Manila

In my youth I remember watching the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. He was displaced by the "People Power" revolution, led by Corazon Aquino. Marcos had been an ally of the U.S. and was evacuated by U.S. aircraft to exile in Hawaii, where Marcos died three years later.

Marcos' wife, Imelda, became infamous for the thousands of pairs of expensive shoes that she had bought in high-priced shopping trips abroad. The Marcos family managed to bring a fortune with them into exile, most of which have never been found.

The Marcos family was eventually allowed to return to the Philippines, although Ferdinand Marcos never saw his homeland again, and Imelda Marcos was elected to the House of Representatives and ran unsuccessfully for president.

But the unbelievable has happened. The son of Ferdinand Marcos, who went with the family into exile in 1986, has become President of the Philippines. When the reviled family fled into exile in 1986 it was beyond belief that this would ever happen.

What is believed to be the most densely populated city in the world was founded as the colonial capital of the Philippines by imperial Spain in 1571. Quezon City, once the capital of the Philippines, is now considered as part of the Manila metro area, and Manila itself is the capital. I remember from school when Quezon City, named for a former Philippine president, was the capital of the country.

Spain had earlier launched the first voyage of a fleet of ships that had gone right around the world. It had been led by a Portuguese-born captain named Ferdinand Magellan. It had made a stop in the Philippines, after crossing the Pacific, and Magellan had died there.

Malacanang Palace, built around when Manila was founded, was where Spain governed the Philippines from. The country is named for Spain's King Phillip II, and so many Filipinos today have Spanish names. Filipinos began a revolution against Spanish rule near the end of the Nineteenth Century. Not long afterward, the U.S. and Spain got into the Spanish-American War. When the U.S. won that war, it inherited the Philippines.

But the Philippines declared independence, and declared war on the United States when it would not recognize that independence and America commenced ruling the Philippines as a colony. The U.S. also ruled the country from the Malacanang Palace.

One American Governor-General of the Philippines was named Arthur MacArthur. Most people today are more familiar with his son, U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur, and his vow "I Shall Return" when forced to evacuate the Philippines early in the Second World War. Another Governor-General of the Philippines was named William Howard Taft, who would later be U.S. President.

The Malacanang Palace is mostly remembered around the world today for the "People Power" Revolution of 1986. President Ferdinand Marcos had declared martial law fourteen years before, and ruled effectively as a dictator. One of his opponents was Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, who was in exile in the U.S. In 1983, Aquino was told that he could return home, but was shot to death as soon as he got off the plane. The airport at Manila is now named for him.

His widow, Corazon Aquino, led the "People Power" Revolution, becoming president of the Philippines when Marcos fled into exile in Hawaii. I followed this revolution in the news, it was going on at about the same time as "Baby Doc" Duvalier was being overthrown in Haiti.

After Corazon Aquino took power, it was found that Marcos' wife, Imelda Marcos, had about 2,700 pairs of expensive shoes, that she had bought on overseas shopping sprees. She is believed to have used the name "Jane Ryan" to put vast sums of money in foreign bank accounts. She was allowed to return home, and to serve in congress, after the death of her husband in Hawaiian exile.

Has anyone noticed something interesting about how history repeats itself? During the Spanish colonial era, the Philippines was ruled from Mexico, at least until Mexico gained independence from Spain. Mexico actually underwent two revolutions. The first was the one against Spanish rule. The second was to overthrow a president that had assumed dictatorial powers, named Porfirio Diaz. The Philippines repeated this pattern, first gaining independence from being a colony, and later to overthrow a president that has assumed dictatorial powers, named Ferdinand Marcos.

Here is the famed Malacanang Palace, and surrounding area, beginning in the adjoining museum. The palace is on the shore of the Pasig River, which flows through Manila. On the streets, you can see the "Jeepneys", which are widely used for transportation in Manila. 

The first four scenes, from Google Street View, are of the museum inside the palace.

