Hardluck Studios Soap Box

I have to take a moment  to express my disappointment and dismay at the amazing hush involving the Dalai Lama's visit last week with President Obama. It shames me that, according to NBC news, this noble human rights champion was asked to leave the White House through the servants' entrance. You can video of his exit on youtube.

The White House issued this single statement on the meeting:

The President met this morning at the White House with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama.  The President stated his strong support for the preservation of Tibet’s unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans in the People’s Republic of China. The President commended the Dalai Lama’s “Middle Way” approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government.  The President stressed that he has consistently encouraged both sides to engage in direct dialogue to resolve differences and was pleased to hear about the recent resumption of talks.  The President and the Dalai Lama agreed on the importance of a positive and cooperative relationship between the United States and China.”

Unfortunately, the actions of the White House can speak more loudly than their words, and somehow this statement seems rather hollow after viewing the video of the Dalai Lama walking past the trash on his way out. I can't help but feel that the White House statement is just more talk that won't be followed up with action

The Dalai Lama's response to the situation affirms that President Obama's praise for his “Middle Way approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government," was 100% accurate:

Beverly Hills, California, USA, 20 February 2010 (By Gillian Flaccus, The Associated Press) - Just days after meeting with President Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama said Saturday that he was not offended by the low-key reception he received and understands that the president must be practical despite his stated commitment to championing human rights worldwide.

Tibet's exiled spiritual leader told The Associated Press that he recognizes Obama must juggle his desire to support the Dalai Lama's push for greater Tibetan autonomy with his concerns about angering China, a growing U.S. economic rival and hoped-for partner. "No disappointment. The last six decades my heart hardened. I do not consider important political gestures. I don't care. The important is meet face-to-face," said the Dalai Lama, who was sometimes assisted by a translator.

As always, I am grateful to the Dalai Lama for his constant commitment to peace, his invaluable teachings on compassion for all, and his ever-shining example for maintaining an enlightened view in the face of diversity.

As just an ordinary being struggling to exist in a country whose leaders increasingly discard the values of freedom for all on which this nation was built, in attempts to gain favor from those who we are monetarily indebted to, I am saddened, disturbed, and  (unfortunately) increasingly convinced that the corruption and incompetence of our leadership cannot be resolved.

Keeping Karmic Time by Dubh of Hardluck Studios

"a reminder to keep vigilant watch of the mind in each passing moment"

proceeds from sale of painting donated to Katog Choling

Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,

and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be

violated; and no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported

by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be

searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

hardluckstudios@hardluckstudios.net

Article 12.) No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. (Painters for Human Rights Network)

I thought that the following announcement from BORDC (Bill of Rights Defense Committee) was worthy of passing on. It concerns reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act, and if you're using the internet it affects you and your right to privacy. I strongly recommend following the link to read the full article.

Executive Director Shahid Buttar published a column this month concerning reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act, which he argues has "once again place[d] the Constitution in the cross-hairs of a complacent Congress, acquiescing to another administration whose political agenda lies at conspicuous odds with its leader's oath to defend the Constitution." Buttar concludes that "[t]he federal policymaking process surrounding domestic surveillance....lacks transparency, legislative accountability, and continuity from the prior debate, making a mockery of democracy while dragging our country further down the failed course of the Bush administration—despite the electorate’s resounding mandate in 2008 to reverse that course."

Offering a vivid analogy to help depict the offensiveness of the latest procedural updates from DC, he concludes that "the Constitution appears to have few friends left in our nation’s capital. That’s one reason (among many) to take matters into your own hands and organize to raise rights above the federal floor in your town. Don’t get angry. Get active."

BORDC's mission is to promote, organize, and support a diverse, effective, national grassroots movement to restore and protect civil rights and liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Their purpose is to educate people about the significance of those rights in our lives; to encourage widespread civic participation; and to cultivate and share the organizing tools and strategies needed for people to convert their concern, outrage, and fear into debate and action to restore Bill of Rights protection.

This organization offers a wide array of options to get involved in defending your human rights. It can be as simple as signing a petition or, if you choose to get more involved, you can organize your own grassroots community project with their assistance.

Evolution of Freedom by Dubh of Hardluck Studios

Image available for free licensing to causes in support of human rights and social awareness:

hardluckstudios@hardluckstudios.net

Hardluck Studios Soap Box

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.

This quote from The Painters for Human Rights Network has been replaying itself to me frequently after viewing Katie Couric's investigation of the overuse of antibiotics in livestock and its link to increasing antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria in humans. You can read the full story at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/10/eveningnews/main6195054.shtml. The story documents the Danish success story for removal of routine antibiotic use in their nation's pork industry, and includes an interview with a Danish pork farmer who feared the industry would suffer when the routine use of antibiotics was banned in the pork industry there.

