autoland by 1970. In the event, it enabled the Trident to perform the first automatic landing by a civil airliner in scheduled passenger service on 10th June 1965, and the first genuinely "blind" landing in scheduled passenger service on 4th November 1966.

 

This system was primarily developed to overcome the problems of heavy fog at London's Heathrow Airport, which could often result in long delays or diversions to other airports. These advanced avionics though needed room inside the aircraft, and thus were placed underneath the cockpit, resulting in the nose landing gear being offset from the centre of the aircraft, leading to the nose wheel retracting sideways.

 

Hawker Siddeley Aviation which absorbed de Havilland, needed additional customers for the Trident, so entered into discussions with American Airlines in 1960. They demanded an aircraft with a longer range, which meant that the original DH121 design would have fulfilled American's requirements almost perfectly. To fill American's needs, design began on a new Trident 1A, powered with uprated Rolls-Royce Spey 510's greater thrust and a larger wing with more fuel. American Airlines eventually declined the aircraft in favour of the Boeing 727, an aircraft which filled the original DH121 specifications almost exactly.

 

The first Trident 1, G-ARPA, made its maiden flight on 9th January 1962 from Hatfield Aerodrome, and entered service on 1st April 1964. By 1965, there were 15 Tridents in BEA's fleet and by March 1966, the fleet had increased to 21.

 

Sales for the Trident 1 were sadly low, with only three being sold to Kuwait Airways and Iraqi Airways, four for Pakistan International Airlines (later sold to CAAC), two each for Channel Airways and Northeast Airlines of Britain, and one for Air Ceylon. Channel Airways aircraft were operated with cramped, 21in pitch, seven-abreast seating in the forward section (and people say Ryanair is cramped!).

 

Later, a new Trident, the Trident 2E, was launched, which included modified engines for greater journey length and a longer fuselage for more capacity. Again, sales were sadly lukewarm at best, with BEA buying 15, two for Cyprus Airways and 33 by CAAC, the Chinese national airline. The first flight of this version was made on 27th July 1967 and it entered service with BEA in April 1968.

 

The final variant of the Trident, the 3B, was the largest of the fleet, with a capacity of 180 seats. The design came from an earlier proposal of two different aircraft to combat the likes of the newer Boeing 737, both being by Hawker Siddeley. The HS132 intended to have two engines like a DC-9 and would take 158 passengers, whilst the HS134 would take 180 passengers and have engines under the wings, making the aircraft look similar to that of the modern day Boeing 757. Both plans however were declined by BEA, who intended instead to take on Boeing 727's and 737's to replace their fleet of 1-11's and Tridents, but the Government turned them down. In the end a stretched Trident was born and dubbed the 3B. In all, 26 aircraft were ordered by BEA, being launched in December 1969. A later version with extended range fuel tanks was also built called the Super Trident 3B. In all, only 35 of these planes were built, the remainder being sold to CAAC.

 

In the end, only 117 Tridents were ever built, in comparison to the 1,832 Boeing 727's built in the same time period. After the end of production, the Tridents ambled along in a life on borrowed time, their design being quickly overtaken by their Boeing competitors. BEA was eventually merged with BOAC to form British Airways in 1974, who largely consumed the other British Trident operators throughout the 70's and 80's before retiring the fleet in 1985. The last known flights of the Hawker Siddeley Trident were by CAAC in the early 1990's.

 

In all, 9 Tridents were involved in accidents, the most notable and deadliest crashes being:

 

- 1972 Staines Air Disaster, where pilot error caused British European Airways aircraft G-ARPI to stall on departure from Heathrow, killing 118. (G-ARPI has previously been damaged in 1968 when an Airspeed Ambassador crashed into it whilst it was parked at Heathrow, writing off fellow Trident G-ARPT)

 

- 1976 Zagreb mid-air collision, where an ATC error caused British Airways aircraft G-AWZT to crash mid-flight into Inex-Adria Airways Douglas DC-9 YU-AJR, killing 176 in total.

 

- 1988 CAAC Flight 301 crashed on landing at the famous Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong during rain and fog, causing the aircraft to slip off the runway and fall into the harbour, killing 7.

 

Today however, a total of 11 complete and incomplete aircraft remain in existence and in varying conditions:

 

- Trident 1C G-ARPO is at the former RAF Usworth site, now the North East Aircraft Museum.

- Trident 2E G-AVFB is at the Imperial War Museum Duxford near Cambridge.

- Trident 3B G-AWZK is at the Aviation Viewing Park at Manchester Airport, having previously being stored at Heathrow until 2005. This aircraft however has clipped wings due to space constraints.

- Trident 3B G-AWZM at Science Museum's exhibit store at Wroughton in Wiltshire.

 

- Trident 2E G-AVFH (nose/cockpit and front cabin sections only) at the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre.

- Trident 3B G-AWZI at (Farnborough) owned by Andrew Lee on display at FAST Museum (nose section only)

- Trident 3B G-AWZJ at the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum at the former RAF Dumfries, Scotland.

 

Other examples include:

 

- Trident 1E B-2207 at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, Beijing, China.

- Trident 2E G-AVFE on the fire ground at Belfast International Airport, a complete airframe now used as a fire trainer.

- Trident 3B G-AWZS at International fire training centre Teesside Airport, again a complete airframe used as a fire trainer.

  

However, the most spectacular of all the survivors is Trident 2E 5B-DAB, which has sat perfectly still at the abandoned Nicosia International Airport in Cyprus since the Turkish invasion of 1974. Much like the terminal it is sat near, this Trident is the perfect time capsule, having been left open to the elements within a UN exclusion zone for 41 years!

 

As for the Trident itself though, it's yet another sad example of a great British concept that never made it to legend. Whilst many Boeing 727's of the same period continue to ply their trade in the skies, the small and subtle reign of the Trident has long since been silenced. But I will say, in spite of the delayed introduction, the poor sales and constantly changing requirements, being undercut by Boeing and Douglas, the Trident still managed to make an impact technologically, with it's Automatic Landing system now something modern airliners take for granted.

 

If only the plane that system had been associated with had succeeded in the same way.

Winter is a time of gray, velvet weather drifting towards us. It arrives on "little cat feet" and curls itself around us like the fog in Sandburg's poem.

The weather is a friend if you make it one. I look forward to the gray, quiet time for solitude, contemplation, reading, long conversations with friends. Colors are softer, sounds have more depth, the pace is gentler. Instead of resentment at the lack of sun, snuggle into the gray velvet quilt and make yourself a cup of tea. -Jennifer Jones

“The Master said, “If your conduct is determined solely by considerations of profit you will arouse great resentment.”

