Seven Memoirs
(last updated: 18 February 2025)
1) Nightlife
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pic | 2 | 3 | CC
( self-portrait (1997) insertion, portrait extraction, background added | attended )
In early 2004 I went to hear DfP play at Seven. The highlight of the night was hearing the Purple Mix of Controversy and I also briefly spoke to G and she looked so hot it was crazy. I had seen her near me on the dance floor at a mansion party in Toorak in 1996 and Simon (not Grey) knew her. I’m not sure I should’ve been at that party as I wasn’t on the door list (as an actual name) but I do remember somehow being invited – the controversy *. The security guard just let me through because I was with my mum and there was actually no drama at all although I wasn’t expecting a door list – it may have been an oversight or I was assigned as a guest to another person, yet perhaps I should’ve just gone home anyway. It’s something I’d expect from the fashion industry – “your invite has just been revoked.”
Anyhow, it was a great party in what seemed like a basement carport but with adjoining rooms to hangout in.
At one point, I even saw Andrew there (which I found truly bizarre but good) and people weren’t stressed about messing up the carpet or knocking over a statue or anything as would happen upstairs.
So maybe it was a different girl at Seven though, but I doubt it – although it might have been a few years earlier instead at the same place. Brett (not Goldsmith) also knew G and we both saw her once at the Station Hotel with a couple of her friends. I scaled back clubbing around this time too and so that life and its people were basically shelved indefinitely but I was saved from hearing damage. You said what??
Perhaps G doesn’t even know of me. That’s highly likely. I don’t know. Good luck to her. It’s a celebrity status to have.
One encounter I do remember in 1997 was when I bumped into T at Silvers Niteclub near the bar when there was a mad crush to buy drinks. I looked down and said “it’s a tight fit down there” looking at her tight jeans. She looked back at me and corrected: “very tight fit.” I am glad she could confide in me.
That year (or 1998) I also picked up B just up the street from Salt/Warehouse with his crew and took him back to his rather large estate not far away. At the time, he was in my peer group but we didn’t know each other. He was looking for change to call a taxi.
I just offered the group a lift home regardless. I think there were 2 guys and 2 girls in total. Nice guy. He invited me inside, so I went in and upstairs on his tour he said “this place is wild” and there was sort of a party going on but I didn’t stick around. Anyway, on the way out there was a group of girls and I had a chat, and I ended up with a phone number. Impressed, B bid me farewell and I was back on the road. A few days later she never called back. Never saw B again either. With social media things could’ve been different yet I’ve always seen myself as viewing others as an end in themselves, not a means to an end, or a source for attention and admiration. Being super-rich could be challenging if one is constantly dealing with the sycophancy of others and their backstabbing. I read once that a lot of young souls are born into immense wealth and power so they can learn about their impact on others and that would make things even harder.
[*] that same thing happened again in 2004 at a magazine launch party but I did get in anyhow.
Purple Mix: 1:12:30 :-
Controversy Tonight (1981 + 2023) [Prince]
2) Grassroots
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pic | Dec ’21 – Kuranda| CC
(self-portrait (2024) insertion)
Note: after that shot of Nina was taken. Her instagram became private and she stopped posting to it. But just recently (beginning 2024), her number of posts has since dropped to 17.
I’ve seen similar things happen before to other people I have made contact with, even in the most minor way including Yulianna, Laura and Saunalution. Those three were already mentioned in A Tribute to David (Sep ’22). These are just observations though. It doesn’t mean much in and of itself.
I was just staying at the same campground – The Billabong in Kuranda in November ’21 for a few weeks and even spoke to an indigenous guy there too, Sony… interesting lineage too.
So I never saw or spoke to her or her friends ever again as I thereafter decided to head toward Brisbane to build a trailer, but I salvaged Nina’s phone that she left behind. I found it lying face down on the open grass with its highly cracked screen. I had a passing interest in fashion photography too at the time and left that behind myself – my broken main camera was part of the problem.
Interestingly, Carmen who was at The Billabong in Kuranda hasn’t posted main photos to her IG (Jan 2024) since then either.
