Alan Lodge's Blog

Global Film and Arts Project

I would like to invite you to participate in a Global Film and Arts Project :

One World One Minute http://www.OneWorldOneMinute.com

One World One Minute is a unique and ground breaking project aimed at creating a thought provoking feature length documentary for theatrical release and it

invites YOU to participate.

The concept of the project is a simple one, but offers huge scope for all concerned. We aim to have participants in EVERY country around the globe record, simultaneously, ONE MINUTE of their lives, one minute of our world.

The minute can be recorded in a wide range of forms, and on practically any medium, from stills photography to video, sound cassettes, written word or even drawings, any form at all. We then aim to compile this material into a feature length documentary which shall seek to capture that one minute of our existence.

The finished piece shall explore the rich diversity that is both humanity and our world, whilst allowing a voice to all people regardless of nationality, religion, race, political viewpoint, gender or age. The rich diversity that is Humanity shall be there for all to see and perhaps too, through all our differences, we shall also see that which is inherently human, that which is common to us all.

As for the timing of this event :

All recording take place at GMT 12:48 September 11th 2002. Yes, one year after the attacks on the twin towers. We feel that this project is an appropriate artistic response to both those events and their repercussions. However, this in no way means that all recordings directly address those events. To quote Marshall McLuhan.. “the medium IS the message”, and in our case, the very creation process itself is our message and surely there can be no more appropriate time for an international collaboration that is about communication, co-operation and sharing.

This is the concept behind One World One Minute . We hope that you will see both the potential and the worth in this project and choose to participate. This is an opportunity for people to share a moment of their life, their world, with others. An opportunity to both talk to and listen to the world, to join with others around the globe and create a truly unique record and experience.

Participants :

One World one Minute currently has over 700 participating contacts representing well over 1000 individuals who shall be actively recording for this project. Many of our participants come from the world of film making, media, art, N.G.O.’s and education.

Some (brief) examples of our participants include :

Malcolm Harper C.M.G. – UK Director of the United Nations Association, and UK representative for the World Federation of United Nations Associations

Mindshare Institute and Foundation (USA) – Creators of the World Anthem (featuring the Prague Symphony Orchestra).

Cecelia Betancourt (Switzerland) – artist who regularly exhibits internationally, with solo exhibitions ranging from Mexico to Paris.

Francesco Paladino (Italy) – Award winning film maker & artist behind titles such as “Il Mago dei Pioppini”, “Caro Nonno…”, and “The Village” amongst others.

Azerbaijan Volunteers Union – N.G.O. group providing volunteer aid in refugee camps.

KRITI (India) – international development group working out of Delhi.

ADORIJA (Latvia) – Film production company.

Malaria research Dept – L. Pasteur Institute, Paris.

Media Factory (Romania) – Film / TV production company.

New Zealand Board of Education – listed One World One Minute as a recommended learning resource for all NZ students.

The International Film & Broadcast Academy (Nigeria)

NET25 (Philippines) – satellite broadcaster specialising in news and culture.

Young Iranian Film Makers Association.

The above list is only the briefest of glimpses of our participants but we

hope it shows the breadth and scope of those involved in One World One Minute

Some of the regions currently contributing include :

Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Congo, Cuba, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Estonia, France, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hawaii, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kashmir, Kenya, Korea- South, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malawi, Malta, Mexico, Moldavia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, New York City, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States (many states), Uruguay, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

What shall the finished piece look like ?

Whilst a production such as this is very organic by nature, we do have a general template for the films overall structure :

Introduction –

A brief section featuring text explaining the background of the project played over satellite images of earth.

Context –

Here we set the scene. A journey around the world… from dawn in central America, through mid-day in Europe, afternoon in Africa and Eastern Europe through to evening in the Far East.

Diversity-

An exploration of the diversity of life. Throughout this section we shall seek to explore and celebrate diversity but also explore how it may lead to misunderstanding and resentment. Techniques used shall include various split screen formats to emphasise the simultaneous nature of the world, and colour

adjustment techniques to emphasise the contrasts in life. As we move through the section the tempo shall rise, the visual contrasts grow…

Outcome-

From the hectic pace of the final section of “diversity” we shall abruptly cut to Ground Zero and the one minutes silence. This shall be a challenging minute as we propose to offer the audience one minute of utter silence to accompany the images.

