Adam Lambert at the American Music Awards
I am all for equality, you may have already figured that out if you've been reading regularly.
For years, women have been breaking barriers in the music industry through their choices of costuming and dance and through their overt portrayal of female sexuality. Way to go ladies, we have succeed in becoming hot objects of lust. Now we have a man attempting to do exactly what the women have been doing ever since Madonna donned her Gaultier corset and it is completely unacceptable, bad TV, too sexy, too raunchy, and just too much for North American media to wrap its brains around.
If we can, as a culture, accept and objectify women as sexual creatures via music, movies, TV, readily accessible soft-porn as movies, books, magazines, why is it so terrible that a man would want to be objectified in the same manner as his female musical predecessors?
You tell me... because I don't understand.
--
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Something For Me
In an unusual turn of events, I made a piece of jewellery just for me. The only pendants of my own that I wear are because the stone is chipped and happened in the setting process and I am uncomfortable selling it that way.
A friend blessed me with this lovely piece of Baltic Amber that was acquired in Istanbul and given to the friend and mentor of my friend. From the moment he passed it to me, I knew that I wanted to set it and wear it for me. I also wanted to include the chakra colours in the setting.
It is comfortable and joyful to wear this piece.
--
A friend blessed me with this lovely piece of Baltic Amber that was acquired in Istanbul and given to the friend and mentor of my friend. From the moment he passed it to me, I knew that I wanted to set it and wear it for me. I also wanted to include the chakra colours in the setting.
It is comfortable and joyful to wear this piece.
--
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Going Political 2
From CBC News
Vandals damage Fredericton cenotaph
Members of Fredericton's Royal Canadian Legion are asking vandals who destroyed part of the city's cenotaph to turn themselves in as the organization prepares for Remembrance Day.
Jean-Guy Perrault, the president of Branch 4 of the Royal Canadian Legion, arrived at the cenotaph on Monday morning to decide where to place the crosses for Wednesday's Remembrance Day ceremony. That's when he noticed that the cenotaph had been heavily damaged in places.
"I almost fell on my knees. It hurt. Like I said … how can people sleep at night who did that — for the poor soldiers who fought for our country, for what we have that is so beautiful," Perrault said.
The cenotaph is the site of the main Remembrance Day event in the provincial capital. A three-metre-high granite cross atop the monument was toppled to the ground and smashed into pieces.
David Smith, who worked with the Royal Canadian Legion on the cenotaph project, said it will be difficult to explain to veterans when they arrive on Nov. 11 why this vandalism took place.
"I think its devastating to take into consideration the number of fallen people that we've had and this is a heck of a way to remember them and at this time of the year," Smith said.
"And to devastate this particular monument is terrible."
Perrault said while he thinks the cenotaph can be fixed, he wants the vandals to step forward.
"Please come forward, excuse yourself, the damage is done … come forward, why did you do that," Perrault said.
"Please I'm begging, come to the legion, come talk to me, please. My heart is broken, really broken."
Fredericton police are investigating.
---
My personal feelings on the war have varied over the years and I am finding that I disagree more and more with the Canada's policies on the war effort as there are things that could have been done differently far sooner to have made more significant and stronger impacts on the war and in Afghanistan. My issue is with the politicians who make the decisions, not with the troops who serve.
The troops who serve, are men and women who enlisted in the CF for a job. They didn't know what the job could be.
20 years ago it was all peace-keeping, either UN or NATO led. Peace-keeping presented its own issues to our troops who were situated in the Balkans and Kosovo in the early 90's. It was a violent situation, rife with human abuses and because it was peace-keeping, there was no way to engage the 'enemy' to make them stop raping and torturing. Perhaps being able to stop the abuse with the shoot-first policy of war is better?
Since 2002 it has been a NATO led war. Some of our CF members that are serving and have served in Afghanistan signed up well before 9/11 was ever thought possible, some signed on after because 9/11 was reality.
I will continue to support our troops because they are doing a job, just like you & me. I am sure that they are not always thrilled with their job everyday, like us, but everyday they go and they do what they are asked by the "Boss". In their situation, the Boss happens to be the Canadian Government, the Canadian Government was elected by the people of Canada, ergo, they work for us so we damn well better realize that until we choose a government that will treat our employees better, that we should stand behind them and show them our support.
