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Tag: dreaming
The Cave of Forgotten Nightmares
Deep beneath a granite mountain in south western Finland a facility is being built with the sole intention of housing nuclear waste, permanently. Its name, Onkalo, means 'cavern' or 'hidden place'. It is a fittingly provocative epithet that reflects the dilema behind the project; how do we convey to those who come after us, many millenia in our future, the danger of what we are leaving buried thousands of feet beneath the surface. Will the site remain undisturbed, a prospect we might well hope for given the extreme toxicity of the cave's contents and which the Finnish authorities are well aware of – while many countries worldwide house such repositories Finland's policy on self generated nuclear waste is that it must remain on Finnish soil. Such solutions will remain the case, unless we can find an alternative solution to a disturbingly fallible problem for which we presently have no infallible answers.
We might look to examples left by our ancestors from the distant past for clues to such an answer, artifacts that provide evidence not only of human traits which remain recognisable within ourselves, our imaginative and creative nature for instance, the innate curiousity that drives such a nature, but which also present similar problems in interpretation. The evidence is there, enshrined in and mirrored back to us in such places as the Chauvet cave in southern France, whose 32-36,000 year old paintings did remain undisturbed until discovery. And yet, our own legacy to the deep future will be of a very different nature. If Chauvet cave deserves the name 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams', given to it by the film maker Werner Herzog for his 2011 documentary film, by comparison and by the same token Onkalo may well be the 'Cave of Forgotten Nightmares'.
Within the scope of orthodox history very long time scales are extremely hard for humans to envisage in practical terms. The people who made the paintings in Chauvet cave seem as remote as the purpose behind their artwork. We can appreciate its beauty but have no idea if the same aesthetic value we attach to the images was intrinsic to their realisation. The images have a level of sophistication both as visual realisations of the fauna they portray and as technical translations of visual perception itself to suggest that we are not that dissimilar, in fact, when Picasso emerged from Lascaux cave having seen similar paintings two thirds the age of those at Chauvet he famously declared that 'we have learned nothing'. If anything our learning, as he implies, reflects the gulf between us, a vacuum of discontinuity. The age in which those images were made belie the fact that we inhabit the same earth as theirs, that theirs was an age of ice, of mega-fauna, of different climate and sea levels. Much of the seaboard and borderlands upon which the feet of those artists might have walked now lie beneath sea and soil. The past is buried, and remains largely undisturbed, not just by human hand, but, by thought and understanding.
The recorded histories we have access to are confined largely to the most recent half of the post-glacial era in which we currently live, a period of 12 thousand years, which might be viably considered 'our own time' within which our current state as a modern species has developed. While we have discovered cave paintings that reach back at least twice as far and recovered artifacts from subterranean sites, such as bird bone flutes, which were made over 60 thousand years ago, we are not only blind within but prejudiced by our own ignorance. It is certain that we knew musical sounds even then yet can only speculate, according to our own values and imaginative use of sonic technology within the 'historical' time frame, on what the technological, social and cultural contexts were like within which such 'music' was made. Beyond that, orthodox ideas of human history give us little to go on, the dating of deposits within which stone tools and human remains have been found revealing a limited understanding of what our ancestry were experiencing. Non-invasive dating methods can reveal much, including the presence of radionuclides within their environment. However, no-one from that time, it seems, gave us any comprehensive clues as to the full range of our capabilities, the effect these had on the subglacial world we lived in. If our ancestors left us signs that we need to be aware of, 'intended for us' their far distant descendants to take heed of, they have escaped our attention – we have only our own experiences and memories as a modern variation of the human genus to go on. As a result the orthodox concensus sees present day humans as 'advanced', beyond a palaeolithic presence that yet remains a mystery.
Even so, there are those who claim to have knowledge of times that precede 'our own' by many millenia, both 'indigenous' and contemporary, whose understanding is capable of penetrating and populating the 'unknown' era that we otherwise have so little understanding of with a meaningful vision of our past. All too often it is a vision that runs counter to the orthodox view, and, consequently, such knowledge is not valued sufficiently to offer a plausible account, is inevitably viewed with extreme scepticism, drawing hostile criticism if made public and, in the absence of supporting 'evidence', is more often than not simply dismissed as speculative fiction. Such is the paradox of a species that relies upon 'proof' in establishing the reality of its own past – while we have so little 'acceptable proof' to hand we remain divorced from our heritage and ignore the possibility that we may well have missed the historical elephant in our own midst. Just as we also ignore the reality of our own immaturity with respect to the future in how we currently use the technologies we have created we prefer to deny the possibility that a comparable level of technological development had been achieved in the deep past. Precluding such a possibility we look upon our ancestors as an inferior 'other', distinct from ourselves. Who is to say that our own descendants might not view us similarly….what 'evidence' might we leave to the contrary?
This is the question at the heart of Onkalo.
In his memoir 'Quicksand' the Swedish author and playwright Henning Mankel made a very pertinent observation concerning the problem of transmitting a vital message across deep time. While talking of Onkalo and the means by which a warning could be conveyed of 'what lies beneath' he pointed out the fact that human language itself is an ephemeral human artifact, intrinsically mutable and self referential, changing in form over relatively short periods of time even while its core meanings remain embedded within it. Meanings too are subject to change. And, in the age of unbridled 'progress', we inhabit the wave of change in language at its leading edge, relevant within our current context while virtually blinkered to its wake, assuming rather than ensuring that our 'meanings' will survive through time.
Comparatively speaking a mere 700 years seperate us from the time of Geoffrey Chaucer yet Chaucerian english is very different to its contemporary urban counterpart. Even though we can recognise the everyday lives and roles of those Chaucer described, despite their virtual disappearance within contemporary westernised life, his 14th century language requires translation for its context to be fully grasped, hardly a common pursuit or skill considered relevant to our everyday way of life. Yet this is the very skill that Onkalo's message must rely upon, as a safeguard against misinterpretation and insurance against ignorance of the relevance of the message to those who might encounter it in the far distant future.
That future is around 100 millenia away, the estimated half life of the radioactive isotopes that will be buried within their granite sarcophagus at Onkalo, before the danger subsides enough for the message to become relatively redundant. A symbolism that has greater longevity suggests itself, one that is not as subject to the effects of time upon its readability, but, what symbols do we know of that bridge such a span of time. We struggle with symbols left by our ancestors 10 thousand years ago, such as those carved in stone at Gobekli Tepe temple complex in present day southern Turkey.
The builders of that temple may have had it in mind to convey a vital message to us, and this too is a site that was deliberately covered over centuries after its creation. As yet this remains a speculative unknown, not beyond the realms of possibility, but, subject to the same criterion of time, context and meaning none the less. Can we set an 'alarm' that will still function even 10,000 years from now?
Mankel's concern is informed by a clear appreciation of the need for such an alarm, a warning against entering the realms of almost certain death – he was a committed opponent of nuclear technologies. He wonders in 'Quicksand' if Onkalo's best safeguard for our descendants might not be total obscurity, making the first line of defence invisibility, hiding the site from the future. Such cannot be accomplished without risk – the entrance to and existence of Onkalo, while it could conceivably be 'forgotten', could not be guaranteed to remain hidden; the earth moves and all eventualities cannot be accounted for. Given our present understanding of glacial cycles we could reasonably expect 8 or 9 ice ages to occur over the intervening time. And clearly, given the quarter of a million tonnes of nuclear waste already in existence, we have ventured too far down the nuclear highway to turn back, or to ignore the threat it represents.
As the website of the World Nuclear Association states "The main objective in managing and disposing of radioactive (or other) waste is to protect people and the environment. This means isolating or diluting the waste so that the rate or concentration of any radionuclides returned to the biosphere is harmless. To achieve this, practically all wastes are contained and managed – some clearly need deep and permanent burial. From nuclear power generation, none is allowed to cause harmful pollution." And yet, as the industry itself clearly demonstrates through this statement, the future is vaccinated against such a threat by its very denial of it – 'diluting the waste' does not reduce its toxicity as a single particle is enough to propogate cancer, and 'deep and permanent burial' equals wilful ignorance, both of the redundancy of nuclear power in the face of viable alternatives and of the reasons it persists. Such wilful ignorance cares little for its own responsibilities. At Onkalo this problem does not escape attention, even while it attempts to bury it as a solution, and this dilema was beautifully exposed in the film 'Into Eternity', released in 2010 and made by director Michael Madsen in direct response to Onkalo.
As an image of beauty Chauvet cave is deeply profound, not simply because of its aesthetic or indeed its mystery, but because it appears as a gift from our ancestors, unsullied by projections of fear or intimations of catastrophobia. We tend to overlook the collective loss of habitat and animal life it foreshadows. It could have been intended as a warning of such loss, an attempt to remember forwards what was already being subjected to and experienced as profound change by its artists. Werner Herzog remarked upon the remarkable freshness of the paintings, as if the presence of the artist had been protected along with the paintings themselves. The cave had remained sealed virtually since the images time of making, but, it was the work of nature, not human intention, that made it so. No such beauty belongs to the nuclear legacy. It is a legacy built upon quicksand, a palaeolithic inheritance of the future that we cannot wish to be claimed.
Meetings at the Thresholds – the Spiralling Light
The cross-quarter fire festival of Lughnasadh coincides with the midpoint of the traditional Chinese year whose energies this year are symbolised in the Water Dragon. In previous posts I've alluded to the connection between the year of the Water Dragon and the Dragon Paths and, in honouring of this, here is a tale spun from the dragon pathways of Albion at this special time of year, a tale in which these energies are subtly woven together.
The following is a true story. It is drawn from experiences and journal notes made some years ago – all the events and dialogues are faithfull to the reality experienced, and, while one or two of the names have been changed, everything else is related exactly as it happened – the images here were taken on the journey and are un-retouched colour prints, taken on film using a battered old Canon SLR that has now gone into retirement – I do have digital fully restored copies of these, but, somehow, here it seemed more fitting to show them in their original state! While the main part of the story centers around Lughnasadh time, its seeds were sown one summer solstice two years before and it is here that the tale begins……
It'd been an opportunity that seemed to arrive with perfect timing. My day job was wearing me thin and I really needed a break – but, the chance came and, one summers morning a few days before solstice, I packed my faithfull green Austin Maxi and set off for California Beach. For all I knew I was heading for a two week retreat, the opportunity to go barefoot, rest from the city madness and to breath again, to keep time once more with earth and stars.
Carol had lent me the use of her ocean-side wooden cabin, nestled in the dunes on the Norfolk coast at the eastern end of the Michael and Mary Ley Line, a place out-of-time where dreaming came naturally….I was familiar with this ley having lived close by Avebury in earlier times and Avebury lies on the exact mid-point of the Michael and Mary line. While living there I'd spent much time working with the land and its energies, exploring its seen and unseen realities, so, I was looking forward to connecting with the dragon paths again, but, I could not have anticipated how the dreamings that came out of this would manifest in time and space…….
Nature heals and the cabin gave safe sanctuary and plenty of time for reflection, and it wasn't long before the realisation came that I needed change and a new direction. On solstice eve I lit a fire and offered prayers, asking for guidance, a path to follow…….and sometimes dreams slip their clothes and dance amongst us, like wind blown birds and rainbow bespattered spin-drift, spinning sparks rising from red hot embers into the star-struck night……and some reside in the timeless memories of stones…….this night the offerings cast to the winds and consumated in the flames of the solstice fire came back in the clothes of a dream.
'Be patient and allow the course of things to unfold – ask for a sabbatical – regroup and renew your creative energies – and seek out your guides, they have a plan……'
It took time well beyond the times of this tale before the plan fully came to fruition, but, by the time the seeds had begun germinating, the guides petitioned and their council given, the journey was already underway. The sabbatical marked the threshold and a revolving door swung open upon another world…..
Amongst the guidance received was a map for a journey to be undertaken on the land following an ancient track. This had its beginning at Carn Les Boel, exactly where the other end of the Michael and Mary Line emerged in the land at the very tip of Cornwall in south-west Britain. The journey would unite the seed point of the dreaming at the eastern end of the Michael and Mary ley in Norfolk with the western end of the ley and culminate in Avebury at its balance point.
So it was that, one sparkling morning on Lughnasadh eve, I found myself resting my back against the gatekeeper stone at Carn Les Boel. This stone is, without a doubt, powerful within itself, manifesting a sense of immovable and knowing rootedness that fully conceals the fact that it has been purposefully 'planted' at this precise spot to hold a resonant key in place. It is a key that serves the whole of these lands, for, not only does it mark the entry point of the Michael and Mary Line as they emerge from the Atl-antian oceans that surround this ancient shore, but, the stone indicates the initial crossing point of these twin rivers of energy and from there together they weave their dragon path, the ley that draws the path of the Beltane sunlight across old Albion.
At this initial crossing point is a vortex that is, at times, especially potent and complex. The vortex is itself a part of a living energy network, the nature and qualities of which are not fixed but which adjust and change in time – on this journey its energies made itself appear as a living void otherwise filled with an immense broiling ocean of swirling undercurrents, subtle to the physical frame, galvanising to the energy body….!
Within this is a resonant patterning of the different frequency bands within the Michael and Mary lines themselves, these too alter and change the geometric configurations that emerge out of divining the crossing point – and, being living energies, there is intelligence present, one which I found to be benevolent and which does communicate……
As I was walking away from the stone, somewhat bemused by the torque experienced between the physical and non-physical at the vortex, I heard a bird's piercing call and turned towards its cry…..looking back towards the stone, in the direction of the call, a single flash of light burst from the center top of the gatekeeper stone and sent out a penetrating pinpoint laser-beam of brilliant star-light.
That night another dream came visiting……