― Confucius

Here is my action man repainted and rebodied to match my Tom of Finland body generously given to me by @cheshiretiffy. It’s funny how I used to have a lot of resentment for Action Man as a child because I thought his chunky immobile body that didn’t fit any doll clothes, and I hated that my parents tried substituting dolls for this thing cuz even at like age 7 I knew they worried about dolls turning me gay.

 

But hey, now that I’m older and dolls turned me super gay, I can appreciate this particular Action Man sculpt cuz it’s actually super handsome, especially with the older ultra detailed lipped potato head 90s Action Man sculpt.

 

Anyway, I wanted a softer expression on this guy in comparison to my childhood one to make them look distinct but still very action man…

 

Stadio dei Marmi, Foro Italico, Rome

 

In Italy we're experiencing something deeper than a political crisis. We are falling apart as a Nation.

 

It's not only the Economic conjuncture or the lack of a sound leadership. If you talk to people from different regions, social classes, cultural background and age, you feel a sense of final decline. We simply do not believe it anymore. Resentment and disillusion prevail in the large majority of Italian citizens.

 

We do not feel part of a project or part of a same destiny. We maybe feel gathered in a common failure called Italian Republic. Individual creativity, as a sort of positive Italian spirit, is still perceived and considered as a strength. But we do not consider it anymore enough to build up and keep together any sense of collectivity.

 

North is north, South is South. Berlusconi's supporters won't have nothing to do with Left Parties' supporters and vice versa, young people feel hatred against elder generation as the responsible of Italian failure. So we are split into thousand pieces. No common project keeps us together. No common leader motivate us to this project. We have single clan leaders in an eternal civil war.

 

The current austerity is not the cause of our political and social disintegration. But it has accelerated and dramatically revealed this destructive process. After the I World War those were the premises of Fascism. What are we about to make of this disenchantment in 2013 ?

 

The End of Italy - DAVID GILMOUR, Foreign Policy

Keyneton.

The town was named after English pastoralist Joseph Keynes, who took up the land in 1841 and whose descendants still continue to live and farm in the area. Joseph Keynes (1810-1883) was the eldest son of a Congregational minister in southern England. Joseph was educated by his father and decided to be a farmer. His father Richard Keynes wrote to George Fife Angas in 1838 seeking information on South Australia. Angas offered Joseph the position of overseer of his stock in South Australia. Joseph accepted, arrived in 1839 and managed the farm at Flaxman's Valley for Angas. In 1841 he leased property which became Keyneton Estate and remains in the family. His partnership with Angas was dissolved in 1843 and Keynes declared his bankruptcy in 1846, leaving Angas with £9,000 in debts, great resentment and injured pride. But by 1850 the once despairing farmer had become a member of the 'squattocracy', with land in the Barossa Ranges, the Wakefield River valley and at Mount Remarkable. Keynes systematically amassed thousands of acres, wealth and social respect, being a member of the North Rhine District Council from its formation in 1873 to 1883. He died in 1883 at Lockleys and was buried in the Congregational cemetery at Keyneton. His son Richard took over the property. On 27 August 1884 Keynes married Margaret Ruth Shannon of Moculta.

 

Many new settlers to Keyneton from 1850 to 1854 were of German Lutheran descent from Tanunda and they quickly built a fine Georgian style school room in 1857 that doubled as a church until a new church was dedicated in 1866. It was on three acres of land donated by Henry Evans. Behind the church is a high bell tower erected in 1874 with a bell from Germany. Then in 1891 a new stone school room and church hall opened beside the 1866 church. It became a state school from 1917 to 1925 when the new government school opened in Keyneton opposite the old general store. Next to it is the Keyneton cemetery where members of the Evans and Keynes families were buried and many local Lutheran family members too. About one km northwards is the Independent Chapel built on land donated by Sarah Evans and supported by led by the Keynes and Evans families. It was built in 1865 and originally known as the North Rhine Independent Chapel. North Rhine River was changed to the Somme during World War One but has now been changed back. The Chapel became a Congregational Church in 1918 and finally closed as a church in 1971. Henry Evans married Sarah Angas a daughter of George Fife Angas and Henry Evans was the one who designed Collingrove and Lindsay Park homesteads for the Angas family. Henry’s wife was so opposed to alcohol and wine making that after her husband died in 1868 she got her son Henry Angas Evans to dig up or have the family wine vines grafted with currents. Thus, almost accidentally, young Henry Angas Evans founded the dried fruit industry in the Angaston-Keyneton district! To please his mother Henry Evans, with the support for John Howard and George Fife Angas, built the Temperance Hall in Keyneton in 1872. Keyneton was such a tiny town to have a Temperance Hall. After World War One the Romanesque style Temperance Hall was sold to a local group as a Soldiers War Memorial Hall. Thus the 1920 wooden entrance porch contrasts greatly with the Romanesque style of the original Temperance Hall. A km north again is the main part of the town with the state government primary school built 1925. The Temperance Hotel (also known as a coffee palace) on the corner of the main intersection was built by Sarah Evans to prevent alcohol sales in Keyneton. She died in 1898 and then things changed. On the other corner is the former Post Office and general store. It opened in 1866 and has an Art Deco façade on the western side. Just north of the intersection is the old blacksmith’s shop which was built in 1870.

 

One German pioneering family of the township was the Henschke family. The family began selling their wine in 1868. Another Henschke (1888-1955) was a skilled stone mason. Henschke scaled up the models and carved the Angaston marble reliefs of angels in situ for the South Australian War Memorial on North Terrace. He did this between 1927 and 1931 and it was his major achievement. He also carved the Corinthian pillars on Parliament House in 1938. He carved war memorials at Tanunda (1920) and Freeling (1923). He painted many buildings including the interior decoration of the church of Gnadenberg at Moculta and the Alawoona Lutheran church. One of his last works was the base of the equestrian statue of King George V which was unveiled in 1956.

 

Reading Hanif Kureishi’s struggling with his recent medical emergency is quite sobering. Of course, it was recommended by you, and as usual I dive right in. I have ordered his book about his relationship with his father. I am pre-prepared to be jealous, my usual response to any descriptions of so called ‘normal family life’. There’s the bugbear, that glaring ‘fault’, or at least one of them. I have been reading his ‘substack’ too. I wasn’t aware of the App, though maybe you mentioned it. We, you and me that is, ‘Rack and Ruin’, have had a ‘medical emergency’ of our own for coming on 35 years now, our beloved so called ‘fatal disease’. Time shifts it into the everyday, the commonplace, and I guess we accommodate what it does to our psyches.

