Art?

Boy am I exhausted mentally. There has been some pretty in depth discussion going on around in the office on what is Art. And it pretty much came down to the same as beauty...its all pretty much in the eye of the beholder, which I can see. The problem I still have is about such things as Installation Art of which the English artist Damien Hirst is probably the best known. The picture above is of his 'artwork' "The Physcial Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" which is a dead tiger shark in a tank full of preserving fluid and sold for US$8 million back in 2004. To me this is just a dead animal in fluid and belongs more in a science lab or natural history museum rather than in the Metropolitian Museum of Art in New York. Besides I would be asking for refund as the original shark was replaced in 2006!

It aint art.

Licking Cate

Each year Australian Post release a set of stamps to celebrate Australia Day. This years set of stamps features our recent Academy Award winners....Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe (Apparently the Kiwis are a bit upset about Australia claiming Russell). There are a few people around who have had their noses pout out of joint by these four being honoured in such a way (especially seeing they are all getting 24 carat gold replica of the stamps.)

Personally I quite like the stamps but for me Cate Blanchett continues to do it for me no end. Back in December she got a star on the walk of fame in Hollywood and said "I thought I'd be outside the men's urinals like five miles from here, but I'm outside the Egyptian which is also incredible to me."

Now with the stamp she has quipped again ""I am utterly, deeply humbled and chuffed by the fact that I'm a stamp," Blanchett said in a statement.
"I'm going to be licked by millions of Australians and I can't wait.

Well I for one can't wait either Cate! Such a pity we dont have to lick our stamps anymore.

Unappreciated Humour.

My mother in law is currently in hospital. There is a problem with her blood and iron count so she has been receiving a number of transfusions. The wife and I were visiting her on Monday when the nurse came in to start a new bag of blood....

Nurse to my mother in law: "Well Mrs Webster the Doctor tells me that you have the heart of a thirty year old."


Me in an attempt to bring a bit of levity to the situation: "Thats funny. I have the body of a nineteen year old...(pause) Yeah its in the boot of the car. Dont want to give me a hand to bury it do you?"


Nurse fixing me with a cold gaze: "You are a sick man."

Exciting Times.

I was born the year Kennedy was assissinated and can only just remember the moon landings. I cried for joy when the Berlin Wall came down and cried with grief on September 11. But today they will be tears of hope as Obama is sworn is as the United States President. I pray that he can carry the burden and his Presidency bears the fruit that it promises.

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

Well good grief, it's been seven months since I have written anything on my blog. So the chances of anyone reading this are pretty damn slim!

My writing has been pretty thin on the ground over the past few months as writers block continues to be a problem. Although it may not be writers block, it could just be my hypercritical analysis of my own work. Everything I write seems to be as trite and worthless as Snoopy's "It was a dark and stormy night..." Here are just some tasty "gems" for your enjoyment:

The bees droned above our heads. Flitting in and about the heavy, white, Wisteria flowers that hung like stalactites from my sister’s patio.

For a long time I ignored my neighbours. I did not attend building management committee meetings or engage in idle gossip in the elevators.

The neon beer sign was a garish red and white that drew Stone's dark face into a number of sharp angled features.

As my hero Snoopy says...Good writing is hard work. Well so is bad writing.