Clinton Has Gone Too Far

Can You Tell Them Apart? Take MoveOn's Bush-McCain Challenge

Take the quiz HERE!

For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff—and you might be surprised by some of it.

Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain—but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night.

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."

3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."

5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.

7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.

9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this info to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/

A Message From Al Gore

Listen To The Vets

The REAL McCain - From Brave New Films

John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama!

Photo by the Washington Post

Since John Edwards was my original candidate-of-choice, and I've been supporting Barack Obama since Edwards dropped out of the race for Democratic candidate to the presidency, I'm especially happy to report that today, John Edwards officially endorsed Barack Obama for president! Perhaps this means that Obama has asked Edwards to be his VP running mate (a decision I definitely support) or just that Edwards finally made his choice. His wife, Elizabeth Edwards, is apparently supporting Clinton. Let me reiterate again that I'll take EITHER Obama or Clinton over John McSame (more Bush policies) but I'm very happy that Obama is poised to win the nomination of the Democratic party.



Read More Here!

Yellow Journalism: As If We Needed More Proof

Yellow Journalism

Irony abounds as right-wing pundits such as Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly claim (as they have for a decade now) that America's mainstream media is left-leaning.

Published on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 by the Chicago Sun-Times

Why Media Fix on Wright and Ignore Hagee
by Andrew Greeley

I fail to see that the envious and bitter attacks of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright should have created the crisis in Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign when the remarks of Pastor John Hagee have not created a similar crisis in Sen. John McCain’s campaign. Why is McCain somehow not responsible for Hagee while Obama is responsible for Wright? I suggest the difference is that the senator from Illinois is a Kenyan American and the senator from Arizona a white American.

A second question is why the elite national media fix on Wright and ignore Hagee. Wright, you will say, is much better media copy than Hagee. Yet the latter explains Hurricane Katrina as God’s wrath on gays and lesbians and describes the Catholic Church as the “whore of Babylon.”


As the watchdog group Media Matters points out in a recent report, two elite papers — The New York Times and the Washington Post — have paid 12 times as much attention to Obama’s clergy as to to McCain’s.

Since McCain accepted Hagee’s endorsement on Feb. 27, the Times has published 46 articles about Obama and Wright and five articles about McCain and Hagee. The Post’s score is 53-3. The Times has produced 22 editorials and op-eds that mention Obama and Wright and two about McCain and Hagee, and the Post scores 40-2. In the words of Karl Frisch of Media Matters, “It is time for the major media outlets to ask themselves if they’ve been covering the candidates for president with equally critical eyes. . . . If they are honest, they’ll admit they have not.”

One must wonder why not. Obama is the front-runner and hence his destruction is raw meat even for the top journals in the country. Surely both papers understand that many Americans are looking for a reason not to vote for a Kenyan American and that this gaffe will feed their hunger.

The same observation could be made of the rigged “debate” on ABC. Both Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos knew what they were doing.


Moreover, it is hardly politically incorrect to assert that the Catholic Church is the “Great Whore of Babylon.” When was the last time either paper became righteous about anti-Catholicism? At some deep level in the souls of the editors and op-ed page editors of both the Times and the Post there must lurk the suspicion that the Catholic Church is, if not the Great Whore, then it is the next worst thing.

Yet to serve the sickness of the racists in American society should hardly be politically correct. Are the decision makers at the Times and the Post that eager to provide grist for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s election mill? Moreover what about the McCarthy sin of guilt by association? Did not the two papers fervently oppose that tactic in the era of Tail-Gunner Joe — and ever since. When did their ethics change?

And why?

The truth is that McCain is not responsible for the wild babbling of Hagee and should not be blamed for it. Nor is Obama responsible for Wright’s crazy pronouncements. It is improper and indeed immoral to hector either man about their “troublesome priests.” There is no more reason to believe that they will have tunnels into the White House than the pope did to John Kennedy’s White House.

Therefore, I charge the editors of both papers, and Gibson and Stephanopoulos, of intellectual dishonesty, flawed ethics and McCarthyism.

