Uno de los edificios que siempre me ha llamado mucho la atencion es el Teatro Lara de Madrid, este edificio ubicado en La Corredera Baja de San Pablo muy proximo a la Plaza Luna es uno de los pocos edificios modernistas en la ciudad.

Fue construido entre 1879 y 1880 por el arquitecto Carlos Velasco y Peinado.

El teatro se construyó en los bajos de una casa propiedad del promotor de teatro Cándido Lara, por ese motivo se llamó Teatro de Lara. El teatro se inauguró en 1880 con la representación de dos comedias: Un novio a pedir de boca  (de Manuel Bretón de los Herreros) y La ocasión la pintan calva  (de Vital Aza y Miguel Ramos Carrión). El interior del teatro tiene un patio de butacas, dos pisos de placos y un anfiteatro, destacan los frescos del techo pintados por el artista Contreras.

En 1916, el arquitecto Pedro Mathet y Rodríguez lo reformó, quien retocó la fachada dotándola de un tono modernista.

Me ha sorprendido que siendo declarado por el ayuntamiento como de interes nacional hay poca informacion sobre el edificio en la red. La informacion que he encontrado es sumamente contradictoria.

El teatro estuvo cerrado años y posteriormente se rehabilitó ( no sé la fecha ni quien se encargó de la rehabilitación debido a las multiples contradicciones que he encontrado, para unos 1994 y otros 1997). Creo que las contradicciones se deben a que la fecha de rehabilitacion del edificio y la de las subvenciones ortogadas por el ayuntamiento para tal fin no coinciden...

Seguiré informando....

Pagina web del teatro (podeis ver la cartelera, y fotos del interior): http://www.teatrolara.com/

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Letter sent to Estelle Grimes in Arrow Rock, Mo., from Albert Spillman
Postmarked Feb. 14, 1916, in Melbourne, Mo.

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From the archives of the New York Times

Μια ρήση, ένας τίτλος ποιήματος για να ακριβολογούμε, γεμάτη αυταπάρνηση και μεγαλείο. Ο Αλεξανδρινός αποδίδει τιμές στον Λεωνίδα και τους 300 πού έπεσαν ηρωικά μέχρι ενός το 480 π.Χ. στα στενά των Θερμοπύλων σε μια μάταιη προσπάθεια να αναχαιτίσουν τις στρατιές του Ξέρξη.

Φέρνοντας στην μνήμη μας τον ηρωικό θάνατο των Λακεδαιμονίων ψηλώνουμε ηθικά αναλογιζόμενοι τη μεγαλειώδη αντίσταση τους, όπως και αυτή αναπαρήχθη στην πρόσφατη ταινία 300. Αλλά καμιά φορά αναρωτιέμαι αν η ίδια ακριβώς θυσία και μάχη θα τύγχανε των ίδιων δαφνών και επαίνων αν τελικά οι περσικές στρατιές δεν αναχαιτίζονταν στη Σαλαμίνα και τις Πλαταιές λίγο αργότερα.

Αυτό που θέλω να πω είναι πως η Ιστορία βρίθει από παραδείγματα στρατών και ανθρώπων που ώρισαν να φυλάγουν Θερμοπύλες. Εντελώς συνειρμικά ταξιδεύω στο Γενικό Ταχυδρομείο του Δουβλίνου όπου το 1916 Ιρλανδοί πατριώτες έπεσαν μαχόμενοι για την ανεξαρτησία τους. Δε λησμονώ ακόμα και τη μάχη της Λοκρίδας το 146 π.Χ. όταν οι ρωμαϊκές λεγεώνες υπερκέρασαν την αντίσταση των τελευταίων ελευθέρων Ελλήνων ρίχνοντας έτσι την αυλαία στο αρχαιοελληνικό έπος.

