Monday, May 31, 2010
Graffiti Letters Jordi - Sketch on Paper
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Black Sketch Graffiti Letters SeventhLetter
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Graffiti Letters KETNET KICK 2
Friday, May 28, 2010
A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE FABULOUS BILL HICKS!
I do not see myself as a doom-and-gloom merchant.
I consider myself to be a realist who cares.
And I'm not a pessimist. If I were, I would be telling you that there is no hope and we should all just give up. I am actually an optimist who recognizes that we live in dangerous times. And nothing is more dangerous than self-deception about that fact.
But I do believe in the essential good in the majority of people. I believe that right will win out if we apply ourselves, and the world will one day be a much kinder place. To me, that's optimism.
That said, I occasionally want this blog to be a little bit fun without ever trivializing the profoundly serious matters it addresses. That's tough to do. It's the kind of thing that takes a master satirist.
Enter Bill Hicks.
Bill Hicks was one of America's greatest comedic minds and satirists. An absolutely fearless stand-up comic who would give the finger to presidents and corporate hogs, explain why, and make you laugh all at once. He was very political, and extremely hilarious.
Sadly, Bill died of cancer in 1994, but his popularity continues to grow. Russell Crowe is said to be considering playing Hicks in a bio pic.
Hicks, who was unflinchingly outrageous and profane, cut through the BS like a razor sharp machete. He called himself a "dark poet." And yet, anyone who heard his monologue about love, peace and eternity knows that, for all his brooding and pain, he was the quintessential optimist.
And he reminded us, time and again, that even though our troubles sometimes pile up, that we shouldn't take things too seriously. Life, he explained, is "just a ride."
Please enjoy these quotes from Bill's performances and have a very happy and safe long weekend.
FAMOUS BILL HICKS QUOTES (Warning: Not for sensitive types!)
“Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye.”
“I'll show you politics in America. Here it is, right here. 'I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs.' 'I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking.' 'Hey, wait a minute. There's one guy holding out both puppets!'”
“I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly. It allows me to be creative. I don't like anything in the mainstream and they don't like me.”
“I never got along with my dad. Kids used to come up to me and say, 'My dad can beat up your dad.' I'd say, 'Yeah? When?'”
“Supreme Court says pornography is anything without artistic merit that causes sexual thoughts. That's their definition, essentially. No artistic merit, causes sexual thoughts. Hmm. . . Sounds like . . . every commercial on television, doesn't it?”
“You know we armed Iraq. I wondered about that too. You know during the Persian Gulf War those intelligence reports would come out: 'Iraq: incredible weapons - incredible weapons.' 'How do you know that?' 'Uh, well...we looked at the receipts.'”
"Listen, the next revolution is gonna be a revolution of ideas."
"People in the United Kingdom and outside the United States share my bemusement with the United States that America doesn't share with itself."
"You know all that money we spend on the military every year - trillions of dollars? Instead, if we use this money to feed and clothe the poor of this world, which it would do many times over, then we can explore space, inner and outer, together, as one race."
"Go back to bed, America, your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed America, your government is in control again. Here, here's American Gladiators, watch this, shut up. Go back to bed America, here is American Gladiators, here is 56 channels of it, watch these pituitary retards bang their f***ing skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go America. You are free to do as we tell you! You are free to do as we tell you!"
"I can't watch TV longer than five minutes without praying for nuclear holocaust. Really. On my hands and knees, wishing it upon every one of you. That's how much I love TV. Think it's great. I watched The Love Connection. That's gotta be the most depressing show I've ever seen in my life. Adult human beings on national television, groveling for dates. Have some self-respect: stay home and j**k off, man. Guys, buy a Hustler, toss off a load, go about your f***ing day, all right? Have some dignity."
"A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a f***in' cross? It's kind of like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on."
"Think of me as Chomsky with dick jokes."
“It's just a ride and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money, a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one.”
“I left in love, in laughter, and in truth. And wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.”
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might also like to take a look at THE FIRST AMENDMENT BELONGS TO YOU.
Sisterhood Rush Month Tasks
Keep in faith
What would you do in a moment of anger? Scream, lash out, voice your opinion, or get angry while trying to prove the point?
I chose to keep quiet at times. Right now I had a choicer to get angry and say what I had in my mind. But I chose to remain silent - thank God, this worked for me as it prevented an argument from happening! Silence can be the best remedy.
Someone wants said: when you are angry, go and lie on a cold floor until you calm down. I never tried that cause I never at most times face such situations, but try it maybe it works. I know for a fact that humbling yourself can work better for you and avoid big problems in your life.
Prayer cannot be forgotten its the best remedy, who else do we have to talk to when everything seems to be hitting us hard. I know God listens and in His way helps you and the situation. Yes true that when God has to teach us a lesson He does so, He said He punishes those He loves.
Sketch Wildstyle Graffiti Letters on Paper - Green Color
Thursday, May 27, 2010
THINGS TO DO TODAY -- SUGGESTION #5
See how much electricity and water you can save by just being a little bit careful.