 

At one point you said “and, I don’t normally do shame”, or something similar, I would have to find the direct quote, so that will do for now. Apparently, I do shame. It's the nature of the post-catholic beast, I would guess, un-winkle-out-able©. I would also postulate that it is, at the same time, still describable, and that a description might hold some value in the generating of a possible antidote.

 

You can almost see Kureishi’s situation in his struggling to embrace normalisation, in real time, those early panicky days (remember those?), with his wife and son trying to decipher their new roles, their resentments, as he feels it, at perhaps being reduced to tools by the creative person they love(d). That (d) is not questioning their love (what could I possibly know of that?) just their struggling with this new ‘reality’, the watching as love grows, or changes perhaps.

 

All the same it’s breathtaking to watch him try to find solutions whilst coming to terms with this new dependent “myself”.

 

Voice recognition software, now there’s a thing, a voice generating a typed manuscript, even. We live in miraculous times, though this may depend on being able to afford these 'miracles'. I have been thinking about ‘The Ghost in the Machine’ (and who wouldn’t now?) relative to free A.I. apps generating images and songs (hello Nick Cave). You should read his (Cave’s) article in ‘The Guardian’, and an interesting riposte today from Jeff Sparrow. I think that they are both right.

 

I love the ‘mistakes’ the machine makes in its striving to be human. I think we have always struggled with ‘new technologies’, as Sparrow points out. The young and the old will always have a bit of a rumble in that ‘No Man’s Land’. It’s lovely to see Mr. Cave point out the differences. I have a certain affection for Luddites, being one myself.

 

These free 'Apps' are like gateway drugs, both dangerous and suggesting great promise, unbelievable possibilities. They, and we, will be tested over time, as to their benefits and drawbacks. They are like everything else, double-edged, kitsch and mystery generators, causing dependencies and possible liberations.

 

But, at the same time, I love Shakespeare's multiple fingers, and Duchamp’s/John Dee’s exploding two-tone horse. I like Alchemists generally.

 

Vulgarity has to happen first. It is the 'way of things'. Sophistry takes time. They are opposite and equal, and both wondrous in their own way.

 

The idea that there is not 'soul' in everything, including the machine, makes no sense to me. I say this as a committed atheist, or one that should be committed at least. I dare posit that there is as much nature in every aspect of what we think of as cyber-reality as there is in a space-station or a bean sprout.

 

That's the point (that full stop) I would like to start out from.

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

Keyneton.

The town was named after English pastoralist Joseph Keynes, who took up the land in 1841 and whose descendants still continue to live and farm in the area. Joseph Keynes (1810-1883) was the eldest son of a Congregational minister in southern England. Joseph was educated by his father and decided to be a farmer. His father Richard Keynes wrote to George Fife Angas in 1838 seeking information on South Australia. Angas offered Joseph the position of overseer of his stock in South Australia. Joseph accepted, arrived in 1839 and managed the farm at Flaxman's Valley for Angas. In 1841 he leased property which became Keyneton Estate and remains in the family. His partnership with Angas was dissolved in 1843 and Keynes declared his bankruptcy in 1846, leaving Angas with £9,000 in debts, great resentment and injured pride. But by 1850 the once despairing farmer had become a member of the 'squattocracy', with land in the Barossa Ranges, the Wakefield River valley and at Mount Remarkable. Keynes systematically amassed thousands of acres, wealth and social respect, being a member of the North Rhine District Council from its formation in 1873 to 1883. He died in 1883 at Lockleys and was buried in the Congregational cemetery at Keyneton. His son Richard took over the property. On 27 August 1884 Keynes married Margaret Ruth Shannon of Moculta.

 

In 1851 the Hundred of North Rhine was surveyed and land sold to farmers. Before that time a few leased land from the Angas family. Many new settlers to Keyneton from 1850 to 1854 were of German Lutheran descent from Tanunda and they quickly built a fine Georgian style school room in 1857 that doubled as a church until a new church was dedicated in 1866. It was on three acres of land donated by Henry Evans. Behind the church is a high bell tower erected in 1874 with a bell from Germany. Then in 1891 a new stone school room and church hall opened beside the 1866 church. It became a state school from 1917 to 1925 when the new government school opened in Keyneton opposite the old general store. Next to it is the Keyneton cemetery where members of the Evans and Keynes families were buried and many local Lutheran family members too. About one km northwards is the Independent Chapel built on land donated by Sarah Evans and supported by led by the Keynes and Evans families. It was built in 1865 and originally known as the North Rhine Independent Chapel. North Rhine River was changed to the Somme during World War One but has now been changed back. The Chapel became a Congregational Church in 1918 and finally closed as a church in 1971. Henry Evans married Sarah Angas a daughter of George Fife Angas and Henry Evans was the one who designed Collingrove and Lindsay Park homesteads for the Angas family. Henry’s wife was so opposed to alcohol and wine making that after her husband died in 1868 she got her son Henry Angas Evans to dig up or have the family wine vines grafted with currents. Thus, almost accidentally, young Henry Angas Evans founded the dried fruit industry in the Angaston-Keyneton district! To please his mother Henry Evans, with the support for John Howard and George Fife Angas, built the Temperance Hall in Keyneton in 1872. Keyneton was such a tiny town to have a Temperance Hall. After World War One the Romanesque style Temperance Hall was sold to a local group as a Soldiers War Memorial Hall. Thus the 1920 wooden entrance porch contrasts greatly with the Romanesque style of the original Temperance Hall. A km north again is the main part of the town with the state government primary school built 1925. But the first town school was built in 1859 with a stone classroom. It became a state school after 1875. It closed in 1912 but the Lutheran School became a state school in 1917 so children were able to attend it until the new state school opened in 1925. The Temperance Hotel (also known as a coffee palace) on the corner of the main intersection was built by Sarah Evans to prevent alcohol sales in Keyneton in 1884. She died in 1898 and then things slowly changed. The Temperance Hotel operated until 1948 mainly providing lodgings for casual workers, school teachers etc. On the other corner is the former Post Office and general store. It opened in 1866 and was owned by the Evans family from 1888 to 1940 with tenant storekeepers. The Art Deco style façade on the western side was built in 1955 when it was a Four Square Store. Just north of the intersection is the old blacksmith’s shop which was built in 1870.

