Art photography between reality and dreams
Art photography between reality and dreams
2023
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Mark Brooks
Kunst-Fotografie
Art-Photography
Zwischen Realität
und
Traum
November 8, 2020
NYC in the USA
it is more than shame.
November 6, 2020
Many things in our world should shame us to no end, most of us look away. In rich countries where we spend billions on weapons, wars, space exploration in our own lands, children go to bed, to school hungry and are living in tents or cars on our city streets or in slums. We have the third world right here among us.
Why do we have so many people that are homeless? Many of the people are professionals that have lost everything they too are living in tent cities. Most of all they have lost pride as we should too.
It seems to me that to correct this problem in the long run it will start with education.
People have not learned how to handle money. In school from a young age, this should be a major subject.
If you do not have the cash, then do not buy it.
Credit card companies have given people a way to have everything they desire. Banks have given credit knowing the person will never be able to pay it off. People want everything they see that the others have and they want it now.
When I first met Gerda, I bought a TV. I set up a credit account with the store. Something like a dollar down and a dollar a week. ( Not really a dollar a week but it was to be taken out of my pay) When she learned that I had not paid for the TV she went to her bank got the money for it gave it to me to pay my loan off. From that day on we have purchased nothing on credit except our house and that was paid off a few years ago.
I have to admit one thing. When I started my last sales job. I was paid on commission only. If I did not sell I did not earn money. I was given a draw on future earnings and thought I would never get out of the hole. But I did and after I had a regular commission check coming in I stopped the draw.
Not everyone can do what we did. However, you can work to pay off those cards put money in the bank and pay with debit cards only. Then what you can afford. If you use credit then use it only those things that you absolutely need to survive.
For years we ate lots of rice and beans. We had no money for toys. Unless we were willing to do without something else we desired. When you want to change your life you can. However, here is a warning. Change Hurts.
November 2020 Back on Switzerlane in Shawnee Kansas danger was our business. Or at least our game.
Mr. Ramond had two kids we never saw after dark. Around his back yard was a fence. Was it meant to keep the dog in the yard? That could have been we assured ourselves. But then one day an electric wire was strung up all around the back yard property. Why? Was it turned on to keep the dog from climbing the fence? Maybe it was to keep the children in. Or even worse was it designed to keep all of the neighborhood rascals OUT? That would not have been not fair.
Like I said early in the blog, some of our summer activities were ringing doorbells, playing hide and go seek, and window peeking.
We had a new challenge, what to do about this electric fence. We all tired of touching it. Shocking ourselves was fun but it got old. I think Railroadman tried to touch it with his tongue. ( Not a good idea that was) Thank the lord the fence electric wire was high so no one peed on it. No need for crispy critters. That might have been a life-changing event for someone.
Then it happened! My big brain started working flashing red lights should have went on but I think I blew a fuse. All the neighbors had Iris flowers. ( I will tell you about those another time) What would happen if we took a long leaf and laid it over the electric wire?
The first brave person to give it a try was me. Laying the flower over the fence I held on to see just how long I could last. Wow, I was shocked. Who would have thought that would happen. The longer I held on to the flower the numbness in my arm became more and more. Looking down at my feet was really neat. The ground was wet my rubber Keds were sparking. Cool. No, I did not get the new nickname of sparkie, Mental Mark covered just about everything.
For the rest of the summer, we had fun making long lines holding hands then laying on the flower. The only person that got the big shock was the last one in line.
Yep, our summer vacation was an experience that I bet most of the kids have forgotten about.
Under the fabric, we dream
November 7 , 2020 Yesterday the garden work was forgotten about and we took a walk in the sunshine.
Getting away from the news, breathing the fresh air just enjoying a little time thinking in my fantasy world that the rest of the world is in order.
Today, I am upset about what I see is going on in the United States of America. Here I will not go into detail on how I am feeling at the moment. It is just that America was looked up to for so many years. See I am starting to get more upset. Have a good day and dream a little dream.
November 5 2020
This morning I woke up with morbid thoughts. Ashes to ashes dust to dust if the miseries don't get you the blackberry juice with the persimmon juice must.
When you still take the Newspaper do you often turn to the obituary page to see whom you beat? Sort of like when you see a young person's name you sort of feel sorry for them.
Here in our part of Germany, people place an announcement with a picture of the person that has gone on to that better place. Most of the time the photos are of that person when they were younger and looked good. The younger ones they place a picture of how they looked just before passing over the river. Often I am shocked by how old they look at 50. At 68 I do try to avoid photos of myself, looking in the mirror, and stuff like that.
