text:
Are Extraterrestrial Life Really Visiting Us?
I do not know how many times that I've come across articles or newspaper clippings with statements that our planet have been visited by aliens or extraterrestrial beings since mankind been in existence. Even stories of government cover-up, the secret place called Area 51 where information about it was recently declassified, secret files of UFO landings and people proclaiming they were abducted by these beings and later released. Even the Nazca lines on the plains in South American have been determine to be made by the indigenous people their hundreds of years ago. They are not landing strips for UFOs as some people believe them to be. Are they landing a jet or airplane? The idea sounds so man-made. There is a long list of these stories on this subject that I considered to be so absurd. I do not know whether these are true or not but what I am going to do here is to look at all this from a rational and scientific perspective to explain why I believe all this heresy that extraterrestrials visited this planet as anthropomorphous beings just doesn't make sense to me. I will present some supporting facts to backup my opinion and thoughts about this subject.
It All Started with the Roswell Incident
I believe this whole "aliens from another world" thing started from the incident that occurred in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Witnesses claimed they saw pieces of a spacecraft shaped like a disk, hence the start of the familiar word "flying saucer". This word is still used to describe the majority of any unidentified flying object (UFO) many witnesses claimed they have seen. Most of them appear to be a flattened, disk-shaped flying object. Also a rumor started by some witnesses at the time that aliens or extraterrestrial corpses were recovered from the crash with tinfoil and rubber. This rumor was quickly dismissed by the military at the time. The government's explanation was that a high-altitude surveillance balloon crashed there and as far the bodies of aliens were concern that was a completely fabricated story. Frankly, I believe the government story here. This incident was quickly forgotten and resurfaced almost 30 years later in 1978 by ufologist (is this a word) Stanton T. Friedman during an interview with Major Jesse Marcel.
Roswell, Mexico where aliens and UFO first started in 1947.
Marvin the Martian
A Closer Look a the Story
When you examine this story closely from a rational and scientific perspective this story just doesn't make sense. It raises a few questions. For starters, why were there no reports of other aliens (their rescuers) in the area later? With all their advance technology other ships should have come right away to retrieve the bodies if these aliens have the same emotions as humans for their fellow comrades. Next, why didn't anyone in the immediate area get sick due to exposure to unknown bacteria or viruses from another world? That is what happened to us hundreds of years ago when someone from other parts of world set foot here. I think there is a chance this could have happened but was never mentioned. Now, here is one that really puzzled me, why were the aliens using tinfoil and rubber in their spacecraft? That sounds so man-made and primitive for something supposedly made using advance alien technology. Finally, why did the story die and resurface almost thirty years later, and do you really believe this military guy story was true? He probably just wanted some publicity. In addition there should have been more of these guys coming forward with this information.
Friedman probably dug this story up after watching all those sci-fi movies of the 50s and 60s with flying saucers and aliens for monetary motives. After all this incident is what got Hollywood started in the "aliens from another world" movie making business. They were simply preying on the fears of the general population at the time and people had developed a habit of looking up a lot for enemy aircraft after World War II ended in 1945. So if they saw anything in the sky moving and they couldn't identify it the word "UFO" came out of their mouths. Eventually, the two words "UFOs" and "aliens" became synonymous.
Aliens and UFOs, Some Can Be Explained
Today, in the twenty-first century, I find it difficult that there are people who still believe in UFO sightings even after the government officially announced that most these sightings and very blurry photos were determine to be hoaxes. With current technology we should be able to take relatively clear pictures of something flying over our heads by now. This explains why there are not too many photos of UFOs today; you would think the opposite should happen. It should be thousands of authentic UFOs photos now especially on the Internet and in the news media or unless the aliens stopped visiting us. Also the technology to determine the authenticity of photos are much improved now. I took a look at some of the UFO images on the internet and you can clearly see that most of them are artist renderings, doctored photos, computer generated images, and there are some blurry, grainy ones especially from the 50s and 60s era.
Yes there are some we cannot explain but then why aren't these guy landing? Are they afraid of us or why are they not communicating with us? We been trying to pick up communications signals from space for years without any luck through SETI so far. Again it doesn't make sense. Especially if they are so advance technologically they should be communicating without any problem with us. Furthermore, if they don't want to we should be picking up some form of signal with patterns, instead random noise.
Looking at these photos it look like in most cases our Air Force could had very easily shot the thing out of sky especially when they are visually spotted and they do not seems to be moving that fast. I believe these sightings are still hoaxes and some of them are simply extraterrestrial objects flying by at the edge of the earth's atmosphere. Earth is bombarded by thousands of space debris daily and there is the possibility of a few large bodies occasionally just barely touching the earth's upper atmosphere when they are flying by and giving off reflected light from the sun like the moon does. This also explains why the bright lights some people see, especially at night, are always moving parallel to each other and only last a few seconds.
The Presidents & UFOs
The Vastness of Space Is The Main Reason
To me the vastness of universe is the most critical and rational reason why we probably have not been visited by extraterrestrial beings. Sure, the universe is large but keep this thought in mind, most of the cosmological events that happened in our part of the universe are probably happening elsewhere in the universe so they are governed by the same laws of nature as we are. The same elements in our periodic table are in the other stars, asteroids, and planets in the universe. They all started from the same simplest element hydrogen, which is in everything in the universe. Therefore, extraterrestrial life forms on other earth-like worlds capable of sustaining life obviously are experiencing stages of development in their civilization with the assumption that intelligence also had developed in the process. Some of these civilizations may be ahead of ours and others may be behind ours, but the advance civilizations may or may not have the capability to transverse large distances in the universe.
Here is the simple, logical reason why they cannot or will not be able to visit us. The closest earth-like planet to us, if it does support intelligent life, is 10 light years away and other earth-like planets recently discovered are much further away. That mean traveling near the speed of light will take any intelligent life form more than 10 years just to get here. Any slower will take thousands of years or more. There are probably thousands maybe millions of planets with life in just our galaxy, the Milky Way, but most of those life forms are probably microbes like bacteria or viruses that can survive in extreme conditions.They may not necessarily be humanoid in appearance and any other earth-like planet would simply be even further away making space travel thousands of years or more to get here and only if they can travel near the speed of light. Furthermore, don't even think about other parts of the universe beyond our galaxy, the nearest galaxy Andromeda is 2.5 million light years from here. The distant alone tells us it will take an alien life-form more than 2.5 million years just to get here if they are traveling near the speed of light. Any slower would be billions of years of travel time. In light of that if you think about it why would someone or something want to travel that far and so long to see another life-form. It is just impractical
Eyewitness To Roswell
In conclusion, when you apply rational thinking and facts to the idea of aliens from another world visiting us I cannot understand why people for one reason or another refused to let go of this thought. If aliens ever visit us anytime soon I am pretty sure we all will know about it when and if it happen because the reason is quite simple.
Why? I am hoping that most of the world population would not be wiped out by microbes innocently exposed to us by aliens or the aliens might die from our microbes (Remember the ending in "War of the Worlds"). We will not be able to hide that news from billions of peoples if these scenarios were to happen. A case in point, look at what happened when the European explorers first set foot on the soils of the New World now called North America and South America back in the 1400s. They almost wiped out the whole indigenous population on some of the islands because the people there were inadvertently exposed to an entirely new microbe (smallpox). Let us just hope we are not visited by aliens anytime soon because the same thing might happen to us on a global scale. Mankind could be wiped out entirely if this were to happen. We do not know what the consequences will be if we came in contact with them. The fact is UFOs are just that unidentified flying objects such as space debris or manmade pranks.
In a final note, the U.S. government have just released to the public de-classified files of UFO sightings reported by people from all over the the country. Now you will have a chance to look at these documents and decide for yourself whether or not these sightings are genuine unexplained UFOs or just hoaxes perpetrated by pranksters on a gullible public. In conclusion, even though numerous sightings of UFOs have been documented there is still no conclusive evidence that these UFOs are of extraterrestrial origin or if there is intelligent life out there capable of interstellar travel.
© 2011 Melvin Porter
Melvin, your article raises many an interesting idea. I have also read many reports of people seeing UFOs. I think many of them are just seeking publicity, some of them are mentally ill, and some of them are true. I have read stories of people being hypnotized and explaining in detail what happened to them. I am sure that in the vastness of space there are other civilizations. I am one of those people that has to see for myself to be a true believer.
Ya gotta consider that some civilizations may have already been at an advanced civilization level, having had their first official public contact with ETs maybe, let's say 16.5 million years ago.
Consider it, all possible possibilities are possibly possible.
So, in 16.5 million years of existing outside of the world as they knew it, their first official public contact, knowledge, wisdom, technological advances, New emotional understanding achieved through their first public contact,..... Ya learn lots.
Comparable to an infants ability to comprehend and adapt/accept reality in New perspective when one day staring thoughtlessly at an HVAC manual that is beyond comprehension to an infant, but nonetheless written in stone fact to the "grown up" who was taught how to understand and apply that knowledge.
Same thing. Grander level.
