""
PeaceLuis's comment: "Self-Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man" evolving as Exhibitionist wearing only a guitar Stay in Bed & Grow Hair Hair P.E.A.C.E.
I know PeaceLuis. We're not best friends or anything, but I know him well enough to know that he has made a live-long commitment to peace.
I met him among a group of activists who stand vigil for peace and against active warfare in the Middle East. When you're just standing around holding a sign for an hour at a time, you have a chance to get to know one another. PeaceLuis is a Peace Corp alumni; he must have been one of the first.
He is an artist who does a lot of performance art. Recently he's taken to producing YouTube videos. I'm a subscriber. This is his latest one; at this moment it has 36 views. I think it is a bit of a take off (ha ha) on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's bed-in stunt.
Peace Luis puts it out there for peace. What am I doing for peace?
""
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Tuesday
Returning to the Colosseum
The gentle brush of leaves awakens me
Startles me out of my amber vision
A recurring dream
Hooded men with rusty swords
Wrapped to the knees in crepidas
Tramp solidly over The Colosseum floor
Thickly marching -click click click click-
Oven timers set to broil
Surrounded by a pride of green faced lions
Proud men and women and children
Gleaming with a brilliant, crisp air
The kind of air that comes from victory
Or the expectation of it
We stand in the center
Debris rains down around our feet
The horde growing uneasy
Licking their chops ready to grimly applaud
And point collective thumbs down
Our flesh vibrates with the rumbling ground
We wait
We breathe
Perhaps for the last time
The emperor waves his yellow hands
There is an ear-splitting silence
The hooded men like canyon walls lean forward
Click
We do not flinch
Click
We do not flinch
Click
We do not flinch
We raise our steadied weapons
And begin to paint
© 2007 mrp/thepoetryman
Thursday
Maine and D.C. Go Forward & More
Maine Statehouse Votes in Favor of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
Washington D.C. Recognizes Same-Sex Marriage
This article at the Gay Rights blog @ change. org
Here is Ms. Vienna Teng with City Hall. I wish she would write a song about Massachusetts but that's okay. My daughter was married at this city hall, so I love the song.
And if you never read the post here on this painting...
it was painted by my dear friend Steve Emery, whose inspiration for it were my daughter and daughter-in-law's wedding photographs at taken at San Francisco City Hall last Fall. Every time I try to write about how much this painting means to my family and me, I get a bit chocked up and completely lose the words. But I think you know. Visit Steve's gallery. It is a very uplifting space.
Washington D.C. Recognizes Same-Sex Marriage
This article at the Gay Rights blog @ change. org
Here is Ms. Vienna Teng with City Hall. I wish she would write a song about Massachusetts but that's okay. My daughter was married at this city hall, so I love the song.
And if you never read the post here on this painting...
it was painted by my dear friend Steve Emery, whose inspiration for it were my daughter and daughter-in-law's wedding photographs at taken at San Francisco City Hall last Fall. Every time I try to write about how much this painting means to my family and me, I get a bit chocked up and completely lose the words. But I think you know. Visit Steve's gallery. It is a very uplifting space.
Wednesday
(Mc)Art...
"Special Forces" by Van Thanh Rudd
Ceaselessly giving.
Art opens inward
The generous spirit of the heart.
Art widens the eyes,
The soul,
Then seeks you within it.
Rigid and hot,
It needs freedom, faith
To consider where it’s taken you,
Like dipping your mind’s brush
Into the cleansing water,
Thoughts swim, breathing like fish.
Now given to, submerged,
Bathed in the shape of it,
What wrangles your soul?
If you find your breath full...
Think not of the artist’s truth,
Think but of your own;
(Spirit and the heart of hope weep and question why.)
© 2007 mrp/thepoetryman
Friday
Creative Consent...
The Peace Tree has been awarded TCB Award
from Gabs at the link above...
The Creative Blogger Award
"For those who bring unique and creative elements to their blogs. For those who incorporate art, music, creative writing, photo's, and other beautiful visual effects into their website. For those who put a unique spin on things and come up with new ideas. This award is for the artsy, the funky, the inventor, and even the rebel. This award is for those creative individuals who stand out from the crowd."
Since I have never claimed to speak for any of the authors of this blog, nor could I imagine doing so since each have their own uniquely wonderful voice, I have decided to let the other authors help in choosing the five blogs that best fit this category- artsy, funky, inventors, and rebels...
So, if you are an author here on The Peace Tree, please leave me a comment on this post and add your pick. One per author I suppose, if we go over five picks, so be it!