 

One German pioneering family of the township was the Henschke family. The family began selling their wine in 1868. Another Henschke (1888-1955) was a skilled stone mason. Henschke scaled up the models and carved the Angaston marble reliefs of angels in situ for the South Australian War Memorial on North Terrace. He did this between 1927 and 1931 and it was his major achievement. He also carved the Corinthian pillars on Parliament House in 1938. He carved war memorials at Tanunda (1920) and Freeling (1923). He painted many buildings including the interior decoration of the church of Gnadenberg at Moculta and the Alawoona Lutheran church. One of his last works was the base of the equestrian statue of King George V which was unveiled in 1956.

 

aalborg museum of modern art, 1958-1972.

architects: alvar aalto (1898-1976) and jean jacques baruël (b.1923).

 

the museum of modern art in aalborg was never popular among architects in denmark. we suffer the perenial disappointment of a protestant culture of resentment - and I see the criticism in that light - but the opponents of the building claim they have much better reasons for dismissing it: aalto was not the architect. in fact, it was a collaborative effort between the aaltos and former employee baruël at a busy time in aaltos office, but there is clearly too much aalto there to pass it by.

 

what remains significant is the long timespan this project took to materialize. in conception it belongs to the innovative works of the 1950's, famous for aalto's personal take on brutalism and the psychology of crude and untreated materials, yet its own materiality is one of perfection and coldness, related to the frozen music of his final, marbleclad monuments. indeed, the museum shares its colours and atmosphere with that glacial beauty, the finlandia hall in helsinki.

 

how aalto ended up in cold abstraction after the tactile viltality of säynätsalo and, before that, the lightness of paimio should never cease to amaze us. certainly, it had nothing to do with either fashion or alcoholism.

 

maybe it is to his role in creating an identity for the young finnish nation we must look: of the five masters of modern architecture, aalto was the nation builder - a responsibility far removed from the quixotic selfimage of le corbusier and wright's voice from the wilderness and the selfindulgence such positions allow. regardless, aalto's path was his own and we lose out if we allow ourselves not to follow him.

Before I made the acquaintance of George Anastaplo I saw him walking down the street in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.

 

There was something about him that caught my eye... something about the way that he walked and the way that he smiled... there was something about his spirit... there was something that I wanted to capture.

 

George has what I like to call 'The Magic Mojo.'

 

I wanted to pop him right there on the street but I was late in getting to a very special dinner with some great friends.

 

I had to let the urge go.

 

I regretted my artistic inaction the moment I passed him on the street there.

 

Fortunately the regret would be short lived.

 

In one of those funny little twists of fate that life seems to lay on me... when we got to the dinner George ended up being seated right next to me.

 

He's a fascinating guy.

 

A great storyteller, I really enjoyed the conversation that we shared as we sat there at the table.

 

'While most lawyers go through an entire career without getting the opportunity to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, George Anastaplo did so without entering the legal profession—and then, he likes to say, he retired.' ~ Maria Kantzavelos, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, April 25, 2011, page 1

 

George completed his undergraduate degree in only one year at the University of Chicago.

 

It took me longer than that to pay my overdue library fines from freshman year.

 

In 1951 he graduated at the top of his law school class.

 

I would have liked to have sat next to him.

 

In 1964 George completed his doctorate at the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought.

 

Since then he's written more than 20 books on a multitude of subjects.

 

"A longtime Loyola University Chicago School of Law professor who today teaches courses in constitutional law and jurisprudence, Anastaplo became an eclectic scholar and teacher" ~ Maria Kantzavelos

 

'Fifty years ago Sunday, on April 24, 1961, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision that affirmed the decision of the Illinois Supreme Court to deny Anastaplo admission to the Illinois bar because he refused to answer questions asked by the bar’s character committee about political associations.' ~ Maria Kantzavelos

 

When George graduated from law school and he interviewed for admission into the Illinois Bar Association he had to be questioned in front of the 'character committee' they asked 'do you think a communist should be admitted into the bar of this state?'

 

George's answer?

 

‘Well, why not?’

 

Then they asked George if he was now or was ever a member of the Communist Party.

 

George didn't feel that he should answer that question and because of that conviction they wouldn't give him admission into the Illinois Bar and he couldn't practice law even though the dude graduated at the top of his class. Hmmmmph.

 

'Had he gone along with the process, things could have turned out differently for Anastaplo, who was being considered for a position at one of the big law firms in town.' ~ Maria Kantzavelos

 

But that didn't stop the fiesty twenty five year old.

 

He fought over the next ten years, ultimately laying out his case in front of the United States Supreme Court.

 

He argued there as a lawyer without a license!

 

'In 1954 petitioner, George Anastaplo, an instructor and research assistant at the University of Chicago, having previously passed his Illinois bar examinations, was denied admission to the bar of that State by the Illinois Supreme Court. The denial was based upon his refusal to answer questions of the Committee on Character and Fitness as to whether he was a member of the Communist Party.' ~ 366 U.S. 82 IN RE ANASTAPLO

 

'The ensuing lengthy proceedings before the Committee, at which Anastaplo was the only witness, are perhaps best described as a wide-ranging exchange between the Committee and Anastaplo in which the Committee sought to explore Anastaplo's ability conscientiously to swear support of the Federal and State Constitutions, as required by the Illinois attorneys' oath, and Anastaplo undertook to expound and defend, on historical and ideological premises, his abstract belief in the 'right of revolution,' and to resist, on grounds of asserted constitutional right and scruple, Committee questions which he deemed improper. The Committee already had before it uncontroverted evidence as to Anastaplo's 'good moral character,' in the form of written statements or affidavits furnished by persons of standing acquainted with him, and the record on rehearing contains nothing which could properly be considered as reflecting adversely upon his character or reputation or on the sincerity of the beliefs he espoused before the Committee. Anastaplo persisted, however, in refusing to answer, among other inquiries, the Committee's questions as to his possible membership in the Communist Party or in other allegedly related organizations. ~ 366 U.S. 82 IN RE ANASTAPLO

 

Thereafter the Committee, by a vote of 11 to 6, again declined to certify Anastaplo because of his refusal to answer such questions, the majority stating in its report to the Illinois Supreme Court:

 

'his (Anastaplo's) failure to reply, in our view, obstructs the lawful processes of the Committee, prevents inquiry into subjects which bear intimately upon the issue of character and fitness, such as loyalty to our basic institutions, belief in representative government and bona fides of the attorney's oath and results in his failure to meet the burden of establishing that he possesses the good moral character and fitness to practice law, which are conditions to the granting of a license to practice law.

