View allAll Photos Tagged Cautionary
Within hours of arriving in Fairbanks, Jordan and I were told by a local that we probably would not see many moose since the state opened hunting season on femalesā¦and it has been open for about ten years. I would be lying if I said his words didnāt sting a little. I quickly set this news aside as I knew deep in my heart that God would bless us with his creations. It is Alaska after all, the only question was with what, when and where.
With opening day on several species including moose and caribou just a little more than a week away, hunters were already flocking into the wild to scout and set up shooting positions. The use of ATVs by prospective hunters sent many critters who were starting to herd up for winter far outside of the reach of my 64-year-old legs and lenses.
My favorite, and only memorized line from the cartoon movie Bambi is āMan is in the woods.ā A cautionary line, if I remember correctly, given to Bambi from his mother just before she is shot. I constantly replay this sentence in my head as I take photosā¦due to my personal wiring to think a bit oddly.
For the record, I have no problem with huntingā¦as long as it is properly done, harvested and within the limits of the law. From a wildlife photography perspective, whether its mushrooms, deer or in the case of Alaska in August, the blueberry harvestā¦people, cars and ATV shut down just about any critter movement. As previously postedā¦pigs are the exception!
In this shot, A mature moose cow dinning on leaves from a Sitka Willow just off Chena Hot Springs Road. She was with her two spring calves and another adult moose that we could not sexā¦probably a trophy buck who didnāt want his picture taken.
Despite the bad news just hours before and the activity of hunters, blessed encounters occur when you stay focused on your quest.
My memories of Yellowstone are conflicted, I was in a tour group of 30 Australians. We were due to spend three days in Yellowstone, but most of my fellow travellers wanted to be shopping rather than soak up the beauty and majesty of Yellowstone.
Faced with a rebellion from a restive rabble, our tour leader reduced our Yellowstone stay by one day and rushed us to a town with a shopping mall where emergency therapy was applied courtesy of Walmart and sundry junk food franchises.
For my part, I loved Yellowstone, but every stop was rushed on account of travelling with so many dissatisfied people who wanted to be somewhere else; not to mention the places we never saw.
This then is a sample of my shots from Yellowstone, most of them going on display for the first time, because I've tended to delete Yellowstone from my travel memory.
Let this be a cautionary tale to novice travellers, package tours are a grand way to cover a lot of ground and see the highlights. But know, you can't choose your fellow travellers, so beware of people who have not read the itinerary and harbour unexpected and hidden agendas.
Day 70/80, Press L to view large.
From the time they are born, our brothers and sisters are our collaborators and co-conspirators, our role models and cautionary tales. They are our scolds, protectors, goads, tormentors, playmates, counselors, sources of envy, objects of pride. They teach us how to resolve conflicts and how not to; how to conduct friendships and when to walk away from them. Sisters teach brothers about the mysteries of girls; brothers teach sisters about the puzzle of boys.ā
--Jeffrey Kluger-
I often throw out a cautionary note as planet Mercury swings retrograde. Like many situations in life, we're often well into a new phase before even realizing it. Mercury retrograde can catch us all off guard. There's not much we can do about it, the delays, accidents, communication failures, mechanical and electrical breakdowns, misunderstandings, and on and on. But being aware of the increased likelihood of these things can help reduce the impact. Retrogrades tend to be reflective times with our thoughts often leading us backwards to prior times, events and people. It's a good time to take one's foot off the gas and just ease up a bit. Reflect, plan, check and double check. There's a high probability for careless mistakes now, often times not realized until after the retrograde comes to an end (that's one that always gets me, one way or another). The shadow phase of Mercury retrograde began a couple of weeks ago so the effects have already begun to play out. The actual retrograde begins today and runs through July 12. As if that's not enough, Mercury is joined in retrograde by five other planets this month. Six planets in simultaneous retrograde is a fairly unusual occurrence and could pose for some additional life challenges over the next few weeks.
Time seemed to pause for me momentarily at this abandoned farmstead one foggy morning. It was as if I'd ventured onto a Hollywood movie set. One of those scenes you see with your eyes, but also feel in your heart. Times like this I really can't believe what I'm seeing, but feeling immensely fortunate to be here. I often get this weird desire to walk into the scenes in other people's photos. Places that seem so special that I just want to be a part of, to experience them firsthand.
Check out some of these scenes you've created here:
www.flickr.com/photos/forlornphotos/galleries/72157687531...
Excerpt from www.citywindsor.ca/residents/Culture/Windsor-Sculpture-Pa...:
Assumption Park
Sorel Etrog
Space Plough II, 1990-98
Painted steel, 245 x 516 x 160 centimetres
Space Plough II provides another representation of Sorel Etrog's famous fascination with the industrial themes of the twentieth century. The piece asks us to reconsider its subject. It asks the viewer to try and bring machinery into the museum, to see that even the most utilitarian objects of our creation can possess artistic and expressive elements.
Space Plough II has a strong but simple steel construction with a basic triangular shape, and it is painted in that recognizable cautionary orange of heavy-duty industrial machinery. Etrog's trademark central hinge is also prominently featured. At first glance, the piece might look like something left behind by a road crew. A viewer might wonder, Is this just a plough? This is a justified first impression. But Etrog makes us reconsider and ask a different set of questions with a different sort of emphasis: Is this just a plough? Or, can a plough be art? These tools we have made and used to such great practical success - do they speak for us? Is this our art?
A Do-It-Yourself asbestos sampling kit designed for use by home occupants.
While there are several interesting issues about this test kit, the basic premise of having untrained laypersons disturbing suspect (or moreover, actual) asbestos materials in their own home seems most concerning.
Governmental organizations have conducted thorough research and promulgated detailed laws & regulations with specific requirements for asbestos inspection protocols. Professional asbestos inspectors and surveyors are required to possess a requisite amount of asbestos-related experience, receive specialized training from a properly accredited and licensed training provider, and then also be properly licensed and accredited as asbestos inspectors themselves in their respective districts.
Further, properly trained, licensed and accredited asbestos inspectors are medically monitored for wearing specialized HEPA-filtered respirators and employ detailed sampling techniques that are intended to protect themselves and others in the sampling environment.
