When one admits to a stranger in a supermarket that one's heart rending sigh (rendered before a heavily laden shopping basket) is caused by having spent the past few days doing nothing but shopping for Christmas Day's celebrations, that is probably the time to take stock.
If all appears lost by one's inability to find one ingredient that one is seeking for exactly one recipe, it's time to take a coffee/tea break and take stock.
What are you doing it for? Who are you doing it for? When the celebration seems anything but celebratory, it's time to take stock.
While I (the stranger/journalist checking out the Tim Tams for Dad) spend the evening sipping tea and checking out the new Vanilla Tim Tams while taking stock, having bought the mince pies and sparkling apple juice, rather than having made them from scratch! I'm thoroughly enjoying taking stock (admittedly while working at the same time). 0:)
Methinks I'm very grateful for those creating our family feast this year and hope that if they are lacking any particular ingredients, they improvise rather than stress! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Monday, December 23, 2013
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Jingling bells and cicadas! 0:)
Came across someone bedecked in all their Christmas frippery and finery the other day. She had all the gear: Christmas T-shirt, apron, Santa hat and dangling earrings.
The earrings were what particularly caught my attention. They were dangling silver balls with green and red centres, resembling something along the lines of a bunch of grapes. When I complimented her on her outfit and mentioned the earrings in particular, she told me that she'd forgotten having bought them and had come across them again during a cleaning session. Sadly, she only feels able to wear them at Christmas given their green and red centres but at least that keeps them special and valued for that time and their particular relevance. In short, they make her feel good and encourage her to get into the Christmas spirit! Always a good thing. 0:)
And looking around at the number of people in streets and shops dressing up in all kinds of Santa and silly hats, I am reminded that this is the one time of the year when people really give themselves permission to relax their "adult" mindset and to allow themselves to enjoy "childish" antics and activities; letting their hair down and giving themselves permission to remember what being a "child" is all about, catering to the child still living within. It's a precious thing that once a year becomes the norm for many who wouldn't allow that for themselves otherwise!
Then there was yesterday! My overseas readers wouldn't know this Australian Christmas carol:
http://tww.id.au/christmas/carol-day.html
"The north wind is tossing the leaves.
The red dust is over the town;
The sparrows are under the eaves,
And the grass in the paddock is brown;
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.
The tree ferns in green gullies sway;
The cool stream flows silently by;
The joy bells are greeting the day,
And the chimes are adrift in the sky,
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.
Note:-
A north wind in Australia is a hot wind.
When it is not hot, it is hotter. "
It's summer here Downunder but in case we forgot it was summer, yesterday was sticky, hot and humid, broken occasionally by light showers of rain. Whereas in the U.S. Christmas is often heralded by Salvation Army collector Santas and volunteers ringing their bells, here the Salvation Army have choirs and various instrumental group combinations playing for coins and donations.
However, where I was yesterday, any conversation or music of any kind was completely drowned out by the local cicadas screeching out their own carols to the warms winds whipping the eucalyptus into a frenzy! I had dropped into a favorite second-hand bookshop where I know the owners, to see how they are doing and wish them a merry Christmas but it was hard to talk over the noise of the cicadas in the surrounding bush!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada#Cicadas_in_Australia
I know the area well and it is not unusual for a patch here or there to be populated by local cicadas but this entire township from end to end has been completely taken over by the creatures! Every clump of trees seemed to be doing their best to drown out the next and the natural cacophony was incredible! People struggled to be heard above the clatter and the noise was almost painful to the ears it was that loud.
I mentioned this to my friend and she laughed. "I don't notice them," she said. "They're actually a relief to me. I've had tinnitus for years but I look forward to Christmas when I can't tell whether it's me or the cicadas and I can blame everything on them!"
Blessings in disguise? You can never tell when somebody is secretly celebrating what others might miss! What's a cicada's carol to some is quite possibly screeching to someone else. I enjoyed the cicadas more after our conversation! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
The earrings were what particularly caught my attention. They were dangling silver balls with green and red centres, resembling something along the lines of a bunch of grapes. When I complimented her on her outfit and mentioned the earrings in particular, she told me that she'd forgotten having bought them and had come across them again during a cleaning session. Sadly, she only feels able to wear them at Christmas given their green and red centres but at least that keeps them special and valued for that time and their particular relevance. In short, they make her feel good and encourage her to get into the Christmas spirit! Always a good thing. 0:)
And looking around at the number of people in streets and shops dressing up in all kinds of Santa and silly hats, I am reminded that this is the one time of the year when people really give themselves permission to relax their "adult" mindset and to allow themselves to enjoy "childish" antics and activities; letting their hair down and giving themselves permission to remember what being a "child" is all about, catering to the child still living within. It's a precious thing that once a year becomes the norm for many who wouldn't allow that for themselves otherwise!
Then there was yesterday! My overseas readers wouldn't know this Australian Christmas carol:
http://tww.id.au/christmas/carol-day.html
"The north wind is tossing the leaves.
The red dust is over the town;
The sparrows are under the eaves,
And the grass in the paddock is brown;
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.
The tree ferns in green gullies sway;
The cool stream flows silently by;
The joy bells are greeting the day,
And the chimes are adrift in the sky,
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.
Note:-
A north wind in Australia is a hot wind.
When it is not hot, it is hotter. "
It's summer here Downunder but in case we forgot it was summer, yesterday was sticky, hot and humid, broken occasionally by light showers of rain. Whereas in the U.S. Christmas is often heralded by Salvation Army collector Santas and volunteers ringing their bells, here the Salvation Army have choirs and various instrumental group combinations playing for coins and donations.
However, where I was yesterday, any conversation or music of any kind was completely drowned out by the local cicadas screeching out their own carols to the warms winds whipping the eucalyptus into a frenzy! I had dropped into a favorite second-hand bookshop where I know the owners, to see how they are doing and wish them a merry Christmas but it was hard to talk over the noise of the cicadas in the surrounding bush!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada#Cicadas_in_Australia
I know the area well and it is not unusual for a patch here or there to be populated by local cicadas but this entire township from end to end has been completely taken over by the creatures! Every clump of trees seemed to be doing their best to drown out the next and the natural cacophony was incredible! People struggled to be heard above the clatter and the noise was almost painful to the ears it was that loud.
I mentioned this to my friend and she laughed. "I don't notice them," she said. "They're actually a relief to me. I've had tinnitus for years but I look forward to Christmas when I can't tell whether it's me or the cicadas and I can blame everything on them!"
Blessings in disguise? You can never tell when somebody is secretly celebrating what others might miss! What's a cicada's carol to some is quite possibly screeching to someone else. I enjoyed the cicadas more after our conversation! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Celebrations galore!
'Tis the season to be jolly, regardless of what you celebrate.
So! How do you celebrate and what do you celebrate? Personally.
There were some years when I spent my Christmas season alone due to work and personal limitations. It wasn't exactly my choice for that to be the case but it did make me think about how I celebrate when there is only me, myself and I.
Think I'll spend some time considering that over these next few days and chatting about it here.
Starting with the first dedicated Christmas (and holiday) shop I ever encountered:
http://www.susanschristmasshop.com/
A chance to think about what suits you when you celebrate and exactly what aspect of your holiday/s you are celebrating.
What to choose when there's nobody else to chose for!
What would you personally celebrate and how?
Ellen 0:)
So! How do you celebrate and what do you celebrate? Personally.
There were some years when I spent my Christmas season alone due to work and personal limitations. It wasn't exactly my choice for that to be the case but it did make me think about how I celebrate when there is only me, myself and I.
Think I'll spend some time considering that over these next few days and chatting about it here.
Starting with the first dedicated Christmas (and holiday) shop I ever encountered:
http://www.susanschristmasshop.com/
A chance to think about what suits you when you celebrate and exactly what aspect of your holiday/s you are celebrating.
What to choose when there's nobody else to chose for!
What would you personally celebrate and how?
Ellen 0:)
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Clunes: No tourism? Create your own! 0:) Booktown comes to the Australian countryside.
Driving through country Victoria, I am frequently reminded why I should always have my camera ready and in prime working order! Just outside of Clunes are the most remarkable ruins. Well OK. By older civilization standards, we probably have no right to call them "ruins" as such.
But how old does a building wreck have to be before it's earned the title "ruin" and it being considered to be justifiable?
However, I digress.
Surrounding Clunes in country Victoria (Australia) are what remains of a by-gone era. The ruins are well known leftovers of the Victorian 1859s Gold rush and the mines created then later abandoned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clunes,_Victoria
I didn't have long to finish a piece of research I'd been working on when I was there; oral history isn't the easiest resource to collect at times! Not quickly at any rate. But I had organized this a long time before so had to act fast while memories were willing to be shared.
Clunes is a remarkable place! The people themselves are one of its most precious attributes. It's not a whole lot larger than it ever has been and tourism is not as great as it could be but they work hard to make the most of what they've got!
One of the local farmers also owns and operates the only motel in town. He rides in on his motor bike to check you in and make sure everything is as it should be. He'd only recently joined Wotif and was having a bit of a hard time getting used to checking his e-mails all the time. A couple and he had been playing "phone tag" trying to catch each other all day but they must have headed off somewhere else. I was asked to keep an eye out for them and direct them to where their key could be found; for which I was offered a free night's accomodation! Very hospitable! 0:)
Just down the road is "The Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles." It's in the old State School No. 136. The locals have done a great job of turning this into a museum detailing local history and well worth visiting as well as being the Information Center for local tourism and all-round "good guys" for helping lost tourists looking for their motel owner! 0:)
Only gas/petrol station in town pumps the Unleaded for you and if they aren't sure where you are supposed to be going, are willing to get out a map and work it out for you. Not really sure how/why somebody living in the town wasn't sure where the road was (the one running alongside the station) but I'm surmizing he had his mind on other things and it wasn't the middle-aged woman driving round looking for directions for a road printed on a twisted road sign so it was facing into the dirt! But he was kind enough to try to help and I did eventually work out which road was which! 0:)
It's a small town and many of the buildings retain many of their original architecture and features. i.e. ancient stamp machine. But make sure you get there in enough time to spend something at the eating establishments: It's one of their solid sources of income.