I was camped out next to a beautiful old Alder up near Lamorna. Beneath the Alder a large flat stone gave a view through the hedge towards one of the Pipers, these being two 3 meter high granite pillars that are outliers that point directly towards the Merry Maidens stone circle. They are said to have accompanied the maidens in their circle dance and to have been turned to stone for their troubles, but, don't be fooled – these Pipers, like the circle of sacred women who danced there with the earth and stars, are very much alive.
In the dream someone came and, casting a handfull of pollen in a pillar of light, asked 'what do you see?' – I awoke before answering……it was like an invitation, and, pulling the I Ching from my rucksack, I opened a page at random.
Hexagram 35, Prospering…Fire above Earth – "Emerge into the light; advance, be noticed; give and receive gifts……..You will be received by the higher powers three times in a single day"
In the body of this hexagram is the notion of a royal personage, symbolising the higher powers, bestowing gifts in the form many horses following the giving of a divination – auspicious indeed, and horses in the symbolic traditions of the I Ching, as well as the indigenous traditions of Albion, are a symbol of spirited strength in the natural world and are the counterpart of the dragon…..but, the royal visitation was most intriguing.
It was Lugh's day and, through following an intuitive thread it came to mind to visit a very special ancestral site high on the Atlantic coast known as Chun Quoit. Contemplating the quoits location on the map I noticed that it was next to an iron-age settlement, a walled village known as Chun Castle. The connection between the quoit and the castle is speculative as the quoit is neolithic and predates the iron-age settlement by millenia, but, somehow the I Ching's message seemed to resonate here…..
Chun Quoit's reputation went before it – reports of lights and sounds heard within its inner space spoke of a living ancestral energy residing there. In approaching Chun the long moorland slope seemed to vibrate with every gust of wind that bright day and as the quoit came into view I could see beyond it the tumble of stones that marked the walls of the castle. Pulled towards the castle entrance way, marked by two upright stones, the village seemed to be held in a silence, listening, waiting….after paying respects to its keepers Chun Quoit called from down the slope. Standing between the gateway stones I heard voices carried upon the wind from below, but, turning to look all around, I could see no-one on the slope of the moors.
The quoit is crowned with a large capstone and gives the impression of an oversized lid to the chamber beneath providing great protection, and, even though the wind this day sang about the cracks between the stones, it was as if held at bay from entering its inner sanctum – this was filled with a sparky atmosphere that fairly crackled with the energy of the crystalline matrix in its granite walls and roof. The earth within seemed hard baked and gritty – and not a place to be approached without invitation, especially if its matrix were to be explored. I decided to go sit a few yards from the quoit and see what transpired. As I was settling down on the grass near to the stones I caught sight of them – a tall man dressed in an army great-coat that flapped in the wind with three children buzzing around him was slowly striding up the long slope of the hill.
Paul told me he was a painter of the lands here-abouts and, after I'd told him I was a carver we quickly fell into a conversation about how we worked and began to discover a common ground. We both had an interest in the ancestral indigenous energies of this land and how these found expression, working through our creativity. While the two youngest of his kids scurried off to explore the ancient secrets of the place amongst the stones he and his eldest produced large sketchbooks from their backpacks and began to gather flowers…..'these are our paints while we're out and about' he explained. Using carefully selected flowers for different colours and rubbing them directly onto the paper he showed me how their delicate smears of colour brought an earthy vibrancy alive on the page…it was a method I'd never seen before, some of the colours coming from leaf and petal, others from the pollen the flowers carried. Paul went on to say that these would provide the spectrum of colour from which he would build his studio paintings – it was magical to behold…..
We didn't mention the quoit, it somehow wasn't necessary, but, contemplated the colours within the land and the shape-shifting forms of flowing cloud shadows as they swept up the slope towards us in a sea of hazy sunlight. Looking beyond them I could see the ocean and the silhouette of a rugged tor some miles away….'thats Kenidjack, a powerful place on a day like today' Paul said following my gaze and, gathering up their paintings, he and his kids made ready to move on – we bade our farewells and as they were leaving Paul said 'you should go see the stone circles down below the tor – yeh, and the view from the tor is quite special too'……
It seemed like I good idea and, as I scanned the land it felt that the tor had a certain pull to it – just then a whisper of sound drifted by on the wind. I couldn't identify it, but, it seemed to have come from very far away. And there it was again, a scintilation on the edge of hearing, shrill and melodic. This time I felt sure it was nearer, but, what it was I couldn't quite place. After a few moments it sounded again – it was a tintinabulation of sustained rising pitches, very high, like tiny silver trumpets blowing on the wind, only this time there was no doubt about it – it was coming from the quoit!
The wind sighed around the stones as I stood up and made my way over – and just as I approached, within six feet of the quoit, I heard it again and saw two small specks rising from the edge of the capstone, spiralling around each other and weaving a column of energy. The silver trumpets accompanied their ascent until they burst apart and disappeared. Well, that was odd! I could have sworn they were living sparks of dense quick moving energy – I moved closer. There on the top lip of the capstone were two large wild bees – they were facing each other and, moving as close as I dare without wanting to disturb them, I could see that they were vibrating producing a low humming tone. Slowly they pivoted about a central point, and what was remarkable was that although they rotated first sunwise, then changed direction to moon-wise and back, they always kept their heads pointing towards each other across the diametre of their dance circle and made their moves in complete synchrony.
I'd witnessed the bee's waggle dance before but never in the wilds and never a shared dance mirrored perfectly between two bees. These two were behaving quite differently from the bees I'd seen in the hives – they were very connected in their energy, clearly communicating at a hightened level……
Suddenly they both rose simultaneously in a vertical spiral from their circle, and there was the sound of the silver trumpets….it was a truly wonderous thing to behold…..and they danced this way in the air until an unseen signal sent them careening off at tangents and seconds later there they were together on a different part of the capstone. Their low humming circle dance unfolded briefly again before they both arose, but, this time they flew off in different directions leaving me breathless and elated, holding onto the quoit as if the wind might pick me up any moment and carry me off into the blustering brilliance of Lugh's day.
It felt as if a dream of ancient rites was come alive in nature this Lughnasadh….but, the tor beckoned and the wind said 'move on'…..
I failed to find the stone circles below Kenidjack Tor – sometimes the land conceals such things, as if another calling must first be payed attention to. Climbing the granite outcrop the comfortable looking bowl of a high seat revealed itself near the craggy pinnacle. Settling down to take in the view south and west out over the brimming ocean out beyond the land I caught site of distant islands emerging from just beyond the horizon – it was the Scilly Isles. The sea was alive with white horses and the day was filled with exhilirating dreamlike beauty…..the Scillys are also known as Lyonesse, the name of a rich and fertile land now beneath the sea that once joined the islands to the mainland, and it is said that the islands are the all that remains of a city built upon seven hills by the same name……
'Beautiful up here isn't it…', the voice woke me from my revery, but, I had thought I was alone! Leaning forward I was greeted with the smiling faces of an elderly couple seated in a perfect two seater rocky armchair just below. 'We didn't want to disturb you, but, its such a beautiful day to be shared' the kindly looking woman said…
'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you were there or I'd have said hello' I apologised in turn…they invited me to join them in a cup of tea from their flask and, as we introduced ourselves I mentioned that I'd just come down from Chun Quoit, explaining that I was visiting on the advice of 'some friends'.
They too were recent arrivals, having retired to Kernow some 5 years ago and had soon discovered this place, one of many favourites in this magical land. It was a shared dream that she a midwife and he a keen gardener had held since the early days of their marraige, to live out their golden years in this special place, and, even though it meant giving up certain things that were dear to them, they had no doubts that it had been the right thing to do – one of those things was bee-keeping.
'Richard here used to be a avid bee-keeper' Joan explained…..and, with this, I excitedly told them what I'd witnessed at Chun Quoit and asked Richard if he knew what the wild bees I'd seen were doing.
Richard's face lit up…'well, it sounds like they were two queens telling each other where the boundaries of their hives had been, quite a rare thing to see, infact, in 40 years of keeping bees I've never witnessed it myself……they call the sound they were making 'Piping'….'
There was no doubting from Richard's wistful tone what a privilage it was to have been at the queen bees dance, but, he assured me that amongst 'kept' bees such things rarely happened, if at all, as the hives were fairly settled in their partnership with humans. Wild hives, however, often disband before winter and regroup to form a new hive – the circle dance was a serious exchange of essential information such that the two hives that the individual queens had and would belong to would not impinge upon each other in the future. It was an honouring of sacred law, kept amongst the bee tribes, the royal prerogative to know and keep to on behalf of their hives, in this way keeping the health of the land alive and secure within the honouring of this sacred natural law.
I had much to chew over as I headed back towards the Merry Maidens and Lamorna….
The circle and the Pipers had come alive in these encounters, reflecting in very real and magical ways the deeply woven mysteries of land and enchantment. The day was beginning to wind down and I wanted to pay my respects and give thanks before settling back to camp.
After parking up at the tent I wandered back over the fields. There was a strange light noticable around them in passing the Pipers and it felt right to not dally but to make a bee-line to the circle. I arrived just as the sun began to set.
Making a circuit of the stones I found a waist high outlying stone to rest against. The intense beauty of the sun as it sank to the horizon cast radial arms of light within the circle and I noticed that on this day from the vantage point of this stone the sun set directly behind the tower of a church that peaked out from a valley a few miles away, directly in line with the center of the circle. The image of the queens describing their circle around its centre flashed into my mind. There was a pull from the center of the Maidens and, as I slowly trod the path of a sunbeam towards their center I saw that a man with several dogs had entered the field and was walking towards them too. We met at the exact midpoint of the Maidens, just as the last rays disappeared and the sky revealed a deeper luminesence.
There was something in the way in which it happened, the time and place, at the sunset of such a day, that gave an appointed feel to our meeting, as if it had unfolded in perfect expectancy. Everything was following a hidden thread through time and space upon which were hung the very qualities and energies necessary to fulfill this meeting at the Merry Maidens.
It was a mystery full of magic, but, it was several days later after travelling the Michael and Mary ley to Glastonbury that the depth of this mystery really began to reveal itself……
The man, who introduced himself as Will, was a stout and earthy character who had, he told me, bred horses in Dorset in the past, but, from what he said he seemed to have deeper roots in the land around old Kernow. He was accompanied by six greyhounds, some dappled, some dark, some light, and five of them were inquisitively exploring the stones and playing around the boundaries of the circle as we spoke – the sixth followed sedately behind and joined us in the center. She was extra-ordinary…..
Will saw me eyeing the dog as she entered the circle….'she's 'Queenie" he said, 'looks after all the others, but, feigns to run around like the young'uns'. Queenie stood with us as we talked and she was unlike any dog I had seen before – not only did she have a dignity and detachment befitting her name that was intense and tangible in some strangely undoglike sense, but, she had red eyes and ears – she exuded an otherworldly aura. 'Yep, she looks after us all….' Will said, as if to make sure she knew she was honoured in this.
He asked after my own work and I mentioned how the land here was such a powerful inspiration, bringing a strong feeling of connection with the oldways….Will looked to where the sun was glowing beyond the horizon. 'Yes, some of the old folk as used to be crafting with the land here'bouts would go along with that. Used to be a fella, fine woodsman and crafter lived down beyond the valley there – give him a piece of timber cut from the local trees and he could tell you which tree, the exact tree mind, that it come from….he were in his eighties as I remember him, when I were a lad.' Will paused and looked around. 'Its all changed now tho', not many folks know the land like they used….the lands changed too, at least as it appears'. There was a sense of knowing in Will's voice that betrayed a deeper understanding.
Then Will said something that, at first, I could'nt quite take in…..
He cast his hand around the circle of stones and said, 'I remember the land before these hedges went up and the Maidens used to stand in open moorland. But, that was a long time back, eh Queenie….?' and, at that Queenie gave a loud snort and slowly set off again. 'Well, nights coming on and I must get these dogs their walk….goodluck on your journey', and with that Will set off and followed Queenie, calling the pack to heal as they disappeared beyond the hedges in the falling dusk.
My Journey, as it unravelled, took me further up the Michael and Mary line, stopping off at ancient sites through which the ley's energy converged and sang, until, some days later I broke off on another pathway and headed for the mountains across the Severn River before returning to the ley at Avebury. The last stop on this leg of the journey tho' was in Glastonbury, a chance to mull over the events that had unfolded so far – and by chance that day I happened to wander into a bookshop on the highstreet and randomly picked out a book to see what it had to say about it all……it was a history of the folk traditions of the British Isles. I opened the book….
The passage my eyes fell upon sent a shiver through my entire being…….the King of the Underworld, it said, is accompanied by a pack of hounds, and tradition has it that they are greyhounds, but, no ordinary hounds by most accounts as these have red eyes and ears….
It seemed the guides had been spinning their thread in a magical pattern through every event and meeting of this journey and soon I discovered more spinning doorways high up in the mountains in the shapes of menhirs, and amongst caves and hidden valleys that gave way to other pathways connecting this world with the unseen ones. But, there-in lie many other tales….
In truth, everything is deeply intertwined and woven upon these magical skenes, and, in truth, within the meandering rivers of energy of the dragon paths a true and straight track is hidden in plain sight……if we but find the thread and follow…..
Bright Blessings this Lughnasadh!
Wu Wei
October New Moon – a dreamt astrological reading
Sagittal Fibres : Thomas Schultz
I awoke this morning with a complete astrological reading of this October New Moon fresh in my mind – it was given in a dream. Here it is, as it happened, hot off the dream -press :
there was no physical chart only floating images that were touch sensative – certain key elements are very 'live' – nothing is touched physically in the dream and yet when a certain feature is highlighted with conscious focus it becomes activated, like a link on a web screen, and the information is streamed into the dream space – there is no sound, no voice describing anything, just instant knowing – the dream was very bright and colourful as if illuminated from within – the dream also had an expanded realtime quality that compressed upon awakening as consciousness shifted into awakeness – the demarcation zone between dream and wakened consciousness was very clear – this was not a thought that had occured immediately upon awakening – this was the dream content being carried over…….I have dreamt of divining before but this was the first time it had taken the form of an astrological reading – more on this at the close ; what follows is the essential information as it came through, in a timeline, within the dream, with back-up info from the Sabian Symbols that I referenced upon awakening – I decided not to include a chart in the end as the images remain more luminous within the mind, nearer the quality they had in the dream – the image to the left is an astonishing amalgamation of the two main symbols for the circle of the New Moon chart :