There are multiple scenes following. To see the scenes, after the first one, you must first click the up arrow, ^, before you can move on to the next scene by clicking the right or forward arrow, >. After clicking the up arrow, you can then hide the previews of successive scenes, if you wish.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.59447,120.9945539,2a,75y,124.12h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4sQcqyar0C4zhg0pxsxURw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D4sQcqyar0C4zhg0pxsxURw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D125.00077%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

The area of Spanish colonial-era buildings is known as "Intramuros", which means "Inside The Walls". The following scenes begin inside Manila Cathedral, which is within Intramuros. The first three scenes, from Google Street View, are of Manila Cathedral.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.5915508,120.9734872,3a,75y,94.88h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipP3zPmySOe0blYbkJfcXmUrhGYBwt1JYr-cdQFv!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipP3zPmySOe0blYbkJfcXmUrhGYBwt1JYr-cdQFv%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya324.03915-ro-0-fo100!7i7680!8i3840

Binondo is believed to be the oldest Chinatown in the world. It is across the Pasig River from Intramuros and began not long after the founding of Manila. The following scenes begin inside what is known as Minor Basilica Ruiz. The first three images, from Google Street View, are of the basilica and adjacent Chinatown. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.6001841,120.9747304,3a,75y,124.14h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipOBN_e9cKD1ziE5k8PJJqKHFpfVTaJAVmuUZc3B!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOBN_e9cKD1ziE5k8PJJqKHFpfVTaJAVmuUZc3B%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya65.0219-ro-0-fo100!7i9728!8i4864

The following scenes begin at the Jose Rizal Monument, in a park near Intramuros. The monument is named for a martyred hero of the rebellion against Spanish rule. The first image of the monument is from Google Street View.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.5818491,120.9770999,2a,75y,337.92h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_F3R9UAp_G1w3OwFtc3_WQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D_F3R9UAp_G1w3OwFtc3_WQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D338.56683%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Rizal Avenue proceeds northward from the central part of Manila. Here are some scenes beginning along Rizal Avenue. Notice again the Jeepneys on the streets.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.6151591,120.9826404,3a,75y,114.19h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sFmMsKHODuGKmkijzesejdQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DFmMsKHODuGKmkijzesejdQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D114.90385%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Makati is a financial and business center south of Intramuros and the Malacanang Palace.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.5547935,121.0219591,3a,75y,35h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sdsC-d1EX4mzdqhvSXz-Lrg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DdsC-d1EX4mzdqhvSXz-Lrg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D35.670307%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

This is one of the largest malls in Manila, Robinson's place, and the views from some tall buildings. The first two images are from Google Street View.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.5758602,120.984497,3a,75y,66.61h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipO7jVT3KikzNtoNg34fqHRTmQDDBEDioqhQgfaY!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipO7jVT3KikzNtoNg34fqHRTmQDDBEDioqhQgfaY%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya229.92203-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352

This is a residential and small business area, beginning along R. Fernandez Street.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.6265217,120.9712928,3a,75y,121.63h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_GQGWFcoo1cKlpQPlGpLqA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D_GQGWFcoo1cKlpQPlGpLqA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D122.47791%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

This is another residential and small business area, Paligsahan in Quezon City.

https://www.google.com/maps/@14.6327006,121.024014,3a,75y,152.02h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNJwdybHrwOS0HcCymSH9FXeEu-m5l_J79VSjWa!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNJwdybHrwOS0HcCymSH9FXeEu-m5l_J79VSjWa%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya25.994772-ro-0-fo100!7i13200!8i6600

THE KING FOR WHOM THE PHILIPPINES IS NAMED

Finally, we go to the other side of the world. The following scenes are of El Escorial, in Spain northwest of Madrid. This is the palace and monastery that was built by King Phillip II, for whom the Philippines is named. It is kind of the Spanish version of Versailles. Most Spanish royalty is buried in El Escorial.

Phillip II ruled at a time when Spain and Portugal were united. In fact, the dynasty was called the "Philippine Dynasty" , meaning "The Dynasty of Phillip". In the same way that the islands in the Pacific that Spain had begun colonizing were named "The Philippines", or "The Islands of Phillip".

The way I see it, the Philippines is one of only six countries that were named for individual people.
America was named for cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
Colombia was named for Christopher Columbus
Bolivia was named for Simon Bolivar
Israel was named for Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel
Saudi Arabia was named for Ibn Saud

Phillip II ruled Spain when it was near the peak of it's power. El Escorial was not only a palace, it was also a monastery and religious institution. It became, in fact, the headquarters of the Counter-Reformation, which was the great Catholic effort to contain and reverse the Protestant Reformation which had divided Christianity. So much of what the Catholic Church is today comes from not the original church but from the changes made in the era of the Counter-Reformation.