Μπορώ να σκεφτώ πλείστα άλλα παραδείγματα και φτάνω μοιραία μπροστά στο ερώτημα, μήπως τελικά ο Καβάφης υπερβάλλει όπως και ο Ηρόδοτος υπερέβαλε αναφορικά με τους αριθμούς των επιδρομέων του Ξέρξη*;

Όχι, αυτό που έχει σημασία είναι η απαράμιλλη στάση. Έχω γίνει μάρτυρας πολλών ανθρώπων που έχουν μια ερασιτεχνική σχέση με την μουσική, όλοι αυτοί δεν έχουν βάσιμες ελπίδες να κλέψουν κάπως τις θαυμάστριες του Ρουβά, αλλά λόγω των αναρίθμητων εργατοωρών που κατανάλωσαν για χάρη της Τέχνης, «ψήλωσαν» μοναδικά. Έγιναν πολύ καλύτεροι, γιατί στάθηκαν αγέρωχοι μπροστά στους «Αθανάτους»** και τους αντιμετώπισαν με γενναιότητα και ας ξέρουν πως τη θυσία δεν θα την υμνήσει κανένας Σιμωνίδης***.

Το να στεκόμαστε στις Θερμοπύλες μπορεί να προεξοφλεί τον θάνατο μας, αλλά ταυτόχρονα προεξοφλεί και την υψηλή μας αξία και αυτή με την σειρά της προεξοφλεί ανώτερη ποιότητα ζωής. Να αντιστεκόμαστε για τα ιδανικά και τις αξίες μας και αυτό θα μας κάνει όλους μοιραία Leonidas!

Αυτό ίσως να θέλει να μας πει ο Καβάφης!!

* Για τους Αδαείς: Σύμφωνα με τον «Πατέρα της Ιστορίας», το περσικό στράτευμα αριθμούσε πάνω από 2,000,000 άντρες. Η κινητοποίηση και η συντήρηση ενός τόσου μεγάλου σώματος κρίνεται αδύνατη για εκείνη την εποχή.

** Για τους Αδαείς: Επίλεκτο σώμα του περσικού στρατού, αποτελούσαν και την σωματοφυλακή του Μεγάλου Βασιλέα. Ήταν 10,000 και λέγονταν «Αθάνατοι» γιατί κάθε φορά που κάποια από τα μέλη του σκοτώνονταν στη μάχη αντικαθίστανταν άμεσα για να διατηρούνται πάντα 10,000!

***Για τους Αδαείς: Λυρικός ποιητής από την Κέα. Σε αυτόν αποδίδεται το ιστορικό.. «Ω ξειν, αγγέλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις, ότι τήδε κείμεθα, τοις κείνων ρήμασι πειθόμενοι».

]]> http://ardle.wordpress.com/?p=8 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:23:29 +0000 The Central Scrutinizer http://ardle.wordpress.com/?p=8

Ninety-two years ago to the day the flower of British youth was donning soup-bowl helmets and fixing bayonets to long bits of wood in a dull region of France called the Somme, before clambering out of holes in the ground to see how many pieces of hot metal they could collect in their bodies.

Their noble sacrifices on that day have enabled me, a lost toe-rag of generation No-Idea, to idle my life away doing very little in the way of work in foreign parts and squander what pitiful wealth I have gathered on other, altogether less lethal, long bits of wood.

Here they all are, resplendent in a bad 1970’s-look photograph capturing the essence of that legendary factory of audio goodness, Easter Island Studios.

Now, as in some other Pacific islands’ cargo-cults of the 1940’s, I’d like you all to bow down before the assembled deities of Fenders Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jazz Bass and Precision Bass, Yamaha 12-string acoustic, Rickenbacker 4003, Gibson SG Standard, Epiphone Les Paul Custom and cheap 6-string Ovation copy of dubious provenance.

Guarding the rear of the temple are a pair of stern-faced Marshalls, whilst hovering in the air are Korg and Roland synths, an Akai sampler and a pair of digital recording workstations courtesy of Yamaha and Roland.

And lo, it was good.

Letter to Estelle Grimes in Arrow Rock, Mo., from Albert Spillman.
Postmarked Feb. 6, 1916, from Quincy & K. City, RPO, or railway post office.