(Save the environment; Save money)
The NCBLA Recommends: Tell Congress Our Children's Education is a Priority!
RALLY FOR OUR
Join The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and the American Library Association and SHOW YOUR SUPPORT for OUR KIDS' EDUCATION and OUR NATION'S SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES!
Wear READ shirts!
Wear READ pants!
Wear READ shoes!
Graffiti Alphabet : Letters A-Z on Capacitor
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sketch Graffiti Alphabet Black Book Style : Letter A-Z by Graffiti Creator
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
THE GROSS MISCONDUCT OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
I was surfing around for places to mention this blog and build an audience. I hopped over to The New York Times (the so-called "paper of record") and found a blog there called "The Conscience of a Liberal" written by Paul Krugman.
His current blog topic is entitled: "Did the Postwar System Fail?: We could have gone on with a more progressive tax system and a stronger labor movement."
The thrust of the piece was a lot of brow wiping about which administration the American economy was strongest under and the why's and wherefore's. A brief comparative analysis from the view of someone who probably hasn't been hungry a day in his life. Or if he has, has a short memory.
There were 136 comments. I added mine -- we'll see if they run it. Here it is in full:
Your Submitted Comments
Display Name
Adrian Zupp
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Comment
The economic system is always failing someone! We talk about downturns and crashes, recessions and stock plunges, but for a huge portion of the American (and global) population, life is one long downturn. All this speculative guff about whether "we" were better off during the Carter era or when some other venal quarterwit was in power is basically for people who at least know what disposable income is. If we are to develop an economy that is inclusive and functions in a humane way, we need to stop all the academic hokey pokey and dig a little deeper. Dare to color outside the lines and speak up! The kind of armchair speculation in this article is the luxury of those who, for the most part, know nothing of profound, long-term hardship. Wake up! I invite anyone who reads this to join my blog:
"House On Fire: Thoughts on Saving the World" at http://adrianzupp.blogspot.com/
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
It's almost laughable that Krugman writes: "Which all goes to show just how thoroughly almost everyone has been indoctrinated by the current orthodoxy." It would be a profound statement if he weren't talking within such limited parameters and exhibiting such a myopic intellect. But then again, these are the "radical" types The New York Times puts on the payroll to show us how balanced and unbiased the paper is.
It's the same old thing in the media: Articles about tinkering with the current system while the same people continue to suffer are passed off as serious economic commentary. This is why we need radical change. And do not fear the word "radical." It means "root" -- as in going to the root of the problem. (Krugman co-opts the word when he has no business doing so whatsoever: "Radical change happened because a powerful political movement wanted it, not out of economic necessity.")
Thanks so much for reading -- and never hesitate to take a swipe at The New York Times or any of the other sacred cows of the media.
They are not to be awed.
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at FDR's SECOND BILL OF RIGHTS.
Graffiti Letters Legacy - 3D Design
Monday, May 24, 2010
"WHAT CAN I DO?"
One of the followers of House On Fire made the following comment and I was eager to answer it. I have done so at some length. Please forgive me that: It is hard to address such a topic without being somewhat expansive. And, of course, the answer/s will continue to evolve.
This was the comment:
tacymarie said...
As I was growing up from the early 60's to the late 70's we were taught by our educators, each American had the privilege of living in the land of the free and the righteous, many opportunities, and so forth.... After high school we began to do in-depth research and analysis. Basically within the Government as a whole, what was then is just as worse now. Endless promises made yesteryear has been the same outcome in today's generation. Broken promises. Who is at fault here? We as voters elected these officials into their respective posts. We believe their lies and when we become dishearten, what do we do? Yes, we do have our freedom of speech but when said more than we should, our right to exist is taken from us.
Besides writing to our Congress representative; Is there another avenue that takes action on our behalf? We put Mr. President into the Oval Office with ease, why not take him out the same way...
This is my answer:
I really appreciate this comment, Tacymarie, and the questions it contains. It raises the issue that so many activists raise: What can I do?
Let me work through your questions one at a time.
“Who’s at fault here?”: Well, let’s switch things around a fraction and remember that significant progress has been made over the decades: women’s rights; civil rights; etc. That said, I tend to feel that asking who is to blame within the current electoral system may not be as useful to us as asking: Why do we still have the systems we have? (i.e. Why is our socio-economic system not a more egalitarian model? And, at a less advanced level, why is our electoral system not more democratic?)
The answer, I believe, is because powerful entities have the resources to maintain a status quo that benefits them. On the flipside, one could also say because we, the people, have not become fed up enough to demand change en masse in a systematic way. I’m certain we have the numbers but, apparently, we haven’t reached a critical mass that the average person sees as critical enough to really want to do something.
Even though we have the numbers, we are up against a sophisticated status quo that works very well at self preservation.
And, I mean, some folks buy into the same thimble and pea trick again and again. Republican or Democrat? Well, it probably only matters marginally. As we say back home in Australia, it doesn’t matter who you vote for, you still get a politician. That CAN be changed, but not under the current “democratic” system, and not while there’s so much money in elections.