Why am I speaking about them in particular? Because of their remarkable ideas for bringing further tourism and attention to the area. It was one of the locations for Mel Gibson's "Mad Max" ("Road Warrior") first film as well as "Ned Kelly" among others. I can only imagine the actors hanging around the main street in the hours after filming; depends on whether they like watching sheep or not! Watch out locals: Nothing like bored actors to drive some to tears! *chuckle*
However, the good people of Clunes got their heads together and decided to re-create their town in the style of European Book towns and while I have never appeared there (only too happy to: author/storyteller more than happy to return to Clunes), I'm told the Book Fair is an experience to be desired by everybody involved.
http://www.booktown.clunes.org/
"Like" them on Facebook for up-dates!
Next year's event is promised for May 3 and 4, 2014. Not making any promises but I'm putting it in the diary just in case I'm able to get there this time!
Ellen 0:)
But how old does a building wreck have to be before it's earned the title "ruin" and it being considered to be justifiable?
However, I digress.
Surrounding Clunes in country Victoria (Australia) are what remains of a by-gone era. The ruins are well known leftovers of the Victorian 1859s Gold rush and the mines created then later abandoned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clunes,_Victoria
I didn't have long to finish a piece of research I'd been working on when I was there; oral history isn't the easiest resource to collect at times! Not quickly at any rate. But I had organized this a long time before so had to act fast while memories were willing to be shared.
Clunes is a remarkable place! The people themselves are one of its most precious attributes. It's not a whole lot larger than it ever has been and tourism is not as great as it could be but they work hard to make the most of what they've got!
One of the local farmers also owns and operates the only motel in town. He rides in on his motor bike to check you in and make sure everything is as it should be. He'd only recently joined Wotif and was having a bit of a hard time getting used to checking his e-mails all the time. A couple and he had been playing "phone tag" trying to catch each other all day but they must have headed off somewhere else. I was asked to keep an eye out for them and direct them to where their key could be found; for which I was offered a free night's accomodation! Very hospitable! 0:)
Just down the road is "The Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles." It's in the old State School No. 136. The locals have done a great job of turning this into a museum detailing local history and well worth visiting as well as being the Information Center for local tourism and all-round "good guys" for helping lost tourists looking for their motel owner! 0:)
Only gas/petrol station in town pumps the Unleaded for you and if they aren't sure where you are supposed to be going, are willing to get out a map and work it out for you. Not really sure how/why somebody living in the town wasn't sure where the road was (the one running alongside the station) but I'm surmizing he had his mind on other things and it wasn't the middle-aged woman driving round looking for directions for a road printed on a twisted road sign so it was facing into the dirt! But he was kind enough to try to help and I did eventually work out which road was which! 0:)
It's a small town and many of the buildings retain many of their original architecture and features. i.e. ancient stamp machine. But make sure you get there in enough time to spend something at the eating establishments: It's one of their solid sources of income.
Why am I speaking about them in particular? Because of their remarkable ideas for bringing further tourism and attention to the area. It was one of the locations for Mel Gibson's "Mad Max" ("Road Warrior") first film as well as "Ned Kelly" among others. I can only imagine the actors hanging around the main street in the hours after filming; depends on whether they like watching sheep or not! Watch out locals: Nothing like bored actors to drive some to tears! *chuckle*
However, the good people of Clunes got their heads together and decided to re-create their town in the style of European Book towns and while I have never appeared there (only too happy to: author/storyteller more than happy to return to Clunes), I'm told the Book Fair is an experience to be desired by everybody involved.
http://www.booktown.clunes.org/
"Like" them on Facebook for up-dates!
Next year's event is promised for May 3 and 4, 2014. Not making any promises but I'm putting it in the diary just in case I'm able to get there this time!
Ellen 0:)
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Bay Area news crews and journalists working in danger.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57605166/san-francisco-bay-area-tv-news-crews-hit-by-series-of-brazen-robberies/
"...Bay Area television stations, including KPIX, regularly hire security guards for news crews in areas that pose a security risk, especially in light of the numerous recent incidents. The bulk of the previous incidents, however, have happened in Oakland, where journalists have been robbed and accosted, some in the middle of the day, reports the San Francisco Chronicle....Among the most brazen incidents, according to The Guardian, happened when "a KPIX crew was filming outside a school in Oakland at noon and were live on air when five men descended on them and grabbed the camera from their tripod."(Watch a recording of what viewers saw at left.)
The reporter was allegedly punched in the face before the robbers sped off in a Mercedes.
Last month a different TV news crew was "robbed at gunpoint of its camera equipment in West Oakland, with journalists made to prostrate themselves on the ground as the assailants fled."..."
I've lived and worked in Oakland CA as a journalist. I've also lived and worked elsewhere. One of those making comment at this article said:
"Oakland, reporters should go someplace safer like Afghanistan."
Really?
I have walked the streets of Oakland at night (going to and from a job) as a middle aged white female and felt safer than I do in my own hometown of Melbourne Australia. I've also taken a train at night (even midnight) in the area and felt safer than I have elsewhere: The sheer numbers of people around make a difference.
I wouldn't necessarily anybody do these things as an exercise, I had become known as a local not a visitor. But there are areas in every city one is sensible to avoid!
I don't believe it's Oakland who are the problem and mine is an informed opinion having got to know the city and its people over years. My perception is that it's the media who have a massive image problem.
Let me ask my readers a simple question. How do you regard the "media"? What is your opinion of "the media"?
Now let me ask you. What are the media (who represent "everyman" and "everywoman") required to be in your estimation?
Are they/we required to both cover and carry the world?
Ellen 0:?
Ellen F. Walker
"...Bay Area television stations, including KPIX, regularly hire security guards for news crews in areas that pose a security risk, especially in light of the numerous recent incidents. The bulk of the previous incidents, however, have happened in Oakland, where journalists have been robbed and accosted, some in the middle of the day, reports the San Francisco Chronicle....Among the most brazen incidents, according to The Guardian, happened when "a KPIX crew was filming outside a school in Oakland at noon and were live on air when five men descended on them and grabbed the camera from their tripod."(Watch a recording of what viewers saw at left.)
The reporter was allegedly punched in the face before the robbers sped off in a Mercedes.
Last month a different TV news crew was "robbed at gunpoint of its camera equipment in West Oakland, with journalists made to prostrate themselves on the ground as the assailants fled."..."
I've lived and worked in Oakland CA as a journalist. I've also lived and worked elsewhere. One of those making comment at this article said:
"Oakland, reporters should go someplace safer like Afghanistan."
Really?
I have walked the streets of Oakland at night (going to and from a job) as a middle aged white female and felt safer than I do in my own hometown of Melbourne Australia. I've also taken a train at night (even midnight) in the area and felt safer than I have elsewhere: The sheer numbers of people around make a difference.
I wouldn't necessarily anybody do these things as an exercise, I had become known as a local not a visitor. But there are areas in every city one is sensible to avoid!
I don't believe it's Oakland who are the problem and mine is an informed opinion having got to know the city and its people over years. My perception is that it's the media who have a massive image problem.
Let me ask my readers a simple question. How do you regard the "media"? What is your opinion of "the media"?
Now let me ask you. What are the media (who represent "everyman" and "everywoman") required to be in your estimation?
Are they/we required to both cover and carry the world?
Ellen 0:?
Ellen F. Walker
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Those who went before and those who come after. 0:)
R.I.P. the great J.J.Cale. One of the (largely) unsung heroes of the guitar. 0:)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-28/grammy-award-winning-singer-songwriter-jj-cale-dies/4848306
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57595822/musician-jj-cale-dies-wrote-clapton-skynyrd-hits/
But on another note, I just came across an exhibition of an artist from the up-coming generations.
http://gallery34.com.au/seeking-grace-nick-apostolopolous-emerging-charcoal-artist-3rd-29th-july/
http://nickapostolopoulos.com/
"Seeking grace
In my series of charcoal drawings grouped under “Seeking grace”, I have endeavoured to capture the elegance and beauty of movement, form and proportion. Inspiration for my artwork is often drawn from found images, finding that it is enough to concentrate on the areas that light may fall, or where the most expression is evident.
I use charcoals of various densities, charcoal powders and occasionally even graphite powders, in order to create the various tones. I have found though that I do favour the softest charcoals available, as they produce the deepest blacks that I love so much. The naked whiteness of the paper feels as it has been carved out of the deep velvet like surface, creating an image of intense chiaroscuro. Rarely is any instrument used other than my finger to create each image. I manually rub the charcoal into the surface of the paper.
My obsession with producing drawings that envelop and sometimes even isolate the subject matter with the mysterious dark charcoal space create an effect that make the subjects appear to be emerging out of the darkness. Through my artistic experience, I have found that the best way to convey this impression is to limit my palette to just light and dark, drawing each subject on the largest scale possible, which adds a further dimension to the work."
Having just seen them "live", my only complaint is that there are not enough of them and most have red stickers on them; anybody wanting to make a purchase had better head out to Yea pronto or contact the artist direct.
While you in Yea, check out the Provender Bakery! Their products are works on art; must return and try out the Lasagne Pie some time! 0:)
http://murrindindiguide.com.au/the-provender-country-bakehouse/
5:30 to 5:30, closed on Christmas Day.
Ellen 0:)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-28/grammy-award-winning-singer-songwriter-jj-cale-dies/4848306
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57595822/musician-jj-cale-dies-wrote-clapton-skynyrd-hits/
But on another note, I just came across an exhibition of an artist from the up-coming generations.
http://gallery34.com.au/seeking-grace-nick-apostolopolous-emerging-charcoal-artist-3rd-29th-july/
http://nickapostolopoulos.com/
"Seeking grace
In my series of charcoal drawings grouped under “Seeking grace”, I have endeavoured to capture the elegance and beauty of movement, form and proportion. Inspiration for my artwork is often drawn from found images, finding that it is enough to concentrate on the areas that light may fall, or where the most expression is evident.
I use charcoals of various densities, charcoal powders and occasionally even graphite powders, in order to create the various tones. I have found though that I do favour the softest charcoals available, as they produce the deepest blacks that I love so much. The naked whiteness of the paper feels as it has been carved out of the deep velvet like surface, creating an image of intense chiaroscuro. Rarely is any instrument used other than my finger to create each image. I manually rub the charcoal into the surface of the paper.
