Photographs I Never Took

All of these pictures were taken with my Canon between 1st - 5th Sept 2015 in 

POTOS THASSOS - GREECE

I didn't take a photograph of the statue of Robert Burns.
His sightless eyes were looking out over Dunedin,
the most Scottish town in the southern hemisphere,
and there was a seagull, not a pigeon, standing on his head.
I would have called it 'Robbie Burns and Friend.'

And I didn't take a picture of the bus shelter
painted all over with jungle foliage and a tiger
peeping out over the simulated signature of Henri Rousseau.
The title would have been 'This Bus Shelter is a Forgery.'

Neither did I photograph another painted wall,
one round a cemetery full of ornate and sombre tombs,
with a large and skilfully executed advertisement -
Renta Sanitarios Mobiles (Hire Mobile Toilets) .
It would have been called 'Is there no Respect for the Dead? '

I didn't take the photo of a Fijian policeman.
A pity, for he had such a practical uniform,
very smart and cool,
in a tasteful shade of policeman-blue,
based on the traditional sulu
with a striking zigzag hem.
The title would have been 'A Policeman in a Skirt? ! '

I couldn't take a photograph of sunset over Popocatépetl
- although the sun was setting in a red and golden haze,
and the most romantically named mountain is just
what you imagine a perfect volcano should be,
even to the wisp of steam at the peak
– because the sun was actually setting over Ixtaccíhuatl
and 'Sunset over Ixtaccíhuatl' doesn't have quite the right ring
The shape of the mountain is not very picturesque either.
Yes, I would have called that one 'Sunset over Popocatépetl'
– if I could have taken it.

My camera wouldn't focus on the crescent moon
hanging over the Egyptian skyline,
horns pointing up, so close to the Equator,
and the evening star (Venus or some more ancient goddess)
just above and almost between the points.
If that one had worked it would have been called 'Islamic Moon.'

I couldn't possibly have taken a photograph
that would do any justice to the young piano student
in a Hungarian castle
hammering out Liszt as if the hounds of hell were after her,
but if I could, I would have had to call it 'Apassionata.'

And I didn't even have time to get my camera out
to take a picture of the wild humming bird
darting green and unconcerned
among dilapidated tenements in the heart of Mexico City.
But that living jewel shines bright in my memory,
even without a photo.
I don't know what I would have called that one,
and I'm sure it doesn't matter. 

Paul Hansford 

for Carmen

Charles Bukowski

“...there is a loneliness in this world so great
that you can see it in the slow movement of
the hands of a clock.

people so tired
mutilated
either by love or no love.

people just are not good to each other
one on one.

the rich are not good to the rich
the poor are not good to the poor.

we are afraid.

our educational system tells us
that we can all be
big-ass winners.

it hasn't told us
about the gutters
or the suicides.

or the terror of one person
aching in one place
alone

untouched
unspoken to

watering a plant.” 

― Charles Bukowski, Love is a Dog from Hell

Bas-relief with heroes

Nichita Stãnescu (1933 - 1983)

The young soldiers have taken their seats in the window,
exactly as found, shot in their foreheads -
to be seen, they were seated in the shop window,
true to their ultimate gestures,
profiles, arms, knees, their ultimate gestures,
as when they were shot, unawares, in their foreheads
or between their shoulder blades with that flame
finer than a child's finger pointing to the moon.

Behind them the barracks was empty,
smelling of leggings, crushed butts, a closed window.
The iron handles continue to rattle
on the small wooden suitcases filling the barracks,
as the moon's iron handles continue to rattle
now, before being opened to search for old letters,
old photos of time.

The young soldiers remain, polished with wax,
their faces and arms, so that they shine,
polished with wax so that thay shine, polished with wax
and seated exactly as they were at the moment
life broke and death swallowed the moment.
They stay so, fixed and shining forever,
and we regard them as we would the moon
rising in the middle of the square.

