We were staying at the Nice Byakko Hotel. It had Japanese ownership. I was told by my personal tour guide that breakfast was not included, because it was too expensive, at this particular hotel. When we checked in, we learned that circumstances had changed and breakfast was now included with the price of the room.
My contention, without any facts to back this up, is that breakfasts are the most difficult meals, because every culture has its own idea of what constitutes an appropriate first meal. The cultural distance from Scandinavia impacts my opinion of these meals. Relative poverty forced me to eat like a Norwegian, starting in 1980. I learned to appreciate cultured milk = buttermilk, with my first job in Norway working in a slaughterhouse, when it was provided at our first meal break. Yes, necessity brought about a dietary change when I was thirty. Since then, I have tried not to stray far from this diet.
Of course there is no equivalent to a Scandinavian diet in France. French food is far too sweet and delicate, at least for my tastes. In terms of bread, my choice is to eat coarse buns or bread crusts, preferably with cheese. For many years I did not eat crusts, because I did not want to prevent others from the joy of consuming them. Then I discovered they were being discarded. Now, I don’t ask anyone for permission to eat the crusts, but grab them at every opportunity! Sometimes, I eat legumes with them, in the form of peanut butter. At a first meal, I either drink a cider vinegar and honey drink, or green tea, if it is available. After that, but before 14:00, I drink black coffee; then water or infusions = herbal teas, after this self-imposed time limit.
Byakko refers to the white Asian tiger, as shown below.
Train to Digne
I had wanted to take the same train journey into the mountains of Provence, that Trish and I had taken in 2006. Except, once on board the train, I realized that this trip was inferior to the ones we had taken through Corsica. By then, it was too late.
Presented with this situation again, my choice would have been to rent a car for the day, to visit the Verdon Gorge, a nearby river canyon. It is about 25 km long and up to 700 metres deep. Americans call it the Grand Canyon of France. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon flows into the artificial Lake of Sainte-Croix. This didn’t happen, so we were on La Train des Pignes = The Pinecone Train, complete with a rail replacement bus, in both directions, to and from Digne, world famous in France for its hot springs.
We were only able to take the train part way to Digne. The train stopped, and everyone was transferred onto a bus, which then drove to the final destination.
In Digne, we experienced a market monopolizing the main street of the town. Almost anything could be bought, as long as one was prepared to pay in cash at excessive prices. We resisted temptation.
After an hour or so wandering through the town, we returned to our bus. When the train conductor came, everyone was required to exit the bus to have their tickets examined. Then, the conductor and everyone else boarded the bus again. No, I do not understand why the conductor did not just inspect tickets on the bus, starting at the back and walking forward.
We returned to the train station and boarded the train once more. While it made its way down the mountain some problem with the train required an extensive stop at La Tinee. At some point we were able to continue onwards, but the problem undoubtedly arose again, and we were expelled from the train, and told to take the next one, which arrived about half an hour later.
I found this woman’s jacket fascinating. I attempted to tell her so, in my best French, then took this photo when she wasn’t looking. Please note the elephants. Yes, they are all part of her glamour. This (and another) photo were taken after our train had officially broken down, and we were waiting for the next train to rescue us.
Monaco
Monaco does not have a visa policy of its own. The Schengen Visa policy applies, despite Monaco not being part of the European Union, or the Schengen Agreement. Its territory is part of Schengen because of its customs union with France. At the train station in Monaco, there appeared to be two (2) police officers on duty. They were observing, but not confronting anyone.
Somewhere here is the international border between Monaco and France. Yes, the bricks could be in Monaco, while the asphalt could be in France. Photo: Alasdair McLellan.A submarine, outside of the Oceanographic museum and aquarium in Monaco. It was the highlight of our visit.Alasdair took this photo of me documenting the many sculptures found in Monaco. Monaco seems to be competing with Straumen in Inderøy in terms of having the largest number of sculptures per square kilometer. It was delightful to have flowers in bloom. One of the many sculptures in Monaco. This one needs some TLC = tender, loving care.Some of Monaco’s residents.
The next day it was time for us to return to Norway, flying from NCE to AMS, and then from AMS to OSL. With a six hour wait at AMS, Alasdair and I decided that we could explore Amsterdam, taking a train from the airport to the Amsterdam station. In Amsterdam we encountered the most polluted air of the entire trip. In addition, there was no public seating! This short experience, was enough to eliminate Amsterdam from any future travel plans.
Amsterdam Train Station.
An aside: For most of my life, I have faced topographical disorientation challenges, especially in areas that are unfamiliar. Nice Byakko Hotel occupies two adjacent buildings, with two separate stairways for the upper floors that somehow unite, for movement between the ground level (entrance & reception) and first floor, where breakfast is consumed. For me, this became an obstacle, when someone shut the door to the stairway I needed to ascend to my room, and I became disoriented. The staff closest to this location, were less inclined to help resolve this challenge, than they were to exclude people from their work area. Later, I took this matter up with the receptionist, saying that it would be appreciated if they put something on the door, indicating that it led to a stairway, possibly with the affected room numbers.
We arrived at the port of Livorno on the Corsica ferry, Mega Express Two. We were walk-on passengers for the five hour trip from Bastia, on Corsica. Even before we landed, I could see the first photo that I wanted to take of Livorno. It was a somewhat outdated announcement of the centennial of the death of Amedeo Modigliani (1884 – 1920), who was born in Livorno, but moved to Paris in 1906. His characteristic style in paintings and sculptures typically elongated faces, necks, and other anatomical features. These exaggerations were received poorly during his lifetime, but were appreciated later. Modigliani’s early life featured considerable sickness. He was educated at home by his mother. His ancestors were Jewish refugees, who over some few generations had become bourgeois, owning and managing mines and forest resources in Sardinia.
At an unremembered point in time, possibly a couple of years ago, I bought a Taschen book about Modern Art, as a first stop to begin appreciating specific modern artists. Amedeo Modigliani is found on page 186-7, along with a single representative artwork, Nude Sitting on a Divan (1917). While I do not regret buying this book to gain an overview of some artists, I find it most often easier to use Wikipedia for a more comprehensive introduction. Indeed, I was able to find appropriate information about Modigliani from that source. It was also interesting to read about the history of the Jewish community in Livorno.
Artwork announcing the centennary of Amedeo Modigliani’s (1884 – 1920) death. Of course Modigliani would have approved of this setting. As an adult, he continually fought against his bourgeois origins, and was inspired by a vagabond existence.
In addition to its port and ethnic minorities, Livorno is world-famous in Italy for its canal network. This is not Venice, with antiquated gondolas, and uniformed gondoliers. Canal boats are typically made of fibreglass, powered by outboard motors, carry goods, rather than tourists to and from factories and warehouses, rather than palaces and churches. I am attracted to industrial canals, like those in Livorno, in much the same way that I am attracted to industrial history, rather than the more refined history of royalty or nobles.
Livorno canal as seen by Alasdair. Note the vessels, typically made of fibreglass and powered by outboard motors.A canal in Livorno as seen by Brock.
We walked through Livorno, ending up at the train station. Here we took a train for about ten minutes, ending up at Pisa. In Pisa, it struck me that every tourist visiting the fabled tower, was required to take a selfie or some other photo, showing their skill at preventing the tower from crashing down. Below is my effort to capture Alasdair engaged in this activity.
Alasdair preventing the tower of Pisa from crashing into the landscape.
After an hour, we were on our way by train again, heading north to Geno(v)a. It was an interesting landscape with much of it flat and flooded, but with mountains in the background.
After our arrival in Genoa, we found our Best Western hotel, and spent the evening relaxing then sleeping. Am I a keen observer? Alasdair asked me if my room was red, like his? I said, I had not noticed any red colour, but thought it was beige. When I returned to my room, I took this photo to remind myself that the walls were not beige, but red.
This is what our hotel rooms looked like. This was my room. Alasdair asked me if my room was red, like his? I said, I had not noticed any red colour. When I returned to my room, I took this photo to remind myself that the walls were not beige, but red.
Our discovery of the city began the next day. Perhaps the best known person from Genoa is Christopher Columbus who, working for Spain, made some important geographical discoveries towards the end of the fifteenth century. Genoa has preserved the house where Columbus was born, and where his father worked as a weaver.
Alasdair, preparing to enter the house in Genoa where Christopher Columbus was born.
Not far from our hotel there was a parked galleon. In its day, it was undoubtedly attempting to intimidate people not just with its canons, but with its extensive use of gold. We had learned on Corsica, that Genoese imperialism was not always appreciated. While they had ships and coastal fortifications, the Genoese were not always capable of conquering inland territories.
The Galata Museum in Genoa is the largest maritime museum on the Mediterranean. It opened in 2004, and allows visitors to appreciate five centuries of maritime history, from the 16th century. One of the earliest reconstructions is a 17th century galley. There is also a major exhibit showing life onboard a steamer bound for the Americas in the early 20th century.
The vessel that impressed me the most, was one of the smallest, a dinghy, showing the use of veneer in its construction. I have admired this construction technique for the past 65 years, because of its high strength to weight ratio!
One of the last things we did in Genoa was to visit the Zecca–Righi funicular railway. Like many of the trains we have taken on Corsica, it is narrow gauge = 1 000 mm. It has a length of 1428 m, with a rise of 279m. There are two trains, each with two cars, carrying 156 people. There are seven stations, two terminal and five intermediate. It opened in 1895.
Zecca – Righi funicolar at Carbonara station (second from the bottom). Photograph: Piro, 2008-12-18.
We then walked to the main train station, where we took a departing train for Nice.
A Concluding aside: Genetics is one of those difficult arts. When I first had my DNA analysed by 23&me about ten years ago, segments of my DNA were placed in relatively broad categories, including: northwestern Europe, southern Europe, indigenous America. As time progressed, segments moved around, generally becoming more detailed in the process. Thus, after returning from southern Europe, and with 23&me facing bankruptcy, I was surprised to find that my DNA had more detailed information about my southern European origins: Spanish and Portuguese = 6.7%; Sardinian = 2.7% and Italian = 1.4%. Yes, my next trip to southern Europe already included a plan to visit Sardinia!
On the first of our 2025 trips, Alasdair and I headed off to Corsica. Because of a closed railway line, and a world skiing championship, I took an unusual routing between Trondheim airport (TRD) and Sandefjord airport, Torp (TRF) on friday, 2025-02-28, followed by a train journey to Drammen, where I was picked up by Alasdair and driven to his house in Åros, in Asker municipality, Norway. On saturday evening 2025-03-01, we travelled by train up to Oslo airport (OSL) where we stayed at the Radisson Red hotel, so that we could take an early flight sunday morning to Amsterdam (AMS), followed by a flight to Nice (NCE).
The TGV = train à grande vitesse = high-speed train, at Nice-Ville station. Photo: Alasdair McLellan 2025-03-02.
At this point I would like to comment on the YouTube channel, The Man in Seat 64, who said that there were always seats on regional trains in the Nice area. This was incorrect information. We could not find seats on any trains from Nice to Toulon, that would give us an opportunity to visit the French naval museum. However, we did find train seats later in the day. After arriving in Toulon, we then wandered its streets.
The Mega Express Four, in Toulon, preparing for its journey to Corsica. Note the city of registry is Genova, Italy. Photo: Alasdair McLellan 2025-03-02.
We travelled overnight to Ajaccio on the Mega Express Four. It was built in Germany in 1995 as the Superfast II for Superfast Ferries, used in Greece. In 2003, it was purchased by the Tasmanian government and renamed the Spirit of Tasmania 3. However, demand was less than estimated, so it was sold to Corsica Sardinia Ferries in 2006 and renamed Mega Express Four. It can carry 1965 passengers, with 909 berths. It can also carry 550 standard vehicles. Its service speed is 26 knots.
Artwork on the Mega Express Four ferry.
The above artwork is also found on the flags of Corsica (one head on a white background) and Sardinia (four heads separated by a red cross on a white background). It was adopted by General of the Nation Pasquale Paoli (1725 – 1809) in 1755 and portrays a Moor’s head in black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously, the bandana covered his eyes. Paoli wanted the bandana moved to above the eyes to symbolize the liberation of the Corsican people from the Genoese.
My personal interest in this symbol is related to clan MacLellan = Mac-a-ghille-dhiolan (Gaelic) = son of the bastard (literal translation). It also has a Moor’s head on its coat of arms. Previously, references to the clan gave its name as Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, with a more polite meaning = servant of St Fillan, with Fhaoláin referring to a diminuative form of wolf, used to signify the saint. On Uist, in the outer Hebrides, where my family lived after Morar, on the mainland of Scotland near Oban, there is an alternative spelling of the last part of the name, Fhialáin, which refers to seagulls, often Na Faolanaich = The Seagulls.
We arrived at about 9:00 in the morning at Ajaccio, spending much of the day wandering its streets. French dictator Napoleon was born in this city, and we even walked by the house where he was born.
One of the reasons for visiting Corsica, was to take its narrow gauge railways up into the mountains. The railway uses modernish trains. The combination of narrow gauge with diesel meant that they were not particularly comfortable. Noisy and wobbly, were the two terms that best describe them.
Some of the trains on Corsica looked like this. Photo: Alasdair McLellanThe mountains of inland Corsica, from the train between Ajaccio and Corte. Photo: Alasdair McLellan
Our first stop was at Corte. If I had known then, what I knew now, I would have stayed longer in this mountain town. We stayed at Hotel du Nord. I am uncertain about the origins of the name, for Corte is more centrally located, than in the north. The owner of the hotel appears to be Loïc Colonna, who provides each room with a photo book about Corsica. There is also a display of old cameras in the hotel.
