Artists Embedded in War (Part II)

Steve Mumford, an embedded artist in Iraq, has a selection of his watercolors on display in this month's Harper's: "inspired by Winslow Homer's coverage of the Civil War for Harper's Weekly, Mumford made four trips to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 to chronicle military and civilian life."

His beautifully crafted watercolors depict every aspect of the occupation and insurgency: bound prisoners, soldiers on patrol and relaxing, protests, streetlife, landscapes marred by battle under a serene and cloudless sky.

More work can be seen on-line at artnet.com

Gunner Palace

Hitting theaters March 4th is this much maligned and much anticipated documentary, an inside look at daily life for the 400+ American soldiers operating out of one of Saddam's bombed out palaces in Baghdad.

Excerpt
GUNNER PALACE reveals the complex realities of the situation in Iraq not seen on the nightly news. Told first-hand by our troops, 'Gunner Palace' presents a thought provoking portrait of a dangerous and chaotic war that is personal, highly emotional, sometimes disturbing, surprisingly amusing ... and thoroughly fascinating.

Filmmaker Michael Tucker, who lived with 2/3 Field Artillery, a.k.a. "The Gunners" for two months, captures the lives and humanity of these soldiers whose barracks are the bombed-out pleasure palace of Uday Hussein (nicknamed Gunner Palace), situated in the heart of the most volatile section of Baghdad. With total access to all operations and activities, Tucker's insider footage provides a rare look at the day-to-day lives of these soldiers on the ground -- whether swimming in Uday's pool and playing golf on his putting green or executing raids on suspected terrorists, enduring roadside bombs, mortar attacks, RPGs and snipers.

~ from www.gunnerpalace.com

Baghdad Diaries

This diary, compiled by Gunner Palace directors Mike Tucker and Petra Epperlein, consists of notes from the production of the film in 2003-2004 and emails sent from 2/3 FA soldiers during their 410 day deployment to Baghdad and Najaf.

Excerpt

September 14, 2003: An Adult Paradise

My driver took me to Adhamiya today. Ironically, he lives across the street from the Palace, so he promised to check in on me to make sure that I'm OK. Only in Iraq: he's worried about me.

It feels good to be out of the hell called Central Baghdad. It feels like I spent the last week waiting in traffic.

Without any fanfare, I was let into the Palace and given a tour. It's amazing--you couldn't build a better location. The main building, a gaudy monstrosity with massive columns, was bombed during the "shock and awe". One JDAM went in through an elevator shaft and imploded half the building. The other half is where 2/3 has their Tactical Operations Center.

Operation Truth

By and for vets of OIF/OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom & Operation Enduring Freedom), this where you can hear first-person accounts about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan from the people who were there. The site posts stories written by Servicemembers who have a first-hand perspective about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's mission is to help us understand issues facing our troops and how these issues influence both the safety of the troops and the situation back home.

Excerpt
From I was in Iraq for a year and lived in an old cigarette factory called Camp Marlboro in an area of Baghdad called Sadir City. After hearing how progress is being made each day and then watching on the news about insurgents and militants are out of control in Sadir City makes me think how far we brought that city up and running and then to look on the news and see how much of what we did went to Hell.

In the beginning we would get ambushed a few times in Sadir City. Over a period of time we established several police stations and worked closely with the Iraqi Police to get them out and about to enforce the law. It was a lot safer when we left than it was when we first got there. It is worse now than before we even stepped foot in Baghdad.  About the insurgents: Most of these insurgents we always hear about are nothing more than outraged Iraqis that are up in arms about our occupation. I am all for getting the Iraqis back on track but to sit here and see everything we did go to pot does not tell me that we are making progress.

Homeland Security Index

Harper's January '05 Index lists some intriguing facts reguarding suspected terrorists in detention, Iraqi mortality rates, the G.I. Rights Hotline and Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Years since the Justice Department last released the number of U.S. terror suspects taken into "preventive detention" : 3

Estimated number of people who have been taken into such detention since then : 4,000

Minimum number of Al Qaeda suspects from overseas whom the United States has now "disappeared," by legal standards : 11

Percentage "more intelligence" given up by prisoners in Iraq since coercion of them was banned, according to a U.S. general : 25

Factor by which an Iraqi is more likely to die today than in the last year of the Hussein regime : 2.5

SEE FULL INDEX

graphicfacilitation.com

Our studio has launched a site to promote the field of graphic facilitation.

Here you can find links to helpful software, learning tools, tips and techniques, methods and processes for collaboration to illustrate ideas and make the intangible both visible and actionable.

The site shares stories illustrating how groups have used graphic facilitation to solve real world problems, ranging from product design to disaster recovery. Find dates and rates for training workshops provided by companies around the world.

We invite anyone to contribute who is interested in using visual learning as a powerful tool in critical thinking, problem solving and strategic planning for business, education, governance and social enterprise.

If you have an idea for an article or just an interesting link, please forward them to Executive Editor, Peter Durand, peter@alphachimp.com.

VISIT www.graphicfacilitation.com

Mapping Pain

TIME magazine addresses the issue of chronic pain and the benefits -- and hazards -- of COX-2 inhibitors.

Those who suffer chronic hip, back or joint pain due to injury or illness; those who are crippled by re-occuring migraines; those who can't explain the shifting, ghost-like symptoms of fibromyalgia know the frustrations of seeking help from traditional medicine.

TIME has a great on-line interactive map of target areas and holistic healing methods used to ease the pain.

Pittsburgh's Grassroots Progressives

Jason Simmons, intellectual muscle behind the on-line community www.thishappening.com, has spearheaded another virtual (and physical) gathering. Progress Pittsburgh is a group of like-minded people driven to change the way things are done in Da 'Burgh.

Using the power of on-line co-ordination, ala the Dean campaign and MoveOn.org, Simmons has developed both an organizational model and a simple, yet robust technology to serve as a vessle and vehicle for social change.

One of the ironies, however, is that this is not a "let's take the battle to the Republicans" campaign. Instead, it focuses on challenging the long-term Democratic power structure that has traditionally held sway over the City.

One of the primary objectives of Progress Pittsburgh include creating a bloc of 10,000 to 20,000 informed voters that can be effectively mobilized to change the shape of local politics.

The plan involves bringing a broad coalition of progressive organizations together under the Progress Pittsburgh umbrella, including: Everybody VOTE, Ground Zero Action Network, MoveOn Pittsburgh, thisishappening, Pennsylvania Hip Hop Political Convention, Democracy For America Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh League of Pissed Off Voters.

CONTACT: Jason Simmons, jason@gradientlabs.com
VISIT: www.progresspittsburgh.org

Progress Pittsburgh's Principles

Transparency

We believe that it's time for a new kind of democracy, one that empowers citizens rather than leaving decisions in the hands of a political process distorted by cronyism and patronage. It has become the government's duty to make the process of governance (and all of the related facts and information) transparent and accessible to its citizens. We need a more participatory democracy, in both physical interactions and online. We need an “operating system” for a new democracy.

Creativity

We believe that our collective creativity is the future. To make our region competitive on the national and international level, politicians need to intelligently harness the collective talent of the region and challenge the traditional boundaries of political practice to forge new working partnerships and collaborations. We need leadership that actively engages citizens in a deep dialogue about the future. We need creative approaches to local and regional policy-making and methods of engaging citizens in the democratic process: understanding the issues, evaluating candidates, voting, working for change, and running for office. From creative dialogue, better, more informed solutions to the region's challenges will emerge.

Integrity

We believe that integrity and ethics are progressive values. We need informed leaders with integrity and vision to acknowledge the lessons of the past and depart from failed and ineffective practices when it best serves the future of our city and region. Our elected politicians need to communicate personal conviction and sincerity of purpose, and be dedicated to the public good rather than party politics. To nurture a sustainable voting constituency (and true democracy), our leaders must actively demonstrate why they should be entrusted to serve in public office.

Diversity

We believe in fostering a diverse region and promoting inclusiveness. Our communities should welcome the differences of all people, including, but not limited to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, orientation,disability, age and marital status. Even beyond that our leaders should continually work to make our region more diverse. There is evidence that the cities which are welcoming to diversity have stronger economic and population growth than less diverse areas. Recognizing the importance for our region to grow, we understand diversity is not only important socially, but paramount to Pittsburgh's future viability. We believe diversity should also include access to opportunity and representation in government and business leadership. It is proven in the world of business that diversity enhances creativity, productivity and innovation. Promoting diversity will enhance our region's competitiveness in an increasingly diverse world, improve relations between members of our regional community, and increase our cultural richness.

Sustainability

We believe our region's policy decisions should be guided by the common sense ideals of sustainability. Sustainable public policy balances economic, social, and environmental consequences with a long-term perspective in the decision making process. Our leaders can no longer view our region's economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental quality as separate, unrelated parts of our community. The communities we live in and the region as a whole is only truly strengthened when positive growth occurs in all three areas. Given the myriad of challenges our region faces, we must redesign, improve and rebuild by developing new industries that offer quality paying jobs, ensuring access to affordable housing and creating a regional land-use/transportation plan. For our region to move forward we must have a sustainable vision that builds self-supporting communities and provides a healthy, productive, and meaningful life for all community residents, present and future.

Rationality

We believe that we should be governed by elected officials who make measured decisions based upon careful thought and deliberation. Through creative acts of policy, diplomacy, consensus-building and leadership, our leaders should always demonstrate common sense. But now more than ever, with the long-needed restructuring of our region at hand, we cannot afford to passively coast through these changes. We need proactive, informed leaders who will exercise sound logic and broad-minded thinking in shaping the future of our City and region.

Accountability

We believe that government is to be "of and for the people". By definition, our elected leaders are answerable to us: the tax-paying citizens. Elected officials must recognize that they do not have a wholesale mandate to operate in a vacuum, governing by whim. Decisions affecting all citizens cannot continue to be made on the basis of special interests, personal agendas, and blatant self-promotion. We need mature leaders who will put an end to finger pointing, take responsibility for their decisions and actions, and be able to intelligently communicate why exactly it is that they do what they do.

The Littlest Engineers

Almost as grand as our friends at MCG Jazz winning a GRAMMY, our cousin, Lindsay Durand (age 8) has placed second in the Boeing Engineering Week Art Contest!

Yeah, Lindsay! [Last year her sister Halle won First Place in her age group.]

Congrats to MCG Jazz!

We at Alphachimp Studio, Inc. would like to celebrate our hardworking friends at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild and their jazz label, MCG Jazz.

(Way to go, Marty and Renee!)

This year's grammy for best jazz vocal albumn went to Nancy Wilson for R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)

In an age when the entire state of the music industry is in flux, it is inspirational to watch these craftspeople work.
We have been motivated in our own artistic and business pursuits by witnessing the patience and sense of duty that the team at MCG Jazz brings to their art form--jazz--one of the very few 100% bona fide American art forms at that!

ABOVE: The pristine sounds of Nancy Wilson were recorded and produced here, in MCG Jazz studios on Pittsburgh's North Shore.

PRESS RELEASE:

February 13, 2005 (Pittsburgh)

MCG Jazz congratulates Nancy Wilson on her GRAMMY® Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) (MCGJ 1013) was recorded at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild(MCG) in Pittsburgh, PA.

The 47th Annual GRAMMY® Awards aired live on February 13, 2005, at 8:00pm EST on CBS. Marty Ashby, Executive Producer for MCG Jazz, is available for comment. R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) and photos of Nancy Wilson are also available through MCG Jazz. You can place your order today by calling 412-322-1773 ext. 140 or click here to visit our online store.

The other nominees in the 2005 Best Jazz Vocal Album category are American Song by Andy Bey, Twentysomething by Jamie Cullum, Accentuate The Positive by Al Jarreau and The Dana Owens Album by Queen Latifa (host of this year's GRAMMY® Awards ceremony). Miss Wilson won her only other GRAMMY® Award in 1964 for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording for How Glad I Am.

MCG Jazz has received an unprecedented about of critical acclaim. Of the 10 CDs MCG Jazz has released nationally, R.S.V.P.'s win marks MCG Jazz’ third GRAMMY® Award and fourth GRAMMY® nomination. MCG Jazz won its first GRAMMY® Award in 1996 for Best Large Ensemble Performance for the Count Basie Orchestra with the New York Voices Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCGJ 1002) album. The second win came in September 2003 when Brazilian Dreams (MCGJ 1010) featuring Paquito D’Rivera and New York Voices won the Latin GRAMMY® Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) has ranked in the top 25 on the Billboard Jazz Chart for 23 weeks, peaking at #7. Additionally, R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) has remained at the top of the Jazz Week chart for 15 weeks, peaking at #2. (Billboard tracks record sales; Jazz Week monitors radio air play in the U.S. and Canada).

MCG Jazz is a division of Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, a non-profit arts and learning center on the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA. This multi-discipline, minority-directed center provides hope and life skills to youth and adults in urban environments through jazz, visual arts, vocational training and business partnerships.

R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) epitomizes these values, with all of the proceeds from the sale of this CD going to support the MCG Jazz program. MCG Jazz, a specialty recording label, captures the magic of many of the jazz artists who perform at the center every year. R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) is available at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and may be purchased online at www.mcgjazz.org.

Mariko Takahahi's Fitness Video

Um.... this is by far one the most bizarre and hypnotic videos I have ever seen.

The description should be a haiku, something like:

Japanese legwarmers,
Standard poodles,
Let's push it,
Until it burns!"

(via OBTTV)

Windy City 'Zines, Bloggers and Artists - Oh, My!

Chicago's public radio station, WBEZ, produces the reknowned series This American Life.

Tucked away on the general WBEZ site is a great collection of on-line interviews and audio diaries by Chicago bloggers, ziners and alternative artists featured on the Chicago-focused show, Eight Forty-Eight.

RIGHT: The late Hip Hop artist Biggie Smalls as painted by James "Casper" Jankowiak. This artist was born in the neighborhood of Back of the Yards on Chicago's south side and his work has been displayed around the world. HEAR CASPER'S STORY

Featured Links

Punk Planet. Widely considered the foremost authority on punk music, culture, and politics, the bimonthly zine Punk Planet is celebrating its tenth anniversary. www.punkplanet.com

The2ndHand. Drawing his inspiration from rock 'n' roll, Chicago writer Todd Dills started The2ndHand, a zine featuring short stories and experimental pieces. Host Steve Edwards sits down with Dills and The2ndHand Web editor Jeb Gleason-Allured. www.the2ndhand.com

Zulkey.com. Named Best Local Blog in Newcity Chicago's Best of 2004 issue, Zulkey.com is the brainchild of Chicago writer Claire Zulkey. www.zulkey.com

Lumino Magazine. The October 2004 edition of Lumino is devoted to famous nerds, including interviews with the cast of Revenge of the Nerds. And as publisher Nick Powills tells us, the online magazine attempts to marry pop culture with local happenings.www.luminomagazine.com

sixosix magazine. The Chicago-based magazine sixosix attempts to capture the stories and feel of the city. www.606mag.com

TENbyTEN. The Chicago-based magazine TENbyTEN has covered the city's flourishing visual arts scene since 1999. Founder and editor Annette Ferrara says the idea emerged from the dearth of publication outlets for visual artists. www.tenbyten.net

This is Grand. The online literary journal This is Grand collects stories about the CTA. Founder Jonathan Messinger says he was inspired by his belief in shared space and by Chicago writer Stuart Dybek's short story, "Pet Milk." www.thisisgrand.org

A Stitch in Time

Nellie Durand, master quilter and fiber artist, writes:

"I've been sewing with machines for over 50 years and never knew how the stitches were made. This website has an animated illustration of how the upper and bobbin threads interlock (scroll half way down). Amazing! Now I know how all those little parts I'm so familiar with actually function. Yeah!"

Check out HOW A STICHING MECHANISM IN A SEWING MACHINE WORKS by MIT student Jonah Elgart

Robotic Gallery Crawl

Intriguing happening in Pittsburgh via ThisHappening.com.

Wood Street Galleries presents Amorphic Robot Works

by Chico MacMurtrie/Amorphic Robot Works

January 28-March 19, 2005



Opening reception on Friday, January 28, from 5:30-10 p.m. as part of a FREE Gallery Crawl featuring music by Shade and Wizard Fight. Artist talk by Chico MacMurtrie on Saturday, January 29, at 1 p.m.



PITTSBURGH--Wood Street Galleries, a project of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, presents Amorphic Robot Works by Chico MacMurtrie and the collective Amorphic Robot Works. The show opens on Friday, January 28, 2005, as part of the free Gallery Crawl with music by Shade 5:30-7:45 p.m. and Wizard Fight 8-10 p.m. The exhibit closes on Saturday, March 19, 2005. An artist talk with Chico MacMurtrie will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 29. WDUQ FM is the proud media sponsor of this exhibit.

SEE VIDEO of robot checking his watch.

In conjunction with this exhibit, kracfive will present on Friday, February 4, at 7 p.m., i (heart) my robot--featuring colongib (electronic, live), octopus inc (downtempo, live), wwcarpen (electronic, live), slinky (all kraftwerk dj set). Admission for this special event is $4.



Wood Street Galleries (601 Wood Street above the T-Station) is free and open to the public Tuesday and Thursday, noon-8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon-10 p.m. For more information, call Wood Street Galleries at (412) 471-5605 or visit www.woodstreetgalleries.org .