Jonathan Meese: Let’s have art take over the world!

Meese has a controversial fame with his references to historical fascist regimes mostly including Nazi Germany by drawing symbols, icons or performing Nazi salute in his performances. Claiming art as a dictatorship, he says art should rule the world and dominate everything which means for him that everybody should do what he or she does with total passion.

Based in Berlin and Hamburg, Jonathan Meese is a German painter, sculptor, installation artist and performance artist. I met with his offbeat art after getting Eric Schaefer’s last album “Who is afraid of Richard W.?”. Along with the name of the album, the cover, a piece of art belonging to Meese caught my attention as much as the curiosity I had for the index. Then, a small research took me on the journey through his works. Getting too much chaotic sense as a first impression, I whimsically started to wonder about the idea behind this simplicity-chaos orientation. Not surprisingly, it’s turned out to be something quite interesting, maybe more than his works.

Born in 1970 in Japan and lived there until the age of 3, then Meese moved to Germany with his mother. He attended the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, but left the school before completing his studies and was picked up by Berlin gallery Contemporary Fine Arts. His most notable exhibitions are “Ahoi der Angst” at Berlin Biennale, “Spezialbilder” at Contemporary Fine Arts in Berlin, “Grotesk!” at Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt and “Schnitt bringt Schnitte” at Ausstellungsraum Schnitt in Köln. And recent exhibitions include Thanks, Wally Whyton at Stuart Shave/Modern Art, in London, and a performance at Tate Modern, entitled Noel Coward Is Back — Dr. Humpty Dumpty vs. Fra No-Finger. He has exhibited in countries including England, France, Germany and United States

Why he believes in the reign of art is quite intriguing. Looking for “a new wind”, he dreams for a world where people do not get instrumentalized. He explains this “new wind”, saying art is the totem of all need and passion is the key for it. For him, there is no rule, no talent, no ability and no ideology in art. There is no “your art and my art” thing, because art is neutral. He says art is formed by our instincts. We are doing arts just like a baby learning how to breathe after born. Everything is allowed in art; there is no border or segregation. From this point, stressing about the conflicts through human history, he claims art has an ability to fight against human ego providing neutrality; therefore art is the best ruling power and should be empowered.

Besides the well-known or widely misunderstanding image of him as being a fascist because of his regular usage of Nazi symbols such as swastika, I think there should be sought for more than a political reference but allusion behind a logic who says, “Images cannot be dispelled. If you want to be rid of certain images, you must give them the chance to fight themselves”, talking about Hitler. Pointing out the absurdity of human beings searching of a meaning or especially “pathos” in everything, he says people search meaning behind symbols. The more it’s afraid to be used in visually or rhetorically, the more it becomes a taboo, which endures in ordinary minds, being fed by the fear. He believes his actions are an example for making them neutral, only way to destroy them.

From a macro perspective, I do not have a ‘dirty art is good, dirty art is fun’ reflex, but any enthusiast can easily understand Meese is not trying to come up with dirtiness for fun, provocation or even deconstruction. Rather than, I get the impression of funny allegories the artist fights with them as well, coming up with an unabashedly artistic language which implicitly gives the viewer an idea of superiority of any creative mind. It is clearly to see Meese’s passion through his brush strokes and selection of colors, indeed. Seriously, I personally would even admire him, not because how he draws, but why he draws.

Any matter with passion can turn out to be an art. Art is passion. Passion is freedom. Freedom is superiority. Rhetorically, can you really be a fascist when it comes to art? I’ve never thought about this before. If art needs to rule the world, then why not Heil?
P.S. Who the hell is Richard Wagner anyway?

Nora Roberts “Divine evil” – an intimidating and bloody story

Gabrielė Gugytė

What is mysterious and scary often strangely attracts. If you are secretly interested in stories which cause shiver and are drenched with blood – “Divine evil” is just for you. It is not horror or fantasy story in which author seeks to intimidate you so that you can’t fall asleep. It is the story about people who are spiritually weak but seek to act like the almighty gods using horrible and cruel means. Satanism is the main axis of this novel.

Ritual

“In to the circle stepped two women with red coats. Their faces didn’t hide the hoods and those faces were pale white with brightly stained lips. Such as like vampires, who have already feasted. One was following the accurate instructions that was pre-given and threw off the cloak, stood up naked in front of dozen black candles light, later she lied down on the polished wooden platform.”

First sentences of the novel grip your attention and make you feel excited: what will be next? What is happening? Who are those people? What are they doing? When you are diving deeper to the story water, you can’t come out so easily. It is one of those stories which you just “eat” overnight. Reader just doesn’t put down the novel and waits further for more details and people’s names who live in the small and quiet Emitsbor town where everybody knows each other all their lives and, however, make horrific rituals. More specifically – Satanists’ ceremonies during which not only the animals are sacrificed but also humans. In which people lose their human senses and become animals craving for the brutal passions, power, blood and pain.

Nightmares

The main character is the young artist Klerr who leaves NY and comes to her hometown Emitsbor to find the answers. Constantly tortured by nightmares young woman feels that answers to the questions that don’t abandon her about her father’s death hide exactly in that little town where she grew up in loving family surrounded by the most pleasant neighbors.

Klerr constantly dreams the same nightmare in which thirteen figures with black capes stand in the middle of the circle, two women with red coats and same redness lips, owls in the night… Little Klerr watches how some kind of ceremonial begins and her little body shivers. What frightens the most is that she sees her loving daddy there, good hearted and clever man soaking hands in the blood… And after many years this girl will find out that she was not the only one to have seen that horrible ritual.

“But someone run away. Someone was sticking like a beast with a glint and little insane eyes. Someone watched and waited with a severely beating heart and with damned sweat streaming body. Someone with tear-stained face and vibrating body rocking back and forth, dirty imitating sex. Because it feels good, so good be the Master acts witness.“

All her life chased by those creepy images Klerr decides finally to bravely face her fears in the eye and accept that the most loved man – dad – dared to leave her. The novel rotates around many action scenes, portrays many characters, their experiences and life turns. Also – the main character’s love story, how could it be without it? In the last pages of the novel names and motives, most important story details are disclosed and, you can say, a happy ending. At least for now… Why do I say so? You are going to find out by yourself

Author

Nora Roberts – American writer, novelist. She started to write in the note book one of her stories in 1979 and in 1981 the first Nora’s book – “Irish Thoroughbred” was released. She is a member of several writers’ associations and has won numerous awards.

Die Antwoord: The Answer, The Question, The Riddle

Sarp Esin

Ubiquitous. Ridiculous. Ludicrous. These are some of the words that come to mind upon being exposed to Die Antwoord for the first time. It is no question, however, that they demand your attention: they effortlessly command it instead. The enigmatic South African duo instantly captures the focus of anyone giving them a glance, and should you like what you see, you’re in for it.

It is clear that Die Antwoord (Afrikaans for “The Answer”) is an oddity. They have been described as resonating “trance hip-hop” and “rave rap,” both definitions falling short but displaying their musical blend. Born from the ashes of a project that was an in-itself-strange-and-unusual take on rap music (Max Normal TV,) Die Antwoord consists of the mysterious, crude yet strangely articulate Ninja (Watkin Tudor Jones) and his constant companion Yo-Landi Vi$$er (Anri Du Toit.)

The duo is often accompanied by the occult-ish DJ Hi Tek, who seems to be played by a different actor in his every visual media appearance, and wears a buck-toothed mask in live performances. Mixing trance and rave with old and new-school hip hop and Afrikaans lyrics with English ones and with a firm grasp on lyricism itself, Die Antwoord channels a music that is a genre unto its own. Ninja and Yo-Landi’s lyrical styles are vibrant, their flow rich and varied, and you often find yourself listening to one or both spitting razor-sharp lyrics at incredible speeds without losing coherence.

However, Die Antwoord’s lyricism is what leads many to dismiss them as a crude joke. Tracks like “Enter the Ninja”, “Rich Bitch”, “Hey Sexy”, “Baby’s On Fire” are filled to the brim with ridiculous lines and almost beyond over-the-top indulgence in the excess. It’s when songs like “Fatty Boom Boom” appear that you get a glimpse at the truth: Die Antwoord isn’t three weirdos clowning around for the sake of it, and making a buck in the process. Theirs is not an art that’s limited to music: from the sets, costumes and production of their music videos to their live shows, their in-your-face image, to the things they say in interviews, it is a cohesive whole. Die Antwoord isn’t, in this context, a music duo: it’s a concept, an experience, a riddle and an answer.

“Zef” is at the heart of Die Antwoord, to the point where they themselves describe their music as “fresh Zef” (also stated in their monumental single, “Enter the Ninja.”) Zef is a philosophy that venerates the lower class and demands more attention to be paid to the content, rather than the context. Zef, as a term, describes a lower-class ‘class’, a punk-like approach to life. Zef means that money and/or being upper class is meaningless, because the same kind of lavish, or to abuse the term ‘posh’ is attainable no matter what your financial standing is. Ninja’s declarations, such as “you never seen Zef so fresh,” “locked in my Zef zone,” and similar express not only this, but expand on it to boast fuller credentials: if we go by our previous comparison, it’s like the Sex Pistols saying that they are, indeed, working-class punks. By no means does Die Antwoord boast a credential such as being “Zef heroes,” they simply take pride in being a part of it.

The question becomes, then, what does “Die Antwoord” mean? When asked this very question, Ninja revealed that it meant “The Answer.” The answer to what, one may ask, and Ninja’s reply, following a scoff, says it all: “Whatever, man.” Because Die Antwoord, while an answer, is at the same time a question. How to figure both out is easy, if Ninja’s words in a separate interview are anything to go by: “Some people think too much… other people get it.”
With the latest album, “Donker Mag” due to a February release, I believe we can expect an even more layered approach from Die Antwoord… but you never know with them.
Discography
(2010) $O$
(2012) Ten$ion
(2014) Donker Mag – upcoming

European Union is dead! Or the new beginning of lost illusions

Vilis Normanas

A well-known Friedrich Nietzsche’s phrase – God is dead! – should not fool us with its external simplicity: it does not hide the fact that somebody destroyed the fantasy of God or that religion has died. It should not be understood as the demise of the Catholic Church either. It rather expresses a more important idea: dead is the belief that God is still alive, that God is possible.

In other words, people started to doubt the basic axiom of religion: that you cannot experience God. Death of God was being experienced in the 19^th century through people’s disappointment and despair. God is alive when people hope (that is why Nietzsche thought that religion is the biggest evil), when they are not sure about their future, when there is no sense of God in the present except the projects of the future and there is no denial of God in the “experiencing the present”.

Paradoxically, the belief is possible only because of the unreal fantasy. The fantasy which cannot be checked, which was never fulfilled, and which is only possible in the future. To put it simply, any belief is the fantasy of something that did not happen yet and something that is not here. Every religion is utopia which is ruined when the last illusion that God will manifest itself is lost – and for the short period of time a vaccum appears, an open situation in which waits to be filled with a new ideology. Later this empty spot is filled with new hope , dead God is replaced with a new one and everything continues as before. Rethinking hope is the time when we are able to show our will to power.