the chart itself is oriented so that the Moons Nodes are forming a vertical axis, South at the root, North at the crown.
There are two images that appear simultaneously for the circle – in the first, the circle represents a human brain with axis of the Moon's Nodes forming the top of our spinal column, so dividing the chart circle into right and left hemispheres, with the South Node at the brain stem….
in the second, the circle is a tree, with the roots at the South Node etc, you can imagine the rest:
The brain circle has Jupiter conjunct Uranus + Neptune conjunct Chiron in the right hemisphere;
in the left hemisphere are Mercury conjunct Saturn + Sun conjunct Moon + Mars conjunct Venus;
at the crown Pluto is just in the left hemisphere, and,in the dream, an emphasis is put on the fact that it is in this hemisphere and not exact conjunct the node
In the tree circle the pairing planets are nesting birds that are bedding down and tending to their nests; ( there was no emphasis on the seasons – the nests are both homes for the new laid eggs and shelter for dreaming – remember this symbol for what comes later)
In both circles all the planets and luminaries are in the top or upper half of the circle – the South node, while squared by the Saturn Mercury conjunction, is otherwise isolated, cut off – in the dream the south node was saying that we are being asked to address the fact that we are "dead from the neck down" – that we have lost touch with our roots and that we are in the dangerous position of forgetting where we have come from and, therefore, what we are here to become – Mercury and Saturn together are challenging us to remember our purpose, collectively, but, they also provide the means of doing this, the channel
The dream emphasised that the New Moon and Sun stand at a sensitive point in the chart at 15 Libra – I looked up the Sabian symbol for this point – it has 'circular paths' and the keywords are 'Boredom or Transpersonal Peace', in other words we have a choice – they are semi-sextile Mars and Venus which is creating a tension in which the deep sexuality of this pairing is at odds with the Moon Sun – they are not seeing each other, not working together – the mind is not seeing, integrating, the sex drive, the mating urge is entirely instinctive – their message within the dream is that we need to take this to higher ground and be conscious of our dual nature and sexual energies – the dream had it that we will become infertile otherwise – the difference in qualities is in the comparision between Boredom (seperation – especially from our animal selves and instincts) and Transpersonal Peace as possible outcomes – which do we choose (or most commonly end up with)?
In the tree circle Pluto is threatening to bring down the tree – he is pulling through the left brain and his gravity is being fed by our thinking, here emphasised by Saturn Mercury – the next New Moon in November will signal the shift, when, days later, Pluto slips past the crown point, the North Node, and into the right hemisphere (brain circle) – not only that, but, the November New Moon is exact on the point that Venus and Mars ar conjunct on now, so, this New Moon is all about priming the change – if we want to make the healing corrective shift, we can dream and think on it now and realise it in a months time – this is crucial timing!!
And what of the healing – in the brain circle the right hemisphere provides the answer – here is the Sabian message for the Neptune Chiron point : "the dependence of the purest feelings of natural living upon the traditions within which they find their most adequate and effective setting." Anything that Chiron touches must be healed – it becomes 'chirotic', to borrow Barbara Hand Clow's term, and remains so until the healing brings transformation, change – within the dream there is transpersonal and transdimensional energy available to bring this about – so, once again Saturn and Pluto can be brought in to help us ground while channeling this energy into our envisioning, planning and processes for healing – we will all have the personal take on this, so, look inside, be reflective on this Moon and let the truth become apparent
And what of that change – at 27 and 28 degrees Pisces Jupiter and Uranus are dancing the blue electric field of change – "Consumation" is the Jupiter Sabian and "Abundance" the Uranus symbol – at the heart of consumation is 'Sharing' and expansive consumation means taking the harvest in and sharing it widely, sowing the seeds of a new cycle that we will all benefit by, and this comes directly from the sabian text too – within the dream, in the right hemisphere these happen through creative and intuitive, receptive and innovative modes – traditions are updated and renewed (North Node), contemporised, brought into the now, released of their dogma (South Node) – Uranus surprises us with wildly unexpected acts of kindness and giving – he also has many tricks up his sleeve too, so, watch out – keep your feet on the ground and stay sharp, look for opportunities that will benefit all – no room for selfish motivation as these will backfire now, and that is part of the past we are trying to remember in order to release
I have written this straight, just got up from sleep, and gone on-line, published – over the next 24 hrs I will try and refine this post, perhaps add a chart, image – so forgive any typos!! – for now, hope you get something out of this – all blessings, happy dream seeding!
Now that a good twelve hours have elapsed from writing the above here are a few reflections on this – I felt a little vulnerable putting this out there, assuming it has any relevance beyond my own consciousness, I could easily be accused of all manner of egotistical and hubristic failings – but, no matter that it was a dream, the planetary positions remain the same and the information passed on from the dream in relation to this stands on its own merits – make of it what you will, it is offered in good faith……
please ignore any automatically generated ads or posts appearing below – still trying to figure out how to keep them off these pages………….
A Message from the Valley
Who would you look to as perfect living examples of balance, generosity and healing? Who will offer you a pathway to the stars, to reach into the inner cosmos of Earth. Who can unfailingly give you the most fundamental requirements of shelter, warmth, food and medicines? Such beings are real, they do exist, right now, here in our midst……
They have inhabited this Earth for nearly 400 million years – they preceded dinosaurs by 140 million years – before them there were no reptiles or amphibians. They are expert natural energy bio-condensers who radically altered the climate, reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to drop and preparing the terrestrial surface environment for the emergence and evolution of animals and insects – through their arrival the planet quickly began to assimilate living conditions very similar to the present-day.
Their children have carried forward their ability to transform, nurture and, literally, inspire Life into our times – and yet we massacre them daily – through this, we contribute to climatic degradation and our own demise – for a thorough over view see this link
we love them too, so why do we treat our dear friends so – they are the Standing People – the Trees, living symbols of Life. It is our greatest challenge as a species to respect Life AND to, as a species, act accordingly – we devolve into failure unless we do so – so, if we could but take a few steps back from our madness and listen to them what would the Standing People tell us………..
…….if we lived by our hearts we would know them instantly – they would offer us a chance at rebirth as they are the midwives of terrestrial life, our relatives and elders, beloved and wise – they would fill us with wonder as they cradle the stars in their arms, as they pulse with the Sun and flow with the Moon – they would pick us up, raise our spirits, as they dance with the wind and fill us with their songs – they would cleanse our bodies and heal our souls, as they give us the breath of Life and give back to us the sacred meeting place – they would inspire us to compassion, as they teach us of selfless giving, carry our prayers, heal our bodies – we would dance with them that we may come alive
"…….our DNA is made of the same DNA as the tree – the tree breathes what we exhale – when the tree exhales we need what the tree exhales – so, we have a common destiny with the tree……." – Floyd Red Crow Westerman
Trees are powerful and highly evolved beings – the closer we become in our relationships with them, the more they stimulate our finer sensibilities, our deeper connections with Life and the Cosmos. They can transform our consciousness. As elder representatives of Nature they offer us a continual example of symbiotic relationship and environmental stewardship – they provide a wonderous variety of species with the essential habitat that fosters diversity and evolution. They too have evolved through this – Oaks, for example, have developed into around 450 species worldwide and, in the UK, the Oak provides a home for more co-habiting organisms than any other tree. Over 300 different kinds of Lichen alone have been found growing on Oaks in Europe and Lichen is a good indicator of air quality – infact the role of trees as indicators of balance within the health of ecosystems has given them a unique place within the consciousness and cultures of peoples worldwide.
No matter where we find trees they bring a sense of wellbeing and belonging, a reminder to those dwelling amongst the hard surfaces and sharp angles of the over-humanised environment of the flow and flux of Nature. For many living beneath the forest canopy the world is immediate, the horizon close by, the natural world a living matrix of vital energies. One western man who spent his life within the community of trees and was able to both discern and develop a profound understanding of these vital energies was the Austrian forester Victor Schauberger.
image : nevit dilmen
The son of a forester from a long lineage reaching back to the Germanic tribes Victor was born into the world of forest lore and the practical know-how of arboreal stewardship – he had a knack of perceiving the subtle and invisible energies at work in Nature. Through a mix of patient observation and inspired curiousity he made of his life a meditation on the living energies that manifest the mind of Nature through the trees and rivers, infused with the powers of Sun, Moon and Earth. Trees spoke to him, and he read their messages as energy. He came to realise that trees bridged the material and subtle realms, responding to the rhythms of Life, both sending and receiving waves of intelligent energy. Callum Coats book "Living Energies" is a itself a dedicated translation and thorough assimilation of the essense of Victor's work.
The outer reaches of a tree's canopy and roots transmute ever more subtle gradations of material energy units until they become pure information – the mind of the tree extends beyond its physical body, its intelligence reaching into the transpersonal, its whole being a synaptic complex of consciousness in communication. This is to describe a being that is fully awake, that is able to communicate with both inner and outer Cosmos – when trees enter the inward looking times of Autumn into Winter they focus their consciousness on the dreaming worlds, the dreamtime. Through this they teach us of the rhythm of the seasons as a reflection of our relationship with the pulsing heart of creation.
When we listen to that pulse and pick up the beat we are invited to dance – a circle of people dancing with this pulse, carried by the drum beat and sacred song, pulling the energy of the circle in towards the tree and slowly expanding out again, will awaken the tree – she will radiate a profound warmth and delicious energy, embracing us in her consciousness – to experience this is to know that this is real, beyond doubt, and it will truly bring healing.
Around the world shamans journey with the drum to the otherworlds from the roots, branches and body of the great tree in search of knowledge and healing – the hoop of their drum is gifted from the trees, the skin often adorned with the axis mundi, the Tree of Life – for many indigenous cultures souls come in and leave Life through her nexus – the spirits congregate there – our prayers hung upon her boughs are heard and cared for – in the groves we find protection, sacred space.
Spirit medicine is only one way in which the balance of our natural relations with the Cosmos can be restored. There are other pathways that are accessible to us all and which are called into our consciousness on a daily basis, that our current planetary conditions tell us are increasingly pertinent.
fosswood dreaming : rob purday
The forests are dying on our Earth, because, through greed and dead matter thinking, we have given priority to satisying the needs of a voracious and uncaring culture, turned a deaf ear to our hearts, become disrespectful and overlooked the reality of our actions – and yet, for so many this is not a true reflection of how we would live. We have not forgotten how to listen, we can still hear their voices – and it is important that we do so for our children and our childrens children. We can reforest our home. And this is a first step – plants and trees planted with respect and in recognition of the sacredness of all Life, over generations of their family and through the seasonal cycles, will become our allies. They come to know us, form a sacred relationship with us and they will always be ready to answer when we ask them for help – this too is real, beyond doubt, and will help to heal the Sacred Hoop, the Circle of Life.
Our western thinking is a great stumbling block, and yet, it is also a great teacher – there is balance in all things. We often filter out that which we do not have tangible evidence for with our thinking – it is an affliction that is affecting our whole world and has caused great suffering within indigenous communities. Balance rather than dominance…….
Balance within communion carries a visceral potential – to restore the balance and make the encounter can be highly emotive and revolutionary, affecting of our view of the world and our understanding of our place within it, of ourselves. There is a wonderful account of such an encounter in "Of Water and the Spirit", the autobiographical writings of Dagara elder and shaman Malidoma Some. During initiation into adulthood Malidoma describes how he met with a beautiful tree spirit, a tender yet awesome 'Green Lady' of immense heart and understanding.
For the 'western' mind this encounter is powerfully instructive as Malidoma has to struggle to free himself of the enculturalisation he suffered at the hands of Jesuit priests after they had kidnapped him from his village as a child – his return to the village created a dilema for the Elders who saw both a threat and a gift in his presence, in the cultural baggage that he was carrying. They decided that initiation was the only way forward, the make or break test of whether he could truly become the embodiment of his name, which means "be friends with the stranger/enemy". It stands as a potent allegory for the relationship between the western mindset and the indigenous.
Malidoma struggled over a long period under fierce conditions of extreme heat and dehydration, focusing on the tree that stood before him, to arrive at the moment when he was able to 'let go' and fall into the embrace of the spirit world. It was the attachment to both 'trying to do', contriving what he thought was expected of him, and the emotional attachment to the concrete nature of what his senses told him was real that created the barrier through which he eventually burst – he literally fell into the arms of the beloved spirit, and she spoke to him. Without this breakthrough his initiation would have failed. Even more crucially, this opened the pathway back to the original purpose that he had petitioned the ancestors to support him in before his birth, and allowed him to remember and embody his connection with the spirits in Nature, his name and soul purpose. To the Dagara trees are amongst the most evolved of beings on Earth.
For Malidoma this was the beginning of a journey into the wider world, sanctioned by his elders, his ancestors and spirit family. He carries with him the sacred medicines of his African roots, reconnecting 'people of the diaspora' with their roots and healing the spiritual heart of our Western cultural desert – thanks to the 'Green Lady'. I had the benefit of several years profound and heart centered guidance and tuition with Malidoma – it brought many challenges and, like many others whom he has helped, brought a much needed appreciation of our universal nature, the ways in which we can find healing that are so deeply rooted in Nature, our relationship with the ancestors and the spirit worlds. He, with many others alive today, continues to work his magic for the benefit of us all in the world. All blessings be with the healers – human and arboreal.
The next time you enter a forest, lean against a tree or plant a sappling, please say thank-you – say it out loud, from the heart – it will bring healing into your world, our world. Such powerful healing as we find amongst the Standing people is always at hand, within the forests, amongst the watchful care of those great beings we know as the Trees. The New Moon beckons – happy dreaming!