How about a royal story that does not get much publicity today?

Mary I was the English queen who, after the beginning of the Reformation, tried to bring England back to Catholicism by force. Her brother, Edward who had succeeded their father Henry VIII (The Eighth), removed her from the sequence of hereditary succession. But she had gathered supporters and, after Edward's death, managed to seize the throne.

The mother of Mary I had been Spanish, Catherine of Aragon who had been the wife of Henry VIII. Catherine of Aragon had been the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the famed king and queen of Spain who had united the country after the Moors had been completely expelled, and had commissioned Christopher Columbus to try to find a way to India by sailing west, which is why the native people of the western hemisphere are called "Indians", he thought he had landed in India.

Mary I had been married to Phillip II. After the death of Mary I her successor and half-sister, Elizabeth I, brought England back to Protestantism, launching the Anglican Church as a king of compromise between Protestant and Catholic. Phillip II launched the Spanish Armada, to force England back to Catholicism.

The failure of the effort changed the history of the world. It convinced many people that God was on the side of the Protestants, and nothing could have been a greater gift to the early Protestant movement. It was England's beginning as a great power. It also began the end of Spanish control over the Netherlands, which brought into being the Netherlands and Belgium, which would split from the Netherlands because it chose to remain Catholic.

But most people today don't know that the Spanish king who launched the Armada against England had been the husband of the previous English queen.

Anyway here is El Escorial, built by Phillip II for whom the Philippines is named. The first three images are from Google Earth.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5890408,-4.1477268,3a,75y,106.15h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPhuEw81JcsnxubrGtmpfh750dRpFegdr1lnxKY!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPhuEw81JcsnxubrGtmpfh750dRpFegdr1lnxKY%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya110.87036-ro-0-fo100!7i5000!8i2500

The Wannabe Jack The Ripper

In 1964 and 65 there were a series of murders in west London that evoked Jack the Ripper, whose murders were committed on the other side of London. The bodies of six prostitutes were found at various locations. The murders are usually referred to as the "Hammersmith Nude Murders" because the bodies were found in the Hammersmith area and their clothing had been removed. But unlike the murders of Jack the Ripper these were committed by strangulation and impact. The killer was never caught although, as with Jack the Ripper, there has been endless speculation and a list of possible suspects. 

In another story a 15 year old boy was working at a store in the Welsh town of Abertillery, in 1921. His name was Harold Jones. A young girl who lived nearby was sent over to buy animal feed. The girl never returned home and her body was found the following day. There was traces of corn chaff on her body that matched the corn chaff on the floor of a nearby shed. The shed belonged to the store and Harold Jones was the one who had the key to it.

Harold Jones was accused of the murder and put on trial. The people of the town stood by him, believing that one of their own couldn't have done this, and he was found not guilty. When he returned home he was received like a hero. He clearly very much enjoyed the attention and made a speech.

But within a short time another young girl in the town disappeared. This time her body was found in the attic of the home where Harold Jones lived. He had lured her into the house and killed her when he had been home alone and apparently didn't have chance to dispose of the body so he hid it in the attic.

He was convicted and, while in prison, also confessed to the first murder. Britain had the death penalty at the time but he wasn't eligible for it because the crimes had been committed before he turned 16. He seems to have served 20 years in prison. There is conflicting information about what happened to him after his release. He served in either the military or the Merchant Navy. Britain was pressed by the war in 1941 and I wonder if he was released in exchange for service.

He is known to have lived in London afterward, but is reported to have occasionally returned to Abertillery. By the 1960s his crimes had been mostly forgotten and he was living under a different name. Harold Jones died of cancer in 1971. While the police were investigating the Hammersmith Nude Murders what they were not aware of is that Harold Jones was living close by.

No one seems to have considered Harold Jones as a potential suspect during his lifetime. He was born in 1906 so would have been in his late 50s when the Hammersmith Murders were taking place. He was added to the list of potential suspects, by the media not the police, long after his death. 

What is interesting about the Hammersmith Murders is that flecks of paint were found on several of the bodies, but this didn't begin until after it was announced in the news that a serial killer was at work. From what I can gather the flecks of paint on one body matched that inside a transformer housing that the body was found near.