My obsession with producing drawings that envelop and sometimes even isolate the subject matter with the mysterious dark charcoal space create an effect that make the subjects appear to be emerging out of the darkness. Through my artistic experience, I have found that the best way to convey this impression is to limit my palette to just light and dark, drawing each subject on the largest scale possible, which adds a further dimension to the work."
Having just seen them "live", my only complaint is that there are not enough of them and most have red stickers on them; anybody wanting to make a purchase had better head out to Yea pronto or contact the artist direct.
While you in Yea, check out the Provender Bakery! Their products are works on art; must return and try out the Lasagne Pie some time! 0:)
http://murrindindiguide.com.au/the-provender-country-bakehouse/
5:30 to 5:30, closed on Christmas Day.
Ellen 0:)
R.I.P. Max Middleton. 0:)
Had lunch today with my 86 year old father who was reminiscing about his landscape artist father and friends heading out to paint together, learning and experimenting as they chatted and worked.
There were many such groups in the area where they lived; some were created via their living in the area, others lived together in community groups, others shared common artistic influences while others found each other via groups such as the Victorian Artists Society.
i.e.
http://victorianartistssociety.com.au/
http://www.montsalvat.com.au/
http://www.heide.com.au/
Dad was reminiscing about watching them all trading ideas and encouraging each other. As a boy, he was able to listen in to the chat as the men worked on their artworks. They were friends spending time together, nothing formal or competitive. Among my grandfather's painter friends were artists such as Alf Coleman, Hod Kurban, Bert Fiven, Ernest Buckmaster and Max Middleton.
What inspired my father's memories was the sad passing of Max Middleton, one of my grandfather's early students who went on to far greater things!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-26/landscape-artist-max-middelton-farewelled-at-funeral/4846584
It's a sad thing but these days every artists group seems to struggle with competitiveness and we seem to have lost the camaraderie or friendship needed to encourage mutual development.
One of the times when the best has been lost over time! 0:(
Ellen 0:)
There were many such groups in the area where they lived; some were created via their living in the area, others lived together in community groups, others shared common artistic influences while others found each other via groups such as the Victorian Artists Society.
i.e.
http://victorianartistssociety.com.au/
http://www.montsalvat.com.au/
http://www.heide.com.au/
Dad was reminiscing about watching them all trading ideas and encouraging each other. As a boy, he was able to listen in to the chat as the men worked on their artworks. They were friends spending time together, nothing formal or competitive. Among my grandfather's painter friends were artists such as Alf Coleman, Hod Kurban, Bert Fiven, Ernest Buckmaster and Max Middleton.
What inspired my father's memories was the sad passing of Max Middleton, one of my grandfather's early students who went on to far greater things!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-26/landscape-artist-max-middelton-farewelled-at-funeral/4846584
It's a sad thing but these days every artists group seems to struggle with competitiveness and we seem to have lost the camaraderie or friendship needed to encourage mutual development.
One of the times when the best has been lost over time! 0:(
Ellen 0:)
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Dee Dee Dunleavy and commenting on Nigella Lawson's life.
Sorry but I really do have to say something about this.
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/furore-over-call-to-boycott-nigella-dee-dee-dunleavys-unfortunate-column/story-e6frfmq9-1226664885941
"Dunleavy has since tried to defend her initial blog, tweeting: "I did not call for a boycott on Nigella's books. That's absurd. My point is that she should file a complaint with police. Make a stand."
Obviously, Ms. Dunleavy has no experience in the area or she would not be calling for anything even remotely like this stance! I read one of her responses defending her comments where she spoke about a friend she saw going through spousal/partner abuse. Apparently that is the closest she has come to the reality of such a situation.
Allow me to put my sixpeneth worth in here. What did Ms. Dunleavy do when her friend went through the abusive situation? What effort did she put in personally to support and help in the specific circumstances she had some involvement in herself?
That's where Ms. Dunleavy's responsibility lies, not expecting others to fulfill what she should probably be doing herself! If Ms. Dunleavy feels strongly about domestic abuse as a cause she wants supported, it is up to her to stand and be counted among those working to deal with such matters!
Apart from anything else, there is shock and a grieving period when a woman has had to face that the excuses are no longer enough and she cannot tell herself the abuse doesn't matter any longer. This grief can take up to 2 1/2 years generally with the woman merely moving from second to second, numb and thinking no further than what she needs to do in the moment! For Ms. Dunleavy to expect anything of any woman in that situation indicates she has no idea what it's like.
So, I challenge Ms. Dunleavy to find out! There are women's shelters in Melbourne, mostly hidden away to guard the women from the partners/spouses trying to find them in order to continue their abuse or cover up their shame.
Maybe Ms. Dunleavy needs to spend time in those shelters talking to the women involved and find out what it's really like then maybe she will be able to figure out how to help those who survive from second to second and can barely visualize the next day, let alone envision any kind of a secure future.
And yes, I've worked with the YWCA and women's groups and shelters. I do know what it's like. It may take a good long time before Nigella can even remotely decide what she wants to do about other people's abuse, let alone her own. In the meantime, those who love her should be there for her and support her in her work so she can establish herself safely and securely; without having any pressures on her beyond taking care of herself and those she is responsible for.
Instead of boycotting her books and shows, now is the time to support her and buy them so she can create a new future for herself and those she loves, without having to endure abuse and harassment.
Love to Nigella! You go girl! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/furore-over-call-to-boycott-nigella-dee-dee-dunleavys-unfortunate-column/story-e6frfmq9-1226664885941
"Dunleavy has since tried to defend her initial blog, tweeting: "I did not call for a boycott on Nigella's books. That's absurd. My point is that she should file a complaint with police. Make a stand."
Obviously, Ms. Dunleavy has no experience in the area or she would not be calling for anything even remotely like this stance! I read one of her responses defending her comments where she spoke about a friend she saw going through spousal/partner abuse. Apparently that is the closest she has come to the reality of such a situation.
Allow me to put my sixpeneth worth in here. What did Ms. Dunleavy do when her friend went through the abusive situation? What effort did she put in personally to support and help in the specific circumstances she had some involvement in herself?
That's where Ms. Dunleavy's responsibility lies, not expecting others to fulfill what she should probably be doing herself! If Ms. Dunleavy feels strongly about domestic abuse as a cause she wants supported, it is up to her to stand and be counted among those working to deal with such matters!
Apart from anything else, there is shock and a grieving period when a woman has had to face that the excuses are no longer enough and she cannot tell herself the abuse doesn't matter any longer. This grief can take up to 2 1/2 years generally with the woman merely moving from second to second, numb and thinking no further than what she needs to do in the moment! For Ms. Dunleavy to expect anything of any woman in that situation indicates she has no idea what it's like.
So, I challenge Ms. Dunleavy to find out! There are women's shelters in Melbourne, mostly hidden away to guard the women from the partners/spouses trying to find them in order to continue their abuse or cover up their shame.
Maybe Ms. Dunleavy needs to spend time in those shelters talking to the women involved and find out what it's really like then maybe she will be able to figure out how to help those who survive from second to second and can barely visualize the next day, let alone envision any kind of a secure future.
And yes, I've worked with the YWCA and women's groups and shelters. I do know what it's like. It may take a good long time before Nigella can even remotely decide what she wants to do about other people's abuse, let alone her own. In the meantime, those who love her should be there for her and support her in her work so she can establish herself safely and securely; without having any pressures on her beyond taking care of herself and those she is responsible for.
Instead of boycotting her books and shows, now is the time to support her and buy them so she can create a new future for herself and those she loves, without having to endure abuse and harassment.
Love to Nigella! You go girl! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Monday, June 10, 2013
Another request from the U.S.A.
From the exhibition I'm currently preparing, "Prayers From An Empty Room."
"IT'S RELATIVE"
by Ellen Walker (c) 2002
You can't breathe.
You're too afraid to take a breath.
They want to control when you breathe, where you breathe and how.
And when you do eventually take a breath, it's an attack on their very existence.
IF YOU STOP BREATHING YOU DIE!
That's alright by them.
As long as they keep breathing.
In their own way.
You're not allowed to breathe,
Unless you do it their way.
Their way is the only way.
Therefore, if you want to live at all, you have to breathe their way.
The only alternative is to...
...breathe different air.
"IT'S RELATIVE"
by Ellen Walker (c) 2002
You can't breathe.
You're too afraid to take a breath.
They want to control when you breathe, where you breathe and how.
And when you do eventually take a breath, it's an attack on their very existence.
IF YOU STOP BREATHING YOU DIE!
That's alright by them.
As long as they keep breathing.
In their own way.
You're not allowed to breathe,
Unless you do it their way.
Their way is the only way.
Therefore, if you want to live at all, you have to breathe their way.
The only alternative is to...
...breathe different air.
By request: Concrete poetry.
One of my pieces but not in its exhibition form. Exhibited in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1996.
"DIS 2 IN": the meeting place
(c) Ellen F. Walker 1996
DIStantly,
a face hovers.
Head down,
hooded eyes,
keeping to itself.
INdiscernibly,
I scan for signs:
Memorized features,
Micro mannerisms.
Second-hand security.
DIStrustfully,
it's approach is viewed,
it's passing dreaded.
It lifts it's shades,
Sees, then hesitates too.
INdecision
dances in eyes
that meet...
then slide apart.
What now? we wonder.
DISguise
our beings?
Hide our souls,
protecting and cosseting
perceived futures or fears?
or INterlock
our lives:
Risking time,
effort, emotion:
INvesting in possibilities.
DISinterest/INterest?
DISsociate/INfiltrate?
DISintegrate/INtegrate?
DIStrust/INtrust?
DISpirit/INspire?
To be or not?
Coffee or tea?
One lump or two?
"DIS 2 IN": the meeting place
(c) Ellen F. Walker 1996
DIStantly,
a face hovers.
Head down,
hooded eyes,
keeping to itself.
INdiscernibly,
I scan for signs:
Memorized features,
Micro mannerisms.
Second-hand security.
DIStrustfully,
it's approach is viewed,
it's passing dreaded.