text:
Action at Badama Post
The Third Afghan War, 1919
Paul Macro
A thrilling account of the rescue of RAF crewmen after their aircraft crashes in Afghanistan … in 1919.
30–50 images, 5 maps
The 3rd Afghan War in 1919 was the only time that the Afghans invaded British India during Britain's long history of conflict in Afghanistan and along the North-West Frontier. It was a campaign that cost the lives of well over 1,000 British and Indian troops.
This is the story of an unknown action of this little-known war, an aircraft crash and rescue. An aircraft of 20 Sqn RAF was lost, whilst investigating a gathering of tribesman. The crew was rescued and the majority of the aircraft was recovered by members of the Kurram Militia and 22 Battery Motor Machine Gun Service. It was an all-arms action – the lives of 2 airmen were saved at the cost of an Indian Militiaman and an unknown number of Afghan tribesmen. Above all it is an action which typifies the experience of a virtually unknown group of soldiers, 22 Battery of the Motor Machine Gun Service. They had volunteered to serve as Motor Machine Gunners in France, had been through an intense and very competitive selection process, frequently expending considerable sums of their own money just to attend selection interviews, and had suddenly found themselves dispatched half way round the globe to the heat, dust, snows and monsoons of India and the North-West Frontier.
This book looks at the background to the conflict, the Kurram Militia, the history of the squadron and the lives of the key players. Whilst this was not the only action the 22 Battery of the Motor Machine Gun Service fought during the 3rd Afghan War, this one was recorded in the account of A/Sjt Ernest 'Bill' Macro, who was in charge of the section of 22 Battery dispatched to Badama Post in late July 1919. This is his story, and the stories of the other men for whom the climax of their experience in the 3rd Afghan War came during the action at Badama Post.
1 - Background
2 - The War in the Kurram
3 - 22 Motor Machine Gun Battery, forming
4 - 22 Battery in India
5 - The Kurram Militia and Maj Dodd
6 - 20 Squadron
7 - The Aircrew
8 - Action at Badama Post 29th/30th July
9 - Clearing of the Aircraft
10 - The Endgame
11 - And Afterwards
"Paul Macro offers a fascinating glimpse of the operations of a little-known unit."
- War History Online
"The actions described in Action at Badama Post could come from any age. That they resonate so well with today's generation is an indication both of our familiarity with small wars in the information age and of the quality of Lieutenant Colonel Macro's telling of a previously untold story."
- Major General John Patterson CB
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Unlike US, Ireland Just Sent Three Bankers to Jail for Role in 2008 Crisis
The trio's scheme was a "very serious crime," judge says
Andrea Germanos, staff writer
A 2010 protest against the bailout of Anglo Irish Bank. (Photo: Joe Higgins Euro Election Campaign/flickr/cc)
A Dublin court has sent three former senior banking executives to jail for committing "sham transactions" in an effort to deceive customers and shareholders during the 2008 financial crisis.
"The trio will be among the first senior bankers globally to be jailed for their role in the collapse of a bank during the crisis," as Reuters reports.
Former Anglo Irish Bank executive John Bowe got a two-year sentence, former Irish Life and Permanent chief executive Denis Casey was given a sentence of two years and nine months, and Bowe's colleague and former Anglo executive Willie McAteer got three and a half years.
As the Irish Times explains,
[Their] scheme, described by the judge as a series of "sham transactions," involved Anglo placing massive sums with Irish Life and Permanent and receiving the money back, via a non-banking subsidiary, as customer deposits.
The short-term transactions enabled the bank to disguise a heavy loss in customers' deposits, which would have confirmed the widely held suspicion in the market that Anglo was close to collapse.
The Washington Post further explains that the trio "essentially inflated Anglo Irish Bank's deposit levels by about $8 billion." The Post continues:
That inflation was meant to obfuscate the funding crisis at Anglo Irish Bank, which had invested heavily in a property bubble in Ireland that popped almost as soon as the financial crisis began in the United States. As the crisis spread from the United States to the European Union, of which Ireland is a part, Irish banks were frantically asked to pay back loans and debts to U.S. banks, but they couldn't. That, in turn, led to Ireland asking the European Union for the most expensive bailout in its history.
Judge Martin Nolan called the scheme a "very serious crime," and said the now-defunct bank's auditors "should have known what was occurring if they were doing their job properly" and that their failure to see the wrongdoing was the result of "blindness or wilful blindness."
The Associated Press describes their tactics as amounting to "the biggest accounting fraud in Irish corporate history."
While Iceland has put financial executives behind bars, that has not been the case in the U.K. or U.S., a point noted by some Twitter users on Monday in response to the jailing of the Irish bankers:
Hey @TheJusticeDept if you want to convict too-big-to-fail bankers, you can - the Irish did! https://t.co/s04Z3tAzD7 @maxbearak
— Better Markets (@Bettermarkets) August 1, 2016
Ireland jails top #bankers for their role in the 2008 crisis. Meanwhile back in #America... https://t.co/UYKBNSONhK pic.twitter.com/LUhMfR68kt
— Robin Hood Tax (@RobinHoodTax) July 31, 2016
Say whaaaaaat? I understood this was not possible.
"Ireland jails three top bankers over 2008 banking meltdown" https://t.co/mSBDPrgG0d
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) July 30, 2016
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text:
Broad Oak Brede in East Sussex
(On the Crossroads)
Broad Oak Brede in East Sussex is a small village on the A28 midway between Hastings and Tenterden , whose history is very closely tied in with Brede .
In 1030 the Manor of Brede was granted to the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy, and until 1416, Brede was controlled by the Abbey. The church was built by the Benidictine monks from the Abbey around 1180. Very little of the early church remains, and the majority stems from the 12th century.
An interesting tale from the 16th Century is of Sir Goddard Oxenbridge, a giant of a man who was said to eat a child every night for supper, and who could not be killed by metal, but only by wooden weapons. It is believed that this story was spread by the smugglers in the area, to scare away the curious from Brede Place, which was one of their bases. The story ends with a very drunken Sir Goddard being killed with a wooden saw at Groaning Bridge, between the Church and Brede Place.
Brede was famous for its iron works, and manufactured cannon and shot until the late 1770's, when gunpowder was manufactured. Three major explosions racked the mills, and finally on 7th March 1808 Brede Gunpowder Mills was completely destroyed by a large explosion, ending its production.
The views all around are very picturesque, as Broad Oak(Brede) is on top of a hill. Going north towards Northiam , the valley is steep, and very pretty.
The local services are limited to a garage, public houses, and small shops with the main shopping town at Hastings about 10 miles away to the south, or Tenterden about 6 miles to the north east.
The main bus route from Tenterden to Hastings goes through the village.
The nearest trains run from Hastings or Battle on the main London line, providing 1/2 hourly services.
Broad Oak Brede is shown as the red symbol on the map.
(William the Conqueror prevails) 5.47 miles
Catsfield
(Iron, Railways and Clocks) 7.35 miles
Guestling
(Changing guards at Buckingham Palace) 3.57 miles
(17th Century Coal !!) 5.18 miles
Robertsbridge
(The Home of Modern Cricket) 6.02 miles
Salehurst
(Richard the Lion Heart's Gift) 5.54 miles
(Bonfire Boys under suspicion) 3.10 miles
Whatlington
(King Harold's Manor) 4.05 miles