Andrew Greeley is a priest in good standing of the Archdiocese of Chicago. for 52 years, a columnist for 40 years, a sociologist for 45 years, a novelist for 28 years, distinguished lecturer at the University of Arizona for 28 , research associate at National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago for 46 years.

More Reading on this topic:

The Violent Language of Right-Wing Pundits Poisons Our Democracy


Project Censored

In Memory of Marilyn Dreampeace

This weekend is the Houston, Texas Orange Show. It's the world's largest, and longest-running ArtCar parade. My dear friend Marilyn Dreampeace traveled from California to Houston many a May to participate in this unique event. We lost Marilyn last November (cancer) so this year the Houston folks had a memorial for her. Here is the lovely message her life-partner, Shalom Dreampeace Compost sent for them to play in her memory:



I am not alone in deeply missing Marilyn. Her zest for life, her gentle stubborness (especially when she wanted me to see or learn something new and I was resisting) and her enormous loving heart did make this world more beautiful. I always think of her when I'm traveling in my ArtCar and even tied some purple ribbons on my antenna to remind me to emulate her open spirit when out adventuring.

You didn't have to know Marilyn yourself to use her life as a model for your own. You can read more about her in the blog post I put up last November. And you can see some of the wonderful photos Ken and other folks took of Marilyn HERE. Although she lived through plenty of tragedy she didn't use it to get over on people...even after her (terminal diagnosis.) There were times I thought she might actually outrun the cancer because she was so damn busy the last two years traveling, visiting friends and family, gambling (she loved penny slots) and showing her wonderful decorated cars at festivals all over America and Canada.

Inventions, Freaks, and Corndogs - Celebrating DIY in the 21st Century

Life Size Mouse Trap (photo by Ken Duffy)

Today I was invited to bring my VainVan ArtCar to the Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA. It was a really fascinating experience. I've been to many types of festivals and fairs over the years and while I do love having my annual corndog, I always get the creeps from the carnies, the immense, pasty, Americans waddling around, and the scary toothless, drunk, fools hootin and hollarin as they peel out in their 12' tall pick ups. It almost doesn't matter what state you're in or what the fair is about, the components seem to almost always be the same. WELL, not today!

The Maker Faire is just about the coolest mix of the good things about county fairs, wood working...














Custom Conference Table & Chairs by BecauseWeCan.org


science fairs...















Giraffe photo by Scott / Laughing Squid


crafts festivals...






















Log Pillow by Erika Kern My Imaginary Boyfriend


and Burning Man...
















Neverwas Haul photo by my web-host, Scott Beale / Laughing Squid



PianoMotion by Mark Chang

It was like anywhere U.S.A. Summer fair but instead of rednecks, it was populated with pierced, tattooed freaks and artists. IT WAS GREAT! It was especially fabulous to see how many cool kids are being introduced to creative thinking, art, inventions, and the common-ness of being weird. And...I even got my corndog!




















!!!UPDATE!!!

I'm happy to report that Jennifer Marsh, who I did a story on last Fall, has finished her amazing International Fiber Collaboration. Here's a photo of the finished piece installed over the derelict gas station in Syracuse, NY. Click on the link for more photos. WOW!















International Fiber Collaboration © 2008 Jennifer Marsh

All is not lost as long as people are willing to create, laugh, and help each other through life!

Please respect the work of the artists you see here and be sure to credit them when you share their artwork with others.

To share your opinion on this or any other post, please click the word "COMMENTS" below.

U.S. Democracy Will Take 2 More Months, Can We Stand It?

Although it's a bit agonizing to have the Democratic primary so close and still unresolved, would any of us, who have already had the chance to vote, keep our fellow voters from getting their chance too? Democratic Party Chairman, Howard Dean said today,

We really can't have a divided convention. If we do it's going to be very hard to heal the party afterwards....

So we'll know who the nominee is and that'll give us an extra 2 1/2 months to get our party together, heal the wounds of having a very closely divided race and take on Senator McCain....