Professional asbestos inspectors also possess experience at determining adequate sampling strategies and sample quantities for statistically reliable results. Not to mention, the properly trained asbestos inspector utilizes asbestos-related experience to collect samples representative of the respective materials, comprising all layering and other related subtle material anomalies (e.g.- all layers of multi-layered plaster and surfacing materials, all layers of multi-layer pipe insulations, scooping "bottom" of installed vermiculite attic insulation, including joint-compound with gypsum-drywall, inclusion of mastics and adhesives, and many other material-specific sampling methods).
The idea of the general public haphazardly digging into asbestos materials and likely contaminating themselves and their families in their very own homes seems flawed, at the very least.
Also, is this kit suggesting to homeowners that there is no concern for asbestos in homes built after 1978?
Further, one might think a special health warning, cautionary statement, or conspicuous disclaimer about the danger(s) of asbestos exposure on the package would be essential for the purchaser of the asbestos sampling kit.
Day 31 - New Year's Eve is finally here and it's pissing rain. At first I thought I would post one of the pictures of our drunken debauchery but I thought I would post this instead. Here is the poor girl that tried to scam a seat at our table because she was so drunk that she could barely stand and I must mention that this was before midnight...The poor fellow in this picture looks SOO proud.
And to the rest of the evening/morning after, I say wink wink, nudge nudge...end of story!
126:366:202
A few days ago I had this lens ball sitting in this wooden hand, ready to go out in the evening and take this shot. Well, the sun shining through the window had a different idea. We smelled the burning wood, but didn't know where it was coming from, until we saw the twirly little smoke tendril rising up from the hand. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!! Yeah, be careful with your lensballs and keep them out of the sun when you're not using them. Too close šš±
Vintage, quart-sized, labeled container of "Liquid Asbestos" roof coating, made by the DeWitt Products Company of Detroit, Michigan. Side labeling indicates "asbestos" content, cautionary information, directions, and suggested uses.
Collage of the cautionary lifting advice symbol printed on a cardboard carton.
A cropped macro replicated and individually processed with various effects and compiled all using Picasa 3's program.
Vintage, quart-sized, labeled container of "Belknap" rfurnace cement, made by Belknap Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky. Reverse-side labeling indicates cautionary information, directions, and suggested uses.
While all products may not specifically advertise their asbestos content, this material was lab-tested and confirmed to contain chrysotile asbestos.
House Martin / delichon urbicum. Alderton, Suffolk. 06/07/23.
'THAT SIDEWAYS GLANCE.'
An adult House Martin photographed just as it was about to leave its nest. I've noticed these birds usually take a cautionary moment to see what's going on outside.
*Check out the cheeky sideways eye swivel, by viewing as large as possible.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
This warning sign is located at a distance from abandoned factory buildings and just a few dozen yards from an occupied residential neighborhood. Much of the adjoining properties covering many acres near derelict asbestos manufacturing facilities in Ambler, PA, have been fenced-off and demarcated with such cautionary signage.
Not so certain though that airborne asbestos fibers would abide by such boundaries.
Much of the adjoining properties covering many acres near derelict asbestos manufacturing facilities in Ambler, PA, have been fenced-off and demarcated with cautionary warnings.
In the time it took 810 to run out to work at Brigham, job 2's crew came on duty and readied their train for its eastbound departure. With the switcher now tucked inside the yard at Farnham, number 2 accelerates out of the cautionary limits for its overnight journey to Maine.
Little Owl / athene noctua. Suffolk. 17/05/23.
'A CAUTIONARY GLANCE.'
Early evening and the time was right for the female to emerge from her nest inside a barn. She took her time to do this after being visited and rallied by her mate.
Here, she is taking a cautionary glance to the side, checking the immediate surroundings.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
A wooden fence in the city with lots of cautionary signs. This sparks my curiousity as to what is behind inside.
Fairytale Perfume Awakening Long-forgotten Childhood Memories at the pier of Langelinje close to Copenhagen Harbour ... Once upon a Time ... a Long Time ago ...
Hans Christian Andersen was sitting there giving life to the bronze statue as he started relating the moving story of "The Little Mermaid" who lived in an Underwater Kingdom with beautiful gardens but she longed to experience the world of human beings ...
Please say no more,dear Christian ... Itās a long sad story,it'll make me cry again,you'll scratch all the etched wounds in my soul.
Can't bear it,enough the sufferings of the world,I had better have fun in Tivoli Gardens ...
Hans Christian Andersen believed that his life was a real fairytale.Many of his cautionary tales became immortal and they immortalised him as they would live happily forever after.
His philosophy and favourite phrase was āTo travel is to liveā.
He travelled all over Europe where he met many fellow writers,celebrities and royalties.Many of his journeys were financed by public funds.He found the experience of travelling so fascinating that he also wrote a number of travel books.
āTo move, to breath, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote.
To Travel is to Live.ā H. C. Andersen
Allured by the sparkling lights in Tivoli Gardens,I left Christian and the Little Mermaid on her rock gazing across the shore looking for her lost love ... There was an expression of ineffable sadness on her face ... If melancholy had a face,it would be hers ...
Paying tribute to Children's Literature & to Childhood Memories & Dreams ...
Determine the moral for yourselves or encapsulate it in a maxim,If you know the plot of the tale ... my Flickr friends ā„
This is a photograph of a sandy access point to a close-by beach. The cautionary signage prompted the title. Itās a very beautiful and very safe spot, actually!
This bird has made a cautionary stop in one of the young aspen trees that surround our fountain/pond. Most species cautiously approach in interim steps, thus offering several photo ops per visit. Water is a better "bird magnet " up here than food... it's much more scarce. The bird is checking out the activity in the area before dropping down to drink or bathe (where it is more vulnerable). This male is our most colorful western mountain songbird. The clear yellow belly denotes an adult bird... the juvies have mottled bellies.
IMG_5594; Western Tanager
Monkshood is a cautionary plant found in woodlands, meadows, and mid-alpine areas. Growing 2 to 4 feet tall, it has slender stems and leaves with five deeply divided lobes. Its dark blue-purple flowers resemble a helmet, giving the appearance of a hooded monk. All parts of this plant are highly poisonous, so caution is essential.
The genus Aconitum, meaning "poisonous plant," comes from the ancient Latin term. It may also derive from the Greek word akoniton, or from akon, meaning "dart," as arrows were historically dipped in its juice. Despite its toxicity, monkshood has been used in traditional medicine for pain relief and sedation, but only with extreme caution due to its potential lethality.
Forgot to post on time...
