The Synchronous Converter

Ask anybody their opinion on graffiti, and you’ll get views of love and hatred : some individuals see it as a nuisance, others a subtle artform. On the “good press” side, talented graffiti artists such as Banksy have made graffiti an artform that is pleasing on the eye, applying stencils to produce technically tricky graphics with a subtle meaning attached. This kind of graffiti was certain to become trendy with the masses and the art critics : visually pleasing and intellectually satisfying. This form of graffiti is even bought as graffiti on canvas, and hung on the walls of middle class homes and corporate meeting rooms.

Even so, what about the opposite end of the spectrum? - the tagger, the gangbanger type - this type of graffiti is oftentimes seen as hooliganism, a crime perpetrated by the talentless. But misinterprets graffiti as strictly an art form. To lots of individuals, it’s not only an artform, but a method to mark a district, or perhaps two fingers up at society : anti-art, anti-social, anti-establishment.

Graffiti has forever been an underground activity, even though the results are public facing. The targeted audience is frequently unidentified. Is it for a rival gang? A communication to a single person? To the public? Perhaps it’s merely uncalled-for and out of nothing to do.

Whatever the causes may be, there appears to be some kind of enduring demand to spray graffiti on walls. Some towns have conceded that graffiti isn’t a fad, so they’ve designated zones where graffiti is allowed - normally unoccupied areas, but from time to time busier zones like temporary boarding surrounding inner city construction sites.

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Like all art designs, there aren’t any fixed conventions for scrapbooking (that’s the beauty of making a scrapbook!). Even so, if you are just starting out, being conscious of a few general guidelines is useful:-

Think about the theme of your scrapbooking project. The subject should dictate the style and presentation of the scrapbook. For Instance, if you are making a scrapbook to celebrate a wedding party or the birth of a child, then you may choose embellishments, papers and colours that produce one fused style around that topic.

OK, now a theme has been picked out, think about the cloths, fabrics, and papers you want to apply. For instance, you may desire to use scrapbooking haberdashery in the scrapbooking projects.

A useful tip to setting the topic of your page is to give it a title. Employ die cut letters or stickers to spell out the title, or simply print it from your computer.

If you’re composing a small note on the page, write it out on notepaper beforehand to make sure the wording is correct.

There’s no hard and fast convention about the number of photographs to apply on any one page, but they should have some relation to your theme. Pick out a potpourri of photographs that you can apply as you design the page.

The main thing is that you enjoy the process of making your scrapbook. Making a scrapbook is a pasttime that many people enjoy and you’ll find there’s a big internet community willing to share their points and aid you in your scrapbooking efforts.

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Graffiti has incurred a mixed press over recent years. On the “good press” side, gifted graffiti artists such as Banksy have made graffiti an artform that is pleasing on the eye, employing stencils to produce tricky artworks with a subtle meaning attached. This sort of graffiti was bound to become popular with the public and the artworld : pleasing to the eye, and the intellect. This type of graffiti is even purchased as canvas prints, and placed on the walls of middleclass households and office meeting rooms.

Nonetheless, what about the opposite end of the spectrum? - the scally, the tagger, the gangbanger type - this type of graffiti is frequently seen as antisocial, an offence perpetrated by the talentless. However this is to misinterpret graffiti as purely art. To many individuals, it’s not just an artform, but a way to put your stamp on a neighbourhood, or even two fingers up at society : anti-establishment, anti-social, even anti-art.

Spraying has always been an underground pursuit, even though the effects are public. The targeted audience is often unidentified. Is it for a rival gang? A communication to an individual? To the public? Or….perhaps it’s simply uncalled-for and out of nothing else to do.

Whatever the causes may be, there seems to be some kind of enduring need to spray on walls. Some city councils have admitted that graffiti isn’t going to go away, so they’ve designated areas where graffiti is allowed - normally derelict areas, but occasionally more civic areas like temporary boarding that surrounds inner city buildings under construction.

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So Many Einstein’s

The morning mist, insists there is a God.
The earth remains faithful to its orbit.
The comet cries out to a hundred planets.

The sun ascends over the horizon.
From eight to eighty, so many Einstein’s.
The evening dust descends over tired wings.

To those who write music, paint poetry,
I say: our goal is to make whole the sum;
Wherein, reason can dwell among everyone.

Dennis, some of that figurative verse is great;
Perhaps as good as anyone can make.

#736 6/22/05

Just a Drop

In every drop of blood, rages war
For existence
Even in-sects !…

#736 6/22/05

Note: these two poems of Dennis Siluk’s reach out towards the world at large, with high spirits, wit and intensity; or so I do believe. What more can I say, except read them for yourself over a few times, see how they fit, or if you can absorb them. I like to read poetry at least three times; once quick to just get the words in my head; then the second time to kind of see how it is put together and check out the substance; and third for pure enjoyment, but sometimes I have to go back and see if I saw what I think I saw; like a painting, poetry can strike each person differently. It can trigger emotions like a movie. Anyhow, I read it a few more times especially if I see lots of images. Rosa Pealoza

Poet Dennis Siluk’s book, “Spell of the Andes,” is now out, and one can seen and purchased at http://www.amazon.com

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What’s a prisoner to do when justice fails
and the innocent is escorted off to jail?