So Nina appeared out of the blue, took it, said something about whether I would be seeing them in Yungaburra, placed it in her back pocket and left quickly.
So as with her other two friends, no online communication at all at any point and no friending or following allowed. Yet the strange part was my messaging associated with that phone incident was deleted on FB, by FB, perhaps a week or two later.
So is she still in Australia? Why?
homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/borderwatch/reporting
My maternal grandmother Ina (Faina) grew up in Hamburg, Germany but was born in Oryol, Russia.
In the late 80s, she returned from a holiday there bringing me back a red sweater. It felt awkward wearing it to say the least but I still appreciated it, and her of course greatly.
There was also another long-sleeve white t-shirt – not shown here – and I think it said something about Perestroika and/or Glasnost. Would they trigger a nuclear blast?
Perhaps a demolition job?
So when I received that t-shit my main experience up until that point about Russia at school was a drill where we hid under tables and away from windows in the event of a nuclear attack so a t-shirt was a welcome relief.
The drill was in room 1, yet what presented a real danger was the tree (2) on the lawn. I ran into it once during a soccer game waiting for someone to kick me the ball. Yet I had seen War Games (1983,) so to me the drill could’ve been justified, or maybe just fear-fodder?
In Europe, I would have been more fearful of stay-behind armies like those of Operation Gladio that may readily turn on civilian populations when real threats don’t materialize, hiding weapons in networks of empty petrol-station tanks. Who knows if this organization has actually disbanded?
Anyway, Ina ended up hating boarding school in Germany due to pre-war persecution, and even returning there over 80 years later brought back too many negative memories for her including the death of her father (Simon Kaplan) where he owned a frames and casings factory – she thought about him all the time. The factory was on Schanzenstraße, Hamburg yet he was born in Mogilev, Belarus in 1888.
[ Hamburg (1936 estimated) – Simon, Rita (daughter), Elizabeth (wife), Joachim Snapir (Ina friend/partner,) Ina (daughter) ]
In 1938, the year of Kristallnacht, Simon Kaplan was called to Gestapo headquarters for unknown reasons. In the family, there was an argument about whether he should comply or flee, but he went – I think he wanted to avoid losing the factory and he ended up at Oberschlesien or else Auschwitz by 1942 for the “final solution.” So what were Nina’s grandparents and great-grandparents doing during WWII? Maybe that’s something for her to explore in meditation? Did they have dreadlocks?
Also with Nina: Dustin Bak and Max.
View this post on Instagram
So over 20 years ago, Martin made it out of Australia from Byron Bay, and back to Germany, but his profile pic disappeared too quickly after I friended him recently: just an observation though. He was/is a really interesting guy – I mentioned him here.
Max was still here in April ’22.
He doesn’t look too keen to leave either! They all seemed like really nice people too.
I was initially at my computer one night in the dining area when the 3 or 4 approached me for a lift to a music festival.
Abrupt request… didn’t they have vehicles or something? How would I stack them all in? Could I tow them in on bicycles or have them stretching out on my bed in the canopy? Could’ve been a fun night though.
But I am aware of the German style where the camaraderie can turn on a dime (the Fascist switch??)
#BREAKING #Germany People gathered in Leipzig, Germany, this evening, chanting “all together against fascism.”
The protest, organized by the “Leipzig nimmt Platz” alliance under the title “Enough is enough,” aimed to voice opposition against the growing AfD party. pic.twitter.com/LmbeiSAeCu
— The National Independent (@NationalIndNews) January 15, 2024
…like with Israelis (the Massadah switch??) But that’s just my experience anyway – and a generalisation at that.
Also, all my grandparents spoke German fluently, and my surname Wajsbrem equates from Weiss Braue in German – White Eyebrow. Wait, so I’m one of them?! Well, Frederick was born in Meiningen, Germany.
But the other 2 (Helen + Oskar) were actually Polish (Białystok + Warsaw.)
Brem could also equate to brew in Polish – same meaning.