Here's a cautionary tale about missing Thursday walks:
www.flickr.com/photos/7726011@N07/54183629988/in/photostr...
Fall temperatures are starting to roll over the north and I decided to try a new spot Iāve wanted to try after driving by multiple times. Pictured here a duo of ONRās new sleek looking SD70Mās pulling 414 out of Porquis cautionary limits on a cool day.
You may be aware that in England, many C19th iron railings were removed during the early 1940's to be melted down as part of the war effort. How much of this was actually used is open to conjecture; some historians believe that it was stockpiled and later secretly dumped due to the impracticality of the process.
Either way, a few minutes after taking this photograph in a Leeds graveyard I trod on one such railing stump which went clean through my boot and into my foot ....tetanus booster duly arranged.
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HƤlsingland farm or HƤlsingegƄrd
The farmhouses of HƤlsingland are a cultural heritage and an example of traditional Swedish construction technique in the old farmerās society in HƤlsingland. The magnificent dwelling houses of the farms have become symbols of the term HƤlsingland farms, although the farm as a production unit, including out buildings and land, is what constitutes a HƤlsingland farm.
The HƤlsingland farms reflect the rural construction techniques, using only wood, and are an expression of the popular architecture; the farmerās way of building as it evolved when means flourished. To depict a general idea of the HƤlsingland farm is difficult as they vary between parishes and periods of time.
The uniqueness of these farms lie in the farmerās ambition to build big. Nowhere in the world is such a collection of large farms as in HƤlsingland.
The farms have large and elaborately decorated dwelling houses, often two or three, sometimes housing several generations, whereas some houses were used only for festivities and others for sleeping, so called ābed-cottagesā. Most often they were two stories, but there are also examples of one story cottages with room for two families.
The well-constructed dwelling houses, often lavishly designed with profiled roof-bases, elegantly profiled joinery work around windows and beautifully decorated doorways, mainly represent the construction style of the 19th century, but there are also older farms with low, unpainted houses built in a square shape around the yard, as well as start of the 20th-century buildings with rich ācarpenters joyā and large porches.
For periods of time, each parish had their own style of constructing, mainly shown in the lavish front porches and otherwise elaborate entrances. Some areas, foremost the coastal parishes, lacked front porches entirely; instead they had more costly doors and door fittings.
Inside the farms houses of HƤlsingland are magnificent and well preserved interiors with art painted on the walls, stencilled wall decorations, and expensive wallpaper. Biblical motifs were transformed into HƤlsingland milieu, funny stories and cautionary tales mixed in the artwork with the decorative style of the wandering painters from Dalarna, characterized by religious motifs, ribbons and large flowers. Expensive, imported wallpaper was combined with popular painting into something entirely new, and the stencilled paintings in many places flowed onto walls, ceilings and fireplaces. The amount of well preserved interiors kept in its original site, is unique in the world.
With the farms in HƤlsingland also came a large number of out buildings, freely placed outside the courtyard. Grand barns, large log cabins, smithies, breweries, grain storage houses, stables and liveries all give a picture of the system of many outhouses, which by the end of the 19th century was replaced by large multifunctional buildings that housed many functions under the same roof.
Often the farms of HƤlsingland are connected to other buildings such as mills, water works, and summer farms, providing us with a glimpse into the culture of HƤlsingland. The farms are placed in village structures of the olden days, with roots in prehistoric times, only partly changed from the original 19th century sites.
Still today, there are around one thousand farmhouses of HƤlsingland preserved in the province, all with their own story to tell. Some of them have been nominated to UNESCO list of World Heritage. [Wikipedia]
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Pentax K-5
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Ā© 2014 stefanorugolo | All rights reserved.
Europorte owned Vossloh Euro 4000 diesel electric number 4007 brings grain hoppers from France towards Antwerp near HennuyĆØres on the line from Mons into Bruxelles on the morning of June the 2nd 2022.
I stood here awaiting the SNCF BB67400 that were contracted for bringing in empty wagons from Somain in France to the Quenast quarries when this train, also coming in from France, rolled past under cautionary signals around about the time that the BB67400 were due. In fact about twenty minutes later than the times I received told me they were booked to pass. Well, the day prior I noted two of these wagons in the consist for Quenast and wondered " Surely not, this can't be a replacement and they are putting track ballast in these covered wagons " I have seen these impressive locos in France but was never in a position to take a photo, so I had waited long enough to take one but still, I would not have been happy to see this in lieu of a pair of the venerable SNCF machines..
I have learned something very important, I learned this lesson the hardest way, the way I learn everything, never by taking advice from someone wiser or by listening to cautionary tales from those that came before me, oh no...I have learned everything I know by actually making the mistakes myself and paying the sometimes high price...but if only one person actually listens to this advice and does something different even one time then I will feel like I have at least landed somewhere close to breaking even in the Karmic Debt department...so after this loooong and wordy wordy wordy into what have I learned that is so important to impart; it's simply really just...
sssshhhhhh.
1st...you'll be surprised at what you hear when you shut up.
2nd. people tune you out when you are yelling
3rd. it just makes you look irrational even if what you are yelling about makes perfect sense.
4. Quietness in the middle of chaos disarms angry people, and calms panicked people.
5. You can remember what you have heard better if you were really paying attention.
6. Silence buys you time to figure out how to respond to nonsense.
7. You will be shocked at how much stupid idiotic hyper emotional bullshit you hear on a daily basis if you aren't participating in it.
8. it's classsier
9. if you are totally quiet and tip toe on your way up the hall and then stop silently at the doorway count to 5 then run and jump into bed, the "thing" under the bed can't grab your feet.
10. Silence in certain situations is way more powerful and dramatic than words and honestly the average person is not equipped to use language in an effective way to truly negotiate the emotions of the human spirit, so hide that fact with dramatic silence..after all
"The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence" - Simon and Garfunkel
Maine Northern Railway Train 901-31 departs the south cautionary limits for Oakfield as the crew heads for Millinocket. Due to a sun kink on the bridge at Oakfield, about 30 cars back a track foreman is walking 901-31 over at a snails pace. However once the train goes by, the engineer will gun it to get the train up to track speed to get over the hill at Dyer Brook.
Evidence of the ongoing trackwork can be seen between the tracks, with freshly dumped ballast waiting to be tamped and spread. At the time, MNR had completed dumping fresh ballast from Mile 109 (start of DOT ownership) to Oakfield, with two surfacing crews working out of Island Falls to get everything surfaced.