16.5 million years, look at the progress of our internet in a few decades and wonder for a moment....
Not even gonna touch on the ease of communication through Telepathy, or learning Archeoplanetography, we can discuss those down the road a bit.
It ALL comes back to all possibly possible possibilities imaginable instantaneously being entirely possible and worth considering.
Right on, peace be with us all, Love and Compassion to all beings always in all ways, and a bit of Tally Ho!
You make excellent points. but what if the aliens took great precautions not to infect our planet with their alien microbes. Just kidding. Playing devil's advocate. I have a friend, a highly intelligent person, who tried to convince me that the Roswell stories were real because he went there and saw strange lights in the sky. Really? A race of beings so intelligent that they can travel through space, but too dumb to conceal their lights? I think the local pranksters just like to have some fun with the tourists. It's so weird that people want to believe this stuff. Thanks for debunking.
Good hub... I love this subject. I'm a skeptic but I do have an open mind, if that makes sense.
Just a nitpick, but the facility in Nevada has been declassified. Look up the 'Groom Lake Facility'. It was declassified sometime in 07. And, on Government survey, its located on Nevada Land Area #51. At the very least, that facility does exist, what it does? Weapons research, definitely. Other? Who knows.
I think the largest evidence against visitation is the amount of space out there. I've seen one (optimistic) working of the Drake Equation, which plots that there are currently 3600 space-faring civilizations in our galaxy right now. This may seem like alot, but there are 300bn stars in the Milky Way, therefore, a single civilization would have to explore 80 million stars to find another. Given this, it seems far more likely that they would use remote sensing methods (spectrum analysis), etc.
However, it all depends. As civilizations become advanced, not only do their survey techniques advance, but the actual manpower and resources they would need to conduct survey increase. 80 million seems like an insurmountable number to us, it may take their systems a fraction of a second to get rough estimates of which might have life, and send some drone craft.
We already know 60% of stars don't have planets, and our telescopes and spectrum analysis can identify this rather quickly. Its likely we've already cut our own number down from 80 million to about 30 million.
A pragmatic scientific approach to the phenomenon. Within a four dimensional world, observations are correct to some degree. I beg to differ that we are live in such a practical world. The universe is ever expanding and creating new possibilities. Not every thing is known at the moment and existence is infinite.
Haven't been on Hub Pages for a while.
Very interesting Hub. One of the very first Hubs I published was about alien life and whether we humans are ever likely to find it; almost all of that hub expressed the same views that yours has, but I did so in my own style.
On the Roswell/Area 51 incident, you may be aware that the US military did experiment with flying saucer type aircraft at some time in the 1950s, and that is where some of the more modern flying saucer stories may have originated from.
Check out this website:
Considering the size of the universe, alien civilizations would probably have a tough time finding us! No doubt about it. It's just mind boggling how huge the universe is. It's hard to even comprehend.
Hi melpor. Another good Hub. After Roswell, people claimed there was a big Gov't cover up and the rumors of aliens in captivity. This fit the Government well. They just didn't deny it. And they could do anything they wanted. If top secret aircraft were seen people would just think they were aliens.
Even if the Aliens exist, they do not need to come to our Earth. They have billions of other planets to visit. Why should they come here?
Thanks for making this article in a way that' s not trolling. It actually makes sense and not "I've got proof look at me!" attitude.
Now I have a test of my own I would like the author to finish.
I would like the author to copy and quote my entire text ending at the word *attitude* to see how it appears to others.
I will state my final reasons afterwards to prove if my theory of what I am going thru is true or false. :)
UFO's are a bunch of BS.
I appreciate what you are saying, there certainly are many hoaxes, unexplained natural phenomena, etc. However, mechanical flying saucers are a confirmed reality. Whether or not they are extraterrestrial in origin in questionable. When the disclosure project started in 2001 there over 400 military and government testimonial witnesses confirming the supposed reality. Today there are thousands including Ben Rich of Lockheed Skunkworks who admitted in his deathbed confession that they had been reverse engineering them. Ben Rich is the man that said the pubic cannot handle the truth... ever! I don't mean to nitpick but once you've delve deeply into the subject you begin to realize that not all these events can be explained in conventional ways. Many of the people who make these claims have passed polygraph testing time and time again. Either their claims are true or they have been deceived and genuinely believe it (who knows?).
Neither was the word narcissism but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. What about all the other things I mentioned? I'd like to direct you to the painting of John The Baptist & Jesus from 1710 in part 3 of my investigation. Clearly in the sky is a metallic circular disc emanating beams of light down onto them. I have never seen or heard of any kind of natural phenomena that shoots down beams of light onto beings on Earth in such a way. Flying saucers have now been proven a reality and governments all over the world have admitted it. Some governments have even confirmed the presence of extraterrestrial life and there are declassified government documents that confirm this too.
Flying saucers are abundant in religious paintings that are thousands of years old, check out my investigation. Also, witnesses of UFOs/flying saucers have been exposed to radiation which caused damage to their health as have trees (once again check out my investigation). Although there is no solid evidence of extraterrestrial life it certainly is very mysterious and indicates that these things have clearly been around a lot longer than we could ever have imagined.
All sheep have closed minds. Explain how the pyramids were built then. If our scholars and archetics can't ... im sure u can't either. Closed mined government trained sheep.
Hi, Melpor. Good article and lots of interesting ideas, but I think you jump to some unfounded conclusions in places.
Certainly there are a lot of crackpots out there make any UFO (unidentified!) into an alien spacecraft. Some people are pretty gullible, but don't be skeptical for skepticism's sake. There are many things we flatly do not know. We don't have enough information. To claim such omniscience as you imply in your article is just as bad as those who are UFO fans simply because their idea is fun and exciting.
Many a scientist has disrespected ideas just because they don't fit within their worldview. Where did peer review go on that? What rigorous study preceded those conclusions. True, many of their dismissals are justified, but are they all?
I remember reading that one scientist claimed that Edison's search for an incandescent bulb would prove futile. Did he eat any crow, later? Another scientist, in the late 1800's, claimed that we had invented it all -- that there would not be any other big breakthroughs, because we now had the light bulb, phonographs, telephone and the like. One look at today would certainly surprise his "omniscience."
The professional condemnation of NASA scientists' discovery of an arsenic-thriving life form is only one example of this kind of arrogance that ego thrashes out. Other scientists "know better," and don't hesitate to let the offenders know about it. That's not science! That's bad attitude. That's skepticism run amuck!
On another's hub you dismissed the idea of pre-Ice Age civilizations. That may very well be true. Before the last ice age was something like 115,000 years ago, during the Eemian interglacial (similar to the Holocene). But if you were implying that there were no civilizations during the last Ice Age, you may be walking on thin ice. What you're claiming is an argument to ignorance -- a logical fallacy. Just because we don't have evidence of a civilization then, doesn't mean one did not exist.
But then again, maybe we do have evidence. Not many years ago, one of the major arguments against Atlantis fell to the discovery of ruins at Gobekli Tepe, Turkey -- dated at 9500 BC. So much for the skeptics illogics.
The universe could very well be "empty," though I rather suspect there are billions (sextillions?) of other worlds with life. Intelligent life? I wonder. But you assume that the great distances to stars would prevent travelers from making it here. That's as shallow as the SETI assumption that advanced civilizations would use electro-magnetic radiation for communication. Could there be other forms we have not yet discovered? Before Marconi, the idea of radio may have seemed like Jules Verne science fiction.
There is a movie based on a true story about "alien abduction" called, "Fire in the Sky." Was it a prank? Who knows, but the story is compelling. Your idea that aliens would make themselves known the world over assumes too much. You assume that their interests are similar to ours. Maybe they're only interested in checking to make sure that we stay genetically on track. Pure speculation, but why not? We just don't know.
The story of Ezekiel, in the Bible, talks of a vehicle which sounds really strange, likely because Ezekiel did not have the vocabulary to adequately describe something like that. But when he talks of entering the thing, it moving, and him feeling the "hand of God" holding him down, that sounds like a description of the force of acceleration. How else would a primitive describe such a thing?
And the Nazca lines created by primitives? Perhaps. But who is that shaved off the mountain tops (through solid rock, in places) to make the flat areas for those drawings? Somehow, I don't picture the primitives having such skills or such long-range interests.
There are a lot of things we don't know. Being open to the possibilities is what helped Einstein find Relativity, Edison the incandescent light bulb, and Tesla his A/C dynamo.
Reason, yes. But all reason (not unsupported dismissal). And also creative imagination (Einstein swore by it).
i agree with you that we need to look at UFO sightings in a rational and scientific way (i've seen the doctored videos you speak of), but i also feel as though there is not enough serious research and work being put into this ET theory, because nobody wants to stake their reputation (and their job i might add..) on it.
and why should the idea of ET's visiting us be crazy? ALL of our ancient cultures speak of "gods" (actual beings.. most of them had names) that came from the sky, who could preform "magic"..(misunderstood technology), taught them how to live off the land, make shelter, and to be good to one another. and yet, for so long we have CONVINCED ourselves, that our ancient ancestors created these beings as stories... why would they?
step back and think about it... even if it sounds weird
Say Intellegent ET's came and taught cave men how to create shelter, and cultivate food. the early humans wouldn't understand what a "UFO" (space ship) was, but im sure they would be damn well impressed by the advanced technology of the ET's. so impressed in fact, that they tell/write stories about these visitors to all of their descendants..but after a long enough time, all of the original witnesses are dead, and the "gods" become a thing of myth and legend.
why should this topic be too considered too "science fiction" to be studied and researched on a serious level? When people are no longer afraid to say "i believe that aliens are around us" we can start doing actual research, free of bias.