Electoral reform is a step in the right direction under the current system. We should all fight for that. Getting big money out of elections (campaign finance reform). For that matter we could push for the removal of the electoral college fiasco in presidential politics and have every vote holding equal value. The playing field should be leveled so that ANYONE can run for office: white or black, rich or poor. As independents or third party candidates if they like. As things stand, the average person is priced of running for higher offices unless they sell their souls to a major party.
These are worthwhile things to fight for.
“…when we say more than we should, our right to exist is taken from us”: I think you’re saying our right to free speech can be suspended or compromised and we can be locked up if we use our First Amendment rights to the serious detriment of the powers that be. Well, I would say yes and no. In the U.S. and Australia and other Western countries, we enjoy quite a lot of freedom. Much more than in patently totalitarian states, for example. We can speak up, rally, march, organize, petition and on and on. But yes, you do have a point: If you put enough pressure on a center of power, you will get a response. Those responses can vary. They might mean tear gassing in Seattle or being locked up for a sit-in. There are many examples of excessive or oppressive measures taken to damp down populist protests. And in some cases persecution can take place. The military and the police both have valid roles in society. But they can also be used as instruments of suppression/repression and there are many many examples of this. The most extreme might be things like Kent State University, the murder of Black Panther figures, civil rights oppression in the South in the 60s, and things like the Seattle protests and DemocracyNow.org’s Amy Goodman’s arrest in more recent times.
I feel there is plenty of latitude for protest of various forms. In addition, I know for a fact that things like emailing or calling your Senator or Rep on a given issue CAN sometimes sway them on that issue. Remember that while politicians are often bought with lobby money and other swill from the trough, they have to pay attention to their constituents if they want to get reelected. So don’t feel that your voice doesn’t count within the constraints of the current, inadequate system. It does.
Obviously I’m just talking about the U.S. here as that’s the country your comments are based on.
“Besides writing to our Congress representative; Is there another avenue that takes action on our behalf? We put Mr. President into the Oval Office with ease, why not take him out the same way...”: Yes, yes and yes. It just depends on how much time and effort you want to put in. We live in a society where so much is monitored and recorded. It’s a bit creepy; and sometimes it’s an invasion of our privacy. But it can be used to your advantage. For example, every time an item you purchase at the supermarket is scanned, you are essentially voting for the kind of food you want. E.g. organic. Enough demand will create change. If enough people buy organic, it will be noted, supply will go up and prices come down and a message will be sent to the mega corporations who operate those disgusting industrial farms. The same theory applies to all of our actions and if we combine our efforts, we can initiate change.
Getting a president removed from office is not a likely outcome of protest or agitation. And they’re pretty interchangeable. You get one corporate lapdog out and he’ll be replaced by another. Until we develop alternatives to the current institutions – political, economic, media – we should pressure those in power to do OUR bidding and call them out whenever they break the rules. It’s all about persistence, collaboration, communication and strategizing.
In this blog I often mention activist and intellectual Noam Chomsky. His wife Carol has said the question people ask her husband the most is “What can I do?” A very smart and active lady herself, she answers the question this way: “Lead an activist’s life.” Everything you do, every decision you make, feeds into the larger problems or solutions. Whether you occasionally walk, bike or use public transportation instead of driving. Whether you turn off lights and appliances when not in use. Whether you eat healthy foods that support farmers rather than corrupt corporations that are slowly poisoning us and the environment. Whether you recycle everything you possibly can. Whether you minimize your use of water. These are everyday things that anyone can do and they won’t cost you time and energy. But they all count!
Don’t create a demand for bad systems and institutions! Ween off them as much as possible. Look to alternatives (e.g. farmers markets; solar power) and let the current corporate behemoths start to atrophy.
This leads me to the “bigger things” I can tell you are alluding to. I’ll answer as best I can. Jim Morrison of The Doors once sang: “They’ve got the guns but we’ve got the numbers.” That’s actually a truism. The money, the infrastructure, the media and, yes, the guns are primarily in the hands of the elites: the powerful cluster of people who basically run the planet (though not as a regimented unit, mind you). But we do have the numbers! We often feel helpless and isolated. That’s because the other side is very smart (give them credit for that). They understand the strategy of “divide and conquer.” And they have the mass media to send out divisive and discouraging messages – or just selective information that leaves out vital things we should know. But we are the majority! And gradually more and more of us are learning this. And the elites know it too! We have to rally together and increase our power. So you should join “leftist” groups and become active within them. Many are “single issue” groups (e.g. gay rights; Net neutrality; the nuclear issue). Some organizations, like Corporate Accountability International, cast a slightly wider net by “attacking” major corporations – which, since corporations are a major institutional pillar of the status quo – has profound ramifications for us all.