Nina and Dustin seemed so switched-on and relaxed, so how are they going now regardless of residence and activity? Do they have a blog of any kind of their travels? Are they still together? As they say, it’s the journey and not the destination. Is there a modelling portfolio people should see?
Do they think about tying the knot here? Have they found Shakti? Are they permanent residents or new immigrants?
A child born in Australia to foreign parents is entitled to full Australian citizenship, giving them the same rights and benefits as other Australian citizens.
– src
That said, I saw a photo of Nina in Bali in ~2023 quad-biking but then came back into Australia. Good for her, I had a great time quading in NZ in 2002. I think an electric unicycle could be even better… with an airbag!
3) Vantage Points
* pics 1 and 2 were cropped from much larger pictures taken as general city scenes in quick succession with no person in particular selected to be photographed. It was a Zoom-In edit. Connotative meaning can be applied but hasn’t been inferred. Pic 3 is a screenshot from a music link further down.
A person can be at the ‘crossroads’ and not even know it until they see other perspectives of themselves later.
This came out in 1991. This will never not be epic – Terminator 2: Arm Cutting Scene 4K Remastered 3D https://t.co/xJrGqXAyaJ via @YouTube
— Jade (@Naijella86) May 27, 2023
Crosshairs too, for example in political machinations or targeted civillians.
From my own reading of Maitreya, often it takes one’s own death to see the bigger picture missed while leading a myopic life – in a life review away from the Earth plane.
Also, in a piece from 2001, they mention the Hall of Mirrors as related to 9/11 terrorism.
Fear of death, and fear overall is the small self afraid of the big self, non??
Yet, who has ever directly seen the back of their head… even with a mirror? Everyone has a blindspot: perhaps it was meant to be that way? It gets people to the hairdresser, right?
At an end-of-year work meetup in ~2002, I was sitting next to one chap who said something like “If anyone were to kill any of my two daughters, I would want them dead.” The topic went on for a couple of minutes, I think he’d already had a few drinks, not sure, and then I said, “well, what if one daughter killed the other one?” After a few long moments, he replied “Bastard!” End of topic. Blindspot revealed.
But I never brought up the topic with him and I have no idea why he did. I think he carried a photo of them in his wallet as they were children. I don’t remeber much more of the conversation either.
Killer Kids are an uncomfortable topic…
…so too is part of Jewry wanting to kill another part, in what might be an active war at present with Zionists targeting religious Zionists although it is a clandestine one whereby “Sabbateans are chameleons taking on the identity of their targets, destroying them from within.” –
It certainly deserves verification and wouldn’t surprise me – when the parasite becomes predator and the phenomenon has history.
Note, the author of that article is Jewish.
So just as Cain killed sibling Abel (a shepherd) another shepherd (14 y/o) was murdered in April 2024 in Israel but afterward equipment was seized from his house during mourning. Sabbatai Zevi was considerred a false messiah, are there more today?
Speaking of which, in Ormus King 9 as written in Queensland in September 2019, the anti-Christ almost becomes the world’s messiah as a usurper.
It might even be worth constructing a 10th film where he/it actually does to make it more lifelike. The Sabbatean edition. Or else, one may just look at the news – that is the Sabbatean edition!
In Australia, prior to ~2019, I would never have guessed that a large part of the “genocide” against the indigenous was done by natives to themselves and they were already warring with each other prior to Cook arriving, having different languages and geographies.
The Native Police were Australia’s own Einsatzgruppen – the ‘willing executioners’ of whom historians of Nazi Germany have investigated, pondering the question of how the nation of Bach and Beethoven could also produce mass murderers in uniform. That the Native Police were Indigenous men willing to serve for rations, tobacco and a pittance, and to pursue and kill other black people should not surprise us. Colonial governments made sure that men enlisted in, say, Victoria, were used in Queensland, far from their own country – they generally could not even speak the same language as their quarry.
It was no novelty for empires to use its subject peoples to enforce or extend their rule. Imperial Russia had its Cossacks, France its Spahis d’Afrique in Algeria, East Africa the King’s African Rifles and British India a huge army whose Sepoys – Bengalis and Madrassis, Gurkhas and Sikhs – fought to gain and protect Britain’s hold on the sub-continent. That settlement in Australia was assisted by blacks killing blacks is a tragic irony of Australia’s history, but not one we should avoid.