text:
Is it possible to "surf" a train at over 120mph? Can you really ski down the longest escalator in Europe? What happens when you put a man in a 100m catapult and let go? Welcome to the most incredible clips on the planet! Men and women cheating death. Some are real, some are just very sophisticated hoaxes, but each gets millions of views… Now, unruly engineer Tim Shaw and his daredevil best friend Buddy Munro are tracking down these internet daredevils in order to explore their feats in the most hair-raising and explosive way possible: by re-creating each and every one of them, themselves!
© 2022 John Vrilakas | Site by SK


text:
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Guest Spotlight
Talking Art with Joe
Guest Spotlight with Joe
April 15, 2021 Posted by Katherine Heilman
Joe has been a guest at Our Daily Bread "for a long time." We sat down across the street at the tables at Findlay Market to have a conversation. One thing I immediately like about Joe is his laugh- it's big, hearty and genuine, echoing the lines and gestures in his artwork. We both went to college for fine arts, so we of course gravitated toward that type of conversation.
Above all, Joe is an artist. He says that when he was five years old, he realized he had a talent for art. He was a very shy kid and mostly kept to himself. "You don't have to really talk to people when you're making art." His grandmother encouraged his creativity, and Joe describes her as resourceful and able to create things out of found materials. When Joe was older, he attended the University of Cincinnati's art school, DAAP.
Later, Joe got into blue-collar work- prep cooking, that kind of thing. "I'm not an office type person, I don't care for that environment." He also had his own vintage clothing shop at one point, and he would go to thrift stores to find things to sell. "I was focusing more on that than art- a lot of jobs have pushed my energy to the side, and I couldn't focus on art."
Now, he does. He spends time drawing and selling artwork at Findlay Market across the street from Our Daily Bread. "If I can sit somewhere, and people see my art and they like it, I'm good." He used to want galleries to show his work, but now, his goal isn't to get art in galleries, but to get it in people's homes. "Wherever I'm at is a gallery."
Joe said he makes more sales now than ever now that Over the Rhine is being revitalized. "I can do more art and support myself, and art's not just drawing, it's a way of living. It helps you see things differently. It's my therapy." He's interested in artists being together in community. We talked about that a while. He pointed to a building behind me and said the upstairs could be affordable housing and art studios for artists, and the first floor could display and sell the artwork made up there.
He feels art-based communities can keep people from ending up locked up.
"If our area promotes artist living, we won't have people ending up selling drugs and in prison who find out once they're in prison that they're into creating art." One of Joe's personal goals is to get a building.
"As an artist, I think of different ideas and solutions. You have to give a person a fishing rod, not just a fish! Don't get me wrong, I want the fish too," he laughs, "but I need the rod, and I can do a little fishing."
Check out some of Joe's artwork:
joe bailey figure indoors 2021
joe bailey bird 2021
joe bailey portrait 2021
joe bailey woman 2021
joe bailey hummingbird 2021
joe bailey portrait 2 2021
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text:
Le elettromotrici serie 60 ÷ 69 furono una serie di vetture tranviarie che la STEL pose in servizio nel 1923, per il potenziamento dei collegamenti sulla linea Milano-Monza.