We want the voters to have their say. That's over on June 3....

Either of these candidates, if it's time for them to go, they'll know it and they will go....

They don't need any pushing from me. You know when to get in and you know when to get out. That's just part of the deal....

This is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama...this is about our country. It's about a better course for our country....

We've got to move on and win the presidency. - Source

I completely agree!

Somehow Soldiers Don't Get A Dime!

This video was produced by the father of a U.S. Sargent. Watch and wonder where your own personal tax dollars are going, spending on the military? I don't think so:

Faux News

Another zinger from Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films:

ACTION ALERT: Stop The Spraying!

UPDATE!!! "Judge orders halt to spraying"

Dear Fellow Bay Area Residents,

You may have heard about a government program that's about to start literally in our own backyards. Nancy Skinner (East Bay Regional Park District Board Member) sends out this alarming information:

The route map for the aerial pesticide to fight the light brown apple moth has been finalized. A number of communities around here are on the map.

The planes are scheduled to spray Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington and Richmond every 30 to 90 days beginning this summer. I'm not sure about the effect of prevailing winds on other East Bay towns.

Schools and parents are worried because the EPA has not yet approved the use of this pesticide over populated areas.

It's not too late for us to delay the flights. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is now the one person who can order the pilots to stand down until it has been demonstrated that the aerial spraying to control the apple moth won't harm our environment or make people sick.

We can and should ask for an interim moratorium until a full environmental review is completed and we can be assured that the chemical is safe - click this link

On Wednesday, the East Bay Regional Park District Board approved a resolution to request a moratorium. Nancy Skinner, currently on the park district board, is circulating a short petition that will go to the Governor. He is the one to reach.














Here's the text of the petition:

Governor Schwarzenegger,

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is scheduled this summer to begin spraying pesticide "Check-Mate" from planes flying over Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, Albany and Richmond every 30 to 90 days. The pesticide, which has not been approved by the EPA for spraying in populated areas, will fall on our neighborhoods and with the prevailing wind, may drift into other East Bay communities.

You are the one person who can ask the pilots to delay the spraying until it can be demonstrated that the chemical program is safe. Please take the precaution of completing the full environmental review process so we can rest assured that no one is in harm's way. Thank you for your consideration.

Join me in signing the petition HERE!

And then tell everyone you know. Better to be safe than sorry.

The ART of Democracy

Poster and logo by Frances Jetter for Art of Democracy © 2008

Printmaker Art Hazelwood (who I've featured previously on the blog) has started a national group of artists, galleries, and other groups exhibiting political art between now and the crucial presidential election in November. Their goal is to,

Our Mission is to promote the political art of artists and art organizations on a national scale during the critical period leading up to the 2008 presidential elections. The means of achieving this goal will be to encourage artists around the nation to organize exhibitions and events at this time. The national effort will work to promote these shows through a unifying title, logo, website, public relations campaign, and through the exchange of posters and prints promoting the exhibitions.

The combined efforts will amplify the message of all the art exhibitions and draw more local and national attention. There is no prescribed message for the artwork.

I'm pleased that the gallery I'll be exhibiting my political work with in October will soon be adding information to this growing nationwide effort. (More to come on this personal front soon.)

Please help publicize this important effort by artists in this time of "national peril." Visit the Art of Democracy website and throw your support any way you can, either by adding listings, donating resources, or spreading the word. The country you save may be your own!

More from Hazelwood and the Art of Democracy:

The Art of Democracy (AOD) is a national coalition of political art exhibitions all taking place in the Fall of 2008 on the dire state of the American Political Scene.

We chose this time when the nation is particularly politically aware to bring into focus overlooked and underrepresented voices and views on the state of politics, and the state of democracy today. The web site www.artofdemocracy.org contains an outline of the coalition and will expand to cover all of the associated exhibitions. Each exhibition will be promoted through the website as well as through other local and national media. A national coalition will have more chance of penetrating the barriers against alternate voices. A coalition of exhibitions will increase the visibility of all.

