Mijn professionele overstap naar Nederland heeft  mijn leven meer dan overhoopgehaald. Ik ben ondertussen geëvolueerd van lichtgewicht naar zwaargewicht, niet zozeer professioneel als wel fysiek. En dat zonder lekker eten, waarschijnlijk teveel karnemelk en kaas. De trein krijgt me nog met veel moeite tot in Rotterdam getrokken. Ik neem de helft van de vertragingen voor mijn rekening.

Ik heb heimwee naar mijn atletisch lichaam van voorheen. Ik wil niet wachten tot 1 januari met goede voornemens, ik begin er nu al aan. De eerste stap is gezet, ik praat erover! Ik schrijf erover, ik lees zelfs over diëeten. Ik ben goed bezig! Ik ben me bewust van de extra kilo’s en vooral, ik koop Sultana koekjes.

Niet lang geleden publiceerde het Standaard Magazine het verhaal van een vermageringswedstrijd tussen twee oud collega’s van me, Tom en Peter. Het leek meer op spekschieten, dan op een objectief verslag. Vermageren ging als vanzelf, de kilo’s vlogen er af, één groot succesverhaal, echt vet.

Ze hadden niet eens zo veel minder gegeten, gespreid was het toverwoord. De ganse dag door. Sultana koekjes daar draait het allemaal om. Heb je een beetje honger ,eet je gewoon even een Sultanatje tussendoor. Zeg nooit meer Sultana trouwens. Het leek meer een gesponsorde vermageringskuur en een grote leugen! Samen met mij is de kwaliteitsjournalistiek daar blijkbaar ook op de trein gestapt.

Massa’s Sultana’s heb ik gekocht, mijn schuiven puilen uit. Alle smaken alle kleuren alle merken. Een nooit gezien aantal bosvruchten met exotische appel en rozijnen extracten verorber ik. Er is geen braambes meer te vinden in Nederland, ze liggen allemaal in mijn schuif, het bosvruchtenalarm is afgeroepen.

Maar heel die koekjestherapie werkt voor geen meter, voor geen kilo. Omgekeerd zelfs. Hoe meer koekjes ik  eet, hoe minder dat het me precies helpt.

The Minister of Culture, Lynette Cooper, has reportedly discovered a number of sultanas in some breakfast bran. The find was “very satisfying”. There are unconfirmed reports that the sultanas were later eaten.

• Ailee; 165′ LOA(?) 1928  3M Staysail, Des. Chas Nicholson, Blt. Camper & Nicholson. Near sister to Sonia II.

• Alcyone;168′ LOA. (Length on deck) 1907. 3 Masted(M) Gaff, Des.  Clinton Crane.  Blt.  Geo. Lawley & Son.

• Atlantic; 185′ LOA. 1903. 3M Gaff, Des.  Gardner & Cox.  Blt. Townsend & Downey.  Replica fitting out  in Holland.

• Black  Douglas, Aquarius; 153′ LOA. 1930. 3 M Staysail, Des. Gielow, Blt.  Bath Iron Works.  Was for sale in Europe recently.

• Creole, Magic Circle, Vira. 191′ LOA. 1927. 3M Staysail, Comp. Construction. Des.  Chas. E. Nicholson.  Blt.  Camper & Nicholson.  Sailing on Med.

• Cressida, Pioneer, now Yankee Clipper; 172′ LOA.  1927. Orig. 2M Sq. Fore Top. Now 3M Staysail. Des. Cox & Stevens.  Blt.  Krupp.  Laid up in Trinadad.

• Flying Cloud, Fantome; 203′ 6″.  1929. 4M. Gaff, Des.  J. S. Barbour.  Blt. Cantieri Navale Orlando.

• Goodwill; 161′ LOA.  1922. 2M Gaff Sch.  Des. Henry J. Gielow.  Blt. Bethlehem Shipbuilding.

• Guinivere (1), Orig. Visitor II; 197′ LOA. 1908. 3M Gaff. Des. A. L. Swasey & Raymond Page.  Blt.  Geo. Lawley & Son.

• Guinivere;  (2); 195′ LOA. 1921. 3M Gaff. Des.  A. L. Swasey.  Blt. Geo. Lawley & Son.

• Hamburg II, Ex. Rainbow ; 134′ or 158′ (?) LOA. 1897 or 1900(?). 2M Gaff. Des. G. L. Watson.  Blt. Hendeson & Co.

• Hussar, Vema, now Mandalay; 202′ 6″ LOA. 1923.  Orig. 3M Gaff, Now Staysail, Des.  Cox & Stevens.  Burmeister & Wain.  Undergoing major refit for service in Galapagos Islands.

• Intrepid; 163′ LOA.  1893.  3M Gaff, Des.  J. Bevor Webb.  Blt.  Neafie & Levy.