This is why it is worth remembering the birth of Nazism, the end of Cold War, September 11^th and the economic crisis in 2008: these were the breaking points of our history which founded democracy, liberal capitalism and at the same time denied them and left them barely alive.In other words, while people’s disappointment did not reach the critical level even the dead God may be celebrated until it is rotten completely. History always repeats itself, in accordance with Karl Marx’s words, first of all, as a farce, later – as a tragedy. Usually, everybody does not believe in change until it actually happens and all the hopes are destroyed by reality and materialization of its realpolitik: every religion is doomed to fail and that is why you are most disappointed by the thing you believe in. Doxa ( a common belief or popular opinion) did not cause any world war, any serious argument. If everybody would just express their opinions, we would all live in heaven (therefore, there would be no need to seek the heaven after death). However, our reality is based on fanatics we often live in fanatic hell. The less we know, the more we believe. God does not have to believe in something because he knows everything: paradoxically, a human believes in the one who does not believe in anything. It means that humans believe in atheist God.

When it comes to the EU, its death would not be totally unexpected but the problem is different here: people who want the death of the EU cannot really tell what would take place instead of it. Will the EU be replaced by radical nationalism? Will we experience something similar to the Second World War? This uncertainty makes the judgment day of the system in crisis even farther; instead, the disappointment continues to increase. The longer you wait to get rid of the body, the more it stinks. Unemployment increases, the problems of the emigrants begin to threaten security; China is keen to dictate the rules of the game and shows clearly that she will not keep up with the EU’s caprices, Russia, ruled by madmen, is completely unpredictable and can impose economic sanctions anytime. It is obvious that the old continent which previously played the biggest role in slicing up the world has now itself become a little piece of cake and it impossible not to notice this. But how changes should begin? Can European states fight against the whole world without the EU? Vladimir Lenin who invited to “start from the beginning” did not have an idea that this revolutionary logic of the invite is perfectly suitable not only for revolution but also for the returning to the past. Every time before the death of the old God we need to stop and think what is waiting for us because farce does not take long to turn into tragedy. It is not difficult to destroy the EU because nobody believes in it anymore. It is a corpse which is not buried yet simply because of this awful truth – there is no better idea which could replace it, so it means that we are forced to smell the stink of the EU, so we don’t find ourselves in the sociopolitical chaos later. The lost illusions hit Europe really hard: it punished Europe for seeking economic gain, emigrants talk about their rights louder and louder, nationalism increases, the tension among states becomes obvious. And at the same time no one wants to be responsible for this.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall Europe waited for the democracy, capitalism, welfare and these objectives were fine; however, it could not be done with existing means. Now no one cares what Plato or Aristotle wrote about democracy: in pragmatic and boring nowadays world every problem is seen as a little malfunction which only proves the quality of the system. It is not usually asked what kind of quality is this. Critics who call themselves lefties stupidly argue that capitalism is systemically bad. However, there is no systemic evil in capitalism (you should read Karl Marx more carefully). What is wrong with capitalism is this: when it reaches the ceiling of welfare, it begins to destroy itself and that is why humanitarian aid is needed. It does not help anyone but helps to create an illusion that rich understand and help the poor. The catastrophe of today is that there is no need to try to reach a bigger welfare because there is no time even to buy new smart phones every couple months, of course, if you have loads of money. If you have loads of money, the social welfare grows which supports the emigrants. But it leads directly to unemployment, immigration and soon it is realized that the situation is worse: the workers have to work more in order to support the non-working ones; emigrants openly make fun of states that provided them with home and security. Chaos only gets bigger. Free market gets unregulated – social welfare and humanitarian aid creates even more problems. It is not clear whether intentionally or not but intellectuals do not mention that the capitalism survives on one condition – it has to get bigger and bigger. Logic says that it does not matter how much profit a capitalist will make he will have to make his business even bigger because money loose value because of the politics of the banks.

It results in increasing job rates. More work needs to be done, competition grows, and after we reach the high level of civilization, we have a problem – how to sustain this high level and change the negative characteristics of the system? This question is essential because if we won’t change anything we will lose the good life and maybe even nationalists will take over to rule the country. We should not laugh at the EU – it was a naïve idea and it served this idea well. France, Germany and United Kingdom wanted more welfare and got it. Now they will have to pay for it. When the standards of living are high basically nothing happens in the everyday life.

In the recently published book “The Price of Inequality” Joseph Stiglitz points out that inequality grows proportionally the economic growth. America is ruled by a couple of rich families and even rich people’s neighborhoods are being build which are unreachable to the poor. Nowadays world has more poor people than ever in human history so there is no point to talk about the progress. Those who try to show their lives full of comfort have nothing else to brag about. This is the only way to be different.

It has nothing to do with a conspiracy: not people are so clever to adjust to the system which gets more complicated each day. That is where the longing for the USSR comes from – people long the times when everybody were equally idiots and no one had to work. The death of the EU marks the price we have to pay for our illusions. It also will cause changes in world politics. Finally, people will understand that all the ruling systems are not suitable. Words of Winston Churchill about democracy “Democracy is bad but it is the best we’ve got” could be changed a little bit like this – “Democracy is bad and we couldn’t have anything better”. Because if we did not have anything, we would not be so afraid to mess everything up. Now everyone who tries to criticize the EU not from the nationalist perspective is told back that the EU brought welfare to the Eastern Europe and so on. And no one wants to think what the price of this welfare was. What price will the US pay for conquering the Third World? What is the price of the welfare? No one argues that we have lots but we should not forget the question – what is the price? Measuring people economically is the result of the illusions of the creators of the US. Illusions that have become cruel reality. The novel “American psychopath” is about a young American who resembles Anders Behring Breivik, who sees the world through the lenses of commercials and labels, who suffocates from the welfare and finds if quite frightening because no one can escape the reality of the “American dream”, ideology covered all exits. That is why the main character starts to kill – revenging for this despair. He sees killing is the only way to escape the reality. Who will read Karl Popper now and agree with him that nothing can push a man towards happiness and freedom? People now have to agree with the western ideology and the US, the use of the EU and the beauty of the humanitarian aid because if they disagree they are called the supporters of North Korea, Russia. Funny, but the West is the biggest totalitarian regime in the human history which managed to melt any antagonism inside down. For example, opposition exists in Russia but what about the US? Only those who would protest because of the economic gain. Those people do not believe in their “Occupy Wall Street” idea because they do not seek revolution (unlike Russians), but to also become that 1%. The American dream has become the nightmare but it will reach its critical point later. Now it’s the EU’s turn.

The EU, as the result of the capitalism, reminds over-eating when food which needed to survive can easily become a reason for death. The death is caused not directly by capitalism but how it is used. To put it simply, the cause of death is over-stuffing. And the advertisements scream 24/7 – die or shop! It does not warn about over-stuffing. And now at the edge of the EU’s death we have to think not only about Europe but also about our country. Unfortunately, instead of rationally thinking about the situation and creating some sort of plan, everybody pretends that there are no signs of the EU’s death. Talks continue about euro, and long-term responsibilities to the EU, further integration and even federation. The reality is strongly rejected and as it happened many times Lithuania will again have nothing because after the death of the EU Russia will put even more pressure on the Baltic States. These, instead of learning the art of diplomacy and ensuring economic security will balance between conservatives and social democrats. Farce becomes tragedy. Slaves, no matter under what ideology, remain in the lost illusions of reality.

Chuck Palahniuk reveals what “Fight Club” sequel will be like

Agnė Karmazinaitė

Writer’s Chuck Palahniuk work “Fight Club” seeks to get a different form of expression. Novel which appeared in 1996 was adapted into screens in 1999, and left many with a considerable impression. In his website Chuck Palahniuk revealed that this time he is working on the second part of the story, which differs from previous in its plot, and the fact that it will be conveyed graphically.

Both the book and the movie tell a difficult and strange story, which gives a number of questions on the society, ideals of love, and norms of masculinity . The Narrator Jack is discontent with his work and suffers form severe insomnia. After leaving psychotherapy he starts flying planes from one city to another, hoping to crash, and meets the charismatic soap seller Tyler Durden. Jack’s life begins to change when guys become friends, and contrive strangest things in order to make everyday life more interesting. One day Tyler asks his new friend to hit him. Jack and Tyler see that the fight before the last forces can provide pleasurable sensations. Moreover, people are quite interested in these sessions, so friends secretly set up a “Fight Club.” Heats are impassioned not only by fights, but also by a love triangle that rises between Tyler, Jack and Marla, who Jack meets in one of the psychotherapy sessions.

As Chuck Palahniuk wrote, second “Fight Club” version will have a different situation. After more than ten years Tyler will tell story from the perspective of Jack. Meanwhile Jack is left behind, his beloved Marla is troubled with boredom, and their marriage is approaching the end. Everything changes when their son disappears. Then Jack returns to the game of violence and fights. In order to make this story graphic novel writer is already working with the creators of the most famous comics companies, such as Marvel, DC and Black Horse. However, the “Fight Club 2” should appear no earlier than in 2015. So, those who expect the return of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in cinema screens will have to wait.

Liu Ye – in the childish adults world

Gabrielė Gugytė

Girls with mischievous gaze look like from the cartoon, but they hold cigarettes in their hands, show their breasts or sadly hold pink pig near their chests and vivid colors surround everything. Here’s what Liu Ye is, artist who seeks for beauty and concentration in human feelings, hope and wild emotions in his works.

Painter Liu Ye was born in China in 1964. He is a part of a generation of artists that grew up during the Cultural Revolution and were visually affected by the kitsch aesthetic of propagandistic art. His political and cultural background led him to create seemingly childlike or naïve worlds full of fantasies and fairy tales; however, Ye contrasts his lighthearted style with imagery alluding to the global catastrophes.

In Liu Ye’s art, humor and sadness blend into a whole. The stillness of his ironic images provides us with a deep sense of detachment and timeless freedom. Part of the post 89′ avant garde movement, his art is disinterested in the external flux taking place in modern China. Instead, Liu captures the inner solitude and vulnerability of the artist in the face of the enormous changes taking place on a global scale and in the Chinese society.

© soko-barefoot.blogspot.com

After studying at the School of Arts and Crafts and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in his hometown Beijing between 1984 and 1989, Ye received a degree from University of Fine Arts in Berlin in 1994.

Liu Ye is best-known for his colorful cartoon like characters in playful, naughty adolescent scenes. Influenced by Mondrian and abstract art, Liu Ye uses the color schemes and patterns of a Mondrian – and even images from Mondrian’s works – and sets them in China, with young girls, bearing a breast, smoking, acting childlike or closing their eyes to enter a dreamlike state. Unlike many contemporary artists he has steered away from politics and chosen to focus on human emotions and childlike images.

© soko-barefoot.blogspot.com

As the art historian Pi Li says, “The major difference between him and his contemporaries was that he did not go through the period of rage around 1989, nor did his works contain elements of ‘collective’ images.” Around the same period of time, Liu Ye was witnessing the change in Europe as the Berlin Wall came down, touring Europe’s art museums and studying masters of Western modernism like Paul Klee and Johannes Vermeer. Instead of focusing on his Chinese origin, Liu Ye embraces some more universal themes like beauty, feeling and hope in his works. As he puts it, ” Seeking beauty is the last chance for human beings. It is like shooting at the goal; it arouses an emotion that is wild with joy.”

© soko-barefoot.blogspot.com

By the time Liu Ye went back toChina in 1994, his works were deeply influenced by German Expressionism, showing intense personal expression with an overall gloomy tone. In that period, he started to portray himself more as a little boy than a young man as he did before. More female figures appeared. The settings of his painting moved from rooms to theatres where scenes he saw inChina as a little boy, his childhood dream were depicted. Chorus, fleet and sailor boys were repetitive subjects portrayed during the period. His preference for using primary colors can be traced to his childhood days inBeijing as well. “I grew up in a world of red,” he recalls, “the red sun, red flags, red scarves with green pines and sunflowers often supporting the red symbols.“

Today, one of China’s best-selling contemporary artists, Liu Ye is a striking example of a Chinese artist exploring his own internal world through external and anonymous figures and western icons. Most of his work is done in bright, vivid and warm colors while the more melancholic ones are toned down to dark and cold blues.

