Or, more signals from the Society of the Spectacle. I’ve been reading ‘Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental Life in the Russian Revolution’ by Richard Stites. This lead me once again to Boris Kagarlitsky’s The Thinking Reed. I thought I’d lost the book. There are fond memories of the time and place in which itContinue reading “Adventures in capitalism, April 22”
Author Archives: DannyB
Bremenhaven to New York City
The Sealand Illinois, container ship, Bremenhaven to New York City. Or rather, to Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal. The main port for containers arriving and leaving the New York metropolitan area. It handles around 20 percent of all goods imported from Germany into the United States. It will take the Sealand Illinois eight days to crossContinue reading “Bremenhaven to New York City”
Infrastructure
These were taken a few days ago during a day of fine weather. The sea always suggests travel and adventure.
Spring light, and Varne lightvessel
The light was fantastic; like lucid dreaming. It was so clear the Varne LV (light vessel) could be seen. Samskip Endeavor – container ship – Rotterdam Waalhaven – Dublin. ….and the Varne LV (lightvessel). Varne LV warns shipping of the Varne bank – which is right in the middle of the busiest shipping lanes inContinue reading “Spring light, and Varne lightvessel”
To the Finland Station
I would love to visit Russia. Take the train from Helsinki to the Finland Station, St Petersburg. Spend days dreaming in the Hermitage and the museums of the Revolution. Edmund Wilson’s book To the Finland Station remains a favourite book. And then to Moscow, reading Gorky and Pushkin, Trotsky and Kropotkin. From there to theContinue reading “To the Finland Station”
Canterbury Cathedral
The cathedral itself is currently closed, but the precincts and the cloisters are open. There was hardly anyone else around. I sat for a long time, within the stone, alone. It was fantastic. It will take many visits and a great deal of study to properly work out the political, social and architectural history. TodayContinue reading “Canterbury Cathedral”
‘Let us now transport ourselves…
…from Robinson’s island, bathed in light, to medieval Europe, shrouded in darkness. Here, instead of the independent man, we find everyone dependent – serfs and lords, vassals and suzerains, laymen and clerics. Personal dependence characterizes the social relations of material production as much as it does the other spheres of life based on that production.Continue reading “‘Let us now transport ourselves…”
Monkey on a Goat Carrying a Hare
The church of St Nicholas Barfrestone was built around 1180 – roughly the same time as Dover Castle. It seems to have been commissioned by Adam de Port, a Norman baron who lived in the castle itself. It could be that he was hoping to make money (and influence) from pilgrims traveling to Canterbury. ButContinue reading “Monkey on a Goat Carrying a Hare”
General Cargo
Although it’s a bank holiday there are still a lot of people working. Global shipping doesn’t stop for anything (blocked canals being the exception). Certainly not festivals and holidays. The first ship is the Reimerswaal, a hopper-dredger, last port Northfleet, destination unknown. The other ship in the channel is the Autopride, vehicle carrier, en routeContinue reading “General Cargo”
Commodity Fetishism 