• Intrepid, Uvira; 171′ 6″ LOA.  1903. 2M Gaff, Des.  J. Bevor Webb.  Blt. T. S. Marvel.

• Karina, Undaunted, Dauntless; 200′ LOA.  1911. 3M. Gaff, Des.  Theo. D. Wells.  Blt.  Staten Island Shipbuilding.

• Katoura, Elfay; 162′ LOA.  1914. 2M Gaff, Des. Nat. Herreschoff.  Blt. Herreschoff Mfg. Co.    

• Kihna; 183′ 9″ LOA. 1930. Rig not known, (probably 3M Staysail.) Des. Chas. Nicholson.  Blt.  Camper & Nicholson.

• Meteor III; 161′ LOA.  1902. 2M. Gaff, Des.  A. Cary Smith  Blt. Townsend & Downey.

• Meteor V; 156′ LOA.  1914. 2M Gaff, Des. Max Oritz.  Blt. Krupps Germaniawerft.

• Migrant; 223′ LOA.  1929. 3M. Gaff, Des.  Henry J. Gielow, Inc.  Blt.  Geo. Lawley & Son.

• Sea Call; 215′ LOA.  1915. 3M Gaff, Monel plating over steel frames. Des.  Wm. Gardner.  Blt.  Geo. Lawley & Son. She was the World’s Largest Battery.  Scrapped after only 6 weeks afloat.   One of the greatest schooners ever. Easily reached 14 knots in trials.

• Sonia II; 166′ LOA.  1931.  3M Staysail, Des. Chas. Nicholson Blt. Camper & Nicholson.

• Sunbeam II, Flying Clipper, now Eugene Eugenedies; 195′ LOA. 1929. 3M Gaff Sq. Fore Top, Des.  G. L. Watson  Blt. Denny.

• Sultana; 190′ LOA.  1890. 3M. Gaff, Sq. Fore Top, Des.  J. Beavor Webb.   Blt.  Handren & Robins. Rig may have been removed later.

• Utowana; 190′ LOA. 1891. 3M. Gaff, Des.  J. Beavor Webb.  Blt.  Neafie & Levy.

• Sultana and Utowana; May have been sisterships.

• Vergemere; 162′ LOA.  1903.  Des. A. Cary Smith.  Blt. Harlan & Hollingsworth.  My have been a sistership toMeteor III.
• There probably were other schooners we don’t yet know of.

*****************

Inspiration for the new Son Volt record wasn’t hard to come by, floating as it was down the Mississippi River and right past Jay Farrar’s window.

“Living in St. Louis,” says Farrar, “you can look over the river bluffs and see what appears to be debris and sometimes what appears to be pieces of old boats or ships sticking out of the sandbar. So that piqued my imagination. The wreck of Sultana popped up in research and that just struck me as an incident worth exploring in song.” The song, “Sultana,” rolls on patiently as a pile of old newspaper headlines from 1865 steamboat disaster wash up on the shore. It’s not exactly linear, but it’s a decidedly straight-ahead approach for Farrar.

Dust comes a little over 20 years since Uncle Tupelo’s No Depression, where Farrar and Jeff Tweedy first rummaged through the ghosts of thrift store Americana with their own impressionist visions and left a movement of alt-country fans and imitators in their wake. Since those days, there were breakups, the shakeups, and gawking fans as Farrar and Tweedy raced from the Tupelo shipwreck in separate lifeboats. It’s been a rough go, and who was coming up short just depended on what decade you checked in on things.

The current has eased up a bit. Wilco’s critical praise is coming back down to Earth again and Son Volt has quietly put out three strong albums in quick secession, carving out a new comfort zone for themselves and longtime fans. As a result, Farrar’s been delivering his most confident, self-assured music in maybe forever. “We wanted to get more familiar again with this one,” he says.

Farrar grew in Belleville, Illinois, a small town across the river from St. Louis with a Main Street full of bakeries and second-hand shops and big grocery stores called Schnucks and Shopland. I catch him on the phone taking a break from tour rehearsal with his band, which is full of commuters from Texas and the East Coast. “I just saw Belleville on the front page of the news the other day through the Associated Press,” Farrar mentions. “A guy got arrested for picking up beer at a gas station and driving his riding lawnmower erratically down the street. I guess he had prior DUI convictions.”

It was in Belleville that Uncle Tupelo began, a quartet that sounded like punk rock’s little brothers trying to ape Hank Williams records.  Their first record was so influential some aficionados adopted its name the genre-defining zine No Depression. (As an aside, Farrar also shared a hyperactive vocal sensibility with college radio contemporary John Linnell from They Might Be Giants, which doesn’t fit into any kind of genre mythology whatsoever, but should remind us how small the indie scene was in those days).

