A reverence

It has been announced on this blog already: in November 2009 a new book will be published.
It is called “Sequences: the ultimate selection” and will contain a large selection of work made in the 70’s and 80’s.
A major part will be sequences never published or exhibited before.



These days the preparations are under way to open a special website where already the book “Sequences: the ultimate selection” can be purchased.

A special art-edition will be available as well.
Made in a limited edition of 25 it comes in a special cover, signed and numbered and it has a limited edition specially printed museum quality original sequence.

This will sell for € 250 plus shipping and handling.

However, it is realized that € 250 means for an American customer $ 351.
Virtually, the American pays 40 % more due to the exchange rate.
This based on the fact that an American makes $ 20 an hour working at Albertson’s and a European makes € 20 working in a Champion.

Therefore a special pricing has been designed.
Similar to the way Apple has been selling their products.
They offer their computers for let’s say $ 1500 on their American website and the same computer for € 1500 on their European websites.
Of course buyer must be based in the country where the purchase is made to avoid Europeans buying by mail in the USA.

For the book “Sequences: the ultimate selection” the pricing is 15 copies selling for € 250 and 10 copies selling for $ 250.
But those 10 copies can only be bought by Americans.

Once those 10 copies are sold out, an American can still buy a copy of the special art-edition of “Sequences: the ultimate selection”.
But it will cost € 250 = $ 351

This courtesy presented to the American collectors and lovers of sequences costs money.
The 25 copies of the special art-edition of “Sequences: the ultimate selection” can be all sold for the € 250 price no problem.
So, the current pricing in Euros and US Dollars lowers the turnover by € 728 or $ 1026

Hence: it is a gesture.
A reverence of a gentleman.



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+ and -

Many fervent and loyal blog readers will remember a recent posting about a woman whose son was killed.
How she went to the prison where the killer was locked up.
How she had a confrontation with the criminal and was able to forgive him.

There is a second part to this story.

Once this remarkable lady had been able to forgive the killer of her son, she had herself trained as a social worker.
Specialised in assisting and guiding drug addicts.
We must remember that the killer of her son was a young man addicted to drugs.
And that he committed his fatal crime while under the influence.

Her work became one of the efforts to have young people that fall victim to drugs-use see this is not the way to live.

There is another friend who lost her two children in traffic accidents.
She was so incredibly devastated by these events: she lost any appetite for life.
And eventually killed herself with an overdose of sleeping tablets.
This was a very tragic event, not in the least for her close friends.

We may wonder why one person is able to sublimate a dramatic event in life and the other is not.
To turn negativity into positivism.

There must be an inner power.
Elements in the core.
Substance in the heart and soul.
That is able to handle negative input in a way that it changes into positive output.

Characteristics of a personality we call optimism or pessimism.
One can be an optimist.
Or one can be a pessimist.

Obviously, going through life as an optimist is by far the preferred way.
But it is not something that can be learned.
Someone is an optimist or a pessimist by nature.

There may be explanations to understand why someone is able to sublimate and why another person is unable.
Why one is an optimist by nature and another a pessimist.
However, every explanation is a speculation.
An interpretation.
There is no absolute truth in this matter.
No scientific explanation.

Nevertheless, pessimists are bombarded by methods promising a change.
Methods to have a negative approach to existence u-turned into always seeing the bright side of life.
Several of these methods actually work.
By putting a layer on top of the personality of the pessimist.
The natural pessimism is covered completely and life is lived from a doctrine.

But is real change of a personality possible?
Fundamentally?
Drastically?
Don’t be too optimistic about that!
Or be pessimistic, if you prefer.




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Pretty pictures part 2

To forgive

Yesterday a dinner at a friend’s place in Laguna Beach, California, USA.

A beautiful woman told the story how her 21-year-old son was killed.
He was shot in the streets just like that.
By a guy under the influence of drugs.

The murderer was caught and got 15 years in prison.

The mother of the killed son was in the courtroom and saw the culprit.
Now clean and sober, it was a young guy looking normal and innocent.

Of course the mother was devastated.
And decided some time later to go to the prison to see the assassin of her son.

In order for herself to close a chapter in her life and to be able to go on.
Not to remain emotionally stuck in this tragic event.

She managed to get into the prison and even to have a private meeting with the condemned.
There, the criminal told that he felt very, very sorry.
That not one day passed by without him having deep regret.
That often he was wishing he could turn back all the events.