What’s a prisoner to do once stigmatized,
caged and abandoned and ostracized?

What’s a prisoner to do there’s no one to trust;
the system fails and the outcome unjust?

What’s a prisoner to do when family decide
the punishment is warranted and justified?

What’s a prisoner to do while confined in a cell;
the perpetrator’s free and faring quite well?

What’s a prisoner to do once his reputation is dead
and his life has been ruined because of what someone said?

What’s a prisoner to do when he’s not believed,
though he’s telling the truth, he’s thought to deceive?

What’s a prisoner to do as he sits all alone,
no one seems to care; former friends all gone?

What’s a prisoner to do sitting lost and idle
and most of one’s thoughts become suicidal?

What’s a prisoner to do when freedom’s taken away
and the will to live diminishes each day?

What’s a prisoner to do when hedged in by strife;
with no escape possible; no chance for a new life?

What’s a prisoner to do when he can no longer see
the beauty of the sky or the waves of the sea?

What’s a prisoner to do when the sun he can’t feel,
nor the breeze of spring because his fate is sealed?

What’s a prisoner to do when doomed to despair
but still praying to escape the electric chair?

Tell me, what’s a prisoner to do?

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available in July.

You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Souls’ service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification or to browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall. http://www.clergyservices4u.org.

Blessings to all!

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What do you do when you want to write poetry? I hope your answer is “I start writing.” Even writing a bad poem is better than waiting for the “right words.” You can always throw it away, and the process has begun. You’ll start to find the words sooner than if you had just waited. Here are some more ways to get started.

Sing A Poem

Try a little experiment - alone in the basement if you must. Describe something, then describe it again, singing instead of talking. You’ll notice the words you use change. Your sentences will generally be more rythmic. It is also easier to rhyme when you are singing.

Singing comes from the right side of the brain. This is the side that handles pattern-recognition. When you sing, you access this part of your brain, and you’ll get ideas or patterns of words that are difficult for your analytical left-brain to create. Try it.

Start With Poetic Materials

You can create poetry by listing words most likely to result in decent poems. Look for emotional content, for example. “Love” and “worship” have more poetic potential than “like,” right? Scan a book, pick out powerful words, and write them down. You may want to write words that rhyme with them alonside. Then start using them.

Say something dramatic, like “I sing of death,” or “Your eyes called out.” Try to let it come from somewhere deep inside you. Then start explaining what it might mean. This will almost certainly give you material for a poem.

Play with short verses, long verses, rhyming and non-rhyming poems. Try haiku. Try writing down your thoughts as fast as you can, without stopping. Don’t worry about quality at this point. You just need to get that creative mind working. Then, when you find gems in all the dirt, you can start polishing them.

Steve Gillman has been playing with poetry for thirty years. He and his wife Ana created the game “Deal-A-Poem,” which can be accessed for free at: http://www.dealapoem.com

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When I started quilting 3 years ago I had just about no other people around me who had a first hand appreciation of quilting. Finding another quilter was pretty hard and often I didn’t have anyone to share my gift with or to talk to about it. When I got online looking for free quilting patterns I stumbled upon this great quilting membership site that has a vibrant community of quilters all over the world. It was exactly what I always wanted and I was pretty amazed that someone else had built it. They put alot of time and energy into setting up this wonderful site and even included everything you could think of to connect everyone! This site has more features than my cell phone!

When you start out quilting it’s always helpful to have some example patterns to help you get the hang of the quilting look and feel. With the free quilting patterns you can get online you can not only see some of the intriguing designs that you can use but you can make your first quilt design look ravishing! With this great quilt patch networking site I found you can share your designs with others as well as see what others have done to get ideas or to feel a sense of accomplishment when others comment about your work. The internet makes networking with other quilters fun!

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When it comes to designer jewellery, designers such as Carolina Bucci, Les Nereides, Como Blonde and Pebble offer unique pieces which screams of cool sophistication.

Bracelets are sure to complement any clothes, and are ideal to add that little unque touch to your look. If you are looking for some exclusive designer jewellery, look no further than Carolina Bucci; Her latest range of bracelets are made of turquoise silk and sparkling sterling silver which look stunning under the sun.

With the recent success of handmade jewellery, we are seeing more and more pieces being handmade with care, resulting in beautiful and unique designer jewellery. Many are One off designs, so you won’t find anyone else wearing the same thing! Hand made jewellery is perfect as a special gifts, or birthday.

Designer jewellery such as pendants and necklaces designed out of silver, gold, platinum as well as natural threads are becoming really fashionable, and should be a key part of your summer collection.

This summer natural jewellery is the trend to follow, following a range of celebrities seen on the highstreets and beaches with pebble jewellery. We have seen some beautiful pieces featuring beads, breads, and minerals which look nothing less than fantastic.

Gold or siler pendants featuring pearls or gemstones are ideal for summer time, and these contemporary jewellery designers are proving popular amongst celebrities. Les Nereides have a great range of charming pendants made with very light materials which look great with summer dresses.

Vintage and classic pieces are proving hot on the catwalk and the highstreet, featuring necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings from some of the leading designer jewellery designers.

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