They imploded right as their major label debut was gaining steam and split into Wilco (Tweedy and the rest of Tupelo) and Son Volt. Farrar kept his eyes stubbornly on the shuffling roadhouse ballads while Tweedy did his thing, deconstructing forms and playing with squiggly background noises until everyone was confused enough to call him a genius. Son Volt disbanded for a few years earlier this decade, but Farrar reformed the band back in 2005, not to universal acclaim (it was no Wilco, after all) but solid enough to keep hardcore fans interested in the meantime.

To sum up, Farrar’s taken a long road through strange gray areas in rock success. He’s never really been a household name, but has been big enough for sold-out comeback tours through old haunts and curmudgeonly high expectations from critics.

His focused 2005 album, Okemah and the Melody of Riot, was derided by one critic as being full of “protest songsabout protest songs.” He responded with 2007’s The Search, which threw in a rusty kitchen sink full of backwards guitars, keyboard string pads and soul review horn sections. But that one didn’t stick, either. “He’s still too grumpy,” everyone seemed to be whining. “What good does being mopey do for anyone?” asked the LA Times. Ugh.

The thing is, Farrar is more like that friend that keeps trying to get you to come over and learn how to play Risk or watch Twin Peaks all the way through than someone who wants to bother with becoming a butt in with much of his own point of view. He’s an awesome tour guide, not an architect, and his territory just happens to be downbeat old grumps.

“I think there’s more to be learned in looking back at what’s happened in music in the last century,” he tells me after I ask about his curatorial tendencies. “There’s so many instances of convergences of genres and styles and cultures to create really great, new musical forms, which I don’t really see happening to the same degree now like it was in the last century.”

And with American Central Dust, it seems like he’s relaxing into that role more than ever. Gone are the studio tricks and exotic instrumentation from The Search (yeah, a horn section qualifies when we’re talking about Son Volt) – it’s back to blunt acoustic guitar strings and lonesome pedal steel melodies. “There’s even violin on this record,” says Farrar. “I haven’t used violin on a record in years and years. I was just hoping to get back to a more familiar sound with everything. No grand scheme – it’s just the pendulum swinging back the other way after all the stuff I tried on the last record.”

Farrar uses the immersive backdrop to conjure up a dream territory where he can push musical heroes out on stage and watch bounce ideas off each other. In front of massive historical props like rail yards and junkyards, he carefully restores figures like the class-conscious Leadbelly and hidden New Orleans treasure Snooks Eaglin like robots in the Hall of Presidents.

“I’ve read a lot of Jack Kerouac over the years and his approach to writing has always influenced me in a way,” says Farrar. “I’ve thought a more non-linear, impressionistic way is kind of the best way to go for any writer because it’s always going to be more individualistic. But with this recording I was going a different way with some of the writing. ‘Sultana’ and ‘Cocaine and Ashes’ are both examples of just reading about something and trying to come up with a song.”

I ask if his shout-outs to these people, both famous and anonymous, ever makes him just feel like he’s in the room with them while writing these songs. He immediately grimaces. “Shout-outs! I guess I like that. Yeah, I do feel like there’s a presence.”

“Cocaine and Ashes” is Farrar’s surprisingly touching ode to Keith Richards’ tabloid-friendly choice to snort his dad’s remainns, and it’s pretty much the highlight of the whole album. It’s the kind of thing that will end up defining him in the end – raising bottle of skunked High Life to another wrinkled hero, knowing enough to be satisfied just be in on the conversation.  When the band rolled into the Paradise in Boston last week, there were plenty of dudes in faux cowboy shirts doing the same to Farrar.  I’d suspect it’s a common sight.

A Manchester, Sultana une jeune antilope d’un parc safari, qui a été abandonnée par sa mère, a choisi de passer ses soirées chez une gardienne du parc !

Elle dort au domicile de Emma Gatcliffe, la gardienne, qui a aménagée la chambre d’amis avec un télévision rien que pour elle ! Car d’après elle, Sultana adore regarder la télévision !

Dans les mois à venir, elle rejoindra un troupeau d’antilopes. Elle pourra dire au revoir au confort de sa chambre, afin de laisser place à la vie de groupe !

Sultana projects has a virtual voyage available on the web, commemorating the 2007 voyage that recreated the 1608 voyage that John Smith took around the Chesapeake 400 years ago. The site John Smith 400 provides maps, excerpts from journals kept in 1608, and photos from the 2007 recreation of the voyage.

I wonder about this idea of virtual voyage: to what extent it can apply to any encounter we might have with the natural world. Say–the kind of encounter you will have when you go to Jamestown. Or the kind you have already have: say, on the Sultana Saturday afternoon. That was a real voyage, but also virtual. Does “virtuality” limit the importance or significance of the experience? Does virtual suggest less than natural?