For us, who are now the same age as they,
though they have stayed long years in the window,
for us who have caught them and are passing them by,
and have beating hearts, and memory,
fresh memory, exceedingly fresh,
the young soldiers have taken their seats in the window
and mimic themselves, each to the other,
as though they were living.

From the book "Bas-Relief with Heroes"
english translation by Thomas Carlson and Vasile Poenaru.

To Paint The Portrait Of A Bird

First paint a cage
With an open door
Then paint
Something pretty
Something simple
Something beautiful
Something useful
For the bird
Then place the canvas against a tree
In a garden
In a wood
Or in a forest
Hide yourself behind the tree
Without speaking
Without moving...
Sometimes the bird will arrive soon
But it could also easily take many years
For it to decide
Wait
Wait if necessary for years
The rapidity or slowness of the arrival of the bird
Has no connection with the success of the painting
When the bird arrives
If it arrives
Observe the most profound silence
Wait until the bird enters the cage
And when it has entered
Gently close the door with the brush
Then
Erase one by one all of the bars
While being careful not to touch any of the feathers of the bird
Then make a portrait of the tree
Choosing the most beautiful of its branches
For the bird
Paint also the green foliage and the freshness of the wind
The dust of the sun
And the noise of the creatures of the grass in the heat of summer
And then wait for the bird to decide to sing
If the bird does not sing
It's a bad sign
A sign that the painting is no good
But if it does sing it's a good sign
A sign that you can sign.
Then you gently pull out
One of the feathers of the bird
And you sign your name in a corner of the painting.

To Paint The Portrait Of A Bird_ By Jacques Prévert 

Trans. Eugene Levich

Song At Sunset - Walt Whitman

SPLENDOR of ended day, floating and filling me!
Hour prophetic--hour resuming the past!
Inflating my throat--you, divine average!
You, Earth and Life, till the last ray gleams, I sing.

Open mouth of my Soul, uttering gladness,
Eyes of my Soul, seeing perfection,
Natural life of me, faithfully praising things;
Corroborating forever the triumph of things.

Illustrious every one!
Illustrious what we name space--sphere of unnumber'd spirits; 10
Illustrious the mystery of motion, in all beings, even the tiniest
insect;
Illustrious the attribute of speech--the senses--the body;
Illustrious the passing light! Illustrious the pale reflection on the
new moon in the western sky!
Illustrious whatever I see, or hear, or touch, to the last.

Good in all,
In the satisfaction and aplomb of animals,
In the annual return of the seasons,
In the hilarity of youth,
In the strength and flush of manhood,
In the grandeur and exquisiteness of old age, 20
In the superb vistas of Death.

Wonderful to depart;
Wonderful to be here!
The heart, to jet the all-alike and innocent blood!
To breathe the air, how delicious!
To speak! to walk! to seize something by the hand!
To prepare for sleep, for bed--to look on my rose-color'd flesh;
To be conscious of my body, so satisfied, so large;
To be this incredible God I am;
To have gone forth among other Gods--these men and women I love. 30

Wonderful how I celebrate you and myself!
How my thoughts play subtly at the spectacles around!
How the clouds pass silently overhead!
How the earth darts on and on! and how the sun, moon, stars, dart on
and on!
How the water sports and sings! (Surely it is alive!)
How the trees rise and stand up--with strong trunks--with branches
and leaves!
(Surely there is something more in each of the tree--some living
Soul.)

O amazement of things! even the least particle!
O spirituality of things!
O strain musical, flowing through ages and continents--now reaching
me and America! 40
I take your strong chords--I intersperse them, and cheerfully pass
them forward.

I too carol the sun, usher'd, or at noon, or, as now, setting,
I too throb to the brain and beauty of the earth, and of all the
growths of the earth,
I too have felt the resistless call of myself.

As I sail'd down the Mississippi,
As I wander'd over the prairies,
As I have lived--As I have look'd through my windows, my eyes,
As I went forth in the morning--As I beheld the light breaking in the
east;
As I bathed on the beach of the Eastern Sea, and again on the beach
of the Western Sea;
As I roam'd the streets of inland Chicago--whatever streets I have
roam'd; 50
Or cities, or silent woods, or peace, or even amid the sights of war;
Wherever I have been, I have charged myself with contentment and
triumph.