Cameras on display at the Hotel du Nord.The University of Corsica, in Corte.
Calvi
If Corte had the most interesting town, Calvi had the most interesting railway station. I especially appreciated its sculptures
Our hotel had some modernist art, that attempted to be as inoffensive as possible.
The third town we stayed in was Bastia. It will be remembered for its pizza provider that would not accept bank cards. The only reason I can see for not accepting card payment is tax evasion. We went next door to a restaurant that did accept them.
Bastia.
We left Bastia on the ferry early in the morning. This travelogue will continue next week, with a visit to northern Italy, especially the canal city of Livorno, Pisa and Genoa.
Yes, Milou/ Snowy, Professor Calculus, Tintin and Captain Haddock, welcome Neil Armstrong (1930–2012) to the Moon in 1969. !
Explaining Comics = The 9th Art using Metalanguage
The comic stip is a cultural product and a means of expression. In the past century it has developed its conceptual and formal elements to the point of being considered art. One only has to take a look at Chris Ware’s (1967 – ) graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the smartest kid in the world (2000). It has exhibited in museums such as the Whitney Museum of America Art (2002) or the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2006). It demonstrates that not all comics are aimed at children. Interestingly, some people complain that comics are abandoning children, in favour of adult enthusiasts. This is regarded as a problem in Europe and North America, but not in Japan, since manga have genres for all ages and each of them evolves independently.
At this point, it is undeniable that the aesthetics of comics have influenced other cultural fields such as design, fashion or cinema. The work of the fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (1949 – ), who was passionate about this genre, is an example of this. In the field of graphics, what are called stencils come from comics, according to some specialists in this medium. It goes without saying that a multitude of films today have comics as a reference, especially in the superhero genre. Superheroes who, as archetypes, play a role similar to that of mythological gods. They are popular myths.
We can therefore say that the aesthetics and content of comics has become a symbol of post-modern/ twenty-first century times. While there are more conservative positions determined to make distinctions between what they refer to as high culture and other cultural manifestations. In the case of comics, there are people of all ages and all perspectives who enjoy comics.
Some of the more interesting set of books in my library collection use 9th art metalanguage = comic strip books, to explain comics. Two were written by Will Eisner (1917 – 2005) who had popularized the term graphic novel. His first interesting, theoretical work was Comics and Sequential Art (1985/ revised 1990). It is based on a series of essays that appeared in The Spirit magazine, themselves based on Eisner’s experience teaching at the School of Visual Arts. The content is a series of demonstrations of principles and methods. The revised edition includes short sections on the print process and the use of computers. This was followed by Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative (1996).
Three other ones were written by Scott McCloud (1960 – ). These are: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (1993), that explores formal aspects of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements have been used. It also discusses more theoretical ideas about comics as an art form and medium of communication. Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form (2000), which explains twelve revolutions that McCloud predicts are necessary for the comic book to survive as a medium: becoming literature, becoming art, enhancing creators’ rights, industry innovation, public perception, institutional scrutiny, gender balance, minority representation, diversity of genre, digital production, digital delivery and fully digital content. and Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels (2006) details the processes behind storytelling, with an emphasis on character design with examples provided from the 9th arts history. Topics are reduced to a few principles. These include classifying cartoonists into four types, and identifying six basic emotions.
Tintin, an example of the 9th Art
With these five books in place, there is a need to examine a worthy example to follow, in a learning phase. The example shown below is Tintin by Herge = Georges Prosper Remi (1907 – 1983). In our household, considerable attention was paid to Tintin We have the complete works, admittedly in English, rather than French. Our family was not alone. Tintin comics have sold more than 240 million copies worldwide and has been translated to over 70 languages.
While Tintin has explored many countries in his comics, Herge hasn’t visited a single country in his lifetime. In Explorers on the Moon, Tintin explored the moon in 1954. This is 15 years before Neil Armstrong first landed on Moon.
Tintin’s dog Snowy has stolen many hearts and even made cameo appearances in ‘The Simpsons’ in the episode ‘Husbands and Knives’ and in ‘South Park’ in the episode ‘Imagination land Episode III’.
Tintin’s adventures were transformed into a movie titled ‘The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn’ in 2011, which was directed by Steven Spielberg, who bought the international movie rights to the character in the early 1980s.
The series ‘Tintin in Tibet’ was the most cerebral and emotional story of Herge, and the series was heavily influenced by his nervous breakdown.
Palle Huld (1912 – 2010) was a Danish film actor and writer. He won a journey around the world at the age of 15 in 1928 from a Danish newspaper. This reportedly inspired Hergé to create Tintin.
Milou = Snowy, Tintin’s pet dog, is modeled in part on a Fox Terrier at a café that Hergé used to frequent. It was also the nickname of Hergé’s first muse/ girlfriend, Marie-Louise Van Cutsem (1905 – 1974).
Haddock’s name was suggested by Germaine Kieckens (1906 – 1995; married 1932; divorced 1977) Hergé’s wife, who noted that haddock was a “sad English fish” over a fish dinner. Hergé then utilised the name for the English captain he’d just introduced. Haddock remained without a first name until the last completed story, Tintin and the Picaros (1976), when the name Archibald was used. There were several Haddocks who had served in the Royal Navy. Haddock uses strange/ difficult but innoffensive words that he hurls out as if they were very strong cusswords. This is due to the works initial publication in Catholic magazines.
Professeur Tryphon Tournesol = Professor Tryphon Sunflower (literal translation) = Professor Cuthbert Calculus was inspired by Auguste Piccard (1884 – 1962), a Swiss physicist, inventor and explorer known for his record-breaking hydrogen balloon flights, with which he studied the Earth’s upper atmosphere and became the first person to enter the Stratosphere. My own person interest in Piccard relates to his invention of the first bathyscaphe, FNRS-2. The French Navy took over this vessel, and relaunched it as FNRS III in the 1950s. Today, it is located at the Naval Museum in Toulon, France.
The Bathyscaph FRNS-3 at the Tour Royal, Toulon, France. Photo: Esby 2008-06-11.
The Thompson twins were inspired by Herge’s father and uncle, who were twins.
Opera singer Bianca Castafiore was inspired by Herge’s paternal grandmother. Her favourite aria is from Faust (1859) composed by Charles Gounod (1818 – 1893).
One of the reasons Tintin appealed to our son, is that it gave him an opportunity to explore the world at an early age, from the safety of our house. Here are the details of the all of the works, in chronological order.
The following are the twenty-four canonical Tintin comic albums, with their English titles. Publication dates are for the original French-language versions. Note: In the original French versions, Tintin lives in Brussels. In the English translations, he lives in London. This created difficulties with the Black Island.
#01 Tintin au pays des Soviets = Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, set in Russia, serialized 1929-30, B&W album 1930, Colour album 2017. Hergé prevented this book from being republished until 1973.
After this, Hergé re-published in colour and in a fixed 62-page format.
#02 Tintin au Congo = Tintin in the Congo, set in Belgian Congo now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, serialized 1930-31, B&W album 1931, Colour album 1946.
#03 Tintin en Amérique = Tintin in America, set in Chicago, serialized 1931-32, B&W album 1932, Colour album 1945.
#04 Les Cigares du Pharaon = Cigars of the Pharaoh, set in Egypt, serialized 1932-34, B&W album 1934, Colour album 1955
#05 Le Lotus bleu = The Blue Lotus, set in China, serialized 1934-35, B&W album 1936, Colour album 1946
#06 L’Oreille cassée = The Broken Ear, set in fictional south American countries, serialized 1935-37, B&W album 1937, Colour album 1943
#07 L’Île noire = The Black Island, set in England, serialized 1937-38, B&W album 1938, Colour album 1943, 1966. Note: Before the reprint, multiple aircraft featured throughout the story were redrawn by Roger Leloup (1933 – ), who replaced the depiction of planes that were operational in the 1930s with those active in the 1960s, including: a Percival Prentice, a De Havilland Canada Chipmunk, a Cessna 150, a Tiger Moth, and a Hawker Siddeley Trident.
#08 Le Sceptre d’Ottokar = King Ottokar’s Sceptre, set in Syldavia, a fictional Eastern European country, serialized 1938-39, B&W album 1939, Colour album 1947
#09 Le Crabe aux pinces d’or = The Crab with the Golden Claws, set in the Sahara, serialized 1940-41, B&W album 1941, Colour album 1943
#10 L’Étoile mystérieuse =The Shooting Star, with plot similarities with La Chasse au météore = The Chase of the Golden Meteor (1908) written by Jules Verne (1928 – 1905), serialized 1941-42, Colour album 1942. Note: This was the first album to be originally published in colour. Often regarded as antisemitic.
#11 Le Secret de La Licorne = The Secret of the Unicorn, involves a riddle left by 17th century Francis Haddock, which leads them to the hidden treasure of the pirate Red Rackham. Serialized 1942-43, Colour album 1943. Books 11 to 15 formed a middle period for Hergé marked by war and changing collaborators.
#12 Le Trésor de Rackham le Rouge = Red Rackham’s Treasure, set in the West Indies, much of it aboard the Serius, a fishing trawler, serialized 1943, Colour album 1944
#13 Les 7 Boules de cristal = The Seven Crystal Balls, set in Peru, involving an archaeological expedition, serialized 1943-46, Colour album 1948. Note: often regarded as one of the best works in the series.
#14 Le Temple du Soleil = Prisoners of the Sun, serialized 1946-48, Colour album 1949
#15 Tintin au pays de l’or noir = Land of Black Gold, serialized 1939-40 (discontinued by Nazi occupational forces), 1948-50, Colour album 1951, 1971
#17 On a marché sur la Lune = Walking on the Moon (literal) = Explorers on the Moon, serialized 1952-53, Colour album 1954
#18 L’Affaire Tournesol = The Calculus Affair, serialized 1954-56, Colour album 1956
#19 Coke en stock = The Red Sea Sharks, serialized 1956-58, Colour album 1958
#20 Tintin au Tibet = Tintin in Tibet, serialized 1958-59, Colour album 1960
#21 Les Bijoux de la Castafiore = The Castafiore Emerald, serialized 1961-62, Colour album 1963
#22 Vol 714 pour Sydney = Flight 714 to Sydney, serialized 1966-67, Colour album 1968
#23 Tintin et les Picaros = Tintin and the Picaros serialized 1975-76, Colour album 1976
#24 Tintin et l’Alph-Art = Tintin and the Alph-Art serialized 1986, Colour album 2004. Hergé’s unfinished book, published posthumously.
The following are double albums with a continuing story: Cigars of the Pharaoh (no. 4) & The Blue Lotus (no. 5); The Secret of the Unicorn (no. 11) & Red Rackham’s Treasure (no. 12); The Seven Crystal Balls (no. 13) & Prisoners of the Sun (no. 14); Destination Moon (no. 16) & Explorers on the Moon (no. 17).
Other characteristics
The English-language Adventures of Tintin books were originally published with handwritten lettering created by cartographer Neil Hyslop (1924 – 2015). Given versions of Hergé’s artwork with blank panels, he would write his English script on a clear cellophane-like material, to fit within the original speech bubble. In the early 2000s, Tintin’s English publishers Egmont discontinued this, because Casterman and Moulinsart decided to replace localised hand-lettering with a single computerised font.
In September 2017, French philosopher Vincent Cespede (1973 – ) suggested that Tintin was a girl. However, he accepted that it was his perspective and was fake news. However, this post will end by naming everyone’s favourite Swedish environmental activist, paying close attention to the second of her many names: Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (2003 – ). So perhaps Cespede was closer to the truth than he imagined.
A New Belgian Passport, featuring an illustration of Tintin’s Moon Rocket.
This weblog post began when my son, Alasdair, posted some illustrations of the new Belgian passports, originating with Belgian comics. Following this, I read that comics were the ninth art. Immediately, I wondered what the eight earlier arts were, and if there was anything after the ninth art.
Here is the official list of arts in numerical order: 1. Architecture; 2. Sculpture; 3. Painting; 4. Music; 5. Dance; 6. Poetry; 7. Film; 8. Television; 9. Comics.
The list was devised by Claude Beylie (1932 – 2001), a French film critic. The term was used in an article he wrote for the magazine, Lettres et Medecins in 1964. He built that list up from some earlier writings by an Italian film theoretician, Ricciotto Canudo (1877 – 1923).
Of course the lingua franca/ bridge language of comics is French. This may surprise Americans, but it is the Belgians that represent the gold standard when it comes to the 9th art. Unfortunately, my French is not good enough to understand nuances in the wording of une bande dessinée. I think a literal translation would be: a band drawn, referring to: a comic strip (figuratively). But I don’t understand the limits of the words. Is a graphic novel, with its many illustrations and accompanying text on a grid part of this drawn band? When I ask Google for a translation, it replies roman graphique. If I use cartoon, it replies un dessin animé, which seems more like animation.
The article I was reading asked about radio, and its placement on the list. The article provided a definitive answer. Radio was not on the list, and never could be put on it. The future did not seem to be bright for games, computer or otherwise. They were not on the list either.
A series of articles written for the Spirou Journal recounting the history of comics popularized the phrase, the 9th art. Maurice De Bevere (1923 – 2001) wrote that series. He is better known under his pen name, Morris, with which he created western gun slinger, Lucky Luke. Pause here to reflect on Luke’s occupational title. He is not a rancher, implying ownership of land, nor is he a ranch employee, a cowboy, transporting herds of cattle, nor is he in law enforcement with a recognizable title like sheriff, marshal or even deputy. None of the other titles found in the wild west seem to apply either: bartender, blacksmith, gambler, shopkeeper or even wagoneer with a mule team, transporting borax across a desert. His gender eliminates a couple of occupations reserved for women making a living in the wild west, of which for proprietary’s sake only school teacher will be mentioned.