This part of the Madawaska Sub has seen extensive track work over the summer, with MNR running a good sized tie gang, as well as a rail gang which installed new 115LBS stick rail at various points between Oakfield and Island Falls, in addition to the surfacing work.
Maine Northern Railway
Train: 901-31
8/31/2024
Oakfield, ME
MDOT/MNR Madawaska Subdivision
It was a long day at work today, just wanted to come home a relax with a couple of cool beverages, well I started looking through everyone's pics and 2 beers turned into 10 and the next thing ya know it, I'm hallucinating, damn Flickr addiction.
The story of the tower might end with a storm, a failed dike, and a changing coastline, but for the Plompe toren that tells of a mermaid caught in a fishing net, and the curse her merman husband placed on the town.
The Netherlands has long relied on elaborate engineering to hold back the sea. This is especially true in Zeeland (Sealand), the collection of islands and peninsulas in the far west of the country. At the end of the 15th century the coast around the once-prosperous fishing village of Koudekerke looked much different, with the seashore nearly two miles (3 km) further out into the Oosterschelde (the estuary), than it does today.
Fierce storms plagued the coast, and the dike failed, swallowing up the town. Anything that was left was torn down, with the exception of the Plompe toren. Legend says, however, that the tower was left behind as a cautionary reminder.
The story varies, but basically goes like this: one day a fishing boat caught a beautiful mermaid in its net. The mermaidās husband (a merman) tried frantically to get the fishermen to let her go, but to no avail. They brought her back to shore as a prize to show off, where she slowly withered and died, leaving her distraught merman (and sometimes also a mer-baby, depending on the narrator) behind. Seething with anger and vengeance, the merman placed a curse on the town, and it was that very night that the storm hit, taking the town out to sea.
The Plompe toren was spared, but only as a reminder of the destruction of this once-prosperous community, and an admonition to the fishermen in the Oosterschelde of the result of their cruelty to the beautiful sea-family.
The tribal people of Papua New Guinea all have distinctive costumes, makeup, and artifacts, which they happily display at cultural festivals, or sing-sings.
They all love their feathered headdresses, their face paint, their shells, and their small kundu drums. Another theme across many of the groups is the ritual moka kina, a necklace or pectoral ornament made from shell, ochre and resin, and symbolising wealth and bride-price.
For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/a-sing-sing-a-mumu-an...
NEW: I NOW CREATE MUSIC, JOIN ME ON SOUNDCLOUD!
SHOP: www.icanvas.com/canvas-art-prints/artist/ben-heine
This is a pointillist work I made with blue, red and black ink on paper. I just love Marilyn Manson's personality and crazy style! Everybody should have an aura...
Please, see my other portrait of Marilyn Manson
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For more information about my art: info@benheine.com
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Biography
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), better known by his stage name Marilyn Manson, is a professional musician. He is the lead singer of the industrial metal band that bears the same name. His stage name is formed from the names Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson.
Brian Hugh Warner was born on January 5th 1969 in Canton, Ohio. He attended Heritage Christian School. After transferring to and later graduating from Canton's GlenOak High School, Warner moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his family. While living in Fort Lauderdale, he studied journalism and theater at Broward Community College, and became the assistant entertainment editor of BCC's student newspaper, the Observer.
Romance
Warner's first serious relationship was with Melissa "Missi" Romero. As explained in his autobiography, during the production of "Antichrist Superstar," Missi became pregnant with Warner's child, but had an abortion during her second trimester. He has also been linked to Traci Lords and Jenna Jameson. Jameson wrote about her sexual encounter with Manson in her autobiography, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale in which she noted him as being "massively endowed". Manson was engaged to Rose McGowan, but their relationship ended around the time he became involved with burlesque dancer and fetish model model Dita Von Teese. Manson photographed Von Teese for the December 2002 issue of Playboy. Manson and Von Teese wed in December 2005 in the Irish home of friend Gottfried Helnwein. Von Teese filed for divorce as of December 2006. The divorce came through in January 2007. In April of 2007, Marilyn Manson's girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood, admitted that they were actually a couple.
Marriage
Manson and Dita Von Teese started dating on Manson's 32nd birthday, and Manson proposed three years later on March 22, 2004. On December 3, 2005 (court documents say November 28), the couple was married in a non-denominational ceremony at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan, County Tipperary, Ireland, the home of Gottfried Helnwein. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. Dita Von Teese wore a royal purple silk taffeta gown by Vivienne Westwood, complete with train and petticoats worn over a Mr. Pearl couture corset, topped off by a tricorne hat by Stephen Jones, while Manson wore a John Galliano black silk taffeta tuxedo with velvet trim and a hat also crafted by Stephen Jones. They reportedly exchanged vows in front of approximately 60 guests, including burlesque dancer Catherine Delish, Lisa Marie Presley, Eric Szmanda, David Lynch, Jessicka and Christian Hejnal, and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Vogue magazine ran a multiple-page feature on the wedding in its February 2006 issue. Just before his own wedding, Manson criticized Britney Spears' wedding to Kevin Federline, in which they celebrated by wearing personalized tracksuits: "If you're going to do something like getting married, it should have a sense of celebration to it. It should be grand and not in tracksuits!"
As of January 30, 2007 Manson and Dita Von Teese reportedly split after her filing for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences" according to Von Teese. ET.com along with People Magazine has claimed that Manson was having an extramarital affair with actress Evan Rachel Wood, which may or may not be the true cause of the split. Manson's alcohol abuse and distant behaviour have also been cited as cause for the split. It has also been claimed that Manson was not aware of Von Teese's filing for divorce and moving out of their home at the time that the story was published, conceivably due to his reported stay in Paris, France. Von Teese reportedly took their two cats and two dachshunds, Greta and Eva, with her when she left. Manson fought for custody of the two cats, but only received one of them.
Evan Rachel Wood attended the grand opening of Manson's new Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art and among the most notable artworks were two portraits of Evan. She will also co-star in his upcoming horror film Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.
In music
Jessicka of the band Jack Off Jill was an early friend of Manson's, her band opened most of his South Florida shows. He not only produced most of the band's early recordings but also played guitar on the song "My Cat" and helped name the band. Manson later wrote the liner notes for the band's album Humid Teenage Mediocrity, a collection of early Jack Off Jill recordings.
