Whale and dolphin watching
If you ever dreamt of going whale watching, now you can take the virtual tour. Go to the most recent entry on O'Pen House and absorb Paul Fitzsimon's enthralling narrative on his recent voyage on the Mexican Sea of Cortez. He'll take you there for real as well! Enjoy, Jan
In deze rubriek worden verhalen, gedichten, reportages en andere geschriften gepubliceerd in de aangeleverde ta(a)l(en) en op uitnodiging. Voor dit laatste kun je kopij sturen aan info@janploeg.nl Deze kopij dient vrij te zijn van copyright voor publicatie in O'Pen House en is qua inhoud voor de verantwoordelijkheid van de inzender.
In this feature stories, poems, reports and other writing will be published in the language(s) provided and on invitation. For the latter you can send copy to info@janploeg.nl This copy must be free of copyright for publication in O'Pen House and its content is for the responsibility of the sender.
Enjoy, Jan
For those who stay at home this summer and for those who absolutely cannot live without their digital altar ego here is the proverbial apple for a rainy day, the 30 and a halve sequel with a daily recommended volume after your own taste, the riveting story of how a young boy such as me learned the hard, but oh so excotic way, Hippie Love!
This is a joint venture of Terry Whittaker (www.terrywhittaker.com), Dusty and me. Terry put his camera in my underwater housing and Dusty was her generous self. You will find these photographs on my Picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/jpjanneman
Enjoy, Jan
Recently I tried out my camera with the wide angle objective in the underwater housing. As the water was very murky I totally zoomed out the objective. This way I thought to get still rather clear pics, as I could shoot at a very close range and still have a lot of dolphin in frame. Once in the water I saw that the photo's came out in the frame of the UW port. They're not half bad, but as soon as the viz brightens up I hope to do rectangulars again, if need be by cropping afterwards. You'll find the picasa pics on http://picasaweb,google.com/jpjanneman
Enjoy, Jan
The most recent photographs of Dusty (69) you can find on http://picasaweb.google.com/jpjanneman
Enjoy, Jan
During a 9 day stay my good friend Kicks van der Burg has documented my life and love in Ireland with 484 photographs. If you ever wondered about my existence, here is the answer in all its wealth and beauty. All my favourite spots are there and so much more that you will feel like you have been here yourself. Check it out on
www.picasaweb.google.nl/kicks53 enjoy, Jan
Hiya,
You can find a new story-'Samuel 24' in the 'Stories' and there are two photo exhibitions on Picasaweb. One you can find on http://picasaweb.google.com/jpjanneman/washedupinireland , a compilation of waves, the other one on the same address, but instead of the last extension 'dusty'
Enjoy, Jan
Last Thursday the 'Humanimal' series with the dolphin part was broadcast
on Arte. It will be replayed on Wednesday, the 13th of September. It
contains state of the art dolphin research and a charming last few minutes
with Dusty, co-starring yours truly. Don't miss it!
Terwijl de wind de golven naar de kust schrobt, leg ik de allerlaatste hand aan mijn eigen grote schoonmaak. Het staat nu eindelijk naar eigen keuze, netjes en overzichtelijk op mijn gloednieuwe en oud vertrouwde ‘Dolphin Address’, de DVD.
De foto’s en video’s staan er in maximale pixelsterkte op. Zo kan, wie dat wil, foto’s tot posterformaat laten afdrukken en video’s van schermgroot tot, met een beamer, een filmdoek of een blinde muur te kijk zetten. Ditzelfde geldt voor een bescheiden collectie eigen beeldhouwwerk dat ik in mijn beheer kon houden.
Dan zijn er de verhalen, met buitengewoon grenzenloze dank aan Willem Verhulst die de correctie verzorgde en menig pindadopuurtje met mij pingpongde met een taalballetje. ‘Hippie Love’, dat ruim een half jaar wekelijks in feuilleton versie werd afgeleverd, ‘Jeugdzonden’, waarin ik ooit van het smalle pad der Deugd afdwaalde en ‘Toeristenverhalen’, die sinds kort elke veertien dagen, wisselend met een dol fijn filmpje, langzamer worden afgeleverd dan ik nieuwe noteer.