It was there and then the mother of the deceased son decided to forgive the killer of her son.
And this she told him.

This remarkable woman was born on a farm.
When it was harvest time she would help her father.
She was able to lift up hay bales two rows high.
“Man, was I strong in those days”, she said.

And she still is.

The King who managed to remain King forever

The coming days are going to be tough.
Because everywhere music will be heard by Michael Jackson.
While his music is considered as totally uninteresting.



A few months ago this opinion was published about Michael Jackson on this blog:

this protagonist thinks that Michael Jackson is an idiot.
And so is his music.

Remember now that we agreed that about taste we cannot disagree.
You may be wild about Michael Jackson and although that is very sad and pitiful, it is your right.
And that gives the right to somebody else to not like Michael Jackson.

Last week, Michael Jackson, still enjoying a worldwide popularity, gave a press conference in London, UK.
He is 50 years old now and has been out of business for a while.
Most people will remember the different things he has been involved in.
And although opinion is low on him and his music, we do not need to repeat the nasty things that happened around him.

Michael Jackson appeared on the press conference two hours too late.
The large room was filled with journalists and a few hundreds fans very much out of their minds.
Of course, it was all orchestrated to get maximum publicity.
No way Mr. Jackson was busy elsewhere explaining his late arrival.
It is a strategy to build up the tension and curiosity and it is a way to make one looks important.

Once in front of the microphones and in the spotlights, Michael Jackson announced his farewell concert.
The very last time he is going to perform.
He will give 10 concerts in the 02 Arena, a sports stadium in London that can contain 20.000 people, in July 2009.

The man has not been performing for 12 years.
And his repertoire is old and dusty.
That’s why he said: “I’ll be performing songs my fans wanna hear”.
Well yes, he has no other songs…
His whole reputation circles around two or three songs.
Characterised by asthmatic sounds/hiccups at the end of each song line.

The London shows will be, according to the star himself, his final concerts.
That’s why they are called “This is it”.
But one must be a fool in combination with blindness and the lowest IQ-level possible to believe this is true.

Mr. Jackson has lots of problems.
One of them financial difficulties.
His come back now is a way to accumulate new capital to finance his extravagances.
And when more is needed, we will see “This is it two”.

The sad part is this:
still many people are crazy about Michael Jackson.
That’s possible: as we have agreed, about taste we will not argue.
But Michael Jackson, as a private person, has made himself so extremely doubtful and dishonourable, that he is the last one that should accept anymore to be a role model for all his fans.
But he still has this desire for big money to finance his extravagant life-style.
Michael Jackson simply milks his fans.

Uri Geller said today that Michael Jackson just wasn’t able to deal with the pressures and expectations of his come back.
That was so essential for his financial situation.

Dancers rehearsing with him explained that on Wednesday he showed up three hours late.
And was without energy and ambition.

By dying he did probably the best for his career.
Now he is remembered as the “King of Pop”.
While if his new show had been badly received, and this was likely, he would have been the King that fell from his throne.
With all the financial implications.
Therefore, his death, really, is the best that could happen.
The so called "King of Pop" remains king.




Michael Jackson had several children.
Who have now no father anymore.
But then, he was not much of a father anyway.


It’s just these coming days that will be hard having to hear his music constantly.





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Sturdy steps

In a fish restaurant in Temecula, California, USA.

Upon entering the eating place a large aquarium.
Inside a large yellow eel that was remembered from a previous visit to this restaurant more than a year ago.
So this eel was spending his life in a space that must be for him extremely small used as he is to the ocean where he can’t reach the end.
Would an eel be aware of this?
And be upset about his confinement?

Obviously these kinds of thoughts, that may result in sadness and being upset about the faith of the eel, are not intended by the restaurant staff.
The aquarium is there to give you a good feeling.
About the sea.
About fish.
And you are not supposed to realise that fish are brutally caught, killed, slaughtered, butchered, cooked and swallowed.

The menu offered all kinds of fish.
Like “Butterfish fas”.
Now, what is “fas”?
The waitress was asked this question and “fas” means “frozen at sea”.
Good to know because it means the fish has not been caught and been rotting on the ship until finally a freezer was found once arrived in harbour.