My personal goal is to channel my efforts – over the course of time – into a restructuring of society. In helping a new, more altruistic and egalitarian socio-economic structures to evolve. So I am very interested in working to, in some cases, rid our world of the current institutions (corporations, PR industry) or radically alter them (the media, government). This will take a good deal of time as leftists of all stripes will have to come together and, by sheer weight of numbers, develop their own alternatives to these things, and/or remove their dependence on them, and make them obsolete. We don’t have to burn down Wall Street, we just have to make it redundant. But this will be an evolutionary thing that can only be achieved when the left – and finally, the “average person” – is coordinated enough to “rebuild” rather than be splintered by concentrating on single issues.
Some theorists even believe that capitalism is already on a self-destructive course. I can see that. Greed tends to turn on itself; lies and vast inequalities cannot last.
That is how I currently see the “big change.” But I’m always reading and learning so I may refine my view. You should read too. There are many smarter radicals out there than I.
But remember: Real change takes time. One of the reason that folks get discouraged is because they can’t see change taking place before their eyes. Unfortunately, revolutions aside, big change doesn’t happen that way. And yet, we have HISTORICAL PROOF that real change can and does happen. Think of the civil rights movement. The women’s movement. Workers’ rights. How different these things were just a century ago! But real change did happen because enough people put in enough time to make them happen. The popular protests to the Vietnam War was a groundbreaking time in Western history! That truly is power.
And people will still rally when awakened: The Million Man March, The Million Mom March, the NAFTA Seattle protests, and the massive street marches that preceded the first invasion of Iraq – a truly historic event! And there are constantly victories taking place that we just don’t hear about in the mass media: victories of tenants rights or rezoning or preventing the building of another Wal-Mart.
But yes, there is a price to pay. People do get arrested or beaten. Many make other sacrifices. All who would act to make the world a better place have to give up time or be inconvenienced – a small price to pay for true life and liberty.
Some would-be activists think that change only comes through exciting protests. The “hot” moments. They join a mass march then go home and wait for things to change. The reality is that, like any endeavor in life, there are the mundane and difficult and tedious and repetitive things that have to be done to create and sustain an effective movement for change. That’s why it’s called “organizing.” Every non-profit organization does mass mailings, funding drives, and news clipping collections. I’ve licked many envelopes, made many funding calls, and pasted clippings into files: and every little bit helped towards the cause. Real organizing is a lot of work but the payoff is huge for so many people. And these days, we’re talking about a fight for the very existence of the planet (global warming; the nuclear threat).
What can we do? Anything and everything! Learn, discuss, join, recruit, badger, march… these are the atoms of change.
Make up your own lists of daily things you can do: Don’t buy clothes or sneakers made in sweatshops; Don’t over consume, whether it’s food, clothing, toys, cars, oversized houses – keep your ecological footprint as small as you can and buy what you need rather than what you want and put the capitalist greed machine in its place. Starve out the elites and their machinery! And keep the pressure on the politicians every day.
If you want to really rebel – like the young men who burned their draft cards during the Vietnam War – withhold your taxes, since billions and billions are given to corporations as tax breaks and bailouts, to heinous outfits like Halliburton and Blackwater in the form of government contracts, and other wasteful and cynical things. Of course, this will eventually get you into trouble. If you are willing to bite off some trouble, I have some advice: Make sure you can make some noise with it. Try and tee it up as a media story before you take the action. Otherwise you’ll possibly do some jail time, pay a fine, and nobody but your friends will ever know.
Radically different – and kinder – social structures ARE possible. The peaceful anarchist society of the Basque region of Spain is an excellent example. Nearer to home, things like college faculties and 12-step groups like AA are quite democratic/socialist/anarchist in the way they operate and so far they haven’t lead to the end of the world!
And remember this: A President is not a god. Once you start thinking that way, they move beyond rigid accountability. Politicians and police are PUBLIC SERVANTS paid with YOUR TAXES. That’s right: They work for you!
I hope this is goes some way towards answering your question, Tacymarie. I can feel your frustration. I’ve been there too. But the worm is turning and things will get better. It’s people like yourself that guarantee that.
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at KNOWLEDGE AND EFFORT: THE WORLD'S TWO BEST FRIENDS -- PART 1.
Black Bubble Graffiti Alphabet : Letters A-Z
Sunday, May 23, 2010
VALE HOWARD ZINN
This blog entry is way overdue.
On January 27, 2010 we lost someone very special. That day, historian and activist Howard Zinn passed away.
If you are really interested in "great Americans," here is one you should read more about. Zinn was a brilliant, courageous and gentle soul who affected many lives in a very positive way and left a legacy that will be with us always.