One good thing about these death announcements is it gives friends, coworkers, distant relatives, and robbers a heads up on when the funereal is going to take place and when no one will be home and an easy break-in can take place.
Don't worry................. Be happy. Now you can think of that song all day.
November 4, 2020 :I am back from metal detecting. Five hours in the wood. My goal was to find where the people that would have attached the castle. I have been looking here on and off for the past 5 weeks. Somewhere they had to get ready for the battles. I have found coins here from the 1700s but that is not old enough.
Before the battles, soldiers would burry the loot they have picked up along the way and hope they survived the battle and were able to come back for the goodies. Sometimes they did not make it back.
When you go detecting you always find something. It is not always what you want but you always find something. It is fun knowing that you might just hit the big one again.
Here in Bayern I follow the rules. You must stay 200 meters away from a historical object that is registered. That would be this castle.
Here is a photo of the finds of today that were worth putting in the small bags to get ready to clean. Wondering about the value. As I see it today's treasures are worth give or take a little. It is $ Zero. But I had a lot of fun digging in the woods.
People that metal detect are funny. They will spend $1000.00 Dollars or Euros to go out and dig up 25 Cents. When they don't find that some of them toss the unit into the cabinet and never go out again. You have to pay your dues or you lose
My gallery is clean with pictures rearranged and new ones hung up. The Studio is already but due to the corona, we are on a type of lockdown. That means no people to make photos of.
This will give me time to work on old pictures and maybe get creative.
Last night I played with one picture and I worked on my picture library.
This is the photo I worked on.
The one on the right has little touch up just a little smoothing the one on the right has been changed a lot. I prefer the one on the left.
It shows who she is and tells a story at the same time. The one on right is just another pretty picture.
3 November
When I was in the 9th grade. In one of my classes, my grades were failing. The note was given to me to take home. My parents must sign it and I must bring the darn thing back to school.
After practicing my dad's signature, I got it down really good.
A few days after I took the note back to school my father receives this strange phone call from the school. Mr. Brooks what can we do to help bring your son's grades up?
He says back. What the hell are you talking about what's the problem.
Dad was surprised by my originality and said in a very loud voice what the __ ___ ___ ___ did you think you were doing and who in the hell did you learn that from.
You broke the law. Just by putting my name to the paper.
This was just a few days before my birthday. I was thinking maybe I was really growing up. Looking at him directly in his eyes I said.
I learned it from you........ Like when you speed and saying it is Ok as long as you don't get caught and things like that.
That was my second mistake.
Dad and Steve and I were going on a fishing trip the next day. Only Dad and Steve went and it was a few days before dad even talked to me. He knew I was wrong and right at the same time.
Dad told me once that a man is only as good as his word.
Now that is something to think about.
2 November 2020
Leaves
Aw spring we are so happy to see each and every little leaf bud springing to life after the long cold and dark winter. We plant trees so someday trees will be big enough to provide shade where we can sit under and cool off on a hot day. It even provides us with fruit to enjoy.
A few days ago the first frost came to paint the leaves in many colors it struck me how beautiful in the forest and my own yard was. Giving me such a warm fuzzy feeling.
One leaf fell to the ground. It is so pretty. Orange and green what a wonderful combination of color. Proudly I deiced to do a little garden work. Removing the few leaves that fell yesterday. Going to bed I can brag about what I have accomplished.
This morning I wake up. The one leaf has been replaced by a ton of leaves that ungrateful tree, I watered all summer has thrown up on my grass. It is not pretty any longer. Now it makes really a lot of work.
Dare I send Gerda out in the bitter cold to rake the leaves?
It is something to consider.
I hate it when I write something read it over and over and after it is published I see the gibberish.
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1 November 2020
Have you asked yourself why you are reading my blog? What do you expect to get out of it? Why is it important to read it?
In the world, you have really just a few friends you can count on and fewer that you know what is in them the deep and dark secrets. Most of the time it better not to know what lies locked in history you do not have the privilege to explore.
My for my blog for me is to show my art to the thousands of contacts on my social media around the world a little of what makes me tick. Maybe you can see where my art comes from why I make photos of what I do. Maybe you too can figure it out before I am locked up.
Today, my subject is stuff. Most of us have it, in many cases too much of it. Basements are full attics are full of stuff. Stuff you cannot use and never will hoard away.
Unless maybe it is toilet paper. That gets used at the end.
How do you free yourself of stuff? Lots of stuff, I give away. People that think they can use it. Thinking of the $ or € value of it and grab it right up. Now they have more stuff they can store. I think of it as regifting.