Bluntly, we put the politicians in the Parliament that put the troops in Afghanistan so regardless of how we voted last time and feel about the war effort, as citizens of a free and democratic nation; thank you to all World War Vets for that, and to all since who have fought, died, been wounded, kept the peace, seen the worst and best of humanity for making Canada the nation that she is; we have a right to bitch about it but we don't have a right to destroy and degrade.
I miss my friend that is currently serving oversees. Stay safe, stay well and regardless, you are remembered.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
What a difference....
... a year can make.
I shot some nature photos this time last year and posted them here. I went back to a couple of the same places and re-shot the same formations. The most intriguing is the fungus formation on the stump, the amount of decay over a year is significant but more interesting still is the new life that is growing with it.
This is the entire top part of the stump. The hole in it is greatly enlarged.
This is the new fungal growth. It wasn't there in the photo from this spring.
This is the old growth which itself has started to decay. Instead of the rich browns and greys that it held last year, a portion of it is blackening and there are distinct bands of green forming in the growth. It is also sprouting its own fungal growth that is new on feeding on its decay.
On the 5th I took shots of the witch hazel, which is exactly one year ago from the previous images of it in bloom. The blossoms were well formed and fresh.
Today I snapped the blooms again and the frost from last night is starting to shrivel them a bit more. The flowers are such fringed little things, not much more than 2-3cm in size when fully extended.
It was cold enough last night to produce one more thing that fascinates in the late fall: hoar frost.
Small fragile crystal flowers of ice and soil.
Cascading upwards over small pebbles, bearing the weight of the disturbed earth on the tips.
Moss growths on maple bark.
Bright holly berries and the ruddy leaves of impending winter.
A completely accidental shot. The bright sunlight behind the aging sumac blossom imparts an ethereal quality to an otherwise ordinary entity.
--
Suffice it to say that the natural world is not the only place where a year or even a few days has made evident changes. One of these days when I am not so fascinated with the visual I may write about it.
--
I shot some nature photos this time last year and posted them here. I went back to a couple of the same places and re-shot the same formations. The most intriguing is the fungus formation on the stump, the amount of decay over a year is significant but more interesting still is the new life that is growing with it.
This is the entire top part of the stump. The hole in it is greatly enlarged.
This is the new fungal growth. It wasn't there in the photo from this spring.
This is the old growth which itself has started to decay. Instead of the rich browns and greys that it held last year, a portion of it is blackening and there are distinct bands of green forming in the growth. It is also sprouting its own fungal growth that is new on feeding on its decay.
On the 5th I took shots of the witch hazel, which is exactly one year ago from the previous images of it in bloom. The blossoms were well formed and fresh.
Today I snapped the blooms again and the frost from last night is starting to shrivel them a bit more. The flowers are such fringed little things, not much more than 2-3cm in size when fully extended.
It was cold enough last night to produce one more thing that fascinates in the late fall: hoar frost.
Small fragile crystal flowers of ice and soil.
Cascading upwards over small pebbles, bearing the weight of the disturbed earth on the tips.
Moss growths on maple bark.
Bright holly berries and the ruddy leaves of impending winter.
A completely accidental shot. The bright sunlight behind the aging sumac blossom imparts an ethereal quality to an otherwise ordinary entity.
--
Suffice it to say that the natural world is not the only place where a year or even a few days has made evident changes. One of these days when I am not so fascinated with the visual I may write about it.
--
Monday, November 2, 2009
Show Season
It's that crazy part of the year with only 52 days left till Christmas.
There are three big shows coming up in the next short while. Prince Edward Island Crafts Council show in Charlottetown 13-15 November, and the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council Show 20-22 November. Back to back weekends away.
There is the potential of a fashion show on the 28th and there are classes to teach in the midst of all this.
December brings the Ottawa Originals Show for 10 glorious days of Christmas shopping from the 10th -20th. Just remember that show is closed on the 14th.