© soko-barefoot.blogspot.com

A painting by Liu Ye sold for $ 2.5 million at a Hong Kong auction in 2010. It was the most for a Chinese contemporary artist in few years by then.

Liu’s acrylic-and-oil “Bright Road,” showing a smiling couple with a flaming jet in the background, fetched an artist record. It was one of seven Chinese contemporary works that made $1 million or more at Sotheby’s sale.

Tension and extent of homophobia increase in Russia

Agnė Karmazinaitė

Moscow Gay Pride Parade Broken Up — © Wikimedia Commons

After prohibiting LGBT prides for 100 years Russia took more radical measures to stop homosexuality.

In June President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning “homosexual propaganda”. This means that various events, symbols of rainbow, or attempt to explain to children that homosexuality is normal and tolerable phenomenon of society may cause liability due to law. Arrest or fines are provided not only for showing unconventional orientation, but also for heterosexuals who protect and speak up for universal human rights.

The restriction of information about sexual orientation existed already in some regions of Russia and now it took power over all country. It is a shame that such laws show disrespect for human choice, open the doors to discrimination and hides majority power behind violence. Hate outbreaks towards LGBT were visible in May when a young man was killed in Volgograd after revealing being a gay. The man was injured and raped with beer bottles, his clothes were set on fire, and the head was beaten with stones.

The United Nations recognized the new Russian law as discriminatory and violating the human right of expression by Civil and Political Rights Convention which Russia has ratified. However, it’s not the only one of this kind law in this country. The State Duma by a solid vote passed a law prohibiting to adopt Russian children for the same-sex foreign couples.

© Wikimedia Commons

It isn‘t surprising that Vladimir Putin doesn‘t see discrimination of sexual minorities in these laws. Looking for internal enemy for the state the authors of laws need to demonstrate concerns about traditional values of faith, still decreasing birth rate and protecting children from information about homosexuality which in Russia is often identified as pedophilia. Critics see other goals behind such actions of the Russian government. Gay theme is perfectly suited for diverting attention from what is happening in the Russian political and economic space.

Judicial Russian government‘s fight against LGBT people isn‘t limited to ban of adoptions and “homosexual propaganda”. V. Putin signed a law allowing officials to arrest foreigners and tourists who are suspected to be gays, lesbians, or those who speaks up for equal rights for 14 days. Russia and the whole world are waiting for an important event – the Olympic Games in Sochi, which will attract many foreign visitors and athletes. So, situation in Russia causes concern because of safety of LGBT tourists. Different opinions are being heard from boycotting the Games to the openly showing attributes indicating equality. While the world discusses issue of growing homophobia in Russia, the first foreign tourists from Holland who weren‘t in line with the new law were arrested on Monday. One of them, it is believed, made documentaries about gay rights in Russia.

The Knife – Sharp and Soft Vibes

Sarp Esin

The name “The Knife” is evocative of many images when paired with a musical project, and neon-polished pop is among them. Simplicity, however, does not apply much to this particular musical outlet, even though from the outset it appears cut and dry.

The Knife is a peculiar, unique music project by Olof and Karin Dreijer, siblings from Sweden. Formed in 1999, the Knife released their eponymous debut in 2001. Just two years later, in 2003, the duo was nominated for two Grammys, which (and the male dominance in popular music reflected in it) they proceeded to protest by sending two protesters in gorilla masks (a-la the Guerilla Girls) in their stead, and have continued to express distaste for selling their music commercially (while, of course, acknowledging the necessity of it).

The Knife prefers not to come out in public as they are, often wearing masks to conceal themselves. Despite their sizeable discography (see below) and countless singles, the Knife is as antagonistic to the (conventional) distribution of music as can be. Further fueling this, the Knife did not hold live performances at all until 2006. The promotion of their latest album, tentatively titled “Shaking the Habitual”, however, is the absolute anti-thesis of this, the Rudy Ratzinger approach. The “Shaking the Habitual” show features an ensemble consisting of a grand total of 49 people: dancers, DJs (some constant, some exclusive to certain cities), crew, costume designers, tailors, etc.

However, information about the project creates more the image of someone who created the electronic lovechild of the Sex Pistols and Atari Teenage Riot if judged by their antics, or a minimalist indie electronica band, judged by their album covers. The music resonated by the Knife is, interestingly, quite different than what their outer shell might suggest. They have been called a “permafrost synthpop duo,” a term that scratches the surface. Synthpop can imply an electronic, or an industrial genre, and the Knife successfully straddles the thin line separating the two. The instrumental aspect of the Knife’s musical output usually relies on the softer side of the synthetic. It’s rhythmic and evocative of the spiritual, often creating with their sound a unique mood.

Whether a song is a mood piece or a beat-driven pop number is completely immaterial, as in both cases, the duo manages to capture borderline moods. One can detect in the spiritual aspects of the music a tribal edge, reminiscent of what one pictures native dance rituals to be like, which is where the occult, once more, returns to the synthetic.

Pope Francis – a new hope for the Catholic Church

Simona Motuzaitė

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a former Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Argentina’s Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus this year on March 13 was elected as Pope Francis by 114 cardinal, during the two-day ballots in the Sistine Chapel.

He is a modest railway worker’s son who became a Jesuit and priest and is sympathetic to people of the working class. In 2001, pope led the Synod of Bishops in Rome, and so earned the respect of Cardinals. In recent years, J. M. Bergoglio criticized governments of former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and the current president Cristina Kirchner because of the poverty and corruption and fought against same-sex marriage in Argentina unsuccessfully. For the first time in almost 1300 years Francis is the first Pope not from Europe and the first from Latin America.

After the elections the new head of the Catholic Church sent a clear message that his pontificate will be different from Benedict XVI who resigned in the previous month (February, 2013). Pope revealed his feelings during the audience to hundreds journalists from all the world who gathered in the Vatican to whom he explained that he chose the name by Francis Assisi – the holy who is regarded as symbol of peace, asceticism and service to the poor. Pontific said to the crowd that Catholics must remember that the heart of the Church is not the pope but Jesus. Francis took the authority of 1,2 billion Catholic community in the world in times of crisis when the Church is affected by pedophilia scandals as well as scandals related to presumed Vatican bureaucracy intrigues and corruption. He noted that the Church like any other institution has its virtues and sins, and urged to journalists to do their job focusing on the truth, goodness and beauty.

For the first trip from Rome, Pope Francis chose the Italian island of Lampedusa which became the gateway for thousands of migrants from Africa who are fleeing from the conflict and economic difficulties in their countries hoping to enter the European Union. In this way, Pope wanted to show solidarity for tens of thousands of refugees who did not afraid of dangerous journey and reach the island in primitive crafts every year. During this visit Francis honored migrants who have died trying to reach Europe by sea. To select Lampedusa as purpose of the first important trip is a very symbolic to Francis who during his pontificate promised to focus on the problems of the poor and urged the Church to return to its traditional mission – to serve the poor. The Holy Father urged Lampedusa Island residents to end indifference to difficulties which refugees face. Although local residents have repeatedly expressed outrage and disappointment because of migrants and the Italian government inaction, their relationship with the newcomers were quite good – people of Lampedusa often supplied food or other assistance to newcomers voluntarily.

On Monday Pope Francis went to Brazil – a country in which Catholic community is decreasing and in which people are unhappy by government spending. For Francis it is the first trip abroad. On Friday, July 19, Pope Francis visited his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI Emeritus to ask to accompany him in journey to Brazil as well as young people who have been invited to come with Benedict XVI and will gather in Rio de Janeiro. According to the 76-year-old pontiff, one of the goals of this trip is to encourage young people to integrate into society and to convince the public not to abandon youth. This week the head of the Catholic Church will try to convince young people that the Church is able to renew itself in a crisis caused by the scandals on financial matters and sexual exploitation of children. In sermon he urged the priests, parents and teachers to teach young people the values that can help to them to build fairer, more united and fraternal country and the world.

On Wednesday Pope Francis warned Latin America not to legitimize drug use, intervening in a heated debate in his home region after the first public Mass during his historic visiting in Brazil. Pontiff, who was born in Argentine and called for defense of poor and vulnerable people, strongly opposed to drugs, met with people addicted to crack – the poor quality cocaine and participated in the opening of alcoholics and drug rehabilitation section in hospital of Rio de Janeiro managed by the Franciscan. The first Latin American pope, sacrificing Mass in one highly respected shrine in neighboring state of Sao Paulo warned Catholics to deny “ephemeral idols” such as money and power.
Francis became the third pope to visit the shrine after John Paul II who did it in 1980 and Benedict XVI who visited it in 2007. Although being quite popular, Francis became a target of protests because of 53 million dollars that were used for organizing the Pope’s visit and World Youth Day by the Brazilian government.

Brazil is the largest Catholic country but the Catholic community decreases more and more when people are turning to evangelical churches or distance themselves from organized religion. In 1970 census more than 90 percent people identified themselves as Catholics. Meanwhile, this year’s data shows that 57 percent people consider themselves as Catholics and 28 percent Evangelical. In Rio de Janeiro only 40 percent of the population consider themselves to be Catholics and nearly a quarter of people defined themselves as being “without religion” at all.

Urban chats: film director Romas Zabarauskas

Marija Djačenko

This time “Urban chats” are proud to present director of short film “Porno Melodrama” (2011) and film “We will Riot” (2013), well-known public figure, a human rights activist, initiator and participant of social actions, a voice of his generation – Romas Zabarauskas.

In 2009 you were one of the initiators of LGBT protest against homophobic law. Looking back, did the situation of LGBT community changed and how?

It is rather difficult for me to answer, because I am not a member of LGBT or any other human rights organisations. Sometimes it feels that I associate myself with Vilnius’ youth community rather than LGBT. At the same time probably everyone has a lot of different, conflicting identities. In my opinion, the overall trend is positive – people are more open and outspoken, there is more and more LGBT representation in public, as well as more cultural events and actions.

I would like to see even more explicit actions and statements. Sometimes, for example, in the contemporary art world there are queer exhibitions which seem to occupy the niche, but have no real political potential in itself, and even the organizers themselves do not publicly identify with any LGBT nor queer identities. I find such cases strange, but then again – rainbow has six colours and all of them can get on…

What is your position on the continuing fight between LGBT community and Vilnius’ municipality regarding the location of upcoming Baltic Pride march in Vilnius? Why is it important to the LGBT community to march in the central Gediminas Avenue?

It‘s great that LGL did not give up and insisted to organise the march in Gediminas Avenue. After all, there is no reason why some people would be allowed to march the main street and others would not.

Municipality‘s decision to ban the march is based on the security concern of the participants and onlookers. In your opinion, are such arguments weighty enough?

Both the court and the police made their clear statements that such arguments are irrelevant. There is nothing else for me to say but agree.

You studied in Paris and New York, you were also invited to international film festivals in Berlin, Moscow and elsehwhere. What is the attitude towards the LGBT community in foreign countries? Can you compare the experience abroad and the situation in Lithuania?

Russia was the only country I visited that is more homophobic than Lithuania. However, Moscow is a large metropolis with modern values, where no one is bothered by other people’s sexual orientation. Paris and New York, where I have studied film, are open cities where any manifestations of homophobia are not tolerated.

Visitors from abroad are expected to visit Lithuania in order to show their support for the Lithuanian LGBT community. Have you ever participated in similar events abroad?