Has anyone ever thought that Harold Jones was purposely leaving clues? I cannot see this anywhere. Killers like this usually can't resist playing games with the public and authorities. Jack the Ripper famously sent taunting letters to the police. I remember the letters from the "Son of Sam" to the media.

Remember the corn chaff that was found on the body of Harold Jones' first victim back in Abertillery, which matched the corn chaff on the floor of the nearby shed. The paint flecks represented that corn chaff and the transformer housing represented the shed. 

There is a police sketch of the likely Hammersmith killer, based on information provided by a witness. It looks like it could be Harold Jones, based on the mugshot that was taken in 1921. I believe that he purposely allowed himself to be seen as another clue. 

It was known that Harold Jones liked to read when he was young. What I surmise is that he must have read about Jack the Ripper, whose murders took place more than 17 years before his birth. This is what gave him the idea of killing girls. Notice that the first known victim of Jack the Ripper, Mary Ann Nichols, had her throat slashed and her body was found in an alley. Harold Jones' first victim, in Abertillery, was found in an alley and his second victim had her throat slashed.

Blood is messy and visible and it didn't make sense to kill the second victim by slashing her throat in his own home. This is what got him caught when the police searched house-by-house, and noticed blood stains. Why didn't he kill her by strangulation or impact, like the first victim? The obvious answer is that he had made a hero out of Jack the Ripper, and was compelled to imitate him.

Then, in later life while living in London, came the murders to imitate Jack the Ripper. Serial killers usually don't begin killing in their late 50s, without ever having killed before. It is known that Jack the Ripper had some kind of medical skill, since he removed the internal organs of one victim. Lacking such medical skill the killer in Hammersmith removed their clothing instead. This also left no doubt that there was a serial killer at work. 

The Hammersmith killer, just like Harold Jones in Abertillery, always moved the bodies from where they were killed. Several of the victims were mysteriously missing front teeth, and this could be another clue. The Wikipedia article on Harold Jones states that he once expressed the ambition to be a professional boxer, and this must have been reported in the news. In the early days of boxing, before the use of mouthpieces, missing front teeth were common. The final victim in Hammersmith is known to have disappeared on January 11, which was Jones' birthday.

It is not known for certain how many were killed by Jack the Ripper but the six in Hammersmith were an approximation of the number. It is also bizarre how he drained the blood from the second victim in Abertillery, which is what got him caught. This looks like an effort to imitate Jack the Ripper's removal of the one victim's internal organs. 

The murders of Jack the Ripper were seasonal, taking place in the autumn of 1888. He had to use a knife because it was easier to conceal. Walking around Whitechapel with something that could be used for a blunt instrument would have drawn attention. In the autumn he would have been wearing some kind of jacket or covering, which made it possible to conceal the knife. The Hammersmith killer didn't have any difficulty concealing a blunt instrument because he was driving a car. He would also have been biased against blood because that was what got him caught back in Abertillery.

For more about serial killers who have purposely left clues see "The Unabomber And The Zodiac Killer", November 2023, and 1) DID THE SON OF SAM WANT TO GET CAUGHT in the compound posting "Investigations", December 2018.

There is so much more to be found, just by looking online, in some of these cases. With the endless volumes that have been written about the O.J. Simpson case I am still in disbelief at what had never been noticed. In "A Niagara Falls Perspective On The O.J. Simpson Case", April 2024, we saw the connection with the 1962 escape from Alcatraz. From the high school that O.J. went to the island was clearly visible, and he was going to school there when the escape happened. When playing for the Buffalo Bills he wore number 32, and the murders for which he was charged happened 32 years to the day from the Alcatraz escape.

News

SCHOOL SHOOTING

School has just started back and already there has been a school shooting. Instead of bringing a gun to school why not bring God to school? The Second Book of Thessalonians, Chapter 1, Verse 6 explains that, if you really follow God, He will trouble those who trouble you. God will cause nasty things to happen to people, families or, organizations that treat you unfairly. 

INDIA'S NEXT GOLDEN AGE

Kamala Harris' unexpected run for U.S. President is part of what we saw in the compound posting "India And The West", December 2022. India has a history of entering a golden age about every 400 years and is about due for one now.