 

'We draw no inference of disloyalty or subversion from applicant's continued refusal to answer questions concerning Communist or other subversive affiliations. We do, however, hold that there is a strong public interest in our being free to question applicants for admission to the bar on their adherence to our basic institutions and form of government and that such public interest in the character of its attorneys overrides an applicant's private interest in keeping such views to himself. By failing to respond to this higher public interest we hold that the applicant has obstructed the proper functions of the Committee. We cannot certify the applicant as worthy of the trust and confidence of the public when we do not know that he is so worthy and when he has prevented us from finding out.'

 

At the same time the full Committee acknowledged that Anastaplo 'is well regarded by his academic associates, by professors who had taught him in school and by members of the Bar who know him personally'; that it had 'not been supplied with any information by any third party which is derogatory to Anastaplo's character or general reputation. ~ ~ 366 U.S. 82 IN RE ANASTAPLO

 

THE DISSENTING OPINION

 

'United States Supreme Court

 

366 U.S. 82

 

IN RE ANASTAPLO

 

No. 58. Argued: December 14, 1960. --- Decided: April 24, 1961.

 

CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF ILLINOIS.

 

Mr. Justice BLACK, with whom THE CHIEF JUSTICE, Mr. Justice DOUGLAS and Mr. Justice BRENNAN concur, dissenting.

 

The petitioner George Anastaplo has been denied the right to practice law in the State of Illinois for refusing to answer questions about his views and associations. I think this action by the State violated rights guaranteed to him by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The reasons which lead me to this conclusion are largely the same as those expressed in my dissenting opinion in Konigsberg v. State Bar of California, 366 U.S. at page 56, 81 S.Ct. at page 1010. But this case provides such a striking illustration of the destruction that can be inflicted upon individual liberty when this Court fails to enforce the First Amendment to the full extent of its express and unequivocal terms that I think it deserves separate treatment.

 

The controversy began in November 1950, when Anastaplo, a student at the University of Chicago Law School, having two months previously successfully passed the Illinos Bar examination, appeared before the State's Committee on Character and Fitness for the usual interview preliminary to admission to the Bar. The personal history form required by state law had been filled out and filed with the Committee prior to his appearance and showed that Anastaplo was an unusually worthy applicant for admission. His early life had been spent in a small town in southern Illinois where his parents, who had immigrated to this country from Greece before his birth, still resided. After having received his precollege education in the public schools of his home town, he had discontinued his education, at the age of eighteen, and joined the Air Force during the middle of World War II-flying as a navigator in every major theater of the military operations of that war. Upon receiving an honorable discharge in 1947, he had come to Chicago and resumed his education, obtaining his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago and entering immediately into the study of law at the University of Chicago Law School. His record throughout his life, both as a student and as a citizen, was unblemished.

 

The personal history form thus did not contain so much as one statement of fact about Anastaplo's past life or conduct that could have, in any way, cast doubt upon his fitness for admission to the Bar. It did, however, contain a statement of opinion which, in the minds of some of the members of the Committee at least, did cast such doubt and in that way served to touch off this controversy. This was a statement made by Anastaplo in response to the command of the personal history form: 'State what you consider to be the principles underlying the Constitution of the United States.' Anastaplo's response to that command was as follows:

 

'One principle consists of the doctrine of the separation of powers; thus, among the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary are distributed various functions and powers in a manner designed to provide for a balance of power, thereby intending to prevent totally unrestrained action by any one branch of government. Another basic principle (and the most important) is that such government is constituted so as to secure certain inalienable rights, those rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (and elements of these rights are explicitly set forth in such parts of the Constitution as the Bill of Rights.). And, of course, whenever the particular government in power becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and thereupon to establish a new government. This is how I view the Constitution.'

 

When Anastaplo appeared before a two-man Subcommittee of the Committee on Character and Fitness, one of its members almost immediately engaged him in a discussion relating to the meaning of these italicized words which were substantially taken from that part of the Declaration of Independence set out below. This discussion soon developed into an argument as Anastaplo stood by his statement and insisted that if a government gets bad enough, the people have a 'right of revolution.' It was at this juncture in the proceedings that the other member of the Subcommittee interrupted with the question: 'Are you a member of any organization that is listed on the Attorney General's list, to your knowledge?' And this question was followed up a few moments later with the question: 'Are you a member of the Communist Party?' A colloquy then ensued between Anastaplo and the two members of the Subcommittee as to the legitimacy of the questions being asked, Anastaplo insisting that these questions were not reasonably related to the Committee's functions and that they violated his rights under the Constitution, and the members of the Subcommittee insisting that the questions were entirely legitimate.

 

The Subcommittee then refused to certify Anastaplo for admission to the Bar but, instead, set a further hearing on the matter before the full Committee. That next hearing, as well as all of the hearings that followed, have been little more than repetitions of the first. The rift between Anastaplo and the Committee has grown ever wider with each successive hearing. Anastaplo has stead-fastly refused to answer any questions put by the Committee which inquired into his political associations or religious beliefs. A majority of the members of the Committee, faced with this refusal, has grown more and more insistent that it has the right to force him to answer any question it sees fit to ask. The result has been a series of hearings in which questions have been put to Anastaplo with regard to his 'possible' association with scores of organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan, the Silver Shirts (an allegedly Fascist organization), every organization on the so-called Attorney General's list, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the Communist Party. At one point in the proceedings, at least two of the members of the Committee insisted that he tell the Committee whether he believes in a Supreme Being and one of these members stated that, as far as his vote was concerned, a man's 'belief in the Deity * * * has a substantial bearing upon his fitness to practice law.'

 

It is true, as the majority points out, that the Committee did not expressly rest its refusal to certify Anastaplo for admission to the Bar either upon his views on the 'right of revolution,' as that 'right' is defined in the Declaration of Independence, or upon his refusal to disclose his beliefs with regard to the existence of God, [4] or upon his refusals to disclose any of his political associations other than his 'possible' association with the Communist Party. But it certainly cannot be denied that the other questions were asked and, since we should not presume that these members of the Committee did not want answers to their questions, it seems certain that Anastaplo's refusal to answer them must have had some influence upon the final outcome of the hearings. In any case, when the Committee did vote, 11-6, not to certify Anastaplo for admission, not one member who asked any question Anastaplo had refused to answer voted in his favor.

