The Bomber war – Documentary and book

Byrichard

When I was in Spain I started to read “The Bomber War” because it’s a topic I do not know much about the topic. It’s interesting to read about the technology that they used for guidance, for detection and for the bombing. It’s also to read about how one thousand bomber sorties were sometimes orchestrated. I’m only 40 per cent of the way through the book at the time of writing.


While reading the Bomber War I also watched a French documentary available on curioisitystream called Bombing War: From Guernica to Hiroshima“. It is a two-part documentary looking at bombing, from the experimental bombing of Guernica and the request for bombing not to target civilians to the bombing of London, Berlin and many cities in between. It takes a look at what motivated the change in bombing tactic.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e9ZqNWJZm0


By the end of the documentary, I thought that they should have addressed the cultural cost of bombing Europe. Plenty of beautiful old cities were destroyed in such a manner that we now travel to specific towns to see what Europe looked like before the Second World War and its bombing campaigns.


One sentence from the second documentary that may stick with you is that it was more dangerous to be in the bombers on their sorties than in the cities that were being bombed. This is due to the air defences, whether Flak, enemy fighters or mid-air collisions.


In the book, we read about the challenges of finding the way to the correct bombing site. They needed to navigate by the stars but also using dead reckoning. Eventually, both sides used beams to guide bombers to and from targets. If you’re interested in technology then the book is worth reading.


Although slightly off-topic the documentaries have some nice images from the war to give you a glimpse of how things looked at the time. It appears that some of the footage was colourised which is both a shame because it becomes a creative representation rather than accurate, and great because it brings certain images to life, making footage easier to interpret.


A topic that I had not come across until watching the second documentary is the dropping of Napalm on Japenese cities with more than 300,000 people, and then on cities of more than 100,000 people. You have images with a percentage of the cities that were destroyed by bombing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzCD32SAXI


The Foggiest Idea
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The Foggiest Idea

Byrichard

The Foggiest idea, or a pun, after a walk this morning through Geneva on a foggy day. “The Jet D’eau will be off”, I thought. It was pumping out water at its usual rate but you’d find it hard to see. The grey/white fog, along with the white water, converged and became one.





On a day like today, the Jet D’eau is not the only thing that is hard to see. So are the mountains. If you try to see the other side of the lake you see nothing, just a blank canvas on which you could add anything. It’s also a time when you might be happy to go back indoors where it is nice and warm.


Two Swans on a foggy day in Geneva


On such a day it would be interesting to set up a timelapse camera from the top of the RTS tower or some other building. You could capture as the fog burns off and reveals the view. From the top of the RTS tower you have a good view of Geneva and it’s surroundings.


The RTS Tower
The RTS Tower


Getting Cold On A Scooter
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Getting Cold On A Scooter

Byrichard

I don’t often spend two hours on a scooter driving from Geneva to Nyon and back, especially not when it’s about 1°c. In such conditions, I’d drive to the closest train station and be done with it. I waited until ten or eleven in the morning to drive. Any earlier and it would have been really cold.



It’s one of those situations when you’re happy that there are roadworks and slow drivers. If there were no road works and no slow drivers I would be going at up to 80 kilometres an hour and trying to keep as much out of the wind as possible.


My hands, my gluteus maximus and my legs were the parts to get cold. It’s not that the entire leg is cold, but just small parts. This does make it easier to endure.


In previous years when I was driving to work my legs got so cold as I got to the train station that I struggled to walk properly. This wasn’t the case today. In the past, I was driving in the early hours of the morning when temperatures were at their lowest.


Some people add skirts to their scooter, to keep warm. I save money and wear thermal underwear and it works.


Before I leave you I was able to see the bison better than usual. They are in a small pen and I stopped. As I walked up I scared a mother and her calf so I missed the shot I really wanted to get. It’s funny to see an animal as big as a bison run away from you. It’s a relief.


In the photo, you can see that at least one male was watching me. I didn’t stay too long or advance any further and I didn’t linger. These animals could easily bash down the gate.


I also saw a sheepherder and her dog move sheep from one field to another from my bedroom window. For once I saw it in real life, despite having a piece of glass in front of me.

Blobs in Geneva
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Blobs in Geneva

Byrichard

How often do you see blobs guarding the entrance of an old town?


Today I walked around Geneva and in at least three locations I spotted these blobs guarding various places. These two are guarding the entrance to the old town. I like the contrast between the modern blobs above the gate to the old town of Geneva and the statue of Pictet De Richemond.


Two more of these blobs were playing by a merry go round where you walk up from the new town to the old town.


Two more of them were playing on the columns of St Pierre’s. I don’t know what they’re part of. I don’t know whether they’re part of an art exhibit or some other form of activity. It’s amusing that they would choose to climb up the columns as they’re shown to be doing.

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Socialising and Networking

Byrichard

After university, I estimated that I got to know of at least 600 people. I was on campus every day and I was out almost all the time. Whether it was in the edit suites, the library or the bar. I used to sit indoors with the bags as a non-smoker but within weeks I dressed for the English winter and started to stand outside, warmly dressed.


I went from being a solitary person looking after a table and belongings to short ten to fifteen-minute conversations with several dozen people a night. Such a process is a good way of getting to know people and to learn of projects that you want to work on.


That’s why you go to the edit suites, radio studios and other places. You have the opportunity to chat with people and to learn more about their projects and about technologies that you may not play with for your profession. That’s also when people asked me for help with editing. “How do I do this?”, “How do you do that?”, “Can we work together on that project”.


In post-university life it’s much harder to meet people and socialise like this. On the one hand, the pool of people is much larger. You’re dealing with thousands of people, rather than hundreds. You also need to find places where there are groups to connect with.