It would be simply too much to try and tell this man's story here. Below I have listed some URLs if you wish to learn more about him -- and I dare say you should. But here are a few "highlights":
-- Zinn came from humble beginnings in Brooklyn, the son of Jewish immigrants;
-- He worked in the shipyards before becoming a bombardier in WWII, an experience that would shape his later political views;
-- He earned his B.A. at NYU and his M.A. and PhD at Columbia University;
-- From 1956 to 1963 he taught at Spellman College in Atlanta, a black women's college. Here he was both an inspiration to his students and a civil rights activist. One of his students, the famed novelist Alice Walker, called him "the best teacher I ever had";
-- In 1980, Zinn published his best-known book: "A People's History of the United States." A brave departure from the standard American history book, "A People's History" looks at the struggles of the country's true heroes and denounces the invaders and demagogues, tyrants and rulers. With an original print run of just 5,000 copies, the book has sold more than 2 million copies, including condensations such as "The 20th Century" and "A Young People's History of the United States." (His one-time neighbor, actor Matt Damon, mentions the book in the Academy Award-winning movie "Good Will Hunting.")
-- Zinn published several other important books, including his autobiography, "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train."
-- Zinn's activism included brave stands against racism, the Vietnam War, and labor injustices. He was always willing to back up his words with his deeds.
It is a sad commentary on our culture that a great man like Howard Zinn isn't a household name. But this is also a tribute to the perceived threat he was to the elites who run the U.S. Folks like Zinn are too dangerous to give Oprah-like exposure to. Sad also that "A People's History" is not a standard textbook in every American high school.
And it is very sad that we have lost Howard Zinn.
But he would not have it that way. The always-smiling Zinn would not want us to be sad at his passing. But that would be out of humility. In fact, we should celebrate this great man's life and give thanks that he lived for 87 years, setting us an example with they way he used his life on Earth.
So take the time to read some Zinn. And smile. His was a wonderful life.
VALE J.D. SALINGER
Ironically, on the same day that Howard Zinn died, author J.D. Salinger also left us.
Since the 1960s Salinger was a recluse, publishing nothing (though still writing for himself) and refusing interviews.
He is best remembered for his masterpiece "A Catcher in the Rye," widely regarded as one of the 20th century's great novels. Published in 1951, the book is narrated by 16-year-old Holden Caulfied, who has just been expelled from prep school.
The voice of the book was groundbreaking and grabs the reader right from its powerful opening:
"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."
It is unfortunate that Salinger decided to withdraw. One imagines that he might have been a great teacher or lecturer. But he chose not to go that way and we must respect that.
May he rest in peace.
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
Links for Howard Zinn:
Obituary article in The Washington Post
The Howard Zinn website
"A People's History of the United States" full version online
Go here and scroll down to "Editorial Reviews" for two synopses of "A People's History"
THINGS TO DO TODAY -- SUGGESTION #4
For one day, "investigate" what is in your food and where it came from.
(Warning: You may lose your appetite!)
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
Graffiti Letters ARBEITSBLÄTTER ZUM STYLE WRITING
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sketch Graffiti Letters Viper with Wildstyle Character on Paper
Friday, May 21, 2010
Interview with Exquisite Corpse Authors and Illustrators!
Contributor to the NCBLA's Exquisite Corpse Adventure!
We lured James away from his oils, acrylics, and watercolors to ask him a few questions:
Q-What were some of your favorite books when you were in elementary school?
A-"There was not a large emphasis on children's books when I was growing up. One of my favorites from those I was introduced to was A Fly Went By, part of the Dr. Seuss series. I also enjoyed stories from a set of encyclopedias that we had in the house. They had one entire book with a collection of stories."
Q-What are you working on now? Do you have a new book coming out this year?
A-"I'm currently working on the illustrations for a book I've written entitled: New Red Bike.
I have two books coming out in the fall: A Joyful Christmas, stories, poems, and songs of Christmas which I collected and illustrated and Gunner, a Football Hero, the first book I've written and illustrated.
Baby Blessings is my most recent book."
James Ransome's wonderful illustrations have garnered him numerous awards and accolades from the world of children's literature. Be sure to look for his books at your library or local book store.
To see more of James Ransome's illustrations and information, visit James' website.
Related Topic: What is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?
Check it out!
Graffiti Letters with Stars Design
Thursday, May 20, 2010
At www.ourwhitehouse.org find out more about White House Dinners and Entertainments!
In "A Taste of the Past: White House Kitchens, Menus, and Recipes" at
WWW.OURWHITEHOUSE.ORG
Find Out More About White House State Dinners, Food, and Entertainment!
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala at last night's state dinner at the White House.
President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nance Reagan with Great Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her husband Dennis Thatcher in 1988
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with French Cultural Minister Andre Malraux and Marie-Madeleine Lioux Malraux in 1962.
Eisenhower State Dinner circa 1959
President Theodore Roosevelt State Dining Room 1904- notice the large moose head over the fireplace!
Read more about White House menus and food at: http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/tasteofpast.html
And as for the NCBLA's award-winning book for families, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out at your neighborhood library or bookstore!
In Our White House, the book and the website, you will find poetry, stories, great art, and fascinating facts about our presidents, their families, their pets, and our White House, as well as great stories about American History. The NCBLA created Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and its companion educational website, www.ourwhitehouse.org as a nonpartisan project to promote literacy and historical literacy!
