What have done for the bonsai community this week?

[Tachigi]

I know of two different national shows in the planning stages

Will I was referencing the Bill V, Colin, Julian and Ken L. show. Which Colin has been agonizing over since the last Ginkgo trip. If there was a separate show mentioned in the AoB thread, I miss read it and thought there was only one reference or I totally missed it considering the amount of posts Hate that when that happens, now I have to go back and reread it to figure out what else I missed.

I think the idea of three shows is not what one could call national. Regional might be a better term. Rotating locations is fine till you come to the Agri. regs. for each state that holds the display. Bnut gave a good example of that I thought, with his white pine post. Which prompts another question in this three ring circus can Joe who lives in Cali. compete with Marty who live in Connecticut. Then another question spawns from that. Will either one subject his possible prize winning tree to a cross country trec and stress it out while possibly breaking a dozen or more laws transporting plant material. I think its a great idea, no one more than I would love to see it fly. I think it would really open eyes in the US bonsai community. However the reality of it is that it will never probably happen at least on a scale that we all wish for. I know that has a negative spin to it....sorry not my intention.

 

[Anonymous User]

Ah yes, Bill has been working on a national show for some time now and he certainly has the qualifications to make it happen. There is also at least one other group working on the same idea. I wasn't aware that either group was mentioned at AoB, I guess I better go back and reread the thread again myself.

Even changing the show location each year would eventually help, but, let's face it, there will be travel involved as there is in all other major shows, even the European shows involve travel and many American artists have traveled there as well as Japan.

I have been in a couple conversations with some of these promoters and I think we will all be pleasantly surprised when the final details are released. Of course there will always be the nay-sayers and complainers, but they'll be ignored as usual.



Will

 

[Vance Wood]

Graydon, thanks for calling a spade a spade. Setting up a thread to pat on the back those who think they have done a service to the community is just begging for someone to pat one's own back. "I started a thread." "I wrote an article." "Does my service measure up to yours?"

It's like local club politics writ large...which is the number one thing that keeps good bonsai from being done more often in the U.S. because it runs off n00bs who see the politics coming and just turn around and leave.

I'm sorry Chris, but I don't understand, happens a lot lately. In posts 10 and 16 you expound your contributions and now you are saying that this is "self-congratulatory bull"? Is there an honest thought in you or is everything you post suspect to some other agenda?

 

[Anonymous User]

Graydon, thanks for calling a spade a spade. Setting up a thread to pat on the back those who think they have done a service to the community is just begging for someone to pat one's own back. "I started a thread." "I wrote an article." "Does my service measure up to yours?"

It's like local club politics writ large...which is the number one thing that keeps good bonsai from being done more often in the U.S. because it runs off n00bs who see the politics coming and just turn around and leave.

This thread is not for those who "think" they have done a service, it is for those that have. No service is too small to be counted. I mean, really Chris, God help us if we applaud those who try and help the community, after all, that could lead to a sense of appreciation and even (oh no) people giving more to it.

You may call it whatever you wish, devalue those who contribute, and ridicule those that post here, but know that it is you that is practicing politics here and politics of the worse type. You are running a smear campaign, a brief look at some of your comments to my own (some deleted by moderation) will easily confirm this. I think this thread, indeed this forum would be far better off without such political garbage.

Back to this thread. You are trivializing those that help the bonsai community, those who care enough to actually do positive things, unlike your complaining and whining about a thread meant only to give a few well deserved pats on the back.

People will go on contributing (and hopefully posting here) in spite of your unjust appraisals and negativity.

I know I will.


Will

 

[Graydon]

Graydon, thanks for calling a spade a spade. Setting up a thread to pat on the back those who think they have done a service to the community is just begging for someone to pat one's own back. "I started a thread." "I wrote an article." "Does my service measure up to yours?"

It's like local club politics writ large...which is the number one thing that keeps good bonsai from being done more often in the U.S. because it runs off n00bs who see the politics coming and just turn around and leave.