De bloemlezing tenslotte is een strikt eigen versie van wat ik hier de laatste 5 jaar heb ondernomen en overdacht. Het laat zich lezen als losse verhaaltjes, maar ook in haar eigen vervolgen.
Over de afgelopen junimaand is het dagelijks gemiddelde bezoekersaantal toegenomen tot 300. Dat geeft een goed gevoel, dat ik graag wil onderbouwen en uitbreiden door middel van mijn DVD. Hij gaat 20 euro kosten en je kunt hem bij mij via het contact formulier bestellen. De eerste 100 liggen, genummerd en gesigneerd, klaar op de plank op adressen in Nederland en Duitsland. Dit om de aangetekende verzendkosten, zonder welke de Ierse posterijen volstrekt pover functioneren, te beperken. Mijn gironummer is 2153717 tnv J.B.Ploeg.
Jan
While the wind is scrubbing the waves towards the shore, I am about to ultimately finish my own spring clean-up. Finally I got it after my own choice, tidy and arranged on my brand new and familiar ‘Dolphin Address’, the DVD.
The photo’s and videos are there in maximal pixel power. Thus, anyone who wants to, can have photo’s printed out in poster size, and watch videos from full-screen, and with a beamer, to wall projection. The same goes for a modest collection of my own sculpture that I could under my own trust.
Then there are the stories, with borderless thanks to Willem Verhulst who took care of corrections and in many cosy hours sparred with me in lingo ping-pong.
‘Hippie Love’, that was turned on for well over half a year, ‘Youth sins’, in which I ever strayed from the narrow path of Virtue and ‘Tourist Stories’, that off recent every fortnight, alternating with Dolphin footage, more slowly is turning out than new ones I jot down.
Finally, the anthology is a strictly own version in my own English of what I endeavoured and contemplated here in the past 5 years. It can be read as a loose collection of stories, but also in its own continuity.
Over the past month of June, the daily average of visitor numbers has increased to 300. That is a good feeling, that I would like to support and extend by my DVD. Its going to cost 20 euros and you can reserve one via the ‘Contact’ form. The first 100 are ready, numbered and signed. You can pay me by my Paypal account, into info@janploeg.nl.
Jan
Zo valt er iedere vrijdag omstebeurt iets nieuws te lezen of te zien. De ‘Toeristenverhalen’ en de video’s blijven dus twee weken staan en worden daarna vervangen door nieuwe.
Voor hen die dit alles niet willen afwachten en of verwijderde video’s of verhalen en nog een heleboel andere ‘Dolphin Address’ inhoud willen inhalen bestaat de mogelijkheid om mijn DVD ‘Dolphin Address’ te bestellen.
Thus every Friday in turn there will be something new to read or to watch. The ‘Tourist stories’ and the video’s will remain for two weeks and then be replaced by new ones.
For those who do not want to wait or want to make up for removed video’s or stories and a whole lot of other ‘Dolphin Address’ content, there is the possibility to order my ‘Dolphin Address’ DVD.
Last year I have let over a hundred people on request know where to find Dusty. Because the nearest parking place can only harbour about four cars I directed them further on.
Purely out of self-interest, because otherwise I can not park there myself. The other route is nearly twice as long. Also, because for filming and photographing under water I have to drag quite a bit of stuff along, I have taken this liberty.
Now everyone that took the other route came by this little parking spot and quite a few of you have been furious at me for letting you walk the extra distance.
That is the first reason why I will give no more advice as to where to find Dusty.
The second is that it has happened that people who had asked me directions did not find her there. Again I was the target of frustration.
So forget it, I won’t do this no more.
