Recently, I have been trying to experiment with different painting styles and techniques/tackle many of the things that I have deemed "too frustrating" before. One of the recent "experiments" that I wrote about was selling smaller, more simple paintings on EBay. (See that post here) These smaller paintings only came about after I sold a few larger paintings first that did not go for as much as I would have liked them to.

Anyway, after my first EBay auction I decided to try some abstract painting. I am not an abstract painter by any means, I have always been a realist, however I came to find that these were the kind of paintings that sold on this site so I thought I would give it a shot. As I thought about what I should paint, I remembered back to my college/post college painting classes when teachers told me that the easiest way to paint an abstract painting is to take something from real life and zoom in close on it. So, that's what I did. I decided that a turtle shell would be a great place to start because it has really interesting patterns and shapes. In my head  I pictured this completely different from how it turned out. What I pictured was a beautifully army colored painting with sharp gold and interesting shapes, and what I got was a canvas of muddied yuckiness.

So, I put away the canvas for a while after that and hid it in the closet, too embarrassed to even look at it. I have to admit that I am easily frustrated when things don't go the way that I planned. After about a week though I decided to get away from the idea of "natural colors" and just go crazy with it.

A little better, but still not impressive enough for my liking. After I painted this, all I could think about was that it reminded me of some crazy poster from the 60's....some kind of tie-dyed band art or something. So I thought to myself, what goes good with a tie-dyed band poster some trippy lettering of course!

I was so excited the next day at work thinking about how and what I was going to write. My first thought was "Peace. Joy. Love.", most likely inspired by the thought of 60's art, however a friend of mine pointed out that the phrase what kind of girly in comparison to the more masculine piece of art I had already created. So after searching around for some 60's song lyrics I decided that the phrase "It's Just A State Of Mind" taken from the Beatle's "Rain" song fit perfect.

I would have liked to include the whole line, but this was all that would fit. It still get's the right point across though, that you make what you want out of your life no matter what the circumstances might be...so I was cool with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVDCXpSD6Fk&feature=related

WOW - for the V.P. nominee to be questioning the motivation of America's participation in the Iraq War while proclaiming its merits at the Republican Convention that 'its all about terrorism'... gasp. And she is sitting there questioning this, and in the same breath sending her son over there for that purpose??

Apparently until very recently, Sarah Palin did not believe John McCain's own stance that the Iraq War is about Terrorism -- She thinks the Iraq War IS about oil - and not about terror. That differs entirely from her speech as VP nominee at the Republican National Convention, and all along the campaign trail thereafter.

Why else would she even question it.

This video, from EARLIER, before all the war-mongers, far-right corporate interests in the Republican party and media lights and attention descended on her voraciously, she was much more honest about her true feelings - nothing to hide - she is not at ALL convinced the Iraq War is about terrorism but is, in fact, inclined to believe it is about oil at least to enough of an extent that you can read in on her face, plain and simple.

So, what is the foreign policy experience of Sarah Palin? Well - in her honest, unvarnished interview, she believes that George W. Bush and John McCain may have sent her son to a war for the benefit of energy supplies and oil.

Boy, she really did an about face on this after hearing her glorious 'go get the people who attacked our country' speech on 9/11 (Iraq did not attack us BTW) so it sounds like she has already received her 're-training' and cliff notes on this issue.

Will we REALLY ever get to know the real Sarah Palin? I doubt it. I think the handlers and powers that be have already started to dilute the real details of her in preparing her for the debates and getting her ready for questions and interviews and press meetings on television.

Strange though. Why does someone who we are told has the experience and knowledge necessary to step into the President's seat on day one think the Iraq War is somehow about Oil - and not Terrorism?

Should we be asking some questions that John McCain and his campaign FAILED to do?

Where was the vetting? Is this the kind of National Security Expertise we can expect from a McCain administration - one that leaves important details out? You know like the details that the very most important person on your ticket has an idea that the Iraq War is, in fact, all about oil?? Is this a sign that a McCain Administration, if given the White House, would be terrible at details, would not be adept at evidence gathering, and would be as bad (if not worse) than the Bush Administration on intelligence?

NOT good.