I haven‘t yet participated in LGBT march. However, I joined a film group at Occupy Wall Street movement inNew York, organising film screenings at Zuccotti park. We also marched the Occupy march carrying a portable projector. It was an unique experience to see how people are no longer willing to tolerate the neo-liberal system’s shortcomings and are trying to change things in order to decide their own destiny.

At the Moscow International Film Festival you demonstrated your support for the Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot, wearing a Free Pussy Riot T-shirt at the festival’s opening. What do you think about the ideas of this band?

Pussy Riot women express very articulate criticism towardsRussia’s imperialism and its’ lack of democracy. The best thing is that some of the criticism is also relevant to theUnited Statesand other countries’ politics.

Homophobia and xenophobia are not exclusively Lithuanian traits. For example, some of African countries have a death penalty law for homosexuals. To compare this with the situation in Lithuania, we are rather a tolerant nation. In such case, some may wonder, why LGBT still makes such a fuss about their rights? How would you reply to such question?

I fully agree that overall Lithuanians are tolerant people. We only need a little bit of time, and also the political will to overcome the legal and social discrimination against the LGBT people in Lithuania.

Recent news about Alan Chambers, the founder of Exodus International, was rather a global sensation. After many years of prayers and attempts to convert homosexuals to the “true faith”, Chambers publicly admitted that he himself feels attracted to the same sex. Why do you think some sexual minorities live in denial?

Denial phase is common amongst a lot of gay people who grow up in a homophobic environment. For some, it is more severe and lasts longer, for others this phase is short. Denial may have horrifying consequences, when an entire heterosexual family is based on lies. Imagine an ideal family where every weekend the father goes „fishing“… It is sad when families are created without love.

LGBT community is a relatively young phenomenon, keeping in mind that the definition itself is in public use since 1990. On one hand, it is rather natural to hear groundless information regarding members of LGBT. On the other hand, such misinformation creates negative public reaction. What are the best ways to stop the spread of misinformation?

I think we should not be afraid to speak boldly and openly. Celebrities, politicians, and intellectuals should be outspoken promoting ideas of equality in language understood by everyone. Currently,Lithuania’s left intellectuals and even some activists are being too academic.

In one of the articles, you raise an ironic question: “Maybe it‘s not that bad to live in Lithuania?”. Everyone has their own answer to this question; however what would be your reply? Do you feel at home in your own homeland?

I feel absolutely great, I am in love withVilnius, its’ people, events and parties. It’s a perfect size city and I enjoy being part of it.

Hollywood films portray gay men as highly feminine and always surrounded by female friends. Do you think such portrayal is correct? Does it have a negative side? Have you managed to get away from the stereotype when shooting “Porno Melodrama” (2011)?

I think that excessive political correctness is boring. At the opposite, I noticed a trend that in more and more contemporary Hollywood and European movies gay men are played by heterosexual actors, seeming very “normal”. For me it’s just not interesting. My choice to portray a stereotypical gay couple – a campy intellectual Matas and “a tough man” Jonas – in “Porno Melodrama” was intentional. It was a deliberate game with clichés. Their roles are contemplated throughout the picture – but it is also a romantic fantasy of a couple. Art should not be measured by the “efficiency”. Hence, I do not raise this issue at all. My public talks and my movies are not the same thing – when making a film, I do not compromise with my vision.

Since we are talking about “We Will Riot” (2013), could you tell us how you came up with the idea for the script?

First, here’s a small synopsis: Luke is an up-and-coming DJ from an affluent New York family with a Lithuanian father and an African-American mother. When Luke hears from an estranged grandmother in Lithuania, he defies his parents and decides to visit this far-away country, flying straight to the capital cityVilnius. He falls in love with the city, a rebellious girl called Marta, and the local music scene – the beatmakers – promoted by an aggressive gay manager, Andy. Luke’s grandma’s connections get him a deal with the municipality to become the manager of a new nightclub, and he takes up the challenge… but the deal turns out to be poisoned, forcing Luke to rebel in ways he never imagined.

The idea arose for several reasons. First of all, when I learned that I will be studying in New Yorkfor one year, I decided to create a film between New York and Vilnius. At the same time the music supervisor Mark Splinter was always suggesting me to make a movie where the music would be the most important thing thought of before writing the script. Overall I was inspired by the Vilnius’ youth community, beatmakers, “Satta Outside” festival. In Vilnius we have a lot of talented people, yet we do not know about them until they emigrate and become popular. For example, Fingalick’s music is played by BBC – and our radios have no clue about him. I think it shouldn’t be this way – we need to recognize our talents and appreciate what we have here in Lithuania.

The release of Kristina Buožytė’s film “Vanishing Waves” (2012) encouraged the discussion about the Lithuanian film new wave. How would you evaluate the situation of Lithuanian cinema?

The discussions about the Lithuanian cinema’s renaissance started after the success of a blockbuster “Tadas Blinda”. In short, I think that the situation is improving: there are more choices, genres, ambitions.

The film “We Will Riot” (2013) tells the story of the Lithuanian electronic music beatmakers. In one of the interviews you admit your attraction to the scene and you note that beatmakers are often portrayed (and maybe are) as masculine hyper heterosexual men. Does this mean that the society decides for gay people whom they should love and what career to pursue? If so, why? Have your sexual orientation ever got in the way of evaluation of your work?

It’s interesting for me because it’s very unexpected, precisely because it has nothing to do with the LGBT community. I think that Lithuanian beatmakers are tolerant and educated young people – but yes, it is true that most of them are heterosexual men. There are not a lot of openly gay men nor women creating beats in Lithuania. This is a complex issue – why people choose one profession or another – but of course, the overall atmosphere has an influence. In US there are gay, queer, bisexual rappers like Frank Ocean, Zebra Katz, Aezelia Banks and others. I am sure that after the public opinion about LGBT changes in Lithuania, the number of rappers and beatmakers of non-traditional sexual orientations will increase as well.

It may seem disappointing, but it may take a while before Lithuania will become an open country for people of different races, nationalities, genders and sexual orientations and also before the same-sex marriages including the right to adopt will become legal. What are the prospects for LGBT members who wish to create a family?

LGBT families do exist already and are created every day – they only need judicial and public recognition.

A few weeks ago on Facebook you encouraged people to stop being afraid and share their fears and depression, turn to family and friends or to you. Is there enough adequate psychological support for people who suffer discrimination because of their sexual orientation?

I wrote the posts because a person I knew committed a suicide. He was heterosexual. Unfortunately, I did not know and could not suspect that he has suffered from depression. No one is immune from that. InLithuania, I think, a great work is done by the “Jaunimo Linija” (Youth Line), a call service providing psychological help. I would like to use this opportunity and invite people to support “Jaunimo Linija” by purchasing these T-shirts from “Support Baltic Pride 2013”. By supporting such actions and at the same time simply expressing ideas, everyone can contribute to changes in Lithuania.

Roy Lichtenstein – artist who made comic strip cartoons into art

Gabrielė Gugytė

Most of you, especially who visit Facebook, have seen pop-art style picture with a crying blond girl who wistfully wipes a tear.

Also, I think that most of you never thought that it is a job of an artist. Oh yeah! It is Roy‘s Lichtenstein – the artist who was born and grew up in America – painting. Let’s meet him, so another time when you see his works you could recognize them.

Meet Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein was born in New York City in 1923 and grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In the 1960s, Lichtenstein became a leading figure of the new Pop Art movement. Inspired by advertisements and comic strips, Lichtenstein’s bright, graphic works parodied American popular culture and the art world itself.

Roy Lichtenstein’s paintings of comic strip cartoons, washing machines and baked potatoes are the examples of “classics” Pop Art. But his pictures were seen as brash and banal when they first appeared in the New York art world in the early 1960s.

Lichtenstein began experimenting with different subjects and methods in the early 1960s, while he was teaching at Rutgers University. His newer work was both a commentary on American popular culture and a reaction to the recent success of Abstract Expressionist painting by artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Instead of painting abstract, often subject-less canvases as Pollock and others had done, Lichtenstein took his imagery directly from comic books and advertising. Rather than emphasizing his painting process and his own inner, emotional life in his art, he mimicked his borrowed sources right down to an impersonal-looking stencil process that imitated the mechanical printing used for commercial art.

© lichtensteinfoundation.org

Although best known as a painter, Roy Lichtenstein has worked in a variety of media, from sculpture and murals to prints and ceramics. “In the early paintings I was looking for a tawdry type of commercialism as found in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory. They were a great source of inspiration to me,”- says the artist.

Why he is the exclusive?

Lichtenstein is famous for his use of strip cartoons from American comic books which had a wide readership in the 1950s. He admired the skill of the commercial artists who could condense complex stories of love and war into the cartoon form.

© lichtensteinfoundation.org

Lichtenstein was accused of merely copying his sources, but he stressed the changes he made to the composition: “My works is actually different from the comic strips in that every mark is really in a different place, however slight the difference seems to some. The difference is often not great, but it is crucial.“

© lichtensteinfoundation.org

Lichtenstein in his works restricts color palette to reach the four colors of printers’ inks effect. He also used Ben Day dots, a system devised to increase the tonal range in commercial printing through a dot screen method.

Whaam!

© lichtensteinfoundation.org

“Whaam!“ is one of the most popular diptych painting of Lichtenstein. It is based on an image from “All American Men of War“published by DC comics in 1962. Throughout the 1960s, Lichtenstein frequently drew on commercial art sources such as comic images or advertisements, by the way highly emotional subject matter could be depicted using detached techniques. Transferring this to a painting context, Lichtenstein could present powerfully charged scenes in an impersonal manner, leaving the viewer to decipher meanings for themselves. Although he was careful to retain the character of his source, Lichtenstein also explored the formal qualities of commercial imagery and techniques. In these works as in “Whaam!”, he adapted and developed the original composition to produce an intensely stylized painting.

© Wikimedia Commons

”Roy got the hand out of art, and put the brain in,” thats how the painter Larry Rivers described Mr. Lichtenstein’s accomplishment. And if in later years his works was sometimes taken for granted, it was partly because his ideas had so infiltrated art that they were no longer only his. Mixing text and image, high and low, his whole strategy of appropriation paved the way for a generation of artists not yet born, or at least not yet out of elementary school, when he cribbed a picture of a girl holding a beach ball aloft from a newspaper advertisement. Roy Lichtenstein died in 1997 in Manhattan when he was 73 years old.

Tai pat rasite “Nestandratinė reklama internete”

Convicted Russian opposition leader tries to become a mayor of Moscow

Simona Motuzaitė

Because of his rhetoric and charisma during the past few years Alexei Navalny has become one of the most important leaders of the opposition who supervised the unprecedented protests against president Vladimir Putin.

A. Navalny has become an expressive leader in protests against V. Putin by successfully using the Moscow street slang which helps to build a close relationship with the public. His anti-corruption campaign has attracted a lot of followers on the Internet. Oppositionist Alexei accused such influential persons as Chairman of The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Alexander Bastrykin, and Deputy Prime Minister, Igor Shuvalov. But he still needs to expand his popularity beyond the limits of Moscow at the national level. It is known that the majority of the Russian people have not even heard about this leader of opposition.

37-years-old Alexei Navalny is a lawyer of a new generation. He quickly realized the growing importance of the Internet in Russian politics. He tried to increase the intrigue before the start of his scandalous case of the proceedings in April when he stated that he intends to register as candidate for president.

Since the spring charismatic Russian opposition protest leader is often required to come to a court and he says that his case is the result of President Vladimir Putin’s order and revenge for Alexei’s strong challenge to Kremlin politics.