So let's leave the self-serving and self-congratulatory bull where it belongs...in the mirror!

Chris - I called myself a spade my friend - not everyone. I gleefully posted this morning only to have a few hours to wire some pine seedlings and hang around at a nursery with some good people interested in bonsai, local people that I know now and am getting to know better every day. During that time I had a chance to reflect on my back slapping and I came to the realization that doing the actions meant more to me that speaking about my actions. I made a mistake this morning. I also made one this evening - that last line should have been left off my post. It was not needed and may have been hurtful. But alas I'm human. I've been in a funk lately - call it mid winter blues or whatever. I apologize. Perhaps I need some time off, some time away. Some introspective time. Some quiet bonsai time. Again - this was about me, my thoughts about my actions. Perhaps you had a flash of the same thoughs as I?

Will - sorry to rain on the parade. I can't assume I know your intentions. I too am glad that there are people out there that contribute. People wanting to help, to build and to grow bonsai. I'm going to leave it at that - or until I'm in a better mood.

Now where did my bottle of "funk-b-gone" go? <- my lame attempt at humor and not an indication that I'm going to drink myself to sleep tonight.

 

[Anonymous User]

Will - sorry to rain on the parade. I can't assume I know your intentions. I too am glad that there are people out there that contribute. People wanting to help, to build and to grow bonsai. I'm going to leave it at that - or until I'm in a better mood.

No rain, I always appreciate and welcome friendly, honest, and intelligent debate, yours was all of the above, thank you.


Will

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Please keep the discussion focused on the topic. If you don't like the topic, please keep your criticism civil and constructive. Personal attacks will be edited and/or deleted.

As a general rule, please keep politics off the boards. I do not care to hear about the drama occuring on another web site, and will not tolerate it here. Bonsai is supposed to be serene and contemplative. You're messing with my Zen-like tranquility

 

[Tachigi]

Setting up a thread to pat on the back those who think they have done a service to the community is just begging for someone to pat one's own back. "I started a thread." "I wrote an article." "Does my service measure up to yours?"

Chris, I'm not sure who your directing this to, but since I replied to Wills thread I have to believe that your directing this at myself and anyone else who posted. I didn't wave a red flag and say, Ohhh, Ohhh guess what I did. I responded to an inquiry! I need not share it to massage my ego, I have long past that stage. If I get stroked its from the people I interact with in my community.

 

[Vance Wood]

Chris, I'm not sure who your directing this to, but since I replied to Wills thread I have to believe that your directing this at myself and anyone else who posted. I didn't wave a red flag and say, Ohhh, Ohhh guess what I did. I responded to an inquiry! I need not share it to massage my ego, I have long past that stage. If I get stroked its from the people I interact with in my community.

OMG, a word of sanity. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. I was begining to think the bonsai world had gone crazy.

 

[BonsaiNinja]

Bonsai in space?

This week....well, month, I came out of the bonsai closet and admitted I have bonsai issues. Therefore the public around me has a general awareness of what bonsai really is, and they will be experiencing bonsai up close and personal from now on.

I know, it is small, but my next project is launching bonsai into space, so extraterrestrials can enjoy it also.

Mirav zronto elsi doi soi lic neosp!

(that's what they said when they brought me up with them, i dont know what it means, but i am sure it is prophetic of something pathetic)

 

[Anonymous User]

Now that's funny!

 

[grog]

prophetic of something pathetic....


Now that's some creative aliteration!

 

[Badbyte]

Cya. You spent a helluva lot more time setting up your shadow account and web proxy address than I did banning you.

- Bonsainut

 

[Boondock]

I do not think this cartoon was meant to start a fight. The picture does make a point.

let's be realistic, if pictures communicated better than words, we would be using them as such.

I think no two people would see the same thing.


Will

I see this not as an attack, or an attempt to disrupt. The cartoon could have easily been text, would you have reacted so angrily?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I do not think this cartoon was meant to start a fight. The picture does make a point.