APOCALYPTIC DEVELOPMENTS

This war in Ukraine is turning Russia and Iran into close allies, which they really weren't previously. This is part of the scenario that we saw in "The End Of The World As We Know It".

THE QUESTION OF SMILING

Kamala Harris is making maximum use of smiling in her campaign for U.S. President. But is smiling an entirely good thing? Smiling can be deceptive and a lot of serial killers have used a magnetic smile to draw in victims. 

I kind of have a policy of not smiling in public in my hometown. Walking around smiling is another "fit in" mechanism, to get us to surrender some of our freedom.

Jakarta

The capital city of Indonesia began with a Hindu kingdom, on the island of Java, that lasted for nearly a thousand years. Today, it is one of the great cities of the world. Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and, Jakarta form nearly a straight line on the map.

The logical place to begin our visit to Jakarta is in the vast central Merdeka Square. The National Monument, celebrating the independence of Indonesia, is in the center of the square. The first three images are from Google Street View.

There are multiple scenes following. To see the scenes, after the first one, you must first click the up arrow, ^, before you can move on to the next scene by clicking the right or forward arrow, >. After clicking the up arrow, you can then hide the previews of successive scenes, if you wish. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.1754133,106.8270248,2a,75y,240.53h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBDyLca0Umf7QQ-YHS7Y3fQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DBDyLca0Umf7QQ-YHS7Y3fQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D240.38263%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Not far from Merdeka Square is Jakarta Cathedral. The following scenes begin in there. The cathedral was built early in the Twentieth Century. The large mosque next to the cathedral is the Istiqlal Mosque. It was built next to the cathedral, in the 1970s, to emphasize the racial and religious harmony in Indonesia, which is actually the largest Moslem country in the world. The first three images, from Google Street View, are of the Istiqlal Mosque. 

These three images of Jakarta Cathedral are from Google Street View.

Pope Francis is visiting the mosque. Did you know that there is a "Tunnel of Friendship" built between the mosque and the cathedral?

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.1693048,106.8331828,3a,75y,75.08h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipO10jPHTuoxXjVU4xgO2Dz49r9SHddutm-Wg9t6!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipO10jPHTuoxXjVU4xgO2Dz49r9SHddutm-Wg9t6%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya4.9949455-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352

The following scenes of central Jakarta begin at the traffic circle, known as the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout. The first four scenes of central Jakarta are from Google Street View.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.1949238,106.823056,3a,75y,95.35h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMGXQ4CePARdFZxD9Uj1XI8mp-ZIDtUq2VxJQ6-!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMGXQ4CePARdFZxD9Uj1XI8mp-ZIDtUq2VxJQ6-%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya95.380196-ro-0-fo100!7i7776!8i3888

This is known as the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. It is like a theme park or exhibition to celebrate everything about Indonesia. This includes it's history, architecture and culture.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.3024459,106.8951559,3a,75y,89.98h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPc_S_Cd5Lfi-gDZA8QFhjPFfPZkmWLCnrt4r9M!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPc_S_Cd5Lfi-gDZA8QFhjPFfPZkmWLCnrt4r9M%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya230.97821-ro-0-fo100!7i4608!8i2304

This is the area of the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, starting inside the stadium. The first three images of the stadium are from Google Street View.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.2186043,106.8031402,2a,75y,79h,88t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqiyuTXH2xO_V58yx9poGYw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DqiyuTXH2xO_V58yx9poGYw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D79.5%26pitch%3D-2.9338646%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Here is a residential and small business neighborhood in central Jakarta.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.161836,106.8631424,3a,75y,335h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfnAeV34ipKGSqZ4f2wpqbw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DfnAeV34ipKGSqZ4f2wpqbw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D335.6333%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

This is another neighborhood, toward the outside of the city.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-6.2369476,106.7306715,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCX8dsONyHLMbb1JkSonyVg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DCX8dsONyHLMbb1JkSonyVg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D270.15286%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656 

Indonesia is now in the process of building an entirely new capital city, to be called Nusantara, on the east coast of the island of Borneo. It will replace the crowded Jakarta. At the time this image from Google Street View was made the outline of the new city had not yet been built.

Battlements

A bollard is a short, well- anchored post that is used for mooring boats and ships. The following image from Google Street View shows a bollard at the Welland Canal.

