The hills step off into whiteness.
People or stars
Regard me sadly, I disappoint them.
The train leaves a line of breath.
O slow
Horse the color of rust,
Hooves, dolorous bells -
All morning the
Morning has been blackening,
A flower left out.
My bones hold a stillness, the far
Fields melt my heart.
They threaten
To let me through to a heaven
Starless and fatherless, a dark water.
She killed herself because she knew
One cool thing about having a girlfriend fluent in German and that lived in Berlin for six months is that a large section of Berlin that is either unknown or inaccessible to tourists becomes accessible. Granted this freedom, one such place to visit is the old STASI headquarters in the former “East German” section of the city.
For your reference, the STASI Headquarters location is:
Normannenstrasse 22
10365 Berlin
Now part of a decaying medical complex, this is not an easy place to find. Of course, there are absolutely no signs and Eleonora had to talk to a lot of people before we were able to arrive at the correct location. A stern-looking woman was blocking the main entrance to STASI-land, but after E. slipped her a few euros, we were permitted inside.
Oh, and for those of you that don’t know… The STASI were the secret police and intelligence agency for the East German communist government.
The neighborhood of the STASI headquarters – Soviet-style architecture at its finest.
The entrance to STASI Headquarters at night.
The STASI agents were no fools. As the Berlin Wall was crashing down, a mob of thousands descended on the STASI headquarters to ransack it. STASI agents that had infiltrated the mob misdirected the masses to buildings of lesser importance in the headquarters complex and the mob vented their frustrations on these insignificant structures while leaving the crown jewels intact. So the most important offices – full of mission profiles, millions of files on citizens and cutting-edge technology for everything from surveillance to assassinations – were left untouched. STASI agents quickly removed the most sensitive files and technologies and threw the crumbs to the reunification government. There is a fair amount of debate as to what happened to the best material.
The relevance for us is that the pictures below show you exactly how the STASI complex appeared on the night the Berlin Wall came down. This, the most important section, was left untouched by the frenzied mobs. So, aside from being picked clean of files and technology by STASI and later reunification governments, the building and contents are exactly as they were.
The flag that greets you when you enter.
I thought the artwork adorning the walls of the STASI complex was quite interesting.
Particularly this image celebrating a church being blown up.
An office for STASI agents with a map of Germany on the wall and a television to monitor current events.
This was the office for the secretary of the uber-boss of STASI- Erich Mielke – who headed the former East Germany’s secret police for three decades from 1957 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
And this was the office for some of his supporting staff.
And this is the office and desk of the man in charge of it all.
I’d love to know what kind of stuff was in his safe.
The office was quite large.
And if for some reason Mielke’s office proved insuffcient, there were adjacent conference rooms available as well.
Meetings of great significance would take place in the main conference room pictured below.
This is the waiting area for the main conference room. I imagine a lot of people sweated in here before being summoned into the main conference chamber to answer for something.
If one were weary after a long night of planning assassinations or torturing people, one could retire to a comfortable bed in the offices instead of journeying home.
And if you were a guest of the STASI, you would spend your night here…
While exploring the complex, I kept my eyes open for anything overlooked, but with typical German efficiency, the STASI and later the reunification government had stripped everything sensitive from the premises. Still, it was a very interesting place to visit.
Had a long day at work and don’t feel like going out, but don’t feel like being bored? Megan’s Law provides a solution. With a computer and an internet connection, one can visit the following site administered by the state of California. If you don’t live in California, do not despair because your state will have one as well. Just do a Google search for it…
Seriously, this is solid entertainment. They have interactive maps, pictures, profiles of the perverts and a list of their crimes… What’s funny is that most of them look exactly as you would expect a child molester to look.
Type in your address and look at your neighbors in a whole new way!
Using a different search tool, I found two guys that I went to high school with. Creepy, huh? (No, we weren’t friends. They were weird even back then)…
Posted in Miscellaneous
U.S. Electronic Intercept of KAL 007 shootdown in progress
The following is the actual shootdown transmissions from the Sukhoi-15 as intercepted by the U.S. (NSA), in combination with the commands from Soviet Combat Air Control handed over by the Russian Federation.
Osipovich: (18:22:02) The target is decreasing speed.
Osipovich: (18:22:17) I am going around it. I’m already moving in front of the target.
Titovnin: Increase speed, 805 [call sign of Osipovich’s Sukhoi].
Osipovich: (18:22:23) I have increased speed.
Titovnin: Has the target increased speed, yes?
Osipovich: (18:22:29) No, it is decreasing speed.
Titovnin: 805, open fire on target.
Osipovich: (18:22:42) It should have been earlier. How can I chase it? I’m already abeam of the target.
Titovnin: Roger, if possible, take up a position for attack.
Osipovich: (18:22:55) Now I have to fall back a bit from the target.
Gen. Kornukov: Oh, fuck how long does it take him to get into attack position, he is already getting out into neutral waters. Engage afterburner immediately. Bring in the MiG 23 as well… While you are wasting time it will fly right out.
Titovnin: 805, try to destroy the target with cannons.
Osipovich: (18:22:37) I am dropping back. Now I will try a rocket.
Titovnin: Roger.
MiG 23 (163): (18:23:49) Twelve kilometers to the target. I see both [the Soviet interceptor piloted by Osipovich and KAL 007].
Titovnin: 805, approach target and destroy target.
Osipovich: (18:24:22) Roger, I am in lock-on.
Titovnin: 805, are you closing on the target?
Osipovich: (18:25:11) I am closing on the target, am in lock-on. Distance to target is eight kilometers.
Titovnin: Afterburner.
Titovnin: AFTERBURNER, 805!
Osipovich: (18:25:16) I have already switched it on.
Titovnin: Launch!
Osipovich: (18:26:20) I have executed the launch.
Osipovich: (18:26:22) The target is destroyed.
Titovnin: Break off attack to the right, heading 360.
Osipovich: (18:26:27) I am breaking off attack.
Flight Data Recording
F/D = Flight Deck
PA = Public Announcement
HF = High Frequency (radio)
CAM-1 = First Officer
CAM-2 = 3rd crewmember and PA
CAM-3 = Cockpit Area Mike
CAM-4 = Captain
26.18 18.20:28 TOKYO HF CAM-1,2,3,4 TOKYO ROGER.
27.38 18.21:48 F/D CAM-3 [ Sound: altitude alert ]
28.45 18.22:55 F/D CAM-4 [ Keyed microphone ]
28.46 18.22:56 007 HF 1 CAM-1,2,3,4 TOKYO RADIO KOREAN AIR ZERO ZERO SEVEN REACHING LEVEL THREE FIVE ZERO.
28.50 18.23:00 TOKYO HF CAM-1,2,3,4 KOREAN AIR ZERO ZERO SEVEN TOKYO ROGER.
31.45 18.25:55 DYNASTY 312 HF CAM-4 TOKYO RADIO, DYNASTY THREE ONE TWO ON FIVE SIX.
31.50 18.26:00 TOKYO HF CAM-4 DYNASTY THREE ONE TWO TOKYO.
31.52 18.26:02 CAM-3 [ Sound of explosion from Soviet missile strike?]
31.53 18.26:03 DYNASTY 312 HF CAM-4 Dynasty three one two position Payon one eight two five level three three zero estimate Shemya one nine three five remainder … remaining one two six decimal zero minus five zero … one zero diagonal four zero go ahead.
31.56 18.26:06 F/D CAM-3 What’s happened?
31.58 18.26:08 F/D CAM-3 What?
32.00 18.26:10 F/D CAM-3 Retard throttles.
32.01 18.26:11 F/D CAM-3 Engines normal, sir.
32.04 18.26:14 F/D CAM-3 Landing gear.
32.05 18.26:15 F/D CAM-3 [ Sound: cabin altitude warning ]
32.07 18.26:17 F/D CAM-3 Landing gear [ Noise of possible selection ]
32.08 18.26:18 F/D CAM-3 [ Sound: altitude deviation warning ]
32.11 18.26:21 F/D CAM-3 [ Sound: autopilot disconnect warning ]
32.12 18.26:22 F/D CAM-3 Altitude is going up.
32.13 18.26:23 F/D CAM-3 [ Sound: cabin call ]
32.14 18.26:24 F/D CAM-3 Altitude is going up.
32.15 18.26:25 F/D CAM-3 Speed brake is coming out.
32.16 18.26:26 F/D CAM-3 What? What?
32.17 18.26:27 F/D CAM-4 (unreadable)
32.19 18.26:29 F/D CAM-3 CHECK it out.
32.20 18.26:30 F/D CAM-2,3 [ Sound: PA chime for automatic cabin announcement ]
32.20 18.26:30 TOKYO HF CAM-4 DYNASTY THREE ONE TWO … CONTACT ANCHORAGE.
32.23 18.26:33 F/D CAM-3 [Sound: cabin call]
32.23 18.26:33 F/D CAM-3 I am not able to drop altitude now unable.
32.24 18.26:34 PA CAM-2 Attention emergency descent.
32.25 18.26:35 DYNASTY 312 HF CAM-4 THANK YOU OUT
32.28 18.26:38 PA CAM-2 Attention emergency descent.
