Walking away with Cellini's Saliera

I just finished watching an episode of 'Art of the Heist', on Ovation TV. The series deals with famous art thefts, and this particular programme dealt with the theft of one of my favourite statues, Cellini's Saliera.

The Cellini Salt Cellar (in Vienna called the Saliera - Italian for salt cellar) is a part-enamelled gold table sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini. It was completed in 1543 for Francis I of France, from models that had been prepared many years earlier for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este. The Cellini Salt Cellar depicts a male figure(Neptune) representing the sea and a female figure (Ceres) that represents the earth. A small vessel meant to hold salt is placed next to the male figure.

Scaffolding had been erected on the exterior of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna’s famed art museum, to facilitate sandblasting of the facade. The scaffolding also provided a convenient way for an art thief to enter a second-story window at 4 a.m. on May 11, 2003. His break-in triggered a motion-sensing device, alerting a museum guard to get out of his chair and shut off the alarm without investigating further. The thief, who just happened to be a security-alarm salesman, smashed a glass case and removed its contents: a gold and ebony sculpture valued at approximately $64.5 million. The Saliera is the last surviving work in gold by Cellini — over the centuries, the others had been melted down.

It was feared that might be the fate of this sculpture as well, but Robert Mang seemed to know that the object was worth far more than its salvage value. He kept it for a couple of years under his bed; eventually he buried it in a lead box in a forest outside Vienna. Mang then sent a ransom note to the museum’s insurance company, demanding 10 million euros. A cat-and-mouse game ensued; Herr Mang used cell phones to send text messages to set up a clandestine meeting. He was eventually caught because an electronics store security camera recorded him buying a cell phone that was used by the thief to send text messages. The Cellini salt cellar was recovered, relatively unharmed, on January 21, 2006.

Source: Wikipedia

Daddy strikes again!

One Love - Live From Madrid

Whenever the Playing For Change Band takes the stage, there is always a tremendous amount of love and energy in the air. For this very special performance it was even more palpable, Tula's amazing vocals, Roberto Luti playing the National steel slide guitar, Francois Viguie on the bongos, Stefano Tomaselli on the sax, Venkat playing the tablas, and the beautiful choir vocals of Sinamuva.



This performance served as a powerful milestone in the evolution of Playing For Change. Seeing so many talented musicians from all different cultures and walks of life united on stage for this very special night was a physical manifestation of our mission: to connect the world and bring peace through music.

Source: www.playingforchange.com

CONNECTIONS - August 2010

CONNECTIONS: A Mercy Ships Update! In this month's update, we take another close look at the unique world of Mercy Ships. You will find out more about Mercy Ministries, a program set up for crew who work behind the scenes on the Africa Mercy to reach out and help make a difference with the local population. We also learn more about Train the Trainer, a capacity building program that has been created to ensure a lasting impact long after Mercy Ships has departed.

Jerron 'Blind Boy' Paxton

The Playing For Change crew picked up Blind Boy Paxton at his school in Manhatan, then they all took the subway to the park. They were planning to add him to some of their new Songs Around the World. While setting up the mics he began warming up on some of his favorite songs from childhood-- one of which was "Mole in the Ground." They loved it so much they just had to record it, so here is Jerron 'Blind Boy' Paxton singing Mole in the Ground

Walking accross America!

A video of a man trekking from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge was this weekend’s viral sensation on YouTube, racking up half-a-million views since its debut on Tuesday.

The video is popular not just because it’s a trek past American landmarks both major and minor, but because of a unique visual effect created by a combination of stop-motion and time-lapse video. The finished project consists of 2,770 still frames shot over 14 days. The filmmakers actually traveled cross-country in an RV, “living on the Gatorade diet” and stopping at scenic places along the way to do their shoots.

Cleaning Up

We could cry all day because we go back to the same misery. We have no more hope.”

These are the heart-wrenching words of a few despairing women, who came to the Africa Mercy for vaginal vesicular fistula (VVF) surgery. Not all surgeries are successful. At times, several procedures may be required to repair the injury, and sometimes there is nothing else that can be done. These women were preparing to return to their homes as they came, with no money, no hope, and constant urine leakage.

“They were so full of hope… and they used all their money to get to Kara where the Mercy Ships vehicles picked them up and brought them here,” says Ellen De Pagter, Hospitality Center Education Coordinator.