Common Humanity-

We shall now seek to explore that which is common to all humanity as well as challenge the audiences perceptions of people with extensive use of various compositing techniques. Here we shall explore our perceptions, challenging them and offering an insight into the thoughts and wishes from people around the world. Perhaps it is here that we shall find that which is common to us all, that which is innately human.

This is only a brief (or not so) outline of our production. If you believe that film does have a role in responding to events, does have a role in social and cultural issues, then we would hope that you choose to participate. After all… it only takes One Minute… less time than it took to read this no doubt.

If interested, further details can be found at http://www.OneWorldOneMinute.com

Yours..

Ian Thomas McLean

One World One Minute

2/1,

5 McIntyre Place,

Paisley,

Scotland, PA2 6EE

tel : +44 (0)141 889 2411

IanMcLean@oneworldoneminute.com

Pinhole Camera Project at Burning Man

Yet more photography of interest at this event …….

These folks at http://www.pinholecamp.org/ have produced some interesting work, that is deserving of a look. Check out their gallery at: http://www.pinholecamp.org/gallery.html where they display work form the 1999, 2000, 2001 &2002 events.

and, they have produced some plans of the device. Here is their constuction description in .pdf form at: http://www.pinholecamp.org/camera/camera.pdf

Here are a few more interesting Burning Man 2002 links

Burning Man Opera http://www.burningmanopera.org

Internet at Burning Man 2002 http://www.eugeneweb.com/~bm/ibm.html

The Civilized Explorer Burning Man 2002 Alerts http://www.cieux.com/bm/2002alerts.html

Playa Chicken http://www.playachicken.com/index.asp

RC at BurningMan 2002 http://www.netwiz.net/~ben/rc/bman/

Wizzard Burning Man 2002 Projects http://www.wizzard.com/bm2002/

Google Search: Burning Man 2002 http://www.google.com/search?q=Burning+Man+2002

So, if all goes to plan, we can watch the burn webcast at http://www.burningman.com/ tomorrow, Sunday. So far though, trying to find details and comms from all this, seem to be really hard. Well, bearing inmind were they are, and what they’re doing, not so supprising eh?

A past archive of previous Burning Man Events, can be seen at http://www.zpub.com/burn/

A Brief History of Burning Man: http://www.zpub.com/burn/bm-history.html

and for completeness, here is a link to stuff on events added earlier:

http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/2002_08_25_tash_lodge_archive.html#80686796.

and the Cyberbuss contibution to all this at: http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/2002_08_25_tash_lodge_archive.html#80686821

Burning Man 2002 – Webcast from Black Rock City

The Burning Man 2002 Webcast is (supposed to be) available at the following URL:

http://dogme.burningman.com/webcast/

‘Direct Link’ to stream, using QuickTime.

rtsp://steam.burningman.com/live.sdp

QuickTime Player is required. Have yet to have it connect (keep getting server not found errors or, the latest RealPlayer wants to try to play it.)

Spyware Trojan sends info back, on internet activity on a ‘target’

“eBlaster records their e-mails, chats, instant messages, Web sites visited and keystrokes typed — and then automatically sends this recorded information to your own e-mail address,”

Here’s a piece of software that will make any decent human being vomit. Proudly marketed by spyware outfit SpectorSoft, it’s a lowlife Trojan called eBlaster which you can e-mail to anyone in the world and log their keystrokes, and force their POP mail and Hotmail and Yahoo Web mail accounts to copy to you, everything going on at the target machine.

http://www.spectorsoft.com/products/eBlaster_Windows/

“eBlaster records their e-mails, chats, instant messages, Web sites visited and keystrokes typed — and then automatically sends this recorded information to your own e-mail address,” the company proudly states.

It’s marketed as a ‘tool’ for over-protective parents and savvy employers, but it’s basically a script-kiddie toy which can be delivered surreptitiously to a victim. The potential for abuse is extraordinary, but the company makes no mention of that. They merely warn that if you don’t own the computer you infect with their Trojan, you’re violating their terms. Surely that stern warning should discourage the malevolent well enough. [yea right].

It’s all part of a growing, set piece where the private communications of human beings is seen as ‘abuse’ on the job.

