Journal Entries
All out war in Georgia
Posted Aug 10, 2008
By accident I look at live pictures at BBC World and see, that deep into the territory of Georgia Russian airplanes are bombarding civilian targets.
Peoples in the street, burning a live !
A European country, suddenly fully bullied by the old grumpy Russian
bear.
After the fall of the iron curtain, it was suddenly clear, that Western Europe had no real interest for Russia as a country and population.
Russia felt again, that the West was looking down at it and so it started to behave as a dictator that uses weapons easier than real negotiations. A country that still doesn't like the idea of democracy.
Georgia became one and also got more independence because of the oil pipeline (which has been bombarded of course).
They'll have to get used to neighboring countries that go their own democratic, independent way and we all know that Georgia (5 mil.peoples) has not a real aggressive policy against Russia.
All these Russian passports have not any value at the Russian border.
This behavior is very, very inhumane.
Might be a good item for a forum.
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Latest reply: Aug 10, 2008
Artistic version of "Gimme Shelter"
Posted Aug 2, 2008
The text below is an artistic version of the story "Gimme Shelter". It's made by a member of the music group, to use it for their new album. Name of the group; 21 eyes of Ruby.
Black Bird
a short story inspired by "Gimme Shelter" (alfredo)
By Mark Courage
Part 1.
Only few parts of the walls were covered with different kinds of wallpaper. A long time had already gone by, before the boy took this room on the attic, his hiding place. Emptiness had driven him to seek comfort in painting words on the flaking walls: "Wherever your treasure is, there will be your heart".
This message he had given himself, to forget his loneliness, to neglect his homesickness, to deny his precious but misfortunate past.
Outside, on a small branch, a black bird spoke and sang of true beauty, waking the boy every morning with its songs and sermons.
While months went by, the boy obsessively attempted to seek forgiveness for his destructive tendency.
The room functioned as a cocoon, giving the boy just enough air and sunlight to breathe, to grow into a person... a man…
(muzikaal intermezzo)
In his flight, the man threw off the cocoon’s shell, leaving behind the bird and the boy, in search for his treasure. He wandered around restlessly, living his life between sunset and sunrise.
As his body desired more and more of the filthy substances he poured down his veins, his mind became a sewer, filled with mud, dirt and rats, crawling and littering around in his head.
The small black bird took care of the naked boy, who was lying on the floor, gasping for breath. He could only move his eyes and the bird fed him, like a mother bird feeding her youngsters, keeping his soul alive.
(21Eor song)
2.
One night, years after the cocoon had burst, the black bird flew restlessly through the attic. The boy opened his eyes and experienced an unusual sensation inside.
The bird’s panic frightened him, but at the same time he felt a comforting shiver down his spine.
He discovered he could move again, and gently he got up.
Slowly he floated to the window, and there, outside, the man broke down on his knees, crying.
When the boy opened the window, the man looked up, and their eyes met. “I’m Glad you’ve not forgotten me” the boy said, and he jumped out of the window.
As the rain started to fall heavily, the man left the house, the street, the town, with a black bird on his shoulder, and the boy, his treasure in his arms.
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Latest reply: Aug 2, 2008
New Netherlands 1624 - 1664
Posted Jun 21, 2008
I am doing a lot of research about the period that the Dutch colonized a small area around the Hudson River and the part in the south of Manhattan.
Next year there will be a celebration in Amsterdam and in New York, because then it will be 400 years ago that captain Hudson was hired by the Dutch to find a shorter way to China, but stranded at Manhattan.
Somewhere I already wrote that.
I'd better not write until I've done all I would like to do.
Still I do.
So Hudson came in 1609 and after him most poor men came from "Holland" (that was not a nation these days) to do the necessary preparations for colonists that might come later.
But in the first years no one in Amsterdam was interested in colonizing Manhattan. Holland was rich and the trade with the local Indians was very good. We bought the skins of beavers and sold it with a lot of profit in Europe.
So why colonizing.
By the way; the whole East Coast of "America-now" was occupied by the English, French, Spanish, Swedish, etc. and the English could easily kick us out.
That's what they did in 1664 and in 1673 we reoccupied it until the summer of 1674.
The contract made in 1674 became later on the mirror of what we know now as the Bill of Rights. It was a very good contract and the settlers got it even better under English rule than under Dutch.
I'm reading the book that's based on the immense research, done by
http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/halfmoon/gehring.htm
That Charles Gehring found thousands of old Dutch documents and translated these all. Our queen has honored him for that around 2000.