(Article Excerpt) "We don't want to use more medicine than needed, and a lot of the medicine that is given is not needed," said Soren Helmer. Helmer is a second-generation pig farmer whose sows produce more than 30,000 pigs a year. When the ban started, he and his father thought the industry would suffer.
"We thought we could not produce pigs as efficient as we did before," Helmer said. "But that was proven wrong."
Since the ban, the Danish pork industry has grown by 43 percent - making it one of the top exporters of pork in the world. All of Europe followed suit in 2006. But the American Pork Industry doesn't want to in spite of the fact that there are numerous scientific studios proving that the health threat to humans from overuse of antibiotics is real:
"We have identified here that we're talking about a public health issue, that the overuse of antibiotics on farms does pose a risk to human health," said Joshua Sharfstein of the FDA.
The FDA has for the first time come out against using certain antibiotics to promote growth in livestock.
And pending legislation in Congress would ban some types of antibiotics used to treat humans from being administered to healthy farm animals.

I searched around online today for groups taking action to stop the use of routine antibiotic use in livestock, and while I was unable to locate a specific petition or call to action against the practice, I did find another interesting piece on the subject from the Organic Consumers Association.

If anybody out there knows of any organized protest against this practice, I'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, there are a couple of things that we all can do to help:

We can write to our state representatives. (Though  we may not get the results we are seeking in a timely and efficient matter given the rampant corruption and inefficiency "our leaders" have demonstrated recently.)

More importantly we can remember that we the people hold the power to make positive changes to human and animal health. Our choices at the supermarket speak louder than any words that are likely to fall on those deaf ears in the livestock industry who see this change as a threat to their bottom line. Meat products that are labeled to be antibiotic (and hormone) free cost only a few cents more per pound. It seems like a bargain when you stop to consider that a couple of dollars more at the meat counter could save you a small fortune in medical bills (not to mention your life) by preventing the contraction of an antibiotic resistant infection due to ingesting and/or handling meat that is not antibiotic free. By choosing to purchase only antibiotic free meat, you are sending them an instant message that you want change now. They may not be willing to listen to reason, but I'm betting they will act quickly to change when our choices at the grocery reduces that profit margin they are trying so fiercely to protect.

We've said it before: it is the compassionate and enlightened actions of individuals who are most effective in enacting positive changes for global peace and human survival. Today we send our gratitude and kudos to artist Victor Vidal for his Flag of the Peace and Love Global Village event.

Victor is calling for contributors to draw, paint and/or write expressing their urgent demand for peace and love in the whole World on a piece of cotton (30cm by 30cm). No to wars, crimes, hunger, destruction of our planet, destruction of human beings (special children), etc. In our Global Village we want LOVE&PEACE.
This piece of art can be done by a family while talking about the need of peace&love. Schools may also participate by creating several pieces. Professional painters and amateurs are equally welcome.

In April, Victor will sew together all the paintings he has received, to create a big flag belonging to the Peace&Love Global Village. The flag will be offered to be shown in art exhibitions in Denmark or abroad. Finally, the flag will be donated to an organization working for peace and love.

Find out more about The Flag of the Peace and Love Global Village at the Painters for Human Rights Network, pfhrnetwork.ning.com.

It's Friday again, and time to share some positive information for living free. This one is a follow-up on our blog post from 1/28/10, Stop bailed out banks from paying excessive bonuses, in which we suggested that you move your money out of big banks that continue to reward themselves with big bonuses.  The Huffington Post  has an online article today announcing a terrific tool for freeing yourself from the power and corruption of big banks. The article, Santa Cruz County Thinks Local  is centered around the county of Santa Cruz, and reports that moving the county's money out of big banks and into local ones has led to increased lending.

The really good news is that a national movement , Move Your Money, was formed just one month ago to assist you in locating local banks and credit unions that are not affiliated with those big bonus-paying, non-lending banks. You can find this organization online at; moveyourmoney.info.

Kudos to Move Your Money! I love to hear about individuals creating opportunities for freedom. Move Your
Money seems to possess a valuable trait that our government is currently lacking - common sense.
Share your inspiring stories of freedom with us on the Hardluck Studios Soap Box.