This case is the latest of those in Russia by V. Putin’s opponents called “the Soviet-style” orchestrated political process through which previously both have been sent to jail – business tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky for resisting to the Kremlin and members of radical girls punk group Pussy Riot. Liberal former finance minister Alexei Kudrin who is respected in Russia wrote in his blog about A. Navalny’s case that it is a “time travel” back to the Soviet times.

Alexei Navalny was suspected of the funds embezzlement and threatened with 10 years in prison. He predicted that he is going to be convicted and possibly sent to jail and warned that it is only a matter of time when V. Putin will lose the power.

When Alexei became the governor of the Kirov region in 2009 he recommended discharging director Vyacheslav Opalev and judging him for the corruption. Before the lawyer came to the region he was already known as a fighter with the corruption and “Kirovles” had more than 200 million rubles ($6 million dollars) loss. A. Navalny said that he proposed to efficiently organize Kirovles’ work, selling timber through intermediaries, and he participated in this conspiracy as an unpaid consultant for local administrations.

V. Opalev was eventually fired and prosecuted but avoided a prison sentence in 2012, accusing A. Navalny, in that time one of the most prominent figures in the protest movement, of conspiracy to commit abduction of large-scale state property. That was enough to start the trial and Alexei had spent a lot of time traveling more than 900 kilometers from Moscow to Kirov and back.

The attorney Sergey Blinov who is studying the case of Alexei Navalny, is Lenin’s district court deputy. A lawyer has issued 25 indictments cases and every one of them was said to be guilty of the crimes.

On July 17^th the court acknowledged that the 37-year-old A. Navalny led the group who has abducted 16 million rubles ($500 thousand dollars) of state property. In the process, the opposition leader demonstrated that the timber was not stolen but sold through an intermediary and settled with Kirovles properly. Many people find it suspicious that the court denied the defense argument about “Kirovles” ineffective action on the basis of already convinced V. Opalev arguments. After a couple of days Alexei Navalny was released after he signed a written pledge not to leave the country before the court will consider the appeal.

In Manezh Square in Moscow where unauthorized opposition protest had to take place suddenly works of replacing pavement started. This is usual and often used tactic by Russian authorities to prevent protesters from gathering. Mass protest demonstrations supporting A. Navalny were held in another evening in Moscow and other Russian cities.

Alexei Navalny expects that the current political system will collapse but is aware that it may take several years. Currently he identifies the pursuit to make this happen as soon as possible as a top priority. A. Navalny advises that it is essential to develop additional anti-corruption scheme to European and Russian projects particularly in those related to the energy sector. Large Russian corporations projects should be checked by the schemes of fight against corruption similar to the assessments that are carried out on the effect on the environment (for example, pipeline projects).
Alexei Navalny supports the idea of projects by the EU and Russian companies but believes that the business collaboration and opportunities for laundering money and EU providing dirty money for investment are different things.

It was announced that if Alexei Navalny found guilty he could not participate in the presidential election on September 8^th and in any other elections. Court’s decision to release A. Navalny means that he gets rid of formal obstacles for the Moscow mayor’s election. Russian opposition figure returned to Moscow on Saturday and was enthusiastically welcomed after unexpectedly released from prison. A. Navalny and his wife Julia got out of the night train coming from Kirov city in which the opposition leader was judged. He was met by a crowd of cheering supporters shouting his name and holding bouquets of flowers. On that day A. Navalny said to hundreds of his supporters about the continuing efforts to become the mayor of Moscow.

Depiliacija

Qatar: a new Game of Thrones edition?

Ali Acikgoz

Middle eastern and world politics received word that a “palace coup” took place in Doha, Qatar on 25/06/2013 (Coup count: 1). Emir of the country, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, abdicated and passed the rule to his younger son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The former emir had brought major changes to Qatar’s internal and external policies, after he took the power from his father Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad with in 1995 (Coup count: 2). Sheikh Khalifa gained access to office after his very own palace coup against his own family members (Coup count: 3). The most recent coup (Coup Nr. 1) points to serious maneuvers in middle eastern power games by different actors.

Although one can argue that the recurring coups are pointing towards a tradition of access to throne via intrigue, latest “palace coup” illustrates a different picture. Sheikh Hamad made remarks on abdicating the throne to his heir a short time before the passage of power took place. The former emir was a game changer as he increased the role of Qatar in middle eastern politics and world economy. Soon after his rise to power Al Jazeera network was established and Qatar became one of the financial participants in western stock markets using her wealth accumulated through Qatar’s vast natural gas reserves. During the Iraq War, Qatar was an important center of the U.S. military operations as she hosted American command staff. Al Jazeera itself was an influential actor during this period as served as a media hub reacting to the larger Arabic-speaking communities of the globe. Qatar grew stronger as an actor in her region and used “softer” means of politics to pursue her goals.

Al Jazeera English Newsdesk © Wikimedia Commons

After the “Arab Spring” sparked throughout Africa and Middle East, Al Jazeera championed the ”cause” and Qatar herself became an active actor in the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Soon the Qatari government continued its efforts to carry the “Spring” to more places via backing up the Syrian rebels against Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, and the Muslim Brotherhood and newly elected president Morsi in Egypt. Soon, unfortunately for Qatar, Syrian opposition failed to bring the Al-Assad government down, and Morsi failed his quest to strengthen Egyptian economy. Qatar was actively supporting the Morsi government with financial aid, yet it proved inefficient as Morsi lost his seat with a coup by Egyptian Army on 3^rd of July.

The abdication that brought the new emir Sheikh Tamim, was also part of a series of “reforms” to provide the younger generations with more responsibility and power in Qatar’s politics, along with readjustments on governmental bodies to provide more representation for its populace. However, the future might be darker and full of more terrors (or terrorists, depending on where you stand) than the Qatari policymakers expect. The abdication was ill-timed for Qatar as Morsi lost his seat a week after the new emir had sat on the throne and provided him more problems. Qatar needs more funds as she is going to host FIFA World Cup 2020 and has also put it candidacy for future Olympic Games. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia and her allies provided the new government installed in Egypt with much needed funds and morale support. Al Jazeera engaged in a media war with Saudi-based Al Arabiya network. The two channels focus their coverage in accordance with their position in Egyptian coup.

Qatar might have changed the rules of her own political game as the former emir abdicated from throne instead of going down with another palace coup, however Qatar’s position in Middle East and the globe as an actor provides new difficulties for the new ruler of the country. The Syrian conflict is persisting and armed attacks between different camps in Egypt are taking more tolls by the day. The media and propaganda wars escalate and new problems loom over the horizon. The “Arab Spring” is still roaming free and the summer is coming.

Note: All the joking aside, the recurring coups and connections to other actors in its foreign policy made it easy to draw analogies with a widely popular tv show.

Ozzy Osbourne – heavy in rock, heavy in life

Dovilė Augaitė

John Michael Osbourne (more commonly known as Ozzy Osbourne) is a rock musician. His career began in 1978 as a lead singer in of Black Sabbath band. It is believed that this band and Ozzy are the pioneers of the heavy metal.

Despite the low investment of Warner Bros and Records companies, the group’s musical career was very successful. Perhaps a part of the success was created by Tony Lomma guitar riffs and texts written by Geezer Butler. Unfortunately, Ozzy Ousborne’s musical journey was not very long with this group. When Ozzie got involved with alcohol and drugs he was removed from Black Sabbath. The group had sold over 70 million albums until it broke up with Ozzy.

Soon Ozzy began a solo career. In the late 1970s, a group Necromandus rehearsed with Ozzy Osbourne and became his first solo project Blizzard of Ozz and it was formed by a new manager and future wife, Sharon Arden. The drummer Lee Kerslake, bassist / writer Bob Daisley, keyboardist Don Airey, and guitarist Randy Rhoads were other members of the band. The record company finally offered the release an album. With the first solo efforts Osbourne received huge success and debut collection was purchased by many heavy metal fans. The second album, Diary of a Madman, had more Bob Daisley lyrics and more Randy Rhoads guitar sound. He became the 85^ththe best guitarist of all time in the Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.

1986 Osbourne was accused of encouraging listeners to commit suicide through supposedly subliminal messages in the song Suicide Solution. Soon enough Osbourne publicly acknowledged that he wrote this song about his friend who died from alcohol abuse.

In 1991, Ozzy began recording a new album No More Tears, which became very popular on the radio and MTV. In 2004, Osbourne received the NME Award for divine genius.

The leader of Black Sabbath was mocked throughout his entire career – mainly because of the rumors, describing him as a psychopath and satanist. However, despite his bizarre reputation no one can deny that Osbourne had an immeasurable effect on heavy metal.

Osbourne got even more popuar after his reality show The Osbournes aired on MTV. This release became one of the MTV’s biggest hits. However, his reputation was again undermined by the fact that he was accused of cruel behaviour with animals. Osbourne later admitted that in the drug zest, he shot down his family’s pets. The singer says, “I had used so many drugs that I was just ruined. Last straw was when I shot all of our cats. We had about seventeen of them; I became just crazy, and shot all of them. My wife found me lying on the piano, dressed in a white costume, with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. “

Keira Knightley – an actress, model and ballerina

Simona Motuzaitė

28-year-old age British actress and model Keira Knightley is one of the best-paid women in Hollywood. Work on stage and screen is all her life because she has been acting from an early age. Keira Knightley who recently got married has intense facial features and especially slim figure for which she is often criticized. Nevertheless, the star of a movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” has proved successfully her talent in acting.

Keira Knightley was born on March 26, 1985 in Scottish screenwriter, Sharman Macdonald, and English actor, Will Knightley, family, in Teddington, England. She has older brother named Caleb. Knightley lived in Richmond and attended TeddingtonSchool and at the age of majority entered at the EsherCollege. As a child she was diagnosed with dyslexia (to have struggles in reading), but the stubbornness to keep up with classmates helped to turn her to extremely success student. Keira, being at three-year-old, stated a desire to have a personal agent, such as her parents. She remembers that in her childhood the only thought in her mind was not about colorful toys but about the art of acting. She performed in a number of local amateur productions, including the “After Juliet”, written by her mother, and the “United States”, written by her then drama teacher, Ian McShane. She followed by parents’ footsteps at nine-year-old when she began to play in the TV mini-series and films: “Village Affair” (1994), “Innocent Lies” (1995), “The Treasure Seekers” (1996), “Coming Home” (1998), “Oliver Twist” (1999). She focused on art, history and English literature while at Esher, but left after a year to focus on her acting and she also turned down her spot at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

At the age of fourteen, Keira Knightley received the first offer to play in blockbuster movie – “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” (1999), because the girl was very similar to the heroine of film – Queen, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Keira was cast as Sabé, Amidala’s decoy. K. Knightley and colleague N. Portman is so similar that during filming the mothers of girls could not identify them, when they were with makeup. By the film’s premiere it has been announced that N. Portman plays both Queen Amidala and her double. The filmmakers introduced the new about performance by K. Knightley as surprise to an audience.

In 2001, in the made-for-television Walt Disney Productions feature in the movie “Princess of Thieves” the young actress has played as Robin Hood’s daughter Gwyn, inheriting family “business” after her father’s death. In 2002, Keira was invited to cast in “Bend it like Beckham”, despite the fact that almost unable to play football. At that time, for three months, the young actress was learning to play football and trying to understand the Futebol de Man – method of Brazilian soccer game.