My Pleasure!
Hi Mel:
I enjoyed the read.
Of course I agree with you from beginning to end.
The alledged "Big Bang took place about 13.7 billion yrs ago.
The Earth was created about 4 1/2 billions yrs ago and it took "US" this long to evolve?
There's a possibility that life could exist on many other "worlds" in our universe, but that life has had no more time to evolve that we, give or take a billion yrs or so.
As you say, the distances are so incredibly great that unless "other life" has discovered "wormholes" in space and time and have created "warp" drives which we, as yet, can only imagine, visitations from "ET" would be absurd!
I like the way you presented this subject. :-)
lol, every time something mysteriously fall from the Skye it's a visitor or if something is seen in the Skye and can't be identified, no wonder they have a television show portraying about the visitors taking over.
I find these speculations on UFO's etc interesting. Maybe because I used to be a Science fiction fan. i think there is a combination of wishful thinking and paranoia about the government--the reason that the more the government disclaims UFO's the more these people are convinced they are real.
It was the microbes that eventually saved our bacon in the "war of the worlds" and microbes will most certainly substantially deplete our population before alien contact does?
Given the enormity of the Universe it is highly probable that other life forms would not be recognizable/perceptible to us , to wit recall the Jody Foster movie(Contact) that conveyed this.
It's even more unlikely that alien life forms would possess the bisymmetry type anatomy that many organisms on this planet manifest. If you believe this assertion then, you realize Roswell(Corona) was "OF THIS WORLD"
Not to detract from your fine article, the crash site happened around 80 miles NW of Roswell near Corona.


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Global Fund Replenishment Conference (2014-16)
Washington DC, December 2, 2013
Global Fund Board Chair,
Global Fund Executive Director,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
First, on behalf of France, I want to express once again our sorrow and solidarity following the tragic derailment in New York, which took the lives of four people and caused many injuries.
Leaving the White House a little while ago, I was thinking about the progress we've made in fighting pandemics over the past 15 years.
AIDS treatments already existed 15 years ago, but the South did not have access to them and the pandemic was flourishing.
My country was the first to demand access to treatment for patients in both North and South. Other countries, including a number of major ones, joined us. And we achieved a victory in this major battle for human rights. The Global Fund truly facilitated a large-scale change in preventing pandemics and ensuring access to treatments.
That battle was fought by men and women who deserve our praise today. I'm thinking in particular of civil society activists in both North and South, who sounded the alarm and did not wait for governments to take action. I'm thinking, too, of the caregivers, whose total commitment – often in conditions that remain difficult – I have observed during my on-site visits. Thanks to them, the unthinkable has become possible. I want to thank them for their mobilization and for their perseverance.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Very early on, France was one of the most active countries in the Global Fund, and wishes to remain so. President François Hollande announced last July that France would maintain its annual contribution to the Global Fund at its highest level. That means 1.08 billion euros, or nearly 1.5 billion dollars, for the next three years.
Since 2002, France has allocated more than 4 billion dollars to fighting major pandemics through the Global Fund, UNITAID, and bilateral programs. Since the Global Fund was established, we've been its second-largest contributor, and the leading European contributor.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are now entering a new phase in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, consisting of making a sustainable contribution and finally ending these three pandemics.
Scientific progress allows us to access increasingly effective compounds and diagnostic methods. The prospect of an "AIDS-free generation" is becoming a possibility. The number of malaria cases has significantly declined. The fight against tuberculosis calls for renewed efforts to overcome the resistance that we're seeing.
I would like to highlight two challenges in the phase ahead: discrimination and the performance of health systems.
Even though considerable progress has been made, the fight against discrimination must be a priority. In terms of access to treatment there is discrimination against people living with HIV, discrimination against vulnerable populations and sexual minorities. The most vulnerable groups are often at greatest risk of exposure to pandemics. France is therefore particularly vigilant and demanding in this respect.
Furthermore, the impact of the Global Fund will be greater if the health systems of the beneficiary countries are strong. Increased investment in healthcare by the recipient countries is essential in order to make progress. In return, the international donors have a responsibility to complement the efforts of the Global Fund and to help the recipient countries design and implement the programs funded by the Global Fund.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I was born in 1974 and I'm too young to remember a world without AIDS. The progress we've made over the last 10 years gives us hope that we may be able to control pandemics and, in the future, defeat them.
I was in Benin last weekend, where I had the opportunity to visit a treatment center for HIV-infected mothers. The excellent work of this health center's team has allowed 200 babies of HIV-positive mothers to be born HIV-free and therefore to live a normal life with their mothers.
The prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is one of the most beautiful symbols of the extraordinary challenge that lies ahead: the hope that one day an HIV-free generation might be possible.
A little more than half a century ago, President Kennedy outlined the ambitious goal of putting a man on the moon. In the meantime, this dream became a reality. Let's now dream of a world without AIDS, without tuberculosis and without malaria and let's give ourselves the means to achieve that. We will then have taken another giant leap for mankind.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Associated Press
DEFIANCE, OHIO: Police have arrested an Ohio man in the death of a 5-month-old infant.
WTOL television station in Toledo reported Monday that 29-year-old James Cooper of Defiance was arrested on a murder charge in the baby�s death.
The station said Defiance police and emergency workers were dispatched Friday to a home in response to a call that the baby wasn�t breathing. Police say the baby was taken to the Defiance Regional Medical Center and later Toledo Children�s Hospital. The infant died Sunday.
The suspect is to appear in court Wednesday.


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Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
Photo by Kristina Lerner
Poland, 2003
Agence VU
/ © Michael Ackerman
Country: Israel/United States | Born: 1967
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel. His family moves to New York in 1974. Lives and works in Warsaw. Since his first exhibition, in 1999, Michael Ackerman has made his mark by bringing a new, radical and unique approach. His work on Varanasi, entitled "End Time City," breaks away from all sorts of exoticism or any anecdotal attempt at description, to question time and death with a freedom granted by a distance from the panoramic � whose usage he renewed � to squares or rectangles.
In black and white, with permanent risk that led him to explore impossible lighting, he allowed the grainy images to create enigmatic and pregnant visions. Michael Ackerman seeks � and finds � in the world he traverses, reflections of his personal malaise, doubts and anguish. He received the Nadar Award for his book "End Time City" in 1999, and the Infinity Award for Young Photographer by the International Center of Photography in 1998.
In 2009, he won the SCAM Roger Pic Award for his series "Departure, Poland". His last book "Half Life" has been published in 2010 by Robert Delpire. In 2014, he collaborated with Vincent Courtois, cellist, and Christian Caujolle, behind the project, in a show called �L'intuition� which proposes a dialogue between photography and music creation. This show was presented, in particular, as part of the festival Banlieues Bleues and for the Rencontres d'Arles 2014.
Agence VU
Selected Publications
2wice, Abitare, Aperture, Art On Paper, Beaux Arts, Die Zeit, Doubletake, Eyemazing, French Photo, Granta, Harpers, India Magazine, La Humanite, Internazionale, Les Inrockuptibles, Liberation, Le Matin, Le Monde 2, Metropolis, New York Magazine, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New Yorker, Ray Gun, La Repubblica delle Donne, Rolling Stone, Stern and The Village Voice.
SCAM Roger Pic Award, 2009.
Prix Nadar, End Time City, 1999.
Best Documentary of 1999, photo-eye, 1999.
Infinity Award, Young Photographer, International Center of Photography, 1998.
L�intuition � A projection in collaboration with musician Vincent Courtois, curated by Christian Caujolle. Performed In la Friche Belle de Mai, Marseille, 4 Fevrier Le Lux Scene national de Valence, Festival Banlieues blues, Paris and Rencontres photographiques d�Arles
Selected solo exhibitions
MC2 Gallery, Milan, Italy
Foto Istanbul, Turkey
Argus Foto Kunst, Berlin, Germany
Galerie VU�, Paris, France.
Centre Regional d�Art Contemporain, S�te. France.
Stimultania, Strasbourg, France.
Fotofestival, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg, Germany.
Camelot Gallery, Krakow, Poland.
Van Der Grinten Galerie, Cologne, Germany.
FAS Galerie, Berlin, Germany.
Rencontres D�Arles, Arles, France.
Herm�s Gallery, New York, USA.
Alchemia Gallery, Krakow, Poland.
Galerie VU�, Paris, France.
Kerrigan Cambell Art + Projects, New York, USA.
Alchemia, Krakow, Poland.