The film The New World that we will screen is another virtual experience of Smith and the first encounter of the Chesapeake by English speaking voyagers. But isn’t the journal Smith and others kept during the experience another virtual experience: words they use to record encounters; sketches of what they see and what they hear coming from the people they encounter; the maps that are drawn. Or even further–though it might be perverse to think of virtuality this way: the virtual experience of the new world of the Chesaepeake and its environment that Smith has in the food he eats from the water. Isn’t that first oyster eaten a virtual encounter, of sorts, with the whole history that leads up to it–and stranger still (like a film might do, flashing back and forward), the virtuality of the many more times such things will be done in years to come.

Might virtuality be, in fact, not just a limitation–what we are left with–that is inevitable but a necessary way to understand our experience? Might a film of the Chesapeake, such as The New World, be a way not just to represent the Chesapeake in its history and human culture but in fact a good way to understand it?  Good, because virtual. I may be getting into some ethical issues here as much as aesthetic. But I wonder what you think of the virutality of your experience as you head around the Chesapeake, exploring it like a new world, like John Smith 400 years ago.

The DVD of the film includes a documentary of the making of The New World. It describes quite an extensive process that the filmmakers undertook to recreate the world of Smith and Pocahantas. Not just the attention to detail–which we might expect from a film, getting things historically accurate. I was more struck by what I am thinking (now) of as virtuality. The various actors portraying the groups of colonists and natives all trained in advance, as a group, in a sort of camp, in order to become closer to what they were portraying. Something like doing an intensive study for a semester. This got me thinking. Would a good research model for studying the Chesapeake–even this Chesapeake semester–be making a movie of it? In other words, a movie in which the product is significant, but just as important would be the process of making it. So, maybe one or more of you will consider that as you continue: turning your learning into filming. We will give more time (by way of Dillard and seeing) to some work with visually recording the Chesapeake. For now, think about The Chesapeake: The Movie. What would yours be?

http://latestnews.virginmedia.com/inpictures/2009/08/17/10

The latest news pics: Aug 17-23rd – mirror.co.uk

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Sultana – Ben de İstiom

Because We Can: An Exploration of DIY Ethos
featuring artists Michelle Duckworth, Jonathan Hart, Shane McDermott, and Emma Self

Exhibition Opening Reception
Friday, August 7  |  6  – 9 pm

From user-generated sites like Etsy.com to huge retailers like Home Depot, the sensibility surrounds us: Why buy it when I can learn to make it myself?  DIY (abbreviated from Do It Yourself) is a broad term that encourages self-reliance in a wide range of elements from home repair to grassroots activism.  It also includes independent music, art, and film, which stemmed from the early 1970s subcultures of punk, graffiti art, and guerilla filmmaking.

The contemporary DIY attitude could be seen as a historical parallel with the Arts and Crafts movement of the 1900’s, which sought to diverge from mass-produced objects of the industrialization, and reconnect with handmade artisan styles of the past.  With the drive for profit and commercialism removed, the DIY approach democratizes the way art is both created and viewed.  It serves as the great equalizer, as sightings of DIY art become just as frequent in abandoned buildings as in major galleries and museums.

Though many DIY endeavors espouse a political, anti-consumerist message, to some the lifestyle is just about the pleasure that is gained from being self-sufficient and creating something unique.  “The DIY movement is about using anything you can get your hands on to shape your own cultural entity,” writes Amy Spencer in her book DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture.  “You can produce your own zine, record an album, publish your own book… the enduring appeal of this movement is that anyone can be an artist or creator. The point is to get involved.”

Because We Can will open with a reception on Friday, August 7 from 6 – 9pm, and will continue with events throughout the month, including an afternoon of DIY workshops with the artists on Saturday, August 8 from 1 – 3pm.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Michelle Duckworth is a fine artist and illustrator living in Memphis TN.  She graduated from the Memphis College of Art in 2006 with a BFA in Illustration and since has illustrated several children’s books with local authors.  More…
 
Jonathan Hart is a professional teaching artist, who has participated in community art projects and fine art commissions throughout the city of Memphis. He received a BFA in drawing from Memphis College of Art in 2005.

Shane McDermott graduated from MCA in 2005 with a BFA in illustration. He is an illustrator for The Commercial Appeal and has illustrated covers for local magazines, created comics for Glencoe McGraw-Hill, and teaches in the Illustration department at MCA.  More…

Emma Self is a student of textiles at the Appalachian Center for Craft, studying the traditional techniques of printing and weaving with a concentration on repeat pattern design and bookmaking.  Her thesis work unites textiles and film in installations.  More…

AUGUST CALENDAR OF EVENTS

DIY Workshops
Saturday, August 8
1 – 3 pm
The artists from the exhibit will lead informal workshops on sewing simple bags, self-publishing a comic, and book-making.  These will be drop-in activities, all materials (and a snack) will be provided.