The only thing I want to say about this is that Dusty has been spotted on numerous locations between Liscannor and Quilty.
My own score nowadays is below 50%.
Nevertheless I wish everyone a lot of fun with the dolphin!
Jan
Often, when I dance upon the rocks I accompany my stroll and stride with self made melodies that fit the moment. I don't like to plan ahead. Never works out as expected anyway. Rather focus full power on the present. But sometimes you have to get in sync with others. Like now. Instead of stringing myself to some tight schedule to do criss-cross-country videopresentations I prefer to set up something more solid, so you can come to me too. From 16/12 on this will be the case for cafe 'Ganesha' in Oldenburg, see Dolphin Address 25 for address and other particulars. I do have a few clusters of other activities too, so you do best to call in first: 0049-4412198477. The idea is that I will be sort of workshopping inside 'Ganesha' with videos, photos and other stuff. On my other computer there will be a display of footage and photage that is for sale on DVD's. And of course we can talk and I show you around a few things I'm not at liberty to sell, but feature Dusty and me. I hope that together with Silke and Jay and other friends we will have a lot of interesting fun. So be welcome in 'Ganesha' and discover the dolphin smile in a happy elephant.
See you, Jan
For Nobody,
Today I got an e-mail with a cry for help from somebody very depressed. I tried to put in some solid response, but it was returned as undeliverable. So I shoot it at the planet like this and leave it to go and hopefully find it’s lay.
Hiya Linda,
Like when you go for help they always at first seem to be more interested in your social security number and stuff than in your ailment. I'd like to get a few things straight with you too. First is that I have been contacted before by somebody with a 'nobody' address. If that was you, tell me about it, if not, just let it be. Second is, that you call your affliction 'clinical depression', which is a continuous state. You mention to have had depressions before, which suggests manic-depression. That is what I have and know about. Then your country of origin is Dutch, so am I, dus waarom schrijf je niet in het Nederlands? You see, these things don't figure and I want to know who I'm dealing with before I spend my time on nobody at all or wind up buying something I do not want.
So Linda, if you are genuine, give me some more information about yourself so I can kick the feeling of somebody trying to fool me again. I do want to help fellow sufferers where I can. First advice I can give you now is to contact a patient organisation and get to meet people who got the same kind of affliction. That has helped me a lot. You will see that you are not alone in your misery and that it helps to talk about it with people who KNOW how you feel after their own experience. In Holland this is done by the VMDB, the 'Vereniging voor Manisch Depressieven en Betrokkenen'. They supervise a network of patient contact and 'huiskamerbijeenkomsten', monthly meetings in livingroom settings. Just Google it. I find fellow patients like so many open doors. You don't have to explain or justify. You're not alone!(David Bowie, last song on 'Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars', listen to it whenever you can and learn it by heart!)
When I go down I do not waste any effort on keeping things going any more. I drop everything instantly, get away from other, 'normal' people, and go down the mental ladder to the bottom, because there it is easiest to survive. I used to go down for half a year. Since '98, taking this defence conduct I'm up again in a week after the first three days laying in bed, trying to sleep, never taking alcohol or drugs, just water, loads of it, like it too, up to 13 litres a day. I took Lithium Carbonate for 30 years and that only took away the psychoses, but not the highs and lows. You may want to inquire about fish-oil, Omega 3. Friends of mine who have same and similar problems run a sale-site: ‘Visolieplein’, based in Groningen, with lots of info after their own experience: Google that! They have very good and genuine results.
Every MD patient varies in his or her misery, but by comparison you get more grip on yourself. I know, when you're down it is very hard, even totally impossible to imagine yourself to be well again. Yet there will come a day that your sorrow will lift like by itself and you FEEL better than ever before. You KNOW this, but because you can't FEEL it, this good life does not seem to be possible ever again. You have to convince your BRAIN that you're gonna be OK again, no good talking to your feeling. Your brain is your stronghold until you can live in your feeling again. Make a very strong and unshakeable deal with yourself, talk to yourself in a mirror and promise yourself that however you feel you will keep the faith in yourself. Don't even consider stepping out of your life, reflecting upon killing yourself will never bring you solace, only confuse you.