After a year, the director Jerry Bruckheimer offered to Keira to star in “Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl”. In this film, she performed with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and the film was much more popular even than “Terminator 3” and in the premiere of the first week in the U.S. has become the most watching film. Keira also played in two more sequels of this movie.
One of probably the best Keira Knightley’s roles was in the film “The Duchess” (2008). This extraordinary woman, existed in reality of her age, had a significant political impact. She was a strong personality, being able to shape her own image, to manipulate public opinion, and thus to be vulnerable and lonely. Adorable woman failed to win the heart of the only important man in her life.
In David Cronenberg’s drama “A Dangerous Method” (2011) Keira played as Sabina Spielrein, a patient of philosopher and psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung and later became his mistress and student. She was a special woman, and a very important person in the world of psychoanalysis. Keira prepared for this role very carefully: she read a lot of books about psychoanalysis, Jung and her heroine diaries. In order to recreate Sabina symptoms realistically, she even consulted with neurologists and psychiatrists.

In 2012, Keira Knightley played the role in a musical romantic drama “Can a Song Save Your Life”, replacing actress Scarlett Johansson, who withdrew for personal reasons. In the same year, she cast in a love triangle feelings drama “Anna Karenina”. In this year, Keira has played a role in the action thriller “Jack Ryan”, which is scheduled for release on the end of December.

Actress, proved her superiority in many films, was many times awarded. In 2003, London Critics Circle declared her to be the best newcomer of film. In 2004, “Tatler” magazine named her as the “Most Desirable Woman”. In 2004, “Glamour” published about her as “The Most Charming Actress”. In 2005, the newspaper “The Daily Mirror” announced a K. Knightley as an “Actress of the Year”. In the site Indiecritics.com actress was titled as “The Most Beautiful Woman” and “The Most Wonderful Facial Owner”. At 20-year-old, the actress was the third youngest woman in the history of the Oscars and nominated for the award of the best female role.

Talented beauty reveals herself not only as an actress. In addition to acting, Keira Knightley dancing ballet, playing the flute and piano, and drawing. Keira has repeatedly posed for such publications as “Vogue” and “Vanity Fair”, and became face of a legendary Chanel fashion house of perfume “Coco Mademoiselle” campaign. More than once titled as the sexiest glamour, actress has more than just good look, but also the pursuit of noble intentions. Keira is an activist for human rights.
The young Brit is constantly criticized for her slim figure and critics often called her anorexic as well as a bad example for young girls. However, the actress has always denied such rumors and claims that it is such her body type.

Telling the press about his love Keira was never opened. However, it is known that Knightley was in a relationship with actor Jamie Dornan from 2003 to 2005. She dated her “Pride & Prejudice” co-star Rupert Friend from 2005 until 2010. She subsequently began dating musician James Righton in late February 2011. Knightley and Righton became engaged in May 2012,and married on 4 May 2013 in France. The couple live in East London.

George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder

Agnė Karmazinaitė

On Saturday a jury in Florida acquitted George Zimmerman of black youngster Trayvon Martin’s murder. Zimmerman explained that the gun was used in self-defense. A jury agreed with this version, and the death of T. Martin was conceded as manslaughter.

The judgment sparked protests in various cities of the country, demonstrators took to the streets of San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, New York. In Sanford, where the incident took place, officials watched the citizens that came to express their disaffection. Most of the protests were peaceful, but still not all were so minded. As CNN reported, on Monday police arrested 14 people when they jumped on cars, kicked windows and possibly attacked a man. Before that 7 more protesters were arrested blocking streets.

On Tuesday one of the demonstrators announced that there are planned more protests to show support for charges. Fearing unrests the research of murder will be continued, as well. Officers received pressure not only from the protesters. The famous singer Stevie Wonder announced its intention not to hold performances in Florida, until the law which allows using force feeling the threat won’t be repealed. One of the jurors also touched the topic of law change. She spoke about having no choice than to recognize George Zimmerman innocent, because by law he didn’t any illegal action.

After judgment U.S. president Barack Obama urged to keep calm and to respect the court’s decision. However, more attention was paid to the president’s statement, expressed before the trial, in March 2012. Then Obama said that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin. It is believed that these words not only revealed the president’s position, which could influence the judgment of court and public opinion, but also confirmed that case has racial motive.

The case has caused so much public reactions, exactly because of the fact that Trayvon Martin’s murder is associated with his skin color. The protesters believe that if Tayvon was white, his killer would be convicted, so judgment received a lot of discontent of blacks. Some of them resented that illegal activities can take the guise of self-defense; others even called to kill whites. Meanwhile, one of the jurors said to CNN that she doesn’t believe that this murder has racist connotation, so such reason of murder was rejected. George Zimmerman’s parents regretted the tragedy and said to the media of U.S. that their son isn’t a racist and never have been taught to be so.

Trayvon Martin © Wikimedia Commons

This topic is widespread on the internet. Supporters of Zimmerman enjoyed victory in the social network Facebook. Meanwhile, the other side distributed online petition calling to bring charges of civil rights violations to G. Zimmerman. This petition was signed by more than 1 million people.

Seventeen years Trayvon Martin was shot in 2012 on 26 February, while walking home from the store. That evening volunteer neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman reported officials about suspicious teenager with a hood, and followed him. The incident occurred when Trayvon asked why he was followed. G. Zimmerman said Court that guy attacked him walking towards the car, and the gun was used in self-defense. For this murder man would have been imprisoned for life.

The star of series “Glee” died of heroin and alcohol overdose

Simona Motuzaitė

On July 13, actor team of the popular U.S. television series “Glee” lost colleague Cory Monteith.

On Saturday, he was found dead in his room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver (Canada). After an autopsy, the cause of death turns out – the actor died following a heroin and alcohol overdose. Last Thursday, Cory Monteith had a meeting with his manager and looked “very good and healthy”. On Friday evening, Cory with three unknown persons came out of his hotel room, but returned alone at approximately 2.15am. In the morning, a dead actor was found in his room by hotel staff.

“Glee” was the series, in which the late actor played his final roles, and became so popular. It is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States. It focuses on the WilliamMcKinleyHigh School glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality, and social issues. Funny romantic music series tells the story of high school life, the relationship between teachers and students, and about their leisure time. There are not only daily lessons, but also the struggle for existence. New school choir club leader hopes to revive the prestige of the teaching institution and to resurrect the glory for the school.

The initial main cast encompassed club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays), Will’s wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), and eight club members played by Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, and Jenna Ushkowitz. For the second season, formerly recurring cast members Mike O’Malley, Heather Morris, and Naya Rivera were promoted to the main cast. For the third season, Harry Shum, Jr. and Darren Criss were promoted from recurring to the main cast, and both Gilsig and O’Malley were removed from star billing, though the latter is again in the recurring guest cast. For the fourth season, Chord Overstreet was promoted from recurring to the main cast, and both Mays and Agron were removed from star billing, though they have both appeared and are being credited in the recurring guest cast.

© iloveglee.com

Director and producer, Ian Brennan, dreamed of building a musical movie for a long time, but the written script was noted by screenwriter Ryan Murphy just five years later. Ryan was fascinated by innovative idea, but he has proposed to create not a movie film but TV series. “Gleen” developers no doubt – in this series, each young person will find himself faced with the same problems that are currently most relevant to him, and of course will be inspired to pursue his dreams.

The series’ “Gleen” late actor Cory Monteith was born in Calgary, Western Canada, on May 11, 1982, to an interior decorator mother, Ann McGregor, and military man father, Joe Monteith, family. He had an older brother named Shaun. Monteith’s parents divorced when he was seven years old,and he and his older brother were raised by their mother in Victoria, southwestern province of Canada. After the divorce he saw little of his father due to Joe Monteith’s military service, and he had social difficulties at school. Since age 13, Cory has already begun to use alcohol and marijuana and started being truant from school.

After attending 16 schools, including alternative programs for troubled teens, he dropped out altogether at age 16. By that time, his drug and alcohol dependency had increased and Monteith turned to petty crimes, such as stealing money from friends and family, to fund his addictions. The turning point in Monteith’s life came when his mother and a group of friends staged an intervention when he was 19, and he began attending a rehabilitation program. Monteith was glad that the people close to him helped so much and he’s still alive. He eventually received his high school diploma in 2011 from an alternative school he attended in his youth in Victoria.

Monteith began his acting career in Vancouver, western Canada. He played minor roles in “Final Destination 3”, “Whisper” and “Deck the Halls”. He had a recurring role in “Kyle XY”. He also made guest appearances in television serials such as “Smallville”, “Supernatural”, “Flash Gordon”, “Stargate Atlantis” and “Stargate SG-1”. In April 2010, Monteith was cast in the romantic comedy movie “Monte Carlo”. In the same year, he won the Hollywood Style Awards and TV Comedy Actor Award.

Lea Michele © Wikimedia Commons

Popularity of Cory Monteith had been raised in 2009, when he performed the role of Finn Hudson in series “Glee”. Finn is the star quarterback of his high school football team, and risks alienation from his friends by joining the school’s glee club. He is a popular jock at the top of the school’s social hierarchy, but when forced to join the glee club, he finds he loves it. His storylines have seen him struggle with his decision to stay in the club, which is at the bottom of the social ladder, while he maintains his popular reputation and the respect of the other jocks. The character must deal with his attraction to both head cheerleader Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) and glee club star singer Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), and his storylines increasingly focus on his relationship with them both.

Monteith’s character, Finn, appeared in all episodes of seasons one through three, and appeared on fifteen episodes of season four. The episode “Sweet Dreams” was Monteith’s final appearance on “Glee” before he died. Monteith’s last recorded song on the show is “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)”, a duet with Mark Salling.

More than a year until his death, Monteith was in a relationship with the “Glee” co-star, American actress Lea Michele. On March 31, 2013, the media announced that Monteith had admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction. It was the actor’s second time in rehab. After leaving the clinic, Monteith celebrated his 31st birthday with his girlfriend. Later, “Glee” couple went on vacation to sunny Mexico. On June 8, Cory and Lea participated in the 12th annual charity event in which both were smiling and looked very happy.

zidiniu-apdaila

Luxurious movie “Now You See Me” will attract your attention from the first minute

Raminta Česnaitė

Is a lie a lie if everybody knows it’s a lie?

This question appears on the screen in the beginning of the movie but if you expect that the answer will be revealed soon, you are going to be disappointed.

Permanent fight with ego

Officially this movie is about the fight between magicians and FTB’s agents. But in fact this fight is among main characters’ egos. Every character appears to have the enormous ego and it is very interesting to guess who will be crushed his or hers ego first.

The script basically isn’t very tricky. Four magicians get together and start doing magic tricks. However, they are brought together by the mysterious fifth person who is hiding somewhere behind the curtain. This team makes amazing tricks together. During one show they rob the bank and naturally it makes FTB’s agents and Interpol furious. Witch-hunt has started.

Who doesn’t like good tricks?

It is really hard to say who will not like this movie because it is full of everything! There are gorgeous tricks, tricky brain teasers, talented actors, delicate humor, round-up and scrambles… In other words, there is everything that should be in a good thriller.

Sure, this movie isn’t so subtle like “Illusionist” or “The Prestige”. This movie is more similar to “Ocean’s” trilogy. Anyway, this brain teaser involves you and does not let you go until the very end. And even if you are not very a fan of the big puzzles, you want to know the answer to the question that this movie makes you ask – “what the hell is going on?”

A shot from the movie “Now You See Me”

Collectors of experience

The pace of this movie is very fast from the first seconds. We are given just a few minutes for all “the dots on the ‘I’”. It’s good. It’s nice when you don’t want to look at your watch. You just enjoy the show. The actors chosen for the main parts are talented (Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco, Michael Caine) and real professionals but it look like they didn’t have a chance to do their best.