Graffiti Block Letters Text in Canvas
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Graffiti Alphabet Brush : Letters A-Z by Adeptizm
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Graffiti Alphabet PNG : Letter A-Z (Pink Color)
Monday, May 17, 2010
THE MASS MURDERERS OF WASHINGTON D.C.
Pennsylvania Avenue is the bloodiest street in the world. Hands down.
That famous strip of roadway running between the White House and the Capitol in Washington D.C. has seen more than its fair share of war mongers, global pirates and international terrorists. Yes, terrorists.
Of course, we don’t tend to think of our president or members of congress as terrorists or war criminals. But we should.
So to return to the point I made in my last blog entry: If the Nuremberg laws were applied to our presidents, every one of them since WWII would be indicted as war criminals and probably end up dangling at the end of a rope.
Think about that.
By merely applying those laws to "us" as we did to the Nazis, every commander in chief would get dusted.
We like to think that we live in a righteous land, symbolized by the stars and stripes, bald eagles and a bunch of infallible old slave owners called the Founding Fathers. And that "we’re" right and "they’re" wrong. That this is God’s country and the president is His man at the wheel.
We've been blinkered and brainwashed so well that we've bought into a whopper of a lie: If "we" do it to "them," it's justified; if "they" do it to "us," it's an outrage. Hypocrisy at its finest courtesy of the world's bully.
Well we have to get away from that line of thinking. Now and forever. If we don’t, the cycle will continue and we will be partly to blame. And, sooner or later, we will all pay the price.
If you’d like a rundown of presidential war crimes, check out this audio of Professor Noam Chomsky doing just that.
*For video, go to the 27:40 mark of this clip.
The United States, more and more, has taken to acting unilaterally around the world – inventing reasons for invasions and government overthrows and whatever else it needs to do to increase its power. And these days presidents don’t bother getting the rubber stamp for their wars from congress -- even though the constitution itself states that war is strictly the business of congress:
"ARTICLE 1, SECTION 8
The Congress shall have Power:
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;..."
Of course, the way all of this should really work is through an international body. Nations working together to resolve crises and using military action only when absolutely necessary.
But the U.S. (and others, at times) isn't interested in doing things the right way, it does things its way. And anybody who has listened to any president on the issue of military initiatives knows this is an absolute truism. Bush II sounded like something out of a bad Western most of the time -- Reagan, of course, with his "make my day" faux heroics (he never saw a day of combat himself) went the Dirty Harry route. Pretty pathetic.
The leaders of the United States -- the elites in government, corporations and so forth -- are interested in power. That is their drug of choice. And all the speeches and one-liners and false explanations (e.g. Colin Powell lying his butt off at the U.N. with those ridiculous graphics) are just window dressing for the masses.
And next time a president or a congressman or such starts reeling off a feelgood speech that includes the word "we" a whole bunch, remember that you have next to nothing in common with that person. They are elites with money and power and their own agenda. You are a vote or, looking at it the other way, part of the potential roadblock to their filthy plans. "We" equals the people, you and me, not that thin layer of privileged types with their hands on the levers.
There's so much to say about this I will dip back into it in future entries. I just wanted to established the primary thesis here: The U.S. (we're talking about its leadership) is a terrorist nation presided over by war criminals. Fact! If you don't believe it, study the Nuremberg conventions, then look at the dirty work done by all the presidents since WWII -- yes, even sweet old Jimmy Carter.
And Obama? Well, he's sending another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan by summer to prop up that invasion, and he's calling for another $30 BILLION to pour into the same big crime. And that would be YOUR money. Money that ISN'T going to hospitals/health care, roads, alternative energy, environmental health, education and all those other things that are in a sorry state because, apparently, we don't have the money to pay for them. Thirty billion that might achieve, as foreign aid, what all the precision military hardware never will. How long will we suck on this?
We'll come back to this another time. I want to end on a different note.
Noam Chomsky, the MIT professor, linguistics genius and tireless political activist, was this week refused entry into the West Bank by the Israeli government.
Chomsky, a pacifist, gives talks and lectures all around the world on the important issues that are vitally important if the planet is to 1/ survive; 2/ become a better place for all. He was planning to give a lecture at a university in the West Bank.
I once interviewed Chomsky (who is of Jewish descent) for the Boston Phoenix and I know him casually. I have also studied his writings carefully. I am convinced he is one of the most moral people I have ever met and easily the most intelligent.
This makes him very dangerous to the people in the greed-and-oppression business. Anyone familiar with the Israeli government's record of violence over the decades -- or its appalling veto record at the U.N. -- will understand why they don't want to see too much of Chomsky. Same reason Fox, CNN, NBC and all the rest don't want him beamed into our homes too often: The truth works like an acid on the iron fist of control.
But what struck me about all this was a simple irony: The West Bank is a Palestinian territory illegally occupied by Israel. That's kind of like a burglar telling a plumber he can't come into somebody else's house and work on the pipes.
Or like Israel grabbing California and telling us when we can and cannot visit the Golden State. You see, if it happened to us, it would be very different!
