Culture
Categories: Culture
- Culture
A tree does not burn alone
A pine forest portrait read closely. Real Olympus E-M5 II EXIF, a likely Voigtländer 25mm f/0.95, low sun, 1/8000 s mechanical shutter, measured tones, and one fix with annotated crops.
- Culture
It is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot
A garden path portrait read closely. Real Olympus E-M5 II EXIF, a likely Voigtländer 25mm f/0.95, low warm sun, shallow focus, measured shadows and one fix, with annotated crops.
- Culture
One man cannot launch a vessel
A close reading of a black-and-white dawn photo of a crowded wooden boat in shallow surf, with its real settings, four dust spots and a Swahili proverb.
- Culture
Mountains never meet, but people do
A centred portrait under a hazy mountain, read closely. Low sun, open shade, aerial perspective, the real Olympus EXIF at 1/8000 s, and a 20 minute exercise.
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The sun cannot be covered with mud
A close reading of a harbour photo shot straight into a low sun: the flare, the haze, the two skies, an exposure read from guy wires, Monet, the Bechers, Sandburg's fog and one fix.
- Culture
A thousand friends are few, one enemy is too many
A close reading of a black-and-white Istanbul photo. Two head sizes, a ferry's name and its smoke give away distance, aperture and shutter, with Ara Güler and Orhan Veli alongside.
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The eyes say as much as the mouth
A close reading of an over-the-shoulder portrait in soft daylight. The turn, the catchlights, lens distance, shutter and aperture trade-offs, and one fix, with annotated crops.
- Culture
The player is lost, the onlooker sees clearly
A close reading of a black-and-white photo of men crowded round an outdoor card game: the ring of bodies, dappled light, lens, exposure guesses, one mistake and a drill.
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The darkest place is under the candlestick
A close reading of a black-and-white mirror selfie in a clothing boutique: the hidden face, the seam of the mirror, soft shop light, focus through glass, settings guesses, one mistake and a drill.
- Culture
What you give away is yours, what you keep is lost
A close reading of Emin Mahrt's photo of a purple Soviet Pobeda under three EXCHANGE signs in Georgia, with light, lens, LED shutter clues and Rustaveli.
- Culture
If you wait, the sea road will have fair weather
A close reading of a hazy harbour photo with a red ship throwing water. Colour, haze, light, lens, shutter and aperture estimates, one mistake and a 20 minute exercise.
- Culture
Bread is in the lion's mouth
A close reading of Emin Mahrt's black-and-white street photo of boys at a simit cart, with long lens, soft light, three whites, shutter guesses, Güler and Pamuk.
- Culture
Whoever loves the rose bears its thorns
A close reading of a film portrait on an old stairwell. The look, the high angle, flash or window, the grain, a guess at the settings and how to try it.
- Culture
Looking at flowers from horseback
A close reading of a tilted look up past railway wires at two green domes: layers, hard light, a 23 degree roll, the smeared girder, are-bure-boke, one mistake and a drill.
- Culture
Walls have ears, paper screens have eyes
A close reading of a warm, film-like photo shot through an old window. The double grid, the low sun, the ghost bricks, likely lens and settings, Baudelaire's shut window and one fix.
- Culture
A white colt glimpsed through a crack in the wall
A close reading of a wood pigeon frozen beside a paint-splattered wall: field marks, grey light, distance and lens, shutter estimates, one mistake and a 20-minute drill.
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My father Nurettin Sezer and the workers who made cinema in Stockholm
My father, Nurettin “Nuri” Sezer, never fitted neatly into one role. Hasan Gül remembers him and the workers who made cinema in Stockholm.
- Culture
Theory vs. Reality: Manipulation through Media and Technology (January 2005, Emin Mahrt)
At 17 I wrote a school thesis on manipulation through media and technology. What I wrote back then, and what really happened since.
- Culture
AF Fine Adjustment, or how to fix a camera that lies about focus
The green focus dot says sharp, the photo says no. How AF Fine Adjustment works and how to set it on a Pentax K-50 with old manual fifties.
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In Perpetual Motion, proud moves to Move D
The 2010 proud magazine Berlin interview with Move D. Records since 1983, a stepfather with Pink Floyd records, Sven Väth and falling asleep to music.
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The Echoes of Cold War Diplomacy in Romania, Tanzania and Zanzibar and the Legacy of the 1972 Visa Abolition Agreement
Why Romanians still walk into Zanzibar without a visa, and how a 1972 deal, a Romanian jeep and oil engineers got them there
- Culture
The Crazy Picasso
A summary of a video on Paul Johnson's essay about Picasso, his cruelty to women and his family, and his huge output and wealth.
- Culture
Divine Principle: Theology and Controversies of the Unification Church
A summary of sources on Shinzo Abe's life and political legacy and on the history of the Unification Church, with two audio pieces.
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Radical Georgism
A talk led by a member of the Amoveo project about land value tax on a blockchain and why crypto might finally make Georgism work
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From Berlin to Zanzibar: Emin Mahrt on nightlife, community, and why not club
I grew up in Berlin's underground scene, then a trip to Zanzibar made me co-founder of the Why Not club there. And how that all ties to Nuri.
- Culture
Dar es Salaam needs a world‑class safe dance space
Dar es Salaam is already arriving, and fast. The question is if the cultural infrastructure will arrive with it. An open call to build a safe dance space.
- Culture
The Trump Doctrine and the fall of Maduro, a new era of gunboat diplomacy?
A summary of PLO Lumumba's take on Maduro's removal on January 3, 2026, which he calls the death of international law and the birth of a Trump Doctrine.
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The song that burned down a republic, the story of Fela Kuti's Zombie
In 1976 Fela Kuti released Zombie and laughed at the Nigerian army. The army answered with 1,000 soldiers. The story, the lyrics and the facts.