There are so many tricks and adventures that we can’t see characters clearly and they become stereotypical. We have no time to know them better. We just realize that they live colorful lives. On the other hand, we are able to observe what kind of people they are now and guess about their early lives. And the fact that they look stereotypical doesn’t make them less interesting.

Verdict 9/10

“Now You See Me” – movie which is definitely worth seeing. This movie will involve you and keep you hooked up till the end. Probably you will even want to watch this movie one more time. This world is full of falseness and paralyzing self-confidence. It is pleasure not only to see this world but also to feel a part of it. And even though the creators of “Now You See Me” will trick you many times you will not get angry. You will respect them for that.

Anyway, despite the fact that this movie makes a big impression it will not stay in your head for a long time. Probably you would not recommend this movie for your friend after a week later just because you will remember neither the movie nor its characters.

Amanda Palmer’s open letter to “The Daily Mail”

Planet News

The Daily Mail published a picture of a little accidental nudity when Amanda Palmer performed at Glastonbury. She responded in song:

This is my response – with thanks to steph & rhiannon for recording & sharing so quickly* – live (july 12th 2013) at the Roundhouse in London:

dear daily mail,

it has come to my recent attention
that me recent appearance at glastonbury festivals kindly received a mention
i was doing a number of things on that stage up to and including singing songs (like you do…)
but you chose to ignore that and instead you published a feature review of my boob

dear daily mail,
there’s a thing called a search engine: use it!
if you’d googled my tits in advance you’d have found that your photos are hardly exclusive
in addition you state that my breast had escaped from my bra like a thief on the run
you do you know that it wasn’t attempting to just take in the RARE british sun?

dear daily mail,
it’s so sad what you tabloids are doing
your focus on debasing women’s appearances ruins our species of humans
but a rag is a rag and far be it from me to go censoring anyone OH NO
it appears that my entire body is currently trying to escape this kimono….

dear daily mail,
you misogynist pile of twats
i’m tired of these baby bumps, vadge flashes, muffintops
where are the newsworthy COCKS?
if iggy or jagger or bowie go topless the news barely causes a ripple
blah blah blah feminist blah blah blah gender shit blah blah blah
OH MY GOD NIPPLE

dear daily mail,
you will never write about this night
i know that because i’ve addressed you directly i’ve made myself no fun to fight
but thanks to the internet people all over the world can enjoy this discourse
and commune with a roomful of people in london who aren’t drinking kool-aid like yours

and though there be millions of people who’ll accept the cultural bar where you have it at
there are plenty of others who’re perfectly willing to see breasts in their natural habitat

i keenly anticipate your highly literate coverage of upcoming tours

dear daily mail,
UP YOURS.

love,
afp

and, well, holy shit….one day online and the original upload of this video‘s gotten over 234,000 views…and no response from the daily mail.
but it has been tweeted by imogen heap, caitlin moran, wil wheaton, russell brand, robert llewellyn, and thousands of other awesome people.

are we the media?

it would appear so.

…….

a fun note: a magician never reveals their secrets, but i’m a musician, and happy to reveal mine.

the start of the melody / the waltz was a DIRECT rip from the “waltz for eva and che” from EVITA.
weber and rice, sue me…it’ll make this even more interesting.
(but seriously, i love evita, this record was one of my fucking favorites growing up.)

love
AFP

Author’s blog

Fatal attraction: Spanish and Syrian Civil Wars

Ali Acikgoz

Spanish Civil War took its toll on humanity between 1936 and 1939. Both “Republican” loyalists and the “Conservative” rebels committed and suffered atrocities (brackets are used to express the context dependency of the terms since both sides were coalitions consisting of different groups with different ideological premises).

Both sides were backed up financially and militarily by other powers in the World: the loyalists received aid from Soviet Russia and Mexico, while volunteers from all over the world joined the loyalist ranks as independent or as soldiers of International Brigades. The rebels on the other hand were supported by some other dictatorships in Europe such as Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The infighting between rival loyalist groups (it was 1930’s and Stalin was being Stalin…) brought more carnage to already large pool of blood. By the time the war ended the enough damage was done to its people as many perished in battles, murdered for the sake of politics, and fall victim to atrocities against civilians. A fascist dictatorship emerged out of the ashes of the Second Spanish Republic and suppressed democracy in the country for the next couple of decades.

The war itself could be considered as a prelude to the series of events entitled “Second World War”. The equipment, tactics and the experience would be carried to battlefields around the world. The resolve of international community which was not responding to the crises and doing nothing to end human misery persisted as the spirit of the international politics. It took couple of genocides and nuclear bombings to rethink our mode of “realpolitik”.

Syrian Civil War has been taking place in Syrian soil since Spring 2011, and it has spilled beyond borders of war-torn country since. Demonstrations that began during the “Arab Spring” soon turned into a bloodbath and Syria became a battlefield between the government forces of Bashar Al-Assad and the rebels from different political camps. Syrian people who found themselves in crossfire took refuge in neighboring countries and overseas. The response from international community was mixed. West did not seem interested in an armed intervention in conflict, unlike Libya. The morale and logistic (albeit not limited to) support came from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and many other countries to the rebel side. On the other hand, the Syrian regime is backed by Russian and Iranian aid. The opposition proved to be ineffective to topple the government forces as expected by the international creditors of the rebels. Soon the clash of the two sides became prominent and humanitarian cost continued rising.

Thus far, various ceasefire deal failed to end the carnage. United Nations plan developed in 2012 was abandoned due to different positions taken by the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely Russia and China versus the Western countries. Meanwhile, frequent attacks by both sides continued to harm the social fabric and cultural heritage of Syria. Alleged use of chemical weapons by both sides, were accompanied by increasing radicalization of strategies and actions. Horrific images of brutalized people regularly filled Youtube and other social media. The propaganda war to win support in global public soon exposed delirium of civil war: “Hearteaters”, rebel warlords ambushing each other, cross border attacks on civilians and more.

A widespread idea in historiography is that “History repeats itself”. We have this conception only because history classes are not as interesting as they should be. Spanish Civil War was part of a series of events that could not be stopped by the international community of the day and ended in immense human suffering. Today we face another civil war that is burning the middle east and the contemporary international community is not vigorous enough to stop destruction. International institutions are fatally attracted to political maneuvers of various powers of the world and the system itself is not producing peace but sustaining conflict. History does not (and should not) repeat itself, humanity keeps making similar mistakes.

SIUNTŲ PRISTATYMO KAINOS

Violence against women in the Middle East – a problem which is hard to solve

Agnė Karmazinaitė

In June the World Health Organization’s research has confirmed that more than one third of the world’s women are victims of physical and sexual violence.

In the regions of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia this problem is particularly visible. Protests against President Mohammed Morsi in Egypt demonstrated that the concept of gender discrimination includes not only women’s inequality in the labor market. In the Middle East usual forms of discrimination are harsher, supplemented with violence, rape, or even murder.

Numerous challenges

According to the Islamic laws, a woman must always be helpful, humble, and her husband has the right to educate her “with fist” because of jealousy, not serving dinner on time, talking to people outside the family, or leaving the house without his blessing. These and other similar women’s “faults” can lead to man’s dissatisfaction which usually ends up with various forms of violence. For example, in Pakistan women are often harmed by sloping over sulfuric acid and this causes terrible consequences because most victims don’t have the possibility to seek help immediately.

Women become victims of other physical and psychological violence for even stranger reasons as well. In the Middle East and India the bride experiences oppression if she doesn’t have sufficient dowry as a gift to the man’s family. It sounds horrible, but sometimes for this reason the woman is even burned alive. Usually the suspects of the “dowry murders” aren’t arrested because of the lack of evidence, disguising it as a family event or suicide. Young girls are doomed to experience such man and woman relations, and early marriage. For the sake of loyalty, honor and chastity the genital of women is circumcised and removed in the early childhood. Despite the fact that this painful mutilation causes numerous health problems, it is considered to be a tradition, and genital circumcision is one of the most common forms of violence in Africa and the Middle East.

Violence against women is prevalent not only domestically when women is beaten, exploited or forced to have sexual intercourse. The sexual violence in the streets, especially in the areas of unrest is also quite common. For example, there were rapes and mutilation of women in Egypt’s protests. According to the BBC reports, these attacks have a clear strategy – a group of men surround a woman with guns. Such behavior is seen as a display of power for the opponents and the public. Paradoxically, when women become victims of violence in the streets, they receive no help in the family. It may even become a reason to kill her in order to restore the honor of her husband. When situation is like this, it is easy to believe the United Nations which says that woman at the age of 15-44 are more likely to suffer from violence than from cancer, an accident or suffer from war and malaria.

Consequences of violence are important to all of us

Violence and discrimination doesn’t allow women to participate fully in the social and political life. Even though women suffer from serious psychological and health problems, they are also forced to be quiet and do not report the violence because of threats, shame, fear, and the belief that nothing will change. All this leads to constant anxiety and increases cases of alcohol abuse and depression. The inability to protect women from sexual violence opens the way for sexually transmitted diseases, and two times raises unwanted pregnancies and abortion, as well as lead to the spread of HIV and AIDS. The victims become isolated, disabled, and vulnerable. Women make up half of the world’s population, so brutal treatment of them has social and economic consequences for the whole societies.

When women will be saved?

The world has already created and launched a number of programs to promote gender equality and reduce violence against women in various countries. These initiatives are joined by United Nations, World Bank, World Health Organization and others. In Egypt and India organized protests took place calling for stopping the violence and paying attention to women’s rights. Unfortunately, the attempts in that region to protect women rights legally are often stuck in “bypass” of laws, customs and traditions. Relationships in the public, including men and women, are defined in the Koran, and have remained as unquestioned words of God for many years. Therefore, the attempts to make women’s situation better attracted attention of clergy because the possible changes are seen as contradictory to faith.

Violence against women hides behind cultural and historical development of the country and lies in constant discrimination against women. The biggest problem arises when such behavior in the Middle East, South Asia or Africa is perceived as the norm in the society. The United Nations suggests that changing people’s mentality is a solution. The only question is whether such tactics will give visible results? When we see young men, only 21 years old, convicted of rape in Egypt, it seems that it will take more than a generation to change the perception of women in the Middle East.

Protests in Brazil are enormous, but unorganized

Simona Motuzaitė

Brazil protest 2013 — © Wikimedia Commons

In June the protests in Brazil started because of rising fares of public transport tickets to twenty centavos and it has grown to a million demonstrators in the fight against the corruption, economic inequality, poor health and education systems and a low quality of service.

In a country which is famous for its fascinating festivals, colorful carnivals and the most professional players in the world, such discontent by citizens did not appear for several decades. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff even canceled a trip to Japan. This shows that the situation is indeed serious.

On June 17^th the citizens occupied the streets of the largest city Sao Paulo in Brazil to protest against rising public transport fares and high cost of the organization of the World Cup in 2014. The government had plans to spend 15 billion U.S. dollars on the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. Over 200 000 people protested at least in eleven of the country’s biggest cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital Brazil.