 

The reasons for Anastaplo's position have been stated by him time and again-first, to the Committee and, later, in the briefs and oral arguments he presented in his own behalf, both before this Court and before the Supreme Court of Illinois. From a legal standpoint, his position throughout has been that the First Amendment gave him a right not to disclose his political associations or his religious beliefs to the Committee. But his decision to refuse to disclose these associations and beliefs went much deeper than a bare reliance upon what he considered to be his legal rights. The record shows that his refusal to answer the Committee's question stemmed primarily from his belief that he had a duty, both to society and to the legal profession, not to submit to the demands of the Committee because he believed that the questions had been asked solely for the purpose of harassing him because he had expressed agreement with the assertion of the right of revolution against an evil government set out in the Declaration of Independence. His position was perhaps best stated before the Committee in his closing remarks at the final session:

 

'It is time now to close. Differences between us remain. I leave to others the sometimes necessary but relatively easy task of praising Athens to Athenians. Besides, you should want no higher praise than what I have said about the contribution the bar can make to republican government. The bar deserves no higher praise until it makes that contribution. You should be grateful that I have not made a complete submission to you, even though I have cooperated as fully as good conscience permits. To the extent I have not submitted, to that extent have I contributed to the solution of one of the most pressing problems that you, as men devoted to character and fitness, must face. This is the problem of selecting the standards and methods the bar must employ if it is to help preserve and nourish that idealism, that vital interest in the problem of justice, that so often lies at the heart of the intelligent and sensitive law student's choice of career. This is an idealism which so many things about the bar, and even about bar admission practices, discourage and make unfashionable to defend or retain. The worthiest men live where the rewards of virtue are greatest.

 

'I leave with you men of Illinois the suggestion that you do yourselves and the bar the honor, as well as the service, of anticipating what I trust will be the judgment of our most thoughtful judges. I move therefore that you recommend to the Supreme Court of Illinois that I be admitted to the bar of this State. And I suggest that this recommendation be made retroactive to November 10, 1950 when a young Air Force veteran first was so foolish as to continue to serve his country by daring to defend against a committee on character and fitness the teaching of the Declaration of Independence on the right of revolution.'

 

The reasons for the Committee's position are also clear. Its job, throughout these proceedings, has been to determine whether Anastaplo is possessed of the necessary good moral character to justify his admission to the Bar of Illinois. In that regard, the Committee has been given the benefit of voluminous affidavits from men of standing in their professions and in the community that Anastaplo is possessed of an unusually fine character. Dr. Alexander Meiklejohn, Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, at the University of Wisconsin, for example, described Anastaplo as 'intellectually able, a hard, thorough student and moved by high devotion to the principles of freedom and justice.' Professor Malcolm P. Sharp of the University of Chicago Law School stated: 'No question has ever been raised about his honesty or his integrity, and his general conduct, characterized by friendliness, quiet independence, industry and courage, is reflected in his reputation.' Professor Roscoe T. Steffen of the University of Chicago Law School said: 'I know of no one who doubts his honesty and integrity.' Yves R. Simon, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago, said: 'I consider Anastaplo as a young man of the most distinguished and lofty moral character. Everybody respects him and likes him.' Angelo G. Geocaris, a practicing attorney in the City of Chicago, said of Anastaplo: 'His personal code of ethics is unexcelled by any practicing attorney I have met in the state of Illinois.' Robert J. Coughlan, Division Director of a research project at the University of Chicago, said: 'His honesty and integrity are, in my opinion, beyond question. I would highly recommend him without the slightest reservation for any position involving the highest or most sacred trust. The applicant is a rare man among us today: he has an inviolable sense of Honor in the great traditions of Greek culture and thought. If admitted to the American Bar, he could do nothing that would not reflect glory on that institution.'

 

These affidavits and many more like them were presented to the Committee. Most of the statements came from men who knew Anastaplo intimately on the University of Chicago campus where Anastaplo has remained throughout the proceedings here involved, working as a research assistant and as a lecturer in Liberal Arts and studying for an advanced degree in History and Social Sciences. Even at the present time, he is still there preparing his doctoral dissertation which, understandably enough, is tentatively entitled 'The Historical and Philosophical Background of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.'

 

The record also shows that the Committee supplemented the information it had obtained about Anastaplo from these affidavits by conducting informal independent investigations into his character and reputation. It sent agents to Anastaplo's home town in southern Illinois and they questioned the people who knew him there. Similar inquiries were made among those who knew him in Chicago. But these intensive investigations apparently failed to produce so much as one man in Chicago or in the whole State of Illinois who could say or would say, directly, indirectly or even by hearsay, one thing derogatory to the character, loyalty or reputation of George Anastaplo, and not one man could be found who would in any way link him with the Communist Party. This fact is particularly significant in view of the evidence in the record that the Committee had become acquainted with a person who apparently had been a member of a Communist Party cell on the University of Chicago campus and that this person was asked to and did identify for the Committee every member of the Party whom he knew.

 

In addition to the information it had obtained from the affidavits and from its independent investigations, the Committee had one more important source of information about Anastaplo's character. It had the opportunity to observe the manner in which he conducted himself during the many hours of hearings before it. That manner, as revealed by the record before us and undenied by any findings of the Committee to the contrary, left absolutely nothing to be desired. Faced with a barrage of sometimes highly provocative and totally irrelevant questions from men openly hostile to his position, Anastaplo invariably responded with all the dignity and restraint attributed to him in the affidavits of his friends. Moreover, it is not amiss to say that he conducted himself in precisely the same manner during the oral argument he presented before this Court.

 

Thus, it is against the background of a mountain of evidence so favorable to Anastaplo that the word 'overwhelming' seems inadequate to describe it that the action of the Committee in refusing to certify Anastaplo as fit for admission to the Bar must be considered. The majority of the Committee rationalized its position on the ground that without answers to some of the questions it had asked, it could not conscientiously perform its duty of determining Anastaplo's character and fitness to be a lawyer. A minority of the Committee described this explanation as 'pure sophistry.' And it is simply impossible to read this record without agreeing with the minority. For, it is difficult to see what possible relevancy answers to the questions could have had in the minds of these members of the Committee after they had received such completely overwhelming proof beyond a reasonable doubt of Anastaplo's good character and staunch patriotism. I can think of no sound reason for further insistence upon these answers other than the very questionable, but very human, feeling that this young man should not be permitted to resist the Committee's demands without being compelled to suffer for it in some way.