Storia
Dopo la prima guerra mondiale, il parco rotabile delle tranvie interurbane milanesi a trazione elettrica necessitava di essere rinforzato con ulteriori mezzi di concezione più moderna.

La STEL, subentrata alla Edison nell'esercizio della rete nel 1919, ordinò alla Breda la costruzione di 10 vetture, che vennero consegnate nel 1923, e assunsero i numeri da 60 a 69.

Le nuove elettromotrici riprendevano le caratteristiche delle vetture d'anteguerra (come le "Abbiategrasso"); mantenendo ad esempio il rodiggio (A1)(1A) ad aderenza parziale e la cassa in legno.

Inizialmente, le "Breda" vennero poste in servizio sulla linea Milano-Monza, dove effettuavano i servizi locali; dal 1935, sostituite dalle più moderne elettromotrici della serie 110 ÷ 115, alcune unità furono degradate a servizi di minore importanza, sulle linee Monza-Carate e Sesto-Monza via San Fruttuoso; vennero anche utilizzate sui collegamenti suburbani per Bruzzano e per Crescenzago. Nel 1936, in seguito all'arrivo delle 116 ÷ 123, le unità rimaste sulla Milano-Monza vennero trasferite sulle linee Seregno-Carate e Seregno-Giussano.

Nel 1939 le vetture entrarono nel parco ATM, mantenendo la stessa numerazione, e nel 1948 risultavano ancora tutte in servizio.

Secondo una statistica del 19 gennaio 1957, tutte le 10 unità erano in servizio, distribuite fra i depositi di Desio, Milano Farini, Milano Spontini, Monza Borgazzi e Varedo. Tra il 1955 e il 1960 a tutte le unità fu ricostruita la cassa.

Nel 1960 l'unità 62 venne trasformata con equipaggiamento bitensione, così da poter operare anche sulle linee dell'Adda (Milano-Vaprio con diramazione Villa Fornaci-Cassano, e Milano-Vimercate). Le unità non trasformate vennero usate sulla Milano-Corsico fino alla sua chiusura nel 1966.

L'unità 62 prestò servizio sino al 1973, quando, in seguito all'integrazione della "linea celere" Milano-Gorgonzola nella linea 2 della metropolitana, si erano resi disponibili i mezzi bitensione operanti su quella linea.

Livree
Le vetture entrarono in servizio nella livrea bianco gesso tipica dei mezzi STEL. Con il passaggio all'ATM, le vetture assunsero una colorazione a due toni di verde, simile a quella dei tram urbani, ma con un caratteristico disegno frontale "a scudo".