The largest protest crowd gathered in Sao Paulo where 65 thousand people marched through the streets. While the drummers were beating the rhythm, Brazilians were chanting slogans against the corruption. In the capital Brazil the demonstrators broke into the high security area – they climbed on to the roof of the National Congress. In Rio de Janeiro several bloody accidents happened. Although earlier security leaders met with the protest organizers and informed the police not to carry weapons to demonstrations in order to avoid the problems, however, in the city center masked demonstrators set a car of the television SBT on fire, kindled three bonfires and tried to break into the State Assembly building, so the police had to use rubber bullets and tear gas. During the riots over 30 people were wounded. Fierce fighting also took place in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte. Television showed the gangs mugging shops in the city center. Most of the businessmen prepared for possible accidents closing the windows entirely.

The unrest began when the municipality of Sao Paulo announced that the ticket price of the bus, train and metro will increase twenty centavos. Then other municipalities did that too. Usually in Brazil all fees are determined in January when many other laws are also accepted. It is possible that the citizens reacted sharply because the ticket price changed in the middle of the year. It is strange but protesters’ goal became not only to reduce the cost of transport, but also, after fights with police in Sao Paulo many started to protest against harsh police actions when suppressing the demonstrations. Many people were injured, including several journalists. Since then, the protesters fight against poor health and education systems, high costs of living, increased government funding for sports events, corruption, overbilling in the government and government’s ignorance to citizens’ needs. The protests especially intensified on June 15, on Saturday, whe the Confederations Cup tournament began– a general test event for the World Cup in 2014.

While the movement has not selected leader or clear aims, the Brazilian government has already prepared to negotiate with the protesters and the country’s National Congress began to change the laws regarding the requirements of the protesters. Recently, it was confirmed that 75 percent of income from licenses by oilfield operation will be intended for education, and 25 percent for the health care system. The President has initiated several reforms which would lower corruption. However, many speculate that the political parties do not want big changes, and will try to resist the president’s proposals.

Brazil is the largest country in South America with almost 200 million people. Although it is the sixth largest economy in the world, as in many Latin American countries, high levels of social inequality are a big problem. Economists from all over the world criticize Brazil’s unbalanced economy – the government failed to stop rising inflation, which raises taxes, for a long time. The protesters are angry because of the significant difference between high fees and poor service quality.

Over the last 10-15 years, the middle class in Brazil has increased. Millions of people have become part of the middle class – which means that they have started to get higher income. However, millions who have become part of the middle class now have the losses – because of higher salaries they have to pay more taxes, therefore they begin to understand what government didn’t do for them. The difference between the amount of the fees and service quality becomes more obvious.

Jean-Michel Basquiat – matchless graffiti artist

Gabrielė Gugytė

Really often art and drugs go together. The famous artist Jean-Michel Basquiat also couldn’t separate these two.

Modern art representative become famous for his graffiti paintings which covered NY walls in the late 70’s and in 1981 he for the first time tried to paint on the canvas. Since then Jean-Michel became widely known and financially successful artist. He reached the top of his career at the age of 25. Sadly he couldn’t enjoy his glory for the long time. Jean-Michel died because of drug overdose when he was 27 years old.

The glory of SAMO

Jean-Michel Basquiat was the first African-American artist who became internationally famous and invaded the contemporary art world. He was also known as the SAMO, who was leaving short significant messages on the walls. Today his paintings in the auctions are sold for the incredibly large amounts of money.

J. M. Basquiat works are exhibited in the most famous museums, such like NY “Whitney“ in the Madison Avenue, but most of the paintings belong to private collections. His works that are marketed in the Christie and Sotheby auctions are priced for millions of dollars.

“Basquiat speaks articulately while dodging the full impact of clarity like a matador. We can read his pictures without strenuous effort—the words, the images, the colors and the construction—but we cannot quite fathom the point they belabor. Keeping us in this state of half-knowing, of mystery-within-familiarity, had been the core technique of his brand of communication since his adolescent days as the graffiti poet SAMO. To enjoy them, we are not meant to analyze the pictures too carefully. <…> He painted a calculated incoherence, calibrating the mystery of what such apparently meaning-laden pictures might ultimately mean.” (Marc Mayer, Basquiat in History)

Crumbles of biography

Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in the NY, Brooklyn, in the 1960s and he was real American loft generation kid. He was born and grew up just in time when NY and especially loft blocks of artists were very popular. His rise coincided with the emergence of a new art movement, Neo-Expressionism, ushering in a wave of new, young and experimental artists that included Julian Schnabel and Susan Rothenberg.

Jean-Michel started his artist career in the streets when he painted graffiti on the walls of Manhattan and on the T-shirts or elsewhere he thought it is right. At that time the art of graffiti was particularly fashionable and financially profitable that the persons who were involved in such art were just hunted by the New York galleries.

Three years of struggle gave way to fame in 1980 when his work was featured in a group show. His work and style received critical acclaim for the fusion of words, symbols, stick figures, and animals. Soon his paintings became so popular that the art loving public had no problem in paying so much as $50,000 for a Basquiat original.

At the same time he collaborated with the famous pop artist Andy Warhol and this collaboration resulted in a show that featured a series of corporate logos and cartoon characters.

Creation work

Jean Michel Basquiat works include graffiti and expressionistic painting. He also often included texts and imagery from tabloids into his paintings. It is interesting that most of his paintings were painted on the found objects such as old boards and furniture.

Over a decade-long career, Jean-Michel had time to do quite a lot: he starred in the famous “GQ Magazine“ writer and scenarist Glenn O’Brien film, appeared in the legendary group’s “Blondie“ clip, collaborated with such a celebrities like Madonna, Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Julian Schnabel, Francesco Clemente and many other commercial art industry celebrities. Jean-Michel Basquiat works were shown in the series of New York’s art galleries, clubs, lofts and other urban areas.

“SAMO marked the witty sayings of a precocious and worldly teenage mind that, even at that early juncture, saw the world in shades of gray, fearlessly juxtaposing corporate commodity structures with the social milieu he wished to enter: the predominately white art world.” (Franklin Sirmans, In the Cipher: Basquiat and Hip Hop Culture)

Sad ending

As his popularity grew, so did Basquiat’s personal problems. By the mid-1980s, his friends became increasingly concerned with his excessive drug use. Jean-Michel became paranoid and isolated himself from the world around him for long periods of time. Desperate to fight the heroin addiction, he left New York for Hawaii in 1988, returned a few months later and claimed to be sober.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t. Basquiat died of a drug overdose on August 12, 1988, in New York City. He was 27 years old. Although his art career was brief, Jean-Michel Basquiat has been praised for bringing the African-American and Latino experience in the elite world of art.

“Man of Steel” – strong but vulnerable

Živilė Žilionytė

Superman – one of the oldest comic book characters, who, perhaps, has had greatly influenced the culture of the United States of America.

In his movie “Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder breaks all the stereotypes about this “DC Comics” fictitious character and makes people realise that Superman can be very humane and vulnerable likewise. It should be also noted, that a significant contribution to this movie was given by “The Dark Knight” creator Christopher Nolan.

Plot changes

During the collapse of the planet Krypton a newborn Kal-El is sent to Earth – this act provokes General Zod, who swears to find and kill Kal-El. Kal-El is named as Clark Kent on Earth. He has to adapt both to the new environment of the planet and its people. Though in previous movies the superhero fought against people, in this movie the battle gets even more challenging. Here Kal-El fights against General Zod – he is also from the planet Krypton and has the same supernatural powers as Superman: laser gaze, ability to fly and a titanic strength.

A shot from the movie “Man of Steel”

Settled stereotypes lose their meaning

“Man of Steel” finally reveals how Superman was raised and what problems he had to face. Sensitive topics such as sneering and intolerance are touched. It is worth noting that the topic – lack of tolerance for different people was also presented in other movie about superheroes “X-men”. Christopher Nolan’s distinctiveness is the creation of quite realistic characters and because of this supernatural Superman is portrayed more humane and not afraid of showing his emotions.

As a child Superman was not happy about his superhuman powers which made him feel as an outcast. He was not understood by his parents either as they forbade him to use his superhuman powers. However, they did so fearing that Clark Kent might stand out of the rest. Even though he could have saved his father, the superhero did not use his powers during the moment when his father was dying.

Movie “Man of Steel” highlights father’s wisdom – it guides Superman throughout the movie. Because of this the movie resembles “Superman Returns”. However in this movie it can be clearly seen who gives all these advices, although in both cases the father is just a memory in Superman’s heart.

Superman’s costume has changed – it became darker and it is not playful or childish anymore. Movie director decided to unveil the meaning of “S” sign which resembles to letter “S”. This sign symbolizes a hope that there is good in every person.

To biggest disappointment though is that Superman’s character that was so different from the previous ones throughout the whole movie ends being exactly the same. He unfolds as a typical “DC Comics” creation.

A shot from the movie “Man of Steel”

Superman’s revival in “Man of Steel”

Director left no space for romance in this movie. Moreover, the movie is rather tense, thus, there were no space left for humour as well. However, this movie is way better than movie “Superman Returns” (2006), which suffered a complete fiasco. A lot was expected from this movie; nevertheless it disappointed the audience by a typical romantic-movie cliché plot.

When “Man of Steel” creative team was joined by “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan, movie fans debated whether Superman is going to fight against Lex Luthor in the same way as Batman fought against Joker or another villain character will be introduced. It was also feared whether Superman was not about to become too realistic. In “Man of Steel” one may feel director’s Christopher Nolan’s influence even from the first minutes of the movie trailer, which by its sulkiness reminds The Batman trilogy. However, director does not want Batman to be comparable to Superman.

A fight of two aliens excites a viewer and promises a huge dose of special effects. Agreeably, Marvel Movie Company once again highlights itself as one of the best creators of special effects.

Brilliant director’s idea was “shaky camera” effect which gives a feeling of being in the middle of the action. In addition, 3D visualization contributes to spectators “real” involvement within the action scenes. Viewers are sucked into action from the first minutes and yet subsequently prolonged fights get slightly boring.

For the first time Superman appeared in “Action Comics” magazine’s June issue in 1938. On the front cover Superman was presented holding a car. June 2013 issue of popular comic magazine “Entertainment Weekly” was illustrated by Henri Cavill – the hero of the newest movie “Man of Steel”.

Even before the movie hit the movie theatres it had already became very profitable. Movie makers have already retrieved three quarters of expenditures just by granting certain music bands for movie promotion. For this reason, “Man of Steel” is probably the most promoted movie throughout the entire cinema history. Furthermore, it is believed that this movie will be the most profitable movie of June.

Professional cast of actors

“Man of Steel” surprised everyone when the main role was given to not so well known actor Henry Cavill. However, there is no need to talk about the professionalism of actors such as Micheal Shannon who created General Zod role, or Russel Crowe who embodied Superman’s biological father. In “Man of Steel” these actors once again showed their incredible talent. Superman father’s role was entrusted to Kevin Costner, who was a pleasant surprise, since he has just came back to cinema screens after a break. Amy Adams created Lois Lein character; she had a slightly different role in this movie, where she had not to lose her mind for Superman. Lois Lein was supposed to be more a counterpart in this movie; she even was rescuing Superman in one of the movie scenes.

Verdict 9/10

“Man of Steel” is a long-awaited continuation of Superman series. Movie creators surprised the audience by gathering great cast of actors. Furthermore, the movie captivated by trying to solve psychological Clark Kent problems. As a result, not only action or fiction lovers are going to be interested in this movie. In addition, it is meritorious that Superman is portrayed as a mature man. His behaviour, appearance and clothing unveils that he is not a child anymore. For all these reasons “Man of Steel” may be called as one of the best Superman movies. Although, notwithstanding the fact that special effects really impressed, it is worth noting that the script was kind of tame and some movie parts were too long. However, the movie culmination is optimistic, as Superman does not disappear, but continues helping people protecting them from aliens and themselves.

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