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Tunnel of Love
'The so-called “Tunnel of Love” is located in a place called Klevan, the Rivne region, Ukraine. In a warm season green leaves appear on the trees, they form a fairy-tale green tunnel around the section of the railway one kilometer long.' -- English Russia





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Tube
'Tube is built using the same material that artist Zilvinas Kempinas usually uses, magnetic tape from old VHS. Tube was created in Atelier Calder, Saché, France and then was set up for the Lithuanian pavilion in Venice, 2009. Tube installation offers an optical experience to the viewer creating lots of different moire visual effects, and as well as a perception of the body and architecture.' -- Triangulation Blog
'I am attracted to things that are capable of transcending their own banality and materiality to become something else, something more. I like the way that videotape is simultaneously delicate and durable, since it’s meant to last. I can rip it easily with my hands because it’s so thin, but I can also stretch it. Videotape is made to present the world in color, but it appears purely black. It’s supposed to be this safe container of the past, but it is destined to vanish like a dinosaur, to become obsolete, pushed away by new technologies. It’s a familiar mass-produced commodity, but it can be surprisingly sensual and can look almost alive if set in motion. It can be seen as a solid, thick, black line, but it can also disappear right in front of your eyes if it’s turned on its side.' -- Zilvinas Kempinas







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Ancient Tunnel Through Solid Rock Above Cuzco, Peru
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Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
'Located in the diamond area of Shanghai, the bund sightseeing tunnel connects the north side of Chen Yi Square at the bund and the Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower at Pudong. the bund sightseeing tunnel has a total length of 646.7 meter. modern high technologies are applied in the decoration of the interior walls of the tunnel, providing the passengers with pictures, patterns and views about yellow sea stars, pink flowers, strange geometric figures, which are full of dynamic power and full of enchantment. the environment-friendly non-driver traction whole transparent sk compartments make tourists feel as if they were right at the scene.' -- shanghai highlights.com







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The Dark Hedges
'The Dark Hedges is a unique stretch of the Bregagh Road near Armoy, in Ireland. Over the past 300 years or so, the Beech trees guarding either side of the lane have reached up and across to each other, becoming heavily intertwined to create a natural arched tunnel where shadow and light plays through entwined branches.
'This avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century. It was intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House, which is now a golf club.
'Legend tells that a supernatural "Grey Lady" haunts the thin ribbon of road that winds beneath the ancient beech trees. She silently glides along the roadside and vanishes as she passes the last beech tree. Some say the specter is a lost spirit from an abandoned graveyard that is thought to lie hidden in the fields nearby. On Halloween night, the forgotten graves are said to open and the Grey Lady is joined on her walk by the tormented souls of those who were buried beside her.' -- collaged







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Bat in a wind tunnel
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Nike 6.0 Tunnel Jam
'The tunnel where the comp was held is basically in the middle of nowhere and some locals have used it to house a few things to ride. Fast forward to now and Nike is in the picture, willing to build ramps and hold a contest. Ultimately, workers laid down tarmac and built and amazing set of ramps which will stay in the Tunnel for the local scene to manage and enjoy. You know how it’s a bummer when contests end and they tear everything down?? This is the opposite of that. If you were wondering about the secrecy surrounding this event, it was with good reason. Due to the nature of the site, there was no room on the course for people to chill besides the beginning and end quarter decks and there was limited parking. The majority of the people watched from outside on a jumbo screen.' -- Hype Beast







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Wisteria Tunnel
'A member of the pea family, wisteria is an ornamental vine with around 10 different species, wildly popular in both Eastern and Western gardens for its graceful hanging flowers and its ornate, winding branches. Easily trained, the woody vines reach maturity within a few years for some species, or up to 20 for others. Once maturity is reached, the reward is cascades of long, lavender raceme blooms of varying pastel shades creating a natural chandelier of color and beauty.
'The Wisteria Tunnel, which is part of a display of botanical delights that include zen gardens and a cherry blossom festival, is located at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu. Different types and colors of wisteria have been woven through a cylindrical lattice that during the blooming months of April through May, become a fantastical flower-draped tunnel during the yearly "fuji matsuri", or "Wisteria Festival".' -- atlas obscura