It lifts it's shades,
Sees, then hesitates too.
INdecision
dances in eyes
that meet...
then slide apart.
What now? we wonder.
DISguise
our beings?
Hide our souls,
protecting and cosseting
perceived futures or fears?
or INterlock
our lives:
Risking time,
effort, emotion:
INvesting in possibilities.
DISinterest/INterest?
DISsociate/INfiltrate?
DISintegrate/INtegrate?
DIStrust/INtrust?
DISpirit/INspire?
To be or not?
Coffee or tea?
One lump or two?
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Christian artists, writers and Creatives.
I never cease to be amazed at how many people set themselves up as judge, jury and executioner when it comes to deciding what a Christian (or those holding any particular beliefs) should and should not do with their work! The sheer number of people who take it upon themselves to control others, in the erroneous POV that it is supposedly their God-annointed task to do so. To not only "enlighten" the rest of us regarding how our work should be done but also force us into complying with their particular stance on matters!
Not only is this Biblically incorrect, it reveals the lack of theological knowledge of those imposing their "quality control" on others!
http://biblehub.com/matthew/7.htm
Matthew 7
1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
There are a couple of things I say to the people who set themselves up as "judge-jury-executioner" of Christian artists and seek to control both the Creative and their work. How lacking in your personal faith are you that you trust so little in the work of the Holy Spirit? Or do you believe Christ incapable of leading those of His people involved in the Arts and He needs your "understanding" of matters to control others as if they were ignorant children? I've spent most of my life considering the issues in being an artist and Creative and I've been a Christian for 44 years. I would ask these people how much time they have spent considering the issues and matters involved in being a Christian artist and bringing them before God in prayer? It is my income, not a hobby. Not exactly something I take lightly, by any means.
But the final crunch will come when I eventually stand before Christ in person and I am longing to hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant". At that point of time, none of these armchair critics will be standing there with me and I doubt the Lord is going to be at all interested in my saying "Sorry I didn't do what I believed you wanted me to Lord. So-and-so the Lord High Executioner wouldn't allow me to and manipulated the laws and powers-that-be to stop me because he didn't think that was what a Christian artist should do or be." I doubt that's going to carry much weight when I stand before God somehow!
Allow me to present the work of a few Christian artists from California so those in Australia who seem to have drawn the erroneous conclusion that "nothing good exists there" can see (for themselves) the error of their ways!
http://www.laurainesnelling.com/html/books.html
http://harvesthousepublishers.com/authors/kari-west/
I met both wonderful ladies while speaking at the Redwood Christian Writers Seminar over a couple of years.
http://www.christianwriter.org/
Also there were many other Christian writers, all of whom will have spent much more time considering their Art and how their faith and relationship with God relates to what they do than the casual observer. Yes, even more than some distant Catholic-Anglican priest or local pastor who regard their personal viewpoints in these matters as being more considered and desirable than anything God could guide these Creatives into! Supposedly their casual observations are far more relevant and important than God's day to day involvement in the Creative's life. 0>(
Among those who appear at the Writer's Seminars is an old friend of mine:
http://www.janetanncollins.com/
As for the nonsense that there are supposedly no/few Christians working in or around "Hollywood", oh ye of little faith! Never underestimate is the motto here! Just take a look at the local churches websites, for instance.
http://www.fpch.org/
Or how about full-time, working professionals in the Arts?
http://www.christiancomedyacts.com/california/
One of the funniest videos I've ever seen was one made by Robert G. Lee!
http://www.christiancomedyacts.com/robert-lee/
"Robert G. Lee is already known in the entertainment industry as Hollywood’s top warm-up comic. This veteran of 1,000 episodes of such shows as The New Adventures of Old Christine, Just Shoot Me, Becker and The Drew Carey Show is considered to be the reigning king in this very specialized profession. His job is to keep countless audiences entertained between scenes and costume and set changes with rapid-fire ad-libs and humorous interviews. As such, his razor sharp wit is always ready to have fun with, not make fun of any audience he encounters."
Just a suggestion but the next time somebody decides it's a good idea to attempt to tell me how to do my work and live my life before God (in particular as a Christian), at least do a Google check and get some solid facts before approaching me with your ideas. 0:)
Thank-you very much. 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Not only is this Biblically incorrect, it reveals the lack of theological knowledge of those imposing their "quality control" on others!
http://biblehub.com/matthew/7.htm
Matthew 7
1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
There are a couple of things I say to the people who set themselves up as "judge-jury-executioner" of Christian artists and seek to control both the Creative and their work. How lacking in your personal faith are you that you trust so little in the work of the Holy Spirit? Or do you believe Christ incapable of leading those of His people involved in the Arts and He needs your "understanding" of matters to control others as if they were ignorant children? I've spent most of my life considering the issues in being an artist and Creative and I've been a Christian for 44 years. I would ask these people how much time they have spent considering the issues and matters involved in being a Christian artist and bringing them before God in prayer? It is my income, not a hobby. Not exactly something I take lightly, by any means.
But the final crunch will come when I eventually stand before Christ in person and I am longing to hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant". At that point of time, none of these armchair critics will be standing there with me and I doubt the Lord is going to be at all interested in my saying "Sorry I didn't do what I believed you wanted me to Lord. So-and-so the Lord High Executioner wouldn't allow me to and manipulated the laws and powers-that-be to stop me because he didn't think that was what a Christian artist should do or be." I doubt that's going to carry much weight when I stand before God somehow!
Allow me to present the work of a few Christian artists from California so those in Australia who seem to have drawn the erroneous conclusion that "nothing good exists there" can see (for themselves) the error of their ways!
http://www.laurainesnelling.com/html/books.html
http://harvesthousepublishers.com/authors/kari-west/
I met both wonderful ladies while speaking at the Redwood Christian Writers Seminar over a couple of years.
http://www.christianwriter.org/
Also there were many other Christian writers, all of whom will have spent much more time considering their Art and how their faith and relationship with God relates to what they do than the casual observer. Yes, even more than some distant Catholic-Anglican priest or local pastor who regard their personal viewpoints in these matters as being more considered and desirable than anything God could guide these Creatives into! Supposedly their casual observations are far more relevant and important than God's day to day involvement in the Creative's life. 0>(
Among those who appear at the Writer's Seminars is an old friend of mine:
http://www.janetanncollins.com/
As for the nonsense that there are supposedly no/few Christians working in or around "Hollywood", oh ye of little faith! Never underestimate is the motto here! Just take a look at the local churches websites, for instance.
http://www.fpch.org/
Or how about full-time, working professionals in the Arts?
http://www.christiancomedyacts.com/california/
One of the funniest videos I've ever seen was one made by Robert G. Lee!
http://www.christiancomedyacts.com/robert-lee/
"Robert G. Lee is already known in the entertainment industry as Hollywood’s top warm-up comic. This veteran of 1,000 episodes of such shows as The New Adventures of Old Christine, Just Shoot Me, Becker and The Drew Carey Show is considered to be the reigning king in this very specialized profession. His job is to keep countless audiences entertained between scenes and costume and set changes with rapid-fire ad-libs and humorous interviews. As such, his razor sharp wit is always ready to have fun with, not make fun of any audience he encounters."
Just a suggestion but the next time somebody decides it's a good idea to attempt to tell me how to do my work and live my life before God (in particular as a Christian), at least do a Google check and get some solid facts before approaching me with your ideas. 0:)
Thank-you very much. 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Monday, June 3, 2013
Isn't it romantic?
When I can, I head to second-hand book shops and Opportunity/Thrift stores. There are a number of authors I like to collect and often these are the only readily available sources of these volumes. Yes, I know I can get them on-line but it isn’t the same as slowly browsing and discovering other tomes and treasures along the way! 0:)
The other day I was wandering through a local shop when one of my mother’s friends (a volunteer there) recommended one of her favourite romance writers. They help her to sleep at night. It wasn’t an author I was particularly familiar with but I seemed to remember reading one of her books when I was younger so agreed to give it a go.
My main objective in heading in to the shop was to find a book which wasn’t for work and was something I could switch the brain off over and relax with for awhile. But I picked up on her non-too-subtle hint that I could do with reading some good romances (apparently to “inspire” me) and compromised with her by also choosing an author more my style in the genre: Nicholas Sparks VS Catherine Gaskin. I’ll let you know how the challenge goes. I chose the Sparks given that “The Notebook” is my idea of a true romance novel. “The Wedding” VS “The Ambassador’s Women.”
I used to work as a store manager at Waldenbooks in northern California and the shop had over 10,000 romance titles on any given day. We were considered northern California’s primary source of anything even remotely “romantic”. One of my favourite customers used to call once a month with her order of nothing less than $500 worth of romance novels. Her husband had his fishing and she had her romance novels; that was their deal. She was unable to physically get to the store so she would have magazines sent to her reviewing the latest romance genre novels and by the time the next month came around, she’d be calling me with her list of latest releases.
I’ve never been particularly excited by romance novels, even when I was a teenager. It all seemed terribly stylized and unrealistic to my way of thinking. For awhile there I voraciously read Georgette Heyer but after who-knows-how-many, I suddenly stopped reading, looked at the last page and thought to myself that I was done. Same formula, same ‘ol, same ‘ol. And that’s when I realized I am not a formulaic reader and find no comfort in the familiar.
I think the next romance novel I read many years later was a Sandra Brown. Two more of her books later and again, I was done. More confirmation that I am not comfortable with formulaic books. I even get bored reading Agatha Christie. 0:)
Thankfully, not everybody is like me and the Waldenbooks romance novels section did a booming trade right up until the day the store’s doors closed after 25 years. I recall sitting on a low stool as myself and the other two store managers sorted through the last books on the shelves. Some publishers wanted their books returned to them, some wanted them recycled, some to other stores. Very few wanted the books remaindered or donated to charities (much to my disappointment although as an author I understand the reasons for them doing so).
But most publishers in the romance section wanted their books destroyed. We sat there tearing off cover after cover after cover after cover and putting them aside for the garbage scow: Over 10,000 of them. By the end of the day, the three of us were absolutely exhausted and frankly, in distress (or I was anyway and judging by the looks on the other’s faces, they were too). We weren’t in book sales without loving books ourselves: It certainly wasn’t for the poorly paid jobs we were doing every day! It was killing us to have to destroy so many books, on so many levels!