Pantherei Gallery, Munich, Germany.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Serbia.
The Naarden Photography Biennal, Naarden, Netherlands.
Galerie VU�, Paris, France.
Scalo Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland.
Argos Photography Festival, Vevey, Switzerland.
Foksal, Nyon, Switzerland.
Atelier De Visu Marseille, France.
Galerie VU�, Paris, France.
Margaret Bodell, New York, USA.
Chronique Nomades Honfleur, France.
Centre Atlantique de la Photographie, Brest, France.
Grazie Neri Gallery, Milan, Italy.
Zentrum F�r Fotografie Berlin, Germany
Photography Festival ,Vigo, Spain
La Biblioth�que Centrale Elsa Triolet, Bobigny, France.
Margaret Bodell, New York, USA.
Margaret Bodell Gallery, New York, USA.
Museo Ken Damy, Brescia, Italy.
Albany Center Galleries, Albany, USA.
Teaching Work
2000 � Present
Workshops at various photographic institutions including The Internation Center of Photography, New York, Tuscan Photographic Workshops, Neue Schulle F�r Fotografie, Berlin, Sapcio Labo, Italy, Agence VU, Paris.
All about SUSPENSION
Noun: Suspension, Verb: suspend:
�To cause to stop for a period, hold in abeyance; suspend judgment.�
In Michael Ackerman�s work, documentary and autobiography conspire with fiction, and all of the above dissolve into hallucination. The particular journeys of his book Half Life encompass New York, Havana, Berlin, Naples, Paris, Warsaw, and Krakow, but the locations aren�t necessarily recognizable at all. Michael has been moving towards this erasure of geographical and other distinctions in his photographs for some time. It hasn�t become dogma - the Smoke photographs shot in Atlanta�s Cabbagetown remain a beautifully regional document, but they document a neighborhood as a particular dream state rather than a set of facts, and the photos could wander easily into his other bodies of work. In all cases, there is surely a trajectory away from the constraints of a traditional documentary mode towards a very different way of getting at the world.
Some notes about particular photos in Half Life:
A family, seen on a decaying porcelain tombstone portrait - solarized by decades of exposure - is falling apart, as families do, is holding on together, as families do. The shape of their little monument is uncannily like that of the Hotel Centrum on a later page, where such a family, had they existed in the same era, would not have been able to stay. The Centrum, a modern Polish megalith, floats absurdly in the frame, freed from all scale but heavy on the page.
A naked man kneeling on a bed; we find him in supplication or some unspecific bondage. He is trapped, caught between stations, and the terrible but accepted scratch lines on the negative make it feel like TV or video, as if the man is seen through some screen, receding. It�s no longer a portrait of a particular person. It seems as if the man has become some vague entity, a sick feeling, a migraine headache, I don�t even know.
A man goes up stairs or an escalator and his hand is ridiculously long, maybe like that of Nosferatu in Murnau�s silent film. The stairs begin in Lodz but, according to the next page, pass a landing in Havana.
A woman, naked, holds her arms against her torso. She looks up, somehow in simultaneous surprise and recognition. I can�t say if her face shows love or sadness or fear, but there�s something inevitable in her expression. It�s strange how she seems so caught in flux, while her shadow, so dark on the wall, is just the opposite, permanent.
* * *
In the early stages of his building the Half Life book, Michael and I talked about where to put the series of pictures taken from train windows, mostly in deep winter. At one point they were scattered throughout, at other times they fell together in a bloc, but in any case, the body of work, and the book as a whole, started to feel to me like they ran on rails in the snow, and the places and people within them were stops, things seen or felt in passing. They�re encountered, drift away, are longed for, returned to, left behind again.
If Michael�s work is sometimes tough, the landscapes remind us back to a balancing delicacy, a faith in beauty. Michael deeply loves the snow trains that cut archaically through Europe, especially through Eastern Europe, especially the overnight trains which he and I share as our transportation of choice. On these you travel but are nowhere for the duration of the trip, floating through whiteness if it�s wintertime. This nothing in which things float is echoed in his prints, though the white is sometimes heavily vignetted, as if darkness wants in. Alternately, the backgrounds can be of total blackness, and then the subject radiates like a candle.
But back to the snow trains, which often run through the most ignored and beautiful parts of cities, where commercial facades drop away like forced smiles into debris and frozen mud and warehouses, which then give way to fields. Riding on one of these trains outside of Katowice, Poland en route to Paris, Michael spotted in the distance the warped row of dead train cars seen in the book. Desperate to photograph them, he guessed at their location and eventually returned. He got off at the closest stop, trudged through the snow, and found the trains, but approaching across a frozen field, camera in hand, his legs suddenly plunged through a chasm in the whiteness, a missing manhole cover. In what he referred to as a �rare case of quick thinking,� he stuck out his arms, breaking the fall, and managed to pull himself out. No one knew he was there, and if he�d perished, it would�ve been for the love of trains, and of wreckage, and of course, of pictures.
* * *
Many in the panel of men at the beginning of Half Life were photographed in bars. Some were found in a bar in Paris where the old and ageless proprietor became one of Michael�s favorite people, not just in the city, but in the world. Her bar was a special refuge, and though she was difficult, she truly took Michael in. This tiny bar remains a constant, a place of return, but many of the regulars he�s met over the years are now gone. For some moments however, they drew, or seemed to draw, terribly close, with alcohol as glue and pictures proof -- but of what� mutual need, eventual isolation, or the pendulum swing between the two�
A bar is something like the center of an hourglass: at the top is time disappearing, and at the bottom, time spent. But to those in the place, the regulars, the middle is the only thing apparent and there time has stopped. (An interesting circumstance for others in the time-stopping business, and not just still photographers. The phenomena is beautifully understood in Daumier�s paintings of drinkers or Denis Johnson�s Jesus� Son). It is illusory, of course; the people are held in that place where, like the proverbial cartoon character who�s gone off a cliff, they just don�t realize the ground has dropped away beneath their feet.
Once again, suspension. Which also has a musical definition: The prolongation of a tone in one chord into the following chord, usually producing a temporary dissonance.
This prolongation of tone, an ongoing search, gives the work continuity, as does the dissonance, which can be restlessness or loss. I won�t talk much here about the emotional drive behind the work, or the personal ramifications, but that�s my hesitation, not Michael�s. There�s a picture in Half Life of the photographer and a woman, both with shaved heads, a troubled mirroring, a last strange union. The photograph is a pact: see you now, see you later, so long...
In the last few years, such goodbyes have given way to a series of welcomings, explorations of the concrete changes and dream states of immediate family, wife and child. These pictures, deeply caring but by necessity fearless, reverberate with bluntness, warmth, shock, matter of fact erotics, and of course love, which when regarded honestly, includes a steamer trunk of contradictions. So, there is fear mixed in with the fearlessness, the joy includes some trepidation, the innocence is utterly real, but tangled and fleeting.
How disappointing it would be if a photographer so open to the wrenching truths of the world would suddenly pull all punches when faced with the most intimate situation of all. How unfortunate it would be, for all of us, if investigations of intimacy were left to the whitewashers and the advertisers, the puritans and the pornographers. And so, in the recent work, new tightropes are stretched and new risks are taken.
But in looking back at Michael�s work as a whole, I�m reminded that one of the great challenges artists face is when to pull back from the proverbial edge - those addicted to pushing the envelope sometimes fall into a negative trap which has its own complacency. A kind or subtle or purely beautiful image might actually be the risk that they can�t seem to take. The walking of tightropes has always been integral to Michael�s work, but I don�t see him falling into that dark trap, which is why the work is thorny but never cynical, heavy but also sweet.
Beyond all of that, I still don�t understand how the pictures happen, how he gets them.
It certainly isn�t about the equipment, the cameras come and go, sometimes literally broken but still pressed into use. I think Michael feels that taking pictures and taking chances should be kindred enterprises. I�ve met few artists less uptight about the technology and intricacies of gear and production, though he does of course become completely intimate with what he needs in order to get at what he feels. Once I heard him suggest in a Q & A that he just doesn�t care about technique, but knowing the time and tortures he�s given over to darkroom work, I thought that was a touch disingenuous. He meant that technique and technology are never the core of the matter, and that he doesn�t like to be precious about them. And he needs accidents; they might reveal something, break something open. Sometimes they might go too far and the image itself is obliterated: again, necessary risk. I�ve seen him photograph without putting the camera to his eye, as if to confirm that what he was after wasn�t primarily even about seeing. (That too is deceptive; with time, some photographers know what the camera is getting, regardless of where it�s held). Maybe I mean that compared to many other photographers, Michael�s work isn�t so concerned with sight itself. If he could have been a writer, painter, or a musician, that might have worked too.
In any case, the results speak for themselves, and the results are often kind of insane. Sadly, because of the madness of these photographs and the digital times we�ve entered, people increasingly assume that certain pictures must be computer manipulations. Michael is no purist, but that simply isn�t what is going on here.
