yarn-bomb or garment district

The broadcaster Nord-Deutsche Rundfunk presented an interesting and tragic documentary illustrating the consequences of Western consumption and cavalier disposable attitudes and some of the unintended consequences of best-intentions.

Donations (especially from European countries) of clothing has glutted the market, and in places like Tanzania has destroyed the emerging, native textile industry, resulting in more unemployment and poverty. African manufacturers could not compete with essentially free--though a whole trade has grown around the logistics, distribution and sale of donated clothing. Surely everyone who gives away clothes to charities is doing so in hopes of helping but the system in place (geltenden) and the shear bulk of materials has had some destructive effects. I never knew there was such an overwhelming crush of charity items bound for places outside of Germany, but my neighbor once made me think about when remarking on the shoe-donation bucket on the kerb and wondered if they really wanted all her old shoes, which incidentally were almost exclusively sandals bought at the local Africafest. The spirit of giving is a very noble thing but people ought to evaluate as well buying what is to become surplus in the near-future in the first place.

dash, pinch, grain

There is apparently a modest proposal circulating on the internet, which touches everything from credible sources to social-engineering to censorship to Orwellian thoughtcrime, and it is difficult to dissect the tone and earnestness but I think the suggestion that major search engines should either filter out or at least warn gentle-readers when they come across a website espousing fringe- or conspiracy-theories or pseudo-science has to be a provoking gadfly to raise all sorts of debate and get those debaters engaged. After all, who would be determining the criteria that would earn content an almost universal and discrediting label? The internet, beyond ensuring free-exchange of archival knowledge and new experimentation and even assertion, with or without suffering the rigours of the scientific method or peer-review, also is good at creating an environment that incubates such alternatives, perpetuating them and allowing others with similar convictions and suspicions to find one other. Whether confirming and reinforcing the "false" beliefs of another is a dangerous or irresponsible thing for adult and literate advocates and detractors alike should not be taken away from the individual, of course, and ought not be a matter for the facilitators (the search engines) to condone or condemn either. The printing industry was not expected to police the more outrageous tabloids and most were still able to raise the appropriate level of skepticism or curiosity while waiting on queue for the super-market checkout. Beliefs, mainstream or not, about the environment, diet and nutrition, vitamins, water-purification would not be the only matters subject to labels, but someone with sufficient passion to be assured that any other point-of-view is wrong and a risk to public-safety could extend uniformity to matters of politics and even religion too.

lite cavalry or jawohl

Having gone through a few rounds of base-closures, de-basing as it is called overseas and RIF (Reduction in Force) in the States, and emerged unscathed, I am uncertain what to feel about this next cycle of transformation, a reset for appraisal of America's military after quitting Iraq and poised to leave Afghanistan. Locally (vor Ort), people are nervous over the potential negative economic impact of loosing soldiers--or making European rotations unaccompanied, tours lasting only a year and without bringing one's family.

This threatens a broad cross-section of livelihoods and probably in unexpected ways. Landlords, sometimes accused of price-gouging since the Army pays the rent, will suffer as will restaurants and clubs with the loss of patrons--not to mention both German and American civilians that support the Army that could face redundancy. All of these factors, compounded with rumour (munkelt), are of course crazy-making and potentially painful but are irrelevant in the æther where things make economic and practical strategic sense. I always had a sneaking suspicion about some of the military establishments in Europe and wondered if the whole racket wasn’t set up as part of a grace-and-favour plan or some extension of the witness protection programme. I just noticed that possibly some definitive answers, a time-table, might come on my tenth anniversary to the day of arriving in Germany. We will have to see what the Grand Poobah has to say about the changes, which might be able to staunch speculation and allow host, civilians and soldiers to execute their contingencies but probably not. Moreover, I suspect that the only reassurance that can be hoped for, expected and perhaps deserved, is that leadership has not surrounded itself with more yes-men, willing to expedite a rash and sloppy job. That sort of behaviour keeps people of a general's rank suspended in a fantasy-world, disconnected, and leaves others to deal with the consequences. Being crest-fallen economically means that America cannot maintain its standing armies in the fashion it was formerly accustomed to and there are sacrifices to be made, however, money and illusory ideas of flexibility are not the only considerations. More intangible factors exist that cannot be bought back at any price and should be reckoned in the budgeting: soldiers separated from their families, should the rotational plans come into effect, insular and sheltered Americans not being able to experience another culture, as this exchange has importantly done for decades in peace and war, and fostering partnerships and cooperation with Bundeswehr and NATO counterparts by being in the here and now. It is strange that this news is falling on my decade anniversary, but I don't look to the future with apprehension and know Germany will be my home always.

penumbra

Via the art and design blog, Colossal, Azerbaijani artist Rashad Alakbarov is showcasing some his beautiful installations that are created by light, shadow and perspective. Some of his work is being exhibited at the Phillips de Pury and Company Galleries in London. The artwork is very much worth persuing for any reason (both websites too) and seems to be a good warm-up in showing people around the world creations of contemporary Azerbaijan, in anticipation of the EuroVision song contest to be held in Baku later this year.

The EuroVision tradition itself, which discovered ABBA among others, began as a way to test the level of integration of broadcasters, in technical terms, across borders but endured as a gala challenge that has expanded with the idea of Europe. The far-flung Caucasus certainly seems to be an exotic and wild place, and those qualities and identity decidedly lend allure and are unapologetic, but exchanging host-duties allows outsiders to recognize what more there is to discover.

marco polo or year of the water-dragon

Today marks the first day of festivities for the Lunar-Solar Spring Celebration, more popularly rendered as Chinese New Year. Though there is a lot of regional variations and private, family traditions, this time for reunion and renewal is an affair spanning several days to nearly a full two weeks, with different auspices and ritual attached to each day of the festival. There seem to be a lot of birthdays observed in this period, too—the second day, according to some traditions, is the birthday of all dogs, for instance, and the ninth day is the birthday of the Jade Emperor of Heaven. I can't say for certain there are Western analogues and I would like a better cultural understanding the significance and symbolism. Understanding is not only in what's parallel at first glance and sometimes seeking the familiar carries with it the risk for over-simplification. The Chinese calendar, whose years are reckoned from the reign of the legendary Yellow Emperor, cycle through more than just a mythological menagerie and the ruling animal is also paired an element, making for a sixty-year series. Asian astrology is more akin to Western Numerology and the animal year of one's birth only determines one’s outward projection, while inner perceptions are flavoured by months, days--true animals, and even by hours, secret animals. On the most basic level, water dragon is "hidden dragon" and most have an optimistic outlook for the coming months. Another event coinciding with Chinese New Year is Croatia’s plebiscite for European Union membership. The Croatian island of Korčula, a thalassocracy in its own right, along with the Most Serene Republics of Venice and Genoa, claims Marco Polo among their native sons--sort of like the competing Belgian, German and French claims for Charlemagne. It was through the travels and writing of Marco Polo that Europeans were first exposed to the lands of the Orient, and his reconnaissance and engagement helped inspire the golden age of exploration. Although I guess no one knows when or where Polo was born but I do wonder what the secret animals of his hours said of his character and ambition and what the timing of this decision has in store for Croatia.