Wot Free Festivals? A further rant, from Tash

Personally, I come from a free festivals and travelling background. New Age Travellers etc. A number of sayings have helped guide my life over time. Like….

Bring what you expect to find?

If no you, who?

If not now, when?

If not here, where?

In sum, this means self-reliance. It means gigs are ALWAYS better, when people attending don’t just attend , but are a main part of the act. It is obvious to all those there, when this magic happens.

This is actually where I came in. 1972 Windsor, Stonehenge etc….. These were my motives then and remain so now.

Of course the authorities have difficulty with a system that means they are not in sole charge, hence all the law and violence since the Beanfield etc……

Over time, I have been involved I raising awareness about the law changes and their implications to us all.

· Public Order Act 1986

· Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

· Noise Act

· Barry Legg MP: Places of Entertainments (Increased Penalty) Act

· Security Services Act

And now all the Acts that have been going through parliament – with the words:

“conduct by a large number of persons in pursuit of a common purpose” being a new definition of serious crime!!!

With the new definition of serious crime, that enable the use of some ‘heavier’ police departments to be applied against us. And will be the end of all the RTS and similar gigs.

Shame eh?

Now, in ‘rave mode’, I have spent time with the Velvet Revolution and All Systems gigs, I had written ‘Sound Advice’ and the ‘Right to Party’ – to try and raise these matters in peoples minds.

Well, we have lost each of the matters I’m on about here. Whoever you vote for, the government gets in!

What I am absolutely positive about though, is that people involved in the scene,

DID NOT DO ENOUGH ABOUT ANY OF IT AS IT HAPPENED AND NOW IS STILL GOING ON.

People have to realise that self-interest and their own immediate happiness ( hedonism?), is not enough to make a festival, party rave, traveller site, gathering.

Important, but not enough.

Some folks on reading this will have been too young, to have had any objection to these changes as they have happened over recent years. But many others of you will have been there, and should have been ‘able’.

The way parties are now organised, between those trying to conform with some pretty onerous conditions, (ie half to 2/3 of a ticket price to ‘self-police’ and pay for your own public order management and drug search.!) and those involved with the ‘free’ end of things but at continued ‘personal’ rather than ‘sheared’ risks.

This division is of course orchestrated by the other side.

This old hippy / raver? Is now of the opinion that folk have now got the party they deserve.

Discuss……..

‘BlogThis’ Right-click and IE6 browser

When i first set up blogger, was invited to enable ‘Right click – Blog This!

However, using Internet Explorer 6, have always found that the right-click version of BlogThis gives you a script error everywhere except at www.blogger.com. The un-Official Blogger FAQ has a fix. http://archives.blogspot.com/#7766906

More discussion at: http://www.diaries.com/digiboy/discuss/msgReader$15

This service is now updated, so, you don’t have to mess with the registry as this lot describes. Download the auto-fixes from here:

http://www.philringnalda.com/blogthis/

Have tried all this since, and it’s wonderful. Works for BlogQuote also.

:: SchNEWS :: Peat Alert Mass Trespass

This is all happening now ….!

Peat Alert are continuing to take action against the extraction of the world’s best existing carbon sinks – peat bogs. There will be a mass trespass of a peat moor near Doncaster on the 25th August, transport available. And another Peat Action Camp from 28 August – 1 September, with talks, actions and nails in the coffin of Scotts (the peat extracting company). For details tel: 0778 778 2259

Cambridge clubs mice

“Researchers” at Cambridge university play dance music to mice on speed. BBC News story Shock! Horror! Some of them died after getting down to some Prodigy.

They weren’t let into the little chill out rooms, and all the water taps in the toilets were hot. To set this all in perspective some other mice were forced to listen to Bach, on speed too. Well… they died too. Who knows what sort of music mice get into and what they would listen to by choice whilst doing class A’s.

The experiment in which mice were killed with loud dance music after being given amphetamines has been attacked by the Home Office.

Cambridge University scientists involved in the study have received an official reprimand, it was revealed on Monday.

However, anti-vivisection campaigners have described this as a "slap on the wrist", saying that the team should have been prosecuted for animal cruelty. The experiments, led by Dr Jenny Morton, involved 238 mice, some of whom were given the drugs and then exposed to music from the dance group The Prodigy at high volume. Seven died, and some others were left brain damaged. Some others who were exposed to the classical composer Bach instead also died.