Transcript:

HIS STRYKER BRIGADE WILL BE DEPLOYED SEPTEMBER 11th AND THAT'S COMING UP HERE SHORTLY AND I ..UH.. IF WE, AGAIN, IF WE'RE FIGHTING AT ALL OVER FOREIGN SUPPLIES OF ENERGY WHEN DOMESTICALLY HERE IN AMERICA ALASKA HAS THE ENERGY SUPPLIES THAT COULD IN A... AS WE PROGRESS WITH MORE DEVELOPMENTS REPLACE SOME OF THOSE SUPPLIES BUT WE BETTER NOT BE AT WAR OVER THIS...

POST VIDEO

(cont.)... CAUSE I AM A MOM AND MY SON IS GOING OVER TO IRAQ AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN THERE.

After the Georgia war. Various voices said that bringing down the price of oil was the best way of weakening Iran. Peres said this after meeting the US VP (after the Georgia war).

Press TV - 15 Sep 2008 ... Peres wants Iran oil income lowered ... "The basic problem in Israel and the world is that the price of oil must be lowered. ...
www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=69460&sectionid=351020104 - 75k

These two quotes are from Google

Alternative Energy, the Solution to Terrorism - Peres : Planetsave
21 Aug 2008 ... When the price of oil rises, the terrorist organizations feel better; the feeling needs to be brought back down. The way to bring Iran, ...
planetsave.com/blog/2008/08/21/alternative-energy-the-solution-to-terrorism -peres/ - 45k - Cached - Similar pages

Are we witnessing this financial crisis as an attempt to bring down oil prices. Oil yesterday was trading at 90$ a barrel. The lowest it has been in a long time. And consequently Iran (and others) are seeing a third of their earnings disappear.

There have been various reports of forced liquidity manipulations. At least 2 or 3 posts on this blog about it in the last few days. The Fed (Bernanke) has been seen to do this.

Now from a Geostrategic point of view is it worthwhile to hasten a recession in the west; in order to deprive Iran of income? If one was an ardent nationalist and viewed Iran's alarming rise to power, and its support for Hizbollah, Hamas and Syria, would it not seem like a justifiable sacrifice (a recession in the West)?

Given that rightwingers see Israel as being in an existentialist threat. The Neocon movement has clearly felt that sacrifice is worthwhile for Western security. And haven't the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan been partly aimed at encircling Iran?

Consumerism was anyway a recent fad, it started in the 60's and grew and grew. Our financial masters certainly weren't thinking of tomorrow when they were borrowing over the last decade. Nor are they resigning. They have a philosophy to continue.

BTW Iran is calling for a referendum in Israel, there are more Jews than Arabs there. It is curious why that is so threatening.

But the Neocons who must have had the backing of the banks all along, are more interested in empire that domestic welfare. Which is a shame for us people, Jews Arabs Americans, everyone.

It looks like it will all end in tears, individually and collectively. And any dissidence will be smothered in criminals and deviants everyday. The Hubris of the Neocons permeates down through the ranks.

Maybe its a double double whammy: weaken Russia, Venezuela, Iran and Bolivia by lessening their oil income through a recession in the west.

Nor does the Bailout make so much sense. More Fed money was injected into the economy in the week before (188B per day) the Bailout than the Bailout asked for.

But the Bailout insures people will not be able to afford to buy so much oil. That the Dollar is not crashing and Gold is not going up also lends suspicion to manipulation.

My last post was an extreme review of Gwen Ifil's involvement in the VP debate--which Sarah Palin won hands down by the way--um, okay and Biden wasn't half bad frankly.

I must confess first that Gwen did a pretty "fair" job and for that I am thankful--I'm sure all the press and pressure from the revelation of her book had no effect on the way in which she conducted herself--but then again--we will never know, will we?

After hearing the debate I was not suprised at all to hear the VP of "hope and change" also talk about fairness.  He said that where he comes from, fairness is defined by giving tax breaks to the middle class and making the "rich" pay more.  Interesting...

Well let's see about that.  Here is the breakdown of the Delaware State Income Tax system:

(notice that even the picture on their website let's you know that your money is going to some future project)

-- No tax on the first $2,000
-- 2.2 percent on taxable income between $2,000 and $5,000
-- 3.9 percent on taxable income between $5,001 and $10,000
-- 4.8 percent on taxable income between $10,001 and $20,000
-- 5.2 percent on taxable income between $20,001 and $25,000
-- 5.55 percent on taxable income between $25,001 and $60,000
-- 5.95 percent on taxable income more than $60,000.

It would appear that Senator Biden is correct, the richest people pay the most--however, amazingly people that make $5000 A YEAR pay $66 in taxes.  Funny, people that make $5000 a year in the US pay nothing.