The coalition is growing: we now have exhibitions in several cities, and are seeking new partners and venues, whether at museums or art centers or galleries or cafés. Several groups are currently searching for venues. These are all shows organized under the coalition of the Art of Democracy. There are no requirements to be a part of it, and no fees, The purpose is simple: organize a national (or even international) voice for political art and artists and amplify that voice by the multiple venues and artists all participating at the same time.

Here are a few examples of posters being created for this effort:






















Poster by Eric Santoy for Art of Democracy © 2008
(Click artist's name for larger view)











Poster by
Edy Cruz for Art of Democracy © 2008
(Click artist's name for larger view)











Poster by Frank Wegloski for Art of Democracy © 2008
(Click artist's name for larger view)













Poster by Paula Anderson for Art of Democracy © 2008
(Click artist's name for larger view)












Poster by Sherielyn-Dionisio for Art of Democracy © 2008
(Click artist's name for larger view)














Poster by Ian Pulia for Art of Democracy © 2008
(Click artist's name for larger view)

Please respect the work of the artists you see here and be sure to credit them when you share their artwork with others.

To share your opinion on this or any other post, please click the word "COMMENTS" below.

How to Rise Above "Gotcha" Politics

SHAME on ABC NEWS!

My Dear Friends,

Last night I listened to the Democratic Presidential debate via radio so I wouldn't have to wait until 8pm Pacific time to watch it. It was frankly the WORST run debate I've heard in my 30 years as a voter. I counted how long it took the moderators to ask an actual policy question...ONE HOUR! For a full hour they badgered the candidates about flag pins, ministers, sniper fire, and "bitterness of voters" remarks. All of this stuff had previously been hashed, and OVERHASHED in the mainstream news media all week. The only reason I tuned in to the debate is that I specifically wanted to hear Clinton and Obama describe in detail their plans to 1) get our troops out of Iraq, 2) fix the mortgage crisis, 3) get us all health insurance, 4) repair the economy, 5) keep us from bombing Iran, 6) getting lobbyists out of our government, and 7) repair our reputation in the world. ONE FULL HOUR of every American who bothered to tune in was wasted, WASTED! ABC News, Charles Gibson, and George Stephanopoulos must have mistaken the program for an edition of the Jerry Springer show rather than the crucial final debate prior to what may be the last primary in a race for the most important job in America. SHAME on ABC, SHAME on parent company Disney. Don't put up with this crap! Let them know how you feel about the work they did last night:

(818) 460-7477
Email Form!

Condoleezza Rice Helped Set Up U.S. Torture System!

What kind of woman is this?





Read about this shocking new revelation HERE! Demand Rice's resignation. As soon as Bush is out of office the entire lot of these criminals need to be brought to justice! (We have to wait so that Bush can't pardon any of them while he's still president.) We also have to make sure that John McCain doesn't get a chance to pardon them either. Do your part! Donate to a progressive Democrat HERE!

Go On Your Own 3 Trillian Dollar Shopping Spree

From Filmmaker Robert Greenwald:



The occupation of Iraq will cost $3 trillion, America's most expensive conflict since WWII. Can YOU spend that money better? Here's your chance to go on a virtual $3 trillion shopping spree and prove it!

Go HERE to give it a try!

Get Yourself to New Orleans This Weekend!

The BraBall © 2008 Emily Duffy. Photo by Sibila Savage.

I'm very proud to announce that my sculpture, The BraBall, will make an appearance at the 10th Anniversary celebration of Eve Ensler's "Vagina Monologues" this weekend (April 11 and 12, 2008) in New Orleans. The AVAM has loaned the BraBall, along with several other artworks, for this important anniversary.

Enlser's ground-breaking play has been performed thousands of times by groups all over the world and her non-profit organization has raised,

...over $50 million for local anti violence groups with benefit events taking place in over 120 countries to date. V-Day supports anti-violence organizations throughout the world, helping them to continue and expand their core work on the ground, while drawing public attention to the larger fight to stop worldwide violence (including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual slavery) against women and girls. V-Day combines art and activism to stage large-scale benefits and produce innovative gatherings, films, and programs to educate and change social attitudes regarding violence against women. Source

If you're anywhere New Orleans this weekend, this is a MUST SEE, star-studded event for a great cause.