Movies to Masticate to
Occurring on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month (except for this month, just to keep it interesting), MtMt is a free series of films focusing on avant-garde and unconventional cinema, thematically collaborating with featured artists, musicians, and cultural voices of our community. Free food is offered before the film at 7pm; films start at dark, or around 8pm.

Wednesday, August 5
John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus
This controversial film explores characters caught at the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex. [Explicit content.  Must be over 18 to attend.]  With special appearance by Justin Timberlake… in Nicki Newburger’s short from Li’l Film Fest 5 “Moanin’ @ Sundance.”

Wednesday, August 26  |  7pm
Todd Rohal’s The Guatemalan Handshake
A mysterious power outage and the disappearance of a demolition derby driver (played by Will Oldham) are just the beginning of the oddball flick.  But first, the short film “Barbie Q” by Live From Memphis co-founder and Creative Director Sarah Flemming from Li’l Film Fest 2.

Icarus Himself w/Sultana
Tuesday, August 11
Nick Whetro blends the refined distortion of his previous project National Beekeepers Society with his minimalist songwriting style and wry, quirky vocals to create the sound of Icarus Himself with the help of Karl Christenson on baritone guitar.  Local performers Sultana and Michaela Caitlin to open.  9pm/$5 cover.  Listen here.

Brightblack Morning Light
Wednesday, August 19
This New Mexico-based group, founded by Naybob Shineywater with Alabama pianist Rachael Hughes, returns to Memphis with their unique blend of rock and psychedelic music.  Their eponymous album for Matador Records in 2006 was named that among that year’s “Top 50 Albums” by Rolling Stone.  A perfect compliment to Odessa’s DIY-themed month, this band recorded their sophomore album for Matador in an adobe on a secluded mesa using only solar-powered energy.  9pm/$10 cover.  Listen here.

To be added to our mailing list, please email odessamemphis@gmail.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

return to work today after a week off work.

was allocated to nurse specialling a patient who is critically unwell.

hourly vital signs observation and urine output monitoring. IV fluids + antibiotics.

The hours gone by quickly…

Thank God her condition has been stable throughout the afternoon/night.

+++

HAPPY BLESSED BIRTHDAY, JEZ!

+++

Met up with a long-time-no-see friend, a fellow nurse who works in QEH.

i think the last time we saw each other was during graduation December last year! =P

i guess the excuse is that we both have busy schedules, as shift workers.

but, finally…we catch up with each other this morning.

it’s nice to catch up again, Shal.

hope you get well soon!!!

+++

made ‘apple-sultana’ muffins this morning. first time trying the recipe from woolies website.

http://www.woolworths.com.au/FoodIdeas/RecipeFinder/Index.asp?RecipeId=317&hidebuttons=true

Ingredients 80g butter 2/3 cup apple juice 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 cups plain flour 1 tbs baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ cup brown sugar ½ cup sultanas 1 fuji apple

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12 medium muffi n pan with paper cases. 2. Melt butter and cool slightly. Whisk with apple juice and egg and set aside. 3. Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. Mix in brown sugar and sultanas. Peel apple and coarsely grate into bowl. Toss to combine. 4. Add liquid ingredients all at once and mix quickly and lightly together, until just combined. Divide evenly between cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.

+++

Excited about visiting OCFers in Hobart tomorrow. =)

yay!

April 27, 1865: The steamboat Sultana’s boiler explodes while carrying Union soldiers home after the end of the Civil War. Many of the soldiers had been held in Andersonville, the worst POW camp of the war. About one-third of prisoners held at Andersonville died of exposure, malnutrition, or disease. Henry Wirz, the commander of the camp, is the only Confederate officer to be tried and found guilty of war crimes.

Sailing was delayed until the Mississippi River was past flood stage after the winter melt runoff swelled the mighty river. The ship’s trip started in New Orleans on April 21 with between 75 and 100 passengers and livestock on the way to St. Louis. The boiler was known to be in poor repair, but the trip was made regardless. The Sultana stopped in Vicksburg, Mississippi for some repairs to the faulty boilers and to take on more passengers. The repair to the boiler removed a section of bulging material and replaced it by welding on a new section of lesser thickness than the rest of the boiler, creating a weak point. A new boiler replacement would have delayed the trip by three days. Captain J.C. Mason did not want to lose the time making adequate repairs.

Most of the passengers on this ship were still in poor health from the POW camp. They were crammed onto the Sultana and headed up the river. The legal capacity of the boat was 376, but on this trip about 2,400 were on board. More than two thousand soldiers, eager to return home, were crammed into every available nook and cranny of the ship at Vicksburg. The US government had contracted with the Sultana to return newly released prisoners of war to their homes.