Here I will attempt to use neuvième or 9ème/ ninth or 9th art as a standard term. It will be difficult, because the previous sentence was added while editing a final draft of this text, necessitating up to numerous changes. Of course I have a relationship with the 9th art from my childhood. In general it was, they were not allowed, although I remember being with our neighbours, the Cimolini family at the Hotel Vancouver, when Primo (1912 – 1976) bought me a Classic Comic.
Comics, as a descriptive term, has its limitations. It implies something with humour, The weekend supplement that came on Saturday mornings with the Vancouver Province, in the 1950s were referred to in our household as the funny papers, but few of them were funny. The difficulty seventy years later is remembering content details. Some names ring bells, but those bells may be misplaced. Here is my fantasy version of some of these works.
One of the strips I remember was The Katzenjammer Kids, created by Rudolph Dirks (1877 – 1968) in 1897. It was later drawn by Harold Knerr (1882 – 1949) from 1914 to 1949, by Doc Winner (1885 – 1956) from 1949 to 1956, and by Joe Musial (1905 – 1977) from 1956 to 1977. I had left home in 1972, so that is my cutoff date. It continued until 2006, making it the longest running strip in the US. I found this series overly violent. The twin brothers, Hans and Fritz, rebelled against authority, particularly in the form of their mother, Mama, who showed tough love with a rolling pin.
In contrast, but equally misunderstandable in its own way, were the teenagers found in Archie, originally drawn by Bob Montana (1920 – 1975). These comics appeared from 1941, and featured fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and others.
The British Andy Capp comic strip created by Reg Smythe (1917 – 1998) deserves a special mention because of its location, Hartlepool, in County Durham, in north-east England, the birthplace of my maternal grandfather! The title of the series is a pun on the local pronunciation of handicap, related more to horse racing rather than an infirmity. The surname Capp also signifies how Andy’s cap/ head gear always covers his eyes, restricting, at least metaphorically, his vision in life. My son, Alasdair, comments that he found the Norwegian version, published in Trønderavisa, impenetrable, because of its use of some distant dialect, not to mention British preoccupations with pigeon racing, snooker, pubs and cheating at poker.
Hal Foster (1892 – 1982), was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He created Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, in 1937. It is an epic adventure that told a continuous story stretching for more than 4 500 Sunday episodes (so far). Prince Valiant is the son of Aguar, exiled king of Thule who has taken refuge in the Fens during the days of King Arthur. Foster places this kingdom of Thule in Norway, near Trondheim. Some Norwegians imagine Aguar’s castle was a previous incarnation of the Leirfoss electrical power station, on the Nid river. The old spelling was Lerfoss. The fact that the power station was only build in 1910, is immaterial, if one’s mind can accept it as a repurposed castle. It is located 121 km south of Cliff Cottage. It is a recreational location that I enjoy, while visiting Trondheim.
Prince Valiant’s birthplace at Thule, near Trondheim, repurposed as a electrical power station in 1910. Today, the area has become a pleasant recreation site, along the banks of the Nid River.
The strip I found most appealing was Gasoline Alley (1918 – present). Chicago Tribune publisher Robert McCormick (1880 – 1955) wanted a feature that would appeal to people learning how to take care of their cars. These were becoming increasingly available to a middle class public. Frank King (1883 – 1969) developed this strip in response. Bill Perry (1905 – 1995) took over in 1951 and continue to create the strips until about 1976. It is the longest running current strip. Except during the 1970s and 1980s the strip progresses in real time. Characters age and some die.
I am always attracted by the names of people in Gasoline Alley. Some of my real life relatives also have unusual names, such as cousins with the surname Pickup. However, Wallet is so unusual that I have never met anyone by that name. In the beginning, the most notable character was Walt Wallet. Joseph Patterson (1879 – 1946) was concerned that the strip as it was developing, had limited appeal to women. His solution was to have Walt Wallet, find Skeezix on his doorstep in 1921. After this, Walt could marry Phyllis Blossom in 1926. Skeezix subsequently grew up, and ran the Gasoline Alley garage. He married Nina Clock in 1944. Their children are Chipper (1945 – ), who ends up marrying Amy, and Clovia (1949 – ), who ends up with Slim Skinner. By this time, I had given up reading Gasoline Alley. Other intimate relationships can be discovered looking at the illustration, below.
Are comics art? Unfortunately, referring to the topic as the 9th art, already answers that question positively, hence the wording. Some will answer with an emphatic yes. The more enthusiastic will regard the question as naive. Yet, unfortunately, the answer is not so clear. Some argue that combining words with artwork is the essence of modern expression, providing narrative and visual richness, use a direct yet spontaneous language. It integrates literature with painting and cinema. Others, view its limitations, popular among children, youth and less mature adults. Mature people do not use comics.
Many readers see the 9th art as a springboard to other more serious, mature types of literature. What relationship do people have with: Alfred E. Neuman, Ariel, Asterix, Bugs Bunny, the Little Mermaid, Snow White, Tintin or Wonder Woman? Are any of them more mature than the others.
George Herriman (1880 – 1944) was an American cartoonist best known for Krazy Kat (1913–1944) that was more influential than popular. Krazy Kat was notable for its poetic, dialect-heavy dialogue, its fantasy laden, but shifting backgrounds and its experimental page layouts. In it, Ignatz Mouse pelts Krazy with bricks, interpreted by Krazy as symbols of love. Later, a love triangle developed between Krazy, Ignatz, and Offisa Pupp. Pupp’s mission was to prevent Ignatz from throwing bricks at Krazy. These efforts were impeded because Krazy wanted to be struck by these bricks.
More importantly, Gilbert Seldes (1893 – 1970) wrote The Krazy Kat Who Walks by Himself appearing in The Seven Lively Arts (1924). It is the earliest example of an art critic giving serious attention to a comic strip. The Comics Journal placed Krazy Kat first on its list of the greatest comics of the 20th century. Herriman’s work has been a primary influence on cartoonists such as Elzie C. Segar (1894 – 1938), Will Eisner (1917 – 2005), Charles M. Schulz (1922 – 2000), Robert Crumb (1943 – ), Art Spiegelman (1948 – ), Bill Watterson (1958 – ), and Chris Ware (1967 – ).
My mind temporarily focuses on Snow White. The Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785 – 1863) and Wilhelm (1786 – 1859) provided the world with one version in fairytale #53, originally published in 1812 as Sneewittchen. Wikipedia lists: about 10 books, including Donald Barthelme’s (1931 – 1989) post-modernist novel (1967); 20 films including one featuring Betty Boop (1932) made by Max Fleischer (1883 – 1972) and Dave Fleischer (1894 – 1979) and another made in 1937 by Walt Disney (1901 – 1966); There is music, including a soundtrack from the Disney film, released as an album in 1938. Other uses of the term refer to a horse, an industrial design language used at apple, a 1970s government-infiltration and information-suppression effort by the Church of Scientology, a dwarf planet, a fictional hockey team, a brand of sugar, and the first name of a Swedish visual artist.
Sometimes, the 9th art only reaches its potential when it appears as an animation film. Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, being a good example. They first appeared in 1949 and were created by Chuck Jones (1912 – 2002). In these videos a devious and hungry coyote attempts to catch a roadrunner, but is always unsuccessful. He deploys complex schemes and devices that always backfire, injuring the coyote. Many of the devices used are from Acme Corporation.
Being born on Halloween, I have no problem with people dressing up as manga characters or superheroes. I appreciate many different varieties of punk from steampunk through dieselpunk and electropunk to cyberpunk, on a theoretical level. Unfortunately, I have not found an appropriate persona to match my personality, so I have no costume at this moment, although I will assure readers that any garments made will incorporate pink and purple fabric.
Comics are not the only art form that has had this problem. Let us recall that cinema, from its beginnings in 1895, was not considered an art. At best it was a momentary attraction. This has changed and it is now classified into genres to differentiate films on issues such as quality and audience. The same was true for comic strips, which gradually took their place in mass culture.
Comics emerged as entertainment that combined illustration and caricature with text in order to present a situation, express an idea or tell a story. Yet, as Wile E. Coyote shows, sequence is an essential ingredient. Will Einsner (1917-2005) called comics a sequential art. They have momentum.
The adult reader
Between 1960 and 1970, cultural studies emerged, which reflected new philosophies or ways of thinking regarding art. There was a change of mindset, allowing for an emergence of theorists of the ninth art. This meant that these works could no longer by regarded as a reading medium intended for children. Underground comics (1968-1979) introduced adult content. This trend can be found in the works produced in San Francisco by Robert Crumb (1943 – ), as well as Trina Robins (1938 – 2024) who produced the first all-woman comic book, It Ain’t Me, Babe. These works examined meanings power relationships, signs, discourses as well as social and cultural products.
To this consideration of the author as an artist and of the comic strip as an object of study is added a third factor, which is the emergence of the adult reader. Or, if you prefer, the public has grown up and expects its comics to be more sophisticated and complex. This is the audience that the Underground genre is aimed at.
Comics are therefore beginning to be taken as a starting point for social criticism or to show a reality. Thus, for example, we can cite the exercise of historical memory in the Paracuellos cycle by Carlos Giménez (1943 – 2020), the story of the Holocaust in Maus by Art Spiegelman (1949 – ) or the post-cyberpunk comic Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis (1968 – ).
In the 1970s, graphic designers and writers such as Moebius = Jean Giraud (1938–2012), Enki Bidal (1951 – ) and Alejandro Jodorowsky (1929 – ) brought comics closer to erotic and social themes, thus renewing them in Europe to give them a more adult character and a higher quality. Authors such as Jean-Claude Forest (1930 – 1998) with Barbarella, Guido Grepax = Guido Grepas (1933-2003), author of Valentina, Eleuteri Serpieri (1944 – ) with Druuna and Milo Manara = Maurilio Manara (1945 – ) are further examples of an erotic genre.
But, in addition, Graphic Novels and Limited Series appear which, due to their characteristics, constitute another attempt to give dignity to comics, since they are conceived as works in which the same author writes and writes, or those who write and draw are renowned authors, without fixed periodicity – which makes it easier to build a more elaborate plot – and a better drawing printed on better quality paper. Comics from the 1980s such as Alan Moore’s Watchmen and V for Vendetta, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns or Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid are examples of this type of comic.
Alan Moore (1953 – ) provides an example of a writer, not an graphic artist or illustrator. He has written several works, including Watchmen (1987) with artist Dave Gibbons (1949 – ) and colourist John Higgins (1949 – ). Here, contemporary anxieties are deconstructed while superheros are satirized to construct a political commentary. The work presents an alternate history in which superheroes emerge in the 1940s to 1960s, changing modern history. By 1985, USA is edging toward World War III with the Soviet Union. Freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the US government. The focus is on personal development and moral struggles. In 2009, a feature film, Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder (1966 – )was released, along with an episodic video game, Watchmen: The End Is Nigh.
The 9th art was forced to consider: ideology, nationality, ethnicity, gender, society generally, as well as in terms of economics, politics, communication, sociology, cinema, anthropology, philosophy and semiotics and everything else that could be considered culture.
One of the most important theorists of comics is Umberto Eco (1932 – 2016), in Apocalípticos e integrados (1964) = Apocalypse Postponed, 1994, available in English in a partial translation. It reflects on mass culture by analyzing the following comics: Steve Canyon (1947 – 1988) by Milton Caniff (1907 – 1988), Superman (1938 – ) by Jerry Siegel (1914 – 1996) and Joe Shuster ( 1914 – 1992) from Toronto, and Peanuts (1950 – 2000) by Charles M. Schulz (1922 – 2000).
Terenci Moix (1942 – 2003) wrote a social history of the 9th art in Spanish: Los cómics, arte para el consumo y formas pop (1968). It has not been republished since. It is now regarded as cult book. Moix analyses this 9th art from a social and ideological point of view, considering them, along with films and songs, as suitable fodder for political, moral and religious manipulations by those in power. It must be remembered that Moix was living in a dictatorship under Francisco Franco (1892 – 1975). Particular attention should be paid to the works of post-war Spanish author/ illustrators including José Escobar (1908 – 1994) who created: Carpanta (1947 – ), a symbol of post-war Spain’s misery; Zipi y Zape = Zipi and Zape Zapatilla, two young, mischievous, energetic, football-obsessed twins who do poorly in school (1947 – 2000). José Peñarroya (1910 – 1975) created Gordito Relleno (1948), a single man, lacking a permanent job. His good intentions always ended in catastrophes. He is a frequent victim of scams and frauds of all kinds by heartless people. Moix’ analysis and demystification of Flash Gordon (1934 – 2003) created by Alex Raymond (1909 – 1956) and Li’l Abner (1934 – 1977), created by Al Capp (1909 – 1979) are also worthwhile.
Roman Gubern (1934 – ) in El lenguaje de los cómics (1972) wrote about the language of these works and their functions in society.
M. Thomas Inge (1936 – 2021) was an American professor of humanities who taught and wrote about Southern literature, especially William Faulkner (1897 – 1962) and culture, American humor and comic art (Dadism especially), film and animation and Asian literature.
It was then in the 1960s that comic strips began to build bridges with art thanks, among others, to artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, who made pop art the main motif of his works. That however is another topic to be explored at some later, unspecified date.