I sing the Equalities, modern or old,
I sing the endless finales of things;
I say Nature continues--Glory continues;
I praise with electric voice;
For I do not see one imperfection in the universe;
And I do not see one cause or result lamentable at last in the
universe.

O setting sun! though the time has come,
I still warble under you, if none else does, unmitigated
adoration. 60 

Song At Sunset - Poem by Walt Whitman

 http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/sunset/page-1/15665/

Assumption of Mary

The feast day of the Assumption of Mary celebrates the Christian belief that God assumed the Virgin Mary into Heaven following her death It is celebrated on or around August 15 in many countries, particularly in parts of Europe and South America. It's also called the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God (in the eastern countries), or the Feast of the Assumption. 

Assumption Day commemorates the belief that when Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, died, her body was not subjected to the usual process of physical decay but was “assumed” into heaven and reunited there with her soul. This holiday, which has been celebrated since the fourth century CE, is a Christianization of an earlier harvest festival and, in many parts of Europe, is known as the Feast of Our Lady of the Harvest.

For centuries celebrations were held in the honor of the goddess Isis of the Sea, who was born on this day according to mythology. With the coming of Christianity church leaders decided that the easiest way to handle this pagan ritual was to simply change it into a Christian holiday, hence the introduction of Assumption Day came forth.

Like the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption was not always an official dogma of the Roman Catholic Church – not until Pope Pius XII ruled it so in 1950. It is, however, a pious belief held by some Orthodox Christians and some Anglicans. It is regarded as the principal feast day of the Virgin Mother.

 sursa

On August 15, the Romanian Orthodox believers celebrate the Assumption of Virgin Mary, and Catholics, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 2010, this holiday became a national holiday.

According to the Bible, three days before she died, the mother of Jesus, Mary, who was considered a saint, had a dream wherein his son told her she would ascend to heaven. As with Jesus, three days after her death, the apostles who visited Mary’s tomb didn’t find her body, but only the shroud in which she was wrapped, a signed that she ascended to heaven.

On the same day, Romanians also celebrate Navy Day. A few thousand people are expected  to attend the celebratory events near the Constanta Casino embankment, Mediafax reports.

According to the Romanian Navy General Staff, Navy Day celebrations started with a host of cultural events organized by the Romanian Navy Museum August 9 – 15, among which the opening of a weapon exhibit, a triple book launch, and the Open Gates Day, Saturday, 9 am – 6 pm, and a chamber music orchestra.

The Navy Fanfare will perform a number of concerts on seaside holiday resorts – in front of the Mamaia Casino, in the Central Square of the Neptun resort, of the House of Culture in Mangalia, the Summer Theatre in Eforie, as well as a march in the Municipality of Constanta, Wednesday, 8-9 pm, along the route the “Oleg Danovski” National Opera and Ballet Theatre Park – Ovidiu Square – Fleet Command – Casino Embankment in Con­stanta. Concert performance will conclude with a string of artistic demonstrations Sunday, 7 pm to 8.30 pm, in front of the Fleet Command embankment  and in Ovidiu Square, Constanta.

The Naval Force garrisons will also organize event August 13-15 celebrating the Navy Day, including military and religious ceremonies, wreath-laying ceremonies at Navy monuments, demonstrative exercises, sailor games and shows.

sursa 

A Horse With No Name

America – A Horse With No Name Lyrics

On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound

I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

After nine days I let the horse run free
Cause the desert had turned to sea
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The ocean is a desert with it's life underground
And a perfect disguise above
Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