Just north of Memphis, Tennessee, at about 3:00 AM, the boiler exploded. The shockwave sent many of the men crowded on deck into the water. Hot coals rained down on top of them and many were trapped onboard the ship as it burnt. Some had the choice of staying on the ship or jumping into the overflowing freezing river. Many men died of either hypothermia or by drowning. About 500 men were pulled from the river, about 200 of them subsequently died. No exact death toll is possible, but it is assumed that about 1,700 to 1,800 died in the disaster.

“The United States lost more men from battle wounds and disease in the Civil War than in any other war of its history, including the Second World War. The battle front stretched from Pennsylvania to New Mexico, and included also the seven seas.” – Richard Weaver

“We have met the enemy and they are us!” – Walt Kelly  

“You are sad because they abandon you and you have not fallen.” – Antonio  

“All say, ‘How hard it is that we have to die’ – a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.” – Mark Twain    

E a série Hoje na História está de volta para relembrar os 144 anos do maior acidente naval já acontecido em águas estadunidenses: o naufrágio do Sultana.

Nossa história começa em 21 de abril de 1865 em Nova Órleans. O SS Sultana, um navio a vapor com rodas laterais que pesava 1700 toneladas, partiu do porto da cidade em direção à Cincinnati carregando pouco mais de 300 passageiros, 100 tripulantes e uma carga composta de açúcar, cavalos, mulas e porcos.

Quanto o Sultana parou em Vicksburg, cerca de 2400 pessoas, a maior parte delas soldados que haviam lutado na recém terminada (a menos de um mês) guerra civil americana embarcou no vapor para voltar para casa. A maior parte deles estava em péssimo estado de saúde, doentes, feridos ou mutilados.

Ainda no porto de Vicksburg uma das caldeiras apresentou problemas, mas ela foi consertada e o barco partiu lotado, com seis vezes mais passageiros do que comportaria normalmente.

No dia 26 de abril o navio chegaria a Memphis. Mais uma vez a caldeira apresentou problemas e teve que ser reparada. O aglomerado de gente no navio era tão grande que chamou a atenção do fotógrafo inglês T.W. Bankes, que estava em terras americanas fotografando a guerra. Ele então tirou a única fotografia conhecida do Sultana, que é essa que está aí embaixo:

Menos de 24 hs depois dessa foto o navio explodiria

Abastecido de carvão, o Sultana partiu novamente. E ás duas da manhã do dia 27 de abril de 1865 a caldeira que tinha sido duas vezes reparada explodiu.

A caldeira de um navio explodir é algo ruim. De madrugada, no escuro e longe de qualquer cidade, é bem pior. E,  se o navio estiver muito lotado e com a maior parte dos seus passageiros inválidos ou fracos demais para nadar, nós temos o cenário perfeito para uma tragédia. E foi o que aconteceu.

O número total de mortos ainda gera controvérsias hoje em dia, mas estima-se que 1700 pessoas morreram nas águas do rio Mississípi. Os relatos dos sobreviventes são aterradores: pessoas tentando desesperadamente se salvar agarrando-se a pedaços do navio, soldados que não sabiam nadar se jogando no rio, preferindo morrer afogados do que queimados, corpos chegando às praias semanas depois do acidente. Um horror.

No dia 01º de abril (não é mentira !) desse ano o deputado americano pelo estado do Arkansas Victor Snyder propôs no congresso estadunidense uma moção de reconhecimento do naufrágio e da responsabilidade do governo federal na tragédia, pois ele deveria ter cuidado do traslado dos seus soldados e fiscalizado os barcos super-lotados. A associação que reúne os descendentes das vítimas e dos sobreviventes da tragédia comemorou o fato. Eles tem inclusive um blog, que pode ser visto aqui (em inglês, é claro).

Uma placa em Vicksburg relembra a tragédia do Sultana

]]> http://eraks.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/pyar-ka-mausam1969/ Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:28:53 +0000 eraks http://eraks.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/pyar-ka-mausam1969/ http://dairyfreerecipes.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/sultana-bran-muffins/ Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:05:04 +0000 dairyfreerecipes http://dairyfreerecipes.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/sultana-bran-muffins/

Ingredients:
2 medium eggs, beaten.
3 cups of sultana bran.
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
1 ½ cups of soy or rice milk.
½ cup of honey.
¼ cup of melted non-dairy margarine spread (ie Nuttelex).
1 ½ tablespoons of baking powder.
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
¼ teaspoon of salt.

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. Pour the milk over the sultana bran; stir and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the beaten eggs, honey and melted butter.
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
5. Spoon the batter into twelve greased muffin pans.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

Sommige reclames zijn irritant. Andere reclames zijn saai. Wat ik moet vinden van de reclame voor Sultanakoekjes, weet ik niet. Het was eerst irritant, werd saai en begint nu grappig te worden. Herhaling werkt, dat blijkt. Alleen koop ik er geen krentenkoekje meer door. Deze reclame werkt bij mij dus niet zoals producent Verkade en het reclamebaasje hebben bedoeld.