RPOs were used from 1862 to 1977 (although by that time only a few were still in use). The first U.S. RPO was on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. St. Joseph, of course, also started the Pony Express.

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Letter sent to Albert Spillman from Estelle Grimes dated Feb. 3, 1916. Pages are missing from the letter -- I hope they'll turn up, but the letter was not in an envelope.

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As the Irish patriot Roger Casement (executed by the British after the 1916 uprising in Ireland) put it:
"I know of two tragic histories in the world - that of Ireland and that of Macedonia. Both of them have been deprived and tormented."
Casement was speaking primarily of the Macedonians who then inhabited the lands that fell within the borders of the ancient Macedonian homeland.

From the book "Macedonia and Greece: The Struggle to Define a New Balkan Nation" by John Shea, 1997, page 8.

Letter to Estelle Grimes in Arrow Rock, Mo., from Albert Spillman
Postmarked Jan. 25, 1916, in Melbourne, Mo.

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Postcard sent to Estelle Grimes in Arrow Rock, Mo.
Postmarked Jan. 10, 1916, in Mt. Leonard, Mo.

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Letter from Carl Grimes to his parents, Edward and Mollie Grimes
Dated Jan. 9, 1916

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A letter sent to Mollie Grimes in Arrow Rock, Mo., from her son, Carl Grimes, and his wife, Hattie.
Postmarked Jan. 7, 1916, in Mt. Leonard, Mo.

The typed page was written by Carl; the hand-written pages were written by Hattie.

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The Dubliners - Hand Me Down My Bible. Written by Phil Coulter, it's quite clearly about Ian Paisley.

The Dubliners - Kelly the Boy from Killane. Sean Kelly led 800 pikemen against the British garrison in New Ross during the 1798 rebellion. He was later executed.

The Wolfe Tones - Come Out Ye Black and Tans. Written by Dominic Behan (Brendan's brother).

The Ludlows - The Sea Around Us - also by Dominic Behan. AKA Thank God We're Surrounded by Water.

Jim McCann - Grace. Written by Sean and Frank O'Meara about the marriage of a 1916 leader to his fiancée on the eve of his execution. Historical context and Youtube file on the link.

Luke Kelly - The Foggy Dew. About the 1916 Rising. Patrick Pearse and Cathal Brugha are amongst those mentioned in this song.

Luke Kelly/The Dubliners - Rebellion Medley. Includes snippets of Wrap the Green Flag Round Me Boys, The West's Awake, and A Nation Once Again.

Darach Ó Catháin - Óró sé do bheatha 'bhaile - Patrick Pearse's song about pirate queen Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O'Malley). Also as used in The Wind that Shakes the Barley: marching song.

Somgs I'd like to have: Kevin Barry sung by Paul Robeson, The Galtee Mountain Boy, The Ballad of James Connolly (not James Connolly, which is a different song), a good version of Boolavogue, Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland.