To me, it's interesting to understand the influence of Dutch culture in the development of the United States of America.
The text of the declaration of independence in USA was apparently inspired by the Dutch pamphlet against the Spanish occupier.
One of the Founding Fathers – John Adams - who wrote that (USA) document, so to speak, said about the relation with the Dutch "plakkaat van verlatinghe";
Quote;
”The originals of the two republics are so much alike, that the history of one seems but a transcript from that of the other………
the great characters the Dutch republic exhibits …………have been particularly studied, admired and imitated in every American state”.
Well, big names and their ancestors. It's known but not that important.
Neither our "Sinterklaas" and their "Santa Claus" and that kind of stuff, although it has its own value.
The philosophy of the rebelling Protestants in - what we know now - The Netherlands has also been inspiration for the U.S constitution.
Not very surprisingly, to know that many colonists who came from Europe found their way in the US and England and Holland were for many years the only protestant nations in Europe.
What surprises me, is, that the so called "tolerance" in Holland these days, indeed was real tolerance and no myth.
All those who were persecuted because of their beliefs (protestants, baptists) or race (Jews) found their way into the North of the Netherlands.
In those days "The Netherlands" were what we know now as "The netherlands" and "Belgium" together. But the "Belgium part" was mainly always occupied by the Spanish troops and in the north it was 80 years of trading places between the Dutch and Spanish troops.
By the way; they were Spanish troops, but only a small number were really from Spain. At least 30 percent were Dutch. In those days, 1500, 1600 and also later on, it was very normal in Europe to find a living as a soldier. So Scottish soldiers could be hired by the Dutch to fight against England.
My own ancestors fought against Napoleon as well as for him.
Strange, but it needs a lot of care to understand the culture of these days.
Anyhow; yes, I'm impressed by what was allowed in Amsterdam and Leiden and what we know now as Rotterdam and the Northern provinces.
When there was a fight between protestants in England, the hardliners went to Holland and after a few years they went to the big continent = Manhattan, etc.
The impact of Dutch settlers appears to be far more than just having a colony for 40 years.
All these dates like 1609, 1624, 1664 and 1673 etc. don't reflect the impact of their presence.
Why?
Because these settlers remained their in their very own way of life for hundreds of years. It was quite normal for a notary anno 1775, to sign a paper "The New Netherlands".
That's because of the conditions Peter Stuyvesant demanded when the British took over. Their way of life just went on, as it did before.
And there are some public thoughts about the relation between New York and Amsterdam.
It cannot be proven, and is speculation.
But the translator of all these ancient Dutch manuscript started it and in the Book "New Amsterdam" it's also paid attention to.
The Dutch around Hudson did not have a society as the English or French. Our society is not built on class spirits, so people from "below" could have a real opportunity to find their way up.
Second; the culture of "tolerance" existed far longer than just 1624-1664. Far longer.
The English were very surprised that so many Jews came to live in New Amsterdam, and "even" some Black Africans.
Roman Catholics, Italians, Danish, Swedish; it all was there.
In fact there were more people from Belgium than from Holland.
The initiative, power and support came from Amsterdam, but not more than 15% of all inhabitants came from Amsterdam.
The policy was not only based on "tolerance", for who the hell goes in a ship for two months between cattle, arrives and has to find his way (more men than women)from scratch on.
So it was also smart to invite anyone who wanted.
That last reason is also the explanation for the fact that "marginal" behavior was not always rejected, so to speak.
A famous pirate of the Caribbean found his home in New Amsterdam, married a rich widow and was a cult figure. He became adored and famous and in his mood of glory he even took a ship just for fun, to Boston.
Oh, my God, Boston; here they come. Police of Boston took him from his ship, because of piracy accusations in the past and the man was hanged.
These "liberal ingredients" so to speak may have had their influence on the social and cultural life in New York.
But it is speculation.
And the Dutch could sometimes be very harsh and one governor was absolutely allergic for the word "tolerance".
A century later on, Manhattan was a place of criminality and lawlessness without any horizon, let alone inspiration for others.
But, it's interesting.
I like geo politics as much as the human interest stories. It's like a movie.