I am looking forward to seeing friends and regular clients at the shows and hopefully having a bit of time to catch up with a few of the denizens we count as dear friends in each of the cities.
--
There are three big shows coming up in the next short while. Prince Edward Island Crafts Council show in Charlottetown 13-15 November, and the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council Show 20-22 November. Back to back weekends away.
There is the potential of a fashion show on the 28th and there are classes to teach in the midst of all this.
December brings the Ottawa Originals Show for 10 glorious days of Christmas shopping from the 10th -20th. Just remember that show is closed on the 14th.
I am looking forward to seeing friends and regular clients at the shows and hopefully having a bit of time to catch up with a few of the denizens we count as dear friends in each of the cities.
--
Thursday, October 29, 2009
"Digital Strangelove"
When I came across this, I thought it was an interesting perspective on the message and medium concept of Marshall McLuhan.
There is no question that in the past 15 years that the net has affected our social norms and our business structures. It has affected how we gather media and in turn treat it as a social object to be shared with our ever expanding circle of friends on networking sites.
Change is afoot. We are living in interesting times.
Digital Strangelove (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Internet)
There is no question that in the past 15 years that the net has affected our social norms and our business structures. It has affected how we gather media and in turn treat it as a social object to be shared with our ever expanding circle of friends on networking sites.
Change is afoot. We are living in interesting times.
Digital Strangelove (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Internet)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Note From a Friend
"Hey, by the way, I am a fan of you! I was looking at your website and I like what I see. The way you describe your work and what it means to you is really well put together. Most of all, what gets to me at my core is the way you talk about beauty, hidden beauty. There is something I get on a deep level. It is there in your jewelry pieces and it is there in your aura, as well."
I just got this note from friend who is a very spiritual person, and I like him a lot. He's a powerful person, but quiet and I appreciate the level of introspection that he has given to his life. His note has let me know that the artist's statement of why I do what I do has some meaning. It may not make sense to everyone, but at least makes sense to someone.
The statement came out of a lot of self-examination. I could have gone on about pretty rock and loving colour, which I did for awhile, but for myself to truly know why I do this, I had to look at myself.
The past ten years have contained some of the best and worst of what has happened in my life, severe depression cycles, wonderful up times, end of a marriage and meeting and marrying one person who loves to loves me as I am. Getting instant family, giving up a business, and starting another. Mourning losses and finding myself. Gaining weight, then loosing it, keeping it off. Getting older, getting wiser. Being shy and learning to act so that no one needs to know. Closing up, closing myself off, isolating, and deciding that that is not the right path. Opening up, making the decision to connect. Reconnecting with old friends and making new friends, meeting people, jumping out of my comfort zone. Trying new foods, going places, getting dressed up, getting out. Finding out that I am beautiful, not in the fashion magazine sense of the word, but in my own very unique, individual way. Beautiful, when I let myself love and share and talk and show my inner nature.
So in response to my friend: ... thank you. I am truly honoured that you are a fan.
The whole thing of beauty, and inner beauty especially, stems from 'ugly duckling' issues. I suspect that even the most physically beautiful people have them too. On the technical side, gems are graded for their beauty and the realization is that none are perfect. There are invisible to the naked eye flaws, discolourations, problems with size or cut. A physically beautiful gem stone may have been chemically treated in some way to give it the appearance of perfection, but inside, under a microscope, it is a mass of fractures. An ordinary rock that on the outside looks worn, cracked, uneven, ugly, can have the most beautiful natural crystals or colours or patterns. This is humanity and unfortunately we rarely allow ourselves to get close enough to others to find their inner beauty and more importantly, we rarely spend the time on ourselves to realize that we are beautiful. Discovering that we are is a remarkable thing.
I am very happy you that you are reaching new levels in your meditations. You are a beautiful person and it only adds to your quiet power.
Talk soon, stay well.
Cheers,
Cynthia
--
It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection.. - Oscar Wilde
I just got this note from friend who is a very spiritual person, and I like him a lot. He's a powerful person, but quiet and I appreciate the level of introspection that he has given to his life. His note has let me know that the artist's statement of why I do what I do has some meaning. It may not make sense to everyone, but at least makes sense to someone.