Songwriters: BUNNELL, DEWEY

A Horse With No Name lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

East European Comic Con

How it was
East European Comic Con started in the spring of 2013 with different activities and contests. Even at its first edition, EECC successfully gathered more than 9000 “geeks”. Moreover, it opened the door to some fruitful partnerships and friendships. For two days, fans could participate in a Cosplay contest, LOL Contest, Quiz Contest or Illustration contest, they could talk to artists and see a different side of their favorite actors. Victor Drujiniu – artist for DC Comics and Dark House, Remus Brezeanu – the artist of The End of Times of Bram&Ben, and Puiu Manu – one of the best Romanian comics artist, were some of the 22 artists present at EECC 2013.
As for the actors, John Rhys-Davies and Finn Jones were the ones who ‘opened’ Comic Con. John Rhys-Davies is known for the role of Gimli in Lord of The Rings, or Sallah in Indiana Jones. Finn Jones is known for playing Ser Loras Tyrell in the TV series Game of Thrones.
The second edition was hosted at Romexpo, a venue far larger than the 2013. Romexpo is dedicated to large exhibits, concerts and conventions. And it is the largest of its kind in Romania. The panels with the actors and artists were be hosted at the nearby Bucharest Pullman Hotel, in their New York Conference Room.
EECC’s 2014 guest list included Jason Momoa known for the role of Khal Drogo in HBO hit series Game of Thrones, Mark Sheppard known for the role of Crowley in Supernatural and Natalia Tena known for her roles in Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.source : http://comic-con.ro/info/about/

East European Comic Con

East European Comic Con started in the spring of 2013 with different activities and contests. Even at its first edition, EECC successfully gathered more than 9000 “geeks”. Moreover, it opened the door to some fruitful partnerships and friendships. For two days, fans could participate in a Cosplay contest, LOL Contest, Quiz Contest or Illustration contest, they could talk to artists and see a different side of their favorite actors. Victor Drujiniu – artist for DC Comics and Dark House, Remus Brezeanu – the artist of The End of Times of Bram&Ben, and Puiu Manu – one of the best Romanian comics artist, were some of the 22 artists present at EECC 2013.

http://comic-con.ro/ 

Farmec a obținut calitatea de Furnizor al Casei Regale a României

 farmec.ro

8 mai 2015 – Farmec, cel mai important producător român de cosmetice, a devenit

Furnizor al Casei Regale a României. Brevetul de Furnizor al Casei Regale a României a fost înmânat

directorului general Mircea Turdean de către Alteța Sa Regală Principesa Moștenitoare Margareta a

României în cadrul unei ceremonii desfășurate la Palatul Elisabeta. La ceremonie, alături de Alteța Sa

Regală, a luat parte Principele Radu.

Calitatea de Furnizor Oficial conferă companiei Farmec dreptul de a folosi însemnele Casei Regale și

mențiunea ”Furnizor al Casei Regale a României”, fiind un simbol al faptului că produsele Farmec sunt

utilizate și apreciate de către Casa Regală a României.

”Suntem onorați de statutul de Furnizor al Casei Regale a României, o adevărată recunoaștere a calității

produselor noastre și a valorii de simbol pe care Farmec o are pentru spiritul românesc. Suntem una

dintre cele mai longevive, performante și moderne companii din România, iar produsele noastre create

cu talent și iscusință românească sunt apreciate de milioane de consumatori din țară și din străinătate”,

a declarat Mircea Turdean, Director General Farmec.

Obținerea calității de Furnizor al Casei Regale a fost precedată de vizita Alteței Sale Regale Principesa

Moștenitoare Margareta a României, alături de Alteța Sa Imperială și Regală Arhiducesa Maria

Magdalena a Austriei, la fabrica de la Cluj Napoca.

Alături de o istorie de peste 125 de ani, Farmec este astăzi o companie 100% românească modernă și

performantă, cu o evoluție constantă de la an la an. Succesul companiei se datorează echipei de peste

600 de angajați, managementului performant, precum și inovațiilor permanente din laboratoarele

Farmec. Numai în ultimul an, Farmec a lansat pe piață game noi precum Gerovital H3 Derma +, Gerovital

H3 Men, Gerovital H3 Evolution Perfect Look, precum și Gerovital Happiness, gamă dedicată tinerilor.