Since the last letter, much water has passed under the bridge.The great heat has set in, and the cities are closed up for the August holidays.Not prepared to suffer the madhouse of the coast, with a few others, I remain in Torino - to continue working and enjoying the space of an almost empty city.

But I did manage a brief holiday after intensive work - and met my friend Chris Hirnet in Siena. An afternoon having lunch and gorging in the beauty of Siena Cathedral, and then on to Levanto by train, where we spent a week.

Cultural intake - has consisted of a Theatre Festival in Chieri, a small city near Tornino - where we managed to see a stunning group from Sofia, Bulgaria; a Cuban group from Havana; and a theatre/therapy/punk rock group (yes, all in one) from Vienna.A sort of Film Festival of Japanese super-realistic films also offered much food for thought.Now and then - something good on TV, and the endless eating out and socializing over food which marks so much of human interface in Italy.

An extensive mail out of postcards in Europe demanding data and catalogues is beginning to bear fruit in a mountain of mail.Again, what to do with all this information. My need to visit Greece is reaching hysterical proportions, and I may set off as soon as I can raise the money. That means printing and selling more T-shirts - and that entails a visit to the sea-side where the buyers are congregated en masse.The devil has work for idle hands, so they say. I wish I had another pair of two. Have produced a series of collage mandalas, using a very expensive colour photostat process - Colour Lazer Jet. Thought of producing a short animated film of these, with full facilities available free - until I was told the only expense would be the film - a mere R8,000 worth. Bang goes another project -creative dream. Such is the status of democracy. You are free to do anything you like, if you can pay for it. Back to the realms of the culturally marginilized.

Various phone calls have helped keep the network of friends in touch in Europe. We still plan to get to Prague in September. I am invited to Paris and Thessalonoki (Greece). And vague plans are emerging for Tarot workshops.A small group has started on Saturday afternoons, unfortunately my best nap time.Last weekend I visited the family houses in Ollomont, high in the Alps for the first time. It is cooler up there, and very near the French border. On the way back I spent the day in Aosta as well while in the area.Here both French and Italian are spoken. But it was shocking to see how renovations have ruined 12th century buildings. Tourism is of greater interest, and of course selling, selling and more selling of local products.Still the beautiful Romanesque carved capitals of S. Orso were worth seeing and photographing.

Have invited a crowd of friends over for the Full Moon tonight - and we hope to go to El Paso after eating - the only Punk (Cyber) squat Centre in Torino. Nice people, young, even they like look like they sleep in Hell. I am now in the stages of putting illustrations to text - using a Ventura/type PageMaker programme. The compete printout of everything written to date, weighs just under 4 kilos.The thought of making photcopies of this Mss. and mailing it out, in economic terms, leaves me cold and numb. Well, day by day, they take some brain away. And somehow we survive.Like the thousands of cats living under the city.

The most exciting magazine, (amongst hundreds) that I have found to date in Italy is ARIO, published in Milan - the second issue is just out. Beautifully illlustrated, very unconventional though, with collage and computer mandalas, it costs about R25 per issue. In No. 1 the following recent piece by old Timothy Leary appears, and I find it states in very clear terms one direction that culture is taking at the moment. "Cyber" is an ascending kultural and intellectual wave. What is it about? These words by Leary give a good overview of the Movement.

Every stage of history has produced a name and a heroic legend for the strong, stubborn, creative individual who explores some future-frontier, collects and brings back new information, and offers to guide the gene-pool to the next stage. Typically, the time-maverick combines bravery with high curiosity, with super self-esteem. These three talents are considered necessary for those engaged in the profession of genetic-guide, philosopher.

The classical Old West-World model for the Cyber-punk is Prometheus, a technological genius who "stole" fire from the Gods, and gave it to humanity. Prometheus also taught his gene-pool many useful arts and sciences. According to the official version of the legend, he/she was sentenced to the ultimate torture for these unauthorized transmissions of Classified Information.Prometheus was exiled. In his/her own version of the myth (unauthorized) Prometheus (the Pied Piper) uses his/her skills to escape the sinking kinship,. taking with him the cream of the gene-pool.

The New World version of this ancient myth is Quetzalcoatl, god of civilization, high-tech wizard who introduced maize, the calendar, erotic sculpture, flute-playing, the arts. And the sciences. He was driven into exile by the G-man in power, who was called Tezcatoipoca.

