7 Transformers

Transformer robot doing battle with rubbish

LEAD IN :
Transformers, the popular children's characters, are robots in disguise.
In the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica the robots are in disguise as scrapped cars. Their creator hopes that they will encourage children to recycle more waste.
STORYLINE:
Watch out, Transformers are in town!
Giant scrap-metal sculptures of popular Autobots, Decepticons and the evil Megatron himself are on show at several locations in the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica, the work of a young artist who saw a new role for his childhood heroes.
The towering figures, mostly made of old car parts and other waste, have been placed outside cafes, restaurants and on the city's main square.
The idea, the 22-year-old art student Danilo Baletic explains, was to catch people's attention and send a message that waste can be used for the good of our planet.
Baletic says he made his first Transformer - named Rammtron - two years ago after visiting a dump yard.
A look at piles of waste made Baletic realise that people throw away plenty of useful materials too, he explains.
'Two years ago, I accidentally came to an old car dump, called 'Otpadas and I saw people throwing away a lots of usable material as I call it. And I came to the idea to make my first transformer, Rammtron he says .
So far, Baletic has installed seven Transformers in the Podgorica centre, but he promised to make a new one for each of the planned visits to other countries in the region.
Tourists visiting Podgorica are stunned with the statues of transformers. Children especially, climbing on top, taking pictures of the famous characters.
The Markota family are from Zagreb, Croatia and are spending hours examining the 7 transformer statues.
Zrinko Markota considers it a real piece of art and culture.
These transformers are piece of art. You can see that they were made with intention of art, and it is really nice that they are made of recycled material, which means the material was not thrown away but was used again to make this piece of art work, he says.
Danilo Baletic managed to use anything that he found at the old cars dump in Podgorica to make a good copy of the original Transformer characters.
Building statue of Muscle, Baletic used the whole engine of an old VolksWagen Golf, which perfectly fitted as a weapon on Muscle's chest.
My mission, and the mission of my transformers was to protect the city of Podgorica. And also I wanted the children to be happy just for one day, to see the transformers. Later we will see if another mission of these transformers will be successful. And that mission is to send the message to people not to throw the trash away, and in that way transform themselves. Baletic says, proud of his achievement.
It took whole night for workers along with Danilo Baletic to place the last and the biggest of Transformer statues in the cities main square.
Giantic 21 ton Megatron, 14 meters high was safely placed at the square as police had to block off the traffic in whole of central Podgorica, in order to prevent any injuries.
As the dawn broke over the cities Republic square, citizens were stunned by the size and authenticity of the transformer figure.
Many came out just to take few photos next to big Megatron.
Residents of Podgorica are so proud of their artist, young Danilo Baletic, that some suggest he should be given the biggest city price for the achievement in promotion of the capital of Montengro.
19th december is a ultimate achievement award in Montenegro, as it is named after a date in which Podgorica was liberated from the Nazis in 1944.
Young Danilo Baletic, creator of the statues often comes to entertain people in front of his transformer sculptures.


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The Fokker Scourge - July 18, 2015 at the Museum of Flight

Venerated WWI Aviation Historians Greg VanWyngarden, Jack Herris, and Lance Bronnenkant discuss German technological innovations in the field of aviation in the early years of the First World War.

Driving to Volo Auto Museum

In recognition of the Paul Walkers contributions to the Automotive world, StreetCulture.US wanted to reflect back on some of the cars that Paul Walker drove in the Fast and the Furious Movies. So, we drove to Volo Automotive Museum, in Volo Illinois for a peek at their Paul Walker Display.

CAAA - Zanzibar Swiss School Opening Ceremony Part 6 / 9

Communiqué vom Gründer & Präsident von CAAA (Les Collégiens Akadiens et leurs Amis Africains):

Habt ihr gewusst, dass wir, 130 Studenten und Lehrer, den Bau eines Ziehbrunnens für sauberes Trinkwasser, öffentlicher Duschen und Toiletten und des Schulhauses „Zanzibar Swiss School for Education and Professional Training im Dschungel von Ndijani auf Zanzibar realisiert haben? Wir haben gehandelt, weil

- Mängel an sauberem Trinkwasser und Strom herrschen und deshalb Krankheiten wie Malaria, Cholera, und Typhus weit verbreitet sind.