But here is the real kicker--rich is apparently defined as anyone making more than $60,000 a year.  OF course, this is perfect since the median income of people from Delaware is $55,436 according to a 2005 report of the US Census Bureau.  Plus Delaware has a poverty rate of over 10%!  Now Senator Biden makes a healthy $319,000 which is touted by the press as "one of the least wealthy Senators."  But--one of the richest men in Delaware.

I wonder if Senator Biden's real view and that of his annointed running mate's is that people that make $60000 a year or more are "rich."

The reality is that many of you are going to line up at the polls next month and vote for a man who wants to redistribute wealth in this Country based on his single-minded ideas alone.  In other words, Obama thinks that he will be better at managing your money than you are and better at deciding what you "should" make.

So here is my new definition of Fairness under the Obama Presidency:

"Making sure that all people, no matter their race, religion, sexual preference, gender, work habits, narcissism, addictions, neurosis, attitude, sense of entitlement, laziness, lack of education, drug use, criminal background, number of children out of wedlock, SDTs, terrorist affiliations, patriotism, talent and ability, work ethic, ethics at all, apathy, recklessness, negligence, motivation, lack of goals, determination, drive, integrity, honor, honesty, dishonesty, or age have the same exact income, benefits, health care, car, house, and job as everyone else."

Now that is called real fairness.  After all--keeping money that you earned is unfair to those who simply do not earn it. 

In fact Obama already got started on this in December 2007 when he and Sen. Hagel sponsored the Global Poverty Act.  It would commit U.S. taxpayers to spend 0.7% of our gross domestic product (or over $800 billion) on foreign handouts, which is at least $30 billion over and above the exorbitant and wasted sums we already give away overseas.  The purpose is to redistribute wealth to the areas of our world where people are living on less than $1 a day--places like Uganda for example--which is run by a mad dictator.

This is part of Obama's hope to bring the US in line with the United Nation's Millenium Development Goal.  That declaration also calls for a "currency transfer tax," a "tax on the rental value of land and natural resources," a "royalty on worldwide fossil energy production - oil, natural gas, coal," "fees for the commercial use of the oceans, fees for airplane use of the skies, fees for use of the electromagnetic spectrum, fees on foreign exchange transactions, and a tax on the carbon content of fuels."

So see, Obama's energy plan to help with gas prices and the oil crunch is to simply tax our own natural resources further and the carbon content which of course is causing all of the worldwide poverty.  I wonder if this is why Delaware's poverty is 10.2 percent?  It must be global warming.  Hmmmm....  In any event, it is certainly more fair than letting a bunch of poor people in undeveloped countries suffer while we here at home are actually living off what we earn--how ridiculous is that?

Well, I hope you now fully understand the new definition of fairness and Obama's intentions--but don't you DARE question him on it, after all--he is the One (at least that is what CNN keeps hinting at).

-Murphy

WordPress.com Political Blogger Alliance

Contact:
Stephen Parks. 575-751-0343
parksgallery@newmex.com

Contreras's Everyday Affairs

An exhibition of Contreras's new paintings, "Everyday Affairs," opens October 25 at Parks Gallery in Taos.

Susan Contreras paints the world as she experiences it - a place of mystery, joy and color. The device she's chosen to animate her work, to heighten the intensity of her art to a level that matches her inner vision, is masks. Whether her subjects are reading newspapers or showing off pet chickens, their masks charge the scene with edgy excitement and ritual authority.

"I see things in the course of an ordinary day that strike me as extraordinary," she says, "the phenomenal moments you experience when you're paying attention. For example, a couple of months ago I was in the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles, it was during the Democratic primaries and there were all these people in the café there with their heads in the news. Something about the beautiful, striking light in there and the intense involvement in newspapers made me want to paint it."

It was in Mexico, Contreras's birthplace that she first saw masked and costumed figures in such festivities as Day of the Dead and All Souls Day dances. "I was a shy child and even then I viewed the masks as liberating," she recalls. "They presented an opportunity for extroverted, unrestrained behavior. Rather than ‘masking' our true identity, they set us free. Inhibitions are shed. And I don't always know what's going to happen."

Hi Susan, thank you for your comment, you bring up an important issue.

You are correct in that trans fat is not a saturated fat.

Trans fats actually are either mono or polyunsaturated fatty acids. In the food industry, trans fats are produced via commercial hydrogenation of unsaturated oils, generally soybean or corn oil.

