The least we can do

This is not going to be just another philanthropy article, ecology is a secondary issue by far...this is my view point after a good few days of endless reading at the news about Lebanon.

So what is going on there? Is it an ongoing situation that will never end and we can't do anything about?

Is it a newly aggravated situation blending with past?
Out of the blue?
Maybe a good reason for disproportionate revenge?

Let's try and define it. People are being killed in both sides. Some are defending and some attacking. A child would be able to define it as a war. This is a war. And in every war there is a victim and a victimiser. Like in human relationships, it is never one mans fault or wrong doing. They both have a responsibility. The way I see it in its simplest form. It is like the wife forgotten to cook lunch once again and the infuriated husband is beating her till she bleeds to death! Therefore in my eyes this is clearly disproportionate and inhumane. No healthy humane human being would go that far. No animal would go that far to its race.

Ok. One might ask how serious is this now?- I read at the BBC website, that this immediate response from a great number of Prime Ministers in the world, is dictating how serious this is or can be. Yet, I really wonder why they are still contemplating on the issue, when they simply need to place buffer in between the fighting sides. Are they afraid to put soldiers in case they might die of the ruthless Israeli attacks? No, a soldier is like a pawn in a chessboard, dispensable hence. Then, why do they not make the next move?!

Today I was reading an Irish Newspaper. I am sorry I don't remember its title; I was subdued into the text. So this article was saying that poor ambulance drivers are trying to make a joke of the situation to keep their sanity. I was astonished to read this Lebanese man saying that anyone who things that this is exaggeration, might as well take a look at one of the 5 hit ambulanced so far. I was goose pimpled when I read that these drivers are everyday Lebanese people, students, plumbers who are not getting paid a penny to risk their lives in hope of saving others. Brotherhood...above religion, nationality, money.

Another day I heard that a Norwegian newspaper had comic cartoon of an Israeli-Nazi, shooting Lebanese people for fun. Who said that violence is not hereditary? However, this journalist who took the high risk of making this joke is facing the court soon. This is the freedom of speech and democracy in 2006 ladies and gentleman! Tell me that his joke has yet to cross your mind?

I had a friend who was in Lebanon since the beginning of the month. I met some wonderful Greek-Lebanese once. I wish them all the best. I have seen enough appalling pictures, have read a good number of hypothetical and political articles and reportaz photos. Again, this as every time I wonder, why I sit back writing this essay contemplating about the situation and depicting my emotions with regards to the situation, when I could be there and help out as much as possible? I feel little then. And little as I am, I am afraid that this is not a good sign. Another traumatised generation. Violence gives birth to more violence and fanaticism birth to more fanaticism. "Ενός κακού, μύρρια έπονται"
Neither for Europe, America, Russia... Christians, Muslims, Hebrews, Buddhists. We, the world are responsible for our passivity and we must bear this for future reference.

I really wonder what do everyday Israeli people are thinking about their governments’ retaliation war plan. If there is anybody out there who would like to share his opinion and reply to my innocent query, I would be glad to read, honestly.

All in all, I think that it doesn't feel comfortable for anybody to think that while your are dinning out, going to the cinema, sipping your drink or swimming in the sea carefree; somewhere in the back little drawer of your mind you have in mind that there are innocent, everyday people like you and me who are in danger. The feeling of it doesn't make me comfortable enjoying my day in full, I tell you.

Ok then, lets give some money and let's be done with the slightest guilt’s. I sent an email to any possible person I know who has an email. Some might not even consider that this might work. But either it works or not, 5 minutes of your time to sign the petition and click the link to verify your email address is not worth money... and it is not to wash away the guilt’s ( only) but to give a bit of hope for all of us on this little planet we call earth.

Adobe Lightroom Beta Version

This is an interesting new editing software, from a very interesting company called Adobe.
I came across it while looking for some new Photoshop techniques and I started exploring Adobes new idea! This software is advertised from photographers to photographers and more likely they are referring to the professional photographer who has a big volume of work, but wants snapy and professional results. Another cool feature of Adobe Lightroom is that it will make Raw files (or Digital Negatives) a pure little game to play and just as easy to edit like the famous jpeg files!

But while I was reading all that, thinking that this would be a dangerous area to step into, since I am not a pro in photography, I realized that this would help do the normal editing stuff into Lightroom, leaving Photoshop CS2 and Adobe Bridge for the hard ones! So, yes why not try out? After all this is a free beta version and it is even interactive through its forums. If you have an idea or you don't like something, you might as well express your opinion to Adobe.

Now, one of the reasons I decided to post about it is because I want to suggest it to my friends who might be a bit into digital photography, or others who would not be able to download Photoshop or simply because they cannot be bothered to do so. However, I would only recommend it to the brave ones, since it is always risky to install a beta software. Even if it is signed by a giant company as Adobe. There might be bugs and flaws. Note that the windows version was released after Macs and is still being improved to reach the latter...So all in all, try it if you can take the risk to experiment. Personally, I am going to search for some more info before I decide to register to install it.

Here is the link, where you can play the short, introductory video, get some initial or more thourough info about it etc. : http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom/

Last but not least, I would like to mention the name which has striked me great time...Light-room. Historically speaking, or even for the traditional photographer (if there is anyone out there...) The developing room for the analogue negatives, was dark and spooky, full of expensive and to some degree dangerous chemicals. Hence called Dark-room.