The 9th art will continue to be examined next week, looking especially at how some theorists have used the comic strip to explain comics. This will be followed by a more in depth examination of Tintin.
The above map is used to help people develop a new understanding of geography. If I had begun with a map of post World War II Scandinavia, or north America, it would have looked conventional. The map of Swedish territories in the 17th century, shows how this part of the world was in a state of flux.
When, I look at the above map, my focus is on Trondelag. With the exception of a three year period from summer 1985 to summer of 1988, when we lived in Bodø, in Nordland county, further north and off the map, we have lived our entire time in Norway, starting in the summer of 1980 in this light green area, which also includes Trøndelag county (previously separate North and South counties, that amalgamated 2018-01-01) as well as the northern part of Møre og Romsdal county, where we lived from 1980 to 1985. Altogether, that is more than forty years, considerably more than the thirty years, Trish and I spent in British Columbia.
Trøndelag is adjacent to Jämtland, originally a republic. Trøndelag could have become a part of Sweden. Jämtland could have become a part of Norway. It still aspires to regain its independent status. If it were not for the happenstance of military incompetence, it is quite likely that Trøndelag would have become an integral part of Sweden!
My hope is that this map will help people make sense of today’s Nordic area, because the current borders can no longer taken as a given, they have a history.
I started out researching this post by googling urb. The top result directed me to a website for a cannabis dispensary in Michigan. This seems to represent one of the major challenges for geography in the 21st century: people looking for places to numb their brains: tobacco, alcohol and worse; resorts; shopping meccas. For me, this is an inappropriate approach to life. Others will have to make their own decisions.
The literary starting point of this post are two books. Joel Garreau (1948 – ), The Nine Nations of North America (1981) and, thirty years later, Colin Woodard (1968 – ) American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (2011).
Most of my north American life was lived in Ecotopia = The Left Coast = The Wet Coast (in other sources). However, in my childhood many of my summers were spent in The Empty Quarter = Mountains West, where my mother, Jennie (1916 – 2021) experienced her early years. She was impacted by life there. My father, Mac = Edgar (1906 – 1991), was an ingrained west coaster. I remember learning about those rough American gold miners, sailing up from San Francisco to exploit a new gold field along the Fraser river in 1858. Later, my paternal great-uncle Robert McGinley Ellis (1863 – 1936) was a prospector during the Klondike gold rush (1886-1889). While I have cuff links from his efforts, I suspect fortune eluded him. He was born in Pakenham, Ontario, moved west to the Jumping Pound, Alberta, where his parents homesteaded, then moved onwards with them to Vancouver Island. He spent most of his life working as a carpenter in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. He died in Port Coquitlam, in the lower mainland of British Columbia.
The following books have given me insights into north America. Of course, they are not the only works, although I admit a penchant for books about the west, increasingly California. In terms of atlases and railways, I have digested many different works – especially atlases – by Derek Hayes (1947 – ) and by Obi Kaufmann (1973 – ). Using the verb read with an atlas seems inappropriate. Yes, texts are read, but one spends ones time examining maps. Then there are other books, written by others: Marc Reisner (1948 – 2000) best known for Cadillac Desert (1986). Yes, the book is read, but so many other works are consulted to understand the rivers and assorted dams built. In many ways, I am more attracted to Lynn Ingram (? – ) & Frances Malamud-Roam (? – ), The West without Water (2013). More than a quarter of a century probably helps people to focus on the essence of a problem. The American west is not an expensive = Cadillac desert, but a wilderness without sufficient water to transform its existence.
These works provide me with insights into a newish geography, especially geographical terms needed to describe geography in the 21st century. The most important resource is water. One important duty is to allow forests to burn, regularly. I am reminded of that with the titles of two of Obi’s books: State of Water: Understanding California’s Most Precious Resource (2019) and State of Fire: Why California Burns (2024). As the subtitles emphasize, state in the title refers not to a specific condition, but to California. That said, I have nothing against Smokey Bear, discouraging people from starting wildfires.
On 2014-07-03, Joel Garreau, in the New York Times, claimed he began writing his book in the 1970s, when journalists were trying to discover how north America worked. He wants people to forget rectangular images of states, provinces and regions printed on maps, but to understand that north America is a clash between warring civilizations. A map based on culture and values does not reflect the perversely drawn state and national boundaries.
This attempt at understanding resulted in his 1981 book. Garreau comments that reader reaction was astonishing. His map revealed something much deeper. It was a map of culture and values. The idea of nine nations idea became a cult item among marketers, broadcasters, political operatives and even carmakers, who need to understand the north Americans tribes/ nations, how they emerged and how they function. Other authors have adopted the same methodology to explain China, Europe, Mexico, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. I remember from my anthropology lectures at Dalhousie, about how the Druzes successively realigned themselves with the powers that be in Palestine, in an effort to retain their autonomy.
There were independent nations within American territory. The Iroquois Confereracy (1500 – 1775) is the longest lasting. It consisted of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca nations. After 1722, the Iroquoian-speaking Tuscarora people from South Carolina moved northwards, and joined as the sixth nation. This would have only been an academic footnote if I had not learned of my Mohawk ancestry, as a descendent of Ots-Toch (1600 –1646).
There is also the California Republic, a ministate that lasted for 25 days in 1846. Some are hoping that by the 200th anniversary of that republic, in 2046, there will be a new, improved and larger California Republic to replace it. The question is: Does California seek independence alone? Does it attempt to find allegiances with other current or former Mexican territories (Baja California, Dereret, Arizona and New Mexico)? or does it attempt something further north – Washington, Oregon, a strip of British Columbia?
There was also the Republic of Texas = República de Tejas (Spanish), a sovereign nation in North America that existed for almost 10 years, from 1836-03-02, to 1846-02-19. It shared borders with Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande – another sovereign nation, occupying what is now north-east Mexico, with its capital Laredo. and the United States. The Republic had diplomatic relations with various countries. Initially, the United States recognized Texas’ independence. The annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845, led to the Mexican–American War from 1846–04-25 to 1848-02-02.
The boundaries of Garreau’s nine nations are unchanged, after more than forty years. They have resulted in an American national gridlock, and the current division into red and blue states, even if I personally feel that the colours should be reversed. I note that my daughter lives on the left coast/ ecotopia, and not just some random location in USA. I can understand its appeal = warmth. Yet, I would be surprised if she left this strip of land for any other place in USA. No, I never expect her to become a Texan. I expect that for her the only American places with appeal are along the left coast and Hawaii. She had been indoctrinated with Cascadian values since she was a child.
Despite the turbulence in technology, finance, energy, population, mobility and polity, the boundaries as drawn in 1981 still make sense – even where events have gone exactly opposite his expectations. For example, North Carolina is even more “Dixie” today than when he wrote about it. He asks readers to check the last few presidential election results at the county level, and one will see these boundaries still influencing (voter) behaviour. He claims that the results in Canada are even more striking.
One explanation for this endurance may be that those boundaries were observed by a network of amateur anthropologists, residing all over the continent. This network documented the existence of these nations. Cultures and values endure. They change more slowly than Garreau first envisioned. He claims there are layers of unifying flavor and substance that define these nations, explaining the major storms through which public affairs pass. The Nine Nations is also a map of power, money and influence, the patterns of which have only deepened.
At this point in time, with Donald Trump and Elon Musk moving fast and breaking things, one wonders what will be happening in the United States in the coming months and years ahead. How much chaos will the American public tolerate?
Travel is still the great North American pastime because of our enduring diversity. Out of a sense of adventure, people still look forward to picking up their belongings and taking a new job in a different place. Trying on different values, different senses of the pace at which life should be lived, different attitudes about art, food and ethnic origin, a different relationship to nature. Yet every North American also knows a place where, on their way back from their wanderings, surroundings stop feeling threatening, confusing or strange. It is a place within their comfort zone.
Here are some concepts that have been presented, along with definitions. In general, the definitions provided come from Wikipedia. My internal map of north America is largely inspired by Garreau’s map, supplemented by that of Woodard. For me, the differences between the two maps, encourage an internal discussion. For example, with a new found discovery of an ancestry in Upper New York state, I ask why New Netherland (on the Woodard map) does not extend further north? It seems to represent just New York, or New Amsterdam.
Joel Garreau’s map of north America.Colin Woodard, Map of north America
Edge city = a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban, residential or rural area. The term was popularized by the 1991 book Edge City: Life on the New Frontier by Joel Garreau. Garreau argues that the edge city has become the standard form of urban growth worldwide, representing a 20th-century urban form unlike that of the 19th-century central downtown.
Suburb = an area within a metropolitan area which is predominantly residential and within commuting distance of a large city. Suburbs first emerged on a large scale in the 19th and 20th centuries, as a result of improved rail and road transport, which led to an increase in commuting. In general, they are less densely populated than inner city neighborhoods within the same metropolitan area, and most residents routinely commute to city centers or business districts via private vehicles or public transits; however, there are many exceptions, including industrial suburbs, planned communities, and satellite cities. Suburbs tend to proliferate around cities that have an abundance of adjacent flat land.
Boomburb = a large, rapidly-growing city that remains essentially suburban in character, even as it reaches populations more typical of urban core cities. It describes a relatively recent phenomenon in a United States context. The boomburb I am most familiar with is Bellevue, in Washington State.
Exurb = an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and relatively high population-growth. It shapes an interface between urban and rural landscapes, holding a limited urban nature for its functional, economic, and social interaction with the urban center, due to its dominant residential character. Exurbs consist of agglomerations of housing and jobs outside the municipal boundaries of a primary city and beyond the surrounding suburbs.
Recently, I sent a map (see below) and some instructions for the California game, to people I know living there. The main rules is that a person can play this game as often as they like, hopefully generating new content each time. This game differs from two other California games: A) Include California in Cascadia, and B) Imagine California as an independent country. This game, C) involves keeping California in USA, but dividing it into several different states, each with two senators! Other rules: 1) Decide how many states you want to create out of California. 2) Find sufficient pencil crayons with distinctive colours, one for each proposed new state. 3) Use the existing counties as potential dividing lines. 4) Find the borders. 5) Enjoy the colouring.
People living in other states, say Kansas, could also play a similar game with their own state.
Hjalmar Broch was the first chairperson of Norges Naturvernforbund from 1916 to 1920 and later from 1951 to 1956. Photo: Leif Ørnelund (1914 – 1992)
Norges Naturvernforbund (NNV) = The Norwegian Federation for Nature Conservation is Norway’s oldest nature and environmental conservation organization. NNV is a democratic membership organization with over 35 000 members The members are the foundation of the organization and carry out the local work. The members are organized in local branches, which in turn are organized in county branches. This weblog post celebrates its founding exactly 111 years ago on 1914-02-18. However, activities only started two years later, in 1916.
The organization works on a wide range of issues, including area protection, watercourse protection, species protection, climate emission reductions, energy saving, transportation, environmental toxins, forestry, fishing and farming. The Federation also works internationally, with partner organizations, notably in Russia, Ukraine, Togo and Mozambique.
The Federation for Nature Conservation is the parent organization of Natur og Ungdom (NU) = Nature and Youth founded on 1967-11-18, and also established Miljøagentene = Environmental Agents, for children, in 1992. Originally, it had been called Blekkulfs miljødetekiver = Blekkulf’s environmental detectives, with Blekkulf being the name of a cartoon octopus. I translate the name as Bleached Wolf. It also helped with the founding of the Rainforest Fund and a Development Fund. It is affiliated with Friends of the Earth, one of the world’s largest networks of environmental organizations.
NU was to work for environmental protection.
NNV consists of county and local branches as well as a national secretariat. The organization has county branches in all of the country’s counties, and a total of about 100 local branches. A local branch can cover one or more municipalities.
The Norwegian Federation of Nature Conservation’s highest authority is the national congress, which meets every two years. Between national congresses, the association is led by a national board with representation from the county branches, and by a central board with five members. The head of both of these is the organization’s elected leader. There is also a secretary general who leads the daily operations of its secretariat, which is located in Oslo. Most of the approximately 30 employees are based there.
For the first 50 years, the Nature Conservation Association was an organization for a few, but professionally qualified members who were mainly engaged in classic nature conservation. In the 60s and 70s, however, the organization began to work on a much broader range of issues and became more critical of the government’s environmental protection work. Among other things, oil pollution, acid rain and river development = damning, were put on the agenda.
A critical change occurred at Mardala, a small valley named after the pine martin (Martes martes). It was the site of non-violent political actions against electrical power development in the summer of 1970 in Eikesdal = Oak Valley in Møre og Romsdal county. The action was an important symbolic event for the importance of preserving untouched nature. The action became particularly well-known because of the high Mardalsfossen waterfall in Eikesdal, which was to be put in a pipe, to be turned into electricity.
The Mardøla action was ideologically motivated, non-violent direct action, which made it unique at the time. The actions used civil disobedience as a means of resistance against power development, which was new in Norway. The leaders of the action were removed by the police after a camp was organized along the route of the construction road. Among the several hundred protesters were several well-known people, including philosophers Arne Næss (1912 – 2009) and Sigmund Kvaløy Sætreng (1934 – 2014) as well as the politician Odd Einar Dørum (1943 – ). The action was supported by the local population in Eikesdal and Eresfjord. But the actionists had to withdraw after threats from other Romsdal residents, especially there was resistance in Rauma municipality which wanted to get income from the power development.
The watercourse was developed and Mardalsfossen is dry most of the year. Only a few weeks during the tourist season each summer 2 m³ per second of water is released into the waterfall. The old water flow could be significantly greater, 40 m³ per second was not uncommon during snowmelt.
Protests against the development of hydroelectric power were much of the basis for building up an effective nature and environmental protection movement in Norway.
The waterfall is by the south end of the lake Eikesdalsvatnet, which also can be seen in the photograph. The waterfall’s total drop is 655 metres. The largest free fall is 297 meters, which is among the tallest in Norway.
Mardalfossen. Photo: Peter John Acklam 2004-07.
The next significant action was called the Alta controversy, involving a plan by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) to construct a dam and hydroelectric power plant, creating an artificial lake inundating the Sámi village of Máze. After political resistance, a less ambitious project was proposed that would cause less displacement of Sámi residents and less disruption for reindeer migration and wild salmon fishing.
When work on the project started again in 1981-01, more than one thousand protesters chained themselves to the site . The police responded with 10% of all Norwegian police officers being stationed in Alta, quartered in a cruise ship. Protesters were forcibly removed by police. For the first time since World War II, Norwegians were arrested and charged with violating laws against rioting. The central organizations for the Sámi people discontinued all cooperation with the Norwegian government. The Norwegian Supreme Court ruling in favor of the government in 1982. Organized opposition to the power plant ceased, and construction of the Alta Hydroelectric Power Station was completed by 1987. Despite this, the government lost the ethical war, especially among intellectuals, with respect to its racist anti-Sámi policies. Because of their civil disobedience, four leaders, including Per Flatberg (1937 – 2022) from Inderøy, were sentenced for encouraging illegal acts.
This conflict put Sámi rights over lands in Northern Norway, as an indigenous people, onto the national political agenda. With the passing of the Finnmark Act in 2005 the Sámi made important long-term gains, and revived interest in their culture. In addition, the conflict unified environmental groups.
The Fosen wind farms discussed here are about 100 km to the north-west of Cliff Cottage. Article 27 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has become the most important international provision for the protection of indigenous peoples’ cultural practices. This article was central to the Norwegian Supreme Court’s consideration of the case concerning wind power plants on the Fosen peninsula in 2021-10. This was a historic decision because it was the first time that affected Sámi parties, in a case concerning a development project in their traditional areas, won in the Supreme Court through reference to human rights. This judgment is central because it clarified several key issues regarding indigenous peoples’ protection against interference in their traditional reindeer grazing areas.
The Supreme Court Fosen judgment, from 2021, concerned the validity of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy’s decision from 2013 to expropriate and grant a licence to the Storheia and Roan wind power plants on the Fosen Peninsula. The windfarms are located in an area where reindeer husbandry is practiced. The herders claimed that the construction interfered with their right to enjoy their own culture according to Article 27, but this was rejected by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in 2013. Although the issue was brought before the courts, the company was nevertheless permitted to start the construction, and the windfarms were ready in 2019 and 2020, respectively. They are part of the largest onshore wind power project in Europe.
The case before the Supreme Court concerned whether the construction of the Fosen windfarms amounts to a violation of the reindeer herders’ right to enjoy their own culture under Article 27 of the ICCPR. The ICCPR is incorporated into the Act Relating to the Strengthening of the Status of Human Rights in Norwegian law (the Human Rights Act) of 21 May 1999. ICCPR thus applies directly as Norwegian law. It also takes precedence over other Norwegian legislative provisions through Section 3 of the Act in the event of a conflict with them. A grand chamber of the Supreme Court unanimously found a violation of Article 27 and stated that the licence and expropriation decisions were invalid. As of 2025, the Wind Farms are still in place, producing energy and profits for the companies that own them.
What surprises many is the ingrained racism of Norwegian society, especially with respect to Sámi people, and the attempt by the Norwegian government to Norwegianize this population. However, this racism is also directed to other ethnic groups, particularly Gypsies and immigrants from the Middle East. Rather than receiving assistance to conform to Norwegian laws, these ethnic groups, have had their children taken away and placed in institutions or foster homes, for violating parential laws, particularly related to corporal punishement. Even when the Norwegian Government loses cases at the European Court of Human Rights = the Strasbourg Court, the international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights, lights do not always start to flash.
In the future people should expect other environmental cases to emerge. Some will involve the extraction of petrochemicals in environmentally sensitive areas, others will involve the extraction of minerals, and the use of fjords to dispose of mine tailings. NNV will undoubtedly need to spend more time (and money) advocating its principles in court, than linking members to equipment or fences in the field, or outside Stortinget = the Parliament, to protest damage to the environment.
While the Norwegian population supports offshore wind projects, these can be more expensive to build, and more complex to extract energy from, than the proven technology of onshore wind farms.
A Renault 4 on display for the opening of the Paris Auto Show, 2024-10-14. Photo: Renault
This post was published on the second anniversary of acquiring Buzz, our Volkswagen electric minivan = 2025-02-13.
I note that automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as VW, GM, Ford and many others, but especially Stellantis, are doing little to promote inexpensive electric vehicles, on dedicated EV platforms. Stellantis wants the flexibility to drop a random power plant (gasoline, diesel, hybid, electric) into an engine bay. All of these OEMs have been prioritizing dedicated EVs for people with high incomes, and are begging authorities to delay mandatory production percentage goals, while our planet – the only one we have – is boiling, at least figuratively.
Another trend that I notice, is that OEMs want to upgrade features, by making them available on a subscription basis. For example, on 2025-02-10, /. (slashdot.org) reported that Stellantis had introduced full-screen pop-up ads on Jeep infotainment systems, for Mopar’s extended warranty service. These ads appear every time the vehicle comes to a stop, for example at a red light. This means that drivers are now forced to manually close out ads just to access basic vehicle functions.
Recently, I read that VW was spending €60 billion to develop a new fossil-fueled engine, to be available in 2028. Yes, they are living in the past! They also have an agreement to sell some of their factories to Chinese OEMs. The German government reluctantly approved this. Reluctantly, because that would allow cars produced in these plants to be considered European, much like VWs produced in China are considered Chinese. However, if the government had not approved it, they would then have to pay a large sum to VW, as compensation. Yes, international agreements can be messy.
The two existing automotive OEMs that I appreciate the most are Renault and Volvo. Saab could have been on the list, except it was taken over by General Motors, then died. Renault and Volvo had a close relationship, including shared dealerships in Norway. This is no longer the situation. When both Volvo and Saab were Swedish owned, all their vehicles were suitable for Scandinavian roads. Police in Vail and Aspen, both ski resorts in Colorado, used Saab patrol cars from 1974 to 2005.
Sometimes, even a few Renault models ended up with appropriate characteristics for Scandinavia. That did not apply to all models, because they were also interesting in selling their vehicles in more southern climates.
Here are some American vehicle longevity estimates. The Environmental Protection Agency assumes a typical car is driven 24 Mm = 24 megameters = 24 000 km per year. According to the New York Times, in the 1960s and 1970s, the typical car reached its end of life around 160 Mm. Due, in part, to manufacturing improvements, by 2012 the typical car was estimated to last for 320 Mm. Junk Car Reapers estimates the average car in 2024 lasted almost 260 Mm. So there has been a decline. Junk Car Medics puts the average vehicle longevity at 16.58 years and almost 250 Mm. Daniel Bleakly, writing in The Driven in 2023, estimated that by 2030, ICE vehicles will only make it to 225 Mm while EVs will last 800 Mm. If this is true, then Buzz can expect a lifespan of 80 years, since for the past two years, he has gone less than 10 Mm a year.
I support a right to repair law, so that consumers are not at the mercy of OEMs, or their dealers. This would be aided if open source automotive computer systems were developed, capable of replacing proprietary systems. There are efforts to do this. Even OEMs want open source, because that would reduce their software investment costs. They just don’t want the public to have access to them. These two measures could free car/ truck/ tractor users from being serfs to their OEM overloads.
Fueling and charging
While petroleum product fueling stations provide for access to fuel tanks on three sides of an ICE vehicle, EVs are generally charged at home with a dedicated charger. The location of a charging port is a subject of discussion, with differing opinions. Most often the services of an electrician are needed to install a charger, so it can be expensive to change its placement. We ended up putting the charger near the front right of Buzz, when fronted into the carport. The charge port on Buzz is located at the right rear, as it is on most German cars. This charger location allows three of the most common charge port locations to be served. Only the left rear is difficult, and would probably require a vehicle to be backed in for charging. Some manufacturers, such as Renault, vary the charge port location with the model. For road trips another measure = DC charging, is needed.
In some forgotten source, I had read that the reason for the left rear location on a Tesla, has to do with it being the location most suitable for Elon Musk’s charger at the Bel Air house he rented while designing the Tesla Roadster. Many, should I add older?, drivers find backing into a charging stall difficult, but necessary because of the short leads at Tesla supercharger stations. Thus, some people maintain that a charging point on the front (but not in the middle) is ideal.
When we bought Buzz, it was being heralded as the ultimate family vehicle. We agree, that it has many characteristics families want, including space for five people and for luggage. However, it has a price that puts it out of the reach of families with young children. Families wanting to buy a new vehicle, may have to accept that they must survive with something more affordable. In addition, there are two dimensions that make this vehicle problematic for Norway: 1) its large width, and 2) its limited ground clearance. We were aware of the width when we put in our order, but not the ground clearance. In addition, it was first announced that it would come with a heat pump. We do not have a heat pump on our Buzz, and one is not available for aftermarket installation.
Buzz has the following specifications: length x width x height = 4 712 x 1 985 x 1 937, with a wheelbase = 2 938; ground clearance = 153 mm; curb weight/ mass = 2 459 kg; maximum power = 150 kw; maximum torque = 310 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 10.0 s; maximum speed = 145 km/h; wheels driven = rear wheel drive; battery capacity = 77 kWh with a theoretical range of 418 km; charge port = rear right; trunk space = 1 121 litres; towing capacity = 1 000 kg.
On 2025-01-22 at about 10:05, my assistance was requested. While Buzz had managed to back out of the carport, he refused to move forward with Trish driving. Sensors told him there was an obstacle. Initially, everything under him seemed fine, but he still refused to move. After I dislodged a small icicle growing underneath him, the warning disappeared, and Trish could head off to Straumen. Yes, a 10 cm long icicle disabled the vehicle. In terms of batteries and operating systems, I regard Buzz as a mule, a test bed to try out new components and systems, over a period of decades, possibly by several generations of owners.
Buzz is vastly different from the first car we purchased in Norway, Robin, a red 1986 Subaru Justy. length x width x height = 3 540 x 1 540 x 1 390, with a wheelbase = 2 280; ground clearance = 150 mm; curb weight/ mass = 670 kg. It was equipped with a 3-cylinder gasoline engine. Maximum power = 40 kw; maximum torque = 80 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 16.4 s; maximum speed = 150 km/h; wheels driven = front or all; fuel tank capacity = 35 litres with a range of 585 km; trunk space = 200 litres.
We used Robin when, with two young children, we travelled through Sweden and Denmark to Germany, Netherlands and Belgium and, in another direction, to England and Scotland. Yes, it was cramped, but Robin was all we could afford. Indeed, we had to borrow most of the purchase price from our bank, paying 17% interest! Somehow we survived. One of our secrets, learned in the days of high interest rates, was to prioritize living within our budget, and to become debt free as quickly as possible.
One of the things we learned with Robin, was that its 150 mm ground clearance, was an absolute minimum, given Norway’s road conditions, with lots of snow. At delivery, we were disappointed, but aware, that Buzz barely met this requirement, but concluded that we could avoid driving when driving conditions were unacceptable. This was not possible in our working years, when we were expected to show up for work. Over the seven years of owning Robin, we also learned that we didn’t need to have drive on all four wheels. From 1993 to 2023 = 30 years we survived with just front wheel drive. We quickly learned to accept that Buzz has rear wheel drive.
Our years of driving in Norway, taught us that, apart from ground clearance, the most important dimension is vehicle width, for that influences the roads people can drive on. We have been able to buy a wider car than otherwise because we made a decision to restrict some of the roads we would drive on.
When we looked at EVs back in 2022, we were mainly looking at vans, but also investigated various other vehicles to understand the market. This included driving a Renault Zöe. It was the most pleasant of the small cars we drove. The negative side was that a purchase of such a vehicle, would require us to keep our Mazda 5, in order to tow our utility trailer, used to transport building materials. In Norway, utility trailers are a common, cheap substitute for a pickup truck. The ground clearance on the Zöe was totally unacceptable.
Zöe specifications: Length x Width x Height = 4 087 x 1 730 x 1 562, with a wheelbase = 2 588; ground clearance = 120 mm; curb weight/ mass = 1 577 kg; maximum power = 50 kw; maximum torque = 245 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 9.5 s; maximum speed = 140 km/h; wheels driven = front; battery capacity = 52 kWh with a theoretical range of 386 km; charge port = front middle; trunk space = 338 litres; towing capacity = not permitted. The Zöe is now out of production, to be replaced by the Renault 5.
The parents of one of my friends were the first people to sell Datsun vehicles in Vancouver. In the years before Japanese manufacturers offered four wheel drive (4WD) vehicles, I knew people who modified these pickups trucks to 4WD for use in the British Columbia forest industry. Yes, Japanese manufacturers make good cars, but they have their challenges. With respect to Toyota, I liked their Yaris Verso, especially, but Trish found it awkward to shift gears. Toyota is better at making iterative changes, but finds it almost impossible to take revolutionary steps necessary to produce EVs. My mother always liked her Honda Civic, my sister liked her Subaru Outback. I considered a Nissan Evalia, when we bought the Mazda. I considered a Mitsubishi Lancer, when we bought a Volkswagen Golf.
