Power Lines Rule di ba.

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It is interesting where a photography series may lead one. From an inconvenience to the subject matter. Here in Manila power lines are an unavoidable fact of life, it was a case of if you can't beat 'em join 'em. And what is an eye sore can become a thing of beauty.

If your in Canberra in September

Manila Skyline with Power lines V

After the last few weeks of working on the admin stuff of getting the ANU exhibition into shape it is great to get back into the studio and do some real work.



I had, over the past weeks of going to the printers, driven past this scene and on Friday had enough time to stop and take some shots. Manila is awash with power lines, it is the first thing you notice damn near, and I just love the way they break up the skyline. There is something akin to a jazz riff in their tangle.

A Busy Busy Month

As you can see posts here this month have been a bit on the sparse side. It has been a busy month in other areas and The Expat drew the short straw.

I have finally got my myspace page looking like something worth visiting. You can see it here and if you feel inclined to become a friend it’s “Bateman” in the Last Name box.

The selection of images and their printing for the Canberra exhibition has been completed. In fact they were delivered into care of FedEx yesterday. I now wait with baited breath for news of their safe arrival. The invitations have been designed, the catalogue details written along with press release.

I have also been researching, writing and sourcing images for a couple of articles for the Expat Travel & Lifestyle Philippines magazine. The article about the Philippine’s Easter Shrines is done and in the editor’s hands. The story about photography scene here has 300 words on paper, another 300 in my head and 300 that need to be found before the first week in September deadline.

Once that is done The Expat will get some love and attention.

Aussie Snake Oil

It seems ex Queensland school teacher Ken Ham has a hit on his hands with his Genesis Creation Museum. This is the place where Adam and Eve frolic with vegetarian Tyrannosaurus rex, yeah right.

Be that as it may, in its first four months of operation 150,000 people have flocked to this $27m medicine show in northern Kentucky.

Now, what is the ninth commandment?

America Contemplates a Draft

The wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan are un-winnable, well for the forces of the invaders primarily because their isn’t a stream of immigrants chomping at the bit to pick up the spoils of victory.

Unlike Australia, USA and Canada were the genocide of the native inhabitants allowed peoples from some other place to came and take root nobody is queuing up to make a new home in these promised lands.

Eventually the invaders will tire of their sport, as did the British and Russians in Afghanistan and the Americans in Vietnam, fold up their tents and head for home.

A draft will only speed up this process which will be bloody good news for the Iraqis and Afghanis.

The Evil we can do.

"The worse thing that happens to guards in a prison is they get bored. And the guards, especially on the night shift -- and this is true, both at Stanford (and we can talk later about Abu Ghraib), the worst abuses happen in both on the night shift."

An interesting interview between ABC's Natasha Mitchell and Stanford University's Professor Emeritus Philip Zimbardo, the man behind one of history's most notorious psychological experiments.

To read the transcript of the interview go here.

WTF

The Southern Philippines Island of Mindanao looks like it is going to erupt into a war zone (Bugger).

The Australian Government is hosing down as hard as it can a you tube video that showed a soldier dressed as a KKK member whilst on a piss up, 3 years ago no less (Duh)

The greatest military machine in the history of the world is being given a bloody nose by a bunch of people who take exception to their presence (Duh x 2)

But as a God fearing, peace loving kinda guy there really isn't much that can beat a good fireworks display.


Now is there?