Een gevulde ovenwant
Velen kennen waarschijnlijk deze spot wel. Even een schets: jonge vrouw loopt over straat. Er klinkt gegrom. Oeps…is het ‘drukke doosje’ zo maar vergeten te lunchen. Geen nood, want daar is… Ja, wie is er eigenlijk? Het houdt het midden tussen een kussen en een knuffel. Het lijkt op een gevulde ovenwant in Brabants bont met zwarte kraaloogjes. Pas zeer onlangs kwam ik er achter dat dit beestje ook een naam heeft. In Sultanaland, waar de zon vermomd is als een krent, wordt het drukke baasje zelfs ‘meneer’ genoemd. In koekjesjargon heet-ie Mr. Jummy. Zo, dat was een weetje waar we allemaal op zaten te wachten! Als je genoeg koekjes eet, komt-ie vanzelf bij je thuis!

Genoeg koekjes eten en hij is van jou: Mr. Jummy! (c) Verkade/Sultana.

Fa caldo e quando fa caldo ci si presenta come “mamma ci ha fatti”!

Questa è la nuova moda neyorkese. E per chi vuole spogliarsi questa è l’estate giusta! La metropoli propone una vasta gamma di attività sociali alle quali si può partecipare come natura ci ha fatto.

Nell’Upper East Side, al 1616 della Second Avenue, al locale Dorian’s, tutti coloro che si sentono a proprio agio solo se nudi possono tranquillamente mangiare svestiti. Il Dorian’s è stato il primo locale ad ospirare serate “No hot Soup” organizzate da John Ordover (web-marketer).

A Downtown Manhattan si può andare da Mercantile Grill, al Pearl Street, o al “Nake Lunch Bar & Lounge“.

Al di là dell’East River c’è Pete’s Downtown, al numero 2 della Water Street di Brooklyn.

La scelta è varia e organizzare una «naked dinner» è assai semplice: basta chiamare un ristorante che aderisce alla «No Hot Soup», concordare la serata e poter contare su un sufficiente numero di adesioni visto che il locale per l’occasione chiude al pubblico, al fine di consentire ai nudisti di svolgere tranquillamente il proprio party.

Normalmente i camerieri e i cuochi restano vestiti, ma questo non disturba i nudisti e, secondo quanto detto da Ordover al New York Post, non sconvolge neanche troppo i ristoratori perché “a New York si vede di ben altro…”.

La richiesta di eventi sociali per chi ama denudarsi è talmente ampia che basta avere un’idea innovativa per essere sommersi dalle richieste, come avvenuto per Sultana, il locale di Williamsburg, a Brooklyn, per metà ristorante e per metà dancing, dove si danno appuntamento gli amanti del nyotaimori ovvero il sushi servito su corpi completamente nudi per poter essere consumato a temperatura corporea.

Per comprendere quanto numerosi e affollati siano i party senza veli a New York basta andare a cercare la controprova altrove, come per esempio negli elenchi degli iscritti ai corsi di “Naked Yoga”, basati sull’idea che gli indumenti ostacolano la concentrazione di chi li porta.

Al “Phoenix Temple” di Midtown le lezioni per nudisti si svolgono due volte la settimana: iniziano con la cerimonia dell’abbandono degli abiti – che dura circa dieci minuti – e poi continuano come avviene per tanti altri corsi di yoga.

“NakedYogaNyc” è un club che offre corsi senza abiti a prezzi stracciati. Per chi non vuole andare in palestra preferendo sessioni private di «Naked Yoga» i prezzi salgono notevolmente, ma i clienti, uomini e donne, risiedono in gran parte nell’area del «Golden Block» dell’Upper East Side dove si registra la maggiore percentuale di ricchi dell’intero Pianeta. I ricchi spesso si annoiano e lo yoga praticato senza abiti indosso può essere un passatempo davvero insolito.

Lo «HotNudeYoga», al numero 100 della 23ª Strada, è invece dedicato solo a clienti gay, vicino alla palestra c’è un omonimo negozio di articoli sportivi e chi diventa socio riceve anche una newsletter che racconta di «successi spirituali», viaggi in India e interazioni fra yoga e sesso «che per alcuni insegnanti sono da evitare mentre per altri sono inevitabili».

Poco lontano, sempre a Chelsea, c’è il People’s Improv Theatre dove la compagnia artistica «Naked Comedy Showcase» del bostoniano Andy Ofiesh alterna sul palcoscenico spettacoli dei comici Jenn Lennon, Tim McIntire detto «il reverendo», Denise Robichau, Dan Sally e Myq Kaplan. Tutti rigorosamente nudi.