The posts that are seen everywhere as barriers to errant vehicles, or to people who drink and drive, are also called bollards. My photo.

However I believe that this is a mistake, since the two are completely different things, and that these vehicle barriers should have their own name. 

In medieval castles the battlements were a parapet on a roof or tower with openings for archers to shoot at an approaching enemy. The following two images are from Google Street View. 

The battlements give archers a space to shoot arrows, while at the same time providing cover from enemy arrows. These vehicle barrier posts are spaced to achieve exactly the same purpose. They allow pedestrians, deliveries and, shopping carts to get through, but would block a vehicle. So why don't we call these posts "battlements"?

Battlements are often used to protect gas stations, where the vehicles are often pointed directly at the building. They may be brightly colored to make them more visible at night. These two images are from Google Street View.

The battlements that protect the gas pumps may be shaped like an inverted "U". Image from Google Street View.

Battlements are often seen at banks to protect the outside ATMs. First image from Google Street View, second is my photo.

Sometimes boulders are used as battlements. Image from Google Street View.

These battlements around Buffalo City Hall are in the form of spheres. They were put there without being anchored in the ground and it is their mass that provides the protective barrier. Image from Google Street View.

I definitely think that they should be called "battlements" because they serve exactly the same purpose as medieval battlements.

The Titanic Over Again

Glorifying the heroics when the Titanic sank obscures the fact that it was a terrible disaster that never should have happened. There was so much confidence in the technology, maybe because Britain was where the Industrial Revolution began. The Titanic was unsinkable. There was no need to bother with warnings about icebergs up ahead and come to a halt like nearby ships. Setting speed records was more important. There is also the controversy over the quality of the rivets used to secure the plates on the part of the ship that contacted the iceberg.

The trouble is that we keep replaying the Titanic. The 2017 Grenfell tragedy was just like the Titanic, except that it was in the middle of London instead of at sea. Instead of the controversy over the plates on the outside of the Titanic it was about the cladding on the outside of the building. There was the same overconfidence in the technology, and the feeling that there was nothing to worry about. Image from Google Earth.

Then there was the Post Office Scandal. The same overconfidence in the technology. Hundreds of people were accused, and many convicted, of being short of money. (In Britain post offices can be run out of stores). Just like the icebergs up ahead, warnings were ignored that the technology might be at fault. Instead of the quality of the rivets on the Titanic it was faults in the software.

Let's realize that the sinking of the Titanic was a terrible tragedy that should never have happened and that it can happen again in other forms.

The City Of The Lion

The name of Singapore means "City of the Lion". Despite being a long way from India, and having only a minority population of Indians, the name comes from Sanskrit. The name of Singapore is similar to the common surname "Singh", which also means lion. All Sikhs have the surname of Singh, but there are also people named Singh who are not Sikhs.

The name means "City of the Lion", but Singapore is also classified as one of the "Asian Tiger" economies. One thing that is certain is that, when it comes to economics, Singapore is like a lion and a tiger all rolled into one. It is near the top in both dynamic economics and the best places to live in the world.

Singapore had humble beginnings, as a British trading post established in 1819. But it is at an ideal location for trade, right at the end of the long Malay Peninsula. If Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore who has a hotel named for him in the city, went to Heaven, I would like to give him the news someday of how his humble trading post turned into a world-leading city-state.

By city-state, I mean that Singapore is both a city and a nation. It has no hinterland, just the city itself. Such a place should not, by logic, be any kind of a great city. It does not even have enough land to be a great city, much land has been reclaimed from the sea.

But what it is known to have going for it is some of the most dynamic people in the world. Singaporeans have taken a swampy island at the end of the Malay Peninsula and turned it into a contender for the greatest and most important city in the world.

Singapore was part of Malaysia for three years, but left in 1965. There has been inevitable competition with another of the world's great cities, Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, less than 300 km away. Kuala Lumpur has the nation of Malaysia as it's hinterland while Singapore, being no longer a part of Malaysia, has no such hinterland.

But Singapore has one great advantage, that of it's name. The name of Kuala Lumpur means something like "the place by the rivers where there is a lot of mud". As one person who had lived in Singapore asked, "Which would you rather do business with, 'The City of the Lion' or 'The place where there is a lot of mud' "?

The name that has been most associated with Singapore is that of the late prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who ruled until 1990. His son was later the prime minister.