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The UX
'The obsessively secretive members of an underground art collective have spent the last 30 years surreptitiously staging events in tunnels beneath Paris. They say they never ask permission - and never ask for subsidies. The UX are a loose collective of people from a variety of backgrounds. Not just artists but also engineers, civil servants, lawyers and even a state prosecutor. UX is so secretive, it is hard to define. Tristan (not his real name) says it is "a heterogeneous grouping of diverse informal entities... more a sort of collective phantasm than a real group".
'Paris has an unrivalled network of underground tunnels. The city itself was built by quarrying limestone from the soil underneath the buildings themselves, so there are hundreds of miles of quarry tunnels alone. Add to that all tunnels used for the underground metro system, telephone cables, sewers and so forth and you can travel around the entire city without ever seeing daylight.' -- BBC

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Tunnel 228, Jersey City
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Cu Chi Tunnel
'Situated in Cu Chi, Vietnam, this giant labyrinth of tunnels played an important role during the French Indochina War and the Vietnam War. The size of these tunnels range from 75 miles to over 150 miles. The Cu Chi tunnels have been a popular tourist destination in recent years, enabling visitors to travel through the cramped spaces, check out deadly booby traps and even travel to an underground command center from where the Tet offensive was planned. Tunnel size varies from a few feet tall to larger ones refashioned for accommodating larger tourists.' -- mishalov.com






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Your Blind Passenger
'Olafur Eliasson's Your Blind Passenger is a 90-metre-long tunnel installation is a densely fogged environment, which provides visibility at just 1.5 metres. This calculated circumstance forces visitors to use senses other than sight to navigate and orient themselves in relation to their surroundings.' -- olafureliasson.net
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Winter Illuminations Tunnel
'If you happen to be in Japan from now to March 31, 2013, make sure to check out one of Japan's most stunning displays of light called Winter Illuminations at Nabana no Sato, a botanical garden turned light theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana. It's been called one of the best winter light shows in all of Japan. The park really outdoes itself by using millions of sparkling LED lights all over the vast grounds including on the water and in the gardens. The stars of the show are the famous walk-through tunnels of light that completely envelop the viewer, making it seem as if they're walking through bright, magical portals.' -- My Modern Metropolis