As I sat there tearing and hacking away, I thought of my customer and how much pleasure and relaxation she got from her ritual. During our phone conversations, she’d shared with me that she was ill with cancer. When she was too ill to call, one of her friends would make the call for her. Unable to travel herself, in the comfort of their formulaic principles and unchallenging formats, these romance novels transported her to otherwise inaccessible climes and circumstances. She wasn’t pining for their fantasies to be her reality; she was revelling in their imaginary, uncomplicated, overly-simplistic portrayals. There was enough pain in her reality. All she wanted was some escapism and to view the world through somebody else’s window for awhile.
And in my view, that’s enough.
Ellen 0:)
The other day I was wandering through a local shop when one of my mother’s friends (a volunteer there) recommended one of her favourite romance writers. They help her to sleep at night. It wasn’t an author I was particularly familiar with but I seemed to remember reading one of her books when I was younger so agreed to give it a go.
My main objective in heading in to the shop was to find a book which wasn’t for work and was something I could switch the brain off over and relax with for awhile. But I picked up on her non-too-subtle hint that I could do with reading some good romances (apparently to “inspire” me) and compromised with her by also choosing an author more my style in the genre: Nicholas Sparks VS Catherine Gaskin. I’ll let you know how the challenge goes. I chose the Sparks given that “The Notebook” is my idea of a true romance novel. “The Wedding” VS “The Ambassador’s Women.”
I used to work as a store manager at Waldenbooks in northern California and the shop had over 10,000 romance titles on any given day. We were considered northern California’s primary source of anything even remotely “romantic”. One of my favourite customers used to call once a month with her order of nothing less than $500 worth of romance novels. Her husband had his fishing and she had her romance novels; that was their deal. She was unable to physically get to the store so she would have magazines sent to her reviewing the latest romance genre novels and by the time the next month came around, she’d be calling me with her list of latest releases.
I’ve never been particularly excited by romance novels, even when I was a teenager. It all seemed terribly stylized and unrealistic to my way of thinking. For awhile there I voraciously read Georgette Heyer but after who-knows-how-many, I suddenly stopped reading, looked at the last page and thought to myself that I was done. Same formula, same ‘ol, same ‘ol. And that’s when I realized I am not a formulaic reader and find no comfort in the familiar.
I think the next romance novel I read many years later was a Sandra Brown. Two more of her books later and again, I was done. More confirmation that I am not comfortable with formulaic books. I even get bored reading Agatha Christie. 0:)
Thankfully, not everybody is like me and the Waldenbooks romance novels section did a booming trade right up until the day the store’s doors closed after 25 years. I recall sitting on a low stool as myself and the other two store managers sorted through the last books on the shelves. Some publishers wanted their books returned to them, some wanted them recycled, some to other stores. Very few wanted the books remaindered or donated to charities (much to my disappointment although as an author I understand the reasons for them doing so).
But most publishers in the romance section wanted their books destroyed. We sat there tearing off cover after cover after cover after cover and putting them aside for the garbage scow: Over 10,000 of them. By the end of the day, the three of us were absolutely exhausted and frankly, in distress (or I was anyway and judging by the looks on the other’s faces, they were too). We weren’t in book sales without loving books ourselves: It certainly wasn’t for the poorly paid jobs we were doing every day! It was killing us to have to destroy so many books, on so many levels!
As I sat there tearing and hacking away, I thought of my customer and how much pleasure and relaxation she got from her ritual. During our phone conversations, she’d shared with me that she was ill with cancer. When she was too ill to call, one of her friends would make the call for her. Unable to travel herself, in the comfort of their formulaic principles and unchallenging formats, these romance novels transported her to otherwise inaccessible climes and circumstances. She wasn’t pining for their fantasies to be her reality; she was revelling in their imaginary, uncomplicated, overly-simplistic portrayals. There was enough pain in her reality. All she wanted was some escapism and to view the world through somebody else’s window for awhile.
And in my view, that’s enough.
Ellen 0:)
W.G.A. greatest T.V. writing list! 0:)
http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list/#more-512061
Fascinating to consider what the professionals consider the best. I probably would have put "M.A.S.H." higher but cannot disagree with any of them! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Fascinating to consider what the professionals consider the best. I probably would have put "M.A.S.H." higher but cannot disagree with any of them! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Monday, May 27, 2013
Ruma Busta. More re Australian politicians and the rumour mill. (Per Scriptor Informatio). 0:)
This is a re-post from my other blog "Scriptor Informatio".
BTW, both blogs are now public. And I gather CBS has confirmed my working with *Star Trek* because of the 40,000+ hits on the (then private) blog last night regarding how people can contact me.
Ellen 0:)
Ruma Busta. More re Australian politicians and the rumour mill.
And here we go again. *sigh*
Further to this post I made some time ago.
http://scriptorinformatio.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/sigh-as-you-desire-0.html
Jenny Macklin is NOT my agent.
Craig Langdon is NOT my manager.
Michael Kroger is NOT my banker and I do not have any money in his bank.
Peter Slipper is NOT my laweyer.
Sophia Mirabella is NOT my lawyer.
Nicola Roxon is NOT my lawyer.
There are NO secret arrangments between any of us and I do NOT have any investors.
Anything else being said is a blatant lie.
Here endeth the official statement in these matters.
Oh, beyond my saying that the Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus is apparently the person asking for me to make my blogs public so everybody can be clear about these matters.
Ellen 0:)
BTW, both blogs are now public. And I gather CBS has confirmed my working with *Star Trek* because of the 40,000+ hits on the (then private) blog last night regarding how people can contact me.
Ellen 0:)
Ruma Busta. More re Australian politicians and the rumour mill.
And here we go again. *sigh*
Further to this post I made some time ago.
http://scriptorinformatio.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/sigh-as-you-desire-0.html
Jenny Macklin is NOT my agent.
Craig Langdon is NOT my manager.
Michael Kroger is NOT my banker and I do not have any money in his bank.
Peter Slipper is NOT my laweyer.
Sophia Mirabella is NOT my lawyer.
Nicola Roxon is NOT my lawyer.
There are NO secret arrangments between any of us and I do NOT have any investors.
Anything else being said is a blatant lie.
Here endeth the official statement in these matters.
Oh, beyond my saying that the Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus is apparently the person asking for me to make my blogs public so everybody can be clear about these matters.
Ellen 0:)
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Continuing piracy saga. Contacting me personally and details of my whereabouts. 0:)
Investigations have mostly concluded now and my whereabouts and direct contact can be organized via the Australian Federal Police. The A.F.P. provide my C.P.P. unit (Close Personal Protection) and know who to pass those details on to and who not. They are the ones conducting all arrangements and investigations now.
Please see their website for details.
http://www.afp.gov.au
Thank-you.
Ellen 0:)
Please see their website for details.
http://www.afp.gov.au
Thank-you.
Ellen 0:)
Saturday, May 25, 2013
The continuing face of intellectual property piracy and identity fraud. 0:(
I'm told by the police that those responsible for conducting these crimes told the authorities (during an interview) that "corporate espionage", identity theft and piracy are OK when conducted against a major studio and their employees because it was "poaching" and those involved were supposedly "head hunting" me.
Er no. Not the case legally, morally, ethically or professionally! Some were claiming to be my agent/s or managers and were surprised to find out they need documents and registration etc., in order to do so. Nobody has any right to come into somebody's long established business and attempt to claim credit for all their (years of) work. And incidentally, all the money in my personal and business bank accounts as well! (I kid you not). I am very grateful to the authorities involved that they were deliberately monitoring my work and all communications in case the con artists/frauds attempted to make these claims and the authorities have video/documentation proving I was the person creating the work instead of the scammers. My sincere thanks to those involved in doing so! XO 0:)
Here's the legal notice I've been required (by the Courts) to put up at my website.
Ellen 0:(
http://www.scriptorinformatio.com
"Legalities.
Official statement regarding fake investors, potential intellectual property theft, fraud and people "sleeping over".
Please note:
There's a few work colleagues and old friends wondering what has been going on. Sadly, I was the victim of identity fraud and con artists misusing/abusing my professional name of "Ellen Frances". It's being handled by Australian Homeland Security and the Australian Federal Police (as well as the CIA and FBI as these attacks were also conducted in the USA). Investigations are on-going, arrests are being made and the Court cases are continuing. If anybody attempts to contact you pretending to be me, please contact the Australian Secret Intelligence Service or the Australian Federal Police immediately (or the CIA or FBI).
Additionally, I am NOT a company, I do NOT have any business partners. I am a sole proprietor. I DO NOT HAVE ANY INVESTORS. Anybody who thinks they have invested with me, they need to contact the Australian Federal Police or FBI immediately: They have been conned. I have NEVER worked with/for DSW Consulting in any way, shape or form. I am not even remotely in contact with Donald Stanley, Catherine, Matthew or Christopher Williams; not even through mutual friends or family. End of story.
Many years ago I was in a business partnership with Gregory John Burdett but that partnership was legally dissolved in the 1980s. I have been a sole proprietor ever since: Anybody claiming otherwise is wrong. Please notify the A.F.P., Australian Homeland Security, the CIA or FBI if anybody contacts you claiming differently or are claiming you can invest with me or that they have invested with me; especially via D.S.W. Consulting or that company's representatives. They will be (at best) incorrect.
The A.F.P. have informed me that my publishers have been notified of the fraud being committed in the name of "Ellen Frances" and the matter is in the hands of their lawyers, as well as those of CBS.
Additionally, I can assure everybody that I only employ or work with personnel via the use of legal H.R. and audition techniques. I am not involved in any "casting couch action" and I don't employ anybody based on the "influence" of others. The people I genuinely know would never consider even suggesting such a thing, knowing me as they do. I do not "operate under the table" in any way, shape or form. Those I know and/or work with, know better than to even suggest otherwise and work with me on that understanding and basis.
I am sickened to hear from the A.F.P. that there are people "hitting on"/"seducing" others by claiming they know or are "secretly involved" with me/my business and can get them work via those means. I can assure everyone they are not involved with me and cannot get work for others in my productions or via my involvement with the productions of other people: I simply do not interfere with such matters!