Why New Orleans you might wonder?

The women of New Orleans and the gulf south - Katrina Warriors - have
survived the fall out of global warming, failure of public structures, racism, economic hardship, and domestic abuse. All of these are pieces of the story of violence that continues to impact women here in this country and around the world.

This years V-Day Spotlight on Women in New Orleans and the Gulf South will honor Katrina Warriors for their strength and resilience in the face of devastating loss. The spotlight will highlight the daily ongoing work of women in their communities who have steadfastly kept New Orleans and the Gulf South alive with little to no resources. It will bring attention and funds so that women may be safe and empowered in a region whose pulse beats like no other. -Source

But even if you can't make it to New Orleans this weekend, chances are there is a V-Day performance/celebration near you. Go HERE to find it!

Please spread the word of this event far and wide. I hope you get a chance to see the remarkable BraBall sculpture (created with 18,085 donated bras send from women all around the globe. More details about the sculpture project HERE.)


Please respect the work of the artists you see here and be sure to credit them when you share their artwork with others.

To share your opinion on this or any other post, please click the word "COMMENTS" below.

So It Turns Out We DO Torture!?!

The ACLU recently forced the release of a secret document written by UC Berkeley law professor John Yoo (I know the irony is terribly bitter.) Back in 2003 before invading Iraq, the Bush Administration was busy trying to rewrite US law in order to set up a profitable war business in that hapless country. Here is a small nugget from this heinous document, "your government at work?"

As we have made clear in other opinions involving the war against al Qaeda, the Nation's right to self-defense has been triggered by the events of September 11. If a government defendant were to harm an enemy combatant during an interrogation in a manner that might arguably violate a criminal prohibition, he would be doing so in order to prevent further attacks on the United States by the al Qaeda terrorist network. In that case, we believe that he' could argue that the executive branch's constitutional authority to protect the nation from attack justified his actions. This national and international version of the right to self-defense could supplement and bolster the government defendant's individual right. Read more here!

They point out,

There has never been a more urgent need to preserve fundamental privacy protections and our system of checks and balances than the need we face today, as illegal government spying, provisions of the Patriot Act and government-sponsored torture programs transcend the bounds of law and our most treasured values in the name of national security.

Please help the ACLU continue is fine work watchdogging our "leaders" and doing their part to help save our democracy. I've been donating $20.00 per month for a year now, figuring it's a small price to pay for a group willing to ask the hard questions on a daily basis.

SUPPORT THE ACLU!

Required Reading for Every Live Human

From my friend, and fellow MoveOn.org Support Corps Supervisor, Kathy Johnson:

The Republicans and most especially this administration have become experts at subverting democratic processes. The examples are too numerous to count, everything from recess appointments and signing statements, to the whitening of Louisanna, the privatization of education in New Orleans, and the privatization of our military and emergency services - to name only a few - all done with no debate and no consensus.

Read all about it in The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein - it may well be the most important book you will ever read. Listen to parts 1 & 2 of an interview with her from Thuthout.org.

The book is meticulously researched and documented. Democracy is a meaningless word if the American people are not aware of what's going on. Folks need to understand that what has happened under this administration is NOT INCOMPETENCE but the systematic carrying out of a well-planned agenda - and only when they are caught red-handed, do they plead incompetence rather than treason.

Here's a review of the book:

In So Many Cases, Democracy Rises from Catastrophe, Naomi Klein Argues

By John Freeman

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sunday 16 December 2007

According to economists in the University of Chicago school of thought, free-market ideas spread across the planet in a series of natural if sometimes painful historic developments. And the unprecedented (and highly lucrative) access Western capital enjoyed to these emerging markets is essential to kick-starting democratic reform.