*
p.s. Hey. ** Billy Lloyd, Hi, Billy. DJing, yeah. I really wish I was a DJ sometimes. I was a DJ at my university's radio station, and I found that really exciting, even though I had the 6 to 9 am slot and played lots of early punk rock, and the phone was constantly ringing with listeners yelling at me for playing the wrong thing at the wrong kind of day. So, that's probably why your suggestion hit me where I live. I'm not grumpy, I don't think, so, yeah, maybe I can be a good ad for turning 60 unless I instantly turn grumpy and start hobbling around, etc., on my birthday, which I guess is remotely possible. You want to move to the States? Why and where? Oh, I get you about the refining. I trust your instincts. Oh, wow, sorry about the boyfriend issues. Surely, he'll see the err of his poor judgement of you any second. Or maybe it's all for the best? Hard to tell about these things. You're vegan, excellent! I go vegan every once in a while for six months or so at a time to clean myself out and get that weird heightened energy effect of veganism, but mostly I'm just veggie 'cos I like cheese too much. Never had Linda McCartney sausages. I don't think I've ever even seen a package of them in a store. Hunh. Maybe I can order some online, although I guess that wouldn't work. I will look for them. Is her face on the package or something? ** Wolf, I had never read or heard of 'Rudolf, He Had a Nose' before and it is truly some Nobel Prize winning level stuff, yeah. I spoke too soon: the Recollets did put a little Xmas tree on the counter in the office and even strung up some Xmas lights. It's pretty-ish. I'll take a photo maybe. Well, the cafe here, as I think you know, has become one of the trendiest, fashionista-favored cafes in Paris, so I guess the cafe higher ups are trying to give the chic something they think is suitably chic or something. Bad call. It just looks like they added a tree. I agree with you entirely about Xmas and cozy funkiness. The Xmas Village on the Champs Elysee is pretty funky. I walked through it yesterday. It was homely and stinky and good. ** Misanthrope, Then disagree agreeably we will. Not only is Ton still out there and looking pretty fine for his advanced age of 21, ha ha, but he's kinkier than hell now. He's even a little too kinky for me. Or maybe not. No, on second thought, he's not. Not sure if my magic gay wand would get used on him first, though. Kyler Moss has gotten slightly kinky too. Might use it on him. I don't know. A lot to think about. Well, in this post-American Idol age where a mere ability to sing and a passion to do so and a modicum of charisma and lots of media exposure are considered to be a legitimate substitute for actual unique talent, you might be right about Mr. Styles. In an age where Bon Jovi are serious contenders for induction to the Rock n Roll Hall of fame, any fucking thing must be possible. ** Allesfliesst, Thank you multiple times, Kai. The seminar does sound to have been most rewarding. Yeah, very interesting. How come you never do seminars in Paris? Germany vs. France rivalry fall out or something? ** David Ehrenstein, Thank you. Yeah, my 'I Remember Xmas' is in LA. Lovely little thing. Oh, a new and no doubt wonderful piece by you to read, and I will mostly certainly do that very shortly. Everyone, the one, the only David Ehrenstein has a new article up at Fandor where he will introduce you to a number of unsung, under-known musicals. If you're like me, and you sort of are like me because I'm sort like you, you need this knowledge, not to mention needing the experience of Mr. E's way with words, so, yeah, click this and go read 'Unsung Musicals: Singing the praises of ten great but lesser known movie musicals.' ** Un Cœur Blanc, Hi. So glad you enjoyed the Schuyler. He is a sublime god. Are you in NYC now? ** L@rstonovich, Hi, L Man! Oh, wow, Skullcrushing Hummingbird returns! Yes! I will flush that Hummingmix into my consciousness via headphones shortly. Everyone, if you're like me, and you must kind of be like me since I'm kind of like you, you sorely miss the airwaved stylings of Skullcrushing Hummingbird, the little radio show that could and always did and that was masterminded by d.l. L@rstonovich. Well, it's kind of back in a different but most welcome way in the form of a Hummingmix, as it's being called, and you might very well want to click these words and go listen to it while you're reading this or doing something else entirely. Do it. Do you know why? Because you're kind of like me, and I know why. Very nice, man. How's Xmas shaping up? ** SwAmPeX, Sentences including 'or whatever' are often very good sentences. They can be like secret weapon sentences. Uh, my reentry into the novel is going very slowly, but I guess I'll be back up to speed before too long. It's partly or even mostly slow/ difficult because writing this novel makes me depressed and cry all the time, and, you know, it's hard to deliberately want to do that again, but, yeah. You're translating your writing. That's so cool of you, thanks, and I hope it's an interesting thing for you to do as a writer. It seems like it could be. Thank you, man! ** Cobaltfram, Hi, John. Today's maybe baddish, Skype-wise, I think. I've got a bunch of theater stuff to out there in the cold. But maybe tomorrow or whenever/soon. I kind of figured that the 'SH' movie would be an okay one to miss or to save for a plane trip, so, yeah. All right, bring your XBOX over here then, cool. I would say it would be easier to borrow an XBOX here, but the American games don't play on the French XBOX and vice versa. I will tell Yury he has good taste. Since I turned him on to Crystal Castles, I will tell myself I have good taste too. Sure,'Stalker' is great, sure, you bet, yes. I like the first 'Santogold' album quite a bit, but I didn't like the recent-ish album ('Master of My Make-Believe') much at all. Okay, see you here or talk to you there or something on that order or both! ** 5STRINGS, I only have a cute rafter living in my ceiling. You're lucky. Malibu Rum, not Malibu Barbie? I always thought it would be really fun to learn the Death Metal growl, but maybe you're right. More fun than learning the Axl Rose screech. Being gay has its pluses for sure. Kristeva sounds like a good brain