The menu also offered freshly caught Abalone from Mexico.
At $ 65 per person.
Oh dear, oh dear, the economic times are so hard on us.

But it seems that there are still people who order Abalone.
Otherwise they wouldn’t bring it to the restaurant.
Eating a plate of the edible mollusk of the warm seas that has a shallow ear-shell lined with mother-of-pearl and pierced with respiratory holes.
For a price a person could live of for one week when shopping at “Food4Less” supermarket.

So, the conversation with the two best friends quickly turned to a vital question: “Did you ever make a real big mistake in your life?”
The friends are a couple.
The man was thinking and eventually said: “No”.
The woman was thinking and said: “Yes”.
Because, once in her life, she had had a woman friend she had totally trusted.
But this trust had been shattered: the friend had betrayed her.

Of course the two men in her company insisted immediately this could not be considered a real big mistake in her life.
It is never a mistake to trust someone.
It is a big mistake not to respect the trust that is offered and accepted.

Maybe there are only two real big mistakes a human being can make.
The first one is to terminate the life of another person.
And the other big mistake is to finish the own life.
Besides that, everything else are sturdy steps of the dance life is.




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Class today

(3i+1)(5+2i)

M u l t i p l y i a n d 3

M u l t i p l y i a n d 1

T h e i j u s t g e t s c o p i e d a l o n g .

T h e a n s w e r i s i

i

3 * i e v a l u a t e s t o 3 i

3 * i + 1 e v a l u a t e s t o 3 i + 1

M u l t i p l y i a n d 2

M u l t i p l y i a n d 1

T h e i j u s t g e t s c o p i e d a l o n g .

T h e a n s w e r i s i

i

2 * i e v a l u a t e s t o 2 i

5 + 2 * i e v a l u a t e s t o 5 + 2 i

M u l t i p l y i n g 3 i + 1 b y 5 + 2 i i s a c l a s s i c A l g e b r a p r o b l e m .
H e r e , y o u a r e t r y i n g to m u l t i p l y t w o b i n o m i a l s t o g e t h e r
( t w o e x p r e s s i o n s t h a t e a c h c o n t a i n t w o t e r m s ) .
Y o u r b o o k m i g h t c a l l t h i s f i n d i n g t h e " P r o d u c t o f T w o
B i n o m i a l s " .

T o w o r k t h i s p r o b l e m , w e ' l l u s e t h e " F . O . I . L . " m e t h o d .
F . O . I . L . s t a n d s f o r F i r s t , O u t e r , I n n e r , L a s t .

F i r s t , w e ' l l m u l t i p l y t h e t w o F i r s t t e r m s , t h e 3 i a n d 5
t o g e t h e r .

M u l t i p l y 3 i a n d 5

M u l t i p l y i a n d 1

T h e i j u s t g e t s c o p i e d a l o n g .

T h e a n s w e r i s i

i

3 i ◊ 5 = 1 5 i

S e c o n d , w e ' l l m u l t i p l y t h e t w o O u t e r t e r m s , t h e 3 i a n d
2 i t o g e t h e r .

M u l t i p l y 3 i a n d 2 i

M u l t i p l y i a n d i

C o m b i n e t h e i a n d i b y a d d i n g t h e e x p o n e n t s , a n d k e e p i n g
t h e i , t o g e t

T h e a n s w e r i s

3 i ◊ 2 i =

T h i r d , w e ' l l m u l t i p l y t h e t w o I n n e r t e r m s ,
t h e 1 a n d 5 t o g e t h e r .

M u l t i p l y 1 a n d 5

1

1 ◊ 5 = 5

L a s t l y , w e ' l l m u l t i p l y t h e t w o L a s t t e r m s , t h e 1 a n d 2 i
t o g e t h e r .

M u l t i p l y 1 a n d 2 i

M u l t i p l y 1 a n d i

T h e i j u s t g e t s c o p i e d a l o n g .

i

1 ◊ 2 i = 2 i

1 5 i c o m b i n e s w i t h 2 i t o g i v e 1 7 i

( 3 * i + 1 ) * ( 5 + 2 * i ) e v a l u a t e s t o

T h e f i n a l a n s w e r ( a l m o s t ! ) i s...

N o w , l e t ' s s i m p l i f y t h e i ' s t o g e t o u r f i n a l a n s w e r :
T h e i i n 1 7 i c a n n o t b e s i m p l i f i e d , s o j u s t l e a v e i t a s i s .