The "point" in this case has nothing to do with this thread. Instead it is devaluing the thread and attacking the original poster. The subject of this thread is "what have you done for the bonsai community this week"? If you would like to talk about what you have done, great. If not, great. However do not attack people who like to share things that they feel have had a positive impact on the hobby.

 

[Graydon]

In an effort to post positive things I have something to add to this thread.

Myself and another BonsaiNut member attended a meeting this week. It was a committee meeting for a local spring garden show and it has been going on for 10 years here in Lakeland. Mostly plant vendors and such but it has turned in to an event with speakers, musicians and small conservation workshops as well.

The President of our bonsai society basically volunteered us for this meeting. As a non profit entity we are given a booth space for nearly nothing. I thought the meeting was an organizational meeting but it was much more than that. It seems this group of people raise at least $10,000 per year to do the show and the remaining funds ($8,000 or more) are given as grants to organizations to further conservation and gardening in general. Most of the money comes from large corporate sponsors.

I volunteered our society members to help set up stuff the morning of the show as well as wrap up after the event. I also explained to the committee our goals for this show - to simply display some of our club members finest trees and to discuss and educate the public as to what bonsai really is. They were so excited it appears we will be getting some premium and additional space for our exhibit.

So we didn't "do anything" for bonsai this week. But bonsai (thru our club volunteers) is doing "something for our community" and that is a good thing. Perhaps one person walks away form the event with a new interest in bonsai and that would be good too.

 

[Anonymous User]

Graydon,

Indeed good for the community, many people will benefit from your efforts. Thank you.


Will

 

[Anonymous User]

In response to a couple people who mentioned that I should contribute to this thread that I started and at the risk of being called a self promoting braggart...

Over the last few weeks I think I have contributed a little to the bonsai community. Some of what I accomplished....

Helped to launch a rare interview with Kimuri as well as one with Vaughn Banting.

Created illustrations for a few articles by Vance Wood and Walter Pall.

Put together a soon to be released tribute to the work of John Naka.

Wrote a soon to be released article on bonsai ownership and giving due credit to the artist.

Wrote a soon to be published article on Literati.

Wrote a soon to be published article on youth in bonsai.

Set up a invite only forum for those currently discussing a American National show.

Helped develop a one-of-a-kind contest that will be starting soon for AoB.

Helped develop a totally different styling contest for KoB, starting soon.

Continued to plan as the show chairperson, my clubs annual show and locked in Bill V. as the judge and workshop master.

Continued actively working as administrator and editor at AoB and KoB in which I continued conversations with some of the best artists in the world planning galleries and profiles as well as acquiring articles from them for publication.

Sent submitted articles from contributors at KoB and AoB to major bonsai magazines for consideration for publication. (two were just accepted and agreed upon by the authors)


Actually, not to imply anything, it was a typically couple of weeks for me. You see I love bonsai, I love the art of bonsai, and I actively try to give back just a little of what it has given me. That is really all there is to it. Should others do as much? NO, each of us must do what we can, from introducing a child to bonsai to volunteering to help in your clubs growing beds or at the show, every single little thing helps to advance the art and helps us all, no matter how small or how big it it, together we can build a solid foundation of bonsaist who care, who want to advance the art and not tear it down.

I personally applaud every person who posted here, without your contributions, the art would be less than it is today.


Signing out,


Will

 

[Bonsai Nut]

You see I love bonsai, I love the art of bonsai, and I actively try to give back just a little of what it has given me. That is really all there is to it.

A good bunch of work - I wish I were as productive. I would bet that 75% or more of people that partake in bonsai do so by themselves. Many probably think of it as gardening - you go out to the store, buy a tree, maybe read a book, and that's all there is to it. There is soooooo much more. The question is - how do we get all the people with one tree to become aware of the rest of what bonsai has to offer?

 

[Graydon]

Hey Will - do you have a job like the rest of us or do you stay up nights drinking copious amounts of caffeine laced beverages to accomplish all that stuff? I mean not that I have a problem with it... where the hell did I set my coffee now...?

Nice stuff. Looking forward to seeing some of the results.