She conferred with Adjete Wilson, a day volunteer, whose mother, Antoinette, teaches soap making. “ They spend so much money on soap to keep their clothes clean and sweet smelling,” said Ellen . Antoinette agreed to present a program to teach the departing women how to make soap. Each received a litre and a half of the clear liquid to take home, plus enough money to buy the equipment and products to make the soap in order to start a small business. This would give them the opportunity to start a small business and have an ample supply of soap for themselves.


She also offered to open the presentation to any of the other women with VVF, who were waiting for their surgery dates. Almost all of them were very interested in learning how to make soap and have a business of their own.

The women packed the education room at the Hospitality Center, where Antoinette shared her recipe for soap making in great detail, giving opportunities to stir the batch with her wooden paddle. If acid is not used, the soap can be used on the skin. She advised the women to keep children away from the mixture, if they use the acid. They were also given a printed list of instructions and ingredients which was laminated for greater durability.


After the program, Adjete gave the departing women a basic course in business finance, stressing the importance of using the money to buy the equipment that will produce an income for them. From then on, the soap will bring profits.

Ellen also gave each woman a small wooden box with instructions to put a portion of the income into the box each time a bottle of soap is sold. The box must be broken to remove the money.

“Save up the money to buy something important,” she told them.

One of the women said, “I wondered why God ever brought us here. I thought God had forgotten us.”

But after seeing the program, a few of the women were anxious to pair up to make the soap together. Another woman went out and bought everything she would need to make the soap at home.

“This is the first ste ,” she said. “I can start now.”

Ellen was satisfied to see the women had made such significant progress.

“They have new hope again ,” she said.

A 60-year-old tailor's life transformed

“Thank you, Mercy Ships. Now I came back to life ,” said a jubilant Jean Loko.

For 18 years, this 60-year-old tailor had been dealing with a tumor that grew in a double row, curling like an inflated collar around the back of his neck and down his back. It forced his neck and head to stretch forward, impairing his balance. He found it difficult to walk. With stark simplicity, he stated, “I was afraid I would die.”

In 1992, Jean was caught in a battle between opposition and government forces on the Cotonou Road in Benin. The soldiers began beating the people, and Jean tried to run away. But a soldier hit him on the back with a bat, causing a wound that began to swell. And the wound kept growing.

Medical care in Western Africa is limited. The local hospital told Jean that they could not help him.

Jean tried to continue working, but his range of movement became more and more limited. He could not cut and sew the fabric of the garments without constant pain. Soon, he could no longer run his business, so he had to abandon his only source of income.

Jean also had to battle the cultural aversion to deformities, which were seen as a curse. The father of seven, Jean was rejected by his two oldest sons because of the growth.

All Jean could do was sit in his house. There was no joy in his life.

Then he heard a radio ad that brought a glimmer of hope. A Mercy Ships team was coming to hold a medical screening near his home. Although he was a little fearful that he would meet disappointment again, he went to the screening anyway. “But I was chosen!” he said with a combination of surprise, disbelief and elation.

The volunteer doctors aboard the Africa Mercy successfully removed the tumor that had caused him so much misery. When he realized the growth was gone, his usual sombre expression turned to a brilliant smile. “I just thank Mercy Ships for what they have done for me. They gave me my life back.”

Story by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Liz Cantu

Pull up your trousers!

After shopping at Walmart yesterday I was returning to my truck when I noticed an older lady walking to her car and two young men getting out of theirs.

One of the gentlemen's trousers was, shall we say, sagging around the hips when the old lady suddenly stopped and in an admonishing and very loud voice pointed to the man's hips and said, "Excuse me young man, but I can see your underwear". I have never seen someone yank their trousers up that fast!

He passed me red faced and all the way to the shop kept on adjusting his belt. His friend was killing himself laughing.

Good on you, lady with the tone!

Waka Waka - old school!

Lisa, a friend of mine from Cape Town, posted this clip of Waka Waka on YouTube... I will let her explain...

My cousin David and I traveled to Malawi in 1994. Then, during the World Cup we heard Shakira singing her now hugely famous Waka Waka song and both instantly remembered a classic musical outfit called Chief Chipoka's band who did an even better version of it on the shores on Lake Malawi ... way back then. So we looked back at our holiday video, found the clip and have uploaded this classic rendition onto Youtube for everyone to enjoy.