 

It is intimated that the Committee's feeling of resentment might be assuaged and that Anastaplo might even be admitted to the Bar if he would only give in to the demands of the Committee and add the requested test oath to the already overwhelming proof he has submitted to establish his good character and patriotism. In this connection, the Court says: 'We find nothing to suggest that he would not be admitted now if he decides to answer, assuming of course that no grounds justifying his exclusion from practice resulted. In short, petitioner holds the key to admission in his own hands.' However well this familiar phrase may fit other cases, it does not fit this one. For the attitude of the Committee, as revealed by the transcript of its hearings, does not support a belief that Anastaplo can gain admission to the Illinois Bar merely by answering the Committee's questions, whatever answers he should give. Indeed, the Committee's own majority report discloses that Anastaplo's belief in the 'right of revolution' was regarded as raising 'a serious question' in the minds of a majority of the Committee with regard to his fitness to practice law and that 'certain' members of that majority (how many, we cannot know) have already stated categorically that they will not vote to admit an applicant who expresses such views. Nor does the opinion of the Illinois Supreme Court indicate that Anastaplo 'holds the key to admission in his own hands.' Quite the contrary, that court's opinion evidences an almost insuperable reluctance to upset the findings of the Committee. Certainly, that opinion contains nothing that even vaguely resembles the sort of implicit promise that would justify the belief asserted by the majority here. And, finally, I see nothing in the majority opinion of this Court, nor in the majority opinions in the companion cases decided today, that would justify a belief that this Court would unlock the door that blocks his admission to the Illinois Bar if Anastaplo produced the 'key' and the state authorities refused to use it.

 

The opinion of the majority already recognizes that there is not one scrap of evidence in the record before us 'which could properly be considered as reflecting adversely upon his (Anastaplo's) character or reputation or on the sincerity of the beliefs he espoused before the Committee,' and that the Committee had not received any "information from any outside source which would cast any doubt on applicant's loyalty or which would tend to connect him in any manner with any subversive group." The majority opinion even concedes that Anastaplo was correct in urging that the questions asked by the Committee impinged upon the freedoms of speech and association guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. But, the opinion then goes on to hold that Anastaplo can nonetheless be excluded from the Bar pursuant to 'the State's interest in having lawyers who are devoted to the law in its broadest sense .' I cannot regard that holding, as applied to a man like Anastaplo, as in any way justified. Consider it, for example, in the context of the following remarks of Anastaplo to the Committee-remarks the sincerity of which the majority does not deny:

 

'I speak of a need to remind the bar of its traditions and to keep alive the spirit of dignified but determined advocacy and opposition. This is not only for the good of the bar, of course, but also because of what the bar means to American republican government. The bar when it exercises self-control is in a peculiar position to mediate between popular passions and informed and principled men, thereby upholding republican government. Unless there is this mediation, intelligent and responsible government is unlikely. The bar, furthermore, is in a peculiar position to apply to our daily lives the constitutional principles which nourish for this country its inner life. Unless there is this nourishment, a just and humane people is impossible. The bar is, in short, in a position to train and lead by precept and example the American people.'

 

These are not the words of a man who lacks devotion to 'the law in its broadest sense.'

 

The majority, apparently considering this fact irrelevant because the State might possibly have an interest in learning more about its Bar applicants, decides that Anastaplo can properly be denied admission to the Bar by purporting to 'balance' the interest of the State of Illinois in 'having lawyers who are devoted to the law in its broadest sense' against the interest of Anastaplo and the public in protecting the freedoms of the First Amendment, concluding, as it usually does when it engages in this process, that 'on balance' the interest of Illinois must prevail. If I had ever doubted that the 'balancing test' comes close to being a doctrine of governmental absolutism-that to 'balance' an interest in individual liberty means almost inevitably to destroy that liberty-those doubts would have been dissipated by this case. For this so-called 'balancing test'-which, as applied to the First Amendment, means that the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, religion and petition can be repressed whenever there is a sufficient governmental interest in doing so-here proves pitifully and pathetically inadequate to cope with an invasion of individual liberty so plainly unjustified that even the majority apparently feels compelled expressly to disclaim 'any view upon the wisdom of the State's action.'

 

I, of course, wholeheartedly agree with the statement of the majority that this Court should not, merely on the ground that such action is unwise, interfere with governmental action that is within the constitutional powers of that government. But I am no less certain that this Court should not permit governmental action that plainly abridges constitutionally protected rights of the People merely because a majority believes that on 'balance' it is better, or 'wiser,' to abridge those rights than to leave them free. The inherent vice of the 'balancing test' is that it purports to do just that. In the context of its reliance upon the 'balancing test,' the Court's disclaimer of 'any view upon the wisdom of the State's action' here thus seems to me to be wholly inconsistent with the only ground upon which it has decided this case.

 

Nor can the majority escape from this inconsistency on the ground that the 'balancing test' deals only with the question of the importance of the existence of governmental power as a general matter without regard to the importance of its exercise in a particular case. For in Barenblatt v. United States the same majority made it clear that the 'balancing test' is to be applied to the facts of each particular case (360 U.S. 109, 79 S.Ct. 1093): 'Where First Amendment rights are asserted to bar governmental interrogation resolution of the issue always involves a balancing by the courts of the competing private and public interests at stake in the particular circumstances shown.' Thus the Court not only 'balances' the respective values of two competing policies as a general matter, but also 'balances' the wisdom of those policies in 'the particular circumstances shown.' Thus, the Court has reserved to itself the power to permit or deny abridgement of First Amendment freedoms according to its own view of whether repression or freedom is the wiser governmental policy under the circumstances of each case.

 

The effect of the Court's 'balancing' here is that any State may now reject an applicant for admission to the Bar if he believes in the Declaration of Independence as strongly as Anastaplo and if he is willing to sacrifice his career and his means of livelihood in defense of the freedoms of the First Amendment. But the men who founded this country and wrote our Bill of Rights were strangers neither to a belief in the 'right of revolution' nor to the urgency of the need to be free from the control of government with regard to political beliefs and associations. Thomas Jefferson was not disclaiming a belief in the 'right of revolution' when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. And Patrick Henry was certainly not disclaiming such a belief when he declared in impassioned words that have come on down through the years: 'Give me liberty or give me death.' This country's freedom was won by men who, whether they believed in it or not, certainly practiced revolution in the Revolutionary War.

 

Since the beginning of history there have been governments that have engaged in practices against the people so bad, so cruel, so unjust and so destructive of the individual dignity of men and women that the 'right of revolution' was all the people had left to free themselves. As simple illustrations, one government almost 2,000 years ago burned Christians upon fiery crosses and another government, during this very century, burned Jews in crematories. I venture the suggestion that there are countless multitudes in this country, and all over the world, who would join Anastaplo's belief in the right of the people to resist by force tyrranical governments like those.