In early 1993, after being instructed by his new label, Interscope Records, not to play any local shows, Manson formed Mrs. Scabtree. Mrs. Scabtree was a side project between he and newly hired Jeordie White. Manson played drums, while White (dressed as a black woman) shared vocal duties with then girlfriend Jessicka from Jack Off Jill who wore a blonde wig. Mrs. Scabtree only played two shows in South Florida.
Manson has helped or provided full scores for several major motion pictures, although several of his pieces have been cut, and his name dropped from the credits. Some of his more notable soundtrack score contributions include The Matrix, From Hell and Resident Evil.
Manson appeared as a guest on rapper DMX's album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood for the track "The Omen", produced by Swizz Beats, and has performed (with the rest of the band) on stage with Eminem as background music in the song "The Way I Am".
Manson sang vocals on "Break You Down" off of the Washington, DC-based industrial rock band gODHEAD's 2000 Years of Human Error album. This album is distinguished for being the only one released on Manson's vanity label Posthuman Records.
In film and television
Manson made a cameo appearance as a doctor in the Murderdolls' music video "Dead in Hollywood", and also appears in the Nine Inch Nails music video "Starfuckers, Inc.", as well as "Gave Up", and Eminem's "The Way I Am" music video.
His first appearance in a film was in the role of a pornographic actor in David Lynch's Lost Highway, in 1997. He also had a minor role in former love interest Rose McGowan's 1998 film Jawbreaker and a supporting role in 2003's Party Monster, which is based on the events leading up to and the murder of Angel Melendez by the infamous Michael Alig of club kid fame, where Manson portrayed a psychotic drag queen named Christina . Manson made a cameo appearance in The Hire: Beat the Devil, a short film in the BMW films series (starring Clive Owen as the Driver), which featured James Brown as himself, and Gary Oldman as Satan. His most talked-about film cameo was in the Michael Moore political documentary Bowling for Columbine discussing the motivations of the perpetrators and allegations that his music was somehow a factor. He played himself, in animated form, on an episode of the television series Clone High, in which he sang a song about nutrition and the food pyramid. He is featured prominently throughout Not Another Teen Movie, and covered the song "Tainted Love" for its soundtrack.
His music is frequently featured on the show C.S.I.. The character on the show, Greg Sanders, is a big fan of Manson and the actor who plays him, Eric Szmanda, is a personal friend of Manson's.
Manson was featured in the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, and was set to appear in Abelcain, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Living Neon Dreams in 2005, although both of these projects are still unreleased as of 2007. He will also be seen as a bartender in an upcoming vampire movie starring Lucy Liu called Rise and possibly has pending roles in Abelcain, RISE and other projects.
Manson has produced 23 music videos, most of which have gone beyond the scope of a normal performance video and been well received by critics for their imagery and direction. Manson’s three most recent released videos – Personal Jesus, (s)AINT and Heart-Shaped Glasses – were voluntarily funded with his own money (to a sum of $1,500,000) and largely not that of the record company. Manson stated in June 2006 that he saw himself "as more a student of film than of music".
In July 2005, Manson told Rolling Stone that he was shifting his focus from music to filmmaking - "I just don't think the world is worth putting music into right now. I no longer want to make art that other people--particularly record companies--are turning into a product. I just want to make art."
By 2006 Manson was working on his directorial debut, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, but has since put the project off until November 2007 to focus on recording Marilyn Manson's sixth studio album, Eat Me, Drink Me, followed by a world tour. The film is said to feature special effects using a magician rather than computer-generated imagery.
In graphic art
From the beginning Manson has been a recreational painter, the oldest of his surviving pieces dating back to 1995-1996, but it was after his 1998 Grey period that Manson began his career as a watercolour painter. In 1999 he made five-minute concept pieces and sold them to drug dealers with their knowledge that they would accumulate in value over time. Gradually Manson became more drawn to watercolors as an art form in itself, and instead of trading them, kept them and continued to paint at a proficient rate.
This manic creativity resulted in an exhibit for his art, The Golden Age of Grotesque, held at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Centre on between September 13 and 14, 2002. The reaction to his paintings was largely positive with one critic comparing them to Egon Schele's pieces and describing them as heartfelt and sincerely painted, and Art in America went as far as to liken them to the works of a " psychiatric patient given materials to use as therapy ". Others however saw less merit in the works stating that the value was in the celebrity.
Two years later almost to the day, during September 14 and 15, 2004, Manson held his second exhibit on the first night in Paris and the second in Berlin, Trismegistus, which was also the title of the center piece of the exhibit – a large three headed Christ painted onto an antique wood panel. Again the reception to the works could be described as mixed but was largely in favour of the artist.
Manson opened his own an art gallery, The Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art, on October 31, 2006 in Los Angeles for which his third exhibition (by invitation or appointment only after the opening night) was the inaugural show. From April 2 until April 17, 2007 Manson's recent works were be on show at the Space 39 Modern & Contemporary in Florida.
A coffee table art book is in the works, initially titled The Death of Art. The last given title was Quintif. It will be published by the makers of Flaunt magazine.
40 pieces from this show were ported to the Gallery Brigitte Schenk in Cologne, Germany to be publicly exhibited from June 28 until July 28, 2007. After this they will return to the Space39 Modern & Contemporary Gallery thus leaving Manson's own gallery in Los Angeles temporarily without his own work until 2008.
The price of Manson's works has been a somewhat controversial point for fans and critics alike, with most fans realistically unable to afford the paintings save for fine art editions and lithographs. Manson's prices though are realistic and reasonable considering the long-term value at a time when prices for contemporary art have never been higher.
During his European tour 2007 Manson has exhibited his paintings in Germany, Russia and Switzerland.
In other areas
Manson provided the voice of the alien Edgar in the 2005 first-person shooter video game Area 51, which also featured David Duchovny. Marilyn Manson also appears (as himself) as a playable character in the video game Celebrity Deathmatch. Allegedly, the artist posed nude for photos prior to his rise to fame. The pictures appeared in the March 1999 issue of Honcho.
Professional fallouts
Trent Reznor
One of Manson's high-profile relationships, the defunct friendship with Trent Reznor, has been marked with mutual bitterness and perhaps vendetta. This started in the mid-90s, when Manson was due to make a track that would appear on the soundtrack to David Lynch's Lost Highway, but instead Reznor was the one who wrote a song, "The Perfect Drug", for the film. In 1999, it seemed the two artists had patched their differences, as Manson made an appearance in the video for the Nine Inch Nails song "Starfuckers, Inc."