Do you see how it matters that even if these are accidents of light and the distorting lens, they are things that somehow happened, that were? They come out of the real; however unlikely or impossible, they are measurements - not constructions. They are measurements, but in the end, of the interior as much as of the world.
But like I said, Michael�s not a purist, and in his impure searching, he occasionally walks a thin line between accepting pure actuality and giving it a nudge. We argue about it. I don�t know what to make of the picture where someone else�s old portrait of Anna Akhmatova is held up and rephotographed. I guess Michael wanted to invite her into that streetscape, felt she was part of his history or emotional landscape; maybe he just loved her profile and wondered, what the hell, why not?
Sometimes the work is funny. The absurdly mismatched nude couple in the book aren�t funny but they are, as is the man who wears a monocle made of smoke. The Coney Island hotdog signs reading �Franks� and the American flag they stutter towards comprise a whimsical tribute to one particular, beloved photographer; first name - Robert.
Occasional whimsy aside though, Half Life is a rough ride through damaged places and situations. And what�s it like to be with Michael when he�s photographing such things? Well, it isn�t necessarily comfortable, or easy, or pleasant. Sometimes artists push their work, and their luck along with it. Sometimes Michael just plunges in. I was crossing the street with him on the Lower East side once when a woman suddenly appeared, coming towards us in the intersection. Something in her presence struck us instantly with force -- she might have been beautiful or she might have been mutilated -- we had no time to register anything; but he lunged and got off one picture as I stood by and winced. I doubt she noticed at all, but what if she had? (The picture is in Fiction; it appears to be of a ghost in a miniskirt, perhaps with a black eye.) Such pictures do not come out of discretion, or delicacy, or fair exchange. In many of Michael�s pictures mutual understanding simply may or may not have existed. There is a harshness to this observation; it troubles me, and yet I can say that Michael�s pictures are always, deeply made without judgment, in total acceptance. That in itself is a kind of love.
And the subjects obviously extend him enormous trust. (Well... except when they don�t. Walking with Michael on a street in Krakow, he photographed another approaching woman, a middle-aged matron. She yelled angrily at him in Polish; he kept walking but yelled back, in Polish: �You�re beautiful.�)
It is probably no accident then that the gesture of the embrace recurs again and again in Michael�s work. Which leads me to what may be my favorite set of pictures that Michael has taken, of the couple on the stairs:
To what do we owe this strange and tender record ? And what is the record of?
An older man and his young girlfriend collapsed in drunken surrender� or perhaps a father and son broken together on a subway staircase ? Who is holding who up? Was the man once a boxer? If the younger one is in fact a woman, is she his lover? The stairs are at once unyielding and rippling, bending and unbending. This couple, whatever their relationship and circumstance, are attended to then in a series of photographs, equally harsh and gentle, unwrapped over time. But what time is given - minutes, hours, or an unending day or an unending night? You can just about hear the tinny loudspeakers in the background of the train station, and thinking of stations, I am reminded that the 13th station is the descent from the cross. The actual circumstances, the truth of it, the year and the gender, hardly matter, don�t matter at all. At its best, the work speaks past such details, and even beyond photography.
Agence VU
Selected Work:
Michael Ackerman
Poland, 2003
Agence VU
/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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Michael Ackerman
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Michael Ackerman
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Michael Ackerman
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Michael Ackerman
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Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
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/ Michael Ackerman
Selected Video:
Selected Books:
Half Life
Author: Michael Ackerman
Publisher: Lewis, Dewi Publishing
Year: 2011 - Pages: 168
According to Denis Kambouchner's introduction, Half Life is a haunted book. It is certainly disturbing; in Michael Ackerman's world, something is disintegrating. The landscapes are harsh and unwelcoming, but it is the anguish of individuals that stirs us most deeply�their expressions of distress and confusion, their unfinished gestures, the sense of damage. These are people who appear to live in the ruins of a drama. It is as if their whole bodies were given over to a scream.
Author: Michael Ackerman
Publisher: Delpire
Year: 2001 - Pages: 0
With 91 photographs by Ackerman. Illustrated throughout except for an interview with Ackerman and biography by Christan Caujolle und Gilou Gruiec. The text is in French.
End Time City
Author: Christian Caujolle
Publisher: Scalo Publishers
Year: 1999 - Pages: 144
All photographs in this book were taken in Benares between 1993 and 1997, apart from those on pages 77-87 which were taken during the "Ardh Kumb Mela" in Allahabad near Benares in January 1995.
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text:
At no. 25, we find junior DB Paul Schroeder as our highlighted Lehigh football athlete in today's countdown.
Listed Height: 6'0"
Listed Weight: 210
Major: Bioengineering
Hometown: Mohnton, PA
High School: Governor Mifflin HS, PA
Fun Fact: Clearly, the Patriot League All-Academic team honor roll member's favorite comic book character is Batman. His GPA last fall in Bioengineering was a 3.88.
2012 Stats: Did not see any varsity action.
2013: Will compete for time in the defensive secondary.
Lehigh Bio Page


text:
The Bruce Murray Space Image Library
The surface has a blue tint to it, like Telesto but unlike most of the other tiny moons located close to Saturn. Pallene and its neighbor Methone, both just a few kilometers in diameter, were discovered in Cassini images; they orbit between Mimas and Enceladus, outside the main ring system.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. For uses not allowed by that license, contact us to request publication permission from the copyright holder: Gordan Ugarkovic
Original image data dated on or about June 8, 2005
Explore related images: Bruce Murray Space Image Library, pretty pictures, Cassini, Pallene, amateur image processing, Saturn's moons, global views
Become a member of The Planetary Society and together we will create the future of space exploration.
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text:
The newest Burgoyne is here! Welcome Blaze!
I know, I'm like 2 weeks late in posting this. I even had a great creative idea of how I was going to tell the whole story of the labor and delivery complete with sports analogies like false start and delay of game penalties that were declined on account of cuteness.
BUT after 2 weeks of very little sleep I just don't have the energy for creativity right now. So I started writing a very boring recount of the events and my computer shut down deleting it. I definitely don't have the energy to rewrite it. If you really want the details, call me.
Besides, I know what everyone really wants: Pictures! So here you go.
We think he's just about perfect.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Baby Burgoyne
The newest Burgoyne is here! Welcome Blaze!
Posted by Shaina at 5:09 PM 6 comments
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Hula Hoops to hold up my socks
This post is mostly for my family, who has always had an odd appreciation for fat jokes. Over the past few months, I feel like the jokes have taken on a whole new level of reality for me.
This mamma is so fat.... when using a public restroom she gets trapped between the toilet and the stall door.
This mamma is so fat.... she parks in the driveway because the garage isn't big enough for both the car and her at the same time.
This mamma is so fat...she can't ever get past the shoulders in "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" actions but is REALLY good at "Once there was a Snowman", except that she can't get up again after she has "melted".
This mamma is so fat...when she drops something on the floor it's a 3 stage process for picking it back up again.
This mamma is so fat...that wearing her favorite winter boots requires a 10 minute yoga routine to get them on and the help of a second party to get them off again.
Enjoy Groves Family! At least my shadow doesn't weigh 42 pounds...yet.
Posted by Shaina at 11:10 PM 3 comments
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
This Halloween we decided to really take advantage of the opportunities we had including:
- The opportunity to create food that was just delicious to eat as it was cool to look at.
- The opportunity to
wastespend time together watching tv while we made our costumes by hand.
- The opportunity to utilize the extra "accessory" we had in our costume design.
Posted by Shaina at 8:58 PM 4 comments
What October Showers Bring
Posted by Shaina at 7:57 PM 2 comments
Thursday, September 15, 2011
How you doin??
What better place is there for a guy to pick up chicks than at a wedding right? Everyone is looking their best, you're surrounded by good food, music and dancing, and that whole "romantic atmosphere".
If things are going well and she's related to the wedding party, you might even get a chance to meet her folks.
Of course, you better be prepared to discuss your ambitions and future prospects if you want to impress the mother.
Posted by Shaina at 4:28 PM 2 comments
Monday, August 22, 2011
Please Use No. 2 Pencils Only
School is back in session for most everyone now. To celebrate, we are going to have a pop quiz. Since most of my "leisure" reading these days is centered around pregnancy and babies, that will be the topic for today's test.
#1. On average, how many diapers does a baby go through in 1 year?
#2. When does the 3rd trimester "officially" begin?
#3. Please rate the following "pregnancy moments" I've had from least to most funny:
A. (At 3 months): "I thought you were pregnant, the guys and I were talking about things we noticed were different about you."
B. "You're not due until December and you're already that big? At least you're not getting fat in your face."
C. 5 months pregnant, I walk into the State Liquor store and pick up a $700 order of booze.
D. "Cool name. Makes me think of a stoner or WWE wrestler."
#4. T/F Waiting at the doctor's office for 45+ minutes so you can have a 5 minute check up is acceptable.
#5. T/F It's ok to buy chocolate milk every single day with your lunch, and then blame it on a craving so the cashier doesn't judge you.
Bonus Question:
In one to two paragraphs, please describe how much Mike and Shaina have no clue what they have gotten themselves into.