And I must admit, that the Dutch in these days were more, real " tolerant" as we are now - 2008 - for fugitives, different religions. Maybe because they themself suffered from oppression by Spain and cath.church.
http://www.henryhudson400.com/index.php?lid=1&sid=1
http://www.russellshorto.com/books/
http://www.newamsterdamhistorycenter.org/
http://www.nnp.org/index.shtml
http://www.hollandsociety.org/index1.html
http://www.historichousetrust.org/item.php?i_id=14
http://www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us/ New Netherland Museum Half moon
http://www.hudsonvalley.org/content/view/43/102/
http://www.john-adams.nl/home/
http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/aans/ American Association for Netherlandic Studies. AANS is a university-level organization that promotes the study of the language, literature, history, art history and general culture of the Low Countries.
http://www.newyorkamsterdam.com/ info omtrent culturele evenementen.
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Latest reply: Jun 21, 2008
Incest - 2008...
Posted Apr 29, 2008
Austria, april 2008.
A house(a former atom-bomb-shelter at streetlevel), with secretly created bunkers below the floor and the garden.
Not one bunker, not two, but three. Very deep down, so deep, that any cry out of despair could never be heart at streetlevel.
A daughter who suddenly "disappears", while she is in that graveyard of cement.
Rape, beatings, threads, dehumanization, madness, sheer hell, artificial light, no fresh air, in prison and knowing that no one knows it, except "He".
"Being on your own, like a complete unknown"
Sheer hell
Baring children of your father.
The dead child was burned down in the backyard by the King of Hell.
His wife was doomed wanting not to know, while drinking coffee with a biscuit and watching TV about their missing child.
USA April 2008.
Today I saw at U-Tube about 15 video's about the Mormon sect that's been visited by the police in the USA these days, also about incest.
A woman could only get into heaven, if she married a mormon man at the campus ,who have a total different "agenda" than the brainwashed women.
I just cried. It is so sick, so sick. Burried alive, women and children in the madness of the safe haven of a sect.
Only a few women left the guarded(!) compound and took the long and winding road of sectarian-detox.
One woman at a video wrote a book about her specific life in that specific sect.
http://www.amazon.ca/Escape-Carolyn-Jessop/dp/0767927567
To see and hear her gave me hope.
Religion and familylife as shelter of rape, incest and death.
I happen to know, what incest caused in my own life.
Leaving the “shelter” took me almost a life time.
The “shelter” of sectarian religion, or the “shelter” of “an exclusive destination” within a family can make a human being so small, that he/she doesn’t have the slightest idea of the content of “I”, or “Me”.
These days there is a huge momentum about child abuse, while I’m also deeply impressed by the brainwash of the female sectmembers.
Quote; “It’s our duty to be SWEET for our husbands. That way we’ll end in heaven.
We say to each others (women); “keep sweet, keep sweet”.
Yes, “keep sweet, keep sweet” = keep running and running and running so you don’t have to feel your absolute despair and anger, because one doesn’t have the slightest hope that ányone could be trusted and could be of any help.
Isolation is the devils playgarden.
Isolation creates isolation that creates isolation.
It’s a strangling chain that takes a life on its own and most never experience freedom.
Most to blaim around the world?
Men of my age, about 50 or older.
Manipulating a younger generation with black and white thinking ánd a clear highway to heaven?!
Parasites of mankind who suck at the feelings of hope in any young generation.
"Don't you want to become a hero like Bin Laden?!" an old man said to a boy of nine years old who wanted to travel back to his parents and not remain at the campus for religious education in Indonesia 2006
"I just want to go home" the boy said.
The man took control over him and the boy did stay.
I'm sure that a couples of years later the boy does not have the slightst idea of the word "I" who wanted to go home..........
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Latest reply: Apr 29, 2008
Sarkozy and his visit to G.B.in spring of 2008
Posted Mar 26, 2008
Today I saw and heard live at BBC-world the speech of the president op France to the English politicians at his first state visit to GB.
As the public was, also I was very surprised about what he said and how strong he believes in the change of international policy of France, as it had been before for decades and decades.
This was far more than just polite talking. A couple of times he was interrupted by law applause.
Thank you for your soldiers you send to liberate France in the past.
France needs BG also now and we need cooperation with GB in all kinds op issues, like Europ.Union, climate change, terrorism (We cannot leave Afghanistan as long as it is unstable), etc.
Yes, it was impressive, because one felt the emotions he used from himself.
He also spoke bluntly about China and Tibet and that there should be a dialogue and that he will not attend the openings ceremonial of the Olympics.
Really impressive.
Of course there's more to say, but I still believe this was a very different president/policy than even before.
French German relation will not flourish as before.
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Latest reply: Mar 26, 2008
Alfredo
Researcher U237909
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