I will come to Holland from roughly half december to half january and will be doing video presentations of the dolphin I swim with. If you like we can meet, but I'd like to know a few more details about you. So get yourself to do this and other things that are directed in to RELATING to whatever keeps your mind away as much as possible from your hurt. I cannot cure you, but having suffered MD since '72 I can help you in ways that I help myself.
Dear Linda, I hope you to read this and if this is any use to others so much for the better.
Take care, Jan
Today Willem and I visited Rod. He is like the godfather of us mobilites, living in his self-convened van now for an odd 35 years. Rod Bennet is 63, though he could easily be mistaken for someone in his half forties and he is still an ardent surfer, an intense nature lover and someone with a natural charm, easily making friends and keeping them in incredible numbers. He like knows everybody and vice versa. Rod is also very keen on swimming with Dusty and the photo's he showed me are awesome. Check them out for yourself on 'Dusty 2006'. Thanks a million Rod for sharing your great pics with my visitors. Jan
In 'Dusty 2006' you can find 11 Close ups of Her Silvership. In 'Walkabouts' there are 8 views taken on a walk from the Cliffs of Moher to Hag's End.
Enjoy, Jan
Zoals de afgelopen zomer ik met eenvoudige middelen een bootje heb ontwikkeld dat voortgedreven wordt met dolfijn technologie, (zie video nr. 2, 'Maiden voyage) zo tracht ik ook een open oog te houden voor het verbeteren van mijn eigen fysieke uitrusting als een zo volledig mogelijk aangepaste deelnemer aan het natte element.
Zo ben ik me al jaren bewust van de weerstand die het oppervlak onder en boven mijn benen ontmoet wanneer ik met de monovin het water doorklief. Een probleem ontstaat pas als zich mogelijke oplossingen aandienen en dat is sinds kort het geval, althans in theoretische gedaante.
De staartstok van een dolfijn is verticaal afgeplat zodat bij de op- en neerbewegingen van de staart daar minimale weerstand ontstaat en de aandrijfkracht wordt geoptimaliseerd.
Ik heb alweer een tijd geleden deze bij mijzelf getracht te
verminderen door voetstukken te plaatsen onder en boven op een monovin, waarbij dus mijn onderbenen in elkaars slagverlengde komen en hun weerstand wordt verminderd. Dit blijkt mijn beenuitslag dermate te hinderen dat de weerstands winst teniet gaat door verminderde drijfkracht. Vandaar dat ik weer terug gekeerd ben naar de tekentafel.
Mijn gedachten gaan uit naar een pak, waarvan het broekgedeelte aan de beide buitenkanten dicht geritst kan worden, zoals bij schaatsbroeken. In plaats van broekspijpen zou het broekdeel een soort kokerrok moeten vormen waarbij in het midden een in lengte richting flexibele kiel wordt ingenaaid zodat gelijkvormige buiging van de benen mogelijk
blijft. Deze kielen moeten een ellipsvormig doorsnee profiel aan de benen geven, zodat op en neer bewegingen meer gestroomlijnd zijn en dus minder weerstand oproepen.
De vraag wordt dan toegespitst op hoe hoog deze kielen zouden moeten zijn, hoe ze flexibel kunnen worden ingebouwd en vooral welk materiaal hiervoor te gebruiken.
In eerste instantie denk ik aan lexaan platen, die bij de bovenbenen dubbel worden aangebracht, zodat de enkele platen onder en boven de onderbenen daar tussen kunnen schuiven.
Een andere optie zou een graatstructuur zijn met interne punten, die door het kam vormig opgestoken neopreen verbonden worden.