Note

Bibliografia
 Giovanni Cornolò, Fuori porta in tram. Le tranvie extraurbane milanesi, Parma, Ermanno Albertelli Editore, 1980.
 Paolo Zanin, ATM Milano tram elettrici interurbani, Salò (BS), Editrice Trasporti su Rotaie, 2013, ISBN 978-88-85068-41-4.

Voci correlate
 Rete tranviaria interurbana di Milano

Altri progetti

Trasporti a Milano
STEL 60-69
Tram costruiti dal gruppo Breda

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Texas couple pleads guilty in enslaved nanny case
HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston-area couple has pleaded guilty to charges related to forcing a Nigerian woman to care for their five children and home without pay for two years, having her work nearly 20 hours a day.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston says 57-year-old Chudy Nsobundu (CHOO'-dee en-soh-BUHN'-doo) and his 49-year-old wife, Sandra, both of Katy, Texas, pleaded during a court hearing Wednesday as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
Chudy Nsobundu pleaded guilty to visa fraud while his wife pleaded guilty to unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor.
Attorneys for the couple didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.
Sandra Nsobundu faces up to five years in prison, while her husband faces up to 10 years' imprisonment when they are sentenced on Jan. 4.
Austin gas station shooting: Family of man killed believes his death was unjustified
Missing teen with intellectual disability last seen in Spring Branch: CCSO


The soft yellow floating rubber duck is actually an American icon that was invented in the USA in the 1800's before the whole industry went overseas. We are proud to have returned the manufacturing of rubber ducks back to America to be the only ones still making them here once again!
At our factory in Michigan we are making our Good Ducks, the safest PVC Free rubber ducks on the market. They are considered the safest rubber ducks in the world for babies to teethe on!
CelebriDucks creates extraordinary specialty items for many well known American companies including: Harley Davidson, Marquis Spas, United Way, Sterling Health, Dixie Ducks and more.
Our custom promotional premium advertising items and custom specialty designs are unique in that they reflect a quality in terms of design, sculpting and painting that is unequaled. They are manufactured to float perfectly upright and never let in any water.
Please visit the Made in America section on our website to read more and watch a video that HGTV's Home Factory shot in our New York factory showing our ducks being made. CelebriDucks are not only considered the finest rubber ducks on the market, but we are also the top custom duck manufacturer in the world.
CelebriDucks rubber ducks also make a fantastic item for fundraising. You can use any rubber duck or other fun animals we have in stock or we can design a specific custom item just for your event. They are a great way to raise funds for schools, teams, non-profits, etc, and make an exceptional collectible which people love to own.
One of the most iconic brands in America asked us to create a Harley-Davidson rubber duck. He comes in a gorgeous gift box showcasing their graphics and the tag line, "Float to Live, Live to Float!" They also wanted to know if we could make it 100% in the USA which we did! Thanks to Harley's tremendous patience and support, we created this awesome collectible for The Harley-Davidson Museum.
Marquis Spas and Hot Tubs came to us to create a mascot for their company using a rubber duck, or loon as the case may be, 100% made in America!! So here he is, Luther Loon. It really makes sense since Marquis makes all their products 100% in the USA! It is such an honor to work with them.
The soft traditional yellow rubber duck was actually invented in America and until now, they were all made overseas. We brought the rubber duck industry back to the USA and are now the only ones making them here once again. The Future Farmers of America were the first ones to have them made here again and you can get one of these limited first editions by going to their website by clicking here.
United Way of Morrow County in Ohio stepped forward to do the first ever traditional yellow duck race with 100% Made in America rubber ducks. This United Way chapter was totally committed to supporting American jobs and industry and it was a huge success. You can watch us making their ducks in the video clip on the top of the Made in America section on our website that HGTV filmed at our factory!
Sterling Health & Wellness had us create Darcy, their new mascot, to encourage supporting things made in America as part of their Healthy Living Initiative. After searching extensively to find a healthy, happy duckie to complement their Sweet Lullaby collection of bath products, they found CelebriDucks. Watch the clip HGTV filmed of them being made at our factory in N.Y. at the top of the Made in America section on our website. Sterling Health Boutique's lotions, bath products, and candles are artisan crafted, small batch luxuries created with quality standards and hand poured with joy in Huntsville, Alabama.Visit Sterling Health website by clicking here.
While bringing the rubber duck industry back to America, the State University of New York contacted us about doing a loon for the first ever duck race in American history using American made ducks (or loons as the case may be). And so on Memorial Day 2012, the big event happened! They are also being used as a great item to raise money for their forestry programs!
This is such a great story. Ducks on the Pond came to us to create a duck 100% made in America to celebrate baseball and rubber ducks, both of which originated in the USA!! Ducks on the Pond is an expression going back to the 1940s to mean players on base waiting to score. The company is located in Detroit and they even gave one to Jim Leyland, the Detroit Tiger's manager, in addition to the team's owner and management. You can actually buy one by visiting their website by clicking here.
UltraCarz is an American company creating cutting edge technology to increase gas mileage in any kind of vehicle. They are really trying to make a difference in helping the environment and also by supporting American jobs. So when they wanted a promotional item to sell and give to clients, they came to us to create the Ultra Carz biker duck 100% in the USA!
ESET North America came to us because they wanted a very cute looking duck to put a hat on for an upcoming trade show. This is an 800 person company with offices worldwide who discovered one of the first ever computer viruses and went on to create one of the fastest and most effective antivirus programs in the world! They needed hundreds of these ducks to give away. Their duck was 100% made in America and we even helped them find real little hats to go on their heads. You can visit Eset website by clicking here.
Dixie Duckies only uses our 100% made in America rubber ducks for their line of fun themed rubber ducks. Each Dixie Duckie then travels to a groovy mid-century modern house located smack dab in the heart of Dixie where he is "accouterment-ized" with an outfit and handmade tags customized with your greeting. He is then sent on his way with the noble and heart-felt mission of delivering smiles to someone you care about. Now that's a Duckie-worthy mission! To check them out at their website click here.


We help organisations and individuals improve their digital marketing capability. We do this by delivering the very best face to face training, elearning and consultancy.
We pride ourselves in delivering training both online and face to face that impacts how our clients operate. We do this by making sure that our training is based on real world experience and is delivered by practitioners.
We believe training and elearning should be clear, easy to use and communicate what you need to learn in a concise and non-patronising way.
We are committed to help make the world a better place. We donate our services to a range of charities and good causes to enable them to use digital marketing effectively.
Target Internet is a CIM Accredited Study Center and is able to offer highly prestigious Digital Diploma in Professional Marketing qualification via our online learning platform.
Find out more about the CIM Digital Diploma in Professional Marketing.
Improve your digital marketing skills and achieve a Chartered Institute of marketing diploma as you progress through our easy to use platform of online courses. As well as suggesting next steps and reporting on your progress, the platform provides direct access to a huge range of supporting content and resources.
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Download the latest report or benchmark your own skills now.
We can provide a full range of consultative digital marketing training for your team. We specialise in creating custom training courses to suit your requirements. Covering everything from getting started in digital marketing to hands-on and advanced courses.
Covering the latest trends and techniques in digital marketing, our Resources section is home to the Digital Marketing Podcast (a top 10 iTunes business podcast) and our blog, offering insights and expert advice on all things digital marketing.
Daniel oversees the production of all of our training and elearning content, and has over 19 years experience as a digital marketing practitioner, helping organisation improve their digital marketing. He is an award winning trainer, lecturer and author and has worked globally with some of the worlds leading organisations developing world class digital marketing.
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Ciaran co-hosts and produces the Digital Marketing Podcast, Target Internet's top 10 iTunes Podcast.
Target Internet works in partnership with Aress Technologies, accessing a global development team, to continually develop our elearning delivery platform.
Pete is a freelance journalist and digital marketer. Alongside his work as contributing editor for Target Internet, Pete writes for clients including The Sunday Times, The Yorkshire Post and The Line of Best Fit.
As a business we believe we should take responsibility for making the world a better place. As such we commit to donating £1 in services for every £1 that we earn to good causes and charities in need of Digital Marketing Training. Get in touch if you'd like to find out more about our pro-bono services. ARE YOU A GOOD CAUSE THAT NEEDS HELP?