As most saturated fats added to food products are actually artificially hydrogenated, they also come with an abundant supply of trans fats. Historically, this is part of the reason why saturated fats received so much negative attention.

The fact of the matter is that natural saturated fats are actually essential to health. The generally accepted concept of “unsaturated fats are healthy” is an excellent example of the power of deceptive marketing and incomplete research.

Commercially produced unsaturated fats are actually a mixed bag of healthy and unhealthy factors with a high tendency toward the unhealthy side. In fact, the more processing an oil receives, the higher the likelihood that it is unhealthy.

Labels on food products, advertisements, and most public programs are generally not good sources of health and nutrition information. I recommend eating things that do not have labels or at least have very few ingredients and little or no processing. Nature is our best ally when it comes to good health.

You can read more about nutrition information in my series of articles here http://nkhuong.com/blog/jeet-kune-do-nutrition-fats/

In Health, Nhan

Victoria Vives Khuong
http://3vprototype.com

[clearspring_widget title="Speak Up For Wildlife" wid="48dd4c8e92491714" pid="48eb96159328b65a" width="208" height="488" domain="widgets.clearspring.com"]

click to enlarge

click to enlarge - detail

Oil on canvas.
2ft x 4 ft

Woo! Im finally finished. I wish the gold paint, which is actually a base of Bronze powder had showed up better in the photo. darn. but we do what we must and we must what we do.

I had an original idea to this painting that didnt come across. It was more about the frailty of humans and how we all need to eat and sleep just like mere animals, so, why do we think we are Gods? but, i left out the fox, but that IS what it means. I dont want people to get the impression that im scrunching up in a ball of angst. That might have been me 6 months ago, but no. Im quite happy these days. If anything, its me just enjoying a nice afternoon nap, as i do recall being very sleepy that day.

I can feel your healing oil running down my brow
I wouldn't trade another lifetime for how I feel right now.

Lord I am weary, I know that you're near
Take care of my family while we're apart
And I thank you for giving me this life that I've had
Now I look for the comfort of your arms.

I can feel your healing oil running down my brow
I wouldn't trade another lifetime for how I feel right now.

"Predictions that Russia will again become powerful, rich and influential ignore some simply devastating problems at home that block any march to power," Feshbach reports.  "Sure, Russia's army could take tiny Georgia. But Putin's military is still in tatters, armed with rusting weaponry and staffed with indifferent recruits. Meanwhile, a declining population is robbing the military of a new generation of soldiers. Russia's economy is almost totally dependent on the price of oil. And, worst of all, it's facing a public health crisis that verges on the catastrophic."

The health crisis turns out to be a barometer of sorts -- and a warning of a far greater disaster that looms.  Russia is falling into the rank of nations with the lowest life expectancy and highest rates of early death.  No one appears concerned enough to do anything.

As Feshbach reports:

Recent decades, most notably since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, have seen an appalling deterioration in the health of the Russian population, anchoring Russia not in the forefront of developed countries but among the most backward of nations.

This is a tragedy of huge proportions -- but not a particularly surprising one, at least to me. I followed population, health and environmental issues in the Soviet Union for decades, and more recently, I have reported on diseases such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging the Russian population. I've visited Russia more than 50 times over the years, so I can say from firsthand experience that this national calamity isn't happening suddenly. It's happening inexorably.

According to U.N. figures, the average life expectancy for a Russian man is 59 years -- putting the country at about 166th place in the world longevity sweepstakes, one notch above Gambia. For women, the picture is somewhat rosier: They can expect to live, on average, 73 years, barely beating out the Moldovans. But there are still some 126 countries where they could expect to live longer. And the gap between expected longevity for men and for women -- 14 years -- is the largest in the developed world.

The recent military incursion into Georgia, brutal as it was, may represent a futile attempt to show force while Russia still has force.  The number of young men of military age in the population is crashing -- as is the number of young women who could give birth to future soldiers.

In order to understand this, consider this shocking headline from the St. Peterburg Times [Russia]:  "Experts -- 64 Percent of Russian Pregnancies End in Abortion."

As the paper reports:

The low birth rate remains one of the key reasons behind Russia’s ongoing demographic crisis. According to official statistics, every fourth teenage girl in Russia has some form of gynecological ailment or reproductive health disorder.