Now really!! Where does this get us, in any further understanding ???

This is a space

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for art reasons …… ……. …… !

While the Countryside March is in town on September 22nd ? new ‘Digger’ Events.

some discussion of ‘doing a digger’, while the countryside alliance are in town. Thought you might like to see, some of my work from the Digger anniversay bash at St Georges hill on Saturday the 3rd of April 1999, to commenerate Gerard Winnstanley and the 350th Anniversary of the Diggers (1st April 1649). http://tash.gn.apc.org/diggers_350.htm

Adding to discussion on the Yahoo ‘Counter-Culture’ Group.

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/CountaCultureUK/message/206

You may be aware that the so-called ‘Countryside March’ is due to take place in London on September 22nd. I hear a group of folks are planning a response to this invasion of the land snatchers in the form of a piece of direct action aimed at one of the Countryside Alliance’s prime movers. It is intend to move onto his estate on the same day he and his toff chums are stomping through London. Once there, to establish an autonomous community in the spirit of Winstanley and the Diggers.

As well as providing the politically appropriate moment to make such a gesture, the occasion of the march gives us a unique window of opportunity; i.e., while the toffs and their army of vassals, gamekeepers and forelock-tuggers are away, we can play!

Had initially assumed that we were the only ones to have this brilliant idea. It now seems that we were somewhat misguided in this conceit. Without being specific, it has come to our notice that other activist groups have also decided to take advantage of the enemy’s absence by organising a number of independent actions aimed at reoccupying our stolen common treasury.

Anyway, all of this has got us thinking and here’s our latest brilliant idea: why not take the May-Day Monopoly concept and apply it to the entire country? Multiple independent actions carried out in a variety of locations across the country by unconnected affinity groups are likely to be easier and far more effective than they ever were within the heavily policed confines of London. The vast (and empty) acres of the countryside on Sept 22nd will provide a fertile environment for autonomous action.

So if you really want to stop the Alliance, don’t go to London to yah-boo them, they’ll be expecting that and they’ll have their police to protect them anyway; no, get out into the countryside and hit them where it really hurts -in their own back yard! If you’re not already involved in something, why not get together with your friends and form your own local action group? After all, you’re not likely to have to travel very far. A huge percentage of the UK is still ‘owned’ by these parasites, there’s bound to be some of them near you.

When planning your demo it is imperative that you avoid falling into the trap of making a generalised attack on the countryside and country folk. To do so would be to do the Alliance’s work for them. Their whole strategy is based on maximising the division between town and country and thus obscuring their real objectives (the maintenance of privilege and land enclosure) by mixing and confusing them with other issues over which many ordinary country dwellers feel real and justified anger. Rather, your action should be aimed at highlighting how the class interests of this minority are opposed to the rest of society. Regardless of whether you’re a farm labourer or an urban factory worker, you have nothing in common with someone who is a millionaire because his ancestors stole his wealth and position for him for him. Small farmers are struggling because of the monopolistic practices of supermarkets, the concentration of subsidies into large farms and the imposition of vile systems of animal husbandry that have led to the catastrophes we are all familiar with. Such people don’t have common interests with the toff who takes the rent. The breaking of this false alliance should be should be the main thrust of our action and should inform everything we do.

A Parrot in the Pepper Tree

Chris Stewart’s A Parrot in the Pepper Tree follows the lives of Chris, Ana and their daughter, Chloe, on their farm, as they get to grips with a misanthropic parrot who joins their home, Spainish school life, neighbours in love, journalists beating a path to their door…and the shock that their beloved valley might once more be under threat of being engulfed by a dam. It’s also looks back on Chris Stewart’s former life – the hard times shearing in midwinter Sweden (and driving across the frozen sea to reach island farms); his first taste of Spain, learning flamenco guitar as a 20-year old; and his illustrious music career, drumming for his school band Genesis (sacked at 17, he never quite became Phil Collins), and then for Sir Robert Fossett’s circus.

A Parrot in the Pepper Tree is the BBC Radio 4 ‘ Book of the Week ‘, this week.

Episodes 1 – 5 [ Real Player required ]

1 2 3 4 5

These links available for you to listen to whenever you like: the reading will be available here for seven days after broadcast.