- oft keine Medikamente vorhanden sind und die Kindersterblichkeitsquote sehr hoch ist

- die Lebenserwartung im Durchschnitt 45 Jahre beträgt.

- 80% der lokalen Bewohner von Zanzibar von weniger als 1 US Dollar pro Tag leben.

- extrem hohe Arbeitslosigkeit herrscht, da die Bevölkerung von Tanzania besser English spricht als die lokale Bevölkerung und so viele Arbeitsplätze der Einheimischen nimmt.

- Kindergärten und Vorschulen inexistent sind.

Ich, Nicolas Sarraj, Initiant und Präsident von CAAA, zusammen mit meinem Vereinsvorstand, bin überzeugt: Bildung ist die einzige wirksame Waffe gegen Armut in Afrika.

All das zusammen hat dazu geführt, dass diese Schule innert zwei Jahren erfolgreich gebaut werden konnte und am 20. April 2009 offiziell durch den Staatspräsidenten Karume, den Bildungsminister Haroun sowie weitere Minister von Zanzibar und das Komitee von CAAA (Präsident Nicolas Sarraj, Vize-Präsidentin Bettina Schmid, AKAD College Rektor Dr. Linus Thali und die Hauptsponsorin des Vereins) feierlich eröffnet wurde.

Schaut euch bitte diesen Film an und hilft uns mit euern Mittel, die 2. Phase unseres Projektes den Bau einer Jugendherberge mit integrierter Berufsschule - zu unterstützen.

Mit unserem Projekt Ndijani wollen wir den Menschen von Zanzibar durch...

- den Bau einer Schule

- die Veränderung bisheriger Strukturen

- den Ansporn zum selbstständigen Handeln

- das Erfüllen von Grundbedürfnissen
eine gute Bildung ermöglichen, welche sie schliesslich zu finanzieller Unabhängigkeit führen soll.

Wir leisten Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe. Die Bewohner von Zanzibar brauchen auch eure Unterstützung, um ihre Armut zu bekämpfen.

Unsere Website caaa.ch zeigt euch alle Beweise, dass unsere Projekte wirksam sind.


Message from the founder and President of CAAA (Les Collégiens Akadiens et leurs Amis Africains):

Did you know that we, 130 teachers and students, have built a draw well for clean drinking water, public showers and toilets as well as the Zanzibar Swiss School for Education and Professional Training - for 7000 inhabitants of the jungle of Ndijani on Zanzibar?

We feel that we have acted with good reason, because on Zanzibar...

- there is a great lack of clean water and electricity and illnesses such as malaria, cholera and typhoid are widespread.

- medicine and medical treatment are often not accessible and the infant mortality rate is extremely high.

- the average life expectancy is 45 years.

- 80% of the local inhabitants of Zanzibar live on less than one dollar a day.

- Unemployment rates are extremely high, because locals generally dont speak English as well as mainland Tanzanians and lose many job opportunities to the latter.

- Kindergardens and preschools are practically inexistant.

I, Nicolas Sarraj, founder and President of CAAA, and my associations committee are convinced that „Education is the only effective weapon against poverty in Africa.

All this has brought about the successful construction of our school within only two years as well as its festive opening and inauguration, held by State President Karume, Educational Minister Haroun and other ministers of Zanzibar and a delegation from CAAA (Founder and President Nicolas Sarraj, Vice President Bettina Schmid, AKAD College director Dr. Linus Thali and our associations main donator) on the 20. April 2009.

Please take a look at this video and help support the second phase of our project - constructing a youth hostel with an integrated professional school - by all means!

Our „project Ndijani vises at supporting the people of Zanzibar through

- the construction of a school

- changing structures

- insinuatives to independant thinking and acting

- the fulfillment of basic needs

to enable them a good education, which should in turn lead them to financial independence in the future.

We provide help for self-help. In order to successfully combat poverty, the inhabitants of Zanzibar need your support as well.

Our website caaa.ch provides all the evidence that our projects are effective and working.

Skydiving 11/05/2013

Went skydiving for my birthday
Filmed with Gopro Hd hero 2