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1. The Pagan Sphinx has been chosen by betmo for a Creative Blogger Award!
This blog, in my humble opinion, is certainly a no-brainer for the award. I mean her header image by William-Adolphe Bouguereau alone automatically places her in the creative arena of "art, love, peace and justice". Leonardo tells us all we need to know when entering the winged creature's lair. No! Not Leonardo Dicaprio, although he'd probably appreciate her passion and talents, I'm talking about Leonardo da Vinci! "Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen." Enough said.
2. Ben Heine The Blog has been chosen by The Pagan Sphinx, in her own words- what makes Ben's blog stand out is his conviction, particularly about his advocacy for the Palestinian people, for peace, equality and love; and how Ben demonstrates in his art these values and hopes. Also for his unabashed desire that his images be reproduced, printed and the messages spread around, to increase awareness of the struggles he continuously upholds.
3.
4.
5.
from my email
5 lessons to make you think about how we treat people
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one:
'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times.. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
'Absolutely,' said the professor.. 'In your careers
you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say 'hello.'
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American
woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The man
took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
special note was attached..
It read:
'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.
'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.
'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will
save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in
bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did,
seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his
face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away?'.
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister ALL of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one:
'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times.. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
'Absolutely,' said the professor.. 'In your careers
you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say 'hello.'
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American
woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The man
took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
special note was attached..
It read:
'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.
'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.
'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will
save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in
bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did,
seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his
face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away?'.
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister ALL of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.
Sunday
Nonviolent Resistance Video Game: A Force More Powerful
A Force More Powerful is a computer game about nonviolent struggle which is available throught the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. AFMP puts the player directly into the role of planner for a nonviolent movement seeking social change-a role that is challenging, demanding, and sometimes even dangerous.
A unique collaboration of experts on nonviolent conflict working with veteran game designers developed this simulation game to teach the strategy of nonviolent conflict. A dozen scenarios, inspired by recent history, include conflicts against dictators, occupiers, colonizers and corrupt regimes, as well as struggles to secure the political and human rights of ethnic and racial minorities and women.
A Force More Powerful is advertised as the first and only game to teach the waging of conflict using nonviolent methods. Destined for use by activists and leaders of nonviolent resistance and opposition movements, it will also educate the media and general public on the potential of nonviolent action and serve as a simulation tool for academic studies of nonviolent resistance.
Click for more info and ordering information.
Are you "IN"? Blog Blast for Peace is November 6
Twice a year in June and November all over the blogosphere and around the world, we bloggers try to nudge the world just a little with a few words. The words are "Dona Nobis Pacem" - Grant Us Peace. These words have no party, no political stance, no sides taken, just one ardent wish for the whole of humanity: Dona Nobis Pacem.
The Peace Globe project began in the fall of 2006 with a simple post from one blog, Mimi Writes. The post ignited a flame in the blogosphere. The flame became a passion. The passion became a movement. It amazingly traveled from blog to blog to blog across the globe. Bloggers wrote passionate articles on what peace means to them, along with the promise of three Latin words scribbled on a globe - Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) - branded with the integrity of their names or blog names. It was positively inspiring to watch. And it began to happen all over the world - from Singapore to China to Afghanistan to Brooklyn.
It was simple. And powerful.
In less than three weeks bloggers from all across the globe will blog for peace. We will speak with one voice. One subject. One day.
Won't you join us? November 6, 2008
Register your participation. Click below for the directions.
1. Right CLICK and SAVE the peace globe at the top of this post or choose from other designs here.
2. Sign the globe using Paint, Photoshop or a similar graphics tool. Decorate the globe anyway you wish. You can even include the name of your blog. Click here for hundreds of inspiring examples from previous BlogBlasts.
3. Return the peace globe to Mimi via email to mimiwrites2005@yahoo.com - Register your blog's name and url by leaving a comment and signing the Mr. Linky. Your submission will be numbered and dated in the official gallery . Your globe and post will be listed on the Official BlogBlast For Peace website and The Peace Globe Posts page.
Here's the most important part.
4. On November 6, 2008 DISPLAY YOUR GLOBE IN A POST on your blog. Title your post "Dona Nobis Pacem". This is important. The goal is for all blog post titles to say the same thing on the same day. Write about peace or simply fly your globe.
Take this step for peace.