For a while, social media filled this role. So does work where you’re in the real world rather than the virtual. I see office life as virtual because when you’re working in an office you’re not meeting people in person. You don’t have the same opportunities for friendships.


Recently I’ve been volunteering at Geneva-based events to meet new people and see interesting projects. It’s a series of events where we’re needed for three or four hours every few days. It’s great if you want free access to an event but I find that it lowers the chance to meet people.


The best events to volunteer for or participate in are those where people are present for the entire time of the event. You meet them at the stands, you meet them at the drinks and other events, and you meet them in the evening. It’s a way of becoming a close group, even if just for a week. It did result in follow up projects.


Growing your network: Finding rockstars from Building Professional Relationships by Skyler Logsdon


I would love to work where I’m in the real world, meeting people and collaborating with a number of teams in person rather than by e-mail or over the phone. In a recent contract, an entire unit came to my end of contract drinks. That doesn’t happen every time.

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Flying over Oeschinensee with an FPV Drone

Byrichard

Flying over Oeschinensee with an FPV drone looks nice. I went there as a child and the lake is distinct with its lake, green slopes, hills and that wall of rock on the other side. It’s above Kandersteg and there are a number of walks to be enjoyed in the area.





Flying a drone in such a place is great because it gives you a way of exploring the landscape either before you’ve been on a hike or afterwards. It also allows you to find new locations from which to take pictures or even to find a new climbing route. I haven’t looked at what climbs there are around there.


I know that there is a Via Ferrata that I have been tempted to do in summer. With a drone, it would be fun to get some shots from a different perspective than usual.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOaxV9N108g


Instead of people on a boat, he could have found people exploring the Via Ferrata. There are some nice shots going down waterfalls, through the valley, along the river bed, through the forest and more. It’s a great location for flying a drone.


An Adult Playground Near a Children’s Playground

An Adult Playground Near a Children’s Playground

Byrichard

When in Geneva we can easily walk by the lake, or through the city when we’re not looking after children but when we are walking might be more of a challenge. I am not looking after children in Geneva but as you might there is an opportunity here.


Several exercise machines for grown -ps


You have a choice of machines to play with. You have a rowing machine that uses body weight. You have turntables to work your core, you have a swingy leg thing for leg muscles, an elliptical machine for cardio and another rowing machine that also works your core and arms. I tried the rowing machine and the turntable. The turntable is good. It allows you to go at the speed that’s comfortable for you so that you work your body correctly.



The turntable has a choice of three heights so you can either choose the one that’s at the right height for you or you can use all three heights and work a variety of muscles within that group.



These rowing machines are okay. They’re better when you do small movements rather than the entire range of motion it offers. I found that if you go beyond a certain point it leaps.


The elliptical machine needs to be maintained because I found that it’s not as smooth as it should be so it may strain your body without giving you a proper workout.


Such machines are good because they can be used throughout the year and at any time of day or night as they’re far enough not to disturb people living nearby. It’s convenient because it’s near a children’s playground so while children play on their swings you can enjoy yourself too.

Arrest – Screened at the Black Movie film Festival

Byrichard

Yesterday I went to see Arrest – screened at the Black Movie film festival. It’s an independent film festival taking place in Geneva at the moment. I’m a volunteer at the event and in exchange for standing at the door and checking tickets, I get to see any film that still has space.


The provisional title of this film was 1983 and because I walked in a few minutes into the film I missed the beginning. The entire film takes place in a prison cell and looks at how two characters were interrogated. It looks at the dynamic between both characters.


While watching this film it reminded me of The Gulag Archipelago because it gives a glimpse into life under Nicolae Ceau?escu.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDdcAcJS3ZY


And the making of in Romanian


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ4rMERebgo

A Windy Day In Geneva

A Windy Day In Geneva

Byrichard

They announced that it would be windy today and it is. Windy days are fun because the lake goes from blue or green to English Breakfast tea brown. The waves crash against the walls and spray the promenade that goes from the Pont Du Mont Blanc to the Jardin Anglais. For now it’s getting things wet. With the right wind and low temperatures it could be great for the taking of photos.


A wave splashing over the wall
The Lac Leman when it’s the colour of English tea on a windy day


When I was taking pictures and videos my fingers got cold enough for me to try to warm up again on the exercise machines by the Bain de Paquis. It was cold enough to get cold while taking pictures and video.


Despite this cold some eccentric people still went for a swim. This, despite the waves, the wind, and the windchill. I saw two people swim, and then a third person swim. I then saw a group arrive for their Sunday swim.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf1JoTPAAGQ


As I walked to where the people go to set off I thought they would miss their swim in light of the conditions. I’m surprised that some people went for a solitary swim in such conditions. I’d prefer to have someone just in case I need help.


A Frosty Morning

A Frosty Morning

Byrichard

Yesterday we had rain and with that rain came a night cold enough for everything to be covered in ice. As I came out of the train station in Nyon I could feel my feet slip frequently. In the process walking was treacherous for those who are not experienced with the pleasure of walking on ice. For others it is an opportunity to look for possible pictures.





On a minivan I saw this pattern on the windowscreen. Water seems to have been blown by the wind at just the right speed to create this fun little pattern. It’s the type of pattern we should look for right before defrosting a car. This isn’t my car so I was just looking to see whether it was a boring sheet or more. In this case it looks like pine needles from a pine tree so it’s nice to look at. Nature finds elegant solutions.





The second pattern of interest I saw was on this pond. When the wind is calm during morning hours the building reflects in the pond. Today the reflection includes a pattern of ice, to add character.


Tuesday should be a good day to hunt for possible images. The air temperature is meant to go down to -6c in the morning. It only lasts for one day so it’s not ideal for proper ice pictures but if there is enough wind then the lakeside could look as it did two or three years ago.