DannyB

Eco Future (?)

The crude oil carrier, Eco Future which has a 299999 t DWT capacity. It is sailing to Mongstad, Norway from Dongjiakou, China. The port of Dongjiakou is one of the 10th largest ports of the world. The website of the port authority flies the flag of the Chinese Communist Party. The hills of France coveredContinue reading “Eco Future (?)”

A Bracing Walk

Snow, ice, sub-zero temperatures, sea state rough, wind northeast 5 to 7, increasing gale 8 at times. It’s reasonable to say that this was a bracing walk. If only the government hadn’t given Serco £22 billion pounds for a track and trace system that doesn’t work, there might be some money to pay to gritContinue reading “A Bracing Walk”

Inland Border Facility

The small village of Guston is the location for an new Inland Border Facility. It will be a customs clearance facility for 1,200 lorries. Work has already started so it is unclear as to the purpose of the ‘community consultation’. Local people have stated they received little notice of these plans and that the projectContinue reading “Inland Border Facility”

Walking to Calais

The container ship Argolikos en route to Le Havre from Antwerp. Sailing west past the port and town of Calais. There are continual competitive power struggles between units of capital. And yet at the same time there exists cooperation at a global level., Telecommunications masts on the French coast. The internationalization of communications. Wind turbinesContinue reading “Walking to Calais”

Magleby Maersk

One of the largest container ships in the world, the Magleby Maersk, a Triple-E container ship. It has a crew of between 20 – 30. The navigation, control and maintenance of ships has changed from being labour intensive to capital intensive. In the process, ships have become bigger, faster and stronger than previously. It isContinue reading “Magleby Maersk”

Discordia at the Border

The expansion of capital must be continuous and uninterrupted. Commodities – including labour power – must constantly exchange. The ships below are organized to arrive at their destinations at precise times. There are penalties for missing time slots in ports. The lorries are stuck in border checks and controls. These delays impact directly on theContinue reading “Discordia at the Border”

…the Great Atlantis (that you call America)

Through a process of simultaneous events, mystified into the idea of ‘coincidence’, this arrived earlier – A Concrete Atlantis: US Industrial Building and European Modern Architecture by Reyner Banham. It is not really ‘about’ the working class of the USA. But without that class none of the grain elevators, car factories, print works and otherContinue reading “…the Great Atlantis (that you call America)”

Hamburg to Dakar

On the recommendation of a friend I’ve acquired Patrick Keiller’s book ‘London‘. It complements well the other two books I’m currently reading, Voltaire’s Letters on England and Reyner Banham’s Theory and Design in the First Machine Age. We learn that in ‘1735 the French authorities were so disturbed by Voltaire’s book ‘Letters on England’ (LettresContinue reading “Hamburg to Dakar”

I’m going back to New York City

…I do believe I’ve had enough (Bob Dylan, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues) Al Kharj (Hapag Lloyd) -container ship – on its way from Hamburg to New York City. CSCL Mercury (COSCO) – container ship – to Hamburg from Piraeus. Trans Emerald – oil/ chemical tanker – Antwerp to Barcelona

Infrastructure…

…and the art of procrastination, but one needs a daily walk. I spent some time on the fore shore in the rain waiting for the road to be clear of vehicles. It was rather zen-like space and time. And reminiscent of the sequence in Tarkovsky’s ‘Solaris’ of the long car journey which the cosmonaut BretonContinue reading “Infrastructure…”