 

In saying what I have, it is to be borne in mind that Anastaplo has not indicated, even remotely, a belief that this country is an oppressive one in which the 'right of revolution' should be exercised. Quite the contrary, the entire course of his life, as disclosed by the record, has been one of devotion and service to his country-first, in his willingness to defend its security at the risk of his own life in time of war and, later, in his willingness to defend its freedoms at the risk of his professional career in time of peace. The one and only time in which he has come into conflict with the Government is when he refused to answer the questions put to him by the Committee about his beliefs and associations. And I think the record clearly shows that conflict resulted, not from any fear on Anastaplo's part to divulge his own political activities, but from a sincere, and in my judgment correct, conviction that the preservation of this country's freedom depends upon adherence to our Bill of Rights. The very most that can fairly be said against Anastaplo's position in this entire matter is that he took too much of the responsibility of preserving that freedom upon himself.

 

This case illustrates to me the serious consequences to the Bar itself of not affording the full protections of the First Amendment to its applicants for admission. For this record shows that Anastaplo has many of the qualities that are needed in the American Bar. It shows, not only that Anastaplo has followed a high moral, ethical and patriotic course in all of the activities of his life, but also that he combines these more common virtues with the uncommon virtue of courage to stand by his principles at any cost. It is such men as these who have most greatly honored the profession of the law-men like Malsherbes, who, at the cost of his own life and the lives of his family, sprang unafraid to the defense of Louis XVI against the fanatical leaders of the Revolutionary government of France -men like Charles Evans Hughes, Sr., later Mr. Chief Justice Hughes, who stood up for the constitutional rights of socialists to be socialists and public officials despite the threats and clamorous protests of self-proclaimed superpatriots -men like Charles Evans Hughes, Jr., and John W. Davis, who, while against everything for which the Communists stood, strongly advised the Congress in 1948 that it would be unconstitutional to pass the law then proposed to outlaw the Communist Party -men like Lord Erskine, James Otis, Clarence Darrow, and the multitude of others who have dared to speak in defense of causes and clients without regard to personal danger to themselves. The legal profession will lose much of its nobility and its glory if it is not constantly replenished with lawyers like these. To force the Bar to become a group of thoroughly orthodox, time-serving, government-fearing individuals is to humiliate and degrade it.

 

But that is the present trend, not only in the legal profession but in almost every walk of life. Too many men are being driven to become government-fearing and time-serving because the Government is being permitted to strike out at those who are fearless enough to think as they please and say what they think. This trend must be halted if we are to keep faith with the Founders of our Nation and pass on to future generations of Americans the great heritage of freedom which they sacrificed so much to leave to us. The choice is clear to me. If we are to pass on that great heritage of freedom, we must return to the original language of the Bill of Rights. We must not be afraid to be free'

  

' if a government gets bad enough, the people have a 'right of revolution.' ~ George Anastaplo

 

That's why I like you George... what you just said right up there... you're a principled man and a patriot... you're a fiesty guy indeed as the following exchange points out...

 

This is from the transcript of the committee questioning George...

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: When you say 'believe in revolution,' you don't limit that revolution to an overthrow of a particular political party or a political government by means of an election process or other political means?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: I mean actual use of force.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: You mean to go as far as necessary?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: As far as Washington did, for instance.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: So that would it be fair to say that you believe the end result would justify any means that were used?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: No, the means proportionate to the particular end in sight.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: Well, is there any difference from your answer and my question?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: Did you ask-

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: I asked you whether you thought that you believe that if a change, or overthrow of the government were justified, that any means could be used to accomplish that end.

  

'Mr. Anastaplo: Now, let's say in this positive concrete situation-I am not quite sure what it means in abstract.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: I will ask you in detail. You believe that assuming the government should be overthrown, in your opinion, that you and others of like mind would be justified in raising a company of men with military equipment and proceed to take over the government of the United States, of the State of Illinois?

 

'By shaking your head do you mean yes?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: If you get to the point where overthrow is necessary, then overthrow is justified. It just means that you overthrow the government by force.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: And would that also include in your mind justification for putting a spy into the administrative department, one or another of the administrative departments of the United States or the government of the State of Illinois?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: If you got to the point you think the government should be overthrown, I think that would be a legitimate means.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: There isn't any difference in your mind in the propriety of using a gun or using a spy?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: I think spies have been used in quite honorable causes.

 

'Commissioner Mitchell: Your answer is, you do think so?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: Yes.

  

'Commissioner Baker: Let me ask you a question. Are you aware of the fact that the Department of Justice has a list of what are described as subversive organizations?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: Yes.

 

'Commissioner Baker: Have you ever seen that list?

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: Yes.

 

'Commissioner Baker: Are you a member of any organization that is listed on the Attorney General's list, to your knowledge? (No answer.) Just to keep you from having to work so hard mentally on it, what organizations-give me all the organizations you are affiliated with or are a member of. (No answer.) That oughtn't to be too hard.

 

'Mr. Anastaplo: Do you believe that is a legitimate question?

 

'Commissioner Baker: Yes, I do. We are inquiring into not only your character, but your fitness, under Rule 58. We don't compel you to answer it. Are you a member of the Communist Party?'

  

George lost the case at the US Supreme Court but it was his principled approach to not answering the question in the first place and his ten year battle to overcome the ramifications of that refusal that earned him the respect of many who respect a person who lives a principle centered life.

 

He never would practice law, but he would become a passionate and inspiring teacher according to many.

 

He's been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twelve times.

 

And they sat him down for dinner next to 'Viewminder' a street photographer... who was only nominated for the Peace Prize once... by himself.

 

Crowned 'The Socrates of Chicago' George has written more books than some of the people I know have read...

 

"He has written books and articles analyzing the influence of Greek literature on American politics, on the Thinker as Artist, and the Artist as Thinker, on the O. J. Simpson trial, on lights at Wrigley Field, on McCarthyism, on hate speech, on lawyers, on judges, on the Bible, on ethics, on Abraham Lincoln, on the remodeling of Soldier field, and I have only touched the surface of his eclecticism. ~ 'George Anastaplo' by Abner Mikva

 

George Anastaplo I admire you.

 

You saw something that was wrong and you refused to be a part of it...

 

Even if that meant it would create difficulty in your life and in your pursuit of the career that you studied so long and hard for.

 

You stood true to your convictions.

 

You stood up for what you believe in.

 

You never backed down.

 

You're an inspiring man and a patriot George Anastaplo.

 

They outta give out a prize for that.

 

Faces on the street

Chicago 7.9.11

35mm 1.8 SOOC with a ping of contrast

 

7.20.11