There is no point in comparing the technical specification of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with EVs. So here, these characteristics will just be ignored. What won’t be ignored is the fact that combustion is unhealthy, and noisy. Thus, I am puzzled by Dodge making an electric 2024 Charger Daytona, with a Fratzonic chambered exhaust = two speakers driven by a dedicated 600 W amplifier, mounted in a 42.5 litre enclosure hung under the back of the car = meaningless, excessive noise.
The rest of this weblog post will look at Renault’s upcoming EV lineup, to be made available in Norway. It consists of four vehicles. The place to begin when choosing a vehicle is with something small. If there is some reason why it is too small, then look for something larger. That said, the Twingo will not be offered in Norway. It is too small, but is suitable for more southerly, less wealthy markets. The same applies to the Mobilize Duo (2-seater tandem = one behind the other) and Bento (cargo) quadricycles made in Tangier, Morocco, that have replaced the Twizy, a 2-seater tandem quadricycle made in Valladolid, Spain (2012 – 2018), then in Busan, South Korea (2019 – 2023).
Unfortunately, I have been unable to find all of the specifications for Duo. Here is what I have been able to find: length x width x height = 2 430 x 1 300 x 1 640, with a wheelbase = ?; ground clearance = ? mm; curb weight/ mass = ? kg; maximum power = 7 kw; maximum torque = ? Nm; acceleration 0 – 30 km/h = 10.0 s; maximum speed (45) = 45 km/h (80) = 80 km/h; wheels driven = rear; battery capacity = 10.3 kWh with a theoretical range of 160 km (summer) 100 km (winter); charge port = front middle; trunk space = 300 litres; towing capacity = 0 = unavailable. In some places the 40 version can be driven by unlicenced people aged 14 and over. The 80 version generally requires a driving licence, with the person aged 18 and over. One cannot buy this vehicle outright. It appears to be only available on lease. Private persons can enter into agreements for 3 months and longer. Companies may have to have longer terms, one year or more.
A Mobilize Bento (left) cargo vehicle and Duo (right) passenger vehicle. Photo: Renault
Many people enjoy hot hatches. Yes, a hot hatch EV can represent a minimalist solution to transportation nightmares. Cars have to fulfill multiple rolls. Small vehicles are more problematic, because there is less dedicated space for any particular role. At its most basic, an EV should be small enough to be comfortably driven in cities with narrow streets, yet hot = powerful enough for highway driving. In Norway, one can add over mountain passes, to that last sentence. Minimal storage space requirements is a weeks worth of groceries. We have owned a couple of cold = underpowered hatches that have been inappropriate to drive, and I would not encourage anyone to take that pathway. The best example of a cold hatch in the EV world is the Dacia Spring. Fortunately, most modern EVs can accelerate faster than muscle cars could in the 1960s, despite having their maximum speed controlled.
Renault 5 in Pop Green Photo: RenaultThe yellow interior of a Renault 5 e-Tech. Photo: Renault.
When we looked at EVs back in 2022, one of the smallest vehicles that appealed in snowless May was the Renault Zöe. This has been replaced with the Renault 5. Its dimensions length x width x height = 3 930 x 1 770 x 1 550, with a wheelbase = 2 540; curb weight/ mass = 1350 – 1450 kg; maximum power = 90/ 110 kw; maximum torque = 225/ 245 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 9.0/ 8.0 s; maximum speed = 140/ 150 km/h; wheels driven = front; battery capacity = 40 kWh/ 52kWh with a range of 300/ 410 km, respectively; trunk space = 326 litres. Storage space of 300 litres is a minimum for carrying a week’s worth of groceries. Three disappointment with this vehicle are: 1) its 500 kg towing capacity, 2) 145 mm ground clearance and – more importantly – 3) its 4-star Euro NCAP test results.
We also looked at a Renault Megane in 2022, which was larger and more expensive than the Zöe, However, it is totally unsuitable in 2025. Its dimensions length x width x height = 4 210 x 1 780 x 1 500, with a wheelbase = 2 700; ground clearance = 128 mm; curb weight/ mass = 1650 kg; maximum power = 96 kw; maximum torque = 250 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 10.0 s (the same as Buzz); maximum speed = 150 km/h; wheels driven = front; battery capacity = 40 k with a range of 298 km; charge port = front left; trunk space = 440 litres. Again, the Megane can only tow 500 kg, There are so many characteristics that make this model unsuitable for families.
Back in 1996, Alasdair encouraged me to test drive a Renault Scenic, when it first appeared. He was interested in getting some sort of premium to be awarded to people who test drove the vehicle. If I remember correctly, despite being the first people to test drive one, the local Renault dealer did not have any of these premiums to give away. So we met with false advertising, an important lesson.
Original Renault Scenic ICE version: Length x Width x Height = 4 168 mm x 1 719 x 1 609 mm, and a wheelbase of 2 580 mm, the original Scenic was much smaller than the Mazda 5. The new Renault Scenic EV version is still smaller than the Mazda 5, but closer in size, with length x width x height = 4 470 x 1 964 x 1 571 with a wheelbase of 2 785 mm; ground clearance = 121 mm; curb weight/ mass = 1727 kg; maximum power = 125 kw; maximum torque = 280 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 8.6 s; maximum speed = 150 km/h; wheels driven = front; battery capacity = 60 kWh with a range of 430 km, respectively; charge port = front left; trunk space = 545 litres. It can tow 1 100 kg, making it 100 kg better than the VW Buzz, but 100 kg worse than the Mazda 5. The Renault Scenic E-Tech has 5-stars in the Euro-NCAP, and won the award for European Car of the Year 2024. However, like the other Renault EVs, it has minimal ground clearance.
A 2024 Renault Scenic e-Tech. Photo: M 93 2024-06-30.
When we lived in Molde, 1980 – 1985, we knew two families who owned Renault 4s. We even borrowed one of them to go on our first automotive holiday in Norway! From my perspective the Renault 4 seemed to be more in harmony with the Norwegian spirit and values than the hot hatch Renault 5. That applied then, and it applies now. Here are the specifications for the new Renault 4 (with differences from the new Renault 5): length x width x height = 4 140 (+210) x 1 800 (+30) x 1 570 (+20), with a wheelbase = 2 620 (+80); = 181 mm ; curb weight/ mass = ?; maximum power = 100 kw; maximum torque = 245 Nm; acceleration 0 – 100 km/h = 8.5 s; maximum speed = 150 km/h; wheels driven = front; battery capacity = 52kWh with a range of 400 km, respectively; charge port = front left; trunk space = 420 litres.
As I was writing this weblog post, I came across an article in the Norwegian automotive magazine, Motor, which began (translated into English): PARIS (Motor): The car [referring to a Renault 4] completes a renewal of the Renault portfolio that has happened at an astonishing pace under the Italian boss, Luca de Meo.
“I would say we now have the best model range that Renault has presented in more than 30 years. This year has been rock’n’roll for us, with a new model every month, and now we are releasing the fireworks with four launches this month”, [de Meo] said when he opened the Renault stand at the Paris show on [2024-10-14].
Only one of the four is relevant for Norway. And that is the Renault 4. (end of quotation) The photo below will explain why.
A typical country road in Mosvik, across Skarnsund Bridge from Cliff Cottage, in 2016-01. Cars can use this road without complaint. There are some meeting points along this road, where it is safe for two cars to pass each other. Photo: Patricia McLellan.A country road in Mosvik, across Skarnsund Bridge from Cliff Cottage, in 2025-01. Buzz complains when he has to use this road. This road is considerably worse now in 2025, when the municipality decided to save money by using a snow plow, instead of a snow blower. It resulted in the ditches on either side of the road being filled with gravel, which will have to be removed at a cost that far exceeds the savings that came from using inappropriate snow equipment. Yes, in Norway everyone, even people born in Vancouver, is entitled to opinions about the quality of winter roads.
I understand what the journalist is referring to. The Renault 4 is appropriate for Norway, and roads where snow does not get removed as quickly as possible. It has a ground clearance that exceeds my mental minimum = 160 mm. It also has a towing capacity of 750 kg.
Renault 4 Photo: Renault.
While I am happy with Buzz, I am less happy with Volkswagen. Trish often compares Buzz with previous vehicles, such as the Mazda 5, that could drive 1 Mm = 1 000 km between fuelings. Buzz offers less than 400 km. A 250% increase, or even doubling of the current range = 1 000 or 800 km, should be a realistic goal in the next ten years. I see no need for a larger range than that.
Currently, we have absolutely no plans to purchase another EV. Buzz is a sunk cost. I encourage the people who inherit it from us to upgrade it regularly at, say, ten year intervals. New batteries will be developed, and equipped with heat pumps. Sodium based batteries, while being heavier in terms of their power/ mass ratio, appear to operate better in cold weather, compared to lithium based batteries.
Once the ability to have Volkswagen pay for anything expires (such as after 8 years for batteries), I hope the owners of Buzz, will be able to comoditize the vehicle, so that it conforms to their needs. This is a task for the upcoming generations, not an old man.
I prefer to call my smallest computer a hand-held device, rather than a phone. That is because it has to perform numerous tasks, most of which are totally unrelated to making voice calls to another human bean.
One of the conversations I frequently have with myself, has to do with technological choices. Why do people opt for smart devices, rather than their slightly less intelligent siblings? Or, why are people willing to pay a premium for smart devices? An even more alluring question is, why are people willing to pay a premium for dumb devices? This can be a very real situation, especially when the dumb phone in question is a Light Phone. My standard answers have to do with apps. Someone I don’t know and don’t want to know, will demand that I install and use some specific app in order to undertake something, that could be done with a much simpler and more generic, procedure. That someone has mandated the use of a specific app. I need to use that app because I need (want, is usually the more correct term) the service or product being provided. In other words, I opt to make a bad choice, because I want a particular product or service, more than I value my privacy.
Yes, I can give specific examples. Buzz, our daily drive, is equipped with studded snow tires in the winter, the result of driving on under-plowed, but over-iced roads. Some places, such as Trondheim municipality, require vehicle users with studs to pay a stud use fee. We accept this fact. Unfortunately, installing an app to do so is not something that can be done on the road. The information needed to associate a bank account with the app is safely locked/ hidden in our house. It is not taken on road trips. Of course, we would prefer to pay with our bank card, which was possible to do through the end of 2023. However, on a drive to Trondheim during the winter of 2024, the organization collecting the fee had removed the option to pay with a bank card, and wanted to collect additional information about us. As this situation arose about 120 km away from Cliff Cottage, our only solution was to: 1) not register for the app; 2) not use an uninstalled app to pay the use fee; 3) risk having our snow tires discovered, which would result in a fine. We were not caught. Since then, we do not drive into Trondheim in the winter. This means that we buy fewer things in Trondheim. Sorry, Ikea!
Paying for electric vehicle charging is another area where it has been possible for the energy providers to demand use of an app. For years, the Norwegian electric car association has been encouraging the Norwegian government to enact legislation that will allow the use of bank cards. This has now started to happen, and all new stations have to provide this option. Established stations will have until the end of 2025 to implement changes.
This is an interesting situation because most stores in Norway are required to accept cash payments. So, if I enter the coop to buy an orange, they are required to accept a cash payment for it. If I then drive across the street to the local charging station, that station is allowed to insist that I install their app, until the end of 2025! The government that is demanding that stores allow people to pay in cash, have managed to create a situation that allows charging stations to avoid cash or card payments!
Apart from a few conversations, some messages and taking lots of photos, there is not much that I want a smart device to do. Yes, I have the capability to use a smart device, but agree with many users who complain that smart devices have become too demanding, especially with abusive social media algorithms.
There is an entire industry developing anti-smart phones. One example is the Light Phone originally launched in 2015 following a successful Kickstarter campaign. A Light Phone II arrived in 2018. They were minimalist devices, with black-and-white displays, but without a camera. In 2024, the Light Phone III emerged, with a 50 M pixel front and 8 M pixel rear = selfie camera. This resolves my main complaint, but opens several new ones. The display is still black-and-white, despite the phone capturing colour images. This means they have to be viewed in monochrome until they are downloaded. There is no headphone jack, a feature I appreciate on my smart device.
More positively, its dimensions are: 106 x 71.5 x 12 mm. Its display is 100 mm with 1080 x 1240 pixels resolution. It has a 1 800 mAh removable battery. Other tools include optional: alarm, calculator, calendar, directory, turn-by-turn directions, hotspot, music, notes/voice memo, podcast and timer features. It provides a near-field communication (NFC) chip, that allows devices to exchange small amounts of data with each other over relatively short distances. It also has 5G connectivity and fingerprint ID.
Yet, I hesitate to enter the dumb phone world. One problem is a 2 Mpixel camera. It is far from the 50 Mpixel camera I am used to. Then there is the under-powered Unisoc T107 chipset, minimal 64 MB RAM and 128 MB storage, expandable up to 32GB via the microSD card slot. Then there is 4G, not 5G.
A Light Phone III, expected to launch in 2025.
The Light Phone III is durable, constructed with a metal frame and recycled plastic panels, with an accessible and replaceable battery. The display and USB port are claimed to be more easily replaceable than those on conventional smart devices. When it launches in 2025, it is expected to cost about ten times the price of a Nokia 3210, or about 30% more than the price of my current smart device, an Asus Zenfone 9.
If I were to revert to a dumb device, I hope it would be a more stylish Nokia product, with its origins in Finland. Unfortunately, this device is targeted towards younger users, those under 16, who are likely to be banned from taking smart phones to school.