The names of those I have been alerted about privately have also been passed to the Australian Federal Police and Australian Homeland Security, who are investigating. If you have any further information regarding these matters please pass it on to the A.F.P. or Australian Secret Intelligence Service immediately.
Apart from any other considerations, as a committed Christian, I find such suggestions personally abhorrent, offensive and highly slanderous against my person, reputation and credibility.
Thank-you. Ellen 0:)"
Er no. Not the case legally, morally, ethically or professionally! Some were claiming to be my agent/s or managers and were surprised to find out they need documents and registration etc., in order to do so. Nobody has any right to come into somebody's long established business and attempt to claim credit for all their (years of) work. And incidentally, all the money in my personal and business bank accounts as well! (I kid you not). I am very grateful to the authorities involved that they were deliberately monitoring my work and all communications in case the con artists/frauds attempted to make these claims and the authorities have video/documentation proving I was the person creating the work instead of the scammers. My sincere thanks to those involved in doing so! XO 0:)
Here's the legal notice I've been required (by the Courts) to put up at my website.
Ellen 0:(
http://www.scriptorinformatio.com
"Legalities.
Official statement regarding fake investors, potential intellectual property theft, fraud and people "sleeping over".
Please note:
There's a few work colleagues and old friends wondering what has been going on. Sadly, I was the victim of identity fraud and con artists misusing/abusing my professional name of "Ellen Frances". It's being handled by Australian Homeland Security and the Australian Federal Police (as well as the CIA and FBI as these attacks were also conducted in the USA). Investigations are on-going, arrests are being made and the Court cases are continuing. If anybody attempts to contact you pretending to be me, please contact the Australian Secret Intelligence Service or the Australian Federal Police immediately (or the CIA or FBI).
Additionally, I am NOT a company, I do NOT have any business partners. I am a sole proprietor. I DO NOT HAVE ANY INVESTORS. Anybody who thinks they have invested with me, they need to contact the Australian Federal Police or FBI immediately: They have been conned. I have NEVER worked with/for DSW Consulting in any way, shape or form. I am not even remotely in contact with Donald Stanley, Catherine, Matthew or Christopher Williams; not even through mutual friends or family. End of story.
Many years ago I was in a business partnership with Gregory John Burdett but that partnership was legally dissolved in the 1980s. I have been a sole proprietor ever since: Anybody claiming otherwise is wrong. Please notify the A.F.P., Australian Homeland Security, the CIA or FBI if anybody contacts you claiming differently or are claiming you can invest with me or that they have invested with me; especially via D.S.W. Consulting or that company's representatives. They will be (at best) incorrect.
The A.F.P. have informed me that my publishers have been notified of the fraud being committed in the name of "Ellen Frances" and the matter is in the hands of their lawyers, as well as those of CBS.
Additionally, I can assure everybody that I only employ or work with personnel via the use of legal H.R. and audition techniques. I am not involved in any "casting couch action" and I don't employ anybody based on the "influence" of others. The people I genuinely know would never consider even suggesting such a thing, knowing me as they do. I do not "operate under the table" in any way, shape or form. Those I know and/or work with, know better than to even suggest otherwise and work with me on that understanding and basis.
I am sickened to hear from the A.F.P. that there are people "hitting on"/"seducing" others by claiming they know or are "secretly involved" with me/my business and can get them work via those means. I can assure everyone they are not involved with me and cannot get work for others in my productions or via my involvement with the productions of other people: I simply do not interfere with such matters!
The names of those I have been alerted about privately have also been passed to the Australian Federal Police and Australian Homeland Security, who are investigating. If you have any further information regarding these matters please pass it on to the A.F.P. or Australian Secret Intelligence Service immediately.
Apart from any other considerations, as a committed Christian, I find such suggestions personally abhorrent, offensive and highly slanderous against my person, reputation and credibility.
Thank-you. Ellen 0:)"
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Identity fraud and intellectual piracy: A personal perspective. 0:(
Identity fraud and intellectual property piracy: A personal perspective. 0:(
" Please note:
FYI, had a note from an old friend: There's a few work colleagues and old friends wondering what has been going on. It's really very simple, I was the victim of identity fraud and con artists using/misusing/abusing my professional name of "Ellen Frances". It's being handled by Australian Homeland Security and the Australian Federal Police (as well as the CIA and FBI as it originally started while I was living in the USA). Investigations are on-going, arrests are being made and the Court cases are continuing. Sad thing is, some of those most involved were people I trusted in the past and regarded as friends. I've had to learn the hard way that they were (& are) not. If anybody attempts to contact you (especially my old editors/publishers/clients et al) pretending to be "Ellen Frances" or "Elena Fe Walker", please contact Australian Secret Intelligence Service or the Australian Federal Police immediately (or the CIA or FBI). A.S.I.S. and the A.F.P. are always checking up on me so they will let me know about anything they consider necessary for me to be informed about. 0:)
Also FYI, I am not now (nor have I ever been) involved with DSW Consulting. I do not have anything to do with them and have NEVER worked with them or they with me. Anybody claiming otherwise please include them in your report to the above authorities.
I don't need to play "let's pretend" or to copy anybody else. I'm too busy being myself (and achieving what I believe is important) to waste the time, energy or resources on anything else.
Thank-you and have a nice day! Ellen 0:)"
End of story. 0:)
" Please note:
FYI, had a note from an old friend: There's a few work colleagues and old friends wondering what has been going on. It's really very simple, I was the victim of identity fraud and con artists using/misusing/abusing my professional name of "Ellen Frances". It's being handled by Australian Homeland Security and the Australian Federal Police (as well as the CIA and FBI as it originally started while I was living in the USA). Investigations are on-going, arrests are being made and the Court cases are continuing. Sad thing is, some of those most involved were people I trusted in the past and regarded as friends. I've had to learn the hard way that they were (& are) not. If anybody attempts to contact you (especially my old editors/publishers/clients et al) pretending to be "Ellen Frances" or "Elena Fe Walker", please contact Australian Secret Intelligence Service or the Australian Federal Police immediately (or the CIA or FBI). A.S.I.S. and the A.F.P. are always checking up on me so they will let me know about anything they consider necessary for me to be informed about. 0:)
Also FYI, I am not now (nor have I ever been) involved with DSW Consulting. I do not have anything to do with them and have NEVER worked with them or they with me. Anybody claiming otherwise please include them in your report to the above authorities.
I don't need to play "let's pretend" or to copy anybody else. I'm too busy being myself (and achieving what I believe is important) to waste the time, energy or resources on anything else.
Thank-you and have a nice day! Ellen 0:)"
End of story. 0:)
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Nothing to do on April 19th in San Francisco and the East Bay? 0:)
Anyone in the San Francisco/East Bay area on April 19th should get along to the Black Brothers concert. If you love Irish music and great storytelling, you'll love it!
19 April 2013
San Francisco (CA)
Black Brothers in Concert at Collins Theater
http://www.black-brothers.com
If you want to join in yourselves, I can highly recommend Shay's sessions at the Starry Plough! I miss heading out there myself: A highlight of the week!
"Join Shay and many of his friends in the East Bay for the 'Starry Irish Session' -
A night of lively Irish music and song at 8pm every Sunday night.
'The Starry Plough' is situated at 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
(Tel: 510.841.2080) one block east of Ashby BART."
http://www.starryploughpub.com
Anyone heading to San Francisco should bear it in mind because the session is open for anyone almost every Sunday evening of the year 0:)
Shay Black is brilliant and regardless of what level your musicianship lies, he'll have you tapping/clapping along and joining in!
P.S. from Shay via Facebook.
"The Black Brothers Band are performing our only San Francisco show this year at the Collins Theater on the campus of Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (SHCP) this coming Friday (April 19th) for a special fundraiser for the school. The show promises to be very entertaining as not only will we have the full band on board (Bobbi Nikles on fiddle, Eamonn Flynn on piano, Shay Black on guitar and vocals, and Michael Black on cittern, banjo and vocals), but we will also be joined by some very special guests. The SHCP string ensemble will join us for a few songs, as well as Ciara Black on vocals, and freshly back from the World Irish Dance Championships, Ciara Duggan. The event commences at 7.00 with a very "Irish" reception with music by harpist, Maureen Brennan and show begins at 8.00pm.
If you can't make it but might have some friends who might be interested feel free to forward this message.
Black Brothers in Concert at Collins Theater
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School
1055 Ellis St. San Francisco
Phone: 415-775-6626
Ellen 0:)
19 April 2013
San Francisco (CA)
Black Brothers in Concert at Collins Theater
http://www.black-brothers.com
If you want to join in yourselves, I can highly recommend Shay's sessions at the Starry Plough! I miss heading out there myself: A highlight of the week!
"Join Shay and many of his friends in the East Bay for the 'Starry Irish Session' -
A night of lively Irish music and song at 8pm every Sunday night.
'The Starry Plough' is situated at 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
(Tel: 510.841.2080) one block east of Ashby BART."
http://www.starryploughpub.com
Anyone heading to San Francisco should bear it in mind because the session is open for anyone almost every Sunday evening of the year 0:)
Shay Black is brilliant and regardless of what level your musicianship lies, he'll have you tapping/clapping along and joining in!
P.S. from Shay via Facebook.
"The Black Brothers Band are performing our only San Francisco show this year at the Collins Theater on the campus of Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (SHCP) this coming Friday (April 19th) for a special fundraiser for the school. The show promises to be very entertaining as not only will we have the full band on board (Bobbi Nikles on fiddle, Eamonn Flynn on piano, Shay Black on guitar and vocals, and Michael Black on cittern, banjo and vocals), but we will also be joined by some very special guests. The SHCP string ensemble will join us for a few songs, as well as Ciara Black on vocals, and freshly back from the World Irish Dance Championships, Ciara Duggan. The event commences at 7.00 with a very "Irish" reception with music by harpist, Maureen Brennan and show begins at 8.00pm.
If you can't make it but might have some friends who might be interested feel free to forward this message.