Per gli amanti del genere c’è anche un musical a Broadway. Al teatro New World Stages, sulla 50ª Strada, va in scena «Naked Boys Singing» che il New York Times ha recensito parlando di «una produzione affabile e accattivante con un cast versatile e di talento» come si intuisce già dal numero di apertura, il cui titolo è «nudità gratuita» perché spogliarsi per il gusto di farlo non comporta guadagni ma garantisce forti sensazioni di libertà e benessere.

Poco lontano dal teatro, a Times Square, suona il «Naked Cowboy», il 38enne Robert John Burck che intrattiene i passanti suonando la chitarra. Ma è un nudista démodé perché non rinuncia agli slip.

Fonte: www.lastampa.it

Tattered

Bunks arranged in systematic rows,
So even, yet so rough.
Coarse splinters from the mahogany wooden floor,
All of it is recurring in my soul.
The apple-shelves near the beds
Making use of themselves.
At least someone is.

As I lay on this “bed of roses” in my own gloom,
The thorns drip toxic blood from my lacerated backside.
The irony occurs when I conceive this house is not a home.
Sleepless nights in darkness dwelt,
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
This cold, unloving mattress is stiff on my back,
And I still whimper as I listen to the shadows surrounding me.
The time of hurt, the stinging tears,
This abode demonstrates no mercy… and oddly, I plead for none.

Geçtiğimiz günlerde dedesi Gazanfer Özcan’ı kaybeden Tarık Ündüz, sete ilaçla geldi.

Senaryosunu Eser Yazıcı’nın kaleme aldığı ve yönetmenliğini Emre Akay’ın yaptığı “Adab-ı Muaşeret” adlı gençlik komedi filminin çekimleri oyuncu kadrosu ve kadın rap sanatçısı Sultana’nın da yer aldığı parti sahnesi ile tamamlandı.

 Hasibe Eren, Yıldırım Öcek, Salih Kalyon, Gazanfer Özcan’ın torunu Tarık Ündüz, Yıldız Asyalı’yla birlikte filmde rol almak için imaj değiştirerek saçlarının rengini siyaha çeviren Meral Kaplan başrollerde oynuyor. Çekimlerine 24 Ocak Cumartesi günü İstanbul Erkek Lisesi’nde başlanan ve küfür ile belden aşağı espiriler yerine deneyimli oyuncuları genç yeteneklerle buluşturan “Adab-ı Muaşeret”, 15 Mayıs’ta vizyona girecek.

SETE İLAÇLA GELDİ

Yeni melek gösteri merkezinde yapılan son çekimlerle tamamlanan filmin basın toplantısına önceki gün dedesini kaybetmesinin üzüntüsünü yaşayan Tarık Ündüz’ün sete ilaç alarak geldiği belirtildi. Ayakta durmakta zorluk çeken
ve elleri titreyen Ündüz’ün röportaj anında gözlerinin dolması dikkatlerden kaçmadı.  Ündüz ” Salih ve Yıldırım ağabeylerimle çalışabilmek benim için büyük bir şans. Tiyatroya da devam etmeyi düşünüyorum. Dedemden öğrendiğim en güzel şey ‘İş disiplini!’ dedi.

 Sinem VURAL/MAGAZİN SERVİSİ

This is probably the best piece that I’ve written. Enjoy.

Glue.

You cling to me,
Dragging me down,
Down with you
And your nuisances.

Just when I thought I became used to you,
You seem to disappear after
Cleansing my mind.
And then you reappear.
Everywhere, your flaky presence just won’t
Leave me alone.

I strive to pry you away from me
After working around you for an eternity
Little by little; it’s not working.
So I must resort to ripping at you,
Tearing you apart altogether
Until you have completely gone.

]]> http://sultana1039.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/intro/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:04:13 +0000 sultana1039 http://sultana1039.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/intro/

So. I’m obviously Sultana.
This is one of my various blogs. I have a Xanga account (main blog even though I rarely post on it), a blog for my Geometry class, and a blog on Blogger (I just found out about ten minutes ago that I had this, and that I’ve been a member since September ‘08.)
Amazing.

I was inspired to make this one by the people in ESP. Apparently, it’s supposed to be extremely wonderful. (That’s the impression I got from the zealots in my class. )

As for what I’ll be posting on here, it’ll probably be pieces of work tha I’ve made for the aforementioned class. My Xanga account is mainly for blabbing whatever’s on my mind at about 3-4 AM. This’ll be mostly to show the world what I’ve been doing. (I hope.)

I don’t know if I can add friends on this thing just yet, but if I can, I gladly will if I know you. Feel free to do the same. =)

I need to explore this thing more… Hmm.

I’ll type up a few of my pieces sooner or later. Feedback is always appreciated. Pfft, if anyone reads any of this, I’ll be glad.

Adios for now, world.