Well, gosh, hello. It’s me, friendly Chris, the bloke who wrote that book about moving to Spain. It did so well, you know, that my publisher reckoned I should have another go.

So what can I tell you this time, then? Not so long ago I went up to do some sheep shearing in northern Sweden and my car broke down. I could have frozen to death, but luckily I didn’t as a mechanic was able to fix it.

Domingo, my neighbour in the valley, married a Swedish sculptress and he has turned out to be a pretty good artist himself. Not bad for a shepherd, eh?

It’s weird, you know, the more I get into this writing lark the less I feel like doing chores around the farm. I even paid Manolo to help out, and I felt terribly guilty when he’d been slaving for four hours and all I’d done was type a chapter heading.

A couple of years ago, we all got telephones in the valley for the first time, and it felt really strange to be able to talk to people back home without seeing them. The telephone also caused loads of hilarious misunderstandings at first.

“There’s a man calling,” shouted Ana, my wife. “Says his name is Leaf of the Male.” It turned out that it was actually William Leith, one of the Mail on Sunday’s top reporters, who wanted to interview me about my first book. What a hoot!

Leith turned up several hours late and drank all my beer, but he turned out to be a good bloke and asked some really searching questions. “What’s your name?” he slurred. “How many times have you been burgled here? And what’s all this about you playing for Genesis?”

Yes, it’s true. I was the original drummer for Peter Gabriel’s band at Charterhouse. I got kicked out before they became famous and Peter gave me £300 not to make a fuss. What a nice bloke. I later went on to play the drums for Bob Fossett’s circus.

How am I doing? Ah, you’re still awake, but don’t worry, not long to go now. I went to Spain to study flamenco when I was young and I’m still very keen on it.

One winter it rained a lot and we didn’t have much money but we were still very happy. By the way, we’ve got frogs in our swimming pool. Chris Stewart

Can buy it from Amazon: A Parrot in the Pepper Tree

Dave Gorman’s Important Astrology Experiment

Dave Gorman [he of ‘My Name is Dave Gorman’ fame], is returning for a new series. I went off about this chap in my blog, month or so ago now. He is one of the funniest man have seen in a long while. Timing and delivary, splendid!

New series starts this Sunday on BBC2 at 10.40pm and runs for 6 weeks

Short Preview on BBC: ‘Improvisation, lets you dance away from trouble’.

From Dave Gorman

I trust this finds you all well and happy. I’ve just returned from a brief trip to Edinburgh. From the e-mails I’ve received, it seems many of you were there too.

But this is just a reminder that the new series – Dave Gormans Important Astrology Experiment – starts this Sunday at 10.40pm and runs for 6 weeks.

The advance reaction seems to be really good with Time Out making it the cover of their TV section, a Critic’s Choice and giving the show a very flattering listing while Heat have given it 5 stars and says, “As stale formulas increasingly govern the schedules, it’s a delight to see something so fresh”. Basically, the mood in the camp is good.

There’s a page of information about the show on my website at: http://www.davegorman.com/dgiaep2.html and there’s some more on the BBC’s webpages, including a short clip from one of the shows at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/previews/

I need some sleep now.

cheers,

Dave http://www.davegorman.com

Dave Gorman’s Webcam

Burning Man Calendar of Events

To remind, the dates are: August 26 – September 2, 2002

This pages, gives an idea of what they’re up to on a daily basis:

http://www.burningman.com/calendar/playa/day.php

Time Lapse of the Burning Man Events

A Timewave Panorama of Burning Man 2002 Showing the Rise and Fall of Black Rock City

Folding-Time http://www.folding-time.com/ making preparation for a time-lapse series of photography of the event.

Installation and Technology: Technology Link Burning Man Time Navigators have installed a highly sophisticated yet ruggedized computer controlled, time-lapse photography system to capture the rolling waves of growth and destruction that are the essence of Black Rock City. Four different views capture a significant portion of citizen activity of every hour of every day for up to four weeks.

Folding-Time Video: Once recorded and edited, we will see within one hour the civilization organism emerge, grow and teem with inhabitants, and then disappear without a trace. We will see the sun and the darkness, buildings and events, storms and dust, night lights, fires and The Burn.