companion. Maybe I'll put her out. Wow, Sartre? That old thing? Aw, thanks about 'Them' and all that, man. ** Heliotrope, Markster! Glad you liked the poetry pile. Xmas tree! Photo it, put it on FB, come on, let me see. I bet she could so totally make great veggie enchiladas. Damn. Browbeat Joel and I to come over and force her to do that next time I'm in the hood. Well, no browbeating required, and Joel eats bird, so revise that sentence accordingly. Mixed news there about your physical possibilities, but it's probably good that the foot is the better of the two contenders if there only has to be only one, no? Is that too logical or not logical? I'm glad you're doing that. What's the rehab? What do they do to you? Ah, man, that Joshua Tree thing and the hotel commandeering thing, man, that sounds ... man, sweet. I had a dream that I actually remembered the other night in which George Davis was the star, but I don't remember anything else about the dream, just that he was the star. Free-climbing, I know what that is. I have no idea who Alex Honnold is, though. I'll fish around in his videos, though. Cool. Maybe I can do a Day on him. That would be a nice surprise for my blog readers, I think, no? Interesting. Okay, the love is literally hurling itself from me to you. ** Chilly Jay Chill, Thanks. I tried to mix up it, generation-wise. Glad it worked. Nice Tate poem, right? He rules. He really does. He's been a big fave of mine since he started, and I still can't figure out why he's so great, but he just is. Feel better, man, seriously, do. Lee Fields ... wow, that must have been amazing to see. Nice, really nice. Got your email, emailed you, hope you got it. ** Steevee, Hi. That's more than enough to get me to see 'Tabu', thank you. I'll find out when it's scheduled to appear in France's docket. And thank you a lot for previewing your 2012 top ten! Exciting! We share four films on our best of lists. Nice to see 'Django Unchained' ended up on there. I'm getting more excited to see that. ** Statictick, Hi, N. Glad you liked 'em. You moved on up on the Lamictal front. Your typing and thinking seem to be in fine working order, so I hope your sleeping patterns follow suit. But I will watch for fuzziness, and I will treat that effect like an old friend, should it encroach. ** Sypha, Other than the stomach part, obviously, your day sounds pretty A-okay. You want mine? Was that a yes? Okay, uh, woke up, wrote some, did the blog, showered. Met the writer and zine editor and cool guy Luke Munson, who is also the significant other of Frank Jaffe, at the St. Paul metro station. His dad, whom he's traveling with, was there too, as were Kiddiepunk and Oscar B. Plan was to go to Victor Hugo House. Walked there. It was closed. Walked to Le Notre. Bought pastries. Walked to a cafe in the Bastille. Drank coffees and ate pastries there. Got bitched out for eating pastries there by the waiter. Wanted to go to either Maison Rouge, Jeu de Paume, or somewhere else, but they were all closed. Decided on the 'Boheme' show at the Grand Palais. Kiddiepunk and Oscar B left because they'd seen the show already. Metroed to Concorde with Luke and Dad. Went to Laduree so they could buy macarons to take back to Florida today. Walked through the Paris Xmas village, nice. Saw 'Boheme', nice. Parted ways with them. Was supposed to meet with Gisele and watch/ supervise the guy who is doing the special effects for our new theater piece, but they up finished early, so I missed out. Came home. Emails. Was informed that a film crew from the Discovery Channel will be coming over to film me talking for the JT Leroy documentary show that they're doing. Ate. Watched my new favorite French TV show 'Le Meilleur Pâtissier', which is like Top Chef but concentrating on desserts. Stuff I don't remember. Sleep. ** Jebus, Hi. Nice that you liked the poems. Yeah, I think you're right about the 'being an artist' thing. That makes sense. New video collages, cool. And to Bela Tarr tracks. I will watch them in just a few minutes when I'm out of here. I won't get sick of you linking me up to your work, be assured. Everyone, Jebus, master music maker and creator of that awesome Xmas trees video of the other day has two new music/visual collage videos up, and you really, really want to go check them out, I'm pretty absolutely sure. Here's one, and here's the other one. Very cool. Can't wait. Thanks a lot! Bon day! ** Bill P. in Chicago, I did. I did oh so much. Tate, yeah. Tate is so, so good. He's a magician. Oh, 'Gerald's Party', that's interesting, yeah, I can see that, huh. Good one. And Mike Young is seriously good too. One of the very best of the up and comers, that guy. Ha ha, I forgot about that Voyager 2 representation of us. It just kind of says it all, doesn't it? Wow. ** Bill, No, unfortunately, one can not have sex with John Ashbery no matter how much you pay. Or, well, actually ... Here's where David E. will remind us that he could have had Ashbery in a heartbeat. Wouldn't they have made a nice couple, though? I've always thought so, although Bill is the best. Yay, the Tate poem is getting all the love it deserves. That is a weird Berrigan poem, but I think, ... yeah. I'll give that 'Hellstorm' thing a serious going over with my ears, thank you, sir. ** E., Oh, thank you for that, pal. About my Xmas trees. What are you listening to? Oh, wait, hold on, I'll copy and paste the address. ... Ry Cooder at his very best! Nice listen. My living situation: It's kind of like a college dorm room-type room but with a really high ceiling and a little loft where the bed is. It is crammed with too much stuff, mostly books and Yury's clothes, that we have acquired over the seven years we've been here. So, it's kind of like a cave now. Oh, in general, where I live is an artist residency building. Artists and scholars and so on live here. The building is an old, converted monastery from, like, the 17th century or something. It's nice, and it's affordable, but the room is small. A leaf? Yeah, maybe a Xmas leaf. Maybe I can fit that in here somewhere. What is your living situation, may I ask? ** Done. I was on an 'interest in tunnels' jag one day, and I made the post today, and that's almost the whole story behind it. Hope there's something in it for you. See you tomorrow.