Nowadays, we have digital photos and digital software to process them, while sipping our coffee and having a cigarette. Out of the danger of the chemicals. The expensiveness of films and printing them. Nowadays we have the so-called digital darkroom. Or at least some say. But the work light room, is more eluminating and bright and warmly white and safer. Light-room! Don't you find it a wee more optimistic? Brilliant idea, I say. So, I go a bit further with my idea to meet past and present, old and new and the way we Europeans perceive the world and our obsession with new...
Past=darkroom
Now=lightroom
____________
old= dark
new= light

Are we forgetting the past, scorning it or just brightening it up. And if so why? Do we need to brighten our "dark" past? Do we need to name or past as dark and our future as light?...Just a few thoughts to contemplate on, in order to arouse yours on the topic ;-)

Anyway, if you want to take the risk of the beta version and joing the light-room and leave the dark-room to the past, you can always use the link. If you don't, and prefer to dwell in the darkroom, you can always express your opinion here, instead of clicking the link!

enjoy

PS: This is now the 26th of July and it appears that this software is being seriously reviewed by other serious photography websites as well. As I was going through my Gmail RSS feeds today, I found out that another respectable photography review website, dpreview.com has another and more thorough preview of the new software and some more information; so I thought I should let you know.

And here, because it's beta version it is free, it is adobe and it is userfriendly. Hence, I am downloading it first thing tomorrow!!

14 August 2006,

The beta version is working well, no crashes. Yet again, I don't seem to be able to save photo edits. Note: This software will expire at some stage.

So here is the link for you: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0607/06071901adobelightroomwindows.asp

Sofia in Dublin

I have always suggested my cousin in Manchester visiting me over the weekend some time, but it was until the last moment before I decided to leave Dublin that she took the decision, picked up a good Ryanair offer and visited me over.

So I thought I should make it special for her and really give her a chance to see Dublin and its surroundings. But to do that you need a car, I believe. So, there goes Argus car rental and our 4 days holidays in Dublin begins!!

Because I must confess that I felt like a tourist as well...She even brought my little Canon EOS 350D camera over from UK, which by the way I may from now on call Iris (deriving from the Greek goddess). Our trip included:

• Dun Laoghaire
• Bray Co. Wicklow,
• Glen Da Logh
• Dublin 2 City Centre,
• Dundalk Party at Catrionas and Michaels
• Dublin 1 City Centre
• North Bull Island
• Howth

Equipped with a Fiat Punto latest version and Iris we managed to see the harbour, the beach, the lake, Grafton street, halfway through Belfast and have a nice Irish history discussion with my dear Irish friends, drink, play pool, play with the cat, go shopping at Roches stores and then guess what....The weather became sunnier so instead of going home we decided to stroll by the quays of the Liffey River and ended up at the docks on the way to Clontarf, so what best, off we go to Howth!!! But wait what is that little bridge after those traffic lights?

- I have been in this city for 3 bloody years and have not seen this little island because everybody said " oh this is the golf island..." Well yes ti's indeed, however it has one of the loveliest views overlooking Dublin city and it's coast, it is serene and small but! There is a huge beach of thin, white sand, just like thin sugar. The Dollymount beach. There is something dramatic about this isolated little North Bull Island, which I would rather let my photos depict, than having me talking about it. After all, it is all about the feeling that emerges or even overwhelms you, something in the air of this island which should preferably be left unsaid, but felt.Iris is an amazing camera, indeed its response is so quick, by the time you lift the camera to your eye level, you can practically take 3-4 photos! This way going out for a 10 minute walk in a park makes you feel that you may end up with a good bunch of 20-30 photos...Easily!!!
To my amaze I realized that since the lens of this camera is considerably wider (in diameter) to the one I use to have, it kind of compensates for the loss of zoom (prior 10x, now 5x) for the light entering through the lens is so much more, making brighter and crisper images. A good example that made me realize this was when we visited my favourite Bistro bar inside a former Catholic church, opposite of Jervis Centre, for a snack with Sofia. I turned back to shoot the organ, just as I did with my Kodak few months ago, from the very same table we were sitting with Maria and Vaggelis, taking photos of the place like crazy Japanese tourists.

Well, mind you but this lens gave me a better image of the church organ with much less effort! ...Ok you might say it was day light Calliope, come on! But, even then I will say that this camera has a 1600 ISO, giving me a great chance to explore night photography.

Thinking about it now, I forget when was the last time that we saw each other with Sofia, I kind of loose it back in time...Enough to realize and explain my difficulty identifying my cousin at the airport! The years have changed us, beautified us, hardened us, our future agonies, I believe remain the same. And sharing our feelings and thoughts...Finding again our similarities and our differences as personalities.

For me I would call it the re-shaping a relationship. Take some old dry clay mix it up with some fresh one and some "water", put your "hands" carefully there and there you have a new pot!

This weeks wallpaper by National Geographic

Tenere desert, Niger, 1997

I have always been fascinated by the mysteries on earth, and here is a good example! An additional reason why I have decided to add this picture on my desktop is also because I loved the summery colours of it..

And here is the description of the photo:

Stark circle of rock measuring about 60 feet [18 meters] in diameter likes in the T?n?r? desert, desert below the massif of Adrar Madet in Niger. Roughly a mile away in each of the four cardinal directions, similarly crafted arrows point away from the circle, whose origin, purpose, and age remain a puzzle."

(Text and photograph from "Journey to the Heart of the Sahara," March 1999, National Geographic magazine)

Of course this is taken by National Geographic as it I received it in a newsletter. You can add it as a wallpaper to you own desktop simply by click the link above and either save it directly as a wallpaper or simply add it into you National Geographic image gallery pictures... have a splending and creative week.
_____________________________
PS: and for the Greeks boiling in 35 Celcius, I wish you manage to get at the nearest beach this weekend lads and lassies!!

For us up here, where we will be joining the scorching hot sun and the beaches and the sand the big blue of the sky after the beginning of August.

Yesh, yesh I can officially announce that I will be in Thessaloniki by August and for the whole of the month at least...preparing for holidays and open to any island suggestions you might have there for me.

For my dear Irish and other international good friends, you know that you are more than welcome to join the fun!!