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text:
Treadmaster Flooring – We're All Over the Place!
09 May 2019 | Railway News
Safety And Style
In rail, fire standards are much more stringent than for land- based buildings, but the fundamental principle should always be the same – safety should never be compromised over costs.
As of 2018 the New European Rail Fire Standard EN45545-2 is mandatory across the EU and has taken over from existing national standards such as BS6853. The key focus of this is to harmonise rail fire standards across Europe, making it easier for European companies to access the wider European market without having to meet all of the previous existing national fire standards.
In some quarters the new EN45545-2 standard is acknowledged as being less stringent than some existing national standards and as a consequence, some materials that didn't meet old national standards may now meet the new European standard.
Specifiers and operators should not feel pressured to reduce costs by using materials that would not have previously met a national standard but now meet the European standard.
Fortunately for specifiers Treadmaster can offer robust rail- compliant floor coverings, as our TM7 flooring meets the BS6853 Cat 1a and EN45545-2 HL3, whilst our TM8 flooring meets BS69853 Cat1b and EN45545-2 HL3.
Treadmaster flooring has a long and well-established reputation for manufacturing high-quality, long-lasting floors that exceed even the most stringent fire retardancy requirements within the transport industry, but we also operate in other markets and have provided quality bespoke flooring to some very unusual projects. Recently we provided flooring to the elevator floors within the newly opened Vessel building in Hudson's Yard, NY. London Designers Heatherwick were looking for an extremely hard- wearing floor that would continue to look great for years to come, despite extreme levels of footfall. Of course, safety with regard to fire retardancy was paramount but they also needed a floor that would perform in all areas, and a manufacturer that could produce bespoke sizes and shapes to exacting dimensions.
Other unique projects we have been proud to provide flooring for are the New Routemaster London Buses, built by Wright Bus of Northern Ireland. Again designed by Heatherwick, they utilised a very similar product (TM3) to that supplied by us on the original Routemaster in the 1960s.
Another high-profile project supplied with Treadmaster flooring is the Studio City Golden Wheel in Macau.
As the website states,
'Let your fortunes soar to new heights on the world's highest figure-8 Ferris wheel and admire the breath-taking views of the city 130 meters up in the air. Born from an epic Hollywood-inspired tale of two asteroids careering through Studio City's two Art Deco hotel towers, the iconic landmark features 17 spacious Steampunk-themed cabins, each accommodating up to 10 people.'
The project capsules installed by Poma Group had to meet strict criteria with regard to fire safety, wear resistance under very high traffic and, of course, look amazing for many years.
Treadmaster also make Marine- specific safety flooring for use on anything from yacht decks and RIBS, to cruise ships and tankers – so you see, we're not just on trains, we're all over the place!
Train Flooring, Train Interiors, Treadmaster Flooring
Treadmaster Flooring, Tiflex House, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 4NB
View Supplier


Among the many legends of the giants that lived on Etna, the most famous is probably that of the Cyclops, who threw the cliffs in the sea at Acitrezza to try to block Ulysses' escape. But, apart from the mythology, there are real giants, beautiful and majestic, who have lived on Etna for longer than anything else. They managed, like us, to survive the eruptions, the lightning strikes and sometimes even the attempts by humans to eliminate them. We are talking about the oldest trees of Etna, the beings who have lived the longest of all on the slopes of our volcano, offering us a spectacle of form and colour with every season, particularly Spring and Autumn.
Chestnuts, pines, beeches, oaks, birches and poplars. Etna is home to a number of species, divided on the slopes by altitude, and by eruptions. There are easy and fascinating hikes on which they can be admired.
The most popular is, without doubt, the Hundred Horse Chestnut in the commune of San Alfio; it is the biggest chestnut tree in the world and one of the oldest. Legend tells of a queen who was accompanied by a hundred lords and ladies, who were surprised by a storm during a hunting party near the tree; they found refuge in its branches, large enough to shelter them all.
The Zappinazzu is a majestic pine 31m tall, 300 years old. We also find the king of the beech trees: the great tree of Acqua Rocca, watching over the source. Or there is the Ilice di Carrinu, a 700 year-old oak with long, twisted branches. There are also the many beeches of Mount Sartorius, where the trees are so big and the forest so thick it seems impenetrable. Don't forget the trembling forest, located at the end of the path of Cubania, trees that owe their name to their leaves, which vibrate with the slightest breath of wind. Etna is home, without doubt, to other marvellous giants and delights us with a host of trees simply surviving in a hostile environment.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Bloomberg says "Can't let the Average American have Guns in Church" (5)
Chinaman(3015)
Bloomberg says "Can't let the Average American have Guns in Church"
2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is a foe of Second Amendment rights, has now come out with his latest anti-gun doozy.
In the aftermath of the recent church shooting outside Fort Worth, Texas, which saw an armed citizen take down a armed criminal in a mere six seconds after he initially opened fire, Bloomberg has seen fit to opine that we as a society "can't let the average American have guns" in a "crowded place" such as a house of worship.
The Democrat explains that we cannot protect ourselves because the politician knows better.
Not everyone can afford bodyguards you Communist. You might want to try reading the Constitution.
Deitus(138) Disputed
Oh my god I'm going to twist your penis hole like a bucket of sandwich meats on a sunny day in chicago.
Chinaman(3015) Clarified
A sunny day in Chicago is just more mass shootings. Google it.
The clowns running for President in the Democrat Party are deniers of the Constitution, and all want to transform America into yet one more dead Socialist economy.
The fools voting for these extremists care about nothing but themselves. The sickest part is that they can't even grasp how they are hurting themselves if a Democrat wins.
Democrats are shwoing their true colors. They have such disdain for Christians, that they would have preferred if the entire congregation were killed before the police got there.
IndigoSky(56)
It's time to round the Communists up and file charges for their violation of the law per the Communist Control Act of 1954.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist ControlActof1954


text:
Nico Vega — американская рок-группа, образованная в 2005 году в Лос-Анджелесе, Калифорния, США. В её состав входят: Эйжа Волкман (Aja Volkman) (вокал), Рич Коехлер (Rich Koehler) (гитара), Даниэль Епанд (Dan Epand) (ударные) и Ямила Вивер (Jamila Weaver) (бас-гитара). Популярность группы резко возросла в 2009-м, после исполнения трёх своих песен на шоу «Last Call with Carson Daly».

Nico Vega самостоятельно выпустили несколько мини-альбомов и видеоклипов. Группа сумела привлечь внимание известного музыкального менеджера Дока Макхи (Doc McGhee). Они подписали контракт с MySpace Records, а вскоре записали свой первый полноценный альбом под названием «Nico Vega». Линда Перри выступила продюсером трёх песен альбома, а Тим Эдгар — всех остальных. Альбом был сведён Чадом Блэйком (Tchad Blake).

Пик активности группы пришёлся на 2009 год, когда Nico Vega гастролировали с лидером рок-группы «Bush» Гэвином Россдэйлом, группами Neon Trees, Manic Street Preachers и Shiny Toy Guns. В 2010-м гастролировали с The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Metric, Sweethead, Saint Motel и Imagine Dragons. В 2011-м — с She Wants Revenge и Blondie. В 2012-м — с Neon Trees. В 2013 году гастролировали с Imagine Dragons, Atlas Genius и Crash Kings. В октябре 2012-го их песня «Beast» была включена в трейлер компьютерной игры «BioShock Infinite», а в ноябре того же года — в трейлер к фильму «Джек Ричер» с Томом Крузом в главной роли.

История
Эйжа Волкман начала писать песни ещё в школьные годы в городе Юджин, штат Орегон. Позже она переехала в Лос-Анджелес, где сольно исполняла свои песни. Эйжа надеялась образовать группу, что и произошло, когда Майкл Пенья предложил выступать ей вместе с ним и Ричем Коехлером. Группа назвала себя «Nico Vega» в честь матери Майкла. Однако, в 2007-м он покинул группу, чтобы продолжать сниматься в кино и наслаждаться отцовством. В то же время к группе присоединился Дэниэль Епанд в качестве барабанщика, став движущей силой их дальнейшего творчества.

В 2009 году группа выпустила свой первый полноценный альбом «Nico Vega» под лейблом MySpace Records. Тим Эдгар стал продюсером альбома, хоть группа и надеялась привлечь внимание Линды Перри. В конце концов Линда спродюсировала три песни из нового альбома: «So So Fresh», «Wooden Dolls» и «Gravity».

Второй студийный альбомом «We Are The Art» вышел весной 2013 года под лейблом Five Seven Music. Группа представила заглавный трек «We Are The Art» в октябре 2012-го. Даниэль Епанд, барабанщик группы, написал сценарий и срежиссировал клип к песне. В декабре того же года Nico Vega выпустили сингл «Easier» из предстоящего альбома.

Участники

Текущий состав
 Эйжа Волкман (Aja Volkman) — вокал (2005—наши дни)
 Рич Коехлер (Rich Koehler) — гитара (2005—наши дни)
 Даниэль Епанд (Dan Epand) — ударные (2007—наши дни)

Бывшие участники
 Майкл Пенья (Michael Peña) — ударные (2005—2007)
 Ямила Вивер (Jamila Weaver) — бас-гитара (2012—2013)

Дискография

Студийные альбомы
 2009 — Nico Vega
 2013 — Lead to Light

 Мини-альбомы
 2006 — Chooseyourwordspoorly 2007 — Cocaine Cooked the Brain 2007 — No Child Left Behind 2011 — Nico Vega Covers Nico Vega and Rod Stewart 2013 — Fury Oh Fury Синглы
 2009 — «Beast» 2012 — «We Are the Art» 2014'' — «I Believe»''''

Видеоклипы

Примечания

Ссылки

 Официальный сайт Nico Vega
 Официальный сайт лейбла Five Seven Music

Группы альтернативного рока из Калифорнии
Музыкальные коллективы из Лос-Анджелеса
Музыкальные коллективы, появившиеся в 2005 году