32.28 18.26:38 F/D CAM-3 Altitude is going up.
32.30 18.26:40 F/D CAM-3 This is not working. This is not working.
32.31 18.26:41 F/D CAM-3 Manually.
32.32 18.26:42 F/D CAM-3 Cannot do MANUALLY.
32.32 18.26:42 PA CAM-2 Attention emergency descent. {in Japanese}
32.33 18.26:43 F/D CAM-3 [ Sound: Autopilot disconnect warning ] Not working manually also.
32.35 18.26:45 F/D CAM-3 ENGINES are normal Sir.
32.36 18.26:46 PA CAM-2 Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
32.38 18.26:48 F/D CAM-3 … (unreadable)
32.39 18.26:49 PA CAM-2 PUT OUT YOUR CIGARETTE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY DESCENT
32.40 18.26:50 F/D CAM-3 Is it POWER COMPRESSION?
32.41 18.26:51 F/D CAM-3 Is that right?
32.42 18.26:52 PA CAM-2,3 Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent. {in Japanese}
32.42 18.26:52 F/D CAM-3 … all of both … *
32.44 18.26:54 F/D C CAM-3 Is that right?
32.45 18.26:55 PA CAM-2 Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
32.47 18.26:57 007 HF 1 F/D CAM-1,3,4 TOKYO RADIO KOREAN AIR ZERO ZERO SEVEN.
32.51 18.27:01 PA CAM-2 PUT THE MASK OVER YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH AND ADJUST THE HEADBAND.
32.52 18.27:02 TOKYO HF CAM-1,3,4 TOKYO RADIO KOREAN AIR ZERO ZERO SEVEN.
32.54 18.27:04 007 HF 1 FO CAM-1,3,4 ROGER KOREAN AIR ZERO ZERO SEVEN … (unreadable) AH WE (ARE EXPERIENCING) …
32.58 18.27:08 PA CAM-2 Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband. {in Japanese}
32.59 18.27:09 F/D C CAM-3 ALL COMPRESSION.
33.00 18.27:10 007 HF 1 FO CAM-1 RAPID DECOMPRESSION DESCEND TO ONE ZERO THOUSAND.
33.05 18.27:15 PA CAM-2 Attention emergency descend.
33.09 18.27:19 PA CAM-2 ATTENTION EMERGENCY DESCEND.
33.10 18.27:20 F/D CAM-3 Now … * … we have to set this.
33.11 18.27:21 TOKYO HF CAM-1,3,4 KOREAN AIR ZERO ZERO SEVEN unreadable unreadable RADIO CHECK ON ONE ZERO ZERO FOUR EIGHT.
33.13 18.27:23 PA CAM-2 Attention emergency descent {in Japanese}.
33.13 18.27:23 F/D CAM-3 Speed.
33.16 18.27:26 CAM-3 Stand by Stand by Stand by Stand by set.
33.17 18.27:27 PA CAM-2 Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent.
33.20 18.27:30 PA F/D CAM-2 PUT OUT YOUR CIGARETTE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY DESCENT.
33.23 18.27:33 PA CAM-2 Put out your cigarette. This is an emergency descent. {in Japanese}
33.28 18.27:38 PA CAM-2 Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust the headband.
33.33 18.27:43 PA CAM-2 Put the mask over your nose and mouth and adjust …
33.36 18.27:46 – END OF RECORDING
We’ve been talking a lot about the Bretton Woods System in my classes this week… 730 delegates from 44 Allied nations gathered in New Hampshire in July 1944 to chart the future course of the world monetary system.
Consider the context: US, British & Canadian troops had just landed in France. Germany was bleeding on the Russian Front. The Japanese Empire was dying in the Pacific. Everyone knew that there was difficult fighting ahead, but everyone also knew that the Axis was going to be defeated, and the Allied nations would win the war.
Now, there are, of course, reports and summaries of what people said on the record. But what did the US delegates REALLY say at Bretton Woods? Just imagine…
“OK, everyone. Nice to see you all. Hey, did you see the invasion force at Normandy last month? Can you do that? No? Oh. Well, we did that. And we can do it again.”
“How about that industrial base back home, eh? Those Rosie the Riveter girls sure can knock out the old landing craft. How’s your industrial base? Oh. Well, that’s OK.”
“And it’s a good thing we had all those bombers in the 8th Air Force in England, huh? Yep. Those bombers just turn the sky black, don’t they? And how about that steel rain when the bombs come whistling down? You want area bombing? We have area bombing. On a good day, we can do precision bombing too. Can you do precision bombing? No? Oh.”