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The $40 Billion Secret, 9 Lessons from the Chocolate King Who Built an Empire in the Shadows
Michele Ferrero built a debt-free $40 billion empire with Nutella, Kinder and Tic Tac and never gave interviews. Nine lessons from his story, summarized
- Culture
Resident Advisor Exchange, an interview with Ricardo Villalobos (2012)
Todd L. Burns talks to Ricardo Villalobos for RA Exchange 100 about vinyl, the internet, parties, ECM, modular and staying innocent
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A Conversation with deerBLN: Inking Love onto the Streets of Berlin
Christian Rothenhagen, also known as deerBLN, talks with proud about his love for Berlin, his tiles on the streets and his skateboard series
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A Conversation with Pentagonik: The Architects of a Scene
proud magazine talks with Don and Kai from Pentagonik, the Berlin netlabel and party series, about how it started, why they do it and where music goes.
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Einstein & The Immigration and Naturalization Service of the United States
The Immigration and Naturalization Service of the United States, in cooperation with the National Broadcasting Company, has invited a number of…
- Culture
Predictive History, A Bullshit-Fact-Check by Venice
A professor on YouTube predicted a lot of today's Israel and Iran war a year ago. I asked Venice to check his claims point by point.
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JustMusic Berlin: Closed as of 18 March 2024
On a personal note, and because I just discovered it today, I translated the German version from justmusic.de into English. Justmusic was always an…
- Culture
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam in numbers. About 8 million people, the port that moves most of Tanzania's trade, traffic, floods, waste, crime and the cost of living.
- Culture
How foreigners can acquire land in Zanzibar, a complete guide to 99-year leases
Foreigners can't own land in Zanzibar, but they can get a 99-year lease. Five ways to do it and the papers you need for each.
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Updated Guide to Buying Land in Zanzibar as a Foreigner in 2024
This is an updated look at how foreigners can buy land in Zanzibar. The rules have changed, and you need to know where they stand…
- Culture
Reality Check: A 20-Year Retrospective on a Student’s Predictions of Media, Manipulation, and the Rise of AI
In 2005 a student in Berlin wrote a thesis about the manipulation of the masses through media. 20 years later, what came true and what AI changed.
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Beyond borders, rethinking statehood amid U.S. Elections, immigration conflicts, and the rise of network states
I'm pro helping people, but I also get the state as a company idea. Liberland, Liechtenstein and network states show other ways to run a country.
- Culture
The Palau ID, a New Frontier in Digital Identity
What the Palau ID is, what people use it for, what it costs and where banks still say no.
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The electric revolution, how the guitar and amplifier transformed global music
How the electric guitar and the amp left America and got remixed in Turkey, Japan, Nigeria, Mali and Brazil, plus 20 songs to hear it
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The Made in Italy scandal, a dark reality behind the luxury
Milan prosecutors found exploited workers in suppliers of Armani and Dior. What happened and what it means for the Made in Italy label.
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MrBeast’s Guide to Success in YouTube Production
A summary of the MrBeast production guide, from thumbnail and first minute to ownership, plus a Gemini script for a fair token launch.
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Adam Collins and Omni A.M., a unique category in electronic music
How Adam Collins of Omni A.M. compares to Four Tet, Nicolas Jaar, Bonobo and others, plus a playlist that starts with Chill New Body.
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Theory versus reality: The manipulation of the masses through media and technology
My school thesis from 2005 about how media and technology get used to manipulate the masses, from China and Nazi radio to hackers and fake photos.
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A guide to affordable solar power in Zanzibar: Harnessing the sun’s energy, sidestepping pitfalls
Disclaimer: The solar industry in Zanzibar, while brimming with potential, is unfortunately also plagued by unscrupulous individuals seeking to exploit…
- Culture
Zanzibar Real Estate Investment Guide: Tax-Free Living for Digital Nomads and Investors with ZIPA
TL;DR. Invest $100k+ in Zanzibar real estate through ZIPA and you get a 100% exemption from income tax on your worldwide income, residency…
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Space Jupiter Four
The first track I ever produced, Space Four Jupiter V8, and how an AI describes it.
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proud magazine Berlin Issue #1 summarized and interpreted by Claude Sonnet and written into a blog post by Claude Haiku
I fed the first issue of proud magazine Berlin through a gumloop.com flow. Claude Sonnet summarized it, Claude Haiku wrote the blog post.
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Kuala Lumpur Photograph Interpreted from AI lyrically and musically
I gave an AI one photo from a high-rise in Kuala Lumpur, with no context, and let it describe what it sees.
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The Future of Music, How AI, Blockchain and the Internet Are Changing the Industry
AI, blockchain and the internet take away the unfair advantage of big labels, and artists can now do from home what a label did for most of their profits.
- Culture
A Guide to Buying Land in Zanzibar as a Foreigner
Get advise via WhatsApp: +255775585555 or book a free call via cal.com/em
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List of Interesting Mountains and Volcanoes in Tanzania
Kilimanjaro, Meru, Ol Doinyo Lengai, Ngorongoro and more. Mountains and volcanoes in Tanzania, how high they are and what makes each one special.
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Black Magic and Voodoo in Zanzibar and Pemba
Shetani, Popobawa, waganga and jinn. What people on Zanzibar and Pemba believe about spirits, magic and traditional healing.
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proud Magazine Berlin 00001, the intro
Welcome to the first issue of proud Magazine. We are your weapon in the urban jungle, and once we’ve taken over the city there will be chocolate for everyone.
- Culture
Dolphin Watching in Zanzibar
Fishermen fixing their nets on the beach, Bill Gates' private island and the clear water around it where the dolphins hunt. A boat day on Zanzibar.
