Friday, November 7, 2008


While currently witnessin' a sort of discontinuity or rapid change in the economic base will a transformation of the superstructure follow on? Or are we only talkin' about a steady trend?

'Ya all kno' how culture, art, religion, political institutions - all the ideologies - are more resistant to change but according to Marx will be transformed. At least, that's what this simple blogger-mom read. Our traditional attitudes are supported but are also subverted by the economic sphere. What does it all mean?
Will it be a different story where, according to the rhetoric, there's only a middle class?

.....what we produce is always miles ahead of what we think......
another tenet:
Mankind always takes up only such problems as it can solve ....we will always find that the problem itself arises only when the material conditions for its solution already exist or are at least in the process of formation. Marx.
(Appignanesi & Garratt 1995)

Thursday, November 6, 2008


Young Cricketers. Strathfield has an Indian community.

Below, Indonesian batik.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It's Inflatable Man, another type of puppet acting as a scarecrow to move flying foxes away from vulnerable and significant trees in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Flying foxes were seen and heard high above us.
Zoom in. Fruit bats or flying foxes hang upside down, genus Pteropus belonging to the Megachiroptera sub order. A fox that flies! More fascinating links are on Wikipedia





Indonesian batik

Tuesday, November 4, 2008


Amorphohpallus titanum. Titan Arum. Bunga Bangkai (Bahasa Indonesia).

Sumatera. Well known world-wide for its bizarre gigantic 'flower', this plant is now becoming rare partly due to harvesting from the wild. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney is collaborating with the Indonesian Botanic Gardens with the initial aim of demonstrating that this plant can be successfully multiplied using locally applicable vegative propogation techniques.

A successful venture such as this with Indonesia is great news. Other cross pollination of ideas, arts and entertainment would be very welcome. It could help minimise any troubling notions that arise between our two countries.


A stylized puppet from Indonesia.
Wayang kulit are shadow puppets 0f carved leather.
This example could be based on the wayang kulit or on the wayang klitik which, I believe, are the flat wooden puppets of East Java.
A puppet performance may be based on the Hindu epics: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata or on any social or political topic as I understand it.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008

The original Police Station and lock-up is now a gallery and museum.

A Room Down South is the current exhibition of wonderful canvases in the medium of digital montage 'polished' to perfection.
Ramonda Te Maiharoa is the artist who finds inspiration in remote southern Aotearoa.







Saturday, November 1, 2008

A quiet Saturday afternoon, Hunter Street East, Newcastle.
A chef was leaving on motorbike.