Black Brothers in Concert at Collins Theater
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School
1055 Ellis St. San Francisco
Phone: 415-775-6626
Ellen 0:)
Saturday, April 6, 2013
XYZ Studios
With thanks to somebody's mother who carries her son's business cards around. 0:)
Just discovered this gem of an animation studio carrying on business here in Melbourne. Another of those "unsung heroes" who gets overlooked in their hometown while the rest of the world sings their praises.
http://www.xyzstudios.com
Check out their accolades:
http://xyzstudios.com/about/
Check out their style:
http://xyzstudios.com/category/againstallodds/
Read all about it:
http://blog.xyzstudios.com/
Their business card is going into my little black book for future reference. 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Just discovered this gem of an animation studio carrying on business here in Melbourne. Another of those "unsung heroes" who gets overlooked in their hometown while the rest of the world sings their praises.
http://www.xyzstudios.com
Check out their accolades:
http://xyzstudios.com/about/
Check out their style:
http://xyzstudios.com/category/againstallodds/
Read all about it:
http://blog.xyzstudios.com/
Their business card is going into my little black book for future reference. 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Friday, April 5, 2013
New Colored Pencil Fine Art Exhibition
Now on-line and well worth the look-see: Not quite the schoolroom children's efforts of your years-gone-by!
http://www.cpsa.org/view-explore-this-9
And yes, they are still called "paintings", regardless of what medium is used to create the fine art that results. 0:)
"Explore This" exhibition rules allow for more mediums than only colored pencil to be used while exploration of the possibilities and resulting creative experimentation is appreciated. It's a freer environment!
Check it out! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
http://www.cpsa.org/view-explore-this-9
And yes, they are still called "paintings", regardless of what medium is used to create the fine art that results. 0:)
"Explore This" exhibition rules allow for more mediums than only colored pencil to be used while exploration of the possibilities and resulting creative experimentation is appreciated. It's a freer environment!
Check it out! 0:)
Ellen 0:)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Lucas Arts? Not far, far away at all...
*Star Wars* aficionadi are reeling from the news that Disney has completed the plans to close down LucasArts.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57577786-235/disney-shuttering-lucasarts-moving-to-licensed-games-model/
Hold fast to hope though! Not all projects are completely lost!
"Although LucasArts itself will halt development of its two major projects, Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault, it appears that those games are not dead in the water. A source with knowledge of the decision told CNET that neither game is being fully shut down, but that it has not yet been determined what will happen to them. However, LucasFilm has decided that "Star Wars" games should now be developed either by third-party studios or by Disney Interactive."
Facebook wails aside, it's always curious to me how myopic and narrowly-focused fans can be when it comes to their personal stake in a franchise or its creative talent. Reading Facebook flailings at the above news, I was reminded of an article I read not long after the inimitable George Lucas sold his long-treasured creation.
Now he has sold *Star Wars*, it moaned, what is he going to do to fill in his time?
A-ha! It exclaimed! He is building a museum! He will be filling in his time building a monument to all he achieved with *Star Wars*.
Hmmmm, says I, a long time observer at *Edutopia*. http://www.edutopia.org
Seems to me it isn't George Lucas lacking in creativity or imagination but those fans writing about his perceived "Clayton's retirement".
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/08/usa-georgelucas-museum-idUSL1N0C00NS20130308
"(Reuters) - Filmmaker George Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars," has submitted a bid to build a "storytelling museum" in San Francisco to share his vast collection of contemporary paintings, illustrations and digital art.
Lucas has offered to construct the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum on federal land, run it and stock it with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of art by the likes of Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish. "What he finds most fascinating in these artists is their ability to capture an emotion and tell an entire story in one image," Lucas spokesman David Perry told Reuters.!...Lucas sold Lucasfilm Ltd., his film-making venture founded in 1971, to The Walt Disney Co. for $4.05 billion in 2012. Perry estimated the value of the proposed gift at $1 billion, including the artwork and more than $300 million to construct the museum at the Presidio."
"The semi-retired Lucas described his proposed museum as "a dedication to cultural fantasy" in an interview with CBS This Morning.
"Part of the museum is designed to educate younger people into the idea of storytelling, into the idea of being able to paint your fantasies, which is what 'Star Wars' was," he said.
"'Star Wars' was there to inspire young people to imagine things, to imagine going anywhere in the universe and doing anything you want to do and using your imagination to entertain yourself."
The museum would include five galleries, ranging in size from 4,500 to 8,500 square feet, a 200-seat theater and a 75-seat lecture hall. It would feature breathtaking views of the Bay, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Lucas bought his first work of art, a page from one of Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge comic books, for $25 when he was a University of Southern California film student. Since then, he has amassed a collection of 150 years of what he calls "fantastical" art.
In a letter accompanying his proposal, Lucas described a childhood trip from his home in Modesto to the de Young Museum in San Francisco as life changing.
"I was drawn in by Norman Rockwell's ability to tell a complete story in a single image," he wrote. "It was then that I began to learn the art of visual storytelling.""
Decision is apparently planned for some time in April. CANNOT WAIT! I know certain fans won't agree with me but I think we are only now seeing the best George Lucas has in store for us all.
Ellen 0:)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57577786-235/disney-shuttering-lucasarts-moving-to-licensed-games-model/
Hold fast to hope though! Not all projects are completely lost!
"Although LucasArts itself will halt development of its two major projects, Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault, it appears that those games are not dead in the water. A source with knowledge of the decision told CNET that neither game is being fully shut down, but that it has not yet been determined what will happen to them. However, LucasFilm has decided that "Star Wars" games should now be developed either by third-party studios or by Disney Interactive."
Facebook wails aside, it's always curious to me how myopic and narrowly-focused fans can be when it comes to their personal stake in a franchise or its creative talent. Reading Facebook flailings at the above news, I was reminded of an article I read not long after the inimitable George Lucas sold his long-treasured creation.
Now he has sold *Star Wars*, it moaned, what is he going to do to fill in his time?
A-ha! It exclaimed! He is building a museum! He will be filling in his time building a monument to all he achieved with *Star Wars*.
Hmmmm, says I, a long time observer at *Edutopia*. http://www.edutopia.org
Seems to me it isn't George Lucas lacking in creativity or imagination but those fans writing about his perceived "Clayton's retirement".
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/08/usa-georgelucas-museum-idUSL1N0C00NS20130308
"(Reuters) - Filmmaker George Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars," has submitted a bid to build a "storytelling museum" in San Francisco to share his vast collection of contemporary paintings, illustrations and digital art.
Lucas has offered to construct the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum on federal land, run it and stock it with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of art by the likes of Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish. "What he finds most fascinating in these artists is their ability to capture an emotion and tell an entire story in one image," Lucas spokesman David Perry told Reuters.!...Lucas sold Lucasfilm Ltd., his film-making venture founded in 1971, to The Walt Disney Co. for $4.05 billion in 2012. Perry estimated the value of the proposed gift at $1 billion, including the artwork and more than $300 million to construct the museum at the Presidio."
"The semi-retired Lucas described his proposed museum as "a dedication to cultural fantasy" in an interview with CBS This Morning.
"Part of the museum is designed to educate younger people into the idea of storytelling, into the idea of being able to paint your fantasies, which is what 'Star Wars' was," he said.
"'Star Wars' was there to inspire young people to imagine things, to imagine going anywhere in the universe and doing anything you want to do and using your imagination to entertain yourself."
The museum would include five galleries, ranging in size from 4,500 to 8,500 square feet, a 200-seat theater and a 75-seat lecture hall. It would feature breathtaking views of the Bay, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Lucas bought his first work of art, a page from one of Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge comic books, for $25 when he was a University of Southern California film student. Since then, he has amassed a collection of 150 years of what he calls "fantastical" art.
In a letter accompanying his proposal, Lucas described a childhood trip from his home in Modesto to the de Young Museum in San Francisco as life changing.
"I was drawn in by Norman Rockwell's ability to tell a complete story in a single image," he wrote. "It was then that I began to learn the art of visual storytelling.""
Decision is apparently planned for some time in April. CANNOT WAIT! I know certain fans won't agree with me but I think we are only now seeing the best George Lucas has in store for us all.
Ellen 0:)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Content content! 0:)
What is Art when it's at home? Or anywhere else for that matter.
When it comes down to a solid analysis of what Art actually is, who is the person brave enough to make a definitive statement? One we can all apply (without exception) in order to make sure our personal opinions will not lead us into the temptation of behaviors which can be considered "odd"? And for that matter, what is "odd"? One man's "oddity" can sometimes be another's "rapturous acclimation/illumination"!
Fellow Aussie Robert Hughes made a name for himself being critical and while I sometimes found his comments interesting, I have been frequently flummoxed on hearing his passing judgements regarding other's creative efforts. Case in point, in episode 2 of Hughes' "American Visions", Hughes really confused me when he described the architecture and art of Santa Fe N.M. as "the pious ethno-kitsch of contemporary Santa Fe".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9teEmtNdtjg
It still annoys me all these years after I first heard him say these words! I can only guess he didn't look closely enough at Santa Fe (or spend enough time there) to be able to make an apt assessment. He must have breezed through in a day (or so) without exploring the depths hidden beyond the tours and quick fix vacation takers. Or maybe he was reading from his producer's notes instead of walking the back alleys and laneways where the real Santa Fe is hidden. Who knows! But while I can understand the false impression somebody waltzing through might grab, it is as far from the reality of my experience as is humanly possible for it to be.
I adore Santa Fe and have from the moment I set foot on New Mexican soil! Any excuse and I'll head back there ASAP. You cannot get to know Santa Fe from a half day's visit! She is like fine china loved for a lifetime of three-meal-a-day usage without the bride realizing how much the set cost her generous wedding guest: An unexpected joy and pleasure.
When I first flew into Santa Fe I had virtually no idea what to expect. I was only there because the studio I was going to be recording in had been changed to Santa Fe from the original contract's Texas location. But apart from the massive Tarantula Wasps buzzing around the blossom trees at Santa Fe Airport (and an extremely unexpected case of altitude sickness), from the moment I took the cab into town and caught my first glimpses of the adobe houses (all shapes, sizes, demographics, culture and socio-economic mix), I was hooked!