In this towering polemic, Naomi Klein demolishes this narrative, arguing that the evidence tells a different story. Skipping across several decades and numerous U.S. administrations of both parties, Klein shows how the free-market ideas associated with Milton Friedman have spread often through catastrophe (as in Thailand, post-tsunami, and in New Orleans, post-Katrina) and at the point of a gun (as in Chile in 1973 and Iraq today).

Klein, a journalist whose book, "No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies" was translated into 28 languages, argues here that the violence necessary to foster such free-market reforms will only increase.

Many decades ago, Marxist historian Walter Rodney labeled a similar phenomenon "the underdevelopment of Africa," describing a deliberate molding of developing economies by imperialism to serve its own needs. Today, Klein calls it "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism." She takes her cue from the role shock and awe, in all forms, plays in getting the local populace to cooperate: book-burning, bombing, widespread arrests and roundups - even torture.

Readers of Howard Zinn's "A People's History" will recognize an ideological stance at work here. But Klein is not simply a woman with a bullhorn. A fierce writer whose prose has the metaphorical gusto of Susan Sontag's in its best moments, Klein manages to weave a narrative out of a large variety of historical events that is equal parts cultural commentary and investigative journalism.

Her most powerful segments deal with events of recent years. Take, for instance, her ability to encapsulate the mess that is Iraq. Among other things, "The Shock Doctrine" shows how the growing role of civilian contractors, Abu Ghraib, the insurgency, and the constant, spooky presence of Halliburton in so many recent projects (which include the building of Guantanamo and the reconstruction of New Orleans) all stem from the shock doctrine.

For instance, in describing how so much money gets spent and so little done in Iraq, Klein creates this daisy-chain sentence. "The big contractors set up offices in the Green Zone, or even Kuwait City and Amman, then subcontracted to Kuwati companies, who subcontracted to Saudis, who, when the security situation got too rough, finally subcontracted to Iraqi firms, often from Kurdistan, for a fraction of what the contracts were worth."

Klein reminds us that, contrary to his public statements, Dick Cheney will profit enormously from his continued association with Halliburton. Here is why this book, angry as it is, deserves such a wide audience. It reminds us that the purpose of government is to serve the most people as best it can. Under the shock doctrine, Klein argues, the opposite occurs: One class of people comes up with the plan, another does the fighting, and a third, way at the bottom, deals with the fallout.

If you accept this assessment, it's not hard to see why such policies earn what the CIA calls "blowback." - Source

---------

Freeman is president of the National Book Critics Circle.

What a Difference Miles Can Make

Last Fall I exhibited a novel group of paintings by New York artist Eleanor Gilpatrick. Today I'd like to share more pieces from her "In the World" series. Eleanor doesn't just read news about the war-torn Middle East, she transmutes it into juxtapositions with daily life in America. Most of the paintings show the stark differences between circumstances we're familiar with and those oppressing the Iraqi and other peoples. Sometimes, as in the case of the first image below, (In The World 5: Fire! California and Iraq) the actual experiences are the same, but the causes are vastly different (wildfire versus bombing.)

If you're in the New York City area in May please make it a point to see Eleanor's paintings in person. Details follow about her live exhibit.

The show features a group of my paintings that contrast the Iraqi war and other terrifying events with serene and beautiful scenes of American life. I hope people will connect with what is going on "In The World," the title of the show.

Eleanor Gilpatrick
MAY 2 - 31, 2008
Jadite Galleries
413 West 50th Street. Manhattan.
Opening reception Friday, May 2, 2008 from 6-8 PM.
Regular hours 12-6 PM, Tues-Sat.

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World 5: Fire! California and Iraq © 2007 Eleanor Gilpatrick

The contrast of beauty and terror continues with this painting, but now the two places share the terror, and the beauty lies in the fire itself. Based on press photos by Bruce Chambers, La Fonzo Rachel, and Slahaldeen Rasheed.

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World Six: Fairfield and Baghdad © 2007 Eleanor Gilpatrick

This is the sixth in the series. A placid pond behind what was once a grist mill in Fairfield, Connecticut, is contrasted with a soldier on patrol in Baghdad. The water in both places mirrors the scene. (The figure of the soldier is based on a press photo by Spencer Platt.)