July 20, 1916

Rene Picard: The Autonomy of Macedonia

The idea of Macedonian autonomy is familiar to all those who are acquainted with Balkan
history and politics. If we asked the Christians of Macedonia they would answer that
autonomy was the most desirable solution for them.
There is and, in fact, there has always been a Macedonian spirit in Macedonia.
Geographically, Macedonia has its own unity. Its borders are the following: to the south -
Mt Olympus, the mountains on the north bank of the River.. Bistrica, Lake Prespa and
Lake Ohrid; to the west -the Drim from Debar; to the north-west and north -the Sar
Mountains, the highlands north of Skopje, the defile of Kumanovo, the mountains that
mark the Serbo-Bulgarian frontier of before 1912; to the east -the Rhodope Mountains.
The borderline with Thrace on this side is not clear. The regions of Drama and Kavalla can either be adjoined to Macedonia or separated from it; the plain of Drama is populated
mostly by Turks; the town of Kavalla, like all the ports, has a strong Greek colony. To the
south, the Chalcidice Peninsula is geographically Macedonian, but ethnographically
Greek; the line of lakes separates it by a natural border from the rest of Macedonia.
Within these borders Macedonia has the natural basins of Skopje, Bitola, Veles, Serez,
Drama and Salonika with the mountains that separate them and the narrow valleys that
unite them. The Christian population in the country side is Slav. It is known to be neither
quite Bulgarian, although it is closer to the Bulgarians, nor quite Serbian. The Bulgarians
themselves admit that the Macedonians differ from the other Bulgarians: they possess a
more lively spirit, are more fond of politics and intrigue, more inclined to eloquence and
the arts, also more cunning; in a word, they are a little Hellenized. The Macedonian
politicians in Sofia are feared; many Bulgarians of old Bulgaria would be glad to see the
Macedonian Bulgarians return to Macedonia. They accuse them of taking everything away
from them, their jobs and privileges. Many Balkan people think that there will be no
stability in the Balkans until Macedonian autonomy comes into existence. In any case, it is likely that the creation of Macedonian autonomy would quickly develop a Macedonian
spirit and patriotism.
The autonomy of Macedonia and the constitution of a Balkan federation would have most
ardent advocates among the citizens of Salonika, especially among the majority of the
Jewish population. The annexation to Greece caused their ruin. Salonika was a particularly important port from, which the Austro-German products brought from Triest were distributed all over the peninsula; the new border, having separated Salonika from its background, delivered a terrible blow to it. The Greeks, who already have other ports, are not able to support Salonika. The geographical position of Salonika at the debouchement of the great natural route from the Danube to the Aegean Sea via Nish has always made this port to be of primary economic importance, and this economic importance will ensure it an equivalent degree of political importance. One can be certain that either there will never be a Balkan federation, or Salonika will be its port as well a sits intellectual and economic centre. One can very well see Salonika in the future as a free city, the capital of autonomous Macedonia and the centre of the Balkan federation.
To hold such an important point, although provisionally and awaiting the settlement of all the Balkan questions and the strengthening of the new status of the peninsula, would be of considerable advantage for the allies. They would have a means of pressure upon their friends of all degrees, as well as upon their enemies. We shall have many friends after our victory, and at that moment we shall have to take precautions against them.
What will become of Macedonia? This is the whole problem of the Balkans.

Taken from Les archives du Ministere des affiars etrangeres (Paris). Guerre 1914-1918, Balkans, Dossier generale, pages 158-165.

- Frente occidental: se paso, desde el mar del Norte hasta Suiza, a una guerra de trincheras, desarrollándose algunas batallas relevantes como las de Verdún o el Somme. Otros dos hechos importantes fueron la entrada de Italia en la guerra en favor de los aliados, la utilización por primera vez de los gases tóxicos por parte de los alemanes (abril), y la batalla naval de Jutlandia.

- Frente oriental: los alemanes prosiguieron su avance sobre Polonia y Lituania, mientras que los franceses desembarcaron en Grecia. Además, Bulgaria ingresó en la Triple Alianza.

Bibliografía:

[1] Historia Universal Contemporánea II; Javier Paredes (Coord.) - Barcelona - Ariel - 2004.

[2] Los siete pecados capitales del Imperio Alemán en la Primera Guerra Mundial; Sebastian Haffner - Barcelona - Destino - 2006.

[3] La Primera Guerra Mundial; Hew Strachan - Barcelona - Crítica - 2004.

[4] La guerra del mundo: los conflictos del siglo XX y el declive de occidente (1904-1953); Niall Ferguson - Barcelona - Debate - 2007.

Para leer el siguiente artículo dedicado a La Gran Guerra, pulsa aquí.