I woke up today with Iran on my mind; thinking about its brave people and wondering what might be happening in their world on this anniversary of their revolution. I decided to do a google search to see if any news of possible protests had been able to slip past the Iranian government's tightened security reins, and I quickly got a small taste of the suppression tactics that Iranian citizens must live with everyday.
The first link I visited only brought Iranian government propaganda, encouraging rebellion against Western ways. The second link I clicked on brought an attempt to infect my computer with a virus. It was a sneaky one, too, as it was delivered in the form of a fake security alert that offered the option to download a cleaning solution to rid any unwanted traces of the virus from my computer. I'm happy to report that my own security software successfully quarantined and deleted the threat. Needless to say I'll, now be waiting for traditional television media reports to learn more about the situation.
The incident certainly made me pause to appreciate the liberties that we Americans still enjoy and often take for granted. It was also a harsh reminder that millions of people in the world who seek freedom from oppression have their voices choked and silenced on a daily basis by tyrannical governments. Tragically, the threats they face in the battle to gain freedom from these tyrants is far worse than any pesky computer virus and often includes imprisonment, physical abuse, and loss of life.
Today our hearts and minds go out to the courageous citizens of Iran who seek freedom once again. We offer you our wholehearted respect, honor, and support for raising your voices in protest despite the dangers you face in doing so. We urge all who possess freedom to pause and give thanks today for this precious gift, and to remember Iranian citizens who continue to struggle daily to gain their own precious freedom.

As an Alaskan resident, my personal policy regarding former Governor Palin has been to ignore her in hopes that she will fade away. After hearing part of her speech at the Tea Party Convention, and subsequent interview on Fox, I find myself needing to break that policy. What prompted this breach? Primarily it was the inflammatory statement she made that President Obama could gain reelection by waging war with Iran. This statement reinforced the uneasy feeling I have had all along regarding former Governor Palin that she may be dangerously ignorant and narrow-minded regarding world affairs.
I can't imagine (I could be wrong here) that there are many Americans who would favor the United States involvement in yet another war. It is common knowledge (or so I thought) that our military is already over extended in the fronts that we are already fighting in. Iran does have problems with its leaders, and its people are currently in an ever escalating process of rising up against them. I give them my full support to them for doing so, and I have great honor and respect for their courage. Current history could have taught former Governor Palin that American involvement in such situations is likely to cause the terrorist population to rise dramatically once Americans become involved. I wonder, has she seen recent news reports revealing the exponential spread of Al Qaeda terrorist camps and attacks following the ever increasing presence of American troops in the Middle East? Not to mention the increase of "home-grown" terrorists here in the United States that is growing just as rapidly. Maybe I'm missing some information here, but I can't see how Governor Palin can connect waging war with Iran to increased home security.

On to the Fox interview.....
It struck me as odd that an individual asked to identify her top priorities has to refer to "hand-written notes" to identify just what those priorities are. We've seen quite a few media polls recently asking average Americans what their top priorities are, and I doubt that many had to refer to hand-written notes before answering that job losses and housing foreclosures are at the tops of their list.
As an Alaskan resident, I was surprised to hear that energy was one of her top concerns. Palin's successor here has decided to pursue going forward with Palin's plans to offer tax cuts to the oil companies in Alaska. (Despite the fact that they continue to make healthy profits and aren't really in need of the extra income.) This hasn't really done a thing to help me lessen my own dependence on oil, or decrease my energy costs. Gasoline  prices are currently $3.27 per gallon, with fuel oil to heat our home running close behind at right around $3.00 per gallon. It could be worse. Our village populations pay around $9.00 per gallon. My electric company continues to raise its rates because of its dependence on oil and I now pay around $300.00 a month to them during the long, dark, cold of winter. We live in a small cabin and watch television in the dark to offset the energy costs of running a small greenhouse to grow our own food.
Alaska has plenty of natural resources to wean ourselves and our state budget off of its oil dependence. There are plenty of private individuals who are leading the way in geo-thermal and wind technology. We really have no need to continue our oil dependence. The greatest thing that the State of Alaska could do to help the "average joe" here would be to invest heavily in alternative energies now. How about rewarding the oil companies for investing in new energy solutions instead of paying them for business as usual? As for national security, we all know that our reliance on oil only confines our foreign policies, thus increasing our risks. It appears, at least from the point of view of an "average joe" in the state of Alaska, that Palin's top energy priority is maintaining our enslavement to the big business of oil.
I guess what I'd really like to accomplish here is to urge some of those infatuated with Palin's public persona to compare her public soundbites to her actual policies and then decide for themselves, "Is she really out to help the average Joe?" Finally, speaking of those soundbites, has anybody heard her offer credible solutions to the tough problems that America is facing? I admit that I haven't heard every speech she's ever made or even read her book, but what I do see of her in the media is a whole lot of the same old finger-pointing across the aisle that I've grown so weary of and I can't recall a single credible solution she has offered to make things better for all of us.

As always, I'd love to hear what you think. Would waging war with Iran really cause you to reelect President Obama?

Today, I feel like focusing on the positive. This past week was a weary one for news watching, but it was also an exciting week for making new friends in the art world. We found some exciting, thought-provoking, creative, and free artist websites to share our artwork and ideas with. I'm excited to share them with you; maybe they're just what you've been looking for, too.