“And we have 200 submarines in the Pacific. Do you have 200 submarines? No? Oh, gee.”
“Overall, we have a 2,000 ship navy, with over 100 aircraft carriers. Do you have a 2,000-ship navy, with over 100 aircraft carriers? No? Oh. That’s OK. Not everyone can have a 2,000-ship navy. Or 100 aircraft carriers.”
“And have you heard about the B-29? It’s an intercontinental bomber. Yep. Takes off from the U.S., and bombs another continent. We’re going to build a lot of those B-29s. Do you have B-29s? No? Oh.”
“And I can’t get into details, but the U.S. has this really big program to develop the next generation of weapons. It’s all classified, so I can’t talk about it. But we have all the best physicists and chemists and mathematicians working on it. Really, there are so many brilliant minds working on it that you just can’t find a decent physicist or chemist or mathematician any more. Do you have one of those programs? No? Oh.”
“And how about all that gold in the U.S. government vaults? Back in 1933, President Roosevelt collected all the gold from every person in the United States. All of it. The whole national treasure. It’s all under our control now. The Supreme Court said it was OK, so it’s even legal. Now we have just thousands of tons of gold. Do you have thousands of tons of gold? No? Oh.”
“OK everyone, let’s get down to work. I propose that we make the U.S. dollar the world’s reserve currency. Any questions? No? Oh.”
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am not accustomed to defeat. Nor am I comfortable with it when that rare occurrence does take place.
Nevertheless, I did experience the bitter taste of defeat earlier this year when attempting to summit Chimney Rock with Molly.
Chimney Rock is a huge volcanic cone that is 12 feet in diameter at its base and then rises nearly straight up for 25 feet. There are great views from the top making it well worth the trip. Yet because the route to the trailhead is so complicated, few either know of Chimney Rock or get around to making the trip.
This is the road you turn off on from Highway 49 to reach Chimney Rock. It is just before or just past Downieville, depending on which direction you are coming from.
The road is pretty good all the way to the trailhead, but don’t bother coming until summer or you’ll be turned back by snow on the ridges (as Molly and I discovered).
This operation was quite a ways in (really in the middle of nowhere) and I was very curious what it was all about.
There are good views to be had from the ridgetops.
Fire Lookout Tower.
More views from the drive in.
This is where you park – among the more attractive parking lots I have seen.
This is the trailhead with Jimmy Ames in the foreground.
There are some more great views along the trail and the trail itself starts to get interesting.
To get to Chimney Rock, take the trail to the left indicating 3 miles to Empire Creek Trail.
This is me starting down the fork in the trail.
And as you can see, the trail gets more interesting still.
Now, this isn’t Chimney Rock. It’s a little before Chimney Rock, but don’t be put off that it is not Chimney Rock. It is still awesome.
And, of course, you need to climb to the top.
But, I would come back for that. Darkness was approaching rapidly and I had to make it to Chimney Rock.
This is the view back toward the awesome formation featured above.
And this is the view forward toward Chimney Rock.
And here is the first view of Chimney Rock.
These pallets were near the base of Chimney Rock. I have no idea what they were there for, but I’m impressed as hell that someone hauled them all of the way in because that is not an easy hike.
A view on the other side of Chimney Rock where a similar formation can be found.
And, of course, the views around Chimney Rock.
But now back to the awesome formation mentioned above – On the way up, I scrambled up the rock slide area, but this is a situation where you take two steps forward and slide 1.9999999 steps back. So, you might find it more expedient to just go straight up the cliff face.
Anyway, this is the view from the top. Pretty cool.
I found the back side to be surprisingly steep.
This is the summit.
To save time and because I like rock climbing, I just went straight down the cliff face on the way back. It ended up being even easier than I expected. So, as suggested above, you might want to just go up and down this way.
The walk out in the gathering darkness made for some cool pictures.
And the darkness on the way out made for some fun driving, although I don’t think Jimmy liked it as much as I did.
Pakistanis are famous for decorating their vehicles. The transport trucks, used to ferry goods primarily between Pakistan and Afghanistan are particularly extravagant. As we were stuck in Peshawar due to the fighting in the Khyber Pass, a visit to industrial Peshawar to see these trucks being constructed seemed a solid idea.
Below is an example of a completed transport truck.
The truckyards are down this muddy track.
This is what the trucks look like when they first arrive in Pakistan – a rusted out shell cast off from America or Europe.
The trucks are literally rebuilt from the ground up.
For example: The steel frame supporting the back of the truck is ripped out and replaced with wood. Steel soon develops fractures on the rough Afghan and Pakistani roads, so wood is used instead and proves far more durable.
After the structure and supports are in place, comes the important part… Decorating the truck.
These guys are cutting out patterns to be used on the truck design.
Although trucks are the focus here, they are not the only vehicles receiving the full treatment.
Even motorcycles get decorated.
The painting and decoration is all done freehand – no decals or outlines.
The artisans pass on their skills to their children and so you see generations at work in the truckworks.
This guy was bringing in needed raw materials from another neighborhood.
As this was Pakistan, they let us drive a truck around. The truck was not easy to drive, but it was a lot of fun.
Posted in Art, Pakistan, Travel
Tagged Justin Ames, Pakistan, Peshawar, Tourism in Pakistan
Is This Your Life?
Common American Man, this is how your life will unfold. You will start with dreams, big dreams. You will believe you are ordained for exceptionalism. You will reluctantly abandon your dreams as the years pass and reality inexorably descends upon you like a choking shroud of grit. That reality looks like this –
You will get older, uglier, and fatter with each year. Soon you will notice young women no longer take your flirtations seriously. Your sloth and social detachment will worsen until people don’t even bother to be polite around you. You will gradually lower your standards in what you want in a girl until desperation pushes you to marry a dumpy oinker well past her prime. You will rut with her once a week, then once a month, then holidays only. You will relieve yourself drearily masturbating in the middle of the night by the cold flickering light of your computer monitor while that bloated seacow who doesn’t give a shit for your desires snores in the bed you can no longer get a good night’s sleep in. Your one shred of solace will come from knowing your depreciating asset (AKA wife) will have as few options as you do virtually guaranteeing lifelong fidelity. Eventually you will have a couple of ungrateful snotty kids and your free time and discretionary cash will be completely obliterated. You will squander whatever morsels of opportunity come your way as you settle into an achingly dull job paying the median wage dutifully punching the clock as a faceless cog in the corporate machine greasing the soul-soaked gears of the global marketplace with your bitter bloody tears. You will silently mourn your impotent, shriveled manhood as the established order extracts the last penny of tribute from your broken spirit. You will numb the pain with alcohol, untold hours vegging in front of the TV, and leveling your character in World of Warcraft. Hours, days, months, years will slip away. Then, one lonely quiet cloudy day sitting in your well-worn easy chair, you’ll contemplate the arc of your life. And you’ll feel the gnawing grip of emptiness as the crushing weight of what a barren nothingness your existence proved to be presses down on you. Barely comprehending, you’ll shudder. And then, finally, the Grim Reaper will steal your last breath and you will disappear from the world as if you had never been here and when they bury you no one will really notice and no one will really care because in your whole life you never never never, not even once, stepped off the hamster wheel and did anything courageous or interesting or different.
And it will be too late when you realize that the chains clasped to your ankles and wrists were unlocked all along and you were always free to go.
~Fin~
This was my costume for Halloween this year. I didn’t intend to look like “Frank” in Donnie Darko when I started out. It just turned out that way, but I was quite pleased with the results. And chicks loved it. I got compliments everywhere we went.
My Halloween started on Thursday with the girls of my flat…
We went to La Favela which is a club across the street from us. Every so often an alarm would sound and you were supposed to trade a part of your costume with the person next to you. I ended up with some interesting items. And Ceris really went for it that night, making me quite proud of her.
But, it was Friday I was really looking forward to – with Alice in Wonderland being no small part of that.
Part of the crew getting ready to go out exploring: Ceris bitched out by saying she was too hungover from the night before. I really took the piss out of her for that one, but the reality of the situation is that she earned a night off given her performance on Thursday. Of course, I would never tell her that.
Alice and The White Rabbit
More costumes and characters from our group that night:
There’s something hot about this… A scene of vampire chicks with lesbian undertones.
Absinthe was illegal in the United States until very recently. As such, I had never tried it before. Here I am correcting that situation.
And here I am reacting to my first absinthe experience. It’s awful. Almost as awful as Drambuie. Not quite, but almost. In my defense, the girls told me later that I had been given the strongest and most vile form of absinthe in existence which made me feel slightly better. Apparently, even though it is technically legal in the United Kingdom, there is a limit to how much one can be served.
With differing priorities, our group started to splinter as the night progressed. I ended up at the Hoxton Pony with my Italian translator where, coincidentally, the theme of the night was Alice In Blood Stained Stockings. So, we were a popular couple with the club photographers.
And this is the best Halloween “treat” I’ve ever ended the night with. My normal Halloween experience as a child was to go to bed doubled over as waves of candy-binge-induced nausea swept through me. I can definitely say that I prefer the adult version of Halloween.