In 2004, Reznor was asked whether he had plans to do any covers; he sarcastically replied, "I was really hoping to do something unique and pertinent - like do an exact copy of "Personal Jesus" - but it was already taken."
In a 2005 interview, Manson said Reznor's Nothing Records had lost the master recordings of Manson's first three albums. He implied it was Reznor's intention, "Now that Nothing Records doesn't exist, I think there's only one of two people responsible for that. Out of those two people, there's only one that really has an opinion of me that is voiced very often."
Twiggy Ramirez
In May 2002 Twiggy Ramirez left the band, citing differences in perspective on the future of the band. He went on to play bass for A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails. During this time, Manson claimed in interviews that he and Ramirez were still close friends, while Ramirez maintained that he rarely spoke to Manson. In an interview in February of 2006 Twiggy stated he was willing to record an album with Marilyn Manson if the right conditions were met. In Autumn 2006, Manson and Ramirez were photographed together at numerous parties in Los Angeles, in amicable poses.
In January 2008 it was announced that Ramirez had reunited with the band as live bassist for the last leg of the Rape of the World tour as well as co-writer of the band's seventh studio album. In an interview with The Heirophant on January 11, 2008, Manson revealed that the reconciliation with Ramirez was not as abrupt as it initially seemed, and that the two had been occasionally communicating with each other since speaking at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California prior to the Winter European leg of the Rape of the World tour.
John 5
John 5's reasons for leaving Marilyn Manson were cited as being mutual, despite the mysterious nature of his sudden firing by Manson's manager in 2004.
John was quoted at the time as saying about the incident, "I don't know. . . I was nothing but nice to him," he continued. "I never screwed up onstage — well not really badly — and I did everything I could to get along with him. Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the fact that I don't drink or do drugs, and he's not like that at all. Maybe he held that against me. I don't know. He never said." John 5 was notorious among fans as being drug and alcohol free.
Before the incident, Manson had assaulted John on stage, notably, Manson kicked John in the face during a televised performance, leading to a brief confrontation in front of a packed and roaring audience (available on YouTube). This was during the intro to "The Beautiful People", when played at the Rock AM Ring 2003.
Also, during the tour John maintains that Manson spoke about matters other than business only once, "It was on my birthday, and he turned to me and said, "Happy birthday, faggot" — then walked away."
Despite this, John maintains he respects Manson, citing his skilled production style and his love for the band's music. John was already a fan of the band before joining in 1998. In response to a question regarding the reason for the split with Manson, John 5 was quoted by Vintage Guitar Magazine as saying, "(laughs) At the end of the last tour, I decided I really wanted to do this solo thing and that I had to devote all my time to it. The split with Manson was totally amicable. It wasn't one of those big breakups. We're friends. I wish there was some good dirt, but there's not (laughs)!"
In an interview prior to the January 19, 2008 performance in Orlando, Florida, Marilyn Manson revealed that John 5 would make a guest appearance during the show, stating: "I'll have [John] come on stage and play songs with us this first show. It would practically be the Holy Wood lineup." This guest appearance ultimately did not take place, however.
Madonna Wayne Gacy
Before leaving the band nothing was heard of Madonna Wayne Gacy for over a year. In an exclusive conference conducted by Marilyn Manson in April 2007, he revealed the upcoming album Eat Me, Drink Me was recorded in collaboration between himself and Tim Skold. Essentially this meant Gacy did not partake in the album, but not ruling out the possibility of him performing as live keyboardist on the upcoming tour. Later, Manson revealed that Chris Vrenna (who previously drummed for the band during Ginger Fish's hiatus in 2004) would be performing as live keyboardist on the tour, in Gacy's place.
On August 2, 2007, Gacy filed a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson seeking a back pay of $20 million dollars. Gacy claimed Manson has been using the band's money for personal interests, among which are his collection of Nazi paraphernalia, his drug addictions, his wedding with Dita Von Teese and the production of Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.
On December 20, 2007, Manson countersued Gacy. As a reaction to the lawsuit Gacy filed against Manson in August, Manson claims, "keyboardist Stephen Bier did not carry out obligations to take part in master recordings [of Eat Me, Drink Me], concerts [of the Rape of the World tour] and the selling of band merchandise," according to this report which states that Manson is seeking unspecified general and special damages.
Insight
Even though he is known mostly for his music, which some refer to as crude and grotesque, Manson is a very intelligent and insightful man. In interviews he is always well spoken and is calm to the people who challenge him. Most people see his music as delivering the wrong message, but Manson states that his message was to be creative.
Causes
•In 2002, Manson worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make the wish of a boy with a life-threatening disease come true. 16-year-old Andrew Baines from Tennessee had a wish to sing back-up vocals for a "big" band; Manson jumped on the task and took Baines under his wing to make his dream come true. Manson invited Baines to the studio on August 27, 2002, where he let Baines perform backing vocals for the then-upcoming album, The Golden Age of Grotesque. "Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Andrew, who reminded me the things I create are only made complete by those who enjoy them. I just want to simply say, 'thank you' to Andrew for sharing such an important wish with me," Manson said, according MarilynManson.com.
•In 2005, Manson donated a signed collector's edition mask to Music for Relief to help victims of the 2004's Boxing Day Tsunami; this auction raised $155.
•In January 2006, Manson contributed a hand-painted guitar from the Six-String Masterpieces - The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute to the Little Kids Rock auction. For every $100 raised by the product, Little Kids Rock would provide one low-income child with an instrument and lessons – Manson's guitar raised $6,250.
•In 2006, Manson became a benefactor of Project Nightlight, an LA area foundation that uses short films, music, and apparel to grab teenagers attention and inspire them to speak out against sexual and physical abuse. Manson afforded Project Nightlight a stand at the opening of his art gallery, and in April 2007 gave the charity a print of his painting Eve of Destruction and a framed collector's edition mask.
