Thousands in the Superdome - thoughts above Timmelsjoch

''These pictures are hard to stand'', admits German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Experts sell Germany's and other European countries fuel reserve, to support the U.S., the own and the Global Market.

Six days after hurricane Katrina people in the Mississippi Area starve, shoot, steal and die.

''Worse than war'', or ''like in a Third World Country'' comment observers the apocalyptic scene. Looking TV far from thousand miles away, many people wipe away tears in helplessness.

Before the hurricane most middle and upper class people have left the dangerous area in costly cars. We have seen the traffic jam on the high ways leaving New Orleans area.

Now school- and grey hound busses have to evacuate the poor ones. Most of these poor left ones we watch in TV are black. Yes, Chancellor Schroeder is right: ''These pictures are hard to stand!''

 

Friday evening U.S. President Bush visits Biloxi, another destroyed town closed to New Orleans. Two different journalist in German and Austrian TV report with astonishment the same story.

All day long the journalists have explored the town. They have seen rotten corpses and hungry, thirsty, starving people. But they have seen no help, no police, no Red Cross.

Suddenly in the afternoon big trucks clean up the street, security agents show up. A quarter hour later the U.S. President comes, leaves his car, shakes the hand of some people and hugs a black woman with baby. The journalists haven't seen that lady before and will not see anymore after the spectacle. This short President show is broadcasted worldwide. But the disaster in and around the Super Dome New Orleans still continues for torturing days.

I remember my press voyage to New Orleans 1999. The company had booked the famous Marriott Hotel near French Quarter. I enjoyed the swimming pool on the roof. From a beverage sales machine I remember the warning:

 


 

''WARNING NEW LOUISANA LAW RS 1457.7 DAMAGE TO OR THEFT FROM THIS MASCHINE IS NOW A FELONY WITH A MANDATORY 2 YEARS IN JAIL''

 



the swimming pool on the roof


My Marriott Hotel near French Quarter 1999

 

One week ago I have seen the photo exhibition about WWII in the synagogue of Pilsen with the title: ''Yesterday was a war.''

Has nature NOW started a war against us? Activates Mother Earth her own intelligence, to protect her blood, the water, and her breath, the air, her flesh, the soil?

Two weeks ago immense floods destroy streets, houses and life in Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland. Today I travel in this region in Austria and listen to the radio: ''The damage here is around 80 Million Euro.''

The last long sunny summer week-end alone on the road: my woman Mimamai has still enough adventure from our last two weeks Poland holidays.

I was never a fan or regular customer of this Hollywood brainwash film productions in cinema or TV. But this week we watch U.S. reality television, and these words are so true: ''These pictures are hard to stand''.

Some truth spreads this feverish fascination, you can't get enough. Reminds me on my early days of childhood, when the parents went out at night. There came late at night often one of these productions, to demonstrate the true cruelties in the German concentration camps during the war. Even these film created my nightmares, I had to see them: ''These pictures are hard to stand''.

The subject of the picture exhibition in synagogue of Pilsen last Saturday is also true: ''Yesterday was a war.''



'Yesterday was a war.'' (Munich 1945)

 

As school boy in my tender age of 17 years we have visited first time in my life the ''Industrial fair'' in Hanover. This very first visit was a great shock: I have seen a huge hall with artificial fires. These illusions should make your home more comfortable, even these open fire illusions doesn't heat. I was very interested in electric engineering, but could never imagine, to work for such products.

From those years 1965 we got a diffuse feeling and more a concrete conviction, that many industrial products harm Mother Earth.

Since these years my fantasy have always seen catastrophes coming closer.

Mother Nature, does she strikes back now? Yesterday was a Tsunami, two weeks ago Bavaria, Austria and Swiss suffered from a ''300-year-flood''.

Earth crisis comes closer. The U.S. officials have not yet signed the Kyoto protocol, to reduce the pollution.

Are the times over, to mock about our greed, gain and get mentality? Asks Mother Nature now to sacrifice or life?



Cablecar for summer ski on the glacier in Oetz-Valley

 

 
  • July-August 2003: Heat and firewalls in Europe - 20.000 old and sick people die
  • 26. December 2003: Bam, Iran: Earthquake - 43.000 dead
  • 26. December 2004: earthquake in the Indian Ocean, Tsunami 232,000 dead
  • Winter 2005 in the Alps: more avalanches than ever
  • Summer 2005: fires in Portugal destroy 2400 square kilometres forest, 14 dead
  • August 2005: floods in Austria, Swiss and Germany, 10 dead
  • 28. August 2005: Hurricane Katrina destroys New Orleans, thousands dead
There have been warnings like from the Club of Rome experts (1972) since decades. The ultimate catastrophe for Europe: the Gulf stream changes the direction.

What do people expect?

Do we believe, individual or collective EGO-SHOOTING is like a high skill programmed entertainment?

When WE interrupt the game, life will continue like usual?

My week end desire: escape from my home town, escape from these pictures, escape from these news, escape into the arms of Mother Earth, the nature.

Maybe one of the last sunny summer week end voyage?

Saturday I drive the well known way from Garmisch, Ehrwald, Biberwier into the valley ''Oetz-Tal''. The lake to swim has drink water quality.



The lake to swim has drink water quality.

 

I spend 11 Euro for a night on a camping place in Soelden, 1300 Meters. The temperature falls in the car below 10 degree Celsius. So I leave very, very early and take the street higher and higher. The Pass is called Timmelsjoch - 2502 Meters high.

Equipped with my mountain boots and a backpack full of food I start. After one hour I leave the marked way and try to find my own way to the top.

It's like a moon walk, stone over stone. The feet have to take good care, not to slip with a stone downwards. Lunges and muscles have hard time, to move my lazy body upwards.

Back Mima's Bluewhale has hard time too: the engine drops oil smoke. So it's better to return. My nerves are tense.

Finally on Monday my woman and I relax on a five hour boat tour on the river Amper: from Stegen to Fuerstenfeldbruck.

Totally tired, to watch these terrible news in TV, to read the deathly facts: ''These pictures are hard to stand''!



The Pass is called Timmelsjoch - 2502 Meters high.

 

back