Saturday, 16 June 2012

16th June 2012 Conversation With God

June 16A

GOD: "Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan.Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon.The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles."

ST. FRANCIS:It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD:Grass? But, it's so boring.It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS:Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.

GOD:They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:
Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS:Yes, Sir.

GOD:These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:
You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.


GOD:What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS:
You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about ...

GOD:
Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

Prev: 16th June 2012 Photo Art With No Titles Nor Captions

16th June 2012 Photo Art With No Titles Nor Captions

June 16
Consuelo Bautista, a very unique photographer, captures with her camera the intense daily life, activities and varied cultures and beliefs of the Old Chinatown of Barcelona. The city is dedicated to her an exhibition of her work, photo art combined with humour, without interfering the true essence of the area. None of the 53 exhibits has a title, as she stressed that none of them needs words to describe the intimate and one & only never possible to be repeated moments.

She uses only analogue cameras and always black & white film without optical zoom, and with total liberty, far from the topical or popular places, not even including the popular spot, the red light district; day or night, with suffocating colours or under the rain. She has cast her looks over the terrain with intuition to capture the spirit, the extraordinary and varied life, the culture, and the beliefs of the Raval area, through old narrow streets and lanes, local bars and squares and people ... The exhibition commissioned by the Arxiu Photography of Barcelona, opens it's doors today in the rooftop terrace of the Museum of Chocolate.

This collection is more like a documentary in photo art, with no words at all only images that tell tales of truth with humour. There's another section where the images are combined with sounds as they occurred at the time and place of the photo shoot. She wants to show true emotions and daily activities of the ordinary people of this district ,regarded as the oldest with the most varied and mixed of culture and traditions, living in admirable harmony despite the differences of race, creed, social status, educational background and religions.
FotoArt

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