Pencils down. Everyone grade your own.
1. 2,300. With that much practice Mike's going to be an expert after 1 year!
2. Got me. Everything I read says something different depending on if you're counting months, weeks, or days; when you start counting; and if it's a leap year or not. I say it starts whenever the heartburn and swollen feet become commonplace.
3. No right answer. But C was for an event at work for those of you already questioning my competency as a mother.
4. I say False, but appearantly it's standard in the medical field.
5. TRUE. Of course.
Posted by Shaina at 3:05 PM 2 comments
Thursday, June 23, 2011
One day on a crazy whim I decided I wanted to get my Master's degree and enrolled in an online Master of Human Resource Development program.
Now that I am 2 class into it, and wondering what in the world I was thinking, I am able to reflect on what it means to be a college student all over again.
It's still rewarding to finish a class, test, or paper and feel like you've really accomplished something. It's still exciting to learn new things and feel like you understand a concept on a different level now.
It's a lot easier to be a full-time student while working part-time than it is to be working full-time and only be a part-time student. I don't know why, but it is.
Staying up until 2:30 am to finish a research paper that is due still stinks. Especially when you can't afford to sleep in the next day because you have to go work. Especially when it means that Father's Day for your husband is lame because you're too tired to even make him a plate of eggs.
Even in virtual classrooms there is going to be that one really annoying person.
Text books are always boring.
Having the company you work for reimburse your tuition and books is a lot nicer than a student loan, plus the temporary charges are good for rewards points on your credit card.
I suppose it hasn't been so bad of an experience so far. But I'm thinking the next time I feel impulsive, I'll just stick with an hour or two at the mall and a some new shoes.
Posted by Shaina at 4:56 PM 3 comments
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Birthdays and Birth Days
Today is a celebration day!
Happy Birthday to me! Ok, you might be thinking it's a bit presumptuous to post about myself on my birthday, and maybe it is. But you only turn to 29 once! Unless you're my mom, she's done it a dozen times now.
Happy Birthday to my father-in-law! What a good guy he is. Every year he sends me an e-card on "our" birthday that I always look forward to. This year it had dancing hamsters in sombreros. Very nice.
Happy Birth Day count down! 6 months from today is the due date of the next addition to the Burgoyne Family Tree, brought to you by Mike and Shaina.
Posted by Shaina at 10:43 AM 8 comments
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Woodshop 101
Posted by Shaina at 11:32 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Great Googely-Moogely
Mike has had a lot of free time lately and has been helping out more around house. I've come home to a hot meal almost every night the past week, the errands and shopping have been done, and today he even helped out with the laundry....
Posted by Shaina at 7:47 PM 6 comments
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
I had to renew my passport recently. It turns out they don't let you keep your previous passport anymore and you have to mail it back in order to get a new one.
So it's time to say goodbye.
Goodbye to one of the last remaining official documents that carried my maiden name. Goodbye to the most unflattering picture I've ever had taken. And most importantly goodbye to my stamps.
I'm going to need time to get over this. I think a cruise to Cabo and Mazatalan this summer oughta do the trick.
Posted by Shaina at 10:54 AM 4 comments


text:
A Momentary Lapse of Reason Lyrics
Signs Of Life
When the child like view of the world went, nothing replaced
it…nothing replaced it…nothing replaced it…
I do not like being asked to…..I do not like being asked to…
I do not like being asked to….
Other people replaced it
Someone who knows
Learning To Fly
Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I
Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to guide my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone
A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I
Friction lock – set.
Mixture – rich
Propellors – fully forward
Flaps – set – 10 degrees
Engine guages and suction – check
Mixture set to maximum percent – recheck
Flight instruments…
Altimeters – check both
(grabled word) – on
Navigation lights – on
Strobes – on
(to tower): Confirm 3-8-Echo ready for departure
(tower): Hello again, this is now 129.4
(to tower): 129.4. It's to go.
(tower): You may commence your takeoff, winds over 10 knots.
(to tower): 3-8-Echo
Easy on the brakes. Take it easy. Its gonna roll this time.
Just hand the power gradually, and it…
Above the planet on a wing and a prayer,
My grubby halo, a vapour trail in the empty air,
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night
There's no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, A state of bliss
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I
The Dogs Of War
Dogs Of War and men of hate
With no cause, we don't discriminate
Discovery is to be disowned
Our currency is flesh and bone
Hell opened up and put on sale
Gather 'round and haggle
For hard cash, we will lie and deceive
Even our masters don't know the web we weave
One world, it's a battleground
One world, and we will smash it down
One world… One world
Invisible transfers, long distance calls,
Hollow laughter in marble halls
Steps have been taken, a silent uproar
Has unleashed the Dogs Of War
You can't Stop what has begun
Signed, sealed, they deliver oblivion
We all have a dark side, to say the least
And dealing in death is the nature of the beast
One world, it's a battleground
One world, and we will smash it down
One world… One world
The Dogs Of War don't negotiate
The Dogs Of War won't capitulate,
They will take and you will give,
And you must die so that they may live
You can knock at any door,
But wherever you go, you know they've been there before
Well winners can lose and things can get strained
But whatever you change, you know the Dogs remain.
One world, it's a battleground
One world, and we will smash it down
One world… One world
One Slip
A restless eye across a weary room
A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
The music played and played as we whirled without end
No hint, no word her honour to defend
I will, I will she sighed to my request
And then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test
Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I lead the way to the funeral pyre
And without a thought of the consequence
I gave in to my decadence
One Slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no Time at all
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you won't forget,
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love?
Or was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?
The moment slipped by and soon the seeds were sown
The year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone
One Slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no Time at all
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you will never forget,
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
On The Turning Away
On The Turning Away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won't understand
"Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others' suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"
It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting it's shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that we're all alone
In the dream of the proud
On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerised as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night
No More turning away
From the weak and the weary
No More turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No More turning away?
Yet Another Movie
One sound, one single sound
One kiss, one single kiss
A face outside the window pane
However did it come to this?
A man who ran, a child who cried
A girl who heard, a voice that lied
The sun that burned a fiery red
The vision of an empty bed
The use of force, he was so tough
She'll soon submit, she's had enough
The march of fate, the broken will
Someone is lying very still
He has laughed and he has cried
He has fought and he has died
He's just the same as all the rest
He's not the worst, he's not the best
And still this ceaseless murmuring
The babbling that I brook
The seas of faces, eyes upraised
The empty screen, the vacant look
A man in black on a snow white horse,
A pointless life has run its course,
The red rimmed eyes, the tears still run
As he fades into the setting sun
[M]:You're going on that plane to take you where you belong.
[W]:But no, I have…
[M]:You have got to listen to me. Do you have any idea what
you have to look forward to if you stay here? Nine chances
out of 10 we both end up in a concentration camp and that….
[W]:You're only saying these things to make me go.
[M]:I'm saying it 'cause it's true. Inside us, we both know we
belong in different……
….maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the
rest of your life.
[W]:But what about us?
But what about us?
But what about us?
Round And Around
A New Machine (Part 1)
I have always been here
I have always looked out from behind the eyes
It feels like more than a lifetime
Feels like more than a lifetime
Sometimes I get tired of the waiting
Sometimes I get tired of being in here
Is this the way it has always been?
Could it ever have been different?
Do you ever get tired of the waiting?
Do you ever get tired of being in there?
Don't worry, nobody lives forever,
Nobody lives forever
Terminal Frost
A New Machine (Part 2)
I will always be in here
I will always look out from behind these eyes
It's only a lifetime
It's only a lifetime
It's only a lifetime
The sweet smell of a great sorrow lies over the land
Plumes of smoke rise and merge into the leaden sky:
A man lies and dreams of green fields and rivers,
But awakes to a morning with no reason for waking
He's haunted by the memory of a lost paradise
In his youth or a dream, he can't be precise
He's chained forever to a world that's departed
It's not enough, it's not enough
His blood has frozen and curdled with fright
His knees have trembled and given way in the night
His hand has weakened at the moment of truth
His step has faltered
One world, one soul
Time pass, the river rolls
It's not enough it's not enough
His hand has faltered
And he talks to the river of lost love and dedication
And silent replies that swirl invitation
Flow dark and troubled to an oily sea
A grim intimation of what is to be
There's an unceasing wind that blows through this night
And there's dust in my eyes, that blinds my sight
And silence that speaks so much louder that words,
Of promises broken.
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Isalo National Park
Established in 1962, the Isalo National Park is located approximately 700 km southwest of Antananarivo and protects 815 km² of sandstone massif wildly eroded by wind and rain into bizarre ridges (known as "runiformes") featuring wild forms, impressive gorges and canyons and tiny stalagmite pinnacles. The far Wild West reminiscent of the landscape, dominated by rugged massive that rises up from the flat surrounding grassy plain, attracts hikers from the whole world that gather here to admire the sweeping colours of this Jurassic scenery. The climate is dry tropical with warm temperatures all year around.