Growing up in suburban Melbourne (Australia), I was used to all buildings being based on basic box shapes: Hard lines and sharp corners. But Santa Fe architecture flows and whatever it's influence, grows from the land, reflecting the people it insulates. My parents were considered radical in 1950s/60s Victoria because they had clay seagulls flying across the lounge wall instead of the usual ceramic ducks! My father still laughs nervously when they are mentioned even to this day; his own personal radicalism. "I liked them." And fair enough, say I!
Same goes in Santa Fe, where regardless of their age or structure, New Mexicans express themselves using whatever artistic means are at their disposal or takes their fancy/fantasy! Even the back lanes and streets are non-conformist having been built on donkey tracks in existence since the town's beginnings in the 1050s.
In other words, one man's "kitsch" is another man's history or delight. The "kitsch" Hughes was referring to was not copied from anywhere else by Santa Feans because they were the ones who had created the originals! Others copied or borrowed influences from the Santa Feans personal acts of creative expression.
Flying ducks were regarded by my 60s/70s generation as horribly "kitsch", disgustingly common and painfully old-fashioned. Yet in 2013, there are modern day collectors searching auction houses looking for just the right set to adorn their modern renovated white walls! My parents were judged as radical for ignoring the status quo and choosing seagulls instead. Today's collectors would grab the ducks (judged according to the intricacies of their variable identities) while tossing the poor seagulls aside, their uniqueness going unappreciated even in this day and age. So what gives? What makes something Art and something else "kitsch"?
While living in San Francisco's East Bay I frequently drove up from SFO towards the city and on the hillside below the "South San Francisco" sign there is a row of houses which all looked the same. Every drive I would find myself singing a folk song from the 60s we used to sing at school.
http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/MALVINA/mr094.htm
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,1
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.
And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
According to the referring website:
"Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1962 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1990. Malvina and her husband were on their way from where they lived in Berkeley, through San Francisco and down the peninsula to La Honda where she was to sing at a meeting of the Friends’ Committee on Legislation (not the PTA, as Pete Seeger says in the documentary about Malvina, “Love It Like a Fool”). As she drove through Daly City, she said “Bud, take the wheel. I feel a song coming on.”..."
We can ask ourselves, was the creativity expressed only in Malvina Reynolds feeling inspired or is the issue what I noticed when I last saw the housing row in 2006 as I prepared to fly out of California?
"There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
..."
At the time I knew nothing of the creator's instinct or inspiration or even where she was writing about. I had no idea she had been driving through the same area when inspiration hit her and she wrote the first draft. But what did notice was that each house, while sharing massive similarities, were all in some way unique. They may all look the same and they may be made of "ticky-tacky" but every home owner chooses what color to paint their individual house which made the row of houses stand out from all others on that hillside and drew the eye automatically to their presence. And there is probably still a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one, even to this day! The individual's creative choice and artistic expression, regardless of whether anybody else appreciates it or not, is exactly what makes us aware of the houses at all.
Additionally, San Francisco houses (bland or not), have made a long-term contribution to Western culture. And this in spite of there being many people since the 1960s who are prone to groan when the repetitive tune from this song starts up and grinds on. Many from the 60s may firmly place it's presence in the "kitsch" basket and hope it never becomes revived again! BUT! From that referring website:
"...1. The term "ticky tacky" is now included in the Oxford English Dictionary, and credited to Malvina.
2. Seeger's recording reached as high as number seventy on Billboard and number seventy-two on Cashbox in early 1964.
3. The Womenfolk's version peaked at number eighty-three on Billboard and number ninety-six on Cashbox in May 1964."
So much for "kitsch"!
An old Santa Fe tourism video from 1995 asks visitors and locals to explain how they would define "Santa Fe style" and the responses included "Unique", "Different," and "Romantic". The voice-over artist explains Santa Fe as eclectic, colorful and eccentric. But the best explanation I have ever heard to explain Santa Fe's inexplicable mystique and stature as "one of the most sophisticated art centres of the world" comes from an interviewee almost as "unique" as the place itself. He says that Santa Fe style is "The old, the new, something borrowed, something blue."
I'm with him.
Don't try to explain or understand it, just revel in all it's diverse confusion and wonder. Relax and enjoy!
Ellen 0:)
When it comes down to a solid analysis of what Art actually is, who is the person brave enough to make a definitive statement? One we can all apply (without exception) in order to make sure our personal opinions will not lead us into the temptation of behaviors which can be considered "odd"? And for that matter, what is "odd"? One man's "oddity" can sometimes be another's "rapturous acclimation/illumination"!
Fellow Aussie Robert Hughes made a name for himself being critical and while I sometimes found his comments interesting, I have been frequently flummoxed on hearing his passing judgements regarding other's creative efforts. Case in point, in episode 2 of Hughes' "American Visions", Hughes really confused me when he described the architecture and art of Santa Fe N.M. as "the pious ethno-kitsch of contemporary Santa Fe".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9teEmtNdtjg
It still annoys me all these years after I first heard him say these words! I can only guess he didn't look closely enough at Santa Fe (or spend enough time there) to be able to make an apt assessment. He must have breezed through in a day (or so) without exploring the depths hidden beyond the tours and quick fix vacation takers. Or maybe he was reading from his producer's notes instead of walking the back alleys and laneways where the real Santa Fe is hidden. Who knows! But while I can understand the false impression somebody waltzing through might grab, it is as far from the reality of my experience as is humanly possible for it to be.
I adore Santa Fe and have from the moment I set foot on New Mexican soil! Any excuse and I'll head back there ASAP. You cannot get to know Santa Fe from a half day's visit! She is like fine china loved for a lifetime of three-meal-a-day usage without the bride realizing how much the set cost her generous wedding guest: An unexpected joy and pleasure.
When I first flew into Santa Fe I had virtually no idea what to expect. I was only there because the studio I was going to be recording in had been changed to Santa Fe from the original contract's Texas location. But apart from the massive Tarantula Wasps buzzing around the blossom trees at Santa Fe Airport (and an extremely unexpected case of altitude sickness), from the moment I took the cab into town and caught my first glimpses of the adobe houses (all shapes, sizes, demographics, culture and socio-economic mix), I was hooked!
Growing up in suburban Melbourne (Australia), I was used to all buildings being based on basic box shapes: Hard lines and sharp corners. But Santa Fe architecture flows and whatever it's influence, grows from the land, reflecting the people it insulates. My parents were considered radical in 1950s/60s Victoria because they had clay seagulls flying across the lounge wall instead of the usual ceramic ducks! My father still laughs nervously when they are mentioned even to this day; his own personal radicalism. "I liked them." And fair enough, say I!
Same goes in Santa Fe, where regardless of their age or structure, New Mexicans express themselves using whatever artistic means are at their disposal or takes their fancy/fantasy! Even the back lanes and streets are non-conformist having been built on donkey tracks in existence since the town's beginnings in the 1050s.
In other words, one man's "kitsch" is another man's history or delight. The "kitsch" Hughes was referring to was not copied from anywhere else by Santa Feans because they were the ones who had created the originals! Others copied or borrowed influences from the Santa Feans personal acts of creative expression.
Flying ducks were regarded by my 60s/70s generation as horribly "kitsch", disgustingly common and painfully old-fashioned. Yet in 2013, there are modern day collectors searching auction houses looking for just the right set to adorn their modern renovated white walls! My parents were judged as radical for ignoring the status quo and choosing seagulls instead. Today's collectors would grab the ducks (judged according to the intricacies of their variable identities) while tossing the poor seagulls aside, their uniqueness going unappreciated even in this day and age. So what gives? What makes something Art and something else "kitsch"?
While living in San Francisco's East Bay I frequently drove up from SFO towards the city and on the hillside below the "South San Francisco" sign there is a row of houses which all looked the same. Every drive I would find myself singing a folk song from the 60s we used to sing at school.
http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/MALVINA/mr094.htm
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,1
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.
And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
According to the referring website:
"Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1962 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1990. Malvina and her husband were on their way from where they lived in Berkeley, through San Francisco and down the peninsula to La Honda where she was to sing at a meeting of the Friends’ Committee on Legislation (not the PTA, as Pete Seeger says in the documentary about Malvina, “Love It Like a Fool”). As she drove through Daly City, she said “Bud, take the wheel. I feel a song coming on.”..."
We can ask ourselves, was the creativity expressed only in Malvina Reynolds feeling inspired or is the issue what I noticed when I last saw the housing row in 2006 as I prepared to fly out of California?
"There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
..."
At the time I knew nothing of the creator's instinct or inspiration or even where she was writing about. I had no idea she had been driving through the same area when inspiration hit her and she wrote the first draft. But what did notice was that each house, while sharing massive similarities, were all in some way unique. They may all look the same and they may be made of "ticky-tacky" but every home owner chooses what color to paint their individual house which made the row of houses stand out from all others on that hillside and drew the eye automatically to their presence. And there is probably still a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one, even to this day! The individual's creative choice and artistic expression, regardless of whether anybody else appreciates it or not, is exactly what makes us aware of the houses at all.
Additionally, San Francisco houses (bland or not), have made a long-term contribution to Western culture. And this in spite of there being many people since the 1960s who are prone to groan when the repetitive tune from this song starts up and grinds on. Many from the 60s may firmly place it's presence in the "kitsch" basket and hope it never becomes revived again! BUT! From that referring website:
"...1. The term "ticky tacky" is now included in the Oxford English Dictionary, and credited to Malvina.
2. Seeger's recording reached as high as number seventy on Billboard and number seventy-two on Cashbox in early 1964.
3. The Womenfolk's version peaked at number eighty-three on Billboard and number ninety-six on Cashbox in May 1964."
So much for "kitsch"!
An old Santa Fe tourism video from 1995 asks visitors and locals to explain how they would define "Santa Fe style" and the responses included "Unique", "Different," and "Romantic". The voice-over artist explains Santa Fe as eclectic, colorful and eccentric. But the best explanation I have ever heard to explain Santa Fe's inexplicable mystique and stature as "one of the most sophisticated art centres of the world" comes from an interviewee almost as "unique" as the place itself. He says that Santa Fe style is "The old, the new, something borrowed, something blue."
I'm with him.
Don't try to explain or understand it, just revel in all it's diverse confusion and wonder. Relax and enjoy!
Ellen 0:)
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