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World Seven: Westport and Sadr City © 2008 Eleanor Gilpatrick

This is the seventh of the In The World series. A peaceful scene on the Saugetuck River, CT, is contrasted with a portrait of an elderly woman holding a bullet that hit her bed during a raid by US and Iraqi troops. (The image of the woman is based on a press photo by Wissam al-Okaili.)

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World Eight: Iraq And Saratoga © 2008 Eleanor Gilpatrick

Soldiers walking in Iraq amid the smoke of war are contrasted with Saratoga, New York, when the blossoms appear. The Iraq scene is adapted from a press photo by Misha Japandze.

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World Nine: On The Taconic and Near Baghdad © 2008 Eleanor Gilpatrick

A view off the Taconic Parkway, NY, and an Iraqi man tending sheep near Baghdad. The contrast is now the serene lands with the terror from the sky in Iraq. A US helicopter is involved in a raid on a nearby village. The Iraq scene is based on a press photo by Jacob Silberberg.

Please respect the work of the artists you see here and be sure to credit them when you share their artwork with others.

To share your opinion on this or any other post, please click the word "COMMENTS" below.

Iraq War Or....

Paint Like An Elephant

This is truly amazing...not just that the elephant can paint but that it can re-paint over lines without missing a beat or smearing. In fact this elephant paints better than me!

Re-Presenting Artist Charlie Milgram

Imperalist Jello © C. Milgrim, All rights reserved

I've known fellow artist Charlie Milgrim for more than a decade and have always enjoyed her artwork.(In fact she was one of the earliest artists whose work I blogged about in here back in 2006.) She often employs irony, humor, political activism, and wit when creating her large sculptures and installations. I especially appreciate her bowling ball art. It's a daring, and unusual art medium she's returned to often over the years. You've especially got to admire a woman artist who uses forklifts and sand blasters to make her art!

If you live in the SF Bay Area, appreciate political artwork, which I assume you do since you're reading my blog, then please be sure to see this upcoming exhibit. It's certain to inspire and invigorate your sense of citizenship.

Homeland
Mercury 20 Gallery
25 Grand Ave. (at Broadway)
Oakland, CA 94612

April 4 - April 26, 2008

Opening Reception: Friday, April 4th from 6:00 - 9:00pm (in conjunction with First Friday/Oakland Art Murmur).

Peter Honig and Charlie Milgrim open an exhibition of new work at Mercury 20 Gallery on April 4th with a reception for the artists from 6:00 - 9:00pm.

















Rolling Home © C. Milgrim, All rights reserved

East Bay artist Charlie Milgrim's first exhibit for Mercury 20 Gallery investigates a conception of Homeland as an emotional state both defined and degraded by fear, insecurity, and complacency.

Milgrim employs a vocabulary of discarded materials such as old bowling balls and rusted wagons to create installations in which natural forces such as gravity and oxidation serve as conceptual metaphors for political and social decay. Skillfully re-purposing objects for her assemblages, the artist's delicately balanced compositions seem to harbor a quirky and dark half-life, where creation and demise are one. Milgrim's work imagines a future at the intersection of art, science, and fate. - Mecury 20 Gallery

Political Leaders © C. Milgrim, All rights reserved

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Stop the California Yacht Party!

California is in crisis, facing a massive $16 billion budget deficit. And California Republican Assembly members are unanimously supporting an appalling loophole in our state’s tax code that allows the super-rich to avoid paying sales taxes on…

Yachts:



I just donated $20.00, can you spare a few $$ bills to get this ad on the air in California?

4000 Dead US Soldiers...What a Waste!

Click on the image to see the faces that Bush and McCain choose to ignore.

In remembrance of the 4,000 brave men and women who sacrificed everything for us -- and the two men who would continue this great tragedy, despite the cost to our soldiers, our military, and our nation. - Nico Pitney

Don't believe the lies politicians are telling you, watch surviving Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans tell the truth about these two wars. Winter Soldier Testimony took place in Washington, D.C. March 13-16, 2008 and received scant coverage from the American media (who were too busy covering the Elliot Spitzer sex scandal story.)