Though wildlife is
here not as prominent as in other
parks of the country, there are still a couple of species worth to
look out: Ring-tailed lemurs, brown lemurs, sifakas and 14
nocturnal lemurs hide in dense vegetation
along the streams.
The park homes also approximately 80 species of birds (including the rare Benson's rock-thrush, the knob-billed duck or the crested ibis), 35 of reptiles and several endemic frogs.
The flora is indeed more interesting than the fauna. There are several local endemic plants among the 500 species which are found within Isalo, such as the elephant´s foot and some rare palms and aloe species.
Spectacular sunset © Gail Johson
The entry fee costs Ar 25,000 for a single day and Ar 37,000 for two days. A guide is, as always, compulsory. Due to the big affluence of tourists the guides in Ranohira literarily bounce over the visitors. Choosing a good qualified guide will be a difficult task. A recommendable one is Jean-Baptiste (mobile: 034 44 242 37).
Here you find a description of the most popular trails:
- The piscine naturelle
A natural stone cave overlooks a crystal-clear waterfall, which tumbles into a deep green pool surrounded by overhanging pandanus trees. The piscine is a true oasis in the heat of the canyons. This tour is ideally combined with the canyon des Singes, as the piscine offers a very welcome refreshment after a exhausting hike.
Prices: Ar 16,000 with a car and Ar 20,000 on foot (guide excluded)
- The Canyon des Singes
The Canyon des Singes ('
The canyon and the piscine naturelle costs Ar 36,000 or Ar 45,000.
- Namaza circuit
A rather uneven canyon through luxuriant vegetation, a water fall and a deep swimming pool.
Ar 16,000 with a car, Ar 20,000 on foot. Combining this trip with the priscine naturelle it would cost 32,000 and 36,000 respectively. If we include the maki canyon price will be Ar 36,000 / Ar 40,000.
Piscine naturelle © Gail Johson
Those equipped for trekking and camping can spend several days or longer wandering around the Isalo Massif, which is undoubtedly the most rewarding but time consuming way to explore this place. A guide would charge about Ar 25,000 per day and a porter Ar 10,000. A recommendable two day trip would be visiting the piscine naturelle and the Nymphes waterfalls with an overnight at the waterfalls campsite and making the Maki canyon on the second day. If you add a third day, you can visit the Rats canyon too.
A big challenge, only reserve for the very fit,
is the Portuguese cave. The cave is at the northern
end of the park and
getting there involves 4 days back and forth through the beautiful
Sahanafa forest
with natural springs and a lot of lemurs.
Isalo is accesible during all the year. It lies just next to the RN7, the highway connecting Tana with Tulear. The road is one of the best of Madagascar, so the journey is quite comfortable. From Tana it takes around 15 hours (700 km), from Tulear 4 hours (250 km).There are several daily taxi-brousse connections between Tana and Tulear. You just have to ask the driver to drop you out at Ranohira.
accommodation visit Ranohira
There are a pair of nice campsites inside the Park with shared facilities and showers.
The Park Office is great: a lot of information, many excellent guides who speak fluently English and an interesting museum about the geology, fauna and flora of the region.
Parc National Isalo
BP. 6 Ranohira – 313 Ihosy
Phone :+ (261 32) 44 261 16 / 032 44 440 75 / 033 13 172 58
Email : firstname.lastname@example.com aronyaina@yaho


text:
New film on Netflix.
Post-apocalypse, human race all but dead, robots in charge, blah blah blah. "Mother" is an android trying to repopulate the world with a new human race. Not a spoiler because that much is stated at the very start and the film seems to be an exploration of what it means to be a parent, but if you miss the subtle little one second clue at the end of the opening montage, the ending is going to be a real mind-fuck. I spotted the anomaly but still didn't fully get what was going on until about five minutes after the film finished
Here's the clue:
Days since extinction event: 1. Baby is an embryo
Days since extinction event: 13,867. "Daughter" is a teenager
Therefore, despite the narrative progression implying that the embryo and Daughter are the same person, they can't be. Thirty eight years have passed.
There's also a more blatant clue later on that Daughter is the 3rd child to be raised by Mother


text:
Kaduna State Development Property Company, KSDPC, limited said it will key into the policy direction of the state government that land owners should develop their properties or risk revocation.
The company's new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), Alh Mahmud B. Gazara, said that the land policy was in tandem with the mandate and plans of the company.
He said beside exchanging many hands with attendant cost escalation tendency, undeveloped lands or properties were capable of aiding insecurity and do not portray the true reflection of modern city of a town.
Gazara noted that full development of properties in the state would reduce incidences of housing deficit problems, increased revenue base and create employment opportunities.
He said on assumption of office, the management also noticed that there was lack of awareness and information which was partly responsible for retardation of backlogs of revenue, prompting them to embarked on property-to-property visitation for revenue collection drives.
"We notice that in some places revenue were being paid to the local government instead of KSDPC. We are going to mobilize resources toward revenue collection drives to enhance the revenue base of the company and state by creating awareness through media jingles," he said.
He said management also noted with concern that large number of occupants of the company properties were reluctant to pay their rent as at when due, adding that as affordable as the properties, many were still owing about 5-10 years.
"We also have redundant assets, after we finish our physical verification, we will look at how we can convert them to profitable use by replicating same where they will be more useful.
"Again we will look at our plots that are being sold and allocated to so many people, and they only stop at one-third payment, not even half payment. We'll also advertise all our virgin land," he said.
According to the Managing Director, what they discovered on assumption of office fundamentally was lack of awareness especially in area of revenue payment and collection.
"Fundamentally, what we discovered on assumption of office, especially in area of revenue collection drive, is that there was lack of awareness, and that is why the management is engaging a consultancy services to take over that aspect.
"Some people are not even aware that they have to pay to the company, rather they were even paying to the Local Government instead of KSDPC.
"So, we are visiting some of this areas that belong to us to create serious awareness, by the time we bridge the gap it will increase our revenue base to turn around this place," he said.
He also assured that from the proceed, the company was projecting at least 5, 000 mass houses yearly.
Accordingly, revenue generated from properties would also be utilized in building reliable data base for company for easy and better assessment properties.
It would be recalled that Kaduna State government, under Governor Nasir El-Rufai, recently gave 90 days to owners of undeveloped land/properties in the state to develop them or be revoked by government.
Source: Daily Post


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Leyenda del Milagro 100% Agave Reposado Tequila (700ml)
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Milagro, which means 'miracle' in Spanish, was founded in 1997 by two Mexican entrepreneurs who successfully built the brand in their native country and the USA (the two largest Tequila markets). Famed whisky producer, William Grant & Sons has recently acquired a 51% stake in the company.
Agaves are harvested about 8 to 12 years after planting, and the juice is extracted from the heart of the plant by roasting in clay ovens made from the estate's volcanic soil. The fermented juice is triple distilled in small batches. This Reposado is aged for six months in oak barrels - four months longer than most Reposados on the market.
Tasting note: Almost neutral with only a very pale straw hue. The bouquet builds from an initially reclusive state to reveal scents of black pepper and brine over green capsicum and some smokey herbaceous notes, followed by a touch of dill. Light to medium bodied, like the blanco expression, this is soft and silky but lacks presence and depth. A some what flat delivery offers mild green, herbaceous flavours following into a medium dry finish. Fades away with an aftertaste of moderate length, as a touch of vanilla pretty much smothers everything. Good mixing reposado. 40% Alc./Vol.
Click here to learn more about Tequila


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Are you looking for some perfectly positive motivation to polish your short nails better? Well, look no further 'cause we're here to support you in these 15 pretty nail patterns! Get excited!…but keep your hands stable to make these painting patterns look the best ever. Treat yourself to these delicious designs, from monochromatic to bi-chromatic, and from fabulous floral to even auspicious Ombre blends. All you will need are about 5 to 8 different selections of polish, depending on how elaborate you would like to be. So, with no further ado, let's get this party started right with these 15 wonderful motifs for short nails.
. Black and White Trim
You can look beyond fabulous but without going over the borderline. Try two different ways using just two colors: white base with a black border, or black base with a white border. Either choice is dually delightful.
Gingham Design
This soft pattern is so femininely cute. You may lay down two or more colors into this checkered design to get a nice striped look.
Pink and White Snowflakes
Some snowy days of Winter can be more fun with these adorable snowflake drawings. The base coat can be a medium shade of pink, purple, or a similar warm color.
Red Nails and Gold Beads
Look really warm and attractive by using some dark or deep red as a base color, then add some pink trim and gold adhesive beads and details.
Pink Cherry Blossoms
Wouldn't you like your looks to blossom this spring? Sure! Why not? Just polish some nails with a wild shade of pink and design the other nails with the art of cherry blossom branches and flowers.
Sparkly Ombre
Be bold and bedazzled by blending together two shades or two colors, along with a glitter top coat and stick on some adhesive sequins or mini-rhinestones.
. Black and Gold Spots
How many gold dots can be under and over the black spots? As many as you would like! You can use black and a light color as separate base colors and for polka-dots. Also add on gold glitter polka-dots for a shiny finishing touch.
. Classic Sweater Inspired Design
Almost everybody has sweater with either stripes, geometrical shapes, forest pattern or an abstract motif. Whatever you got, it's better on your nails with just two or three contrasting colors.
Peach Florals
Look cute and natural like a little flower garden with these little peach 'n white flowers, along with some gold or silver glitter in the flowers' center.
Pink to Purple Blend
If you like pretty colorful fades and shades, then check right here for a great pink and purple Ombre gradient. You'll need to gently mix half-n-half to get a good soft look.
B & W Puzzle Pattern
Do you like puzzles and abstract shapes. Yeah, they are always fun and interesting. So make yourself interesting too by decorating alternate colors of puzzle pieces on your nails. Just use a tip of a pen to add the half-circles.
. Little Matte Flowery Garden
Just get some non-gloss blue, white and black to make your own mini floral garden on all your nails. For an added 3D touch, try on some blue adhesive sequins as the flowers' center.
. Blue and Silver
If you are feeling the "blues" these days, we can cheer you up with two beautiful blue and silver colors. For each stripe or shape, stick on some scotch tape between polishes.
Pink, White and Sparkly
As if this were a blast from the past of the colorful 1970's or 1980's, here is great mix of four polishes for perfect bright and shiny look. Alternatively, you could use small stick-on rhinestones for one nail.
This awesome mani is one of the easiest (and cutest) nail designs to master. Neon pink color is perfect for warm and sunny days. Agree?
Blue, Purple and Glitter
Welcome to the Ombre glitter galaxy! As you fly through this nail galaxy, you can experience bold blue and popping purple and of course all the glittery stars!


text:
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text:
The crystal-clear tones of one of the foremost singers of the Baroque and Early Music repertoire will be delighting an audience in a Northumberland town later this month.
Soprano Emma Kirkby, one of the stars of this year's Hexham Abbey Festival, will be at the town's Queen's Hall arts centre on Friday September 19 with lutenist Anthony Rooley for a concert featuring the music of John Dowland.
The programme, entitled Honey from the Hive, will feature lute song settings of poems by the Elizabethan court favourites such as the Earl of Essex, Lucy Countess of Bedford and Sir Henry Lee - as well as by Elizabeth herself - alongside music for the lute by Anthony Holbourne.
Emma Kirkby studied classics at Oxford and, although receiving vocal training, had no expectations of becoming a professional singer. As a student, and then a schoolteacher, she sang for pleasure in choirs and small groups.
She joined the Taverner Choir in 1971 and two years later began her long association with the Consort of Musicke and the Academy of Ancient Music - and from that time on her fame spread worldwide.
To date, Kirkby has made the impressive number of well over 100 recordings.
Tickets for this concert by Emma Kirkby and Anthony Rooley, which starts at 7.30pm, cost #10 and #12, while students, schoolchildren and the jobless can be admitted for #5 or #6. To book, call the Queen's Hall box office on (01434) 652477.


text:
Official Site of JASON MCINTYRE // author of THALO BLUE and ON THE GATHERING STORM
Monday, April 25, 2011
In The Dark - What's In A Name?
Other instalments of "In The Dark" are also available. If you have any questions you'd like answered (silly, serious or life-changing), drop 'em at me in the comments below or fire them off to me via Twitter (@JasonCMcIntyre). You can also send me an email at jason @ the farthestreaches.com (without the spaces).
I'm going to go finish the laundry. I've been wearing that shirt since THALO BLUE launched more than a month ago.
16 comments:
Yes, I've wondered about the name of your book, so it's good to get an explanation from the author himself. Hey, you know I'm going to read it anyway because I'm loving On The Gathering Storm, love love loving it. Will need to take a breather before I read Thalo Blue, but it's definitely on the list.ReplyDelete
Good to see you here again, Jason.
Cheers, Eden
Eden! So glad you could stop in and watch yet another of these silly videos of mine. I appreciate the comment.ReplyDelete
I didn't want to bore the viewers, but there's actually a good deal more significance to the title, THALO BLUE. Readers who care about that kind of stuff will find it in the pages of Sebastion's story...but I didn't think I could make a ten minute video dissecting it.
And! You're reading "On The Gathering Storm"? And enjoying it? That makes me feel like a million-five. I actually had a feeling it would appeal to you.
Will talk one-on-one soon!
j. //
so love to see the serious side to my favourite author! Thank you for sharing so many details about the temperment of Sebastion with us...it seems you are quite fond of this character. (im sure you are fond of all of them to some degree) I loved this character very much, as well as his unique take on the world. Like the book, I was wishing the video wouldn't end.. :)
Yup, Kimba, the "In The Dark" videos are meant to be all things: serious and goofy side-by-side. I'm glad you liked this 'deeper' edition. I like to have fun and not take myself TOO seriously, but I'm also very serious about the books and stories I write.ReplyDelete
And yes, Sebastion is very near and dear to my heart. I look at him (as I do many of my characters) with a sense of protectionism. I want him to be okay, but not at the expense of himself. I think, in life, it's so easy to give advice to people who are hurting or going through something and, essentially, say, "Buck up" or "Stop worrying" but if it's in their nature to be that way, maybe it's not the best approach. Nor the best advice.
I want Sebastion to be okay. But I don't want him to sacrifice his unique-ness to get through his tough times.
I'm writing a book currently that has a big challenge: to take a character that is completely unlikable (despicable, really) and make the readers fall for him. On the flip side, I'm trying to take a noble character and make him difficult to like while still compelling to follow. As I grow as a writer, I'll take on more of these challenges (because I never want to write exactly the same thing twice) but my bottom line is this: if I'm not fond of a character, I probably won't be able to write him well or in a way that compels the reader to care. That's a big part of what I do.
Don't worry about the videos ending. They seem to be catching on, so I'll make more. I'll keep doing everything I'm doing (and more) until a great many people all shout at me to stop.
I, too, wondered about the title Thalo Blue, and have been pronouncing wrongly LOL. Thanks for the mini science lesson :)ReplyDelete
I have to apologise for not reading the book yet. I have been stuck editing my latest novel, but am due to publish that very soon, so I should then be able to get back to serious reading. I'm also going to treat myself to an ereader, so it will make it easier for me to catch up on reading all those downloaded books I want to read -- it just takes too long to read them on the computer and I end up getting side-tracked with the internet. I am very much looking forward to finding out what happens to poor Sebastion :)
"Sidetracked by The Internet" --> Chapter Four of my autobiography, to be sure.ReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping in Maria!
Hey, Jason! Quite cool to see you in your serious writer mode. I'm currently reading Thalo Blue and, of course, I've been completely captivated by this sort of alternative world Sebastion sees. Your brilliance shines once again. :)ReplyDelete
So, Darcia, you can honestly say, "I am your captive" and mean it. I like that your use of the word brilliant has reached almost comic standing. You throw it around like you really mean it.ReplyDelete
Glad you liked the slightly deeper video this time around. I have a decent sense of humour, but I like to share the more meaningful side of what I'm writing about as well. The videos will try to tread lightly between both sides of my personality.
And, in all honesty, if I was gone tomorrow, I feel like THALO BLUE could stand as the epitome of my life's work as a writer. I'm that proud of it.
As always, thanks for stopping in and offering your support, Darcia!
So interesting! Thalo Blue is right there in my... pile? Queue? (How do we say it for ebooks?) Anyway, really looking forward to reading it soon.ReplyDelete
I hope you enjoy it, Jennifer! (bookspersonally)ReplyDelete
Very interesting!ReplyDelete
Had to laugh a little as I can identify about readers mispronouncing the name of your book. Most people seem to think my main character in "Pilate's Cross' is named after a trendy exercise regimen instead of the Roman governor who pronounced Christ guilty. But what can you do?
Looking forward to "Thalo Blue." Peace!
Yeah, I'm reluctant to name any of my characters McDonald, Dahmer or Bundy. Mental associations can be a boon or a hindrance.ReplyDelete
Maybe the connection to the exercise program will keep eyeballs on the cover of your book just that extra moment longer and the potential reader will check it out. You could always put a close-up of some attractive woman in exercise spandex on the cover of your next edition to capitalize on this. :)
Thanks for watching and commenting, Alex!
Very illuminating. Also challenging because you had to describe without going too far into Sebastian's particular affliction. Well done. Of course I love your use of color in your writing and the idea of a character that needs things to be so specific is really intriguing.ReplyDelete
As for snow, I might tell you it tastes like silence and piles up like missed opportunities.
Thanks for the fun post.
Oh wow, Heidi, I really love this:ReplyDelete
"I might tell you snow tastes like silence and piles up like missed opportunities."
Just epic.
Jason, I would never throw words around just for the sake of the way they sound. Well, wait a minute, maybe I do that now and then. Regardless, you have more than earned the 'brilliant' tag. :)ReplyDelete
Well, hearing from the wonderful and classy Darcia Helle that I'm 'more than brilliant', I feel I can probably die a happy man.ReplyDelete
Another thing checked off the bucket list. Thanks, Darcia!