Legal history
Marilyn Manson was first arrested in Florida on December 27, 1994 after a concert at Jacksonville's Club 5 for "violating the adult entertainment code." Manson was detained for 16 hours before been released without charge. Bizarrely police believed Manson had performed oral sex on stage with a man (when in fact it was Jack Off Jill vocalist Jessicka wearing a fake penis) and thrown either his or the man's penis into the crowd. On February 5, 2001 in Marino, Italy Manson suffered what is to date his only other post-concert arrest when he was accused of blasphemy having worn the outfit of a cardinal on stage during the song "Valentine's Day". Soon after the detention it was ascertained that Manson had not committed a crime and it appeared the legal troubles were over until the next day when Manson was arrested in Bologne on charges of public indecency relating to a 1999 show where it was alleged Manson had exposed his penis. Manson was released and the charges dropped, notably the arrests came a week after two teenagers brutally murdered an Italian nun which some less reputable sections of the Italian press blamed on Manson's music.
Sexual misconduct
In a civil battery suit, David Diaz, a security officer from a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 27, 2000, sued for $75,000 in a Minneapolis federal court. After two days deliberation the jury decided that Manson's alleged molestation had been part of the show and that he had not overstepped his boundaries as an artist, ruling in favor of Manson and against Diaz.
Manson was charged with "sexual misconduct" on August 16, 2001 after Joshua Keasler filed a complaint that as he was providing security for a July 30 concert Manson had allegedly spat on his head, wrapped his legs around him and began to gyrate his penis along his neck.
Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca said that "It was offensive, crude and rude. This was not something that was orchestrated or choreographed as part of the act. The security guard was an unknowing and unwilling participant and, ironically, while he was there for protection... was sexually assaulted." The charge, punishable with up to two years imprisonment, was accompanied with a charge of disorderly conduct. The complaint came with an arrest warrant but Manson thwarted this by posting a $25,000 personal bond. In a one-day December 28, 2001 trial the presiding Judge dismissed the charge of "sexual misconduct" as Manson had in his view "gained no sexual gratification from the act." Manson pleaded "no contest" to the outstanding lesser charge, which carried only up to three months imprisonment, and was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines. After the trial Keasler pursued a civil lawsuit against Manson that was dropped when the two settled out of court in February 2004.
Lawsuits
•In 1997, former Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Mitchell Putesky filed a lawsuit against Manson seeking unpaid royalties for his contributions to the band's output up to that period, including the band's recently released second studio album Antichrist Superstar. The case was concluded in 1998, although the outcome was confidential.
•On January 4, 1999, SPIN editor Craig Marks filed an assault and battery lawsuit against Manson in the New York Supreme Court. Marks alleged that Manson, upset at not making the cover of SPIN, the lawsuit specifically alleged Manson had yelled "I can kill you, I can kill your family, I can kill everyone you know!" before two of Manson's bodyguards were said to have charged him and held him against the wall and threw him to the floor after which it was alleged Manson had said, "That's what you get when you disrespect me." The case was dropped when, weeks later, Marks was fired from SPIN over financial irregularities.
•On April 2, 2002, Maria St. John filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Manson of providing her adult daughter, Jennifer Syme, with cocaine and allowing her to drive while under the influence. The case was settled out of court.
•On August 2, 2007, former Marilyn Manson keyboardist Stephen Bier filed a breech of contract lawsuit against Marilyn Manson seeking $20,000,000 in damages. Bier claimed Manson has used the band's money for personal interests, among which are his collection of Nazi paraphernalia, addictions to cocaine and Valium, his $300,000 wedding with and $150,000 engagement ring given to Dita Von Teese and the production of Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll as well as Lewis Carroll memorabilia, human skeletons and taxidermy. Manson's lawyers responded in January 2008 with a 101-page rebuttal of the claims, the case will be tried by jury in November 2008 in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Major label discography
•Portrait of an American Family (1994)
•Smells Like Children (1995)
•Antichrist Superstar (1996)
•Remix and Repent (1997)
•Mechanical Animals (1998)
•The Last Tour on Earth (Live) (1999)
•Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)
•The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
•Lest We Forget (The Best Of) (2004)
•Eat Me, Drink Me (2007)
Filmography
•Lost Highway (cameo, 1997)
•MTV Video Music Awards (commercial, 1998)
•Jawbreaker (cameo, 1999)
•Clone High (cameo, 2000)
•From Hell (score, 2001)
•Not Another Teen Movie (score, 2001)
•Resident Evil (score, 2002)
•Bowling for Columbine (interview, 2002)
•The Hire: Beat the Devil (cameo, 2003)
•Party Monster (2003)
•Doppelherz (director, 2003)
•The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (cameo, 2004)
•House of Wax (2005) (acting, score)
•Abelcain (2007)
•Living Neon Dreams (2007)
•Rise (cameo, 2007)
•Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll (acting, directing, writing, score, 2008)
Bibliography
•The Long Hard Road out of Hell (1998)
•Holy Wood (Unreleased)
Trivia
•All Manson's tattoos were done at Tattoos By Lou in Miami, Florida over a four-year span starting in 1991, until a new tattoo emerged in early-2007.
•In the 1990s, an Internet rumor spread stating Josh Saviano (who played Paul Pfeiffer in 1980s drama The Wonder Years) grew up to become Marilyn Manson. As of 2007, Josh Saviano is a licensed attorney in New York. He has, however, commented on the rumor, and thinks it is neat people believe him to be in a "goth band".
•Contrary to what some may deem "common knowledge", Manson has not had any ribs removed for the purpose of autofellatio. "If I really got my ribs removed," he said in the The Long Hard Road out of Hell autobiography, "I would have been busy sucking my own dick on The Wonder Years instead of chasing Winnie Cooper."
•In an E! interview, Manson revealed that he owns a Nintendo DS. "My friend got me this little Japanese lawyer game; it's fucking amazing," he said in reference to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He also mentioned that he was "pretty good at Mario Kart".
•In an interview with MTV in 2002 Manson revealed that for most of his paintings he uses a children's Alice in Wonderland tin. He also uses a 1920's mortician paint kit originally used for retouching cadavers.
•Manson has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an erratic, rapid heartbeat.
•Manson, who cites David Bowie as being his biggest influence, claims his favorite songs by him are "Quicksand", "Ashes to Ashes", and "We Are the Dead". He even proposed to his ex-wife, Dita Von Teese, during a David Bowie concert (at the time Bowie was performing "Be My Wife") .