Doordat meer neopreen moet worden toegepast wordt de drijfbaarheid van het pak verhoogd. Dit zou door het gewicht van de ingebouwde kielstructuur moeten worden gecompenseerd.
Ik besef dat deze gedachten wellicht niet de inzichtelijkheid hebben zoals ik die voor ogen heb. Daarbij heb ik ook zo mijn ideeën over het stroomlijnen van mijn hoofd met een soort helm die uitloopt in een geronde punt, zoals de kaken van een dolfijn.
Ik heb de vragen, verwacht van jullie geen pasklare antwoorden, maar doe een beroep op het Nederlands vernuft in de hoop dat dit project zou kunnen uitmonden in een nieuwe natpak lijn voor zwemmers met een hoger ontwikkeld waterbewustzijn.
Jan Plons
Hiya All,
As I have been plagued by the in connectivity of my broadband options it has been very hard to keep you updated on developments. As you may have spotted 16 brand new and exiting videos have been posted in the dept. and there are at present 7 more waiting for fair cyber conditions to be launched. The same holds for a series of close ups of Dusty with the new underwater housing for the 12 mega pixel Nikon, one of which already shows on Dolphin Address 23 reading the ‘On dolphin skin’ poem. As announced in the same Dolphin Address I have kicked of a serial on my hippie trails in ’66 and ’67 after letting oral reportorial tradition mature for over 30 years. I intend to post new editions preferably on Fridays to ease you through the weekend, broadband volente. Dutch visitors may use the front door, top middle on the home page, the English edition is accessible in the left column on the English page. I’m in the process of negotiating a deal with a gallery for the commercial outlet of full pixel force photographs and videos. I’ll let you know if, when and where this all hopefully soon will become available. Also I have contacted a Dutch manufacturer of wetsuits on a proposed design for a wetsuit that will meet less resistance when swimming with a monofin simultaneously allowing more power feed. I finally figured out a way to hinge the newly constructed propulsion device to the driving axis of my boat, hopefully lifting it into speedboat mode. My invitation for funding support as phrased in Dolphin Address is still going strong. I have been invited to give a video presentation of my dolphin capture in Oldenburg, Germany half December and would like to do a few more between then and half January. If you think you can organise such an event that would at least cover my costs you are welcome to contact me. Keep in touch, Jan
This morning I went over to Dusty's present location and there she was, gentle as ever and very much for real. Due to abuse by irresponsible visitors (see also DEA 9) I have removed access directions as mentioned in DAE 8. For the time being I will screen e-mail requests to her whereabouts on good intent before I answer them. Better to direct good will than to stick ever more fingers in the dyke, as we have learned in Holland. It is imperative to all concerned, particularly to the dolphin, that you do not harass cattle, break down stone walls or leave rubbish on the fields and rocks. Be very carefull out there, weather conditions may be hazardous and the rocks can be devilishly slippery and it's quite a walk away from civilization as we know it.
In the 'foto's' department, homepage top left, you can find 12 brand new pics of Dusty, taken on April 10th under the subject 'Dusty 2006'.
Enjoy! Jan
Off the 25th of March you can find another 53 photo's of Liin Bay uploaded on http://www.stockphoto-online.com/ Lots of natural beauty and some dolphin pictures as well.
Check it out, it's free to watch. Sales at http://www.photogift-online.com and http://www.fotogeschenk.nl/
Enjoy, Jan Ploeg
In the Dolpin Address edition nr. 4 I have popped the question to your interest in buying my photographs. The response to this was sufficiently aggressive on my existence to delegate this to professional care. http://www.stockphoto-online.com/ is going to do do this. I have already uploaded a collection of 60 photo's most of which have not been published on my website before and I intend to fill my quotum of 250 photographs as soon as I can with a current harvest of early Irish seaside Spring. I am still to add info and prices, but you can have a preview as of now and I expect the completion of the sale function within days. There are over twenty professional photographers also presenting their pictures, so enjoy, Jan