Each year in Russia, more than 64 percent of all pregnancies end in abortion, while in Western European countries the level is below 25 percent. By comparison, there are 10 to 15 abortions per 100 pregnancies in the U.K. and 5 or 6 per 100 in the Netherlands.

One in ten women who undergo an abortion in Russia is below 18 years of age, doctors say. Gynecological disease rates for teenage girls in 15-17 age group, have jumped by an alarming 30 percent in the last five years.

In a twist only Fyodor Dostoevsky might understand, Russian authorities, alarmed by the population collapse, declared 2008 as the 'Year of the Family.'  Government campaigns to encourage bearing children were launched, but with no apparent impact.  In a stunning disconnect, the government still offers free abortions.

What country can live with aborting 64 percent of its babies?  How can such a nation survive?  It has brought death into its own wombs.  The babies who are born are the lucky few.  The vast majority never see life outside the womb.

In recent days The Los Angeles Times has reported that a small pro-life movement has begun in Russia, but without much influence as of yet:

A fledgling antiabortion movement is beginning to stir in Russia. Driven by a growing discussion of abortion as a moral issue and, most of all, by a government worried about demographics, doctors and politicians are quietly struggling to lower what is believed to be one of the world's highest abortion rates.."

"The attitude has changed," abortion practitioner Alexander Medvedev said. "Even in community clinics, doctors are trying to dissuade patients from abortion. Now teenagers come to see us with already two or three abortions, and it's horrible.

The report indicates that some medical authorities and social observers are truly concerned, and exceptions for late-term abortions are harder to obtain. Nevertheless, the sheer number of abortions defies comprehension and appears unlikely to fall.  A reluctance to define the issue in moral terms means that authorities try to argue from the grounds of public health and population needs.  But once the moral ground is abandoned, so is the hope of any recovery.

Lincoln Steffens, an American apologist for the Bolshevik Revolution and the early Soviet regime, once infamously declared of the Soviets:  "I have been over to the future, and it works!"  Well, the current crisis in Russia may well be a warning of the future collapse of civilization.  Once a nation takes the Culture of Death into its heart, what rescue is possible?

________________________

The more familiar form of the quotation from Lincoln Steffens ("I have seen the future and it works!") was not made known until after his death and may be a misquotation supplied by his widow.

For more on the article go to Al Mohler  and other articles by Dr. Al Mohler Jr.

National Average: $3.48/g

Lower Atlantic states: $3.67/g

New England states: $3.39/g

Here in this little town in Missouri: $2.97/ gallon.  People are estatic to say the least.  I pay $2.57/gallon because that's the ethanol price. Diesel still remains high though, here it's $3.999.

Oil is hovering at $90/barrel now, it settled to $87.81/barrel yesterday.  Overall: The average is Extremely high, and possibly gouging is occuring on a wide-scale basis right now as prices slowly come down.

30/40 rule: $90= Anywhere from $3.00 to $2.25.  Middle ground being $2.57 for regular gasoline.  We're up 71 cents from a year ago (2.77 average) and oil barrel price is slighty cheaper than it was last year. Hm.  Interesting...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27065523/

HA NOI — PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP), Joint Venture Viets-ovpetro (VSP), EDEN Group Company Ltd. and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) have signed a production-sharing contract for the Moattama offshore block known as M-2 in Myanmar.

The ceremony took place at the Myanmar Ministry of Energy in the new capital city of Nay Pyi Taw last week. It was witnessed by the Minister of Energy, other ministers and senior officials from the Myanmar Government.

Under the contract, Petro Viet Nam will hold 45 per cent of the stakes, VSP, 40 per cent and the Eden group, 15 per cent.

This is Viet Nam’s first oil and gas project in Myanmar and its second overseas. The first one was a contract for Blocks Tanit and Guellala in Tunisia signed by PVEP and VSP in February.

Viet Nam and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding on oil and gas co-operation during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ’s visit to Myanmar in August last year.

Attending the ceremony were high ranking Vietnamese from Ministries of Industry and Trade, Foreign Affairs, Planning and Investment, and Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).

Do Van Hau, PetroVietnam vice president delivered a keynote speech on behalf of the Vietnamese delegation.

Myanmar Minister of Energy, H.E Brigadier General Lun Thi, then signed over the investment licence to Block M-2.

Block M-2 covers about 10,000 square kilometres, is about 200 kilometres from the former capital of Yangon. The water depth in Bock M2 is 200m or less. —