Friday
Robert Rauschenberg
A painter, photographer, printmaker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and, in later years, even a composer, Mr. Rauschenberg defied the traditional idea that an artist stick to one medium or style. He pushed, prodded and sometimes reconceived all the mediums in which he worked.
Robert Rauschenberg, who died Monday at age 82, is part of the cultural mythos of postwar New York. He regularly exhibited new work here for more than 56 years, which must be some kind of record.
It extended from his first solo show at the Betty Parsons Gallery in 1951 to the debut of his 2007 “Runts” series at PaceWildenstein in Chelsea in January. Mr. Rauschenberg was there, amid throngs of admirers, for the opening.
Thursday
End The Ignorance ! Artists Speak Out Against Violence in Israel and Gaza
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Gaza...
Spread these works far and wide….use them in your Blogs, emails, wherever!
Ben Heine - Cartoons "End the Ignorance"
Tuesday
love and peace meme
h/t to justZHM via the odd neighbor
1. If you get tagged or not (and want to play along) , take some minutes to meditate about love and peace, pray for countries that are facing troubles, for those people you love and those you don’t
2. Write a post with links to blogs that you think would like to participate
3. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
Wednesday
How To Be Free in a War-Ridden World
On the Importance of Writing and Other Creative Modes of Expression: Or How To Be Free in a War-Ridden World
by Helen Losse
by Helen Losse
Writing is a process whereby we set ourselves free - not always in our circumstances but in our minds and souls and hearts. This doesn’t mean everything is right in the world; it means there is a germ of hope that no human being can completely stamp out. It means we are because God is, and that hope is the joy of this reality – the promise of heaven.
Writing allows us entry, if only for a moment, to that place where joy is the norm, which in turn gives us the hope that we can create this peace for all people. We need not only writing with words but with music, and painting with color. Because of Hitler, we read Ann Frank. Because the world knows war, we need Beethoven’s joy more than ever. The muses must bring reality, because we live in a violent world.
In writing, we gain a grip on reality that the world has dismissed. We reclaim precious values. The writing of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” is not only possible in a war-torn world, it is essential to the possibility of peace.
Developed from a comment at Sherry Chandler's blog. Cross-posted at Windows Toward the World.
Friday
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AFMP is primarily a game of strategy, emphasizing abstract ideas and planning rather than reflexes, coordination or quick thinking. Its realism does not depend on resource-hungry real-time animation, but on the accuracy of its underlying political models.
Designed for those with no previous gaming experience and only basic computer skills, the game emphasizes substance over the flashy action common to many popular games. A sophisticated visual interface includes 3D views and animation, but the game is compatible with hardware commonly available in the developing world.
At this writing, the game is available for $9.98 +shipping at this site.Game play is governed by detailed interactive models-of strategic and political factors, ethnicity, religion, literacy, material well-being, media and communications, resource availability, economic factors, the role of external assistance, and many other variables. Tactics include such basics as training, fund-raising and organizing, as well as leafletting, protests, strikes, mass action, civil disobedience and noncooperation. Many game-play decisions involve selecting which characters and groups should take part in the strategy, and weighing the benefits of such actions relative to their costs.
Game play involves the player's side (the movement) and an opponent (the regime). The regime is created by the designer of each scenario, and controlled by the game's artificial intelligence (AI). The player takes charge of the movement's material and human resources, assesses the strengths and vulnerabilities of the adversary as well as those of the movement, then chooses goals, strategies and tactics.
Groups are the game's basic political units, representing the interests and agendas common to every complex struggle. Recruiting characters and building alliances is a principal game activity, involving labor, business, government, agricultural, academic and professional, media, religious and military categories.
Scenarios involve these characters, groups and alliances, which interact with and against each other, depending on the player's decisions, the particular circumstances of the scenario, and the actions of the regime.
Playing one or more of the packaged scenarios, users will learn strategic planning, formulation of goals (such as compelling free elections or the resignation of a dictator), and the choice of tactics (such as strikes, protests or boycotts).
Each scenario is played within a physical environment which affects the conflict. A national map shows regions, cities, mining, industrial and farming areas, rivers, mountains, ports, and the transportation network. Within regions, zoomed-in city views are detailed down to neighborhoods and buildings. However, a scenario may take place entirely within a single city or region.
AFMP includes a powerful suite of tools with which users can re-create real-life political struggles, or create their own from scratch. It is an unprecedented way for users to learn about the principles of strategic nonviolent struggle, by making the decisions themselves.
I haven't used it myself nor spoken with anyone who has. If anyone has first hand experience with the game, let us know in the comments to this post.