Self-assured singularities of the Cyber Breed have often been called mavericks, roaming, free-lancers, independents, self-starters, nonconformists, odd-balls, trouble-makers, kooks, visionaries, iconoclasts, insurgents, blue-sky thinkers, loners. Before Gorbachev, the Soviets scornfully called them hooligans. Religious organizations have always called them heretics. Bureaucrats called them disloyal dissidents, traitors or worse. In the old days, even sensible normal people used to call them mad.

During the tribal, feudal, and industrial-literate phases of human evolution, the logical survival traits were conformity and dependibility. The "good-serf" or "vassal" was obdient. The "good-worker" or "manager" was reliable. Maverick thinkers were tolerated only at moments when innovation and change were necessary.

In the information-communication civilization of the 21st century, creativity and mental excellence become the ethical norm. The world has become too dynamic, complex and diverisified, too cross-linked by the global immediacies of modern (quantum) communication, for stability of thought or dependability of behaviour to be successful. The "good-person" today is the intelligent one who can think for him/herself. The "problem-person" in the Cybernetic Society of the 21st century is the one who automatically obeys, who never questions authority, who acts to protect his/her official status, who placates and politics rather than thinks independently.

The word cybernetic-person or cybernaut returns to the original meaning of "pilot" and puts the self-reliant person back in the loop. The word cybernetic-person, cybernaut and the more pop term cyber-punk refers to the personalization (and thus the popularization) of knowledge-information technology.Innovative thinking on the part of the individual.

According to Foucault, if you change the language you change the society. Following Foucault, we suggest that the term cybernetic-person, cybernaut, may describe a new model of human being and a new social order. Cyber-punk, is admittedly, a risky term. Like all linquistic innovations, it must be used with a tolerent sense of high-tech humour. It's a stop gap, transitional meaning grenade thrown over the language barricades to describe the resourceful, skillful individual who accesses and steers knowledge-communication technology towards his/her own private goals. For personal pleasure, profit, principal, or growth.

The cyberpunks are the inventors, innovative writers, techno-frontier artists, risk-taking film directors, expressionist artists, free-agent scientists, innovative show-biz entrepreneurs, techno-creatives, computer visionaries, elegant hackers, bit-bitting Prolog adepts, special-effectives, video-wizards, neurological test pilots, media-explorers - all of those who boldly package and steer ideas out there where no thoughts have gone before.

Cyberpunks are sometimes authorized by the governors. They can, with sweer cynicism and patient humour, interface their singularity with institutions. They often work within "the governing systems" on a temporary basis.

As often as not, they are unauthorized.

Cyber means "pilot".

A cyber-person is one who pilots his/her own life. By definition, the cyber-person is fascinated by navigational information - especially maps, charts, labels, guides, manuals, which help one pilot through life.

The cyber-person continually searches for theories, models, paradigms, metaphors, images, icons which help chart and define the realities we inhabit.

Cyber-tech refers to the tools, appliances and methodologies of knowing and communicating. Linguistics, Philosophy, Semantics, Semiotics, Practical epistomologies. The ontologies of daily life. Words, icons, pencils, printing presses, screens, key-boards, computers discs.

Cyber-politics introduces the Foucault notions of the use of language and linguistic-tech by the ruling classes in Feudal and Industrial societies to control children, the uneducated and powerless individuals.

After the larval phases of submission to gene-pools, the mature stage of the human life-cycle is the individual who thinks for him/herself.

As a comment, I would say that most of the above describes the operational action patterns/energies of URANUS - and thus points to what is called The Age of Aquarius.

Have been collecting catalogues of `New Music', and sweeping the shops for Videos, CD's and tapes.(Looking and not buying.) My favourite at the moment is "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. The Video is also very heart-warming and positive.A great contrast to the Death Culture of Skulls and Heavy Metal.

This coming Saturday I am spending the day in the Province of Asti with friends.Otherwise work continues. I get very depressed when I cannot write or create.

A visit to the post office proved that the cost of postage is so stunning here - that I am on a go-slow with parcels etc. Communication, is not free, and I wish that it was. I am storing all information in my head and on the computer for future use.That way, the maximum amount can be transported with the minimum effort. In some ways it is like reducing everything to seeds - which can be planted in prepared soil.

Today we had a summer shower with hail. Very similar in feeling to a Johannesburg summer afternoon. Enough for now - as usual,

Love and Peace

Samten de Wet