Folding-Time will provide spectacular and moving footage for future media use as well as an interactive artistic component that would allow Black Rock citizens the opportunity to interact and participate in Folding-Time.

With the chap doing the panoramas, I think I’m inspired! http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/#80690505

Black Rock Arts Foundation

This is an organisation that supports some of the Art, that get created and exhibited at the Burning Man Event

This new, national, non-profit arts organization will furnish artists with direct financial aid for the production and display of interactive artworks in communities and venues across the United States and around the globe.

We hope that you will read and consider the information on our site and decide to play a leaing role in this unique foundation. By contributing valuable resources and introducing the Foundation to important contacts in new communities, our founding members and contributors will help promote a revival of art’s culture-bearing and connective function by removing art from its context in the marketplace and reintegrating it into communal settings.

In many cases, this will be art that is designed to be touched, handled, played with, and moved through in a public arena. It is art that solicits a collaborative response from its audience, even as it encourages collaboration between artists. It deliberately blurs the distinction between audience and art form, professional and amateur, spectator and participant. It is art that is generated by a way of life, and it seeks, in its broadest aims, to reclaim the realms of nature, history, ritual and myth for the practice of art.

We are pleased to announce The Black Rock Arts Foundation held its first Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception at San Francisco’s SOMARTS gallery on Saturday, April 6th. The event brought together arts patrons and participants from the collaborative and community-based San Francisco arts scene to meet the grant recipients and the members of the foundation’s board of directors.

Thanks to the many people who made the event an outstanding success: artists, volunteers, gift donors, and the members and supporters of the Black Rock Arts Foundation.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Black Rock Arts Foundation is to support and promote community-based interactive art. For our purposes, interactive art means art that generates social participation. The process whereby this art is created, the means by which it is displayed and the character of the work itself should inspire immediate actions that connect people to one another in a larger communal context.

Our programs and goals in pursuit of this mission are fivefold:

Artist Grants: Furnish artists with direct financial aid for the production and display of interactive art works, with particular emphasis on those artists whose goals and projects exist beyond the institutional mainstream.

Community Development: Assist these artists to develop communal networks by facilitating contact with public institutions that can supply them with material resources, technical assistance, volunteer services and financial aid.

Exhibitions: Identify and support sites of public presentation for the display of interactive artwork, with special focus on venues that emphasize the civic function of such works.

Educational Outreach: Educate a larger public concerning the spiritual value and social relevance of interactive art.

Career Development: Assist artists in documenting and representing their work in public media and to other institutions. Artistic Direction.

In a larger context, it is the mission of the Black Rock Arts Foundation to promote a revival of art’s culture-bearing and connective function by removing art from its context in the marketplace and reintegrating it into communal settings. In many cases, this will be artthat is designed to be touched, handled, played with, and moved through in a public arena. It is art that solicits a collaborative response from its audience, even as it encourages collaboration between artists. It deliberately blurs the distinction between audience and art form, professional and amateur, spectator and participant. It is art that’s generated by a way of life, and it seeks, in its broadest aims, to reclaim the realms of nature, history, ritual and myth for the practice of art.

http://www.blackrockarts.org/

For more info please contact: info@blackrockarts.org

or write:

1900 3rd St., 2nd Floor,

San Francisco, CA, 94107

phone: 415-626-1248

Palestinian Group Warns Journalists

Gaza Strip (AP) – The Palestinian journalists union declared on Monday that news photographers are “absolutely forbidden” from taking pictures of Palestinian children carrying weapons or taking part in activities by militant groups, saying that the pictures harm the Palestinian cause.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate also called on Palestinian factions and their military wings to stop using children in their activities.

The Foreign Press Association, representing news media working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, called on the organization to withdraw the directive, saying it limited coverage of news. Palestinian Authority ( news – web sites) officials had no immediate comment.

Children carrying weapons or dressed up as suicide bombers have been frequently seen at rallies and marches in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip ( news – web sites) during nearly two years of Palestinian-Israeli violence. Israel has charged that Palestinians are misusing children as pawns in the conflict. The Palestinians counter that Israeli forces target children with gunfire during riots.

Tawfik Abu Khousa, deputy chairman of the syndicate, said such pictures harmed the image of the Palestinian people and the credibility of Palestinian journalists.