Keep your thinking caps on, folks. Like the man said: I may be paranoid, but that don't mean they ain't out to get us!
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
FOOTNOTE:
Send an email to your Congressperson and tell them you don't want to foot the bill for an escalation of the debacle in Afghanistan.
IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at "THEY'RE BEING EXECUTED ON THE BATTLEFIELD."
Sneak Peek: Episode 18 Goes Live Friday, May 21st!
In our last episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure 17, by Susan Cooper, the shadow in the doorway turned out to be Hathi, the elephant, Nancy and Joe's adopted mother. Boy were they happy to see her! Roberta, our disassembled robot, found more of her missing pieces-her heart and brain. Unfortunately, the chimney leg introduced in Episode 15 was not hers, but made of gingerbread. Rats! Once aboard Hathi's back, they were reunited with Sybil Hunch, the misfortunate-teller. Her crystal ball revealed events from the past as Hathi plodded away from the gingerbread house. The episode ended when the group saw a blaze of light. "What's that?" Nancy asked. "I have no idea," said Sybil Hunch. "Which is a very good sign."
In Episode 18 by Gregory Maguire, the group finds the light. What is it? Whose regional conference is it? What are the eggy-like things floating around? What key piece of the adventure is explained?
Read the Episode and see James Ransome's colorful and fun illustrations at Read.gov!
Gregory Maguire has written six adult novels and more than a dozen children's books. One adult novel, Wicked, became a Broadway play and one of his children's books, Confession of an Ugly Stepsister, into a Disney movie. Gregory is co-founder and co-director of Children's Literature New England Inc., an educational charity whose mission is to raise public awareness of the significance of literature in the lives of children.
Be sure to check for Gregory's books at your favorite library and bookstore.
To learn more about Gregory Maguire, visit his website.
Award winning illustrator and author, James Ransome was named by The Children's Book Council as one of the 75 authors and illustrators everyone should know. His works have appeared on Reading Rainbow and PBS's storytime. You can find examples of James' vibrant illustrations in Episode 2, Episode 6, Episode 10, and Episode 14.
Some if James' works include:
Visit James' website for more information on his books and illustrations.
Graffiti Alphabet : Letter A-Z Lighting Black Edition
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Graffiti Canvas One Point
Graffiti Abstract Canvas
Graffiti Sketches Art
Chesham Station
Chesham Station
The subject of this piece has a connection to the previous one about the first Country House in the Moderne style, High and Over 3 miles away in Amersham-on-the-Hill and Sir John Betjeman’s Metroland as they both featured in that famous documentary. Chesham is at the end of the title sequence for this is where the “Met” train comes to a halt at the end of the opening sequence.
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/05/high-and-over-amersham.html
If you're not familiar with the county of Buckinghamshire, it's something of a surprise to arrive at a small country town and find signs for the London Underground - the instantly recognisable roundel, a circle with a line running through it. At Chesham's charming little station you can board a tube train and travel 25 miles (40.2km) to Aldgate in the City of London via places like Finchley Road, Northwood Hills, Wembley Park and Pinner - the heart of Metroland.The Chesham branch of the Metropolitan Line is as far removed from city life as is possible to get on London Underground.
Chesham Town Clock in the Market Square
Chesham High Street
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as being bordered on one side by Amersham and Chesham Bois. The earliest records of Chesham as a settlement are from the second half of the tenth century although there is archaeological evidence of people in the area from around 8000 BC. The town is known for its four Bs, usually quoted as:- boots, beer, brushes and Baptists, . Chesham's prosperity grew significantly during the 18th and 19th centuries with the development of manufacturing industry. Chesham Building Society, the oldest such society in the world opened for business in 1845.
Along the platform
It is probably true to say that there is no Tube Station on London Underground which its community more closely identifies with for the people of Chesham raised the funds to have the station built into the centre of town. It means that this small Buckinghamshire town straddling the valley of the River Chess which gives it its name is directly connected to the West End and City of London; indeed it has its own direct fast trains, the Chesham Flyers, which run “fast” into the City. Today Chesham has a population of 20,000 and won’t grow any further as it is surrounded by hills which are “Green Belted”, where development is prohibited to maintain green space around London. Indeed, as all the roads into Chesham are steeply sloping there are times in icy winter when the almost 4 miles of the “Chesham Branch” have been its lifeline to the outside world.
Chesham Shuttle formed of 4 carriages of Metroplitan A Stock
The line to Chesham was for a while the terminus of the Metropolitan Railway. When the Met pushed out from Harrow and Rickmansworth in the 1880s, Chesham was the destination. There were proposals to link on from Chesham to the main London Euston to Birmingham line around the Tring area. Indeed, some land north of Chesham station was acquired for this purpose. I wonder if Watkin the then Chairman of the Met had a wry smile to himself when the people of Chesham actually raised funds to locate the station in a more central location as opposed to the proposed station in the Waterside area. If Watkin already had plans to extend beyond Chesham, he must have been delighted to receive the funds from the good folk of Chesham to extend the railway to central Chesham. The line from Chalfont Road (now Chalfont & Latimer) was single track, it being double up to Chalfont. When the main line was diverted through Amersham to Aylesbury, the line to Chesham became a branch line.