Singapore subsidizes health care and education. It actually pays it's people to exercise.

The following scenes are in the central part of Singapore, beginning with a former convent that is now known by the initials CHIJMS. The first three scenes of central Singapore are from Google Earth.

There are multiple scenes following. To see the scenes, after the first one, you must first click the up arrow, ^, before you can move on to the next scene by clicking the right or forward arrow, >. After clicking the up arrow, you can then hide the previews of successive scenes, if you wish.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.295236,103.8520966,3a,75y,94.62h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPQBtO-ev4tLO7S3TQyhGLbwgbIJu8PYmMZfAx4!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPQBtO-ev4tLO7S3TQyhGLbwgbIJu8PYmMZfAx4%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya186.62408-ro0-fo100!7i7168!8i3584

This begins in the area with a lot of Chinese businesses, known as Nagore Dargah. But more than three-quarters of the population of Singapore is of Chinese ethnicity. The first six images of central Singapore are from Google Earth and Street View.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.2815604,103.847851,3a,75y,15.67h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1seCgjZoSzSs84rLtnx2mLFw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DeCgjZoSzSs84rLtnx2mLFw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D15.671092%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

This is more of the Chinatown area of Singapore, and the surrounding skyline. The first four images of Singapore's Chinatown are from Google Street View. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.280174,103.8419704,3a,75y,41.08h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sgafWy6P0k42EVkP4jpK8bg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DgafWy6P0k42EVkP4jpK8bg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D41.069736%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Unlike neighboring Malaysia, Islam is a minority religion in Singapore, and Malay is not widely spoken. But there is a well-known mosque, Masjid Sultan. This is the surrounding area. The first four images of Masjid Sultan are from Google Street View.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.3024274,103.8587303,3a,75y,90.15h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5dM2JopejBUQ6CzK1HDyfQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D5dM2JopejBUQ6CzK1HDyfQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D90.1465%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

This is inside the Marina Bay Sands Mall, and the surrounding area. Does this remind Toronto readers of Eaton Centre? All that they need are some of the wooden geese.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.2834067,103.8590238,3a,75y,78.44h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipODKof5DX3fOVy-tUR90Je1RAllGuCIU15dHhFw!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipODKof5DX3fOVy-tUR90Je1RAllGuCIU15dHhFw%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya79.43383-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352

This is the Clarke Quay shopping and entertainment area.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.2902604,103.8456582,3a,75y,109.97h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNzdqMZaPppKvFPS2LRXEG9-6JgLhl219n8vXDj!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNzdqMZaPppKvFPS2LRXEG9-6JgLhl219n8vXDj%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya109.97388-ro-0-fo100!7i4096!8i2048

These scenes begin in the Ion Orchard Mall.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.3041028,103.8320431,2a,75y,29.88h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sQWBfhH8c2_yAp91RrKdJsw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DQWBfhH8c2_yAp91RrKdJsw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D29.874065%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

The following scenes are of a residential development in Singapore, known as Bishan.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.3479615,103.8498407,3a,75y,136h,76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2Plml9ltNOURuY5WkU4t4g!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D2Plml9ltNOURuY5WkU4t4g%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D136.5%26pitch%3D-14.999996%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Radio Stations As Navigation Beacons

Here is something that I just don't understand. I first thought of this when I was about 12 years old. It was in the news again this week about how vulnerable the GPS system is. The signals can be jammed or spoofed and the satellites can be shot down. 

So why aren't we using radio stations as navigation beacons, at least as a backup system? 

A radio station is not just a radio station. It is also a navigation beacon. There are dozens of radio stations everywhere and the transmission antenna are in fixed locations. It is easy to plot the locations of transmission antenna because they are generally easily visible. They are essentially free navigation beacons, whether at home or over a hostile country.

A drone or aircraft could have an antenna on each side. The signal from a given transmitter would be stronger on the side of the aircraft that was closest to it because the metal body of the aircraft would hinder the signal to the antenna on the far side of the aircraft. This would make it easy to use radio stations as navigation beacons. 

Antenna could be mounted in other places, such as wire antenna along the front and back of the wings. Pairs of high frequency antenna could be mounted inside the aircraft with a metal barrier between them. This is a simple and very useful idea, using beacons that are already there. This should have been implemented decades ago.