Die Note der Alliierten an Griechenland
Paris, 24. Juni 1916
Auf Weisung ihrer Regierungen haben die unterzeichneten Gesandten Frankreichs, Großbritanniens und Rußlands, die die Garantiemächte Griechenlands vertreten, die Ehre, der griechischen Regierung folgende Erklärung zu machen, die zur Kenntnis des griechischen Volkes zu bringen sie ebenfalls Weisung erhalten haben. Wie sie bereits feierlich und schriftlich erklärt haben, verlangen die drei Garantiemächte Griechenlands von ihm nicht, daß es aus seiner Neutralität heraustrete. Sie geben dafür einen glänzenden Beweis, indem sie in erster Reihe das Verlangen der gesamten Demobilisation der griechischen Armee stellen, um dem griechischen Volke die Ruhe und den Frieden zu sichern.   Mehr...

Das IV. griechische Armeekorps begibt sich unter deutschen Schutz
Berlin, 13. September 1916. (Amtlich.)
Nachdem deutsch-bulgarische Truppen durch den Angriff Sarrails sich gezwungen gesehen hatten, im Gegenangriff in Griechisch-Mazedonien einzumarschieren, stand hinter dem bis zum Strumafluß vorgedrungenen linken bulgarischen Flügel das 4. griechische Armeekorps, Gewehr bei Fuß, in den drei Städten Seres, Drama und Kawala.
Die Maßnahmen der Entente zielten darauf ab, diese griechischen Truppen auf ihre Seite zu zwingen oder ihnen ein ähnliches Los zu bereiten wie den in Saloniki vergewaltigten Teilen der 11. griechischen Division. Mehr...

Ankunft der griechischen Truppen in Görlitz

 Stahlgewitter Blog

Editor’s note: Yes, there are sharks swimming wild in New York City's open waters! It took tremendous discipline to hold back this fantabulous Nature Community item by Paul Sieswerda, animal curator of the New York Aquarium (and a rare fellow Frisian New Yorker). But now you have it, for the first weekend of NYC’s public beach swimming season!

One sad note is that in the time between his writing and today, the aquarium’s longest-lived shark passed away. Bertha, a sand tiger shark photographed here by J.L. Maher of the Wildlife Conservation Society, was caught off the coast of Coney Island and lived at the aquarium for 43 years. Her species is so common in the New York Bight that the aquarium has traded young ones for others species from around the world. I had a kayaking encounter with another species of shark near the Narrows a few years back, but that tale will wait for another day.

"Sharks and the City"

By Paul Sieswerda

As Curator at a public aquarium, I am often above, in, or under the ocean’s surface and I think that I’m not alone in having brief shivers when the thought of what sea creatures may be eying my activities passes through my mind.  It’s just a flash of trepidation and doesn’t slow me down, but I have to admit to it. 

Sharks, of course, are prominent on that list of imagery and probably somewhat realistic in tropical waters. But in New York?  You’re right, that’s crazy. 

However...

The Chamber of Commerce may not like to publicize it, but the waters around New York are full of sharks.  Fortunately, the species are not man-eaters or dangerous, but sharks are plentiful and varied.  It should be stated however, that one of the most horrific episodes in shark attack history took place very close by.  In 1916, four fatal attacks took place along the New Jersey coast within the first twelve days of July, in Beach Haven and  Spring Lake, and miles inland, in Matawan Creek. Another victim was also attacked in Matawan, but survived with the loss of a leg.  That history changed the world’s image of sharks when Peter Benchley popularized the factual story in the book, Jaws.  Of course, the movie seared the fear of shark attacks further into the psyche of a worldwide population. The fishing fleet off Montauk catches enough monster sharks to keep the impression in the back of most New Yorkers’ minds.  However, experience settles those fears for New York swimmers since the chance of a shark attack ranks about in the same neighborhood as the risks as from asteroids.

Our native sharks are benign to humans.  Local species are fish eaters like the sand tiger shark or scavengers like the smooth dogfish.  There are sandbar sharks as well cruising off Coney Island beach.  These sharks are happy to hunt fish and leave humans completely alone.   In fact, sand tiger sharks and sand bar sharks rarely take bait from fishermen, so they are not often caught on hook and line.  The dogfish are another story, and many striper fishermen are disappointed to pull in a dogfish instead of a fat striper.

Sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus

The New York Aquarium has a number of sand tiger sharks on display.  One specimen lived in the collection over 40 years.  How long do they live? The shark in the photo, Bertha, was the longest living shark recorded at an aquarium and it was probably a couple of years old when it was captured.  Since then, the Aquarium has supplied itself and other institutions with sand tiger sharks.  Local fishermen catch them in their nets and notify the Aquarium.  Since these sharks are usually small they can be transported fairly easily.  Some have been sent as far away as Japan.  A “pupping”  ground seems to be along the southern coast of Long Island.  Young sand tigers are caught each year incidental to the fishermen’s target species.

            First Come, First Served

Sand tigers have a strange method of development. The embryos practice hunting within the mother!  This cannibalism before birth is called oophagy.

Eggs are produced in the shark mother’s two uterine tracks, one after another.  As the first egg develops into an embryonic shark, it eats the next developing embryo.  This continues until the birth of the two babies that have grown in each uterus.  They grow strong feeding on their potential siblings.  At birth, the young sand tiger sharks are forty inches (100 cm.) in length, and completely ready to hunt on their own.                                              From : Sharks by P. Sieswerda

The adult sand tigers are usually about seven feet in length.  They have two equal sized dorsal fins set at the rear half of the body.  The nose is pointed and often upturned.  The most prominent feature are the teeth that Richard Ellis, author and naturalist, calls the "wickedest-looking teeth in all of sharkdom." 

These teeth, however, indicate that they are fish eaters and not prone to take bites out of large animals (species that do are a real danger to humans). Although they look ferocious, sand tigers have adapted a mouthful of fangs that are designed to effectively grasp slippery fish. Most sharks must continually swim at a speed that gives them lift, but sand tigers are able to keep from sinking by holding a gulp of surface air internally, allowing them to cruise at slow speed and save energy for quick lunges that catch their prey unaware. In aquariums, it was found that sand tigers needed a minimum depth in their tanks, not for any space requirement, but to allow them enough distance to launch themselves above the surface to gulp air.

Most New Yorkers will not see sand tiger sharks except at the New York Aquarium, but it may be interesting to know that when gazing out from a Brooklyn or Long Island beach, or even sharing the surf, there are sizeable sharks out there playing out their lives, with little threat to people and deserving only the slightest twinge of fear. Knowing the facts is comforting, but I think it’s human to worry a little.

Or is it just me? 

Anyhoo, thought I'd give some readers a heads up on something to read if they aren't reading my blog.  At the moment the young 'un is at an age where her attention span is growing everyday and so can be plonked in front of a Winnie the Pooh DVD for an hour or so while the parents get some well earned sit down time.

And so it was that Sebastian Barry's World War 1 novel, called "A Long Long Way" came into my hands - its a harrowing story (still only half way through) about a young Irish soldier in the trenches of Flanders.  It switches between his experiences of war and his experiences of home and the ultimate dilemmas this causes him.  When he is home on leave, the 1916 Rising kicks off and we get somewhat of a perspective of what it might have been like from the British side ("the British" in this case being heavily populated with Irishmen who happened to answer John Redmond's call to volunteer for WW1).  Some of the soldiers didn't know what was going on - the reader is screaming at them going "It's the Easter Rising silly !" but of course, the Easter Rising was an unknown event really until after it happened.  "Are you a German ?" asks the books' protagonist, after one of the Irish Volunteers had been shot in front of him ... amazing they way we now know what went on and think that to the ordinary people the British were the agressors ...

It also has connotations for today's political situation - we think of 1916 as being this big uprising and the foundations of the state and so on ... but was the story on the ground different in 1916 ?  Was the uprising popular among the ordinary Dubliners ?  This novel gives a different perspective - how history books can change the fundamental thoughts of a nation ...

I'm not finished it yet but I can't read it quick enough.  Barry's prose is amazing - the kid of writer you aspire to be.  I can imagine an aspiring author reading prose such as his and then giving up writing completely - "That's exactly how I wanted to say things like that" sort of a deal ...