You dream of reasons why you need that special stuff. Making excuses and telling yourself it is going to pay for itself. It will save time and make life better. Besides, you should get that stuff before your neighbor gets it. Often the stuff is used maybe one time then it gathers dust. You need to just look at my office. Lot's of dust.
Enjoy your stuff while you can. No one has ever taken stuff with them into the next world.
Think of the fun your family sorting and fighting over your old stuff.
As I see it that goes for money too. If you got it spend it. You did earn it, right? Don't make anyone happy when you die. At least in this way.
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31 October 2020
31 October 2020
What a day! When I was a kid I always looked forward to this day. Sometimes my big brother Steve even took me or allowed me to tag along.
It would be fun to say that on Halloween I did pranks that were evil. Today I have been trying to bring up visions of a few of these nights but I am only able to come off with a few flashbacks. Always I am having flashbacks but this time they are faded.
Number one. Our neighborhood was basically made up of poor folks that thought they were really making it. Working two to three jobs to pay the mortgages off on an $11,000,00 house. To kids today that sounds funny. But those same houses 60 years later sell for over $100,000.00. Most of them should be bulldozed down and something new put up.
Back to the story. We made the rounds begging for candy from our neighbors then we made the big move. We headed over in gangs to Sherwood Forest. Here we would score big time. One old guy worked at Colgate and he gave out toothpaste. One was a dentist and he gave out toothbrushes. In Sherwood Forest. they did not give out those little candies you got big bars.
Number Two: Mother had to make sweet-potatoes on this one Halloween night. I hate and still hate sweet-potatoes. It was getting late and the other kids were already ringing the doorbell. I could not sit still and I was ready to put on my costume to go out and get my sacks filled up too.
The sweet-potatoes with the burnt marshmallows were still on my plate. Dad said, IF YOU DO NOT EAT THOSE SWEET-POTATOES YOU CANNOT GO OUT AND TRICK OR TREAT! Then he piled more onto my plate. Steve just snickered.
I shoveled the nasty tasting potatoes in my mouth and tried to swallow. A little went down.. However, it also came back up with everything else that I had eaten I think for the past two days.
This was not funny. But to get me out of his hair dad allowed me to leave the table and mom took me to the door and I ran out dressed as a clown 🤡
Looks like I played a pretty good tick on him.
Number three and the last one. Mom, Steve, and I belonged to the RLDS church. The RLDS church is what helped make the man I am today. I think they call us Jack Mormans.
Our pasture that was a great man, Mr. Muchmore. Had a Halloween party at his house for all of the hobgoblins to keep them safe and off the street. Lucky for you all I rememberer were the eyes he passed around in the dark. I could not eat grapes for years. What I have a hard time understanding is why any church has Holloween Events.
Extra Blog New Format
30 October 2020
Thank you Paul for the suggestion. Paul said he liked my blog. But it was hard for new people to join the blog the way that the stories were sent out. Maybe this way you can read the blog and are able to see the rest of my page too. It is my dream to have followers all over the world.......... Please join in.
Mark.
On Sunday the lockdown in Germany starts again. People have mixed emotions on this emotionally filled subject. As I understand it a household is able to have contact with just one other household. So, Oma lives alone in her house. We can have contact visiting her doing her shopping and she can come to us to visit. However, We cannot go over to other friends and have coffee.
Kindergartens and schools are open until someone test positive for the virus. They are open so that the parents that are able to work can keep working. Restaurants, bars, and places where people gather are going to be closed for at least one month. Stores will be kept open. In the stores and on the street in many cities you must have your mask on. The mask is not to protect you but the other people.
The people that own the Restaurants are very angry after having invested thousands of Euros in the needed safety shields and clean air systems so they could open after the first lockdown.
Events like, concerts, theater, exhibits, and museums. Have been closed or canceled.
The reason for the lockdown is that we were not able to control ourselves. We had big parties and people got infected. We met others in large numbers and people got infected. We went to church and people got infected. We had weddings and people got infected.
Now, the Government is trying to find ways to help us protect ourselves and what are people doing or are going to do?
Protest! The government is taking away rights. Making us wear a mask. We say that's not fair.
When you belong to those that say that please do not go to the hospital for help when you get sick. It is your choice to do what you think is right. Stay home and get well alone. Or..... not.
No need to fix the blame when we can try to fix the problem.
This Sunday is a German Holiday
What is meant by "All Saints' Day"?
All Saints' Day and All Souls Day are Catholic days of remembrance and mourning in November. All Saints' Day (November 1st) is literally remembered for "all saints" and also those who are not canonized. The message of the day is shaped by the belief that many of the dead can be venerated like saints.
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