T h e i 2 i n c a n b e s i m p l i f i e d t o - 1 .

S o , t h e b e c o m e s - 6 .

- 6 c o m b i n e s w i t h 5 t o g i v e - 1

T h e f i n a l a n s w e r i s
1 7 i - 1





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A wedding

We are stupid

In nature a lot happens.
Snow melts.
Trees grow.
Animals hunt.
Bees fly.
Sun shines.

All the phenomenons that happen in nature, we can understand.

The snow melts because the temperature rises.
The trees grow because their roots find water.
The animals hunt in order to have food and eat.
The bees fly because walking takes too much time.
And the sun shines because we are close to a sun.

Nothing complicated.
All very easy to understand and explain.

However, if it concerns the behaviour of human beings, often it is much more difficult to understand their phenomenons.
In fact, we human beings, are very erratic creatures.
Harder to understand compared to nature.

Because we are stupid.

Yes, dear fervent and loyal blog readers, it is time someone stands up and tells the truth.
All of us, including you and also the pioneering photographer, we are stupid.

Now that said, we could try to understand why we are stupid.
And for that we are too stupid too.

It is so bad that even the interference of God, who has send his own Son to fix matters here, has not helped.
And all efforts of well intending human beings, like Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Baden Powell and Mother Teresa to alleviate our stupidity: can anyone point out it made us less stupid?
Even the appearance among us of enlightened persons like Osho and Confucius: they only demonstrated eventually how stupid we are.
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung explained us how our psychology works but in fact only proving how inadequate it is.

Now, what to do?
The problem is that any answer to this question will be stupid as well.

Except maybe one answer…

Which is that we simply must give up.
Stop living as we do.

We must give up autonomy and authority.
And put ourselves under the command of nature.
We must let ourselves rule by nature.
When to decide to do something, we turn to nature to find the answer there.

Does that make sense?
Many people will say it doesn’t.
But then, does the actual situation make sense?
Well??

So, let’s go.
To follow the melting snow, the growing tree, the busy bee and the warm sun.




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Most modern art 2

Art is an abstract concept.
So is religion.
The concreteness of it depends of the belief and faith in it.

If enough people believe in a certain object that has no practical value, it is art.
As long as there is belief in it, the object is admired and adored.

In other words, art is a fishy thing.
Because people can be manipulated in liking specific art.
In that case, it is not the artistic value of the object that decides it is art, but it is caused by the quality of the manipulation of the minds of the people.

This is why we see so-called “hypes” in art for the last 20 years.
The media have become faster and more sophisticated.
People are more open than ever for information and influence.
And are easier to reach.
Hence, suddenly the works of an artist can become world famous.
And shortly after he might be forgotten.

It is therefore a good attitude to be suspicious when art is presented.
One must always wonder whether it is true art or manipulation into a new hype.

A good rule to follow is to listen how art is resonating in the heart.
Is it waking up emotions?
Does it make uneasy or happy?
Does it disturb or elate?
In other words, follow the own heart and eliminate any manipulation.

It was a detour, but now we have arrived at the images that were published yesterday.
Remember?





They were beautiful and intriguing, no?
But are they examples of a manipulation?
Or can they be enjoyed and admired as art?

In case one is in doubt, it is always a good idea to want to have more background information.
Who exactly is the artist?
What is the story of that artist?
Very factual information to avoid manipulation.

The background of the images published on this blog are as follows:

While waiting in Salt Lake City for the servicing of the Motosat satellite disk, it was noticed that the asphalt of the parking lot had been fixed.
Somehow cracks had appeared in the asphalt and someone had been closing these cracks with tar.
Unintentionally this had also resulted in drawings.
This is, for someone who wants to see it in that way.
Most people will never pay any attention to these figures and lines on the road.
But one can see them as unintentional, coincidental drawings.
Where the line and the shape and the representation is completely at random.

Now by photographing parts of the road with the tar on the asphalt and by manipulating those images in the software program Photoshop, something new comes into existence.
Images that look like drawings.
Rather abstract so that every person can have the own imagination triggered.

The question one may ask is, whether this is art or not?
Can this be shown in a museum?
Because the lines, shapes and figures one sees are made by some road worker who had to follow with his tar brush the cracks that were in the road.

