The mainstream artworld has had a love/hate relationship with graffiti. On the plus side, talented artists such as Banksy have made graffiti an aesthetic pleasure, applying stencils to create challenging artworks with a subtle meaning attached. This kind of graffiti was likely to become trendy with both the masses and the likes of The Daily Telegraph pressroom : visually pleasing and intellectually satisfying. This sort of graffiti is now even acquired as graffiti prints, and hung in suburban households and office meeting rooms.

Nevertheless, what of the everyday sort - the gangbanger, the tagger, the street urchin - this kind of graffiti is often seen as antisocial, a crime perpetrated by the talentless. But is graffiti only art? To many individuals, it’s not only art, but a way to mark a neighbourhood, or perhaps two fingers up at society : anti-establishment, anti-social, even anti-art.

Graffiti has forever been an undercover pursuit, although the effects are very much public. The intended market is frequently unknown. Is it for a competing gang? A message to a single person? To the public? Perhaps it’s simply uncalled-for and out of nothing else to do.

Whatever the reasons, there seems to be a enduring need to spray on walls. Some towns have acknowledged that graffiti isn’t a fad, so they’ve designated zones where graffiti is permitted - usually unoccupied areas, but now and then busier zones like temporary boarding surrounding inner city buildings under construction.

Today having a nice garden is almost as important as having a nice living room, and choosing the proper garden furniture is a key element for a successful outdoor experience. Many companies are specializing themselves in providing state of the art garden furniture that will encounter all the specifics and demanding needs of homeowners. Catalogs are becoming bigger and bigger and the options always widen and open up to the new styles and fashions.

Garden furniture can be made of many different materials, like teak furniture and plastic garden chairs, but the most common are probably three: wood, plastic and metal. Of course, it is very important to consider weather conditions before purchasing your garden furniture set, as heavy rain or constant exposure to sunlight might create serious problems in the long term. It is indeed advisable not to purchase cheap garden furniture, as chances are that you will have to re-purchase all the furniture over and over again. Therefore, before shopping, do your homework and choose wisely, as an educated purchase can truly save you a lot of money, frustration and hassle. A good garden furniture, besides enhancing the overall look of your backyard, it also stimulates family gatherings and outdoor activities resulting in spending more time in the fresh air.

Looking at all the various swords for sale online can make you feel a bit like a kid in a candy store. But if you are looking to buy authentic replica swords online, it can be a bit harder to get what you really want than it otherwise might first appear…

Sure, if you are just looking for an ornamental sword to hang on the wall - it’s pretty easy. Just look around for a sword that takes your fancy, don’t spend much more than US$50 and your chances of getting what you want are good…

But if you are like me when I first started my sword collection, you might not know that there is a world of difference between an ornamental sword that you hang on the wall and a REAL sword that you can actually swing through the air or cut things with!

The reality is that the vast majority of swords for sale on the internet are what experienced sword collectors call “sword like objects”. Even just swinging one of these swords through the air is asking for trouble, and may the gods help you if you try to cut something as simple as a cardboard box! More often than not, the swords handle will break, the blade will shatter or worse still, come flying off like some demented helicopter blade at a speed of just over 40mph (trust me, voice of experience here!).

The fact of the matter is that if you are looking for a REAL sword, you need to start your search looking for what online sword sellers refer to as a “battle ready” or “functional sword.”

Unfortunately though, not all sword sellers are scrupulously honest in their description of a battle ready sword… And quite often, this description is applied to swords that are anything but “functional”.

Essentially, there are three main characteristics that all REAL swords have in common. And those characteristics are:

• They are made of high carbon steel, NOT stainless steel.

• The swords have been properly heat treated to ensure they are not too brittle and not too soft.

• The sword has what is called a “full tang”. In other words, the metal insert that goes into the swords handle is forged as part of the sword, and not welded on afterwards.

Of course, not all “functional” swords being sold online accurately describe if they have these characteristics. Luckily though, there is a fairly easy way to determine if a sword is REAL or not. And that is by only buying swords made by a well known and respected sword manufacturer.

In my opinion, the best “bang for your buck” swords are all produced by 3 companies - Windlass Steelcrafts, Generation 2 and Paul Chens Hanwei Forge. All of these manufacturers make good quality REAL swords at prices around the US$150 to $200 mark.

While you might think that this is a lot to pay for a sword, especially when compared to the cheap swords being sold online for $30 or $40 - the reality is that you are not comparing apples with apples. And believe me, for this price range you can get some very mean, strong swords that you would be proud to show off to your friends.

For more information on how to select a your first real sword, as well as reviews, test cutting results and everything else you need to know about buying swords online, check out my website. http://sword-buyers-guide.com

The Exit Poems
[And Socrates]

Iron and Fire

Iron can be soften by fire
grows hard in the cold;
and all the gates therein
are, as it was, closed again.
So, often are those misled?
by luxury and pride,
who push humility aside:
thus, redemption their vanity
and perfection their virtue…
and in the end, they all collided.

#789 [7/9/05]

No Heroes

I’m still living all the places I’ve been
Dreaming of places I’d like to see
Catching airplanes, trains, and buses

In-between
Like a phantom at twilight!

I have no heroes, just extravagate hope;
They all seem to lose at the end, where

I begin.
Disbelieving in light, wherever it was
By the exitwaiting for the movie to end!

#790 [7/9/05]

Socrates, a man of iron and fire I’d say, and a hero too many; even a hero to the great Plato, for it was him, who cleared his good name up. They killed him for his philosophy (as they had killed Galileo for his). But here was a man who was not afraid of battle, or war, and lived his philosophy. He slept in tents, and figured it was time to live, ‘I’ll write later,’ or have someone write for me. Sometimes we cannot do both, and have to weigh the valor out. Thus, he achieved his noble glory; unfortunately I am not sure if I can say that for Plato or Aristotle, both of great minds, but we are, at the end, measured by our souls.

Dennis Siluk see his website at: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com