The order extends to Palestinian journalists who work for local and foreign new agencies. It requires Palestinians who work for foreign news media to make sure that foreign photographers follow the ban. Free-lancers were also expected to abide by the order.

Journalists who failed to adhere to the ban would face disciplinary procedures, the statement said without elaborating. Previously, Palestinian journalists who ran afoul of the authorities had their credentials lifted, limiting their access to official events.

“We have decided to forbid taking any footage of armed children, because we consider that as a clear violation of the rights of children and for negative effects these pictures have on the Palestinian people,” he said.

The statement said footage of armed children served “the interests of Israel and its propaganda against the Palestinian people.”

The union also threatened to boycott militant groups who use children and masked men in their activities.

Palestinian photographers have told of attempts by Palestinian officials and militias to keep them from taking pictures considered unfavorable, sometimes using threats and coercion. The Palestinian Information Ministry has issued statements denouncing the threats.

Most foreign news agencies make extensive use of local Palestinian photographers in the Gaza Strip for both print and television pictures.

Journalists were also banned from photographing masked men.

In a statement, the Foreign Press Association expressed “deep concern” over the decision by the syndicate and its threats of sanctions against journalists, local and foreign, who disregard the ban.

“While we share the expressed desire to defend the rights of children, limiting coverage of legitimate news events and elements of stories is not the proper way to achieve this goal,” it said. IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer



This looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, just don’t take a picture and call it a duck.

The duck is simply called censorship!

BBC held a poll earlier in the year. The objective, to find the 100 greatest Britons.

The top 100, in alphabetical order

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2209468.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,778652,00.html

And another one, wants to leave this country ……….

I was just surfing and at last I remembered to check out “New Age Travellers”.

I am hoping to leave this shithole life behind but I need to save up some more before I do so I was just wondering if you have tips on where to travel in the EU or further. I have computer skills and just want to leave the rat race.

Anything and everyting you could tell me would be apprecited – I am also quite experienced ar growing weed.

l8r and cheers, andy

Where there are people like us?

This is a question, I commonly ask myself. Most proper travellers have been forced abroad, to continue the lifestyle. Some are hiding! Some forced into sub-standard housing. Some in jail. I got this very interesting email from these folks, who seem to be ‘right on it’! I wish them well and hope we can find some suitable companions for them………

Dear Tash,

Have just been looking at your website. Very interesting, but my main reason for writing to you is to find out where there are people like us?

My husband and I are 49 and 40 respectively and decided to get out of the rat-race 4 years ago. We bought an 10 year old ex-British Rail canteen van and converted it to a camper and drove 22,366 miles all the way to Kathmandu and back in 12mths. It was our honeymoon. If you would like to read about some of it, you can go to David Icke’s website, swallow the first red pill, then click on latest posting/news and scroll down to an article, “Bush and Blair want to find bin Laden, yeah sure they do, a British couple’s story….” I think you might find it most interesting. David is also putting it in his next book, “Alice in Wonderland and the WTC.”

We are strongly against errosion of civil liberties and ID cards, chipping etc, but until more people wake up and make a stand against it all there isn’t a lot we can do to stop it.

The reason for my e-mail is that we have been on the road now for 4 yrs and would love to meet others like us and travel with them. There’s loads of ‘Blue Wrinse Brigade’ members. Those who live in a very expensive motorhome and live on their pensions, and there are a few who have loads of money for one reason or another, but there seems to be few who have to live by ther wits and WORK for their money. they are the type we would like to me. Could you pass some info my way, or alternately pass my e-mail/address/phone no. onto them?

We basically work for agencies for the Summer, then head South out of the UK for the whole Winter. We don’t live in our Sherpa any more, we now have a larger ex-Council Omni minibus, converted for our next trip to Morocco. My husband Alan is a mechanic, so is a very useful person to have around.

Do you know anyone who would like to join us to Morocco. We leave UK 1st week in November. We spent the Winter in Spain last year.

I also supplement our income with some freelance journalism, mainly about our travels. I have had a number of articles published now.

Our address is c/o “Notchett” Bucknall Road, Horsington, Woodhall Spa,

Lincoln, LN10 5ET tel; 0775-2696673 e-mail theproject1998@hotmail.com

Would welcome ANY contacts.

Regards Cindy