•Pets Manson has had in his life include the childhood dog, an Alaskan malamute named Aleusha, an orange tabby named O.J. which he found on the steps of Christian school, four Devon Rex cats named Aleister, Edgar, Herman, and Lily, and two dachshunds named Greta and Eva. After the divorce of Manson and ex-wife Dita Von Teese, Von Teese won the custody of both dachshunds and Aleister. For Manson's 39th birthday on January 5th, 2008, girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood gave him a new cat, Charlie (Manson), as a birthday gift.
•When asked in 2007 by Rolling Stone what his current favorite playlist was, Manson chose among Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)", Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and David Bowie's classic "We Are the Dead".
OFFICIAL WEBSITE : marilynmanson.com
MARILYN MANSON on MYSPACE : www.myspace.com/marilynmanson
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--> This biography appeared on www.mansonwiki.com/ (Manson Wiki)
Thistle: I smell a rat with very clean breath! Finbarr, why are you eating my soap?
Finbarr (formerly Mousie): Squeak! š
previous appeared as
BaD 25 September 2020: A Mouse called Finbarr š
Thistle: Lyndell gave us Mouse as today's theme because it is St Finbarr's day and one of his attributes is the mouse. And because she thinks mice are nice ;-), I think mice are nice, too, so I have decided to rename you Finbarr. I hope you enjoy your new appellation!
Finbarr (formerly Mousie): Squeak! š
BaD 13 July 2018: Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Thistle tells Mousie another cautionary tale:
..."the clock struck one and the others escaped with minor injuries..."
ā»ļø š ā»ļø
After chasing the Dragons, I'd planned to do a waterfall. I walked down to Walker Mill Foss and set up to take some shots only to realise I'd forgotten my ND filter! So I improvised by knocking the ISO to 100 and going to f29. I managed to get something half decent! The moral - always check your pockets before setting off! This shot reached #154 on Explore - thank you for your interest and kind comments!
Excerpt from brainproject.ca:
āAcriā is both a cautionary tale and an ode to mankindās resilience in the midst of degenerative brain diseases. Like these pencils, the beginning stages of Alzheimerās causes a gradual decline in memory recall, thinking, reasoning skills, and more. It is important to understand the early symptoms of Alzheimerās and dementia in order to better care for and treat loved ones.
The title āAcri,ā comes from the Latin for āsharp.ā Latin continues to live on in countless books, inscribed into buildings, and printed on U.S. currency. We live as long as the last person who remembers us, and we live forever through the stories written about us. Degenerative brain diseases may take our memories and
lives, but it can never erase our existence.
āNor shall death brag thou wanderāst in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growāst.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.ā
(William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18)
Strobist: AB1600 with gridded 60X30 softbox camera right. AB800 with Softlighter II camera left. Triggered by Cybersync.
With a clearance from east cautionary limit sign Crowsnest to west siding switch Chinook for a meet with westbound 669. the hogger has it high up on the notches powering a 4000ā 462 out of the Crow.
Up until the end of the nineteenth century, Aborigines camped under the rock overhangs at Ubirrāin what is now part of Kakadu National Parkāfor 60,000 years or more. For at least the past 20,000 years they left evidence of their sojourn in the rock art painted on the shelter walls.
The paintings in my previous photograph show some of the abundant food sources they had available to them. Other art, such as that pictured here, provides moral instruction in Aboriginal lore.
The information panel accompanying this painting states:
This painting of Mabuyu reminds Traditional Owners to tell a story which warns against stealing.
Mabuyu was dragging his catch on a string after a fishing expedition when a greedy person cut the string and stole his fish. that night, Mabuyu waited until the thieves had eaten his fish and were camped inside their cave near the East Alligator River. Then he blocked the cave with a huge rock.
ānext morning they never came out. Because they pinched it they got punished. Kids, ladies, and men all deadāfinished.ā . . . Bill Neidjie*
* āBigā Bill Neidjie (c.1920 - 2002) was a senior elder of the Gagudju people after whom the Kakadu National Park was named. He was a traditional owner of the area around Ubirr and was instrumental in the creation of the Park in 1979.
Ā© Irwin Reynolds, all rights reserved. If you are interested in using one of my images or would like a high quality fine art print, please send me an email (irwinreynolds@me.com).
The tribal people of Papua New Guinea all have distinctive costumes, makeup, and artifacts, which they happily display at cultural festivals, or sing-sings.
They all love their feathered headdresses, their face paint, their shells, and their small kundu drums. Another theme across many of the groups is the ritual moka kina, a necklace or pectoral ornament made from shell, ochre and resin, and symbolising wealth and bride-price.
For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/a-sing-sing-a-mumu-an...
A Wicked Turn
Acte 7
For the expected prize was much too close, far too glitteringly valuable, to back away from.
So he continued, acting out a role he had portrayed many times, although not all times was he successfulā¦.
Making his way down the quiet corridor, ever listening intently for anything, everything, prepared to alter his original plans at the slightest movement or out of place soundā¦
But his progress was unimpeded, and he soon gained the room, the treasureā¦.
With a cautionary sweep of his torch, he found it to be deserted of all human-like presence.
But not deserted of any jewels, for a rather blinding flash came from the area of a vanity, sparkles of colourful fire from the open drawers of the manorās mistressās jewel caseā¦
Again he stopped, waited, listened, watched!
Why had the jewel case not been shut up securely, not placed in the wall safe he knew was located behind a rather gold-framed fancy picture of a rather handsome lady wearing a flowing green velvet gown, adorned with emeralds and diamonds!
As he pondered, ears straining to hear any betraying sound, he eyed two gowns that were hanging nearby and rather fancied the brooch that the nearest one sported.
Its lure was far too desirable, as were its mates laying in the open drawers of the mahogany jewel case.
He had come much too far, planned far too longā¦. And so he entered the room, his given task at hand.
Tiptoeing over to the hanging satin gown, he felt its luscious, sensuous material between his thin silk gloved fingers.
The same fingers wrapped themselves around the sparkling diamond brooch, and gently unpinning the far too willing clasp, secreted it away into his small black velvet pouch.
He then slipped away to the vanity, eagerly eyeing through the eye slits of his mask, the many sparkling jewels that were laid out before him. Drooling over their expensive flickering sparkles of an expert man cut faceted light.
The tribal people of Papua New Guinea all have distinctive costumes, makeup, and artifacts, which they happily display at cultural festivals, or sing-sings.
The performers take a break so we can admire the work that has gone into preparing our mumu ā earth-oven lunch.
For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/a-sing-sing-a-mumu-an...