Andy, you make comments to the effect that we readers of ABS should criticize it and demand excellence and that, given enough of this sort of treatment, the folks at ABS will respond by "straightening up and flying right".

I think this is a questionable hypothesis. I think it likely that they are doing the best they can and, given their own level of ability and the state of Bonsai in America today, are not capable of producing any better results than they already are. As pointed out by Rockm, there is the occasional article of real interest and it's probably unrealistic to hope for much more.

As I think about it, Bonsai has been known to good numbers of Americans for going on 60 years, since the GIs started coming back from the occupation of Japan. In those 60 years, bonsai hasn't really developed all that much in this country. I see lots of reasons, including ABS, to think that the spirit of Bonsai will never be grasped by more than a tiny fraction of 1% of Americans and the majority of those will never have the supportive infrastructure or cultural values to develop very far with it. ABS is reflective of that; much more a symptom than a root cause.

It's a tough choice: support ABS, realizing it's unlikely it will ever be much more than it is today or spend the money for a subsciption elsewhere. I like to think of myself as a "Realistic Supporter", accepting of the limitations of this publication, wishing it was more but realizing that it is probably unlikely that it ever will be.

Fred

Same here Jim, I dropped that subscription last year, as the articles were poor and held little or no interest for me. I started getting Bonsai Europe and I love it.

On another note, does anyone have any idea why the US conventions are so much more expensive than the European ones. Looking at BCI for this year its almost $300 while I could go to the EBA convention for 130Euro or Ichi Shun Ten for 110Euro.

Confused in Bonsai

Fred,

I appreciate your observations and can agree in some small measure. But I'll argue that what must be the basis of any "national organization" is excellence. Everything else should be, and should be represented as, secondary and subordinate to excellence. This is not true of ABS.

However, lest we get going full steam down the wrong track, let me say that my criticisms in this case are specific - a national organization using their subscription publication to disseminate bad bonsai technique. That is what is wrong in this particular case. No matter how lax ABS wants to be in upholding standards of excellence, spreading harmful and/or irrelevant information is bad, bad, bad no matter the appetite for excellence in the U.S.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas

Gosh I am glad you guys never got to any of the articles I have had in ABS. I would need a lot of Band-Aids and probably a transfusion or two.
But at least I can say one thing. I at least submitted articles. I did more than just bitch about how bad the content was. I at least tried to do something.
ABS will only ever be as good as the membership. Quit complaining and write something with content. Submit it and make a contribution to a better magazine.
Don't tear down what you are not willing to build up.
This is the major reason that bonsai has never gotten any where in the US.

I have to agree with Ron to a certain extent. I "donate" my money to the ABS subscription, to help keep the publication and the ABS in business.

I read the articles I like and the ones that do not interest me, I skip.

It always comes down to money, doesn't it? If you don't like the ABS don't renew your subscription.

Frankly, The Bonsai Today doesn't have an exclusivity on good articles....There are many articles that leave me wondering, why they bothered. Sometimes the photos are so small that they make no sense and leave me totally confused.

The only good thing about some of their articles is the before and after pictures.

Getting back to Andy's point, I do agree that the article had no place in a Bonsai magazine.

Ron,

You write:
"I at least submitted articles. I did more than just bitch about how bad the content was. I at least tried to do something."
and
"Quit complaining and write something with content. Submit it and make a contribution to a better magazine."

So by your standard, no one has a right to expect quality from a publication they subscribe to unless they're a contributor? In other words, you're telling 98% of the readership to "shut up and take it," if they don't like what they see. Readers are just supposed to meekly accept tripe because they can't supply their subscription publication with anything better.

That's nonsensical baloney and you know it. If you don't know it, my condolences.

As for me, I do make contributions to a "better magazine." Regular contributions. I'll make contributions to the ABS publication when that organization represents my endeavor. At present they do not. Instead, they represent a shallow caricature of my endeavor. But I throw my money at them anyway. I must be thick-headed or something.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas

The expected response as usual.
Not something I feel the need to respond to but what has become what you are most noted for.
Have a nice day

When I tried to read the article, I started wondering why I'm reading this? How does it relate to bonsai? Is any of this applicable. Bad, out of place article. But, on the otherhand, the editor supplied a decent story about using grafting to improve a potentia;l bonsai pine.

Overall, I guess I have to agree. I pay my dues to support and read what I think is useful ... but I know volunteer organizations and we do get what we volunteer for.

Unfortuantly, this sounds like those who bitch about how the government runs the country, but didnt bother to vote, Andy.


As for me, I do make contributions to a "better magazine." Regular contributions. I'll make contributions to the ABS publication when that organization represents my endeavor. At present they do not. Instead, they represent a shallow caricature of my endeavor.

Hi David,

You are mistaken. I addressed your misapplied observation previously - in my reply to Ron.

Let's not confuse the issue here. The issue I raised is that it is disappointing and unacceptable that an article that is harmful and/or irrelevant to the bonsai endeavor appear in a bonsai magazine. As I noted before, it is reasonable to expect that not every article be excellent. There are not always 4 - 8 excellent articles available to a volunteer organization's publication for each issue. BUT, it is not acceptable that a bonsai publication publish an article that is harmful to the endeavor and which misleads readers, OR which is wholly irrelevant to the bonsai endeavor.

These other flights of fancy that some insist dwelling on have nothing to do with this issue.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas