21 visual conversations

For Precious Rev-War Historic -Talk of a Real Historic Save - needs to be in the cards for the Quadricentennial

As this stretch of the Hudson River Valley prepares to celebrate the 400th anniversary since Henry Hudson glided down the river, we now need local politicians and Valley dignitaries to put their heads together and fashion a save of the endangered Revolutionary War Fishkill Encampment and Supply Depot -- promoting it as a cornerstone for all that is to be historically lauded in the months of come. What could be better - a true 11th hour save of the physical space -- the real deal. The influencers coming together to protect the physical space that defines this historic land. Please read about this unique one-of-a-kind Rev War site at: http://www.fishkill-historical-focus.org/.I'll be returning to this topic, again and and again, and with it, throwing out ideas that represent current thought on museum studies and historic space. Innovative and practicality have to play a big role in how these projects are laid out. Though right now, the real urgent matter lies in just saving the land from commercial endeavors that threaten its green space and archaeological record.

Fishkill Supply Depot Imagined

A scene along these graceful lines could be part of the visual future of the Revolutionary War Fishkill Encampment and Supply Depot, its history not blacktopped, its fragile stories protected, its archaeological narrative recorded

Joyeous Holidays and a Beautiful New Year

To all, Warmest wishes for joyeous Holidays and aBeautiful New Year.Here's to the potent interplay between innovative,powerfulsolutions and compassionate sentiment;clearing the pathto penning the persuasiveeco-manifesto -- protection for all diverse lifeon our glorious Planet E.

gone is my bed

Such a bland diet

I think a great deal about the bland visual landscape of our young century. Although in American cities, new and exciting designs are being explored and utilized -- from the ordinary bike rail as sculpture, to the growing cultus of temporal, public art pieces - and importantly, clever, green architecture edging away from the constraints of past and poor templates, elsewhere, we are stuck in somewhat of a time warp.The pre-green era blandscape continues to carry the cache of aggrandizement - living on with no twist of genius. This is vividly apparent when one drives up the commercial highways of rural/suburban America. Personally, I'm intrigued by these commercial roads - the Route 9s, Route 300s, Route whatsovevers that shoulder the big box economy. They continue to power up and define our public spaces.In this new age of C21, progressive change is painfully slow to arrive on these commercial highways. Case in point -- new construction in the city of Newburgh, along the Hudson River. Its major commercial throughfare is Route 300, soon to be a new home to a Staples Super Store. A fragment of an apple orchard sits on this still undeveloped land. But, as soon as the construction project rolls out, this sweet orchard will be vanquished - swiftly. Rigid town planning, copycat developers and unimaginative municipal boards keep things this way. They work in perfect harmony to keep the visual status quo on these roads. The orchard could be an added perk for the harried Staples customer. Saved, its solid boughs could bear ruby reds for decades to come, providing a welcome depth of shade from hot summer sun, and hopefully a berth for a song bird et famille.Considering that apples are the New York State royalty of the vegetative world, such a deviation from the Staples template to accomodate this coterie of fruit trees, would be reasonable and modern in thought. It would express compassion towards the assets of this Earth( thus backing away from the tenets of municipal environmental and visual amorality). And yes, would spice up the bland daily diet of big shop boxiness and black top.Please leave a comment.

The Padded Pockets Doom Another Species, yes, the Beloved Polar Bear

It's news too much to bear. And yes, I'm talking about the latest news out of the Bush White House. Polar Bears be dammed, Bush is taking you down. This buffoon of a man, has, in his final days of office, cleared the path to extinction for the Arctic's most magnificent inhabitant. The ink is fresh. With a nod to industrialists from the depths of hell, let the drilling, dams, towers, and highways proliferate. The noble bear will die on his barge of melting ice, starved, defeated and left with nothing to combat the ugly challenges dolled out by humans decorated with a wealth paid for by gruesome acts. They are the real beasts -- pockets lined with the stolen life force of our planet. Indeed, the new Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations, demand a rant from every blogger, from every citizen. Tiny Bush shuffles out of the White House, but not before he unloads his bag of evil deeds. Latest news on the Polar Bear Crisis is available on the Defenders of Wildlife website: http://www.defenders.org/. Please have a close look.

Boccaccio's Bats

From Boccaccio's The DECAMERON, " It is a wondrous tale that I have to tell: If I were not one of the many people who saw it with their own eyes, I would scarcely have dared to believe it, let alone to write it down, even if I had heard it from a completely trustworthy person. "The bat plague is going on larger unnoticed and yet if it remains unstoppable, the consequences are truly grim. As the death toll rises, the amazing eco-work these misunderstood creatures can no longer do, will take the modern world by surprise. And yes! We take so much for granted in the here and now. We sneak many a wrongful environmental act and think it goes by with less than a response. But it has impact and it is noticed.Who has patience for this story? Not the stuff people on the street really want to know. Too much anxiety already surrounds us - our financial world is crashing and our unknown next president looms on the horizon -- but we are tethered to an animal kingdom we think we are no longer members of. And shall be till the end of time. We cannot be so smug. We cannot want our bland, well-behaved lawns and our gardens of meek flowers so weed-free that we take the world down.Scientists are taking a hard look at the role pesticides might be playing as the bats are felled by disease. And, interestingly, Prospect Park in Brooklyn has turned into a safe haven for fragile populations of bats. The lucky ones. Here, park management eschews pesticide use and has returned indigenous plants and trees to park environs. If the industrious bat vanishes, the insect world will lose its cool and what follows is crop annihilation and virulent forms of disease. Let not our human arrogance to push nature aside take us to this place. As Boccaccio wrote in Florence, 1348 - "How many noble men, how many beautiful ladies, how many light-hearted youth, who were such that Galen, Hippocrates or Asclepious would declare them the healthiest of all humans, had breakfast in the morning with their relatives, companions, or friends, and had dinner that evening in another world with their ancestors!" Disease can move like a torrent and we have to obtain the figure-out wisdom plus the willingness to change behaviors. Tall order.

Let me be beautiful before I die

I don't want to write a homage to Mother Earth, but I think, as we drag our heels towards colossal, eco-wise change, we knock off the days and hours, before our sweet earth just can't do it anymore. She just can't adjust to the daily thrashing, the synthetic blood hounds of damnation, the walk off the man-made cliff."Let me be beautiful before I die." And she will be beautiful before she dies. Her final sea waves will hurl up,in perfect, muscular form, her hardwood forests, drawn and quartered by our unrelenting speed and greed, will splinter and flatten with the scream of angels, and her ice storms will crackle and walk with frosted magnificence. This final anger will shuttle us towards a granular dust. So, might I suggest that the collective "we" do something very different -- very soon.

Folly of Man

I think I knew a great deal about "folly of man" early in life, say 5 or younger. It happens when you are terrified of a certain parent in your life. A part of you grows up fast and sharp. The rest of you lags leagues behind. But you do know fear, crystal clear, and that is transformative. Folly articulates in all ways and today I'm thinking about political folly, environnmental folly and those who love to kick around the powerless and snatch what is pure and good in life. I'm thinking about the reckless talk of socialism on the news and in the papers --socialism being defined as anything for the common good. And that is folly. Our earth is melting, the U.S. economy is in a sink hole, our hungry are painfully hungry, we pray we don't get "really sick" because we can't afford to be really sick, and college cost for our children soars to an unprecedented high. And throughout, our overseas enemies eye us with unending fascination -- savoring these days of turmoil. To the very "right-minded" we can torture foreign prisoners not charged with any crime, and do so on U.S. soil with cruelty to spare, but nationalize health care?, my God, such a "socialist crime" against our liberties. Ample servings of folly all around.

A Woman to Fear

In thinking about dangerous U.S. politicians -- and which of them could land at the top of the ruling heap, my ruminations never included women. Short-sighted on my part. Could a fellow female be that terrifying someone? A chilling yes. Today's major headline was a big shout-out from Sarah Palin, boldly informing that she is on the national political scene to stay. Ye gods. Even if the McCain/Palin ticket sinks, has Palin woven herself into the fabric of the GOP for good?Are her odd views, right-wing extremsim, religious fanaticism, hate and ignorance to plague us for decades to come? Power hungry sisters have graced the world stage before, but I can't think of any U.S. politican of the female persuasion, present or past centuries, to rival the darkness of Palin. Should she ascend up the ladder, the animal kingdom will let out a collective wail in despair, forests will grieve and the seas will quake. For good reason. And our human fate? As an astute op-ed writer for Time magazine grimly pointed out, "We don't want this woman to know our nuclear codes." Clearly not. The GOP needs a heady dose of rationalism, humanity and sagacity. Send Sister Sarah home.