– src
Note, they were given elephant guns to enact maximum damage and someone in far north Queensland told me that there are longstanding enmities that still exist to this day and shape police recruitment.
[Queensland, 1864]
I also read in a gallery that the native police force was initially setup by a German guy to conduct “dispersals” and pave the way for settlement.
4) Packing and Stacking
* Packing up from my first ever gig. The final track was Hey Jude, as seen on the chart. This was at the Polyglot Puppet Theatre in 1994. John was playing bass. It took a few nights to get things tight.
I became interested in the drums in 1988 when I heard someone play a beat while I was in the schoolyard which really lifted my spirit. Could’ve missed it though.
I also really liked the drum solo at a Lionel Richie “Outrageous Tour” concert in 1987 – the first concert I went to.
Ricky (1954 – 2013) on drums.
I learned piano for many years but quit to start drums when I was 12.
I tried guitar when I was 18 but didn’t like the feel of metal under my fingers and the plastic plectrums.
Q: Is there any instrument where one can avoid gripping metal or plastic?
A: Percussion.
[ 2003 with Toby | 2003 at Blue Note NYC – Marcus Miller’s rig]
Musical instruments should also have health warning stickers – like with cigarettes regarding hearing damage. Def Jam or Deaf Jam records? Def Leppard or Deaf Leppard? Playing instruments can also strain the spine – ask Phil Collins. Bassist Charles who I knew back in high school started doing yoga back then and using earplugs – smart guy.
[ early 1995, Bali – taking hits from the Bong Song ]
Anyway, the first late-night film I went to was the audience-participation Blues Brothers at the Valhalla starting at around 11pm.
[ pic ]
I was almost asleep but then I could see a flying pole hurtling toward me.
The pole was catapulted to reach the top of the screen and there were people shouting at me across the room to watch out. This was at 3:26 below:
I was in the first or second row, wearing a suit and even had my brother next to me. I was so tired, I didn’t move an inch and it just missed me. It all made so much sense!
A few years later in France my own ski almost landed on my head after reaching a similar height during a stack and a week or two later people were shouting at me from a chairlift as I was in a collision course with a traverse track.
Stacking up the near misses …keeps life interesting.
5) Backpack Testimonial
(created: 1 December 2018)
I bought my Aiking Australia daypack sometime in 1994 for around AUD$200 after a hiking teacher at Timbertop spoke so highly of the brand at the end of 1993.
But at Timbertop, my pack wasn’t Aiking. It’s still intact today, and was used by my brother as well before me – a full-size hiking backpack.
Interestingly, Aiking (now One Planet) have supplied the school ever since.
I used the pack as my school bag in 1995 and 1996, and also for uni – it has never failed me. It is neither too large, nor too small and I can even use a larger pack on my back and then have this on my front if need be.
It is going in for its second repair, and it needed one in around 2000. It has brutally strong canvas and has an extended oversize YKK zip around the perimeter. All the inner seams are still fully intact. The black cordura base is also in top condition. This pack has been so dependable, I have almost taken it for granted, but not so much that I throw it around.
[ St. Anton, Jan 2012 ]
Perhaps one day it can be reissued, and like the old Gibson guitars that have their fadings, stains and wear marks recreated – this pack can also have its patina recreated so that everyone can experience its good looks and high build quality. It is getting a wash at this point, yet I doubt it’ll lose its soul glow.
Well done to the One Planet team.
[ ** disclaimer ** ]
visual and illustrative representations only and not for further distribution unless otherwise stated. No bearing with any intent or interaction. I do not know the person(s) shown above and have not met them. There is a strong randomness factor too in the selection. They may or may not know about this derivative image, as with their associated photographer and uploader. It is enabled and encouraged by the Creative Commons license attached to the original source image. This is part of a limited series exploring old photos and creating high-quality, composite images related to new music and new music mashups.
✓ 6 months ago