Do You Have/Use/Waste Too Much Stuff?

If so you're not alone, and here's why:



Watch the entire, EXCELLENT 20 minute film HERE!

Be Fearless Accept Change

This video is about 35 minutes long and REALLY INCREDIBLE! Please watch it:

Save the Democratic Party, Save America

Well they're at it again. The corporate-funded, right wing of the Democratic Party (DLC, etc.) are apparently willing to destroy said party, and the country, in their zealous re-pursuit of the White House. Terry McAuliffe, campaign advisor for Hillary Clinton (and former TERRIBLE, chair of the DNC) is encouraging wealthy donors to pressure current (SUCCESSFUL) DNC chair Howard Dean into giving Florida and Michigan's delegates to Clinton. This is in spite of the fact that both Florida and Michigan first agreed to the Democratic Party rules (of letting Iowa and New Hampshire be the first primary and caucus in the nation) and then tried to back out of their promise. THIS IS BULLSHIT!

...influential fund-raisers for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton have stepped up their behind-the-scenes pressure on national party leaders to resolve the matter, with some even threatening to withhold their donations to the Democratic National Committee unless it seats the delegates from the two states or holds new primaries there.

The committee penalized Michigan and Florida for holding their primaries early in violation of national party rules, barring their delegates from being seated at the Democratic convention this summer. But with the Democratic contest now a scramble for every remaining delegate, the allocation of delegates from the two states could have a substantial impact on the nomination.

Mrs. Clinton won the primaries in both states, but the contests were not sanctioned by the party, neither candidate campaigned in the states and Mr. Obama did not even put his name on the ballot in Michigan. -Full Story Here

If these wealthy fat-cat donors of Clintons are trying to toss their weight around and manipulate the primary rules, let's stop them with our multitude of small donations. Please give whatever you can (even $5 will help stop their power-grab). Make sure to add $.01 to your donation so that Howard Dean knows that your donation is part of a grassroots rejection of this old-style, back-room, party political crap will NOT STAND any more.


You can donate (plus $.01) at the following locations:

DIRECTLY TO THE DNC:

Via their website

Phone: 1-877-336-7200

Mail in: Print out the form on this page and mail it in with your check:


OR

Through ActBlue.com


PLEASE SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR LIST OF FAMILY & FRIENDS

Thanks everyone, together we can win back our country!

Fox Attacks: Video By Brave New Films

Are you going to let the likes of Fox News pundits decide who our next president will be? NO! Please sign the petition HERE!

Is Hillary's Campaign Destroying Our Chance to Regain The White House?

What the HELL is wrong with the people managing Clinton's campaign? MSNBC's Keith Olberman brings the evidence to the screen...and it HURTS!

Say Your Piece By Sending A Piece...

Click on image for larger view
For the Love of Oil: Map of Iraq With Patriotic Bomb © 2008 Emily Duffy

A few months ago I wrote about a very cool political art project by artist Jennifer Marsh. Maybe it's my empathy for someone who's doing a massive fiber collection project (much like my BraBall sculpture - which was a huge, five-year-long ordeal for me and my family. It was definitely worth it but I could have done without all the controversy.) Jennifer is using fiber in ways no weaver ever thought of before...to cover a derelict gas station! So, I finally got my shit together and made a panel for her project. I wish I could have spent more time on this but I am working furiously on my upcoming solo show, (scheduled just before the November election, details to follow as things develop.) Anyway, here's what I came up with, I hope you find it interesting:

So I wanted to focus on the war in Iraq because I recall one of the "selling points" of this terrible occupation was that invading that country would bring our gas prices down. Well, today, they're not only higher than they've ever been IN HISTORY but almost 4000 US Soldiers are dead, thousands more are injured, and who really knows how many Iraqis are dead, injured, and/or being tortured on our account.