This Nokia 3210 (2024) is shown in Y2K gold. It is probably more suitable for younger users, than the elederly.
The revived Nokia 3210 was relaunched in 2024. The original Nokia 3210 was designed by Alastair Curtis (? – ) in Nokia’s Los Angeles Design Center. It was released in 1999, and became the 7th most-sold phone in history. The new phone has been restyled , appealing to dumb phone fans. Its dimensions are: 122 x 52 x 13.1 mm. It offers a 60 mm 240 x 320 pixel, in-plane switching (IPS) display, characterized as having the best colour and viewing angles, a USB-C connector for data transfer and charging, 4G connectivity, Bluetooth support, and dual-SIM capabilities. It runs Series 30+ based on Mocor OS, a proprietary operating system, and has Cloud Phone technology support. This means it is capable of accessing YouTube, and Google Sign-in Services as well as real-time modern web applications. The battery is removable, providing a Li-ion 1 450 mAh for up to several days of service. In terms of price, it is less than 15% of my current smart device.
For an old geezer/ geezette, the most likely brand for a dumbish device is probably Doro, with its origins in Malmö, in southern Sweden. It refers to itself as a consumer electronics and assistive technology company. It was founded in 1974 as a challenger to the state-run telecommuncations monopoly, and developed communications products and services for the elderly, such as mobile phones and telecare systems.
The 8080 model is produced for people with eyesight, hearing and motor skill issues. If one is having dementia issues, the 8050 model could be more appropriate. In a smart move, Doro claims that these are smartphones. Yes, anyone can claim that because there are no official definitions about what is dumb and what is smart. However, Doro also produces other devices, including those with a clam shell shape, that they refer to as dumb phones.
Doro’s interface, Eva, is described by them as: patented, intuitive and action-based. Their sales propaganda claims it is: like having someone who understands your needs always by your side. Users never need to look around for things they can’t find. Eva simply gives them a few clear choices, and then does what the user wishes based on their response. She’s also the perfect companion when starting up the phone for the first time, guiding the user every step of the way. And because she is designed by Doro, Eva makes the technology fun, available and easy for everyone, whether new to Android, or a long-time user and fan.
The Doro Quick Start Guide admits that three types of people may be setting up a phone. One can choose between “Yes, I am a beginner”, “No, I have already used one” or “I’m setting the phone up for someone else” .
The phone is 174 x 74 x 9mm in size and weighs 175g and has a 5.7 inch 1440 x720 display with a narrow bezel so will fit into a pocket, handbag or backpack. The screen is large enough to be readable. There is 32 GB of storage, which is minimal for such a device. However, the SIM drawer can accommodate a microSD memory card of up to 128GB. To open the drawer one just uses one’s fingernail. On the top edge of the phone is a standard 3.5mm headphone port while at the bottom is a microphone, a loudspeaker and USB-C power connector.
The display has very clear icons, its brilliance can be adjusted, and there is the option to change the type size. Similarly, its audio can also be optimized for moderate hearing impairment as well as offering hearing aid compatibility.
A proximity sensor turns off the touch screen when the device is held up to one’s ear. Cameras include a 5 MP front/ selfie camera. On the rear is a 15 MP camera with a flash that can also act as a flashlight, as well as a second microphone. There is also a fingerprint sensor. My major concern is that the photo equipment won’t meet the needs of the target audience or, at least, myself.
Also with the phone are ICE = In Case of Emergency, and other assistance features. Personal contact and health data, such as blood groups and allergies, can be stored on the phone so as to be readily accessible. An assistance button on the rear of the phone will initiate a call and an SMS alert, complete with location, to be sent to the programmed telefone number of someone relied upon to respond.
The OS is based on Android 9 (formerly Pie), from 2018. While relatively old, it is also straightforward to use, with most of the bugs worked out. The View button offers a choice of 1) messages, 2) emails, 3) call history or 4) pictures and videos. The Send button takes one to messages, emails, a picture or video or the device’s current location. There are also pre-installed Android/ Google apps: Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Extra apps can be downloaded and installed. All apps are listed alphabetically, while the most frequently used ones can also be displayed on the opening screen for immediate access.
The Doro manual for the device can be downloaded. It provides useful background information and instructions for using apps. While the phone is only available in either black or white, there are cases/ covers available that make the phone more colourful.
Other related products from Doro include: HandleEasy = a seven-button basic remote control for radios and televisions; 3500 alarm trigger = a wristband/lanyard pairable with all Doro mobile phones with texting ability; Tablet = an Android tablet based on the EVA Android interface; Watch = a smartwatch similar to Motorola smartwatches, compatible with Android touchscreen phones; HearingBuds = sound enhancement devices compatible with Android touchscreen phones.
Compromise
It has been difficult to find reliable statistics about dumb and smart hand-held devices. Here are some best guesses from statcounter.com. At some point in 2024, it was estimated that there were about 4.88 billion smartphone users = people worldwide, representing more than 60% of the global population. At the same time, the number of smartphones = devices in use globally was estimated to be about 7.21 billion. It is easier to get percentage data. In 2025-01, more than 72% of hand-held device users, use some variant of Android, while more than 27% use iOS from Apple. This means that far less than 1% use something else. The number of Linux based hand-held devises (including Lineage) is estimated at 0.01%, with Lineage on 1.5 million devices.
The distribution of devices varies geographically. Here are the market shares in % for Android, followed by iOS in 2025-01: Africa = 85.29/ 13.58; Asia = 80.1/ 19.4; In Europe = 65.61/ 33.92; North America = 48.86/ 50.89; Oceania = 47.99/ 50.24; South America = 87.04/ 12.79. So in places like Canada and Australia there are more iPhone users than Android users. Norway follows European trends with a 65.06/ 34.54 split. The poor prefer Android.
One solution is for people to refuse a transition to a new device, such as a Doro by for keeping their existing devices, but updating them with appropriate software. For us that means keeping our current Zenfones, far into the future, potentially beyond the manufacturer’s end of support. There are some sites that claim that support for the Zenfone 9 ended on 2024-07-28. This would come in conflict with European consumer protection rights. So far, there is no indication with our phones, that we have experienced this. I suspect that Asus will not provide us with new versions of Android (we have version 13), but that security updates will be available for at least five years = 2027-07-28, possibly longer.
We have two 2018 Xiaomi Pocophone F1s in storage, that could become test mules for new device operating systems. I am most keen to investigate the e.foundation variant of Lineage OS. One could be installed on one Pocophone, along with the Bald Phone launcher. Hopefully this can be set up at Easter 2025 (with school holidays in the period 2025-04-11 to 21). While doing this, detailed plans for transitioning the Zenfone 9s to these variants can be developed and documented. They can then be implemented when an appropriate time comes.
It should be possible to test out basic programs/ apps and to see if they work better with one or the other variant of Lineage. As the Zenfone 9s age, it should be possible to pick up a third one cheaply, that could be regarded as a spare, in case one of the original ones fail.
Admittedly, people have valid concerns about Lineage as a serious supplier of an OS. At best, their 2018 April Fools Day prank was in bad taste, and is still remembered almost seven years later. It should not have happened. The prank involved a request for users to install specific software that most thought was an update. Once installed the device advised that the prank related software could not be uninstalled, and would be used for coin mining, others would profit by. Official apologies were issued on 2018-04-10. A company with so few users can’t afford to offend anyone with any sort of prank.
To appreciate the next section, it can be important to understand the definition of a launcher, in terms of a computing device. It is an app that changes the user interface of a device’s home screen, allowing the customization of the layout, icons, and overall look of the device. It helps people organize apps, access notifications and personalize their device experience.
BaldPhone is an open-source launcher that targets elderly people. A German psychology and aging journal examined responses from over 14 000 participants in the German ageing survey, who were asked at what age someone becomes “old”? People in their mid-60s generally said 75, suggesting that as people approach old age, they tend to push the marker further back. There is a demographic shift occurring in the world, with decreased fertility, and an increasing number of individuals aged 60 and over. Yes, at 76, I fall into that category myself. According to the United Nations, by 2050, the global population of older adults is projected to reach 2.1 billion.
The standard interfaces of popular mobile operating systems—iOS and Android—typically feature small icons, intricate menus and difficult to understand settings. Some people admit that this can be confusing for older people. Others avoid such comments, and simply say that there is a need for a more user-centric approach to device operating system design.
An alternative to buying a new devise is to replace/ update parts of the operating system, such as the BaldPhone open source interface. Its propaganda states that: BaldPhone offers a clean, straightforward layout that minimizes distractions and focuses on essential functions. With large, easy-to-read icons and a simplified user experience, BaldPhone empowers elderly users to interact confidently with their devices.
Key Features: User-Friendly Interface with oversized icons and a limited number of options per screen. An attention to size ensures that users with limited dexterity can easily tap the desired applications.
Customization: Users, other family members, friends or caregivers can personalize the launcher according to the user’s preferences. This adaptability helps instill confidence in users, as they can easily access their favorite applications and communication tools without wading through unnecessary features.
Essential Applications: users can highlight essential applications such as calls, messages, and emergency services.
Accessibility Features: Built-in accessibility tools, including text-to-speech capabilities and voice commands. This functionality is particularly valuable for seniors with visual impairments or those who may struggle with traditional typing methods.
Emergency Services: Quick-access emergency buttons allow users to reach out to their emergency contacts or dial emergency services just by tapping a single button.
Notification Management: Many older people find frequent notifications from various apps distracting. BaldPhone allows users to reduce or eliminate non-essential notifications, enabling them to focus on what matters most.
BaldPhone is built on the Android operating system. Developers claim it combines the robustness of a mature platform with a specialized user interface for older users. The open-source nature of the project allows developers to modify the code and tailor features, fostering a collaborative community focused on enhancing accessibility.
More information about BaldPhone can be found here.
Accessories
Neither a smart (or dumb) hand-held device, can operate alone. In the European Economic Area (EEA = an extended European Union) users no longer receive a charger when they buy a phone. All new phones, even those made by Apple, connect using USB-C. Currently, both Trish and I have chargers that allow charging through four ports: two use USB-C and connect to our laptops and hand-held devices; two use USB-A to attach to other items, including: portable lighting, Trish’s hearing aid container, uses a USB-micro connector. We have connectors fitted with USB-micro at one end, and USB-C or USB-A at the other end. The USB-C standard applies (or will soon apply) to all smaller devices needing to be charged to operate. We bought our two Acer Swift 3 laptops in the same store, the same day. When they came home, they were fitted with two very different barrel jack chargers, despite having power available through a USB-C port (as well as a barrel jack). We believe these charges with both USB-C and USB-A ports will have a life in excess of ten years, meaning they could be the last chargers we acquire.
Most hand-held device users, strengthen their displays with Gorilla glass, or its equivalent. Wikipedia tell us: The iPhone that Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011) revealed in 2007-01 still featured a plastic display. The day after he held up the plastic iPhone on stage, Jobs complained about scratches that had developed on the phone’s display after carrying it around in his pocket. Apple then contacted Corning and asked for a thin, toughened glass to be used in its new phone. The scratch-resistant glass that shipped on the first-generation iPhone would eventually come to be known as Gorilla Glass, officially introduced in 2008-02. Corning further developed the material for a variety of smartphones and other consumer electronics devices for a range of companies. There have been seven generations of Gorilla Glass produced, the latest being Gorilla Glass Victus 2. We have not fitted this type of product to any of our laptops or screens, and all have survived without issue. We have Gorilla Glass Victus (1) on our hand-held devices.
The third accessory that we have on our hand-held devices is a cover. This allows us to store cards with the device, eliminating the need for any other type of wallet. Our covers are in turquoise (Trish) and pink (Brock), which helps identify the specific device, since both devices are black. My covers always wear out faster than Trish’s. Thus, I bought three covers to last the lifetime of the device. I am still on the first cover. Trish has bought just one, and shows very little wear. One always has to be very selective about covers, especially if other needs than just physical protection are to be served.
The last accessory that is useful with a hand-held device is a stylus (passive or capacitive), that acts like a substitute finger when touching a device screen. With a passive stylus, there is no electronic communication between the stylus and the device. The device treats the stylus as a finger. These are considered less accurate than active styluses.
An active stylus includes electronic components that communicate with a device’s touchscreen controller, or digitizer. These are typically used for note taking, on-screen drawing/painting and electronic document annotation. They avoid the problem of a finger or hand accidentally making contact with the screen.
A haptic stylus uses haptic technology = realistic physical sensations which can be felt. Sometimes these can be enhanced by auditory = sound and tactile = touch illusions. A stylus is particularly useful for typing on a miniature keyboard. My fingers are too large for the virtual keyboard provided with hand-held devices.
It is possible to make an inexpensive passive stylus. My starting point is a dead Pilot V-ball 0.5 mm pen, originally filled with liquid ink. Other pens work equally well. Pens regularly run out of ink, making them useless for writing on paper, but ideal as a passive stylus. At my current rate of writing, I am able to construct a new stylus about every three months. It is repurposing, rather than recycling. To distinguish a pen from a stylus, I use white electrical tape around the clear ink tank on the stylus, so that it differs from the pen. My latest intention is to give them away as holiday season gifts.
Two styluses, former pens, marked with white electrical tape to avoid confusion with pens currently in use.