There are lots of things you can do to help save the planet. Here you will find resources that allow you to help the causes you are interested in. Most of the ways to help are fun, simple, easy and free. Did you know that you can earn credits by playing free online games that you can then use to help various causes?  I love this site and it's partner site, Web420.com. Lots of freedom, kindness, creativity, and psychedelic images that are sure to make your day delightful!

That's all I have for today. As you can see, it has been a productive and fruitful week. Feel free to share online art galleries that you love ~ Hardluck Studios Soap Box.

Wow, watching Frontline's "Digital World" online at PBS yesterday didn't do much to improve my outlook this week. I highly recommend checking it out. It's full of fascinating and sometimes bleak research on the new digital society that we have created for ourselves. It seems, according to one study, that all of this multitasking  with multi-media (i.e. google, cell phones and texting, twitter, myspace and facebook, etc.) that our youth engage in is dumbing them down. Analytical skills and memory, in particular, are decreased dramatically in the minds of the heaviest users - those who often are splitting their attention between 5 of these applications at a time.
The piece that really set me off was that of the Army's use of video gaming centers to replace their recruitment centers. Children 13 years and older can play war video games at these centers. The Army says they are not using the centers as a recruiting tool, but if this is the case then why did they replace these recruiting centers with these  computer war games? I'm disgusted that this practice was ever allowed to happen by the Army and our representatives. I do not want our society to be bringing up children to glorify war or raise them to be eager to engage in it. I would much prefer to be raising them to appreciate, honor, and seek peaceful relations in the world community. In fact, this seems to me to be an act of dangerous and criminal brainwashing of our youth, and I feel compelled to take action in protest of the practice.

Want to join me in raising our voices in protest of this issue? Please post a comment or send us an email at hardluckstudios@hardluckstudios.net.

It's really getting to be the same ole, same ole when I turn on the evening and morning news. Last night, CBS gave an update on the housing crisis. Their report stated that, still, only a very small percentage of people have received help in securing a fixed rate long term loan in spite of the fact that government funding and programming have been allocated to help them to do so. Many are now just walking away from the homes and their loans due to the fact that their mortgages are larger than their homes are worth. And it appears that some lenders would rather just demolish now vacant homes than try to negotiate fair lending with consumers.
Then, first thing this morning it was reported that AIG continues to hand our huge bonuses. Aren't we all sick of hearing this one as we wait in the unemployment line and/or lose our home because the banks won't negotiate with us?
If I sound a little weary today, it's because I am. I'm weary of a government whose two parties are incapable of communicating with each other to provide and implement effective solutions to help anybody in this country who is not a banker or a corporation (i.e. oil and pharmaceutical companies). I am weary of seeing my fellow citizens suffer as a result of Washington's greed, ineptitude, and narrow minded attitudes. I liked the campaign slogans "Yes We Can" and "Time for Change". I'm hugely disappointed that they have turned out to be just that - only a couple of great sound bites to get elected.
The only solution I can come up with for this one is to find an independent candidate who is not already entrenched into the system of corruption that Washington has become. Imagine if every voter in this country just said no to both Democrats and Republicans and chose to start all over without politicians who are owned by banks and corporations. Is it the only chance we have left to see fair legislation enacted in this once great country of ours? Does anybody out there have any other ideas on how to fix this mess? I'd love to hear from you. I could use a little good news today.

Speaking about business as usual in Washington...
NBC news reported last night that congress approved 2.5 billion dollars to purchase 10 more C-17 planes for the military that the military says it does not want or need. In fact, defense secretary Robert Gates stated that the purchase diverted funds that are necessary for things that the military does need.
The reasoning on how this all happened: The construction of this unneeded and unwanted aircraft was spread amongst almost all of the states in the union. Great way to raise a representative's popularity by creating new jobs for their constituents.
The problem with stopping production: Of course, now that it was allowed to pass in the first place it will undoubtedly create more job losses.
The problem with continuing production: How are we even supposed to begin contemplating any kind of successful outcome for our nation's military conflicts when we can't provide the funding for tools that they deem necessary for this success if they "order a chainsaw and we hand them a screwdriver instead"?
One possible solution to keep everybody happy and productive: The best case scenario seems to be that these kind of shenanigans by Congress shouldn't be allowed in the first place. How about that line item veto for the president since Congress seems no longer to be capable of policing themselves?
A solution for job losses created by stopping production: I've said it before - Why not explore green technologies? Many other industrialized nations and private industries have already seen their economies begin to grow again by investing in green technologies. Doesn't it make good budget sense since the innovation of green technology addresses not only the jobs issue, but our need to address climate change and our dependence on fossil fuels. By the way, I've also seen many reports that say lessening our dependence on fossil fuels will also increase our national security.
Any other ideas out there?