London Underground's Metropolitan Line today Click for a larger image
Chesham lies at the end of a branch of the Metropolitan Line, which opened in 1889. Together with nearby Amersham, it's one of London Underground's furthest outposts. Work began on extending what was then known as the St John's Wood Line beyond central London during the latter years of the 19th century. By the mid-1880s the railway had become known as the Metropolitan, running 17½ miles (28km) from Baker Street. The plan was to continue the line all the way to Aylesbury, but financial problems restricted its extension at that time to Chesham. Chesham is in Travelcard Zone 9 (previously zone D). It is situated 25 miles (40.2km) North West of Charing Cross, making it the furthest station out from Central London anywhere on the London Underground network (using Charing Cross as a central point). It is also both the northernmost and westernmost London Underground Station. Chesham replaced Ongar as the farthest station when the latter closed in 1994.
The Ticket Hall
Most of the land for the new sections of railway was acquired from the Duke of Bedford and Lord Chesham, but the land for the final half mile (800m) of the Chesham branch was presented to the railway by local residents to enable a station to be built in the centre of the town instead of on the outskirts, as was originally planned. In May 1889 the people of Chesham were invited to inspect the branch and afterwards entertained to a banquet. Seven weeks later, the line from Rickmansworth to Chesham was opened. For the next three years, until the main line from Chalfont and Latimer Station to Amersham and Aylesbury was opened in 1892, Chesham was the Metropolitan's most northerly terminus.
Chesham Signal Box
There were many plans to link the Town of Chesham with the railway network, including a branch by the LNWR off the main London to Birmingham line from Tring, but all these come to nothing. So it was left Edward Watkin, Chairman of the Metropolitan Railway to deliver the rail connection which the town needed. It also built a branch to Chesham in 1889 an important destination in its own right as well as aiming at an eventual link to the LNWR at Tring. Because of the plans for extension the station and the presence of the goods yard, Chesham used to have no fewer than three tracks (though only two platforms) and all three tracks remained well into the seventies (long after the yard was closed) as rather useless sidings. This three track layout may be clearly seen (in the early seventies) at the end of the opening credits of Metroland. Today there is only one platform and one track, the empty space that used to be platform one has now become a floral display.
Metropolitan Railway tank loco at Chesham
There is no station starter signal at Chesham. A set of co-acting signals are at the start of the Chesham branch
. One theory [as to their installation] is that they replaced the single line token and this means only one train at a time is allowed on the Branch. The branch has no intermediate stations and has the longest distance between adjacent stations on the network at 3.89 miles (6.26 km). Chesham station is the least used station on the Metropolitan Line at 429,000 passengers per annum. It is a popular starting station for those participating in the Tube Challenge. Chesham is in Travelcard Zone 9 (previously zone D). It is situated 25 miles (40.2 km) north west of Charing Cross, making it the furthest station out from Central London anywhere on the London.
The Shuttle on the Branch
Chesham takes an inordinate pride in the “Chesham Flyers.” There are two 8-car through trains to Aldgate (during the morning rush hour) and two returning through trains in the evening rush hour but for most of the day a 4-car train operates as a shuttle service to and from Chalfont & Latimer station, on the main line to Amersham and Aylesbury. In February 2009, following a consultation the previous year, Transport for London announced that Chesham would have a regular through service to central London from 2011.
When steam was replaced on the Branch the then new A60 stock formed the rolling stock for the line (although other electric stock made an appearance in the early days of the electric service). A four car unit was used to form the shuttle to and from Chalfont. A new bay platform was built at Chesham to allow the shuttle train to be at Chesham when a through 8 car service was operating in the rush hour. This bay platform has been removed which means that if the through trains are late, the shuttle has to wait at Chalfont for the line to clear.
Leaving Chesham
Today the approach to Chesham is up from the High Street along an unprepossessing Station Road. The station buildings are small with a bench in the sheltered ticket hall and toilets and a bicycle store for commuters. London Underground’s obsession with “Capital” projects rather than staffing can be garnered from this short single platform boasting no less than 11 CCTV cameras. Whilst the station staffing hours are limited the shuttle drivers know many of the locals and have a definite bond with the line and the town. Indeed the friendly driver that day offered me a cab ride down to Chalfont and Latimer which unfortunately I couldn’t take up.
There are many relics of days gone by looking around the station. There are the derelict sandbox buffers on the abandoned bay siding, the water tank recalling when the steam trains filled up here and for a station without signals a very splendid “signal box.” But the eye is drawn down the track to the throat out of the station under a bridge and disappearing around the curve and this holds the secret of Chesham, a charming small town which is good to live in and grow up in connected to the “Big Smoke” by this unique, special, historic and still essential branch line.