The statement came out of a lot of self-examination. I could have gone on about pretty rock and loving colour, which I did for awhile, but for myself to truly know why I do this, I had to look at myself.
The past ten years have contained some of the best and worst of what has happened in my life, severe depression cycles, wonderful up times, end of a marriage and meeting and marrying one person who loves to loves me as I am. Getting instant family, giving up a business, and starting another. Mourning losses and finding myself. Gaining weight, then loosing it, keeping it off. Getting older, getting wiser. Being shy and learning to act so that no one needs to know. Closing up, closing myself off, isolating, and deciding that that is not the right path. Opening up, making the decision to connect. Reconnecting with old friends and making new friends, meeting people, jumping out of my comfort zone. Trying new foods, going places, getting dressed up, getting out. Finding out that I am beautiful, not in the fashion magazine sense of the word, but in my own very unique, individual way. Beautiful, when I let myself love and share and talk and show my inner nature.
So in response to my friend: ... thank you. I am truly honoured that you are a fan.
The whole thing of beauty, and inner beauty especially, stems from 'ugly duckling' issues. I suspect that even the most physically beautiful people have them too. On the technical side, gems are graded for their beauty and the realization is that none are perfect. There are invisible to the naked eye flaws, discolourations, problems with size or cut. A physically beautiful gem stone may have been chemically treated in some way to give it the appearance of perfection, but inside, under a microscope, it is a mass of fractures. An ordinary rock that on the outside looks worn, cracked, uneven, ugly, can have the most beautiful natural crystals or colours or patterns. This is humanity and unfortunately we rarely allow ourselves to get close enough to others to find their inner beauty and more importantly, we rarely spend the time on ourselves to realize that we are beautiful. Discovering that we are is a remarkable thing.
I am very happy you that you are reaching new levels in your meditations. You are a beautiful person and it only adds to your quiet power.
Talk soon, stay well.
Cheers,
Cynthia
--
It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection.. - Oscar Wilde
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Art Trek Gala Opening
“HIGH ON THE ARTS”
7-11pm Friday, October 16
Charlotte Street Arts Centre, Fredericton
An evening of music & dance, food & drink, including an auction of fine art.
The evening celebrates Fredericton and its artists and is the launch of ART TREK, a weekend when local artists open their studios to visitors from far and wide, showing us just how art is made!
Organized by the Fredericton Arts Alliance, ART TREK provides a map and addresses of all the studios. The launch includes singers, dancers and instrumentalists. Proceeds of the auction will help sponsor the Art Trek and its promotion.
Take part in a lively auction of works by Fredericton artists including: Judy Blake, Karen Burk, Marjory Donaldson, Lorna Drew, Katie FitzRandolph, Kim Vose Jones, Paula Keppie, Stephen May, Deanna Musgrave, Cynthia Ryder, George Strunz, and others, including a piece by our fabulous guest auctioneer Brigitte Clavette.
Enjoy live music and dance with pianist\Geraldine Mitchell, soprano Cathy LeBlanc, Artemis Dance, tenor Derrick Miller and pianist Diane Roxborough-Brown, poet Andrew Titus, Highland dancers, and more. Conclude your evening by dancing to some wonderful tunes!
Treat yourselves to gourmet nibbles, fine wines, and Picaroons excellent beer. (Your ticket will provide you with a free drink, after which there will be a cash bar.)
Tickets, $35 per person:
Available at Westministers books, from FAA Board members, or at the door. Call 454-1139, 455-8045
Organized by the Fredericton Arts Alliance
Art Trek is a studio tour open to the public which takes place October 17-18 in Fredericton. Art Trek provides the public with the opportunity to meet artists in their place of work, and to do a little Christmas shopping while enjoying the fall colours. Admission to the Art Trek tour is free.
You can access more information, including a listing of all participating studios and a map, by downloading the Art Trek brochure at: www.frederictonartsalliance.ca Brochures will also be available around the city.
Art Trek hours are Saturday, Oct 17, 10-6 PM and Sunday, Oct 17 from 12-5 PM.
snagged directly from all the FAA promo material. Nothing original today.
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