If enough people believe in the artistic value of these images and in the concept, it is art.
If not, they served to have two new postings on this blog.



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Most modern art

Among the many fervent and loyal blog readers are several exquisite connoisseurs of modern art.

To please those readers most specifically, we present today the work of a unique artist.
Who she is will be revealed tomorrow.
Let’s first enjoy some of her paintings.
And do not hesitate to comment.
Respond and give your opinion!

Motosat satisfaction 2

The Motosat satellite disk was taken off the Fuso Szulc at the Motosat plant in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.






Inside the foot of the satellite disk a part had broken that is responsible for the satellite disk to be stowed correctly.
This was replaced inside the Motosat plant.

The Motosat satelite disk was put back on the roof.





All in all the job took from 10.20 am to 3.00 pm
Costing $ 150.

A quality encounter

These days a most preferred way of living is possible.
Each morning it is unknown where the journey will go, who will be met, what will happen as events and where at the end of the day the night will be spend.
It is like getting a big bag full of presents each morning and one by one they are taken out and appreciated.

Yesterday the journey went from Wendover to Ely in Nevada.
A long road through sweet mountains with few inhabitants.
Deers and coyotes kingdoms.

At one point was a rest area where a stop was made for a simple lunch.
Some bread with cheese and marmalade with decaffeinated tea.

When reading a panel with information about the area, a person approached.
In motorbike clothes.
Taking off the helmet cap to reveal a pretty face of a woman with blond hair.

She asked about the Fuso Szulc and a conversation started that lasted three hours.
A special conversation because in a short time it was very personal.
Without reservation, fear or timidity.

Her name is Kaya.
A name she gave herself.
When she was 18 she legally changed her first name and her family name.
Very unique.
And she made the choice to live a life that is her own.
Unavoidably, that implies someone with that way of thinking needs to travel.
To reach open spaces to fill in the own self.
To detach in order to discover the core of the personal existence.
And have that evolve.

Therefore, she works any job in her home state Montana to make some money and when enough, she takes off on her Kawasaki motorbike to experience freedom and allow the growing process to continue.



It is not often that a person is met in the USA who has an identical approach to life as the pioneering photographer.
Hence, meeting Kaya and sharing with her beautiful moments, is one of the best gifts of this trip.

The moment to continue the journeys came.
One going north, one going south.
The question is now: will they ever meet again?




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No memories, no ways

In 1979, with the help of the book publisher Nicholas Callaway, a campervan was bought and the first journey in the USA was made.
The purpose was to make sequences and carefully the maps had been studied to find adequate and inspiring locations.
They were found, like the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado.
But also the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover in Utah.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are spectacular.
A thick layer of salt on an immense flat surface surrounded by mountains.
And this usually in brilliant sunlight.
A great place to perform conceptual photography.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are the most well known for the speed records that are set on that location.
In summer, speed-devils come there and on a special racetrack they try to go as fast as possible.
Sometimes with rockets on wheels.



In 1979 it was already almost winter when the Bonneville Salt Flats were visited.
No racing was going on.
It was not too hot.
No rain.
Cloudless skies.
Perfect time and situation to make sequences and many were created.
As can be seen in the upcoming book “Sequences: the ultimate selection” that will be published November 2009.
Examples:





Now, in 2009, thirty years later, life had the pioneering photographer go to Salt Lake City to have the Motosat satellite disk fixed.
And why not also visit the relative nearby Bonneville Salt Flats afterwards?

This happened yesterday.
And most peculiar, nothing was remembered of the period working on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1979.
It is completely gone.

Usually going back to a location where one has been before, brings back memories.
The actual place wakes up dormant memories deep in the brains.

But this time: nothing.

There was also another brilliant phenomenon yesterday re-visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Over the last days it has been raining in Utah.
Very exceptional.


This has changed the Bonneville Salt Flats into a white mud pool.
There is an asphalt road leading into the Bonneville Salt Flats, but at its end deeper travelling onto the flats was impossible.
Any car would sink into the mud.











This was experienced as something very symbolic and fantastic.
In 1979 it had been possible to enter the Bonneville Salt Flats, stay there some time and create many sequences.
In 2009 the Bonneville Salt Flats were inaccessible.
Of course.
The work was done.
What has been done there stands by itself.
It cannot and must not be challenged.
Life and destiny said:

don’t even go there, buddy!






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