Note:
Despite my obsession to date people and things, I have been unable to determine when Alastair Curtis was born. However, he received a Bachelor of Science at the Brunel University, then Master’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art in London. He worked as a designer for Nokia starting in 1997. This probably indicates that he was born in 1974 or earlier. He became chief designer, senior vice president and head of the design department at Nokia in 2010. He was chief design officer for Logitech from 2013 to 2024. Logitech’s designs hold great appeal with me, and most of my peripherals are made by them. That includes all of my keyboards, pointing devices, head sets as well as my only desk mat, 30 x 70 cm in lilac! In 2024, Curtis became chief designer for VF Corporation (Vanity Fair Mills in a previous life), known for their outdoor wear, with brands such as The North Face and Timberland. Of which, I use none. This move by Curtis may be related to former Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell becoming CEO of VF Corporation in 2023.
This weblog post is the ninth of a series of about optics and optical equipment. It is about hand lenses, stereo microscopes, compound microscopes and digital microscopes, in that order!
Buntzen Lake looking north from public beach at south end. Photo: Patleahy, 2007-05-28.
In my childhood, my father, Edgar, called Mac (1906 – 1991), would regularly take my sister and I for long walks out in the woods. A favourite location was Buntzen Lake. It is 4.8 km long occupying an area of 182 hectares. Located north of Port Moody about 24 km from our house in New Westminster. These walks were the main source of my continued enjoyment of nature.
We usually circumnavigated most of the lake. Today, after the construction of a suspension bridge, the usual walk is about 8 km long, with which would take 4 – 5 hours, and an elevation change of 100 m. Before the suspension bridge was built, a shorter walk around most the lake took about 3 hours, with limited elevation change, possibly 20 m. The lake has provided hydroelectric power since 1904.
Both of my parents were hunters and fishers. One of my mother, Jennie’s (1916 – 2021) only regrets, was her failure to buy a particular rifle when she had the opportunity. Yet, she travelled the world, visiting in excess of 100 countries. As a parent to an adopted child, I think she was somewhat surprised that I had so little interest in her pastimes. In my childhood I had an interest in birds from pigeons to loons to falcons.
In my early teenage years, I developed an interest in marine biology, especially plankton, but also marine invertebrates. Several books led me in this direction. One of the first was, Rachel Carson’s (1907 – 1964) The Edge of the Sea (1955). This was actually the third of her Sea trilogy, and looked at three edges: rocky, sandy and coral. The focus was on the east coast of North America. The rocky shores were typical of the Cape Ann region of Massachusetts, the sandy shores were of the intermediate coast off the Carolinas, while the corals were part of the Florida Keys.
I also wanted to read something related to the Pacific Coast, where I lived. This was found in Ed Ricketts’ (1896 – 1948) Between Pacific Tides (1939). I am sure I read a later edition than this. Currently, I own a copy of the 5th edition, from 1985.
The third work that inspired me was Ralph Buchsbalm’s (1907-2002) Animals Without Backbones (1938). Originally, I owned a Pelican edition in two volumes from 1957. My current reference copy is from 1987, in a single volume.
I acquired a compound microscope in 1962, for my 14th birthday, As explained in Optics 6, I used this with a camera to take photomicrographs of plankton and other organisms. In high school use of a compound microscope was part of the biology course. When, I studied biology at college, we were required to use hand lenses, stereo microscopes and compound microscopes, in that order.
An Opticron glass hand lens = inspection magnifier, with chrome plated metal protective cover, 10 × magnification, with a 23 mm diameter glass lens. There is space for the attachment of a thin lanyard. Photo: Opticron.
The college biology program I undertook emphasized field trips to various ecological areas, and in all seasons. In addition to other equipment such as skis, we were required to have a pocket lens = inspection magnifier with us that could magnify up to 10 ×, for field trips. The lens can be made of glass or plastic, with plastic being cheaper and lighter but of lower optical quality and more difficult to clean. I prefer glass lenses.
An element is an individual piece of glass within a lens. Hand lenses can be constructed with one (singlet), two (doublet) or three (triplet) lens elements. Each element is specially shaped to correct for a particular type of optical distortion so the more elements, the higher quality the image. A singlet is gudenuf.
A 10 × magnification hand lens is adequate for most purposes. Higher magnification lenses are harder to use. Large diameter lenses provide a wider field of view = they are easier to use but, but are more expensive. I have always used a hand lens 20 – 30 mm in diameter. The description of a hand lens often follows the same convention as binoculars, with lens magnification followed by the lens diameter in mm. Sometimes, the order is reversed.
Some people comment that the use of a hand lens can be challenging. People often start holding the lens close to their eye then a) move the subject closer to your eye (if the object is moveable) or b) move their head with the hand lens, closer to the subject until it comes into focus (is the object isn’t moveable).
Some lenses come with multiple LED-lights for effective illumination in weak light. Some are further optimized with UV lights, so that it is possible to see fluorescence, not just in plants, animals and minerals, but also postage stamps and paper currency.
A lanyard should be fitted to the hand lens. I use braided mason’s twine. It is durable and comes in a variety of bright colors. Mine comes packaged will three 80 m bunts, in red, blue and yellow. Braiding adds strength and reduces tangling. Bonded twine means that it is coated to make it stiffer and more resistant to wear and moisture. Blue is a useful colour, since it is not often found in nature. The lanyard should be put around the person’s neck, so that the lens won’t be lost.
Stereo Microscope
When we returned to our classroom from a field trip, we would re-examine specimens using a stereo microscope. My current Dutch BMS stereo microscope has 10 × eyepieces, with a 2 × and 4 × combined objective, giving a magnification of either 20 × or 40 ×.
This Galilean optical system used here is an arrangement of fixed-focus convex lenses is used to provide a fixed magnification, but with the crucial distinction that the same optical components in the same spacing will, if physically inverted, result in a different, though still fixed, magnification. This allows one set of lenses to provide two different magnifications. Yes, it is important to know what magnification one is using, so that sizes in the microscope can be converted into real world sizes.
In my student days, stereo microscopes were commonly used as an aid for dissection. The major problem with this microscope is that it is not designed to take photomicrographs.
A BMS stereo microscope, with 10 x eyepieces, and 2 x and 4 x objectives allowing 20 x and 40 x magnification, suitable for dissecting biological samples.
Modern stereo microscopes are often coated with anti-bacterial paint. It is thanks to Charles Wheatstone ( 1802 – 1875) that stereo microscopes have two eyepieces. He discovered stereopsis = the fundamentals of depth perception, in 1840, allowing people to see objects in three dimensions. Eyepieces are typically inclined 45º with at least one tube being adjustable ±5 diopter, so that users can adjust the microscope to their eyes once. There should be no need to use eyeglasses while viewing through a microscope. There is a focussing knob, sometimes two for coarse and fine adjustments.
Illumination in a stereo microscope is most often incident = reflected from the surface of an object, rather than diascopic = transmitted through an object. In the new millennium, LED lights have been used for both incident and transmitted illumination. LED lights have a life of about 50 k hours. Usually, they work from mains electricity, 230 and 110 V through a transformer. Many stereoscopes include a rechargeable battery, so they can work offline, for up to about ten hours, with three hour charging times. This means stereo microscopes can now be taken out into the field, something that was not possible in my student years. Today it is common withDouble Pole Double Throw (DPDT) switches offer full separation from the mains power. The claim is safety, but I think part of the reason is related to prevention of battery drain. Power cords are typically detachable, and can be fitted with a C13 connector to the microscope and an appropriate power socket connector. For the model shown in the photograph, length x width x height = 150 x 133 x 358 mm, mass = 2.3 kg
In addition to its uses in biology, I also use my stereo microscope to inspect soldering and to examine electronic circuits.
Compound Microscopes
The compound microscope shown above is a MAGUS Bio 240T, a biological microscope, mainly used for education. It is designed for work with transparent and translucent biological specimens using brightfield illumination. The microscope has a revolving nosepiece suitable for four plan achromatic objectives . The 3W LED illuminator, has an intelligent control system to remember and maintain a different light intensity for each objective. There is an LCD screen, which displays operating parameters. The operational life of the illuminator is 50 k hours = 30 work years = almost a lifetime of work! Color temperature can be changed within the range of 3000 to 7000 Kelvin.
Magnification is from 40 – 1000 ×. The trinocular head has a vertical tube for mounting a digital video camera. There are two eyepiece tubes, both equipped with diopter adjustment rings, The head revolves and can make a full rotation. There are 2 standard 10 × /20mm eyepieces, fitted with rubber eyecups.
The microscope is equipped with coarse (left side) and fine (right side) focusing knobs. The coarse focus lock knob is located on the left side. It is used for adjustment after switching objectives.
The specimen stage is equipped with a belt drive mechanism that gently moves the specimen along the stage. The specimen holder is mounted with two screws. If necessary, it can be removed.
An Abbe condenser is centered along the optical axis. It is fixed, preventing the condenser from being moved accidentally, an important consideration in an educational microscope. The condenser has a numerical aperture of 1.25. Markings indicate objective magnifications. The iris diaphragm is adjusted by a knob. This can be used to increase image contrast, improving specimen visibility.
Selected settings are displayed on the LCD screen. Using a pair of knobs, you can adjust the light, set the sleep mode, or set the auto-off time.
After installing the microscope on the work area, the power supply and power cord can be hidden. The side openings in the stand act as handles allowing the microscope to be carried. or moved around.
Infinity plan achromatic objectives: 4×/0.10; 10×/0.25; 40×/0.65 (spring-loaded); 100×/1.25 oil (spring-loaded); Eyepieces 2 each 10×/20mm with long eye relief; 2 each eyepiece eyecups; C-mount camera adapter; light filter; bottle of immersion oil; power adapter = transformer, and power cord; dust cover; user manual. Additional equipment: Digital camera; calibration slide; monitor. Size (LxWxH) 450 x 300 x650 mm; mass = 9.8 kg; Mass = 9.8 kg
Digital Microscopes
Is a digital microscope a real microscope? This is a question I regularly ask myself, with the prepared answer being no. Unfortunately, for my prejudiced view of the world, digital microscopes are becoming better. Yet, my mindset, formed in the 1950s, still has difficulties accepting these as anything more than a slightly different digital camera, inferior to an optical microscope. The good news is that my world view is slowly changing. I have avoided purchasing a new compound microscope, in the hope that a digital microscope will make that investment unnecessary.
Part of the reason for my initial skepticism was that the first digital microscope I met was being sold as a toy. It was low-powered with a plastic lenses, and used a USB interface to connect to a computer monitor. It was incapable of working like a real compound microscope. A real digital microscope has to be more than a webcam attached to a macro lens.
An acceptable digital microscope should be computer controlled and automated, allowing advanced image analysis. At a minimum, it should be able to find/ calculate distance and area measurements. In a Wikipedia article about this topic, quantitation of a fluorescent or histological stain are mentioned.
What at one time was called USB 3.2, released in 2017, with two lanes of 10 Gbps simultaneously, with a maximum transfer rate of 20 Gbps over a USB-C connector. This is now called 3.2 Gen 2×2 = SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps = USB 20 Gbps. Whatever its name, this allows a video resolution of up to 4k = 4096 × 2160 pixels, at a frequency of 60 Hz. Variable illumination should be provided with an LED source close to the camera lens. Modern, modestly priced digital microscopes offer magnification from about 20 × to 400 ×, sometimes more.
The real challenge with digital microscopes is obtaining software with device support. μManager provides professional microscopy software able to connect to a large number of devices. Some types of hardware are automatically supported, others not so much. μManager’s open device interface lets anyone write code to control microscope-related equipment, resulting a large and growing list of supported equipment. A scripting interface makes it possible to accomplish tasks that can not be executed within a graphical user interface (GUI).
The advantage of a digital microscope should not just be its low cost, and eyepiece elimination. It should also eliminate the mess and work of staining and preparing slides. With the use of sensitive photon-counting digital cameras, digital microscopy should be able to avoid damaging vulnerable biological samples.
The more advanced digital microscope units have stands that hold the microscope and allow it to be racked up and down, similarly to standard optical microscopes. Calibrated movement in all three dimensions are available through the use of a step motor and automated stage. The resolution, image quality, and dynamic range vary with price. Systems with a lower number of pixels have a higher frame rate (30fps to 100fps) and faster processing. The faster processing can be seen when using functions like HDR (high dynamic range). In addition to general-purpose microscopes, instruments specialized for specific applications are produced. These units can have a magnification range up to 0–10,000×, are either all-in-one systems (computer built-in) or connect to a desktop computer. They also differ from the cheaper USB microscopes in not only the quality of the image, but also in capability, and the quality of the system’s construction giving these types of systems a longer lifetime.
Conclusion. When people think of optical devices for biology, they think that they will get the most value for their money be acquiring a compound microscope. For me, the most value comes from a hand lens. After this, a stereo microscope is the most practical. It is only if one is interested in cellular biology that a compound microscope is needed. In my old age, I have lost interest in preparing slides, so that I can view samples with a compound microscope. Appropriate preparation takes time. Samples have to be cut very thinly. Most often they have to be stained, so that contrasting parts in a cell can be seen. When pressed for advice, buy a good quality hand lens. Use it for a year before even considering anything else. Except for people with an interest in cellular biology, that something else should be a stereo microscope. Use it for at least a year before investing in a compound microscope.
This post was originally written on Friday 2024-03-22 as Optics 2. It was saved, for the first time at 18:10. On 2024-04-09 at 20:06 it was scheduled to be published on 2024-06-29 as Optics 6. Later on 2024-04-25, it was rescheduled for 2024-07-06 at 12:00. On 2024-04-27, it was it was reconstituted as Optics 9, and rescheduled for 2025-01-25
On 2025-03-01, Optics 10 will be published. It is about digital cameras. On 2025-03-08, Optics 11 will be published. It is about photographic collections.
